MAGPIES ON TARGET WITH NATIONAL MIXED TROPHY TRIUMPH
Success in England Hockey’s Mixed Trophy was a big target for the club this season and building on the optimism gained from a string of good wins over recent months the Magpies’ squad went into last weekend’s national finals at the Lee Valley Sports Centre, led by captain Leigh Sitch and vice-captain Katrina Sitch, in good heart.
And what a weekend it turned out to be with Magpies beating Hampstead & Westminster 3-1 (Andrew Bedwell PS, PC and Simon Hipwell F) in the semis before emerging as national champions by beating fellow East team Bedford 3-0 in the final. Andrew repeated his heroics from the first game with an identical brace (wonders never cease!) with Toby Price scoring the other vital goal in open play. The squad was cheered on in both games by their large group of enthusiastic supporters minus your scribe, I am sorry to say, following an eye operation.
Congratulations to Leigh and Katrina, manager Sam Moore (arguably the most successful manager in the club’s history with his 100% record in his debut season!), coach Jon Price and all the other members of the squad. This was a well-deserved triumph for the squad (with 34 goals for and just 4 against in six games) and comes eleven years since the club’s previous victory in the event after several near misses in recent seasons. Please see the website for Leigh’s report of the weekend.
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80TH ANNIVERSARY BALL
As we look forward to this major event on Saturday it is to be hoped that the club’s forefathers who first met in the Magpie pub way back in 1935 would be proud if they could see the club today thanks to their foresight and enthusiasm and that of their successors down the years. They would see, for example, the club with its own grounds, clubhouse and pitches with 15 league teams and with both the Ladies’ and Men’s 1st teams in the national league (following the Men’s recent East Premier A triumph); a highly successful youth section; the Men’s O50s as this season’s national runners-up and, of course, the Mixed team as the national champions.
I have no doubt they would be proud of these achievements and of the many in previous seasons. They would also be proud of the less tangible achievements of club spirit, friendship, responsibility to the local community, the social opportunities open to members of all ages and most importantly of all the pleasure and challenge of playing our sport with its development of character shaped by the inevitable ups and downs of sporting life.
We have much to be thankful for as we celebrate 80 proud years on Saturday without taking the future success of the club for granted. That will only be achieved by more hard work and foresight by future generations of members.
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OTHER NEWS AND COMMENT
a) Congratulations and very best wishes to Annie and Tom (‘Magic’) Miller on becoming parents for the first time with the birth of Hudson Thomas (7lb 13oz) on Friday 5 June.
b) Gentle reminders – the club’s AGM will be held in the clubhouse on Tuesday 23 June at 7.30pm, the annual Strawberry Luncheon is taking place on Sunday 28 June and the club is hosting a Level 1 Umpire Course on Sunday 12 July. Please see the Latest News page of the website for more details of these events.
c) With last Sunday’s triumph at the Lee Valley SC the club’s 2014-15 playing season is now over but please keep an eye on the website for training dates for next season! The dates in respect of the Ladies 1sts/2nds have already been posted.
With kind regards
Mike Denham
9/6/15
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