FOOTBALLERS V CRICKETERS CRICKET MATCH

The annual Ironsides Footballers v Ironsides Cricketers cricket match took place on Sunday 17th July 2011 and was a great success, despite the early threat of a washout. Always a light-hearted affair, the game provided excitement, entertainment, and very noticeable differences in quality! With golden ducks as likely as sixes, 80mph beamers as likely as pea rollers, and great catches as likely as dropped dollys, the match was unexpectedly close, but was ultimately decided by the amount of extras given away by the footballers, whose batting had about as much depth as the Arsenal squad. A last man stand of Ian Peddle and Richard Allen gave the footballers a slight hope of victory, but a superb catch on the boundary was a fitting end to the game, and a win for the cricketers that the footballers will be hoping to avenge next year!

FORMER IRONSIDES YOUNGSTER SIGNS FOR MAN CITY

Former Battersea Ironsides Academy player Abdul Razak has joined Manchester City Football Club, and has already made his Premiership debut. Abdul was part of the club's 2008 Soccer Academy Initiative run by former Director of Football and long time club member Ewemade Orobator. This is undoubtedly the biggest individual success of any player to pass through our ranks, and everyone at Battersea Ironsides wishes him well in the future. For the full story on Abdul's Manchester City first team debut, click here.

TOUR OF SPAIN 2011

AN EARLY AND SUCCESSFUL START

The Ironsides had their earliest ever pre-season friendly on Saturday 2nd July 2011, and they couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2011-2012 campaign. A 3-1 victory at Combined Counties Division 1 side Bedfont Sports was indeed a surprise, but with the right attitude and good energy levels, the boys in green managed to pull it off. It was a fine all round performance, and showed why the Ironsides should never be underestimated. Goals from Duncan Kent Smith, Ernie Kendall and Julian Green gave the ironsides a well earned win.