2017 was certainly another amazing year for the COGS and looking back throughout 2017 it’s hard to believe that we did so much!

To be part of this amazing group of women is a real privilege for all of us and long may it continue.

2018 looks set to start in the same vein and who knows what adventures we’ll go on over the next 12 months.  All we can say is how proud we are of everything that’s happened and WATCH THIS SPACE!

Happy New Year to everyone, especially the amazing ladies we’ve met on this journey!

JANUARY 2017:

26^th:  Visit from Tracey Crouch MP, the Minister for Sport, to show the impact that COGS is having on the health and wellbeing of “Old Girls”.

30^th:  Showing of the BBC1 Inside Out programme on the Crawley Old Girls, directed by Sam Supple.  Nothing would prepare us for the subsequent impact this programme would have!

31^st:  A trip to London to be guests on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour programme with Jane Garvey, to talk about the impact learning to play football at a later age, is having on older women.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04rfw7v

FEBRUARY:

9^th:  Visit from England/Chelsea’s Karen Carney MBE and the FA Coach Steve Perkins to give us some tips on playing.  This was part of the prize from our FA Women’s Football Award we won in November 2016.  The key word….   “Mentality!”

25^th:  FA People’s Cup – Southampton.  An amazing day which resulted in 6 COGS’ teams playing in the FA’s, free to enter, Amateur competition.  42 women enjoying playing football.  Amazing!

MARCH:

10^th:  An afternoon trip to the BBC Radio London studios to go on the Jo Good Radio Show to talk about the COGS.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04thvzd

10^th:  An evening Awards ceremony at The Hawth, in Crawley, to celebrate the Crawley Community Awards.  The COGS were extremely proud to win the Award for “Group Achievement” category.

18^th:  The first ever Mum’s/Recreational Tournament was run by Surrey FA at Woking Leisure Centre, the start of many that would follow.  We just can’t tell you the impact of this first tournament and how it affected the ladies who played.  Buzzing was an understatement!

APRIL:

April was mainly spent organising and writing content for the new website which was about to be set up!

We also started up “Jumpers for Goalposts” on Monday evenings to enjoy playing on grass!

MAY:

11^th: Our first ever game of 11v11 against our friends at Lewes!  We were even lucky enough to play on the Dripping Pan pitch.  What an evening!

JUNE:

24^th:  Surrey FA Mum’s/Recreational Tournament at Whyteleafe where we met more teams who had set up for ladies to play recreational football.  The camaraderie that day with meeting all the new women was just brilliant and was inspiring to many others.

25^th:  6 months after the idea of a COGS’ website, the 25th saw the launch of the completed site www.crawley-cogs.co.uk.   A lot of hard work had gone into the content and it has gone from strength to strength, including details of all that we’ve done plus information on other groups etc.

JULY:

1^st/2^nd:  The Dick, Kerr Ladies first National Walking Football Tournament as well as a Centenary Dinner to mark 100 years of the Dick, Kerr Ladies, the most successful women’s football team in the World.  A great evening was spent listening to Gail Newsham talking about the ladies after her 25 years of research.  Their story is a great one and fantastic to read.

5^th:  The COGS were named Winners of the Sussex County FA Community Award for Best Inclusive Project.  The Awards Evening would be held in September, at the Amex Stadium.  Very exciting news!

13^th:  Footgolf for Charity!  An evening of Footgolf was enjoyed by 4 teams as we playing in a Charity Event for Crawley Open House.  What a fantastic evening which raised lots of money.  Surprisingly, we did quite well!

28^th:  The first ever Sussex County FA Women’s Recreational Football Festival was held, in Lancing where 8 teams entered.  It was a great success and would encourage more ladies to start up their own groups.

AUGUST:

2^nd:  Some of the COGS played in a Charity 5 a-side Tournament for Chestnut House which was run by the Police.  Never has there been football played in such rain!  A great effort from our ladies!

SEPTEMBER:

9^th:  Another Charity Tournament but this time at AFC Wimbledon for Breast Cancer Care.

21^st:  Sussex County FA Community Awards – Amex Stadium.  A very proud evening for all our ladies when we collected the Award for Best Inclusive Project.

OCTOBER:

7^th:  A visit to Kent for the first ever Women’s Recreational Tournament held by the Canterbury Old Bags for beginners, over 30.  A fantastic day with 10 teams involved, some who had only just got together.  Another day of playing football, great camaraderie and new friendships formed.

16^th:  We were advised that we had been nominated for a Sussex Sports Award, among hundreds of others and that a vote would be taken by the Panel to decide on 3 Finalists for each category.  We would be informed on the 20^th……

20^th:  The second Sussex County FA Women’s Recreational Festival was held with 14 teams entered and over 100 women participating.  No trophies, just medals for everyone and fun had by all.  A brilliant increase on the number of participants from 8 teams to 14.

We also received an email to say we’d reached the 3 Finalists at the Sussex Sports Awards!  An exciting evening at The Grand Hotel, Brighton was now on the cards!

NOVEMBER:

4^th:  Surrey FA Women’s Recreational Tournament at Woking Leisure Centre.  Another opportunity for women to enjoy playing football.

17^th:  Sussex Sports Awards at The Grand Hotel, in Brighton.  2 tables of COGS and Hope Powell!  We didn’t win but we received a Finalist’s Certificate, which was amazing considering all the entries.  Very proud!

DECEMBER:

16^th:  COPA Futsal Fever Tournament, Dorking Leisure Centre.  2 teams and the COGS’ Red team just missed out on 1^st place by 1 point!

21^st:  Last session before Christmas and the final day for our COGS’ Coats for Christmas Appeal for Crawley Open House.  Thanks to everyone who donated!

What a great year we’ve had and here’s to another fantastic year promoting Women’s Recreational Football!