The Year In Sport 2024
ATHLETICS
At Hastings Athletics Club (HAC) it’s been a busy and successful year for the club in every discipline – from local events to international level – as it celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Grace Baker running for Hastings
Ten club members featured in the UK top 10 for their age group, and 13 made the top 20 for performances in track, field and road in 2024.
An astonishing 52 athletes made it into the top 10 in the club’s own records, with 17 breaking a total of 28 club records between them.
Back in February, athletes of different age groups won medals in indoor track events and, as the cross-country season wrapped up, youth athletes represented their schools and county up to national level. The adult team joined forces with Hastings Runners to lift aloft the cup for the East Sussex Sunday League.
At the highly anticipated Hastings Half Marathon in March, HAC’s Grace Baker was first female home, nearly seven minutes ahead of her nearest challenger; Rhys Boorman, also of HAC, came sixth in the men’s race. Tom Chaffin won the mini-run.
Track season brought top performances in the youth development league and Southern Athletics league, while the Sussex County Championships produced 12 medals. Rae Le Fay went on to represent Team GB in the 2,000 metres steeplechase – the first HAC athlete to do so at international level in the last ten years. She broke a British Milers Club record on her qualifier at under 20s level, her name now to be etched on the awards board in the clubhouse alongside many club legends.
A surge in interest for field events was well supported, leading to two hammer throwers, Alanna Oakman and Kitti Szabo-Papp, competing nationally at the English Schools championships.
The club hosted not only two very successful league events on the track, but also a 60th anniversary competition and awards ceremony emphasising the longstanding camaraderie among its members. The clubhouse has had a refresh and is now a buzzing social hub at the end of every session. There is huge optimism for 2025.
FOOTBALL
It’s been a tale of three managers at the Pilot Field in 2024 – four if you count the caretaker role played last month by coach Sean Ray. A year ago Chris Agutter was in his second stint at the helm after arriving in October. He steered Hastings United to the fringes of the promotion play-offs at the top of the Isthmian Premier League in the spring, then left for the richer pastures of Worthing, now going well in the Vanarama National League. Danny Bloor, once of Eastbourne Borough, came in May, but was gone by late October. New appointment from the beginning of this month is Danny Searle, former youth coach at West Ham, who is armed with a UEFA Pro Licence and has previous managerial experience at several clubs in the National League.
Hastings United celebrate goal by Will Harley
At the beginning of April, Agutter’s team seemed well set to finish in the league’s top five, but a disappointing run at the end of the season – only one win in the last five games – meant a final placing of seventh, nine points short of the lowest play-off place. They also disappointed in losing the Sussex Transport Cup Final 3-0 to Horsham at the Amex Stadium. Despite having signed an extension to his contract for the 2024-25 season, Agutter swiftly announced his departure.
Incoming boss Bloor could point to an excellent record at Eastbourne, and came in praising the quality of the playing squad he was inheriting at the Pilot Field, the calibre of the directors and staff he was joining, and the passion of ‘U’s supporters. Most players were retained from the previous season, though the speed and skill of winger John Ufuah has been sorely missed. And initial results were encouraging, Horsham being beaten 2-0 on the opening day, followed by an away win at Whitehawk and progress through two rounds of the FA Cup.
However, the team lacked the control in midfield that Agutter had always espoused, and leaked goals in defence. Reverses were suffered both away and at home: cup eliminations were coupled with a slide down the league table to the relegation zone. Bloor was unceremoniously dismissed after an FA Trophy defeat at Hadley on 26 October.
Ray took the reins as interim manager and, like his predecessors, started with a win, 2-0 at home to Whitehawk. But a fortnight later, with several players less than fully fit, the ‘U’s suffered a humiliating 9-0 league defeat at Hendon, and it is probably a relief all round that a more travelled manager has now arrived.
The choice of Searle for the managerial job is presumably based upon his record of enhancing youth development. There’s clearly scope for that in Hastings, though the standard of playable training facilities may be rather lower than he is used to. Most observers would agree that there is enough footballing talent available, if the team is set up capably and recovers good fitness levels. Davide Rodari is a proven goalscorer, Adam Lovatt is a hard-working and combative captain in midfield, and young players like George Walker, Freddie Legg and Fin Chapman should improve with experience.
So far, Searle has seen his team score a league cup win on penalties over third-placed Cray Valley PM, a 3-2 away win over Chichester City and a gutsy 1-1 draw away last Saturday at second-placed Billericay.
CRICKET
Hastings & St Leonards Priory cricketers experienced an ultimately unsuccessful return to the Sussex Premier League in 2024 when they were relegated by the narrowest of margins. In other years their record over the season of six victories and nine defeats might have accumulated them enough league points to survive, but they finished just three points short of eighth-placed Bognor Regis.
John Morgan, pick of the Priory bowlers
Needing a victory on the last day at home to runners-up Horsham in order to retain their status, they only got the game going at all by a mopping-up operation after heavy overnight rain. Batting first in a contest reduced to 40 overs per side, Priory scored a total of 165 for seven; Horsham accumulated steadily in reply, but wickets then tumbled under murky skies, and the last over came with nine wickets down and nine runs to win – or eight to tie, which would have been sufficient for Priory’s escape. It was not to be: a conclusive boundary was hit off the penultimate ball, and the Hastings side will be playing back in Division 2 next summer.
On the batting front, new captain Harry Scowen led from the front all summer, scoring 556 runs from 14 innings, including two centuries. Caleb Laloo also enjoyed an excellent first season as an opener. But none of the middle order, often required to accelerate the tempo after a sedate start, retained any consistent form, so that the side posted competitive totals on too few occasions.
John Morgan was yet again the pick of the bowlers, taking 22 wickets. Adam Barton gave him good support when available, and Adam Page enjoyed his best season to date as spinner. Aussie recruit Alex Osborne was unable to bowl his leg-spinners with any sort of control, however, and was ultimately released in mid-season. Young all-rounders Seaver Cowley and Iden McCleave had their moments of success with both bat and ball, but lacked the consistency which more experience may bring.
The future of Priory’s home ground, Horntye Park, is still in the balance, the plans to dig it up for housing seeming no further forward than this time last year.
RUGBY
With a new chairman Ben Davies, a new coaching duo of Bruce Steadman and Ben Petty, and a new captain, Harry Walker, Hastings & Bexhill have been celebrating their centennial season with eyes on the future as well as the past.
H & B in scrummaging mode
On the pitch, having survived the threat of a second successive relegation in the Kent League in the spring, H & B’s first XV have performed well this autumn, chalking up seven victories out of 11 matches in Counties 3. Top three in the division are 2nd XV teams from Tonbridge (Juddians), Tunbridge Wells and Beckenham, but the Hastings team beat Beckenham convincingly in their opening game in September and went down only narrowly 14-17 to Tunbridge Wells a month ago. Defence has been strong – they have conceded less league points than any other team; and when their backs are on song, they can also score freely: New Ash Green were thumped 47-15 at H & B’s home ground of Alexandra Academy last Saturday.
The squad is still lacking in numbers, short of sufficient replacements when first picks are injured or otherwise unavailable, though those who have come in have generally acquitted themselves well. One boost is the return of Quin McManus after a spell in New Zealand.
Women’s and junior/ ‘mini’ teams have, in the meantime, been thriving. The women have combined to produce a joint team with Seaford. The ‘minis’ train at the club every Sunday between 9.30 and 11am – playing full contact rugby at under 9, under 10 and under 11 levels. The under 10s won their first game of the Polgrove Salts Cup, defeating Seaford earlier this month.
Lower age-groups play under ‘tag’ rules, with numbers surging after the club’s annual ‘bring a friend’ day. There will be several festivals of rugby for them to play in early next year. And there is now an under 6s section for children in school Reception and Year 1, learning basic ball control through playing fun and interactive games with a dedicated coach.
Off the pitch the club has held a centenary ball as well as two lunches for former players.
TENNIS
The (mostly) friendly dance of rivalry between the Amherst club in Hastings and The Green in St Leonards continued in 2024 with perennial ups and downs.
Nikki Crowhurst and Pearl Hare in Amhurst singles final
In the Tennis Sussex Winter Doubles competition, The Green men’s team, boosted by participation of coaches Joe Adams and Ross Cudmore (late of Amherst), were promoted to Division 2 in the spring and have scored two match wins out of three in the current season. Shorn of these players, they’re not the same force, as they showed finishing mid-table in Division 8 of the equivalent Summer competition.
Amherst, too, were promoted from Division 5 to Division 4 of the 2023-24 Winter league, with consistent performances by captain Dylan Preece, Quentin Soucek, Anthony Hickey and Mark Cunnington. They have been struggling, however, at the higher level. In the equivalent Summer Doubles, starting in Division 3, they fielded nine players including several new to first team play, but were unable to win a team match and will play next summer back in Division 4.
On the women’s side, The Green were relegated from Division 3 to Division 4 in the spring despite the efforts of their always proficient first pairing, Beaula Page and Amanda Ruck. In the Summer league they finished mid-table in Division 4.
Amherst’s women were involved in thrilling finales in both competitions. Needing a 3-1 victory in their final Winter match away at Horsham to be promoted to Division 2, they won all three matches in third set tie-breaks, Pearl Hare paired with Nikki Crowhurst, Anita Pearce with Jane Garrett. Summer Division 3 was just as tight: again Amherst needed a 3-1 win away against Seaford & Blatchington for equivalent promotion. All four matches went to third set tie-breaks: this time Pearce and Debi Ani won both theirs, but Crowhurst and Hare suffered agonising defeats.
There are no inter-club matches featuring singles play, but Amherst held a highly competitive closed tournament in June. On a day of freakish wind-gusts, Soucek overpowered Hickey in the men’s final, while Crowhurst and Hare fought a thrillingly turbulent (though immaculately sporting) contest, just edged by the former in another third set tie-break.
CRICKET
Graeme Mounsey, RIP
JOHN MORGAN
Hastings & St Leonards Priory cricketers are mourning the death of former president, treasurer and player Graeme Mounsey, who has sadly passed away at the age of 90.
Nobody has done more for the Priory club than Graeme. He was a founder member when Hastings & St Leonards merged with The Priory in 1957 to form one of the strongest clubs in the Southeast, and was captain when it joined the Sussex League in 1971. He featured in many of the club’s early successes including the 1974 Kemp Cup win and the 1978 league championship.
He played with distinction in all XIs across the men’s teams, primarily as a wily slow left-arm bowler who put fear into the opposition batting line-up, but also a lower order batsman with a century to his name.
By the late 70s, Graeme had dropped to the 2nd XI, but was leading wicket-taker in 1981. He finished his playing career forming a formidable spin bowling attack in the 4th XI with Peter Finch in the noughties, though not before being recalled to the first team as a 65-year-old when the team was hit by a spin bowling crisis.
Graeme was similarly committed off the field, serving the club in many posts over a cumulative 68 years, as a rigorous and tenacious treasurer (nobody got away with debts to the club), as secretary, and latterly as club president until stepping down earlier this year. He also ran the 100 Club, the draw being the conclusion to many a committee meeting.
From 1974 until 2002, he was the chairman of the Central Cricket Ground Trust, integral in the planning and development of Horntye Park to save senior cricket in the town following the demise of the Central Ground.
Above all, Graeme was a sincere and caring person, eager to help young players and to share his love of the game and the club. He was a regular spectator, greeting fellow cricket lovers with a cheery smile and a polite ‘good afternoon’. His loss will be sorely felt.
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