NATIONAL ACTION – RESUMED
The season proper gets underway this weekend with four of our teams in league action, namely the Ladies’ 1sts, 2nds and 6ths on Saturday and the Men’s 1sts on Sunday.
For the Men’s 1sts, who entertain Sevenoaks (2.15), it will be the first national league action since the play-offs at Milton Keynes in May 2001 which saw the team relegated after nine seasons on the national stage. (We needed to beat Belper in our last game but drew 3-3). Since then it has been a hard battle to regain national status with many disappointments and frustrations on the way. There is no doubt that the squad, containing several welcome new players, face a tough season but under manager Robert Stimpson and captain Leigh Sitch they have prepared well for the months ahead. Your support of the team on Sunday would be most welcome. We have waited for this game long enough! The bar will be open from 12.30.
By chance the Ladies’ 1sts also begin their national league campaign (their eleventh consecutive season in this spell) against Sevenoaks (2.30 away) and under manager Nick McAllen and captain Louisa Greenacre have had a good pre-season with a series of testing matches. Like the Men the squad will be up against several teams with recent Premier Division experience so another demanding season is in prospect.
The Men’s 1sts are again sponsored by Hunton Legg and the Ladies’ 1sts by Kitchen Sense of Harleston and we are indebted to, respectively, Mark & Annie Legg and Val & Sue Tolhurst for their invaluable support.
Meantime the Ladies’ 2nds, after their promotion, are away to Long Sutton while the Ladies’ 6ths are away to Norwich City 4ths. The Ladies Development should have opened their league campaign but their opponents, North Walsham, have conceded the match.
Our other teams will be in friendly action on Saturday including the Men’s Vets who now entertain the Men’s 3rds for whom Matt Brand is again banging in the goals.
Club president Irene Bicker and Chairman Mark Legg join me in wishing all our teams the best of luck this season with our thanks to all team officials and coaches for kindly taking on their vital roles.
News and comments in brief
· Congratulations and best wishes to Martin Fields and Lucy Miller on their recent marriage.
· Best wishes to Charlie Graham and Will Harrison and who are off to Durham University and Cambridge University respectively. They will always be welcome back at Weybread.
· The club will need to study (as well as the Government!) the implications of the recently announced Vetting and Barring scheme concerning working with children and vulnerable adults.
· Yet more work has been completed in the last few days in the clubhouse and on the grounds and thanks are due to David and Philip Cobbald (for further work on the pitches), George Hunter (for cutting the hedges), Tony and Sue Williams, John Pestell and Linda and Melissa Hunter (for further and various clubhouse etc maintenance), Doug Sitch (for the repair of the shelters on the water-based pitch) and John Moore (for repair of the water heater in the kitchen). Work at the club never ends!
· Thanks are also due to Claude Brand for kindly videoing the Men’s 1sts and 2nds games last Saturday after bravely scaling the heights of the tower!
· Please support the club by buying your hockey kit from Kirstin Cumming in the clubhouse on Saturday mornings. ‘Thank you’ Kirstin for all you do in this and in your other roles.
· Polite (for now!) reminder – there are bins provided for discarded water bottles etc.
· Date for your diary please – Curry-Oke Night in the clubhouse at 7.30pm on Saturday 24 October; further details to be announced.
With kind regards and best wishes
Mike Denham 01603 506925 [email protected] 15/9/09
