Another season will soon be upon us with the 1^st Team squad having a tournament at home on Saturday 10^th September and games for the club starting from the 17^th September.

I am organising some social mixed Hockey for the Club members on Saturday 3^rd September in the afternoon with some food afterwards. Please let me know if you want to come along for an early season run around and social and I will organise some teams etc. Costs for the pitch and food will probably be around £5 and those Hockey players still playing Cricket on the 3^rd are most welcome to join us in the clubhouse after their game.

The new season is a very important one for the Club. Neil Thompson (Director of Mens Hockey) has been working very hard behind the scenes to try to secure the services of a new player/coach for the 1^st Team. The emphasis has been to add another quality player to the 1’s squad and to bring coaching and National League experience to the club. To this end I am delighted that Chris Bassano-Harper is coming back to us as 1^st XI player/coach. Chris will be coaching the 1’s and 2’s squad players on a Tuesday night and his experience at the highest level with Canterbury and Holcombe will benefit Tuesday night training and of course add much to the 1^st XI’s push to get into the Southern Premier League.

The Olympic Games next year will spark an increase in the number of boys and girls trying Hockey for the first time and the Club needs to be ready to try to “capture” local youngsters in season 2012-2013.

We have a Sunday junior section -  brilliantly run -  but we want more youngsters attending. We can do this by “marketing” the Club better, keeping our website up to date and getting match reports and articles in the local press. I will be endeavouring to do all I can but can I ask you, as a valued member of the Hockey Club, to “talk us up” whenever appropriate. Boys and girls from the age of 10 are most welcome to come along on Sundays and if you know of any local schools that may be worth targeting with leaflets/presentations then please let me know. I have a list that I will be contacting in early September.

 

Captains for next season are as follows:

            1 XI Ladies – Michelle Russell

            2 XI Ladies – Becky Collins

1 XI Mens – Leon Webster

            2 XI Mens – Jeff Doust

            3 XI Mens – Ian Pentecost

            4 XI Mens – Paul Brivio

                        5 XI Mens – Kevin Haselden,

 

so please let me or one of the above know as soon as possible regarding your availability for the season.

 Not only is it important that players are available regularly throughout the season but it is also important to wear full club kit. A club shirt is provided for you but it is your responsibility to buy club shorts and socks. These can be ordered using an emailed order form via the kit store link on the club’s website and from September you will be able to order securely online. Please kindly take the time now to order kit (if you need to) and if the cost of £29-50 for the mens/ladies shorts and socks is an issue then please let me know. Wearing club kit reinforces the team ethic and also makes it easier for umpires to do their thankless task!!!

From September the website will allow you to securely update your records with the Club, i.e. contact number(s), address etc so please amend any details if you need to or forward them onto our secretary Sarah – email sarah@daune.orangehome.co.uk, if you prefer.

The 2011-12 season is one to look forward to for all seven of our teams. We welcome back some players to add competition for places in the mens 1’s and 2’s and our 3^rd XI will be playing at a higher level following last season’s promotion. The ladies 1^st XI will miss the skills of Marissa but a nucleus of ladies have played through the summer in the Canterbury mixed league and at Gravesend. As with the men, there will be competition for 1^st Team places.

 

Enjoy the few free Saturdays left!

 

Regards,

MARTIN PINDER

CHAIRMAN

OLD WILLIAMSONIAN HOCKEY CLUB

Email – pinderowhc@blueyonder.co.uk

Mobile – 07770 424116 (work)

Home – 01634307781

Mobile – 07771 161998

 

  

South Masters Hockey 2011

 

Southern Counties Hockey Association has asked me to act as co-ordinator of the South over 40, 45, 50 and 55 Men’s Masters teams.  These teams will play in divisional tournaments in 2011 as shown below.

 

I am hoping that you may be interested in attending the trials and/or that you can pass this letter on to players within your clubs or counties.  To be eligible, a player has to be the age before 31 December 2011 eg for the over 40’s a player needs to be 40 on or before 31 December 2011.  If you wish to attend the trials please contact the appropriate organiser shown below; not me.  The selectors intend to pick the best possible teams so without wishing to discourage anyone from attending the trials and acknowledging that some of the best vets have been late developers you will need to be a strong player to stand a realistic chance of being selected.  You also need to be fit.  Each team has an independent non-playing selector so if you have any complaints about the selection process, please contact them.

 

After the divisional tournament and further trials, teams will be chosen to represent England later in the year and the dates for the internationals are also shown below.

 

England Hockey is trying to put veteran’s hockey onto a more professional basis and has re-branded it as Masters Hockey.  The Masters Development Committee and the Masters Teams Committee are working hard to introduce proper procedures for selectors, managers, coaches and players.  Please see EH Website, Take Part, Masters Hockey, News, New Masters Hockey Selection Policies or follow the link:-

 

http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/news.asp?itemid=8803&itemTitle=New+Masters+Hockey+Selection+Policies&section=787&sectionTitle=News&month=&year=

 

Masters hockey around the world has recently gained a much higher profile and is now properly recognised by the FIH.  In 2011 England will be sending teams to a tournament in Germany to run concurrently with the European Cup in Monchengladbach and to a tournament in Singapore.  Both tournaments are being run by the International Masters Hockey Association (IMHA).  There will also be a tournament in the UK in 2012 during or just after the Olympic Games. 

 

It is EH policy to strongly encourage players to play in their own age groups and the SCHA intends to reflect this policy.  The following guidelines may be helpful:-

 

In principle everyone should play in their own age group, regionally and at national level.  However, should it be felt someone “over age” was good enough to play in a younger age group, then that would be permitted.   But in that case they would not be eligible to play in the older age group as well.

 

1) A player is only allowed to play for one age group in each year.

2) Nobody should aim to play regionally at one age group and nationally at a different one.  ie the age group chosen for regional level is the chosen age group throughout the year for all levels above. 

 

3) No one should represent more than one region at any age level in the same year. Qualification should be by birth, residence or club affiliation, but if someone moves they can stay with their previous region until they decide to change allegiance.

 

If you have any questions or need further information please do let me know.

 

Thank you

 

Nigel Woolven

07976 737704

The Club is saddened to learn of the death of former player Tony Dunmore. Tony will be remembered by many as a fearless Goalkeeper who played well into his Veteran years, enjoying tours to Holland and Belgium. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time. The funeral is to be held at Medway Crematorium on Friday 17th December at 3.00.
 
 
Thanks very much
 
Peter Wright