U10 & U12 GIRLS GO FOR EAST GLORY
This coming weekend the club is hosting for the sixth successive year the East Club Minis or to give them their correct title the East Club IN2Hockey Championships. On Saturday the U12 Boys (from 10.30) and U10 Girls (from 1.30) will be in action and on Sunday it will be the turn of the U12 Girls (10.00) and U10 Boys (1.00). Magpies will be represented by their U10 and U12 Girls’ teams following their good showings in the recent Norfolk Championships. So it is best wishes to the following for an enjoyable and, hopefully, successful weekend. Please come along and cheer on our teams!
Saturday 26 April (Weybread)
U10 Girls – Amelia Slade (capt), Georgie Gardens (vice-capt), Grace Robertson (GK), Ellen Pope, Anna Cogdell, Amy Collison, Emma Williamson, Jessica Menzies, Charlotte Butler, Holly Hanrahan with John Pope (manager) and Frankie Eaves (coach).
Section Y: Magpies v Blueharts (2.00), Felixstowe (3.15), Upminster (3.35), Canterbury (4.25), Saffron Walden (5.05) followed (hopefully) by the final (5.40).
Sunday 27 April (Weybread)
U12 Girls – Keisha Hilaire (capt), Alice Evans-Hendrick (vice-capt), Alice Wiseman (GK), Phoebe Eglington, Faith Reader, Emily Woollatt, Georgie Cantrell, Amelia Herschel-Shorland with Martin Reader (coach).
Section B: Magpies v Cambridge City (10.00), Ipswich (10.22), Canterbury (11.06), Blue Hornets (Essex) (11.32), Broxbourne (1.00) followed (hopefully) by the semis (2.05) and final (2.40).
The winners and runners-up of the two U12 events will go on to represent the East in the national championships to be played at Cannock HC on Saturday 10 May.
Good luck also to our teams playing in this Sunday’s Alex Hill Memorial Minis at Dereham HC.
Richard Leeder
Since the last Musings Richard’s funeral arrangements have been announced and are as follows –
this Thursday (24 April) at Stratton St. Michael Church at 2.30pm followed by committal in the churchyard. No flowers please, but donations, if desired, may be made payable to the Cure Parkinson’s Trust and sent c/o Long Stratton and District Funeral Services, Flint House, Ipswich Road, Long Stratton, NR15 2TA.
Congratulations to the following-
a) Megan Adams and Andrew Brown on their recent marriage. Goalkeeper Megan has just enjoyed another excellent season with the club playing a vital part in the success of the 2nds.
b) Out-on-loan Magpie Alex Slater (Birmingham University where he is studying sport and exercise science) who has been selected to make his England U21 debut this weekend against Scotland in Edinburgh. In the weeks ahead there are similar events against Spain and Belgium as England build-up to the European Championships in July. Alex knows he has got to play well!
c) Jonathan Aldridge and Philip Cobbald on their selection for, respectively, the England Masters’ O55s and O50s sides to compete in the World Cup in Holland from 4 to 15 June.
d) Our Mixed team on beating Lewes 2-1 (pity about the poor penalty strokes though!) and on being given another home draw when on Sunday 18 May they play defending champions Cannock for a place in semis of the EHB Trophy. This will be a severe test for Magpies as Cannock swept aside West Herts in last year’s final. Before then I can only hope our stroke takers get in some practice!
e) Chelmsford for retaining (for a second successive season) their place in the Investec Women’s East Conference via the relegation play-offs and to Holcombe (East champions) and Buckingham (West champions) on their elevation to the Premier League via the promotion play-offs. This is a particularly well deserved success for Buckingham (including out-on-loan Magpie Jess Bloom) following their disappointments in recent seasons.
Spotted
The Men’s O50s training under the watchful eye of player-manager Peter Dolton for their national final at Beeston HC against Ben Rhydding on Sunday 4 May (2.00).
Home Page of the club’s website
Please keep an eye on this page for regular updates which at present include the following.
a) Help required for May Day Weekend Hockey Festival.
b) Topcroft Cricket Club – invitation to ladies and girls to join for free tester training evenings.
c) Rotary Club of Ipswich East and their Orwell Walk & Cycle Fund Raising event on Sunday 29 June.
d) Water Lilies Swimming School run by our own Treacle Griffin.
Norwich City HC 7-A-Side Good Friday Charity Tournament
I have it on dubious authority that one Magpies’ ladies’ team and two men’s teams entered this event desperate for any sort of medal! The ladies’ team, The Mighty Magpies, consisted of Kira Wooltorton, Shev Wooltorton, Lauren Barber, Lucy Whiting, Frances Taylor, Bryony Lund, Lizzie Jones, Krystal Bishop, Georgie Minta, Kate Graham and Sophie Mullan (manager) and they came second just one goal behind the winners.Meanwhile the two men’s sides battled it out for supremacy. The winning team, Tie-dye Pies, was made up of the Johnson Boys (Andrew, Tim and Will), Harry Blandy, Chris Barber, Richard Larkin, the Graham Boys (James and Tom) and Carl Sitch with the latter putting a late scary winner past club chairman and goalkeeper Murray Graham! Murray should, of course, have been given more protection by his Pete-is-the key team-mates! I therefore name the guilty ones as Pete Thornett, Leigh Sitch, Andrew Bedwell, Andy Hipwell, Toby Price, Sam Moore, Bertie Steggles, Adam Lascelles, Martin Fields and Ewie Cumming.Finally, a word of praise for tournament organiser Ali Wardale.
Mini Musings to follow on an occasional basis in the weeks ahead.
IceniPost.com – sponsors of www.magpies-hockey.co.uk
With kind regards and best wishes
Mike Denham
22/4/14
Sprake and Tyrrell Builders, Bungay
