SURBITONHOCKEY CLUB MAGAZINE

ISSUE 1 SEASON 2013-14

FREE

Men win cupand qualify forEurope

Ladies’ Englandstars win silver

Welcome to Surbiton Hockey ClubHello and welcome. There is so much to enjoy and celebrate both on and off the pitch as we look back on a verysuccessful season and look forward to one that promises to be even better.

The performances and achievements of the two first teams last season gave Surbiton fans six months of exciting andhigh quality hockey. The men finished as runners-up in the national league and repeated the feat in the play-offs tosecure a place in Europe. For good measure they also won the cup. The ladies’ achievements were equally, if notmore impressive, coming fourth in the national league in its first season competing at the highest level. Withoutwanting to put any undue pressure on either team, they are potentially much stronger this term, with both squadsadding international players to their rosters. The men have brought in Ireland internationals Geoff McCabe andMichael Watt from Spanish club RS Tenis Santander and Dutch side SCHC of Bilthoven (or to give it its full nameStichtsche Cricket en Hockey Club) respectively, current England A player Scott Evans from University of Birminghamand Scotland’s Alan Forsyth from Kelburne of Glasgow. The ladies made a number of high profile signings bringingin Hollie Webb from Beeston and Giselle Ansley from Loughborough, both of whom are making a big impact in theEngland team, the experienced Rebecca Herbert who has represented England on 70 occasions and GB 30 times,and Emily Atkinson from Clifton. Emily was a member of the University of Birmingham that won the cup againstSurbiton in 2012, but we forgive her. Equally important are the returns of Matt Daly, returning to hockey after a yearout through injury following the London Olympics, Adam Jolly, who took out a season to do triathlon, and ChloeStrong, who after playing in the ladies first ever premier league match against Reading took time out for maternity.Matt immediately showed everybody what they had been missing with a couple of goals in the opening day win overHampstead and Westminster.

Throughout the teams there were impressive campaigns with the ladies’ 2s and 3s winning their championships alongwith the men’s 8s and the Vets. Particularly pleasing are the number of young players developing in to valuable teammembers at all levels, auguring well for the future.Off the pitch there have been major developments during the summer as the old dressing rooms have been replacedand a new pitch has laid to replace the tired sand one.

This is your magazine so it will be great to hear from anyone who would like to contribute, whether it be to commenton some aspect of hockey that affects Surbiton, to ask a player a question, or to suggest a subject for an article.Please email me at: tim.reder@tiscali.co.ukFinally, a big thank you to all the contributors and particularly so to Colin Pike whose help has been invaluable.Tim Reder, editor

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Surbiton Hockey ClubAll content is copyright of the authors. Photographs by Tim Reder (www.timrederphotography.com) unless otherwisestated.

Directions to Sugden RoadSugden Rd, Thames Ditton KT7 0AE

By Car:

From A3 southboundLeave the A3 just after Hook exit (signposted ‘Esher’). At the first roundabout turn right at the ‘T’ junction, then turnright into Sugden Road. The ground entrance is on the right in 1/4 mile, opposite Scott Farm Close.From A3 northboundLeave the A3 at Esher/Leatherhead exit and follow the signs to Esher/Sandown Park. From the one-way system inEsher, follow signs towards Kingston and drive past Sandown Park (1 mile from Esher). At the Scilly Isles roundaboutbear right joining the dual carriageway towards the A3 & London. At the first set of lights, turn left into Manor RoadNorth. After 1/2 mile this becomes Sugden Road. The ground entrance is on the right opposite Scott Farm Close

By Public Transport:The K3 bus route runs between Roehampton Vale Asda and Trinity School, Esher. Alight at the Rectory Lane stop inSugden Road. From Surbiton and Kingston take the bus in the Esher direction and from Esher in the RoehamptonVale direction. Buses are every 15 minutes on Saturdays and every 30 minutes on Sundays.

Walk from Surbiton Station:Turn left out of the station in to Victoria Road and continue in to Victoria Avenue. Enter Victoria Recreation Groundand follow the perimeter path. Turn left out of the gate and turn right under the railway arch in to Fleece Road.Continue beyond the shops to the mini roundabout past which you will be in Sugden Road. The ground is 200m onthe left. Walk takes 20-25 minutes.

3

Hockey

We had considerable success at theelite level. Our Ladies first season inthe Premier Division was verysuccessful culminating in themreaching the play-offs. Sadly, Brett’sGirls narrowly failed to qualify forEurope, but we wish them better luckthis season. Our Men also had a verysuccessful season under new CoachTodd Williams, and, despite asomewhat shaky start, managed togain a place in Europe, and won theHA Cup. We wish them luck at the 1stround of the EHL in Barcelona 11th –13th October after a 10 year absencein this prestigious competition. Ourstalwart supporters “The SHC BarmyArmy” will no doubt continue to provethey are the finest hockey supportersin the land, if not in the world.Elsewhere, at vets, senior and coltslevel, several Surbiton teams coveredthemselves in glory. This season wehave a new Ladies Team, a numberof teams have new Captains, andsome teams have moved into newleagues. We wish them all luck.Thanks largely to Gill Griffiths, ourColts Administrator, we passed theprestigious England Hockey ClubFirst Accreditation again. This isevidence that everything we do is tothe highest standards, and that weare continuing to develop our facilities

and practices in line with national bestpractice.

The Future Is Here

Our appeal to members reached itsone hundred thousand pounds targetand allowed us to take a significantstep forward during the off season.We have spent over half a millionpounds over the summer onimproving the clubs facilities. Wehave a new kitchen, and we areputting the finishing touches to newchanging rooms and our replacement for the infamous Pitch2 aka “The Beach”. This will completea major upgrade of the facilitiesstarted in 2009 with our Future IsNow Project, the guiding vision laidout by my predecessor as ClubCaptain Tom Sheridan. We areindebted to several members formaking this a reality: Our chieffundraiser Mike Anthony, withoutwhom none of this would have beenpossible; Our Architect Myles Taylor;Plus major contributions from FredMoore, Keith Wallis, Paul Stockden,Tony Portelly and Verity Park.

What next?

As one of the foremost Hockey Clubsin the country we cannot afford to reston our laurels. Former Club Captain

David Curry and Club President MarkRye will shortly be launching the“1874 Club”. Other items underconsideration are: How to improveour spectator facilities; Whether tocharge admission to 1st team games;The formation of a Business Club;and Whether we can provide hot teasand other on-site catering. Most ofthese initiatives will obviously requirefinancing, and we will be consultingthe membership before we take anydecisions. Please discuss them withyour teams.

How can you help?

We are officially the largest HockeyClub in the UK, with over 400 adultand over 800 junior playing members.There are over 100 people involved inthe running of our amateur club, butwe are always on the lookout formore help. So please get in toucheven if you can only spare a smallamount of time. Also we are alwayskeen to hear of potential sponsorshipopportunities or ideas.I hope you have a great seasonwhether playing for or supporting thisgreat club. Try to make life easy foryour Captain. Look after youropposition and be nice to yourumpires.

Good luck. Have fun.

A very warm welcome to the 2013/14 season. Last season, my first as Club Captain, wasamazing in many ways both on and off the field. It will be a very tough act to follow.

Sugden Road Round-up withClub Captain Rob Dunn

Rob Dunn, centre of back row with hisMagnets teammates

4

SUPER SURBS SHINE INNATIONAL FINALS

The men captured the England Hockey Cup for the first time in the club’shistory at Wakefield in May; this with no less than six schoolboys in thesquad. The most experienced Surbiton player Olympian James Tindallled by example as he inspired a convincing 3-1 victory over Hampsteadand Westminster, making the long journey north a joyous. Things hadnot looked so promising after two minutes as David Edmonds gave ouropponents the lead. Unbowed Surbiton fought back and deservedlyequalised as James Royce converted from a penalty corner and wereahead six minutes as one of the youngsters James Hamlyn from the edgeof the D when set up by another junior Jonny Ruiz. Five minutes fromtime Robert Schilling ensured victory who, released by Ben Tibble, beatthe ‘keeper. So it was to be a delighted Tibble who lifted the trophy justhalf a season as team captain.

At Cannock in May the under-12 girls retained their National In2HockeyChampionship, whilst the boys of that age group earned a creditablethird place.The girls sealed their title by the narrowest of margins againstWorcester with a 5-4 penalty strokes, after the final finished 1-1. Toreach the final Surbiton qualified with convincing wins over Wakefield4-0, Beeston 4-0, Phoenix 4-0 and Salisbury 5-0.The boys just missed out on a final to Bowdon, who they lost to by 3-2in the opening match, before hitting form with wins against EastWarwickshire 9-0, Bury St Edmunds and Bournemouth 2-1. Third placewas achieved as the boys beat 3-1 over Team Bath Buccaneers.

The under-14 girls and boys achieved adouble triumph at Nottingham in May asboth became national champions inspectacular style.The boys won their final 3-0 against Havantto become the first ever nationalchampions following changes to the formatof the competition. Subsequent to agoalless draw in the opening fixture versusWycombe, a 4-1 victory over Norwich Citythen a 2-0 win against Deeside Ramblersassured a place in the final. Theachievement was rendered even moreconvincing in that qualification at SugdenRoad was confirmed by beating Bromleyand Beckenham 6-0, Southgate 11-0 andBlueharts 3-0.The girls beat Teddington 1-0 in the final,following a goalless draw against Oxford, a3-0 win over Cambridge City and a 4-0 winover Kirkby Lonsdale. The defence wasimpenetrable not just in the finals but in theregional round at Surbiton as the hosts sawoff Chelmsford, Canterbury and Wokingwithout conceding the previous month.

The under-18 girls made the relatively shorttrip to Old Loughtonians and wentdesperately close to returning home asnational champions. Having seen offHarleston Magpies 2-0 in the semi-finalthey took Canterbury to penalty strokes inthe trophy match. Surbiton fell behind earlyon and, despite chances to score, werereliant on an own goal to ten minutes fromtime. Unfortunately that was to be preludeto disappointment rather than celebration.

Men’s first team capture the Cup at Wakefield

Girls under 18s go oh soclose at Old Loughts

In April the under-16 boys travelled to Wakefield where they finishedfourth after defeat to ISCA in the third place play-off. They qualified forthat match by virtue of being group runners-up to eventual winnersCanterbury. Opening with a 2-0 victory against Preston, they wentdown to the only goal of the game against Canterbury, then beatCambridge City 3-2.

Double Triumph

Under 12 girls are simply unstoppable

Defeat against Canterbury proves costly

Robert Schilling

Eloise Stennerin action forthe under 18s

5

Surbiton Ladies exceeded all expectations by qualifying forthe end of season Investec Women’s Hockey LeagueChampionships at Sonning Lane, Reading, after finishingfourth in the Premier Division. Surbiton also finished fourthin the Championships, losing 3-2 to Canterbury in the thirdplace play-off, in spite of leading twice through an own goalas a result of Sandra Frankland’s probing cross; and AmyBryant’s stunning finish.The previous day, Surbiton had appeared to be on coursefor an unexpected place in the final, as seven minutes beforehalf time, they led Leicester 2-0 thanks to goals from EmmaBatten and Amy Bryant. Unfortunately, Leicester’sexperience proved to be the deciding factor, as they scoredtwice in those seven minutes to be on level terms at thebreak; and although there was no further scoring even aftersudden death extra time, the East Midlanders won throughto the final, 3-2 in a thrilling penalty shuffle competition.After the Big Weekend at Sugden Road at the beginning ofMarch, Surbiton’s 1-0 victory over the University ofBirmingham had kept them ahead of their nearest rivals forthe play-offs, Bowdon Hightown, on goal difference, with agame in hand. By the following Sunday, with each teamhaving two games remaining, Surbiton led Bowdon by asingle point, having been held to a 3-3 home draw by Clifton.Clifton led twice, Sandra Frankland and Hannah Coulsonreplying. When Vicky Bryant eventually put Surbiton 3-2ahead, it seemed that the battle had been won, only forClifton to snatch a point as Surbiton conceded their thirdown goal of the season in the league. Meanwhile, Bowdon

Ladies’ 1s Prove to be High FlyersColin Pike looks back on a thrilling culmination to the Ladies first season in the Premier League

had lost 2-1 at Reading, but even though Batten putSurbiton ahead at Leicester in their game in hand thefollowing day, the home side equalised early in thesecond half, and then scored twice in the last six minutesto win 3-1.On the penultimate weekend, Bowdon won 5-3 at SuttonColdfield, whilst Surbiton won 6-1 at Slough to confirmthe Berkshire side’s relegation from the top flight. Ahat-trick from Sarah Page, penalty corner conversionsfrom Sarah Haycroft and Coulson, and an open playgoal from Georgie Twigg ensured that the battle for thefourth and final qualification place would go down to thewire. With Canterbury needing a win to finish top of thePremier Division and guarantee European hockey in2013-14, Surbiton had a tough task against a team thathad lost just once in seventeen league games. Butwithout South African international, Jade Mayne, whowas training with her national team, Canterbury foundthemselves two goals down after just ten minutes, VickyBryant and Coulson putting Surbiton on the cusp ofqualification. Although Canterbury reduced the deficitin the second half, and resorted to pulling theirgoalkeeper to increase their attacking options, Surbitonheld on for the 2-1 victory and the last place in theplay-offs.Reading beat Leicester in the Championship final tobecome league champions; whilst Canterbury had tosettle for third place, missing out on Europe completelyafter leading the Premier Division for most of the season.

7

Natalie Mclean, HannahCoulson and HannahBowe joyous at play-offqualification

By doing so we also secured a place in the playoffsfor Europe. Reaching our goal had been theproduct of great team work and building on everyperformance in the league. In the playoffs held atReading Hockey Club we faced Leicester, seen asperhaps the strongest team in the league, in ourfirst round of playoffs, however the team wereconfident that we could, as the underdogs, win andprogress to the final and play for a place in Europe.We started the game very well, showing Leicesterthat we were not going to be easy opposition andthat they would really have to fight for their place in thefinal. Both teams gave everything they had and playedgreat hockey, but after both 70minutes and extra time,nothing could separate the two teams. The winner was tobe decided by penalty shuffles, and unfortunatelyLeicester were the winners. Although we were extremelydisappointed, we had to be very proud of the way weperformed and the heart, passion and determination we allshowed. There are so many positives to take forward intothis season but also still ways to improve, and better ourperformances for the coming season.I am very excited to get the new 2013/14 seasonunderway, with the help of our new members: EmilyAtkinson, Giselle Ansley, Hollie Webb, and BeckieHerbert. All four players are exceptional and will only addto our team both on and off the pitch. Giselle and Holliewill provide us with further strength in defence, with Emilybeing versatile, with strong skills going forward but alsogreat defensive ability, and finally Beckie brings her paceand excellent skills in attack to the team. The team havebeen working extremely hard throughout preseason andare very much looking forward to starting the new seasonand building on our performances from last.We have had a very busy summer on International dutywith both the Investec World League 3 and the TriFinanceEuro Hockey Finals taking place. These were my first twosenior international tournaments and I, along with fellowteam mates, Hollie, Giselle, and Georgie, came away withtwo silver medals. The Investec World League was ourfirst tournament with new coach Jason Lee, and WorldCup qualification was at stake. The team was still verymuch in its origins and we were building and learning fromeach performance. We made it into the Semi-final wherewe faced the World number two team, Argentina. This wasto be a huge test for the team and our character was very

Last season, our first in the InvestecWomen’s Premier League, SurbitonLadies 1st XI achieved our target offinishing in the top four of the League.No mean feat in our first season.

much shown in this performance, winning 4-2,progressing into the Final and securing a place in the2014 World Cup in The Hague. Although we did notmanage to beat the Australians in the final, we cameaway with a Silver medal and a great step in the rightdirection for the new team. We looked to furtherimprove and develop our team understanding andstructure in the build up to and duration of theTriFinance Euro Hockey Finals. Similar to the WorldLeague we faced very tough opposition in the Semi-Final. This time it came in the form of OlympicChampions and World number 1, the Netherlands. Wewanted to take the game to the Dutch and not sit backand let them dominate. The game was very tight andalthough we led the game 1-0 the Dutch were able toequalise and forced the game into penalty shuffles.Our Goalkeeper, Maddie Hinch was magnificent andconsequently won the goalkeeper of the tournamenttitle, making many vital saves in the shoot out. Wedefeated the Dutch on sudden death and made it intothe final versus the Germans. It was definitely thebest feeling I have ever experienced throughout mycareer, beating the Dutch in the manner that we did.Although we beat the Olympic Champions there wasstill one game left to win to secure the gold medal andtitle of European Champions. The game wasextremely high scoring, especially for a final with bothteams taking the lead several times. However againafter 70 minutes nothing separated the two sides at4-4 and the winner would be decided on shuffles.Unfortunately we could not replicate the end productof the semi finals,and the Germans executed someexceptional penalties. Therefore, we came away withour second Silver Medal of the summer and a lot to beproud of.

SARAH HAYCROFTCaptain’s Diary with

8

Surbiton Men’s last seven games of the 2012/13 seasonbrought them six victories and successively:

· second place in the Men’s Hockey LeagueNational Premier Division, their highest finishsince also being runners-up in the 2005/06season;

· Premiership runners-up for the first time since the2001/02 season;

· qualification to Europe for the first time since theEuropean Cup Winners’ Cup in 2003;

· England Hockey Cup winners for the first timeever.

It all began on 10 March with a 5-2 victory at Reading. Theirhosts stood second in England’s elite 10-team league onthe back of a five-game winning streak. But Surbitonthemselves were unbeaten in three cup ties and nine leaguegames since 28 October (when they lay bottom of the tablewith only four points from six fixtures) and, although still infifth position, were only two points behind their hosts.However a penalty stroke converted by Fergus Dunn andopen-play goals from James Gall (2), Robert Schilling andJames Tindall brought the visitors an emphatic victory whichmeant that Surbiton overtook Reading into second place.This position was maintained on 16 March at Sugden Roadwith a 3-1 win over eighth-placed Hampstead & Westminsterthanks to two goals from Tindall and one from captain BenTibble. Results in the day’s other four games confirmed thatif Surbiton were to either win or draw their final fixture awayto still bottom-of-the-table Brooklands Manchester Universitythe following Sunday they would be bound to qualify for theplay-offs. More complicated mathematics revealed that,even if they lost, only victories by all three sides immediatelybelow them, with the last two also overturning respectivelyfive and 17 worse goal differences in the process, woulddeprive them.Meantime, Surbiton definitely assured themselves of a placein the EHB cup final for the first time since their onlyappearance in 2003/04 with a comprehensive 6-1 semi-final

win the next day (17 March), again at Sugden Road,against Surrey rivals from the one-tier lower ConferenceEast, Oxted. Chris Grassick scored an open-play hat-trick and Tibble and Tindall each got one whileAlexander Penney scored from a penalty corner.Other than that the snowbound weather had missedManchester there were no miracles in Manchester - orin either of two other fixtures able to be played on 24March - as Surbiton duly relegated the Cheshire club ina hard-fought 3-2 victory with open-play goals from RobMoore and Tindall and another penalty cornerconversion by Penney.However the two postponed fixtures meant that Surbitondid not discover who their semi-final opponents in theChampionship Play-Offs at Reading HC on Saturday 13April would be until Canterbury won 3-1 at Cannock onEaster Saturday (30 March).Despite not being able to play any practice friendliesbeforehand because of continued inclement weather,Surbiton won their 2nd/3rd semi against the Kent club5-3 with open-play goals from James Gall (2), Grassickand Jamie Ruiz, plus yet another penalty corner fromPenney and so qualified for Europe for a third time, butthe first since the Euro Hockey League was initiated forthe 2007/08 season.The championship final the next day against Beeston,runaway league winners and semi-final victors after aprotracted 14-penalty shoot-out against hosts Reading,proved a step too far and brought Surbiton’s first defeatin 18 games (and only fourth of the season in 26 gamesaltogether). They were 4-1 down at the interval but heldthe final margin to 5-1, with Tindall scoring their solitarygoal.However, the season ended on a triumphant note atWakefield HC when Surbiton lifted the EH Cup on 4 Mayfor the first time in the competition’s 42-year history. Theresult was 3-1 with James Royce scoring from a penaltycorner and James Hamlyn and Schilling from open play.

Cup win icing on the cakeSean Cotter reflects on an end of season that brought European qualification and cup victory

9

Alexander Penney andBen Tibble celebrate agoal against Beeston

10

With players returning to fitness from longterm injuries, the arrivals of exciting newplayers – young and experienced, with theEHL first round in Barcelona in earlyOctober, with realistic Premier League titleaspirations, we look forward to the seasonahead with great interest and much confidence. But wehave our feet on the ground and with zero points!Looking back for a moment, what an outstandingconclusion to the season last year, from modestbeginnings. Many will recall that we languished at thebottom of the table in November hence to reach the play-offs in second place after an amazing period postChristmas was tremendous and testimony to the efforts ofa young squad, some more experienced heads and tocoach Todd. Having beaten Canterbury in the semi-finalwe lost to Beeston in the final. Disappointing as that resultwas, having beaten them a few weeks earlier in theleague, they were the runaway winners of the leagueseason, and begrudgingly they probably deserved the title!The season was not over for us however as Hampstead &Westminster and Surbiton travelled to Sheffield to contestthe National Cup Final. I know, wouldn’t it have beeneasier and a better carbon footprint if we had playedaround the corner? Nevertheless, with the support of the‘Barmy Army’ and other supporters we were victorious andlifted some well-deserved silverware for the club. Amassive thank you to all the travelling supporters to bothevents. It makes such a difference to have you there andwe are just glad we made your journeys enjoyable.Having assumed the role of captaincy mid-season lastyear, we now have a season for which to plan. Havingsaid that, I’m missing the start of the season. I tookadvantage of the opportunity to play a second successiveseason in the Western Australia Premier league with HaleHC. I would strongly recommend the experience. To playalongside Fergus Kavanagh, Tim Deavin and MattGhodes and against Jamie Dwyer and Eddie Ockendenand most of the other kookaburras in Perth, and againstour own James Royce playing for UWA was a greatexperience and a help in developing my game. Indeedthe whole cultural experience was great. The top levelhockey in Australia is primarily based in Perth with 12clubs playing in the premier league, sometimes sharingthe same home pitch/stadium eg. the Perth HockeyStadium. Having the beach a few minutes down the road,

Where to start? What a climax tolast year for the men’s 1st XI,

particularly after a poor start tothe season not to be repeated.

Significant outcomes for both themen’s & women’s sections. For

the men’s 1st XI: Premier LeagueFinalists, qualification for EHLand National Cup Winners. Forthe women : top four finish in

their first season in the premier!

even in their winter, is a bonus. The lifestyle, whilstexpensive, is great, especially if you are paid in dollarsrather than relying on your pounds! I was kept busyand ’in pocket’, coaching and umpiring at the club andat Hale School, with some labouring and datacollection. (Playing against rather than alongsideJames Royce who was playing for UWA was alsogood fun. Unfortunately for James but good forSurbiton, UWA just missed play-off qualification so hewill be back therefore for the start of the Surbitonseason.) As I complete this diary I do so with a mix ofdisappointment and excitement as Hale have just losta thrilling ‘golden goal’ game against Old Aquinians inthe semi-final of the play-offs. British Airways willdetermine whether I can get back earlier thanscheduled and for the Sheffield game.On a personal level I retain my ambitions to play forthe full England side having represented the U21s atEuropean and World Championships and the A sidefor two years. So this is another big season for me aswell as the club and where better to be performing wellthan in a team like Surbiton. On a further personalnote it was good to be in Perth with my sister Harrietthis summer. She finished at Maryland University inthe Summer having helped them win two NCAA finalsin her four years there, and came out to play forWestside Wolves, also in Perth. She was involved inthe other end of the table in the women’s league andthey avoided the relegation play-off by beating the topof the league side in their final match. It’s great thatshe’s coming back to the UK and to Surbiton thisseason.The renovation of the clubhouse and to have twowater-based pitches now are both boosts for the club.The strengthening of both men’s and women’s 1stteams and the realistic prospect of being strongchallengers for titles is exciting for the players and willhave a positive impact upon strengthening the club asa whole. I’m looking forward to getting back toSurbiton, and to hopefully seeing you in Barcelona!

Captain’s Diary withBEN TIBBLE

11

Vicky (left) and Amy Bryant have proveda big success since joining from Reading

Vicky and Amy are two affable sisters with ready smiles,but opponents throughout the Investec Women’s HockeyLeague must be fed up of the sight of them. At the halfway stage of last season one or other of the dynamic duohad scored in seventy-five per cent of first team matches.Whilst Vicky continued to score regularly during the rest ofthe season, Amy’s goals, if not the quality of herperformances, tailed off. However, true to type, theyounger sister found her goal scoring touch in the play-offfinals, netting against both Canterbury and Leicester.Vicky took up hockey when she was about eleven, whenshe joined a new school which allowed her to do lots ofsport. It resulted in her first school match on grass andshe ‘absolutely loved it.’ Her talent quickly becameapparent. ‘It all started from there really. I got put forwardby the school for Sussex, then for the South of England inthe same year and started playing at Eastbourne HockeyClub, which is where I really learnt to play and also metsome brilliant friends.’ It wasn’t long before a nine yearold Amy started to follow in her footsteps as a promisingyoung hockey player. ‘I did a little at school, but my threesiblings all played for the local hockey club so I would goalong sometimes. I guess that is the reason I wanted toplay hockey – because my older siblings were playing Iwanted to do it too!’ Neither of the brothersplay so often now as Vicky explained, ‘Myeldest brother still plays corporate/socialhockey, mostly for the beers after I think! andWill captained the Oxford Blues when wewere at University together, but is now notplaying ‘cos of work and his back (gettingold!).’Amy was spurred on by the achievements ofher elder sister, who represented Sussex andtrialled for junior national team, hoping to beas ‘successful as her, if not more’. Byfourteen she was part of the Eastbourne 1st

XI and had also represented the county. ‘Thefirst time I started playing hockey properlywas when I joined Eastbourne Hockey Clubwhere I would go along to the junior trainingsessions on a Sunday morning. Being able toplay at school as well as club really helpedmy development, as everything I would learnon the Sunday training sessions I put intopractice in school lessons and games.’ Amyremembers those times fondly. ‘Throughoutmy early years at Eastbourne hockey club Imade quick progression, largely due toMalcolm and Linda McNeil who looked afterthe junior section at the club. This was alsohelped by the friends I made – we had a nicelittle group of around 6 or 7 of us which wasmade of 3 sets of sisters and we allprogressed together. Throughout my time atEastbourne my friends and I were fortunateenough to make several junior indoor andoutdoor cup finals as well as representingCounty, Region and Country. Theprogression I made whilst at Eastbournewould undoubtedly not have been achievedwithout the support of my parents who

SISTERS OF NO MERCYtrawled all over the country for my benefit! It was thecoaching that was accessible to me and the friends Imade along the way that made playing so enjoyable.’Despite some success in athletics and swimming Amysays, ‘I think I always knew that hockey was what Ienjoyed the most - being part of a team with all yourfriends and enjoying success together is great.’At 17 the youngest Bryant sibling moved to Trojanshockey club where she played national league for twoyears before University, where she then played atOxford Hawks, and Reading in her final year.’The Bryants were important components of Surbiton’ssuccessful Conference East side that achievedpromotion in the 2011-12 season. Amy explains thejoy of playing in that team, which, with a few additions,continued its success at the highest in the lastcampaign. ‘Being part of the team was such a greatexperience. After creating a good foundation to workupon from the previous year really helped the teamwith its success. I think with all the players being ofsimilar ages it was easy to gel together and becomenot only great team mates but friends. We put in somuch hard work and knowing it had all paid off wassuch a great feeling.’

An ever alert Vicky

13

Vicky too found that now representing Surbiton in thePremier league a fantastic experience. ‘It’s been greatplaying for Surbiton in the Prem. I played for Readingpreviously in the Premiership but getting promoted lastyear [from Conference East] at the Playoffs wasabsolutely brilliant! I think our team and club have greatpotential and even when at times we haven’t played ourbest, we still consistently get results against well-established premiership teams.’ Amy added, ‘I had playedin the Premier division before but only on and off. Beingpart of the team that had got Surbiton into the Premierdivision has made playing in it that little bit more special. Ihave definitely learnt a lot from the step up and there isstill a lot more to learn.’ Of course, the experience ismade all the more pleasurable by having a sister in theteam. ‘It’s great (most of the time!)’ joked Amy, ‘We get onreally well, so it’s just like playing with your best mate tobe honest – it’s great to be able to catch up with herduring the week too.’ Vicky is equally pleased with thesituation. ‘I really enjoy playing with ‘Ames’. It’s great fun,we get on well, link well together on the pitch and, as shesays, it means we get to see each other in the week evenwhen we’re both really busy. There are times when weboth have to zip it and carry on for sure because we cantell each other what we think (and maybe in a way wewouldn’t to anyone else)..and at times it is sometimes bestnot to!’It goes without saying that the girls competitive naturesare amplified when in direct competition as Vicky explains,‘Definitely think we are pretty competitive but it’s more asyou say ‘for little things’, like if we’re next to each otherdoing shuttles at training then we’ll always give each othera good race and won’t let the other one win easily. Also, ifwe’re in a one-to-one battle in a practice game then we’llmake it pretty difficult to get past each other. Even if itdoes mean a few fouls and elbows here and there! Amy

reflects that they don’t take it too personally, ‘I don’tthink we’re too bad – obviously there is always a littlebit of competitiveness. It is quite good really as itmakes us work harder and gets the best out of both ofus!’The two girls often combine brilliantly on the pitch, butwould they say it was down to having a telepathicunderstanding? ‘Ha!, not sure about that’, quippedAmy, ‘I think it helps that we both have a similar viewon the game, which I guess comes from similarhockey experiences growing up. Being able to playtogether the last couple of seasons has definitelyhelped us develop our understanding of where eachother are looking to lead etc.’ Vicky expanded on thatsaying, ‘Definitely think we read each other well on thepitch and I’ll generally be able to put a ball in a spaceknowing she’ll go there (most of the time!). Not sureI’d go quite as far as saying we’re telepathic but weknow each other pretty well obviously which helps.’I couldn’t help but finish by asking them a hypotheticaland slightly wicked question. It’s late on in the finalmatch of the season, with everything at stake and youare equal top scorers. You are running through ongoal with a chance to score, you spot your sister in abetter position… do you pass or shoot? ‘Definitelypass – absolute no brainer’ says Amy ‘ although I dorecall that in the [Conference East] playoff gameagainst Beeston Vicky could have passed to me onthe post completely free but she decided to take onthe goalie from the top of the dee - luckily for her shescored!’ Despite that Vicky concurred in act of sisterlylove, ‘ Pass! Wouldn’t even cross my mind at thatpoint. We would just want to win and I’d be equallyhappy for her to score it and be top goal scorer .…ifshe did score, I would obviously remind her that it waspartly down to my great pass though.’

Amy in action against Reading

14

Ex Barcelona player Fergus Dunn gives an insightto those travelling to Catalunya for the first stage in

our European adventure

I guess the first point is that I am absolutely gutted not tobe making a playing return to my old club through injury.I have 3 years of very happy memories from my time inthe city and while I won’t be able to surprise them with mynew found defensive abilities (I was very much agoalscorer in those days - once even scoring 5 in a singleleague game!) I am looking forward to at least catching upwith lots of old friends, including my girlfriend’s family.When I arrived at Barcelona airport for the first time, notknowing a word of Spanish and never having met any ofmy teammates, I would be lying if I said there weren't afew nerves but I soon settled into what is a fantastic city.There are not many cities in the world with the characterof Barcelona, with its architecture and culture andproximity to both sunny beaches and snowy mountains.But if there is one thing that matters more than all of thatin this city it is the football team. The club is a symbol ofCatalunya and the people of Barcelona are very proud ofeverything that the club does. I was lucky enough to beplaying hockey for the team which meant not only wearingthe famous blaugrana shirt, but training in the gym at theNou Camp and even having my own office in the stadiumduring my second season there while I was helping in themarketing department. My time there also coincided withone of the most successful periods in the clubs history asGuardiola and his team wowed the world with their tikitaka football, and as a player for the club I was able towatch games for free!Unfortunately the hockey pitch is not at the Nou Campcomplex but they did find a pretty acceptable substitute.Paul Negre lies on Montjuic right next to the Olympic

stadium. The concrete stand while not beauitiful isvery functional and from the top of it you have anincredible view across the whole city and across toTibidabo. Barcelona was probably the first city toreally use the Olympics to transform itself and wherethe term Olympic legacy (that we have all heard of somuch of late) was born. The majority of the sportingfacilities that were built on Montjuic for the games arestill in use today and the athletes village built down onthe coast, now just feels like a normal part of town.The sandy beach was also built especially for thegames but now feels like it has always been there!With regards to what to expect from the hockey.Catalunya is the stronghold of Spanish hockey withmore teams from here than anywhere else in Spain.The Spanish play exciting attacking hockey withincredible flair and with RC Polo club in our group, wewill have the joy to experience at first hand! The Poloclub are a very wealthy members club with incrediblefacilities not far from the Nou Camp, but they are alsovery much a family club with large numbers of juniorscoming through the club every year. If you look downtheir team sheet you wil see plenty of evidence of thiswith there always a number of the Fabregras familyand I think this year also the Alegre brothers.As I mentioned earlier the Catalans are very proudpeople and for those that are unaware, they speaktheir own language (quite different to Spanish) so ifyou do speak to the locals if you are able to say a fewCatalan words you will make them very happy! Hereare a few basic examples that you might like to try:Bon dia - good morning/good day, Bona nit - goodnight, merci - thank you, sis plau - please, adeu -goodbye, or perhaps the most useful: no parlo elcatala - I don't speak Catalan, parles angles? - do youspeak English?

James Gall scored two vital goals in the play-offs v Canterbury to ensure qualification

15

Arsenal Outgunned byLadies Seconds

With a number of Surbiton sides fighting to win theirrespective leagues it was the Ladies 2s who were firstpast the post. They did so with a record that would putArsenal football club’s ‘invincibles’ of 2003-04 to shame.The Gunners exploits of going unbeaten for an entireseason were eclipsed by a young and vibrant side whowon all of their league matches. A 3-0 home win againstWimbledon 1s in late February made the title, won sometime before in all but name, mathematically assured theteam of title as an eighteen victory in eighteen games wasrecorded. Quite an achievement for any team, butparticularly so for one containing so many young players,several of whom are, or will be, knocking on the door ofthe first team, playing against far older and moreexperienced sides. 106 goals for and only 12 againstfurther demonstrates their dominance of the South Clubs’Women’s Hockey League Division 3B. Captain SianCraze, who led the scoring with 23 goals, was closelyfollowed by Ellie Tait who hit the net 19 times. Towardsthe end of the campaign Sian put in to words her delight atthe team’s performances. ‘What a fantastic season wehave had in the ladies 2s. To sum up our season there are3 words that spring to mind: Stubborn, fun and proud.Stubborn. Throughout the season we have come upagainst a lot of obstacles, from shortage of players togoing 2-0 down. But not once did anyone ever concededefeat. With a strong team bond, backed up with silkyskills and steely tactics we soon became the team to beat.

Fun. The most important and most often forgotten.New friends made and old friendships rekindled. Thisseason really has been fun. Right from pre season ‘tilthe last game there was always something to laugh at.Proud. How I feel having been a part of the twos thisyear. Having seen so many of our youngsters improveand how well the oldies (over20s) stepped up andtogether smashed the league’.One Surbiton team will be competing in Division 3Bthis season. The ladies 3s, who like the 2s fielded afar younger side than their opponents, secured firstplace in the Surrey Ladies League Premier Divisionseeing off Oxted 1s with a game to spare. It will be analmost impossible task to emulate the 2s but atalented group of girls could well make an impact inthe higher division.Meanwhile the men’s 8s convincingly won the SurreyOpen Hockey League Division 4 and the Jokersromped home as champions of the Higgins GroupLondon Hockey League Vets Division 1.Three of the ladies sides achieved runners up placesas the 5s, 7s and 8s all enjoyed successful seasons.Success is relative so mention must be made of theladies 6s, who, having gained promotion the seasonbefore, held on to their new found status in SurreyLadies League Division 5 despite taking time to adaptto playing at a more demanding level.

16

Champions

Ladies 2s

Ladies 3s

Men’s 8s

17

LADIES

1s 4th - Investec Women’s Hockey League PremierDivision2s 1st - South Clubs’ Women’s Hockey LeagueDivision 3B3s 1st - Surrey Ladies League Premier Division4s 4th - Surrey Ladies League Division 15s 2nd - Surrey Ladies League Division 56s 8th - Surrey Ladies League Division 57s 2nd - Surrey Ladies League Division 98s 2nd - Surrey Ladies League Division 10-B

MEN

1s 2nd - Men’s Hockey League Premier Division2s 5th - Higgins Group London Hockey LeaguePremier Division3s 10th - Higgins Group London Hockey LeagueDivision 14s 8th - Higgins Group London Hockey LeagueDivision 34As 4th - South Hockey League - Surrey AreaDivision 25s 4th - Higgins Group London Hockey LeagueDivision 56s 5th - Surrey Open Hockey League PremierDivision7s 11th - Surrey Open Hockey LeagueDivision 18s 1st - Surrey Open Hockey League Division 4Spares - Thames Valley ConferenceJokers 1st - Higgins Group London Hockey LeagueVets Division 1Magnets 6th - Higgins Group London HockeyLeague Supervets Division 1Magnets 3rd - Higgins Group London HockeyLeague Supervets Trophy Pool B

SHC TEAMFINAL

RECORDS2012-13

Jokers

Whilst we at home enjoyed a sizzling summer ourinternational stars were busier than ever on the field ofplay with all the home nations in action.No players found themselves involved in as muchinternational tournament action as those representingEngland at first the Investec World League semi-finaltournament at Chiswick in the last week of June and thenthe TriFinance EuroHockey Championships in Antwerp inAugust.Hollie Webb of Beeston and Giselle Ansley ofLoughborough Students, who joined us here at Surbitonbetween the two tournaments, both played major roles inEngland’s successes alongside existing Surbs SarahHaycroft and Georgie Twigg.All four finished the summer with well earned additions totheir medal tallies as England finished runners-up in bothtournaments. Those bare facts hardly show the enormityof their achievements, as in the semi-finals England beatArgentina, the Olympic silver medallists at Chiswick, andOlympic champions the Netherlands in Antwerp.At Chiswick to be Surbiton players Ansley and Webb bothscored their first international goals, the former in a 4-1

win over South Africa and the latter in a 1-1 drawwith eventual winners Australia. The 4-2 Argentinashowed the quality in the England squad, but thefinal proved a step too far as Australia took the goldwinning the final 3-0. Disappointment perhaps, butsilver medals and qualification for the World Leaguefinal in the Hague next year.

Regaining their momentum in Antwerp a couple ofmonths later England beat Spain 3-0 with ease,before giving Germany a tough game in whichGiselle Ansley scored with a stunning strike justbefore half- time. However, that equaliser couldsave England from a 2-1 defeat. With a bug hittingthe squad an unconvincing 2-1 victory set up asemi-final against the world’s number one rankedteam the Netherlands. England more than heldtheir own in a 1-1 draw, before Maddie Hinchproved the heroine with three penalty shoot outshuffle saves.Georgie Twigg had failed to score in that shoot out,but within three minutes had made a significantimpact in the final converting a penalty corner forher third international goal. In a breathless firstperiod Germany led 4-3 and did so until SusieGilbert equalised four mintes from time. Twiggagain failed in the shoot out as did three of herteammates. But for all the heartbreak of thatafternoon it had been a fantastic summer ofachievement for Georgie and her international andclub colleagues.

In the men’s tournament Michael Watt, who hassince joined Surbiton, started for Ireland in all oftheir matches, scoring a vital goal against Polandwhom they came a place above to avoid relegation.Surbiton had representation as Scotland competedin the second round of the World League at StGermain in France in May. Established

A BUSY SUMMER FORA BUSY SUMMER FOROUROUR

INTERNATIONALSINTERNATIONALS

Emma Batten at full stretch for Surbiton againstUniversity of Birmingham

19

Hollie Webb in actionfor England

internationals Chris Grassick and Alan Forsyth, then ofKelburne, were joined by Nick Parkes, the only uncappedplayer in the squad, whomade his international debut asubstitute against Canada. Nick then followed with astarting place against Belgium. Disappointingly Scotlandearned just a win and a draw from their six games, withForsyth netting on three occasions and Grassick once.

The EuroHockey Nations Championships III proved atriumph for Emma Batten and her Wales teammates.Emma was on target five times as the Welsh teamwon all their matches in a six team group, scoringtwice against the hosts Turkey and finding the netagainst Switzerland, Slovakia and Greece. Alandmark was reached in the match against the CzechRepublic as she made her 50th internationalappearance.The Welsh men’s team fared less well finishing 7th inthe 8 team division in the EuroHockey nationsChampionship II and suffering relegation. This despiteour excellent stopper Dave Kettle starting all fivegames. Scotland again with Forsyth, Grassick andParkes in action finished just a place above, sharingwith Kettle the bragging rights amongst Surbitonplayers as their countries played out a 1-1 draw.Forsyth wasn’t on target in that game but notchedbraces against France and Italy.

Left: Alan Forsyth and Nick Parkes

20

Keen to play hockey?Hockey is a fast, skilful sport that is exciting and rewarding to play. Surbiton Hockey Club offers the highestquality of coaching and fields teams to suit players of all ages and abilities. There is simply nowhere better tolearn and play the game.

If interested please visit our website: www.surbitonhc.com or contact Brett (Director of Hockey) -hockeydir@surbitonhc.com

Should spectating be more your interest you will be made just as welcome and your support the teams greatlyappreciated.

Surbiton in EuropeThe excitement is building already and the players are raring to go. Surbiton’s sojourn in Europe sees the men’sfirst team travel to Barcelona to play SV Arminen of Austria and hosts RC Polo De Barcelona. Surbiton alongwith fellow English clubs Beeston, whose group are also playing in Barcelona, and Reading will be striving tobreak the German - Dutch dominance of the Euro Hockey League since its inception six years ago.Bloemendaal from the Netherlands were victors last season beating surprise finalists KHC Dragons of Belgium,another club playing their group games in Barcelona. Scotland’s representatives Glynhill Kelbourne will be there,so our new signing Alan Forsyth will have an early opportunity to catch up with his old teammates. Cardiff & Metare the other British side who will be in Catalunya and are grouped with Beeston.

Four groups will take place in Barcelona over a three day period from Friday 11th October to Sunday 13th, sothere will be lots of hockey on offer beyond the Surbiton matches.

Surbiton’s schedule is: 11th October (09.30) v SV Arminen; 13th October (1200) RC Polo Barcelona

The Euro Hockey League website is: www.ehlhockey.tv

To advertise in future issues of the Surbiton Hockey Magazine please email:sponsorship@surbitonhc.com

The players within the development programmes couldn’tfind themselves under better guidance. Director ofHockey, Brett Garrard and Will Fulker, Director of Colts,the two employees of the club, provide training andcoaching of the highest quality, ably assisted by 20 or socoaches, some of whom are employed for a number ofhours, whilst others are parent volunteers.In an illustrious career Brett amassed a record 263England and Great Britain caps and represented TeamGB in Sydney in 2000 and was captain four years later inAthens, as well as competing in three World Cups. Hispassion for coaching and giving something back to thegame is reflected in his coaching of juniors throughout hisplaying career, being a founding partner in ‘LivingHockey’, and taking on his role as Director of Hockeywhilst still playing for the first team at Surbiton. He is alsocoach for the highly successful ladies first team.Will, who has been taking the colts for three years, hascoached at camps and clubs in the USA and Australia.He captained the Ipswich Hockey Club’s 1st XI in nationalleague games and played club hockey in the SouthAustralia Premier League. He currently plays for Surbitonand coaches the ladies 2s. Will is a regular coach for‘Living Hockey’ camps.Todd Williams, who is in charge of the men’s first teamand takes the performance boys at u16 and u18 is anothercoach with high credentials, being a former Australianinternational and, with Brett, co-founder of ‘Living Hockey’.Meanwhile, Fred Moore, Chair of Colts, sits on the boardand oversees non-coaching aspects of the youth systemand is warmly described as ‘Honorary Patron’ by hisplayers for his role as manager of the ladies second andeighth teams. And that’s not his only commitment as onSundays he looks after the girls under 12s and under 18s.Fred’s sporting background is not in hockey, but rugby,

having played as a front row for the 4As at LondonIrish, before coming to the game through his twodaughters who played hockey, first here, then atschool.There are a number of others who give their time andefforts selflessly, without whose commitment the coltssystem couldn’t function so effectively, including Colt’sAdministrator Gill Griffiths and organiser of coltsfixtures Chrissie Wilson–David.The club’s development programme has progressedout of all recognition in recent years as Fred explains,‘‘When I first came 8 or 9 years ago there were only138 colts. Midweek sessions had just started andSundays were run entirely by parents. Coaches CarlStagno and Tony Smith started the professionalcoaching and all the coaching is professional now,with Brett Garrard, Director of Hockey, and Will Fulker,Director of Colts’ Section, as employees. The systemis continually evolving and improving to meet theneeds for top athletes and for participation onlyplayers.’Fred continued, ‘However, it’s not just about preparingyoungsters for the first team as ‘the club use matchesto benefit players rather than for results.’ This appliesparticularly to young women, ‘It’s hugely important tokeep girls playing sport. This is something the clubdoes successfully, with, for example, six under 16 girlsteams, so there are a lot of teenage girls playing thesport. There is a ratio of 2.5:1 girls to boys. We aremaking big progress with the boys and there are moreformer colts in the 1st team than in the ladies side. Ithasn’t been as competitive in the girls as it has beenfor the men. The production line for girls has only beenworking in the last 6 or 7 years.’The Junior Academy runs up to the 10-11 age group

Nothing but the best for the colts

21

offering seven-a-side mini hockey. There is midweektraining for colts with performance teams and there area few development teams in all age brackets.For more talented players clubs such as Surbiton canoffer a route to international honours at the variousage groups, and this club does so very successfully,as can be seen when the squad announcements inFebruary for the National Age Group Squads (NAGS)were made. Selection for county teams, can befollowed by elevation to regional sides such asSaxons, before making it into the national team.Players can be selected for HiPAC, the HighPerformance Assessment Camp. It is the top tier inEngland Hockey’s Single System player pathway forthe U15 and U17 age groups. At U16 and U18 levelthe National Age Group Squads (NAGS) are thehighest level a player can reach (in exceptionalcircumstances, U15 players could be called straightinto the U16 England Squad or an U17 into the U18squad).At adult level colts and former colts are representingSurbiton at all levels, with a number playing for the firstteams. First or second team players need to be fifteen,whilst to play in Surrey Leagues they need to bethirteen, though boys tend to move in to adult teamsabout 18 months later than girls. There are fourteenyear olds in teams and Adam White and LilieLamacraft have played in their respective first teams atonly sixteen last season.However successful the club is at developing playersof the highest calibre that is just the icing on the cakeas Brett points out, ‘We have kids age 7 to players of70 [the oldest playing member is 83] and we provideany player of any level the opportunity to play. Weprovide training and coaching for every member ’.Perhaps Fred best sums up the ethos of the systemwhen saying, ‘‘When players get to university they findthey are much better than they thought. Even thelesser ones are good, because they have been taughtproperly.’

The highest accolade for a young player is to beselected for one of the National Age Group squads.When the squads were chosen back in February anumber of Surbiton player featured. There followed atraining camps and match play both at home andabroad.

Under 16 girls;Charlotte CALNAN (Saxon Tigers HIPAC, Cranleigh School)Meg DOWTHWAITE (Saxon Tigers HIPAC, St GeorgesCollege)Naomi KELLY (Wessex Leopards, Tiffin Girls School,Kingston-upon-Thames)Harriet MITCHELL (Saxon Tigers, Reigate Grammar School)Eloise STENNER (Saxon Tigers, Sutton High School)

Under 16 boys;

Oreoluwa OGUNLANA (Saxon Tigers, Whitgift School,Croydon)

Under 18 girls;Sophie NEWTON (Saxon Tigers, Rosebery School,Epsom)Ellie TAIT (Saxon Tigers, St Georges College)

Under 18 boys;Will CALNAN (Saxon Tigers HIPAC, Cranleigh School)James GALL (Saxon Tigers, Cranleigh School)PETER PHILLIPS (Saxon Tigers, Whitgift School, Croydon)Jonny RUIZ (Saxon Tigers, Kingston Grammar School)

Under 21 boys;Jonny GALL(all information as time of selection in February)

There followed a number of notable performances fromplayers representing their country at different agegroups.In a three game series against Belgium in Beerschot theEngland boys under 18s won two of the matches, withJames Gall scoring the winner in one victory and JonnyRuiz scoring twice in the other. Two defeats followedagainst Germany, but James Gall was once again ontarget scoring in both games. Those games were theprelude to the European Hockey Championships inVienna where England had to settle for fourth place.After a win against Belgium and defeat to Austria it wasa Jonny Ruiz hat-trick against Holland that clinchedgroup qualification. Ruiz was to score again in thesemi-final, but it proved to be only a consolation asSpain ran out 3-1 winners and more disappointment wasto follow as the Netherlands won a close fought 3rd/4th

place match 3-2.Ellie Tait, who has since moved to LoughboroughStudents, featured in the girls under 18s team whoplayed Ireland, Belgium and Germany as preparationfor the European Hockey Championships in Dublin. Elliescored twice in an easy victory over Russia in theopening game. Defeat to Germany followed, but asemi-final place was earned with victory over Spain. TheNetherlands prove too strong in that match so Englandfaced France in the bronze medal match, and it was Elliewho scored the winning penalty shuffle after a 1-1 drawthat meant England were able to celebrate a medal finish.Katie Holmes, now of Clifton, made her under 21 debutas England played a three game series against Germany.

YOUNG LIONS

22

Main photo: Jonny Gall

Insets: Sophie Newton and

Ore Ogunlana

The Investec World League Semi-Final From A Journalistic Angle by

Colin Pike

Having reported Surbiton Ladies’ matches since 2007, whenthe team were in the South Clubs’ Women’s Hockey LeagueDivision Two; and now with the team including seniorinternational players, whilst playing in the top flight of Englishhockey, I have the opportunity to cover internationaltournaments.Given membership of the Hockey Writers’ Club in 2012, Inow have a valid Press Card which I can use to apply foraccreditation. Accreditation duly received after filling in theMedia Accreditation Form, I was ready to spend six days atthe University of Westminster’s Quintin Hogg MemorialGround covering the Investec World League Semi-Finaltournament for the Surrey Advertiser and the Surrey Comet;updating the Surbiton Hockey Club website at the sametime.Naturally, the intention was to report on Surbiton players,Georgie Twigg and Sarah Haycroft’s exploits; although Iknew in advance that Giselle Ansley and Hollie Webb were

both due to come to Sugden Road, as well as BeckieHerbert, who unfortunately wasn’t selected to theEngland squad for this tournament, so I was unofficiallyon a spying mission. The difficulty was keeping it allsecret when most of the Media Centre know that youare Surbiton’s Registration Officer, and want to find outwhich players Surbiton are signing!The Media Centre itself was at the top of some stairs;spacious in that there was plenty of desk space, as wellas a cordoned off area for press conferences, whichwere only generally held after England matches. Therewere also various snacks and sandwiches, as well astea, coffee, and bottled water available throughout theday for those journalists too busy to go to the officialfood and drink outlets.Thanks to some excellent planning, the Media Centrewas only a short walk from the seating area, ensuring Icould get access to my computer on my desk within

Sarah Haycroft andGeorgie Twigg chat withnew Surbiton signingGiselle Ansley (centre)

24

minutes of each final hooter. The area under the bridge,over which members of the public left the stands, served asthe Mixed Zone where I chatted to Sarah Haycroft onTuesday, and temporarily interrupted Georgie Twigg’sautograph sessions after the final.Unfortunately all the seating was in the open, and althoughin the past I’ve been prepared to battle high winds in Woking,and freezing temperatures in St. Albans; the torrential rainon the first Sunday meant that together with most of thePress Pack, I watched the second half of the South Africav Spain clash back in the Media Centre, via a large screenlinked to the internet feed.Ironically, after that, temperatures soared, and having riskedcatching pneumonia on the first Sunday, by the end of thetournament I was at risk of getting sunburnt!On the pitch, Australia won the tournament with a convincing3-0 victory over England in the final; but the highlight of thetournament was England’s 4-2 semi-final win overArgentina, Aymar, Barrioneuvo et al, in front of a passionatecrowd on the second Saturday.

England had started their campaign with a convincing 4-1win over a disappointing South African side. Giselle Ansley,officially with Loughborough Students, and proudly wearingthe number 18 shirt previously worn by Georgie Twigg (nowwearing number 7), scored her first international goal froma penalty corner with two minutes remaining.Hollie Webb, then still with Beeston, also scored her firstinternational goal from a penalty corner, the following dayto give England a 1-0 lead against Australia,, although theHockeyroos fought back to snatch a point with a 1-1 draw.

England completed their Pool matches with another1-1draw against a determined Spanish side, whichsnatched their deserved point from the penalty spot.Italy, the only team remaining from the first round, wereEngland’s quarter-final opponents, and only bowed outof the competition after going down 3-2. Italy ultimatelyfinished sixth after the United States beat them 6-0, butthe Italians came out of the tournament with a lot ofcredit, and subsequently qualified for the 2015EuroHockey Nations Championships after winningpromotion from the second tier. South Africa avoidedthe wooden spoon with a 3-2 win over Spain; and aftera goalless first half, Argentina collected the bronzemedals, also after a 3-2 win, over China.England next had the TriFinance EuroHockey NationsChampionships in Antwerp to look forward to, followedby the Investec World League Final tournament inArgentina from 30 November to 8 December. England’ssecond place at Chiswick also confirmed their place inthe 2014 World Cup in the Hague from 31 May to 15June.

25

Alex Danson v Australia

Italy v ArgentinaLucia Aymar ofArgentina

Fixtures at Sugden Road 2013-14Don’t miss any of the action as our men’s and ladies’ first teams

aim to become the best in the countryagainst the best in the country

2013SEPTEMBERSaturday 14th 2.00pm Ladies v CliftonSaturday 14th 4.00pm Men v Hampstead and Westminster

Saturday 28th 2.00pm Ladies v Olton and West WarwicksSaturday 28th 6.00pm Men v WimbledonSunday 29th 2.00pm Men v Chichester (EHB Cup)OCTOBERSaturday 12th 2.00pm Ladies v ReadingSaturday 19th 12.00pm Ladies v University of BirminghamNOVEMBERSaturday 9th 2.00pm Ladies v Bowdon HightownSunday 10th 2.00pm Men v CannockSaturday 30th 2.00pm Ladies v Sutton ColdfieldDECEMBERSunday 1st 2.00pm Men v Sheffield Hallam2014FEBRUARYSaturday 15th 2.00pm Ladies v LeicesterSunday 16th 2.00pm Men v BeestonMARCHSunday 2nd 2.00pm Men v Loughborough StudentsSaturday 8th 2.00pm Ladies v CanterburySunday 9th 2.00pm Men v CanterburySaturday 22nd 2.00pm Ladies v BeestonSunday 23rd 2.00pm Men v East GrinsteadTBA Men v Reading

Note that fixtures are subject to change - please consult the club website for updatesof these and additional cup matches

Sarah Haycroft and Georgie TwiggSurbiton and England