A draw was a ‘popular’ result last weekend with five of our teams, including both 1st elevens, sharing autumnal points with their opponents. But as we all know a draw can bring elation, satisfaction or plain disgruntlement! Depending on who I spoke to the Ladies’ 1sts could have won at Horsham but on the other hand 1-1 was a fair result; being 2-0 up with eleven minutes to play the Men’s 1sts felt as if they had lost despite drawing 2-2 against Bromley and Beckenham and despite being on the back foot for much of the match; the Men’s 2nds felt it was a point won and not two dropped (so I was told) with their late deflected 1-1 equaliser at Harpenden; the Ladies’ 6ths did a good defensive job to finish 1-1 with Breckland and the Men’s 4ths came from a goal down to finish 1-1 with North Walsham in an evenly contested match -without captain James Smith who sportingly went to Ipswich to umpire for the 5ths – to secure their first point of the season.

In the other matches the Ladies’ 2nds failed to take advantage of their early pressure against Wisbech before being hit by three quick goals just before half time; the Ladies’ 3rds and 4ths maintained their 100% records with good wins over Panthers and UEA 2nds respectively; the Ladies’ 5ths went down to second placed North Walsham 2nds; the Men’s 3rds (for whom Martin Fields has replaced, at least temporarily, Matt Brand as the team’s ‘goal machine’) beat Dereham 3rds 4-0 to continue their perfect start to the season; the Men’s 5ths went down to Ipswich Crane and the Men’s 6ths played splendidly to beat Sudbury 3rds 4-1 and the 10-men Veterans lost 2-1 away to Cambridge City. Meantime the Ladies Development full squad played a hastily arranged practice match after being given an unwelcome walk-over by Lowestoft.

In case you have no intention of reading any further (!) I remind you now of the Curry-Oke to be held in the clubhouse at 7.30pm this Saturday (24 October). Tickets will be on sale at the door at £10 (£5 for 16s and under). Please come along to enjoy the curry and karaoke.

This Saturday the Ladies’ 1sts entertain St Albans (12.30) hoping to maintain their excellent start to the season while the Men’s 1sts travel to table-topping Canterbury for their severest test of an equally encouraging season to-date and they will need to keep a close eye on Kwan Browne, the highly talented Trinidad and Tobago international. At Weybread, in addition to the Ladies’ 1sts, we should be well entertained by the free-scoring Men’s 2nds and Men’s 3rds when they take on, respectively, Cambridge Nomads (2.15) and Sudbury 2nds (10.30) and by the Men’s Veterans when they play Bury St Edmunds (1.45) and by the Men’s 5ths when they play North Walsham 2nds at 4.00pm. Meantime the Men’s 4ths are away to Norwich Dragons 2nds and the Ladies’ 2nds face another hard test away to Norwich City while the rest of the Ladies’ teams, with the exception of the 4ths who have a friendly away to Broadland 2nds, have the weekend off for half-term.

Good luck to all our teams in action this Saturday.

Last week I reported on the encouraging progress some of our young members have made along England Hockey’s Single System Player Pathways and this week it is the turn of two older members to be in the spotlight (and to be congratulated) with the news that Philip Cobbald and Jonathan Aldridge have been selected to represent England Over 45s and England Over 50s respectively in the Hong Kong International Masters Tournament from 24 to 31 October. The other teams in the event include Hong Kong (as hosts), Australia, Ireland, Singapore, New Zealand, Scotland, and Malaysia.

News and comments in brief

· Belated congratulations to Tom and Donna Marshall on the birth of daughter Neve.

· Last Saturday the Men’s 6ths featured the very welcome father and son combinations of Jonathan and Rory Aldridge and Kevin and Thomas Ridley.

· My thanks to Tony and Sue Williams, John Pestell and Melissa Hunter for their help with the ‘Danish Oiling’ of the balcony last week and to George Hunter for his strimming of the banks etc.

· Congratulations to Nick and Shirley McAllen and ‘team’ for running last Sunday’s highly successful minis tournament and well done to the winners, namely Magpies (U11 Boys), Norwich City (U11 Girls), Dereham (U13 Boys) and Magpies (U13 Girls).

With kind regards and best wishes
Mike Denham 01603 506925 [email protected] 20/10/09