Deputy Editor-in-Chief Benjamin Evans sat down with KCL Men’s Football to learn how the society went from being absent from Varsity to eying up Society of the Year.
A Season of Success
On 15 March 2024, Roar reported that KCL Football had pulled out of Varsity 2024 in protest of the KCLSU. This came as the KCLSU claimed the society had been “removed” due to “altercations with fans” and a failure to meet their “eligibility checks” during the match the year prior.
The present committee inherited a relationship rocked by financial disputes and conflicting accusations.
Now, one year on, KCL Football sit unbeaten and top of their Saturday league having made it as far as the semi finals of the cup – proudly defeating the Imperial 1st team 7-0 in the quarter final.
We sat down with Javier Iruzun, Vice-Captain, and Seddig Mohamed, Social Media Sec to discuss this turnaround.
KCL Men’s success comes alongside many wins off the pitch, with the club raising over £4,000 for this year’s sponsor, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) through a charity match against Queen Mary’s last December and Mohamed’s victory at ‘Strictly Come Dance Soc’ 2024.
Using football for a good cause is very important for the players and something that they take pride in. Defender Seddig Mohamed told Roar, “it is needed more from societies across our University and Universities across London, more needs to be done… it’s all for a good cause.”
Their charitable success, as well as the constructive approach taken by President Max Van Zyl to adhere to the KCLSU guidelines has led to a reconciliation of the relationship between the society and the student union.
As for the prospect of winning KCLSU society of year? Mohamed had a simple response, “It would be rude not to give it to us.”
Looking to Varsity
Both Mohamed and Irurzun were confident about the team’s chances in Varsity this year, predicting a 2-1 and 3-1 win respectively. As put by Mohamed, he’s committed to “reclaim our status” after defeat in 2023.
Despite sitting in the league below UCL, victories against teams ranked higher than them, such as Imperial and Queen Mary’s, have provided a blueprint for success.
For Iruzun, a midfielder, the marquee win against Imperial showed the “way to go for Varsity”, employing their fast-tempo, physical brand of pressing football and making use of their prolific wingers such as top goal scorer, Ryan Miyata, and Ethan Benaine.
For Mohamed, its “always physical – after every game I am getting cuts, week in week out”. Both players agree this is a common occurrence, demonstrating a pride in their team’s commitment to games and willingness to put their bodies on the line.
This commitment and flare will be vital against a UCL side who sit top of their league and have been extremely hard to break down this season. Both players did well to reassure Roar that Nick, the goalkeeper, is confident with penalties – something that may calm our nerves if it goes down to the wire.
At the start of this year, the team onboarded a new coach in the form of Flynn Southgate, a third year student and the son of the former England manager.
Despite leaving in December, both players reflected on his positive impact on the club, introducing a series of new drills and tactics and bringing a higher level of intensity inspired by his dad.
They also spoke positively of having a fellow student as a coach, who understood their desire to be competitive, yet enjoy themselves. “At the end of the day, we want to play football, we want to have fun”, explained Irurzun.
The team will now play Varsity without a coach, with the vice-captains taking the lead on team selection and tactics.
Building a Community
The club’s social scene has been vital for building a community feel. The train ride conversations whilst on away days as far as Portsmouth, form the bedrock of team relationships alongside Wednesday Sports Nights and team curries.
For Irurzun, there are “a lot of egos you need to coexist with”, and these moments of team building have been crucial for constructing a “family” atmosphere spanning across the club’s 7 teams.
With now over 170 members, and teams ranging from recreational ability to the highly competitive firsts, both players expressed how football has been a great source of memories and friends in London.
“Football Is Therapy”
Both Mohamed and Irurzun have been part of the club since their first year, they reflected on the past two and half years during which time they have “grown together”.
Irurzan went on to expand that football is “the highlight of his week” and it has been a crucial part of settling in a city as large as London. He told Roar, “London can be a hard city, sometimes you aren’t having the best time, but meeting new people, it’s honestly central for your wellbeing.”
They both encouraged those interested to join the society and get involved in the sport as an avenue for friendships and an outlet for stress.
As the prodigal sons return, Roar wishes them of best of luck against their fiercest of rivals on Thursday. You can still get tickets to the KCL Football Varsity at KCLSU.org, and the match will be livestreamed at The Vault if you aren’t able to make it in person. The Women’s game kicks off at 16:30 and the Men will kick off at 19:30.
