One of our main focuses off the field has been the advancement of our ICA Sports Park project. Last year we received the fantastic news that after six years and many hours of planning (from a variety of volunteers within the Club), the Hunts FA would be supporting our plans to construct a full-size all-weather pitch at our spiritual home in Fletton, across from The Fleet Community Centre.

This in turn triggered support from the Football Foundation for our funding application towards a proportion of the capital required to complete the project. We have set an ambitious target of beginning construction in February 2019 and we will be working hard to get all of our funding in place to meet that objective. We have appointed Castele Consultancy to assist with our application to the Football Foundation and to help project manage our other fundraising activities in relation to the construction project.

In parallel to that, our parent organisation The ICA – of whom Ces and I are Committee members – have agreed a deal in principle to purchase The Fleet Community Centre from Peterborough City Council, providing further stability to the future of the ICA charity and also its member sub-sections, of which ICA Sports is one.

On the field

In May 2017 our flagship men’s first team reached their third PFA Senior Cup Final in four years and were victorious for the 2nd time, this time under the stewardship of management team Hamish Curtis and Angus Hepburn.

ICA Sports drew the match 0-0 after 90 mins and then won a nail-biting penalty shoot-out 9-8. It was all the more satisfying given the opponents – Pinchbeck United – had just secured promotion to the United Counties League and they currently sit top of UCL Division 1 at the time of writing.

Our ICA Women have also made great progress on the field under Matt Moore’s guidance and are undergoing a gradual evolution, with a number of new players recruited and some notable results over our local rivals. This is a theme repeated with our ICA Colombo side, who have recruited well and making great progress in the PSMFL under Ben Cliffe and Dave Johnson.

We were also delighted to welcome James Ware and his group of players as our new under 18 squad playing in the local league. The lads have settled in well after moving up from under 16 level last season and have won four and drawn one of their opening 9 fixtures, as well as providing five players to debut for the first team in the PDFL.

Within our junior and youth section we have also been making great strides:

• 5 new Yaxley-based teams including brand new U10 and U11 Boys sides built from scratch
• A new Development Centre giving young players their first taste of football ahead of entry into the U7 league next season
• A new U13 Girls team built from scratch
• A new playing strategy designed by Steve and Hamish
• Many new coaches put through the FA qualifications

Through our partnerships with the FA and Arsenal Ladies fostered by Steve and Shaun, we also had opportunities for our girls’ teams to take part in a televised FA/SSE/Vauxhall publicity campaign, we had players completing a lap of honour at the Women’s FA Cup Final and also girls acting as flag bearers at England Lionesses games.

We are also proud to report that ten of our young footballers were admitted to the Arsenal Women Player Development Programme, where ICA is represented at all three age groups; U10, U12 and U14. Training takes place weekly and provides opportunities for progressing into the full Academy.

Our girls have also been well represented within the County Futsal tournaments.

There have also been a number of our young players within the Boys section who have been recruited by Peterborough United, Cambridge United and Leicester City; whose progress we keenly follow.

Work in the community

ICA Sports were selected by the Football Association to run the SSE Wildcats Girls’ FC; designed to inspire girls aged between 5-11 to be involved in the football. SSE Wildcats Girls' Football Clubs provide girls with regular opportunities to play football and take part in organised sessions in a fun and engaging environment.

We were also recipients of a Hunts FA award for the second consecutive year – “Best Inclusive Project Award 2016/17” – for our work alongside Iqra Academy; providing their Muslim female students with opportunities to get involved with football.

The year ahead

The challenge now for everyone within the Club, is to consolidate our position as a community partner and to move towards our target of having a team at each age group – girls and boys – from Development to U7 and then all the way through to U18. For our adult sides, we look to finish strongly this year and then look to gain promotion to the next step in 2018/19.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone on the main ICA Committee for their support of our Sports development plans, plus every volunteer within ICA Sports FC including all the players, coaches and parents whose contribution to the participation and development of our players does not go unnoticed; you are the Club and the Club is you.

Here’s to a successful 2018,

Raphael Frascogna – Vice Chairman, on behalf of the ICA Sports FC Committee which is:
Alison Rootham – Secretary, Boys Section
Ces Serluca – Club Chairman
Hamish Curtis – Sporting Director, 1st Team Manager (Men)
Katie Green – Secretary, Girls Section
Matt Moore – 1st Team Manager (Women)
Shaun Harley – Head of Girls Football
Seetal Swan - Finance Director
Steve Purnell – Development Director