Meet the Presidents 2023-24
This year, the CUAFC presidents are Alexia Dengler, Alissa Sattentau, Joe Helm and Matt Page. Read more about their reflections on the achievements of the club in the past year, as well as their aspirations for Varsity and beyond!
Matt, Alexia, Alissa and Joe (Left to Right)
Hello all, we are thrilled to have you all as our presidents this year! Before we dive into all things CUAFC, please could you introduce yourselves?
Alexia: I’m Alexia, a second-year law student at Gonville & Caius College and a centre-back for the Blues. This is now my second year with the Blues and it’s genuinely been one of the best parts of my Cambridge experience so far, from the early S&C mornings, to our incredible cup run and smashing Varsity win last season. After my first year I was keen to play a role in the organisation that help develop this club further with new ideas, given all its potential and especially with the rapid growth women’s football is currently experiencing, which is why we decided to run as co-presidents. It has been a great experience so far and I’m incredibly excited for what’s to come!
Alissa: I’m Alissa, a second-year politics and anthropology student at King’s College. I’ve played as a centre forward for the Blues since the beginning of last academic year. From the very start, I knew I wanted to get involved in the ins-and-outs and decision-making of the oldest football club in the world. Being president seemed like the perfect way to have a positive and lasting impact on the club, particularly in light of the huge leaps forward in the women’s game over the last few years.
Matt: Hi everyone, I’m Matt, a third-year economics student at Lucy Cavendish College. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of CUAFC since my first year, playing as a centre-back for the Falcons. Having fulfilled the role of Junior Treasurer last year, I knew I wanted to continue giving back to a club that has been such an integral part of my time in Cambridge. Becoming president was the perfect opportunity for this, placing me in a position to ensure that all members enjoy their CUAFC careers as much as I have.
Joe:
Reflecting on your time at CUAFC, what has been the highlight thus far?
Alexia: It’s hard to pick one moment from the last year, as it was simply a huge joy to be part of a team with such a strong camaraderie and spirit, and just to be able to have a laugh with everyone, all while experiencing unprecedented success on the pitch! If I had to pick one highlight, it would be our 4-0 Varsity win. After having it postponed in March, I felt like that was one of the most gratifying and rewarding moments for all our hard work building up to it. I truly cherished that year with these amazing people!
Alissa: For me, the highlight has been the incredibly strong sense of team spirit and the profound friendships I have made in my team, and the club more generally over the last year and a half. There is something uniquely inspiring about the people I have met at CUAFC, and the friendships built through the hard work and joy of competitive football are unmatched. Controversially, I do also love waking up at the crack of dawn for our 7am strength and conditioning sessions on a Friday morning…!
Matt: The highlight has undoubtedly been the two Varsity matches I had the privilege of playing in. The anticipation and excitement around the club in the weeks leading up to the game, as we tirelessly train and prepare, is incredible. However, nothing quite rivals the atmosphere in the stadium during the match itself. It's a great blend of nerves, adrenaline, and sheer determination that, for me, has contributed towards two unforgettable victories. Being a part of this historic event and etching our names into CUAFC's legacy is an honour I cherish, and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have experienced it twice. I now look forward to concluding my unbeaten Varsity career this coming March!
Joe:
A huge part of your role is the organisation of the historic annual Varsity Match against Oxford, which is this year celebrating its 150th anniversary. What are you most looking forward to this year?
This year’s Varsity is a particularly special one. Not only are we celebrating 150 years of the men’s Varsity match, but we are also celebrating 175 years since the rules of football were first drawn up and codified in our very own city, during a historic match on Parker’s Piece. To honour the occasion, we have managed to strike an exciting agreement with Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium, who will host this year’s men’s and women’s Blues matches on the 15th March. To be played under the lights, these commemorative matches hope to attract not only Cambridge students and alumni, but also local fans and families, truly marking 175 years as an event which unites town and gown. We are extremely positive about our continually strong relationship with Cambridge United, one which we intend to foster over the coming years. As presidents, we all look forward to a fantastic day of good football, great fans and a strong sense of companionship. We hope to see you there!
CUAFC’s impact extends beyond competitive football. Could you please give an insight into the other important work CUAFC does?
As a club, we are extremely proud of our work beyond competitive football, encompassing a range of essential initiatives and community involvement. Regarding outreach and charitable work, CUAFC has continued its valued relationship with Power2Inspire by participating in their PowerHouseGames event, which consists of playing inclusive and adapted sports with members from local SEN, State, and Independent schools. The club also hosted a successful charity quiz night on the 17th of November, raising a significant amount of money for the OLLIE Foundation. Jake and Cozzie, our committed community outreach officers, organised these events and will provide more information about them in the coming months.
Within the university, CUAFC continues its coordination of the college leagues (CUAFL) through our elected secretaries, Faye and Dan. Beyond offering weekly competitive football, CUAFL provides a valuable opportunity for students to forge new friendships and enjoy the positive benefits of regular exercise, which serves as a crucial counterbalance to Cambridge’s demanding academic commitments. It’s particularly heartening to witness the rapid growth of the Women’s league, along with increased participation in the “Give it a go” sessions run by Callum, the Merlins’ (development squad) coach. These taster sessions have led to more players coming to university trials through the college league, meaning the development squad now has a consistent and committed team to bring to games. As a result, we are delighted to announce that the Merlins will be playing their first-ever Varsity match this coming March!
Looking ahead, what are you most keen to achieve over the remainder of your time as presidents?
As presidents, our main goal here is to leave having made a lasting impact on the development of CUAFC and organise great events to give back to the club we love so much. An exciting event we have coming up is alumni day, where we hope to see as many familiar faces as possible and strengthen the bonds and relationships this club culture has cultivated, both with current and former players. As Alissa has already touched on, planning a spectacular and successful Varsity is one of our main goals this season. As presidents, it has been a great pleasure taking the lead in facilitating this so far. Thanks to our great relationship with Cambridge United, securing the perfect venue here at home has been crucial in helping us achieve what we hope to be an amazing evening of football with high attendance, success for both Blues teams and excitement for all those watching! Outside of competitive football, we’re proud of be part of a great initiatives, as Matt has mentioned. One of these is the United for Cambridge Sleepout event, which we are keen to keep up for the second year in a row, as our small part we can do for the community around us. Leading this committee has been a great honour, all four of us are immensely grateful for the opportunity to help this club grow and keep up its success, both on and off the pitch!
