U10 Boys – East Mini Champions!

We had two excellent days at the club last weekend hosting the Yazoo East Regional Mini Championships played in glorious sunshine and the ‘icing on the cake’ came with the Magpies’ U10 Boys winning their Sunday event in fine style.

After a slow start in their first game against Old Loughtonians, which resulted in a 1-0 win, they were soon into their stride against Ipswich with a 3-1 win and thereafter there was little doubt they would go on to win their six–team round robin event which they did with convincing wins over Spalding (4-0), Cambridge City (8-0) and Broxbourne (7-0). This was a fine squad performance under coach Stuart Peters. Congratulations to all involved.

On the Saturday the U12 Boys were unfortunate to play the eventual champions Bury in their first match going down 3-1. A subsequent 1-1 draw against Blue Hornets and a good 4-1 win over Louth were not sufficient to see them into the semi-finals. The next day the U12 Girls were in a tough group going down to the eventual winners (Old Loughtonians) after a keenly fought game and to runners-up (Canterbury) while beating Grasshoppers (from Suffolk) 5-0 before playing well to beat Hertford (2-0) and Ipswich (3-0), the other third placed teams from their respective groups.

The players in all our three teams will have gained invaluable experience standing them in good stead for the future. Three members were, unfortunately, absent due to the Icelandic volcanic ash problem.

While the running of the championships was the responsibility of East Hockey I take this opportunity to thank the considerable number of HMHC members who did so much to help to make the two days such a success by their hard work with the catering, car parking, preparation of the grass pitches for the fun Quicksticks event and the essential tidying of the grounds (by the grass strimming etc.)

For full reports of all the above events please go to the Home Page of the website and click on Reports-Blog on the top left.

On the Saturday with Norwich City FC playing their vital game at Charlton one could understand why our clubhouse manager (and keen City supporter) was keeping more than one eye on the reports of the game being made on Sky Sports News and especially so after his disappointing visit to Leyton Orient a few days earlier! But it all came right at the end of a seemingly 60 minute second half for Robert and NCFC. Congratulations to NCFC and, equally, to Norwich City HC for winning the U10 Girls event!

Congratulations also to –

§ The very young U11 Girls side which finished third last Sunday at Dereham and to the U13 Girls who won the Alex Hill Memorial Trophy at Dereham for the second year running by beating Pelicans 1-0 in the final. Please also see website for reports.

§ Ben Gowing and Ben Wright for appearing in the Framlingham College entry in the 2010 edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. Part of the entry reads ‘They were captained ably by Ben Gowing, and the player of the season was Ben Wright’. (Ben W scored 800 runs at an average of 80!)

In my last weekly Musings of the season I advise/remind you of the following events for your diary please –

Saturday 24 April – U9s (Pelicans)

Saturday and Monday 1 & 3 May – Magpies Tournament

Saturday 8 May – U9s/U13 Boys & Girls (Norwich)

Saturday 8 May – End of Season Bash

Sunday 9 May – U9s (Watton) and U11 Boys & Girls (Norwich)

Sunday 27 June – Strawberry Luncheon

Sunday 11 July – World Cup Family Lunch

Thursday 29 July – Golf Day (Bungay GC)

I thank everyone who has given me help and encouraging feed-back with the Musings over the season and I hope to be back before the start of the next. In the meantime I hope you are able to have an enjoyable summer.

With kind regards and best wishes

Mike Denham 01603 506925 [email protected] 21/4/10