FINGERS CROSSED FOR THIS WEEKEND
After a weekend when even the indoor hockey was called off due to the bad weather we can only hope for better this week although the thaw might be too late to avoid another blank weekend. If this should happen it will be nothing compared to the ‘Big Freeze’ of 1962/63. Older readers will remember we didn’t play hockey for about ten weeks. But in those days all hockey matches were so-called ‘friendlies’ – a questionable description when with my old club Norwich Union I played against Magpies (!) – which didn’t have to be played later. Now with the weekend’s doubtful weather our fixture secretaries could be in for even more hard work. Please see the Home Page of the website for details of re-arranged matches to date.
I was not too surprised that the EHB called off the indoor hockey due to the poor travelling conditions last Saturday and Sunday but this was a big disappointment for our U18 Boys and Girls. Fortunately both events will be rescheduled. When details are known I will put them on the club’s website.
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A final reminder! You will be very welcome to attend the Cheese & Wine Evening to be held in Tibbenham’s Barn, Weybread (IP21 5TR) this Saturday (26 January) at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12.50 each (including food and drink) and are available from me – or on the door on the night. This is one of the major events in the club’s social calendar and is always an enjoyable evening. So please come if you can.
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If we do get play this Saturday the Men’s 1sts will be in outdoor action for the first time in 2013 when they travel to play Chelmsford (12.00). In the home game in early October Mark Wheelhouse and his team thumped Chelmsford 7-0 but since then the Essex team have had some impressive results to move them up the table. Meanwhile the Men’s 2nds, who lost 2-1 to Cambridge University 2nds in an exciting game two weeks ago, have centre stage at Weybread when they take on Havering (2.15) determined to reverse their 4-2 defeat in the away game while the Men’s 3rds, 4ths and 7ths are also at home to, respectively, Spalding (12.30), Ipswich 2nds (3.15) and Norwich Dragons 3rds (4.00). All three teams lost to their opponents earlier in the season so home advantage must be made to count as they seek much needed points. Also at home are the Boys Development against Norwich Dragons (10.45) whom they have already beaten and drawn against this season. Away from home the Men’s 5ths are playing Ipswich Cranes (1.00) hoping to better the 1-1 draw earlier in the season while the Men’s 6ths will be out to complete the double over Holt Harlequins 2nds (3.00).
After the frustration of defeat by Lowestoft and two postponed matches the Ladies’ 2nds, and still league leaders, are away to Long Sutton (1.00) looking to recapture the form that made them such a force before Christmas while the Ladies’ 3rds are at home to Dereham 3rds (10.30) and they will out to build on their impressive record of eleven wins in fourteen matches while the Ladies’ 6ths (after six successive wins) will be keen to banish the memory of their 6-1 defeat back in October when they entertain Norwich Dragons 4ths (1.45). Meanwhile the Girls Development will be in action for the first time since before Christmas when they host Pelicans 2nds (12.15) while away from home the Ladies’ 4ths will be out to make up for a rare defeat when they play their return with Norwich City 2nds (11.30) and the Ladies’ 5ths will be thinking the same way when they take on Broadland 2nds (4.00). Good luck to all our teams should they return to action this Saturday.
Sunday sees the staging of the Maxifuel Super Sixes Finals at Wembley Arena when in the men’s semis starting at 12.30pm Canterbury play East Grinstead and Reading take on Beeston while in the women’s final at 3.20pm Reading play Sutton Coldfield. Doors open at 11.30am. The men’s final starts at 4.50pm. Tickets are selling very quickly – please see the EHB website for details.
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With kind regards
Mike Denham
22/1/13
