The 2s met last Saturday for their end of season dinner, signing off on a successful season which had yielded, among other things, a quarter-final cup run, the trappings of a relegation dogfight, and a richly-deserved fourth-placed league finish. The promise of players’ awards, the anointing of a new vice-captain and all the Chow Mein in West London ensured a buxom turnout of 16, who began their evening sipping a variety of beers on Geoff Taunton-Collins sun-drenched rooftop, reminiscing on relegation trapdoors sidestepped, of the late season run of Arthurian League consistency, and of the dramatic turn of events which saw Division Three stripped to only 8 teams.

As Taunton-Collins’ phone was passed round the merry throng, his JustEat app steadily accumulating mounds upon mounds of egg-fried rice, conversation meandered. Max Curry and Harry Woolley exchanged respective romantic misadventures, Theo Gordon and Jack Alhadeff exchanged opinions as to the authenticity of their weird ratings on the Easter Tour, and Chaz MacHardy, bedecked in terrifically strong-coloured chinos, drank it all in, no doubt reflecting on a season’s course so positively corrected.

The order for the takeaway was finished, (a confused and exasperated call from the restaurant manager to Taunton-Collins confirmed that the order was perhaps on the supernaturally-large side) and soon enough a fleet of mopeds delivered bags upon bags of delicious food. The team tucked ravenously in to the mountainous portions available, before Khan and Taunton-Collins began the awards.

Chas McHardy, after a stellar run in the New Year, was awarded most improved for some terrific goalkeeping displays (his extraordinary saves against Oundle spring immediately to mind, albeit in a losing cause). Along similar lines, Will Orr-Ewing scooped the new Best Defender award for his sound backline marshalling throughout the season – a trait evinced by a marked team defensive improvement in his presence. Unable to attend, Will sent in his thanks from Constantinople, along with some pictures. Also unable to attend, Harry Dalzell scooped the award for Goal of the Season for his supreme effort – one which lit up yet another otherwise gloomy away day at Citizens.

Geoff and Azhar moved things on. Ollie Curry was revealed to be the Attacker of the Season – a fantastic achievement given his Hazard-like haul of goals for the 2s during the campaign. Given his much talked-about and fabled volley (and hat-trick) for the 1st XI, however, and given his seemingly ringing endorsement from one Will Poulter, it was hard to argue with the team’s decree.

Two prizes with comparatively shorter odds came and went – Conti von Hirsch scooped the Worst Dressed Award as predicted, and Theo Gordon garnered his second successive Donkey of the Season Award for his meandering track-back against Lancing in the JLC. Taken in exceedingly good grace, Gordon duly announced his promotion.

Two awards remained – PLT and Players’ Player of the Season. Azhar Khan proudly awarded them both, on behalf of the team, to Geoff Taunton-Collins – deserved recognition for a season of utmost dedication (not a game missed, in the league or the cup) and reward for his captaincy of a team transformed from relegation candidates at Christmas to a team newly-invigorated and fiercely optimistic for the coming season.

Nothing remained but to thank Azhar for his terrific dedication and passion as outgoing Vice Captain (and congratulate him, again, for a Tour supremely choreographed), and to anoint his successor. In an unprecedented move, Geoff jointly selected the duo of Kyri Pittalis and Max Curry as VCs – just reward for top seasons for the both of them, and a further exhibition of the youthful, optimistic makeup of the team.

Nothing remained but a celebratory night out – a feat made more difficult by the continental quantity of food engorged by the squad. No doubt in anticipation of a tough off-season, the squad peeled off. The mood, however, remained buoyant, and as the squad made their ways respectively home one emotion above all others rebounded around the night buses of South London – an unmistakeable, tangible sense that the sky’s the limit for the 2016-17 season.

A few photos from the evening can be viewed here.