Super Saturday!

What a day we had last Saturday! In the outdoor game we fielded eleven teams with nine wins, one draw and one defeat. And later in the day we heard that the Ladies’ 1sts had qualified for the national indoor league by winning the East event in Cambridge and the U16 Girls had qualified for the national finals by winning the East championship at the University of Essex in Colchester. Further success came the way of the club on Sunday with the U11 Boys winning the Rudds’ Minis at Gresham‘s School and the U13 Boys coming second in their event. Meantime the U18 Boys and Girls were being reminded of the thin margin between winning and losing in their indoor exploits at Bedford and Cambridge respectively.

The highlight of last Saturday’s home programme was undoubtedly the 3-1 win of the Men’s 1sts over second-placed Havering. It was a hard fought if unspectacular win over strong opponents ensuring the squad completed the first half of the season with a 100% record and an eight point margin, with a game in hand, at the top of East Premier A over St Albans (who lost at home to Blueharts), Havering and Blueharts with Cambridge University one point further back. While this is undoubtedly a good position for the squad to occupy my cup is always half empty when it comes to teams I desperately want to see win! There were also good wins at Weybread for the Ladies’ 2nds, 4ths and 6ths and the Men’s 4ths. During the latter I was mildly rebuked by the team’s keen band of supporters for not giving my full attention to the game notwithstanding at the time I was clearing the inevitable detritus from the other pitch! But when I made up for my lapse in attention the 4ths scored a further two goals to complete a splendid 5-0 win over Lowestoft Town for whom it was good to see former Magpies’ Tom Hart and Marcus Chorlton playing. And it was good to see David Cobbald back at the club and looking and walking so well after his recent hip operation.

Due to the snow three weeks ago (and one postponement last week) we have a nearly full programme of league matches this Saturday instead of several friendlies. At Weybread the Ladies’ 2nds play Evergreens at 10.30am looking to consolidate their second place in East 2NE; the highly successful Ladies’ 6ths (eight wins, one draw, no losses) take on Dereham Colts 2nds at 10.45am; the Ladies 4ths, after two wins and a draw in their last three matches, entertain Pelicans 3rds at 12.15pm; the Men’s 2nds play fourth placed Vauxhall at 12.30pm in a match postponed from the opening day of the season due to Ramadan; the Men’s 4ths entertain UEA 2nds at 2.15pm and the Men’s 5ths play UEA 3rds at 4.00pm looking to get back to winning ways after two successive draws in an encouraging season to-date.

Away from home the ever-improving Ladies’ 3rds play Norwich City 2nds; the Ladies’ 5ths (two wins and two defeats in their last four matches) play Loddon 3rds; the Ladies’ Development (nine games, nine wins with one goal against) take on Pelicans and the Men’s 3rds play Pelicans 2nds seeking to maintain their 100% record. Last week the team beat UEA 2nds 4-1 with another hat-trick from the prolific Matt Brand and the ‘goal of the season’ by Andy Smith (I heard this third hand from Andy so it might have got even more exaggerated in the telling!). Finally, in a friendly the Men’s 6ths (after their splendid 5-1 win over UEA 3rds) take on Norwich City 6ths. Please see the Home Page of the website for start times.

I wish all our teams the best of luck this weekend including, of course, the Men’s indoor team when they make their debut in the national premier league at Tonbridge School. The team will be captained by Tom Sumner and managed by Martin Fields. After winning Division 2 of the national league two seasons ago and finishing as runners-up in Division 1 last season it will be a big test for the team as they take on the top indoor teams in the country starting this Saturday with Beeston and Old Loughtonians followed by Bournville and Canterbury on Sunday. The league concludes over the weekend of 10/11 January with matches against Havant, East Grinstead, Reading and Loughborough Students.

News and comments in brief:

· If you regularly send match reports to the website and have not been informed by me of the new arrangements to send them direct please let me know before your next report and I will let you have the simple instructions. NB. Instructions have already been sent to all team captains.

· My thanks to Kirstin Cumming for once again preparing the club’s excellent entry in the annual 50 Christmas Trees Festival held recently in Dickleburgh Church.

· Kirstin’s nephew and former Magpie Richard Alexander is one of seven GB Olympians in England‘s indoor squad for the Tri-Nations event to be held at Fleming Park Leisure Centre, Eastleigh from 19-21 December. England‘s opponents will be Australia and Scotland. The teams play each other twice in the round-robin event.

· The club has teamed up with a brand new company called Naked Wines to offer wines to members at a very special price. For more details please see the email to be sent shortly to all members on the club’s distribution list.

· Last Sunday’s national men’s veterans’ cup match against East Grinstead was unfortunately called off when our opponents withdrew on Saturday due to injuries. This was another blow to Vets hockey. Already this season we have seen the demise of two teams in the already reduced East league. Magpies are now through to the last 16 of the national veterans’ cup (after a bye in round one, one win and one walkover!) and we are away to Ipswich on Sunday 22 February.

· I draw the attention of our young members in particular to the new England Hockey Youth website – www.englandhockey.co.uk/youth

· I remind members of the reopening of the gym at the newly named Harleston Community Leisure Facility. Membership is £22.50 per month but this will reduce to £20.50 per month when five HMHC members have joined and to £17.50 per month when ten or more HMHC members have joined. These reductions will apply to existing members when the numbers of HMHC members reach 5 or 10. So if you are interested please show them your HMHC Handbook when you join and in due course your fee could be reduced to either £20.50 or £17.50 per month. For more information please ring 01379 852088.

With best wishes and kind regards to all members, supporters and friends of the Club.

Mike Denham Tel: 01603 506925

E-mail: [email protected] 10/12/08