D & D 2008 - Please Pay Tim

A great time was had by one and all ! Those of you who have not yet paid for your Dinner and Dance tickets, however, please send a cheque payable to Stroud Hockey Club to Tim Norman, Gin House, Bisley Road, Stroud, Glos. GL5 1HS.

Dinner and Dance date set as 12th April

This year is the Club's 80th Anniversary and it will be celebrated at the annual dinner and dance taking place at Forest Green Conference centre on the 12th April. Put the date in your diary...

80th Anniversary Hockey Day

As you will have seen, 12 April is the day of the 80th Dinner and Dance but, not only that, it is when our Annual Hockey Day is being held at Stratford Park Leisure Centre between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The match format is ...
11 a.m. Badgers v Vixens
12 p.m. Men v Invitational XI
1 p.m. Ladies v Invitational XI
2 p.m. Club Mixed game

Christmas events

A role up mens game takes place this Saturday (22nd) at 2pm, 1.30pm.
Also there is a similar role up mixed game on the 29th at 12.30pm. with drinks afterwards at the Oak.

Hockey Boys Run Their Socks Off

Nine of the mens section decided to run the Stroud Half marathon this year for various charities including the Meningitis Trust.

• Barney Franklin (running in a polar bear costume!!)
• Nick Hitchcroft
• Rob Fynn
• Alex Waring
• Kev Sinden
• Hermes Carlyon
• Brad Mears
• Danny Clifford
• Paul Radcliffe

Umpiring Courses for Adults & Juniors

Please click the acrobat logo in the article for an application form for a couple of umpiring courses running in Gloucestershire.

It is vital that as a club we have enough umpires to provide at least one umpire per game. We really should be looking at having at least two qualified umpires who are willing to umpire for the club in each of our adult teams. If you are interested in taking up this great opportunity then give Rob Fynn a call on 01453 764514 to find out more.

Juniors, if you are interested in taking up umpiring then why not do the Foundation Course. It is a great way to get into the world of umpiring and will help improve your hockey through knowing the rules properly. You will be able to help out and umpire the Badgers and Vixens matches with a little coaching from the sideline if you would like.

Mens 1st 7th October

Cheltenham B 0 Stroud Men's 1st 4



Stroud waited until the England rugby had finished to start their game. They came out fired up and put on a good performance of their own. The first goal came from Waring getting on the end of a hard ball into the D from Fynn and deflected it into the goal. The midfields passing continued to control the game for Stroud and brought another penalty corner. A reverse stick strike from Fynn put the ball in the back of the net to make it 0-2. Into the second half and the third goal came from a bit of magic from Waring who spun his defender then struck the ball deftly passed the planted keeper. With the game opening up fynn put a ball to Pearce playing on the right wing who sprinted all the way into the D with the ball and finished off his run with a diving shot to put the ball in the net. The defence of Pickard, Waite and Carlyon played fantastically in keeping some very skilled attackers at bay. Hermes Carlyon picked up man of the match for his superb efforts.



Cardiff Uni 0 Stroud Men's 1st 3



The second game of the weekend brought another good defensive performance from the Men's 1st. This time spearheaded by the forward lines retention of possession. The first half started nervously with a fit university side playing the ball nicely round the pitch. The deadlock was broken when a penalty corner was won and Mears scored from a straight strike at goal. Although Stroud continued to battle they couldn't get another goal before the break. After the break Stroud came out and played their best half of hockey this season. The lines of running and ball retention of Shipp, Batten, Clifford and Waring was superb and their constant pressure brought another short corner which Matt Waite drag flicked low though the keepers legs. The final goal of the game came from a series of eight short quick passes to work the ball into and around the right hand side of the D where Liam Tunney calmly put the ball passed the keeper, a fantastic team goal.

29th Mens 1st report

Stroud Men's 1st 4 Llanishen and Caerphilly 0

Stroud started their league season in impressive style. The forward line of Shipp, Batten, Waring and Clifford spearheaded the defensive performance which saw Stroud shut out the opposition. The organisation and work rate from the was a big leap from the disappointment of last season. The first half break through came from a short corner strike from Brad Mears. The second goal came 30 seconds before the break by Fynn off another short corner. After the half time break Stroud resumed there strong defensive play with Pickard and Carlyon. This set the grounding for Stroud's new South African Kyle Van Heerden to take the keeper on, the keeper made a save but turned round and put the ball in the back of the net. The final goal came at the end of a flowing passing move that saw Alex Waring's deflection shot pass the keeper in to the left hand corner of the gaol, the move was straight of the training ground. Next week see a double header, away on Saturday to Cheltenham and away again on Sunday to Cardiff Uni.

Ladies 1st XI - Fine Win

STROUD LADIES 1st XI - 4

WOOTTON BASSETT 2nd XI - 2

"Best Performance Ever" - The Coach

The Stroud team was delighted when its coach confirmed what the players themselves thought - they had played some excellent hockey. The team passed the ball quickly and accurately and Wootton Bassett were unable to interrupt the continuous Stroud linking movements. The pressure applied by the Stroud forward line rewarded all 4 players with goals - Lucy Frost, Karen Whitehead, Lucy Moir and Claire Crosthwaite. The midfield line remained determined to retain possession of the ball, ensuring Stroud maintained their edge. Having had 2 friendly games cancelled during September, the team began to tire towards the end of the second half, allowing Wootton Bassett to claw back 2 quick goals. With a victory within their grasp, however, the Stroud players raised the standard of their game once more and controlled the remaining 10 minutes of the match. This gave them all 3 points and was a great start to the league season.

Stuttering Start for M2

Leominster Men’s 2nd XI 2 Stroud 2nd XI 1

Goalscorer: Ben Orme

Omega-sponsored Stroud suffered a second consecutive League defeat, despite an improved performance away to Leominster. Another slow start saw their opponents take a 5th minute lead which immediately put Stroud firmly on the back foot. Tim Norman and Ben Orme, however, spearheaded Stroud’s recovery and the high work-rate of the entire team saw them take control of the match. Inexplicably, Stroud failed to score more than a solitary goal, this coming from man-of-the-match Orme who pounced on a short corner save to convert with a reverse-stick strike. Stroud continued to apply pressure but Leominster scored another against the run of play. A dozen short corners must have been earned but Stroud failed to score from them. Mike Hallett did a good job in defence and there were some sparks of inspiration, Rich Cartmell and Paul Ratcliffe producing some nice interplay down the left. Ultimately, a lack of cohesion between the different parts of the team left Stroud the also-rans but there are signs that the tide will turn. It is still early days but winning ways must start soon.

Results for 29 September 2007

Ladies' 1st XI 4 Wootton Bassett 2nd XI 2
(Karen Whitehead, Claire Crosthwaite, Lucy Moir, Lucy Frost)

Men's 1st XI 4 Llanishen & Caerphilly 0

Leominster 2nd XI 2 Men's 2nd XI 1
(Ben Orme)

Badgers 3 Cheltenham Badgers 0
(Calum Norman (2), Zac Lees)

Badger Beating

Young Guns Go for It

Stroud Badgers 3 Cheltenham Badgers 0

Goalscorers: Calum Norman (2), Zac Lees

Chalford Building Supplies sponsored Stroud Badgers produced another solid and controlled performance, winning the 2nd League game of the season. In a match that highlighted good use of space and a desire to play entertaining hockey shown by both sides, Stroud soon got the better of Cheltenham. A goal-hungry Zac Lees opened the scoring and Stroud’s use of both flanks saw Cheltenham stretched to the limits. Victory never looked in doubt and all of Stroud’s players worked hard to keep control. Nick Sen and Joe Jarman were particularly strong in the midfield. Calum Norman’s excellent work on the right wing was rewarded with a goal midway through the first half and good positioning in the D gave him his 2nd of the match shortly before half time, following a good through pass from Lees. Although Stroud failed to extend their lead in the second half, they did more than enough to warrant victory. Fin Dixon looked sharp on the left and was well-supported by Ed McCollum at left back. Stroud continued to create chances but Cheltenham somehow managed to thwart these efforts. This was a comprehensive victory for Stroud , richly deserved and played in the right spirit throughout.

Fixtures for 6 and 7 October 2007

Saturday
Men's 1st XI Away to Cheltenham C
Men's 2nd XI Away to Cheltenham D Meet 9:40 LC 11am start at Balcarras School
Ladies' 1st XI Home to Cheltenham CS start 11am
Ladies' 2nd XI Away to Cirencester 2nd XI
Badgers Away to Gloucester

Sunday
Vixens (Girls) Home to East Glos 9:30 start
Mixed Home to Vodka Red Bulls 11am start

Mens 1st match report 23rd September

Winborne Wayfarers 3 Stroud 2



Stroud travelled to Dorset on Sunday, and unveiled their new playing kit sponsored by the Omega Group. They were playing the Wimborne Wayfarers in the first round of the Hockey Association knockout competition.



The game started with Wimborne having the upper hand. Stroud seemed to struggle to get the heads in gear after the long drive. The defensive team of Simon Pickard and Matthew Waite worked tirelessly to keep the Wimborne forward line at bay. However the forwards still managed to get some quality shots away in the direction of the goal. With the 1st team keeper Injured Sam Gilbert step in and showed why he was in the County set up at the U17 level. Sam looked cool and calm when making save after save to keep Stroud in the game.



Stroud welcomed back the newly wed Matthew Pearce to the side and with Liam Tunney and Brad Mears the midfield Trio has the legs to run any team of the park. The latter part of the first half saw Stroud beginning to keep hold of the ball and string some passes together. This pressure enabled Stroud to have a couple of forays into the Oppositions D. With 30 seconds to go before the half time hotter Wimborne broke down the right hand side and with some skill beat the defenders. The ball was put across the the left hand post where a quality finish to the left hand bottom corner beat the keeper.



Stroud came out to the second half with a greater confidence in their stride and the forward line of Waring, Shipp and Batten exploited the width of the pitch that had eluded the side in the first half. Some flowing passing moves saw shots from Waring and Batten being saved by the keeper. A shot corner was then awarded and Matthew Waite stepped up and slotted the ball in the bottom left hand corner with a perfectly executed drag flick. The belief was now in the Stroud side and with Hines rolling back the years and playing at right back the sides shape seemed to be working perfectly. Stroud were commanding the possession and creating chance after chance. The next short corner that was awarded was injected to the top of the D where Mears was waiting to stroke the ball passed the keeper, once again shaving the left hand post. Stroud where now up 2-1 with 5 minutes to go. The ball was unfortunately lost with 30 second to go and Wimborne earned a penalty corner. Their striker side stepped the on rushing Waite and slotted the ball into the goal. Extra time, Golden goal now loomed.



The extra time started and almost immediately a short corner was awarded against Stroud. In a Carbon copy of his last goal the Wimborne striker finished the game. This was an unfortunate end to what had been a good, competitive fixture between the two clubs. The umpires both deserve a mention for their efforts in making the tie an enjoyable occasion. Best of Luck to Wimborne in the next round.

Matches for 22 Sep 2007

Matches for Saturday 22 Sep 2007 are as follow :-
HOME ...
Ladies' 1st XI v Dursley Friendly LC start 11 am
Ladies' 2nd XI v Blockley 2 LEAGUE LC start 12:30
Men's 2nd XI v Cirencester A LEAGUE LC start 2 pm
AWAY ...
Men's 1st XI Away v Cardiff Univ B LEAGUE - details later
Men's Badgers Away v North Somerset - details later

Super Start from the 2nd XI

Stroud Men’s 2nd XI 2 Witney 2nd XI 1
Goalscorer: Dan Clifford (2)

On a blistering hot day, Stroud Men’s 2nd XI looked up against it with only 10 men to face a strong Witney side. Leaving a lone striker, the rest of the side took a few minutes to get themselves organised in the first game of the season. This momentary lapse was all it took for Witney to open the scoring but Stroud are built of sterner stuff and soon showed the visitors they were not going to have a walk in the park. Rich McColl’s strong presence at the back helped by Graham Morris and Mike Hallett soon built a near impregnable fortress. With Dan Clifford’s zip in midfield and youth in the form of Rich Cartmell, Stroud soon produced several attacks. Barney Franklin’s solid midfield performance was supported well by Tom Brooks and Rob Goad.
A Stroud clearance was nicely controlled by Tim Norman. Having got the call, he despatched the ball into the path of Clifford who proceeded to beat the keeper superbly before running the ball home for the equaliser. All square at half time but Stroud were in the ascendance and this continued throughout the second half. Norman’s runs kept Witney on their toes and they were unable to commit too many players forward. Stroud used the width to great effect and the determination of Cartmell, Clifford, Brooks and Goad stopped Witney from taking control. Kev Sinden was relatively untroubled in goal, particularly as his defence worked so hard. Another Clifford run saw him fouled and the resultant short corner was the last action of the game. McColl’s strike was well saved but the ball came out to Clifford on the left and he pushed the ball home for a deserved victory.

Results for 15 Sep 2007

Ladies' 1st XI beat Thornbury 2:1
Men's 2nd XI beat Witney 2nd XI 2:1 with only 10 men
Stroud Badgers lost 1:0 to Witney Badgers

Badgers Meet their Match

Stroud Badgers 1 West Wilts Badgers 3
Goalscorer: Zac Lees
Stroud Badgers, sponsored by Chalford Building Supplies, met their match in the first game of the season. They started the match brightly enough before long establishing control. Despite this relative dominance, they failed to score, attempting to pass the ball into the goal instead of getting the shots away. Calum Norman had a fine game at right back and his promising forays and good positioning led the way for several attacks through Matt Price and Rich Cartmell. Although the moves came, the final pass was lacking and the midfield was not used effectively enough. Promising signs, however, was Stroud’s ability to switch the play and, therefore, using the flanks to attack. This stretched West Wilts and should have given Stroud several goals advantage by half time. The home side rued these missed opportunities and the skilful visitors plucked a goal almost from nowhere to lead at the break.
Stroud’s comprehensive positional play eluded them in the second half and a resolute West Wilts began to build on their fine skills. To be fair, Stroud let them play to some extent and pushed forward too much in their eagerness to pull back a goal. West Wilts extended their lead and Stroud stopped using the width of the pitch. This was their undoing and, although bolstered by Zac Lees’ goal, struggled to hit the heights of the first half. As Stroud began to play through the middle, West Wilts played controlled passing hockey and eventually scored from a short corner after a needless foul ; game over.
There were some good signs, though. Norman showed composure and vision worthy of a midfield player. Dominic Creech was strong and controlled in the first half and the midfield with Joe Jarman and Rich Cartmell showed growing maturity at times in the first half. There is work to do, however, but better to rue the missed chances now than when the Badgers’ League starts in a few weeks time.

Hockey Training is BACK !

HOCKEY TRAINING : Training for the 2007-2008 season is back every Tuesday at the Stratford Park Leisure Centre astroturf pitch.

• Juniors' Training from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.



• Ladies' training from 7 p.m. to 8.15 p.m. - do come along earlier for a warm-up/fitness session



• Men's training from 7.30 p.m. to 9 p.m. - do come along earlier for a warm-up/fitness session

Superheroes Hockey in Aid of The Meningitis Trust - 1st September

1 September 2007 sees Stroud Hockey Club in fund-raising mode once more. This time we are collecting for The Meningitis Trust, the Stroud-based charity fighting the sometimes fatal brain disease.

Please come along between 12-30 and 3 p.m., preferably dressed as some sort of Superhero, and take part in some fun hockey at Stratford Park Leisure Centre whose managers have kindly provided the pitch for FREE. There will be food and drink available.

Stroud HC go running

This year the hockey club aims to enter a team of runners into the Stroud Half Marathon in aid of the Meningitus Trust.
http://www.stroudathleticclub.co.uk/clubraces/stroudhalf.shtml

If you are interested in joining us and raising some money please contact Rob Fynn and visit the Stroud AC link above to get some idea of what's in store.



What better pre-season training than to get out running!!!!

Calling all Facebookers!

For those of you who are into a bit of online social networking and have a Facebook account I have created a new Stroud Hockey Club group called 'The Mighty Stroud HC' within Facebook.com so go check it out. (This is a totally unofficial group and serves no purpose other than as a bit of fun. Nothing that is said or written on the site is in anyway representative of the official views of Stroud Hockey Club or it's members!) That said, get on there and have a rant!