The Cook Street story so far
2020/2021
It beginsUnited play their first ever game in 2020, wearing a proud white and pink strip to thrash Pace FC 4-0. The season continued in much the same way, featuring a string of wins punctuated by a single home draw against an unbeaten Bays United team. The season concludes with a 2-0 win against Vantreights Flowers, after a comprehensive 3-0 victory against Bays United in the away fixture,.
The Peacocks are sat six points clear at the top of the league before VISL play was suspended due to the Covid pandemic. The chapter may have ended prematurely, but 2021 would see full scheduled soccer return to the island.
Despite winning the league in 2021, the fixture list was not completed and so no promotion or relegation took place in the VISL. Continuing in the bottom tier, the season began with disaster as star player and goalkeeper Riccardo Tavanazzi getting seriously injured in preseason – ruling him our for almost three years of competitive play. Drawing upon a last minute signing, Cook Street’s bid for the title was ultimately unsuccessful, featuring controversy in a cancelled match with Prospect Lake but a club record 9-0 win against JDF United..
The season did end with success as the Peacocks secured promotion to division 4 and lifted the JV Barnes Trophy against league champions Prospect Lake in a tense 1-0 final. Goalscorer Mike Cherrie would heartbreakingly leave the club to return to his home country of Scotland after earning the club’s first silverware.
2021/2022
Cup winners2021/2022
Cup winnersDespite winning the league in 2021, the fixture list was not completed and so no promotion or relegation took place in the VISL. Continuing in the bottom tier, the season began with disaster as star player and goalkeeper Riccardo Tavanazzi getting seriously injured in preseason – ruling him our for almost three years of competitive play. Drawing upon a last minute signing, Cook Street’s bid for the title was ultimately unsuccessful, featuring controversy in a cancelled match with Prospect Lake but a club record 9-0 win against JDF United..
The season did end with success as the Peacocks secured promotion to division 4 and lifted the JV Barnes Trophy against league champions Prospect Lake in a tense 1-0 final. Goalscorer Mike Cherrie would heartbreakingly leave the club to return to his home country of Scotland after earning the club’s first silverware.
2022/2023
Welcome soulThe Peacocks returned with strong signings and new conviction to achieve back-to-back promotions. The season started with a 9-game unbeaten run, ended by a 0-1 loss to SFFC. The title went down to the final day of the season, which would see Cook Street need a win to be crowned champions. After battering the Vantreights goal for 90 minutes, the team couldn’t find a way through, finishing the tie at 0-0. The point was enough to pip Bays United to 2nd place, earning another promotion for United. The season ended on a bittersweet note as the team beat four teams in higher divisions to reach the George Pearkes cup final, only to lose to Gorge FC 1-4 in a well-attended and televised match at Starlight Stadium.
The club also expanded with a second team, Cook Street Soul, which began in division 5. A solid season with few goals at either end concluded with over half the team’s results finishing with a scoreline of 1-0. This steady consistency was enough to secure the new team promotion to division 4 at the end of the season. Soul also suffered an agonizing closing match, losing the final of the JV Barnes cup 2-4 to Lakehill Reds.
Work at Finlayson Turf was finally completed not long after the start of the 23/24 season, meaning the Peacocks were able to start using the brand new facilities for training sessions. Most home games would also be staged at the field for both teams, with the first round of games seeing Soul win 3-2 against Qu’wutsun FC and United thrashing Prospect Lake 9-2 in a new club record win.
With United and Soul playing in new, more competitive divisions, the season saw mixed results. Which United got mired in a succession of ties, Soul was much less consistent. Ultimately, both teams battled in midtable for much of the season, winning as often as losing but never managing to reach the form needed to push for promotion.
United beat or drew with the top 4 teams but dropped points to lesser opponents, while Soul secured famous wins against champions Vic West FC and runners-up Lakehill Reds but lost to many of the bottom-placed teams.
The highlight of the season was the unlikely tie between United and Soul in the first round of the George Pearkes Cup, with the surprising result of 2-2 being decided on a penalty shootout … in Soul’s favour. Soul would go on to reach the quarter final, bitterly losing on penalties to eventual finalists and league champions Vic West FC.
2023/2024
STALLING2023/2024
StallingWork at Finlayson Turf was finally completed not long after the start of the 23/24 season, meaning the Peacocks were able to start using the brand new facilities for training sessions. Most home games would also be staged at the field for both teams, with the first round of games seeing Soul win 3-2 against Qu’wutsun FC and United thrashing Prospect Lake 9-2 in a new club record win.
With United and Soul playing in new, more competitive divisions, the season saw mixed results. Which United got mired in a succession of ties, Soul was much less consistent. Ultimately, both teams battled in midtable for much of the season, winning as often as losing but never managing to reach the form needed to push for promotion.
United beat or drew with the top 4 teams but dropped points to lesser opponents, while Soul secured famous wins against champions Vic West FC and runners-up Lakehill Reds but lost to many of the bottom-placed teams.
The highlight of the season was the unlikely tie between United and Soul in the first round of the George Pearkes Cup, with the surprising result of 2-2 being decided on a penalty shootout … in Soul’s favour. Soul would go on to reach the quarter final, bitterly losing on penalties to eventual finalists and league champions Vic West FC.
2024/2025
Masters mergerWith the club doubling in size and over 130 people in the Cook Street community, the season came with a lot of unknowns. Fortunately, despite the large numbers and immense change, players quickly integrated and the amalgamation of legacies and identities created a strong, positive culture all across the club – backed by a happiness survey at the end of the season averaging at 9.4/10.
A successful campaign across all four teams saw United reach the cup final, narrowly beating teams from lower divisions and relying on penalties more than once, but also demolishing Vic West in the semi final.
The disappointment of losing to Campbell River in the final was tempered by promotion to division 2 after a 5-1 win against title rivals JDF in the final match.
Soul finished top of their pool in division 4, while Fernwood were runners up in Masters B. Zgoda’s highlight was besting their Masters friendly rivals in the league, overcoming Fernwood 2-1 in front of scores of onlookers.
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