OSFC Tour 2022

Amsterdam ....

After three long years of being unable to travel abroad, the annual Old Salopian FC August bank holiday tour returned to the continent as 21 Salops ventured to Amsterdam.

The tour party this year included a balanced wealth of youth and experience with a number of regulars and seven debutants in attendance. 

Our trip commenced on Friday evening with a “cultural” trip along the canals of Amsterdam, as the Salops soaked up the Dutch way of living. Keen as ever to make their mark, the tour debutants flew straight out of the blocks and into the fray in a bid to announce themselves as part of the club. 

The following day saw the Salops head north towards Alkmaar to take on the well drilled outfit of VV Kolping Boys. Upon arriving at the venue, the Salops were awestruck at the facility they had found themselves playing at. Three lush artificial pitches, water spray, sponsor boards, stands, ten changing rooms and an outstanding club house made the Salops aware of the challenge ahead. Not to be in awe of such facilities for an amateur side, the Salops shot out of the blocks, moving the ball around nicely on the deck in the land of the Johan Cruyff inspired “Total Football”. Total Football it was… until we conceded against the run of play. The Dutch began to frustrate the Salops, keeping the ball on the deck and not forcing a pass, which made for heavy running and pressing. Then, towards the end of the first half, Charlie Byrne emulated his hero Anthony Gordon by weaving through the Kolping Boys back 4 and finishing with aplomb by lobbing the goalkeeper. The second half started in a similar fashion to the first, as the contest remained even before Kolping Boys regained the lead. The Salops upped the ante and bombarded the opposition’s final third, yet an equaliser failed to materialise despite having the better of the play throughout. Final score VV Kolping Boys 2-1 OSFC. 

The following day was an earlier call to arms for the Salops and, after a well organised evening at the popular Waterkant canal side bar, some Salops may have been forgiven for looking off the pace in the early stages of the game. At another outstanding facility, this time on the outskirts of Rotterdam, the Salops were prepared(ish) to take on the outfit of SV Slikkerveer. A mixed first half saw the score deadlocked at 2-2 despite again the Salops having the better of the play and Charlie Tait-Harris scoring a 25 yard free kick (seriously). Having pulled their socks up, fuelled with Dutch coffee and oranges, the Salops came out the blocks and dominated the second half to win the game 4-2. Goals were scored by Tom Brunskill, Jamie Bradshaw, Charlie Tait-Harris and Oli Brown. 

Following the game, the Salops continued their cultural experience by embarking on a 3 hour boat trip through the canals of Amsterdam where a number of awards were  celebrated:

Player of the tour: Volker Eickoff

Goal of the tour: Charlie Tait-Harris

Newcomer of the tour: Charlie Byrne 

TC: Charlie Tait-Harris

This year’s tour was another roaring success and particularly pivotal given the turnover of players the club has had since the beginning of lockdown. We look forward to our tour next year in Krakow where a similar enthusiasm has already been evident within the club. My thanks to Guy Williams, Jake Morris, George Pearce and Oli Brown for their help in organising the trip.

The Old Salopian Football Club has been running since 1903 and we have three 11 a side teams that play regularly in London. We are always keen to recruit and involve as many Old Salopians as possible, whether you have recently left or have a sudden urge to dust off the boots again. If you are interested in getting involved, we would love to have you. Please do get in touch via [email protected]

Rob Stott (O 08-13)