Epsom & Ewell 5-1 Colliers Wood United. Combined Counties League – Premier Division. Saturday 7th October 2023.

We may have had some cup wins already this season, but whilst they are always welcome, it is the bread and butter of the League that is most important, and so to finally secure our first points of the season at the eighth attempt with a 5-1 win over Colliers Wood United was a massive step towards closing the gap between us and the rest.

Following the resignation of our Manager James Scott on Wednesday, interim Manager Steve Springett made four changes to the line up after Tuesday’s loss to Balham, two of which were enforced as Callum Wilson and Ayran Kugathas were only able to attend with their pet dogs in tow, following their hamstring injuries, so Jabari Ofosu-Hernandez and Tijani Eshilokun came in for them as we switched from three at the back to a four, while on the wings Jaan Stanley and Ade Batula came in ahead of Sirak Negassi and George Owusu, although they would join the action later.

Who knows whether the visitors, sitting just one place above us in the League, were expecting us to play three at the back, but by the time they had found out we were operating a different formation, we were in front. The goal came from a Stanley penalty in the fifth minute, but the build up to this goal was superb and needs reporting. It started off with a great pass from Ollie Thompson into the left hand channel where Stanley sent a ball into the danger area. This was only half cleared to Rory Edwards who then saw his shot blocked, but only as far as Ethan Nelson-Roberts, who was tripped right on the edge of the penalty area. Or so I thought! Actually, the referee decided that the tackle was inside the box and awarded the spot kick, with very little complaint from the visitors about whether it was in or out. Marlon Pinder had taken our last penalty, but Captain Zach Powell made it quite clear that Jaan would be taking this one and he stepped up and finished comfortably past Jack Minchin.

We continued to press against a lack-lustre Colliers Wood and Thompson Adeyemi found Stanley again, although his shot was just beyond the post before we realised it was all academic anyway as the offside flag had been raised. The visitors then sent a free kick beyond everyone from a dangerous position, but we were soon back on the attack again and our second goal followed in the 20th minute. Again, this started with our defence as Powell pushed towards the area and the ball found its way to Ade Batula. His low shot was well saved by Minchin who got down well to stick a hand out, but Pinder reacted first to slot away the loose ball from seven yards.

It just kept getting better though and we scored a third goal just eight minutes later as Stanley made good progress on the left before sending over a delicious cross that was over Minchin and a defender, but not Batula who jumped to head the ball back across goal into the net from just four yards out. We had further opportunities before the break when Batula struck powerfully at goal, only for Minchin to tip the ball over, and then from the following corner, Adeyemi headed a good chance wide from 12 yards, having beaten his man to the ball. Although the Wood had a goal disallowed in the 42nd minute for offside, it was the first time this season the supporters were able to relax a little at the half!

The second half stopped almost as soon as it had started, following an ankle injury to Daniel Webster and it seems like there is always at least one injury in matches on this pitch. A second would follow later, both of which would require the visitors to use substitutes, but in the meantime we extended our lead. Just nine minutes into the second half Eshilokun wasn’t closed down on the edge of the area and he fired an unstoppable rocket past Minchin to become the second former Wood player to score against them in this match following Pinder’s earlier strike.

On the hour another good Stanley ball in was cut out at the last moment by a defender, although he then picked up a silly yellow card for delaying the restart moments later. The Ofosu-Hernandez cleared the danger as the ball bobbled around in our six yard area for a moment. We made a couple of substitutions and Owusu interchanged passes with Pinder before sending a good ball in from the right but Edwards’ attempted back flick wasn’t the cleanest and the ball dribbled through to the grateful Minchin. The game was a little more even at this stage, even if it was over as a real contest.

We attacked again, only for Owusu to be pulled up for a foul when he was clean through, when all he had been guilty of was being stronger than his man. Kiyo Brown was also on the field by now and he received the ball from Nelson-Roberts but chose to shoot from a poor angle with team mates waiting. Had the shot been powerful he might have been forgiven, but it wasn’t and his teammates made it quite clear what they thought about his decision making! Negassi would have a similar chance a few minutes later, but he too would make the wrong choice, although the shot did at least require a good save this time. The visitors saw a free kick deflect wide of Nelson-Roberts and Harvey Keogh watched a speculative effort sail over from twenty yards.

However, in the 94th minute a right wing cross from Evans Lamboh was headed in from close range by Christian Amankwah to spoil what would have been our first clean sheet since August, but within a couple of minutes we were celebrating again as Owusu was brought down in the 96th minute with Minchin picking up a yellow card and a minute later Owusu struck home the penalty he had won with a clinical finish to complete the scoring at 5-1.

This was a massive fixture for both clubs and should have been a tight encounter. The fact that it was so one-sided is largely because we were very good and Colliers Wood were so, well, wooden! This was inexcusable for such an important match and would have been obvious to the visiting officials, who sacked their Manager Ben Ewing within 24 hours. We now sit just a point behind them with two games in hand, which is a much healthier position than would have been the case if we had lost, as we’d have been at least seven points adrift of everyone else.

So, for once, I am able to report that “New Manager Bounce” does actually exist and is alive and well here at Cobham! The phenomenon that so often has gone against us in the past, has on this occasion come to our rescue and it will be interesting to see whether Springett throws his hat into the ring for the permanent job, or whether he or indeed, the club see this as a temporary role. Either way, he now has two weeks off to think about it as our match at Sandhurst Town, scheduled for next Saturday, has been moved back and we don’t take the field until we visit Alton on 21st October. If you are a regular supporter, please make sure to let everyone know this, as our club haven’t bothered to publicise the fact!

Epsom & Ewell: Harvey Keogh, Jabari Ofosu-Hernandez, Ethan Nelson-Roberts, Rory Edwards, Zach Powell (c), Ollie Thompson, Ade Batula, Tijani Eshilokun, Marlon Pinder, Thompson Adeyemi, Jaan Stanley

Subs: Nick Inwugwu for Eshilokun (58), Kiyo Brown for Batula (66), George Owusu for Stanley (68), Sirak Negassi for Adeyemi (70), Tino Carpene for Pinder (70)

_{Report Source: www.eefconline.co.uk}

2 = brace, 3 = hat-trick, 4 = haul, 5 = glut, 6 = double hat-trick, 7 = haul-trick

Surrey County Council could call on central government to intervene in “discriminatory” plans to scrap day travelcards in to London.

The travelcards mean Surrey residents can travel in to the capital on a single ticket for use on Transport for London (TfL) services including the underground, bus, tram, Docklands Light Railway and London Overground. However their future is in doubt.

If day travelcards are withdrawn, it will mean Surrey residents would need to buy separate tickets for rail travel and TfL journeys. TfL has given notice that it will withdraw from the funding agreement for travel cards, with a mayoral decision on the matter showing the arrangements meant TfL was “effectively under-funded” at a cost of around £40m a year.

A Surrey County Council meeting on Tuesday (October 10) will debate a motion from the councillor responsible for transport, infrastructure and growth calling for London’s mayor to withdraw the proposals.
Councillor Matt Furniss (Conservative, Shalford) called the proposal “discriminatory” and will ask the council’s leader to write to Sadiq Khan outlining the impact on Surrey residents, the negative impact on the economy of London and “the need to abandon plans to remove day travelcards”.

His motion will also ask the council’s leader, Cllr Tim Oliver (Conservative, Weybridge) to write to the Secretary of State for Transport “urging him to intervene in this matter”.

A TfL spokesperson said central government demands for the organisation to save money and “generate significant amounts of additional revenue” had led to proposals to stop accepting day travelcards on the TfL network.

They said the Mayor had “reluctantly” instructed TfL to give six month’s notice to withdraw from the travelcard agreement, but that the decision was reversible.

The spokesperson said: “This is the first stage in a process and there are no changes to tickets at this time. This is an operational decision that has been taken now to ensure that TfL meets the requirements of its funding agreement, but TfL continues to look for alternative options.”

A Mayoral decision on the plans said an assessment had found that customers travelling from outside London may see prices go up if day travelcards were withdrawn.

It said: “This is because the current travelcard agreement pays an amount to TfL for these tickets that is well below the price of the same tickets sold within London; TfL is effectively under-funded by the travelcard agreement at a total cost of approximately £40m a year.

“As a result, this proposal is estimated to generate approximately £40m per year for TfL, which will form part of the additional revenue mandated by government for TfL to achieve.”

In his motion, Cllr Furniss said: “The proposals to remove day travelcards constitute an unfair, unacceptable and expensive levy on our residents who wish or need to travel to London. The proposals have deliberately targeted the removal of the day travelcard as a method to generate additional income for TfL. It is anticipated by the Mayor’s own consultation that the withdrawal of day travelcards will result in rail operators ceasing to sell Zone 1-6 travelcards.”

Opposition councillors will call for TfL, along with the Department for Transport (DfT) and train operators, to come together to find a solution, and for zone 6 to be expanded to include some Surrey stations.

Cllr Catherine Powell (Farnham Residents, Farnham North), leader of the Surrey residents’ association and independent group on the county council, said key stakeholders needed to work together to find alternative funding in order to keep day travelcards.

She told the LDRS: “We need to encourage the use of public transport as part of moving towards net zero, to remove day travelcards would be a retrospective step.”

The TfL spokesperson said: “While this six-month notice-period is now underway, this decision remains reversible and does not therefore mean that day travelcards will be withdrawn. TfL is keen to work collaboratively with the DfT and Rail Delivery Group to discuss options that would allow day travelcards to continue to be provided, while ensuring TfL can meet the requirements of the funding settlement with government.” They said active discussions were ongoing.

The Labour group leader on the county council, Cllr Robert Evans (Stanwell and Stanwell Moor), said TfL was “not being funded properly” and couldn’t do everything it wanted to do.

Also calling for more Surrey stations to be included in zone 6, Cllr Evans added: “You can argue why is transport for London giving subsidies to Surrey? Why would expect them to do so?”

Councillors for the Green Party and Labour will put forward a suggested amendment to the motion, removing the call for the transport secretary to intervene.

Cllr Jonathan Essex (Redhill East), the Green group leader, said: “We want this situation to actually be resolved by bringing together in an open and transparent way the people who need to resolve it.
“I hope that by putting the amendment to the motion down, we will try to shift this from a political argument into an acceptance that people need to get round the table and actually resolve this.”

The motion will instead call for the leader to write to Sadiq Khan and the transport secretary to request a joint meeting with TfL, DfT and train operating companies.

This meeting would “discuss the impact of the current travelcard proposals in Surrey and other areas neighbouring London” and the need to “agree a fair funding settlement to resolve this matter”.

The amendment will request that the negotiations also look to extend zone 6 to areas of Surrey bordering London “to increase Surrey  residents’ direct access to contactless TfL fares and so cheaper train travel”.
The meeting will be held at the council’s Reigate headquarters at 10am on Tuesday, October 10.

_{Image – Epsom Downs station. TheFrog001 CCO 1.0}

Chris Grayling MP has announced he will not be seeking re-election at the next General Election due 2024 / January 2025 latest.

In a message to the Epsom and Ewell Conservative Association he wrote:

“I am writing to let you know that I told the Conservative Association AGM on Wednesday that I would not be standing again for Parliament at the next election. Earlier this year I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and although the treatment has been successful, it has prompted me to think that after 22 years it is time for a change. The Association will now move ahead and select my successor as Conservative candidate.

I am very grateful to you for the support I have been given by you all over the years. I will obviously carry on working as normal until the election and will hope to see you at one of the upcoming events.”

An MP with a chequered career at ministerial level he is nevertheless recognised as a dedicated and attentive constituency MP.

This has been reflected in sustained large majorities against all challengers in the six elections he has fought, with his share of the vote peaking in the 2017 election at 59.6%.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council have received official notification from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Rachel Maclean MP, that their planning department is no longer under review for designation.

In April 2023 the council, along with nine other local authorities, received a letter from Michael Gove MP, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which stated that due to the performance levels of the council on planning applications during October 2020 and September 2022, designating the council was under consideration.

See Epsom and Ewell Times report of 15th May 2023 Epsom and Ewell planning improving after Government threat?

The council had been fully aware of this historic issue relating to performance over that period, which was a result of Covid and capacity-related issues. Having acknowledged the issues, the council took swift decisive action to address them, securing additional staffing resourcing within the department as well as investing in IT and improved ways of working. 

As a result of the council’s actions, service levels and performance on planning applications improved rapidly and significantly. Since early 2022, the council has continued to determine at least 90% of planning applications within the statutory timescale target, compared to the government threshold of 70%:

• Apr-Jun 2022 – 95%
• Jul-Sep 2022 – 91%
• Oct-Dec 2022 – 95%
• Jan-Mar 2023 – 96%
• Apr-Jun 2023 – 95%.
• Jul-Sept 2023 – 90%

Jackie King, Chief Executive of Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, said:

“We are very pleased that the Secretary of State has recognised the issues the council faced were historic and temporary in nature, and that the council has worked very hard to take significant proactive steps to address and improve them, resulting in our Planning Department far exceeding national targets over the past five consecutive quarters. We have a strong and stable team and systems in place and are very confident that we will continue to provide a high level of service, over and above what is expected, into the future.”

Surrey County Council has been confirmed with the highest number of schools awarded with a Green Flag of any local authority in England, with its 88 Eco-Schools, all of which have a Green Flag status – the highest accreditation in the scheme.

Eco-Schools is the largest education programme in the world which helps sustainability become an integral part of school life. Eco-Schools is pupil lead, supports the enrichment of the curriculum and helps unite young people and the wider school community to care more about protecting the environment and making positive changes.

Various projects have been set up across Surrey’s schools and have had a positive impact on the environment. Activities that have taken place include:

• Building new ponds to increase biodiversity.
• Creating allotments to grow vegetables.
• Planting trees to encourage more wildlife and improve air quality.
• Running switch off campaigns to save energy.
• Making signs for bins to make sure people use the correct bins, to help increase recycling.
• Building a greenhouse out of plastic bottles to grow plants.
• Following national campaigns such as Walk to School Week.

The projects have engaged over 50,000 pupils and are already reaping benefits which include:

• Saving a total of 648,330kwh of electricity
• Diverting 111,645 tonnes of waste from landfill
• Creating 8,322 (m2) of natural habitat
• 7,400 pupils participating in walking and cycling initiatives.

Marisa Heath, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Environment said: “This project is so important and very close to my heart because we know informing and educating the young generation will pay dividends in the future to protect our environment. I am so proud that Surrey’s schools are getting behind the green agenda and are encouraging so many young people to play their part to help tackle climate change. We know it’s a joint effort and if everyone plays their part, we really can have a positive impact.

“It’s an amazing achievement to be recognised as the highest performing county and hope this also inspires other Surrey schools to find out more and get involved.”

Adam Flint, Eco-Schools England Manager from Eco-Schools said: “In academic year ‘22/23, schools in Surrey County Council achieved more Eco-Schools Green Flags than any other county council in the country. When it comes to enabling young people and schools staff to make positive impacts on our planet, the region is exemplary. The Council has supported their schools in various, showing a great commitment to the future of their pupils and placing faith in them to lead action on climate change and work for a better future for everyone. It’s a phenomenal achievement.”

More information about Eco-Schools in Surrey, including how to sign up can be found on here.

Sign up to the Greener Matters newsletter to keep up to date on progress towards the target of making Surrey net zero by 2050 and find out what you can do to help.

_{Image credit: rawpixel.com}

Epsom and Ewell Extinction Rebellion embark on a public education drive on Sunday 9th October in Epsom High Street. The climate action group has tabulated the pollution statistics for schools in and around the Borough.

The table below is based on statistics provided by addresspollution.org a United Nations accredited initiative of the Central Office of Public Interest.

Between 10am and 1pm the XR group will have a Doctor’s surgery (with an Intensive Care Unit Doctor) giving real world advice on the health impact of Air Pollution. A Citizens Polling Board so passersby can vote for their favourite Pollution Solutions and an information desk so you can find out the Air Pollution levels at your home and local schools.

In 2020 in a study published by the journal Science of the Total Environment, experts from the University of Surrey’s world-renowned Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) partnered with a local school and the local community in Guildford to investigate the impact cars have on air quality in and around schools during drop-off and pick-up times.

Children face a worrying threefold increase in air pollution during the daily school runs, causing air quality experts to call for restrictions on the use of cars during those periods.

These are the statistics provided by addresspollution.org for local school postcodes year long average figures assessed on 4th October 2023:

Image: The school run © Robert Ashby cc-by-sa/2.0 Geograph Ireland

Families are using their “savings and holiday money” to pay for private educational psychologist assessments having been told they would wait two years for an assessment through the council, a select committee has heard.

One councillor said all families who had been told they faced a two-year wait and had opted to fund a private assessment should get their money back and Surrey County Council would fork out for the refund.
Questions were also raised about how well the council was communicating with parents over eligibility and the scheme to refund parents, at a meeting of the county council’s children, families, lifelong learning and culture select committee on Monday (October 2).

The meeting heard about the steps being taken to reduce the wait times for children getting an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which is put in place to ensure children with additional needs or disabilities get the provision they need at school.

In 2022, Surrey was completing just 26 per cent of EHCPs within the legally required 20-week timeframe, down from 65 per cent in 2021. The council is aiming to be back over the target of 60 per cent of EHCPs issued within 20 weeks by the end of May 2024.

For the summer and autumn terms of 2023, a temporary reimbursement offer is in place for parents, up to a maximum of £925, where private advice has been obtained and where no further Surrey County Council professional advice is required.

The offer is part of the steps being taken to try to improve the council’s speed of getting through EHCPs, with a shortage of educational psychologists being one of the factors behind the delays.

Councillor Rachael Lake (Conservative, Walton) said she had been in contact with a family who were told in summer 2022 there would be a two-year wait, and challenged the policy of only allowing reimbursements in specific circumstances. Cllr Lake said: “Last summer when this family was told that it was a minimum two year waiting list, in writing, they chose to use their family savings and holiday money for an assessment which Surrey County Council has accepted in its totality and has acted upon, for which they are extremely grateful. Had they not spent this money, they would be one of the people still waiting this summer with another year to go.”

She said she thought it was “wrong” that this family could not apply for the money to be given back to them, saying she thought any family told they would have a minimum of two years to wait should be eligible.

One parent spoke to the select committee and said they only became aware that private assessments could be considered on September 22 ,when they were told by the caseworker helping with their daughter’s request.

The parent was sent a link to a web page which no longer existed and said she had only found out that there had been an extension to the eligibility criteria when asking questions ahead of the select committee meeting.

She said: “I commend the committee’s efforts to try and reduce waiting lists, but without effective communication, both internally to your staff and externally, the decisions and policies that you make are meaningless.”

The meeting’s chair said it was clear the council had a “challenge communicating with parents and carers”.

Cllr Fiona Davidson (Residents for Guildford and Villages, Guildford South-East) said: “I’m not sure that we’re really tackling it as effectively as I think everyone would choose. On behalf of the committee, I would certainly ask if there was a renewed focus on those communications.”

Assessments for EHCPs will be carried out in chronological order, starting with those who have been waiting longest, except for more vulnerable children, where there is a safeguarding concern, or where they are due to transfer to the next phase of their education, which are being prioritised for completion on time.

Documents show that in order to catch up with the outstanding EHCPs, the county council will need to issue 330 overdue EHCPs in September, 321 in October and 260 in November.

The number of overdue plans being issued per month will be over 200 until May 2024, when it is forecast to drop to 86, compared to 147 which should be completed on time and meeting the 60 per cent target.
But documents also show that this target can only be achieved if the demand for assessments for an EHCP reduces.

The county council will focus on meeting needs “at the earliest opportunity”, with more language and communication support for reception classes.

The county council’s leader said before the meeting that, with access to appropriate support services at an earlier stage, families might not need to go down the road of getting an EHCP.

Cllr Tim Oliver (Conservative, Weybridge) said “looking through the other end of the telescope” could lead to “low level” support given earlier on and building a “more resilient, preventative system”, as well as allocating funding to those already in the system.

He added: “I accept that it’s a challenging process for parents. It’s not really their first choice.”
While the cabinet member education and learning, Cllr Clare Curran (Conservative, Bookham and Fetcham West), told Monday’s meeting she was “really confident” the plan to catch up on overdue EHCPs was realistic and could be achieved. But she said it would be put under pressure if there were a “massive increase” in new requests coming forward, or if there were a large number of staff leaving roles, as happened in 2022.

_{Image – illustration from UNHCR CC}

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, Go Epsom Business Improvement District, and dedicated volunteers from across the borough were delighted to pick up a number of awards for Nonsuch Park, Epsom Town Centre and Ewell Village at this year’s South & South East in Bloom awards.

For the first time, Nonsuch Park picked up two awards, a prestigious Gold Award for Large Conservation Area and a Silver Gilt Award for Heritage Park. 

Judge Peter Holman, who is also Chairman of the South & South East in Bloom scheme, praised the efforts of the Nonsuch Voles Volunteering Group, and Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s Operational Services and Countryside Team, who all work together for the overall benefit of the park.

Mr Holman said, “Woodland management, planting new trees and beds, and uncovering and restoring horticultural features all add value. Since my last visit, it’s good to see progress and the natural areas of the park are an excellent example of what can be achieved to benefit wildlife.”

Ewell Village kept its Silver Award status in the Large Village of the Year category and was congratulated on the efforts of the community volunteers who help maintain the Gertrude Longhurst Memorial Garden and Bourne Hall Park.

The council’s work at Bourne Hall was also praised. The judges said, “With its historic grounds, Bourne Hall showed noticeable improvements to the area at the rear of the building, which now forms an outdoor extension to the café area. It is understood that planting to soften its appearance is planned along with a new children’s play area. Adjacent to the pond, a new pollinators bed has been successfully planted and looked attractive.

“The Wheatsheaf public house was pleasing to see and welcoming. Also of note was the work at Gertie’s garden.”

Epsom Town Centre entered the Business Improvement District category and retained its Silver Award status. The judges noted the planting schemes in Rosebery Park, the ‘Pocket Park’ in South Street and the new planters outside TK Maxx, they were also impressed with the murals around the Town Centre and the Lidl Living Wall in Upper High Street.

Councillor John Beckett, Chair of the Environment Committee, said “I am pleased to see the hard work and dedication of the council, Go Epsom, businesses, residents and volunteers has been formally recognised at this year’s South & South East in Bloom awards.

“Maintaining our standards by winning Silver Awards in Ewell Village and Epsom Town Centre again and improving on last year’s awards tally by winning Gold and Silver Gilt for Nonsuch Park is a brilliant achievement.

“Plans are already being put in place for the borough to take part in Bloom next year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who is committed to ensuring our borough is the best it can be for the local community, visitors and wildlife all year round.”

Karen Pengelly, BID Manager at Go Epsom said, “Epsom is a lovely town, and the introduction of planters, murals and general greenery are welcome additions to our street scene. Visitors and local workers have commented on how much they appreciate the efforts of everyone involved in making Epsom look even better. Onwards and upwards for 2024 – there’s always more to do!”

The awards were held at RHS Wisley on Friday 29 September 2023.

South & South East in Bloom is part of Britain in Bloom and runs annual competitions across the counties of Kent, Surrey, East & West Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, East & North Dorset and East Wiltshire.

Related reports:

Bloom awards for Epsom and Ewell (2022)

Image: Rosebery Park in Spring:  © Copyright Marathon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Old Alleynians 29 Sutton & Epsom RFC 25. Saturday 30th September.

For Sutton and Epsom supporters with good memories, and multiple miles on the clock, they will recall opening three consecutive league campaigns from 1989-90 onwards against Old Alleynians. However, 3rd November 2012, in S&E’s league winning season, was the last time that the two teams met at Dulwich Common with the hosts shading it 18-17. For Saturday’s clash the Black & Whites welcomed back wingers Kyren Ghumra and Robbie Martey which meant that the Rugby Lane team no longer resembled Alf Ramsey’s World Cup winners. It was another thrilling chapter in the story of this season with Old Alleynians triumphing 29-25.

      Freddy Bunting kicked off in front of a miniscule crowd, no doubt affected by the rail strike, making the very busy roads in the environs even more congested. Thankfully the numbers grew throughout the afternoon and they were rewarded with an exhilarating game. A perfectly flighted kick descended just outside the host’s 22 and was followed by a resolute Jack Benton tackle. OAs went wide but conceded a penalty. Freddy Bunting accepted the opportunity to give his team the early 3-0 lead.

The host’s reply was instantaneous. The first of many sumptuous offloads by the Alleynians had them invading the visitor’s 22 and a kick ahead gave them an attacking lineout. With clinical efficiency hooker Rory Simpson forced his way over for the first try of the game. Henry Dewing’s touchline conversion went awry but OAs were 5-3 up.

      Sutton & Epsom were equally rapid in their riposte. Declining a penalty shot at goal they went in search of the premium points with a kick to the corner with the attacking lineout to follow. Matt Whitaker secured the throw and the S&E pack was initially halted but a second surge carried Josh Glanville over the line for a very similar score to their opponents. Captain Bunting made light of the kick from the flank to restore Sutton’s lead to 10-5. Old Alleynians pressed hard for the next score. Their swarming defence and high tempo game pressured the Rugby Lane team into errors. The visitors survived a charged down in their 22 but later a mistimed lineout created a turnover with fatal consequences. The home team ruthlessly exploited an overlap for Will Malins to score the first of his trio of tries. Henry Dewing bisected the uprights to put the Dulwich-based club into a 12-10 lead. As the first quarter ended OAs, tighthead prop Tom Weightman offered sagely advice to his teammates at the restart: “Boys they cannot exit let’s play territory”.   

Within five minutes it looked as if OAs were about to extend their lead from a 5-metre lineout. Defiant defence stopped the advancing forwards and when it went wide a desperate grasp from Michael Bennion prevented the backs applying the coup de grâce. From the ensuing scrum a stunning break from Matt Whitaker supported by Kyren Ghumra took play into the host’s half. A penalty for a high tackle was advanced to the 22. Superb play saw Kyren Ghumra to 5 metres out but Jack Howes in support could not hold on to the pass with the undefended line awaiting him. The error was not costly as the Black & White pack won a penalty at the scrum. Opting for tap penalty from 5 metres George London got to within a metre before transferring the ball to Chris Farrell to score. The conversion hit the post but Sutton led 15-12.  

    Old Alleynians then dominated the remainder of the first period with two tries in the last ten minutes. The first score was Will Malins’ second as he got the ball in space and finished with pace and power in the corner. Though the conversion failed the lead had changed hands once more with OAs 17-15 to the good. With the wind in their sails the southeast Londoners were soon pressing for another score. Desperate defence held up the hosts over the line. The goal-line drop out was taken by the hosts who laid siege to the Sutton line. A diving Ghumra interception denied a try but soon after Will Malins turned provider with a wonderful offload to create a try for Number 8 Tom Grahamslaw. Henry Dewing concluded the first period with his second conversion of the afternoon for a 24-15 lead. The teams turned around with a bonus point already secure in Old Alleynians’ back pocket for the four fabulous first half tries.

        The contest resumed, the tempo increased and the chances to score multiplied exponentially. Quite remarkably there followed thirty minutes of end-to-end rugby with numerous chances but no additional scores. As one matchday photographer mused both XVs were specialising in try avoidance. The catalogue of close calls began with that man Malins once more to the fore. The Sutton defence dawdled by the touchline and the winger manufactured a kick ahead and from nothing the ball was rolling over the try-line with a couple of Alleynians vying for the glory. However, they were denied by the diving Sutton lock Josh Glanville, who used every inch of his frame, to rescue S&E. A few minutes later Kyren Ghumra was sprinting clear in the wide open spaces with a try beckoning before his errant pass sailed high into touch. Then OAs pounced on a ball dropped by the visitors and a breakaway score looked a certainty. But a backpedalling Bunting and Bennion prevented the dramatic score.  

     Sutton’s cause was not aided when Matt Whitaker departed for a yellow card as a result of cumulative offences. Old Alleynians kicked into the corner hoping to immediately take advantage of their numerical superiority. The ball was claimed and spun wide but white-line fever overwhelmed fullback Henry Dewing and Rob Hegarty scythed him down a metre short with expectant support on the outside. Sutton then took over the ‘nearly but not quite’ mantle. Reminiscent of the denouement of the Battersea game the previous round they hammered against the line under the posts. Herculean heroics by the SE21 outfit forced S&E to seek the alternative route via the backs. They were denied by a marvellous cover tackle on Kyren Ghumra in the corner. After all the thrills and spills the next score was the much more mundane Bunting penalty to reduce the Old Alleynians’ lead to 24-18.     

  Hardly had the crowd had time to digest that Sutton and Epsom were within a score before they rose to applaud Will Malins’ hat trick. It was another excellent finish and a deserved reward for an outstanding performance on the wing. Though the conversion missed with the lead 29-18 with only a couple of minutes remaining of normal time it appeared to be the match-winning moment. However, the Black & Whites were not done and we were able to bear witness to another episode of their long-running Soap “Life On The Opposition Line”. The Alleynian defence had been robust all game and were eager for another titanic tussle under their posts. After very careful consideration following numerous carries the referee awarded S&E a try. Chris Farrell emerged from the pile of bodies to claim his second of the afternoon.  

     Freddy Bunting’s simple conversion meant Sutton trailed 25-29 creating a chaotic conclusion. Both sides decided to run the ball at every opportunity. Henry Dewing thought he had finally shut the door on the impertinent opponents when he chipped ahead but the bounce did not favour him and the game was still in the balance.

Though Sutton and Epsom threw the ball from one side to the other they could make little headway against the voracious tackling of the Alleynians. With time up OAs gratefully kicked the ball from the paddock at their first opportunity to collect a thoroughly deserved bonus point win. The Malins hat trick was the obvious highlight but the Old Alleynian XV were excellent with lock Ben Osuntokun epitomising their performance. The Number 4 secured lineout possession, carried to great effect in the loose and was prominent in defence. For S&E they probably created more chances than in any other game this season but could not find that cutting edge. Kyren Ghumra was a tad ring rusty in his first outing of the season but was still a prominent threat. The hosts were good value for their win as they managed to play at a faster tempo, were aggressive in defence and kept attacks going with dextrous offloads and excellent support running. 

      The league has a weekend off before resuming on Saturday 14th October when Medway visit Rugby Lane to resume hostilities in this most competitive of leagues. 

     Sutton & Epsom:   Michael Bennion, Kyren Ghumra, Ciaran Mohr, Freddy Bunting ©, Robbie Martey, Gareth O’Brien, Chris Ballard, Will Lloyd, Jack Howes, Callum Gibson, Jack Benton, Josh Glanville, George London, Rob Hegarty & Matt Whitaker.    

Replacements: (all used) Tariq Al Khaldi, Chris Farrell & Ross Parsons.  

 Old Alleynians   Henry Dewing, Will Malins, Will Foster, Robert Outram, Tom Vogel, Andrew Jones-Davies, Tristam Holden, Richard Garrett, Rory Simpson, Tom Weightman, Ben Osuntokun, Will Hinchcliffe, Chris Thatcher, Tyreece Asamoah, Tom Grahamslaw.   

Replacements: (all used) Charles Thompson, James Mair & Tom Williams.   

Image: Old Alleyian forward in another match C. Old Alleyian RFC website

A 9 month delay in presenting a critical report about Epsom and Ewell Borough Council‘s handling of complaints was the subject of testy exchanges at a meeting of the Council’s Audit and Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 28th September.

“Who will watch the watchmen?” When the Audit and Scrutiny Committee of the Council is itself under scrutiny – who takes responsibility for that?

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) had written to the Chief Executive of the Council in July 2022. The letter stated: “during the year your council failed to respond in time to our correspondence during three investigations. On each occasion, we had to escalate the matter internally and were forced to consider issuing a witness summons and a public report for non-compliance. Such delays in our investigation undermine our role and can result in further distress to complainants.”

Though the letter was available to the public on the Ombudsman’s website the question asked at the 28th September meeting was why the committee, responsible for the scrutiny and review of the decisions and performance of the council, was not presented with the letter at either of its subsequent meetings of November 2022 and February 2023. It was finally presented at the meeting of April 2023.

The Chair of the 28th September 2023 meeting of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee was Councillor Steve Bridger (RA Stamford). He repeated a written answer to the question which referred to a “work plan” that provided for the Ombudsman’s communication to be presented at the April meeting.

The questioner was former Residents Association Councillor Previn Jagutpal, exercising his right to ask a question as a member of the public. He responded to the Chair’s answer and stated that there was no such direction in any “work plan”, copies of which he held on the desk in front of him.

Mr Jagutpal went on to heavily criticise the conduct of the matter and said “Why should residents of Epsom and Ewell have confidence in the transparency and effectiveness of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee when pivotal information, such as the 2022 LGO annual review, and perhaps other information over the last four years, is not being shared in a timely manner with the committee?”

He went on to label the committee “The bodge-it and secrecy committee”.

In another procedural controversy, though permitted a supplementary question to his first one, Mr Jagutpal was denied a second question, even though, as Mr Jagutpal pointed out, there was plenty of time for the committee to deal with it. Exploiting a bizarre anomaly in the procedures he was permitted to make a statement during which he told the committee what his denied second question was! Namely, a question concerning a meeting between the Chief Executive of the Council and the LGO of April 2022. Thus, as Mr Jagutpal argued, the matter pre-dated the subject of his first question about the July 2022 LGO letter.

A lawyer for the Council advised the Chair that Mr Jagutpal was not permitted a second question. According to Epsom and Ewell Times research of the standing orders the rule appears to be:

_{“If a member of the public asks or wishes to ask more than one question, their second question (written or oral) shall be taken after all other individuals who wish to ask a question have been given the opportunity to do so.”}

There were no other members of the public lining up to ask questions at this meeting.

Councillor Chris Ames (Labour Court Ward) raised a point of order and accused the Chair of plucking rules out of the air to silence a member of the public and protect the Council from scrutiny. He said “I just do not believe that that rule exists. However, more to the point I’ve noticed that every time Mr Jagutpal tries to ask a question that risks embarrassment for officers, or for yourself chair, some arcane rule is plucked out of the air to shut him down. It absolutely reeks of cover up and pettiness. What must residents think of a Residents Association Council using every trick in the book to keep residents in their place?”

The legal adviser intervened once more: “I’ve previously advised this committee as to my interpretation as monitoring officer that the current Constitution and the relevant Annex is to be read that way so my advice has been quite clear that’s how we’re operating.”

Later in the meeting Cllr Ames weighed in again about the 9 month delay in disclosing the LGO’s July 2022 critical letter. He said “”I think my question for you, chair, is when you received this letter, you must have looked at this letter. You must have thought things are going very badly wrong. I must put this before the audit and scrutiny committee at the next meeting rather than sit on it until April. I mean, surely, as a competent chair, you would look at that letter. It was expressly said in the letter to have been addressed to yourself, chair, and yet you sat on this report for something like nine months.”

Cllr Bridger responded “We can assure you that nothing has been hidden or anything else. Yes I appreciate it should have been dealt with. However, the letter also goes to the chief executive and myself and other members. ……… the report is available for everybody to see. Nothing’s hidden at all and from what I hear it’s almost as if everybody’s waiting for us to bring the report but everybody can see it.”

The committee was informed that the LGO has stated that the situation of communications between its office and the Council had much improved.

Related reports:

Local Audit meet: unexpectedly interesting…