Men’s 1st’s (3) vs. (4) Huddersfield 1st’s
The Men’s first travelled the short  journey to Lockwood Park to hosts and local rivals Huddersfield 1st’s. In a fast paced game, it was Slaz who looked stronger, with fast attacking and flowing movement. However, Huddersfield were more clinical on the break. The home side took advantage of this and netted 4 goals to the visitors 3. Ben Jackson scored, and Danny Perry took a brace, but to no avail.

Men’s 2nd’s (6) vs. (1) Bradford 2nds
Slazenger seconds hosted Bradford seconds in the latest round of their league campaign. The team were looking to correct performances which had cost heavily in recent weeks.

The team took to the pitch with intent, and pressed from the off. It was a quick goal from Richard Tuddenham who started to scoring with a well struck short corner. Tuddenham went on to net a second. Ian Hedges scored 2 from the left wing, followed with goals from Amir Khalil and Asad Baig. 

While Bradford side was not the strongest in the league, the home side pressed throughout the game and put in as creditable performance. The team take a rest week before traveling to Acomb for their next fixture.

Thanks to Rob Whawell and Steve Wood for Umpiring the game.

Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs. (4) Ben Rhydding 4th’s
Mens 3rd’s lost 4-2 on the road to Ben Rhydding. Keith Leonard and Pete Gunning scored. However the hosts were stronger in finishing, scoring 2 in the final minutes to put the game beyond doubt. 

Men’s 4th’s (9) vs. (2) Ben Rhydding 5th’s
After a disappointing loss the week before the team were eager to put things right! The travelling Ben Rhydding team had some late Covid dropouts with one of the parents stepping in as Gk in a borrowed Slaz Kit.

The first 10 minutes the game stayed 0-0 with the teams feeling each other out. It was then the goals started rolling in. Slaz opened the scoring with a well worked goal up the pitch. But Ben Rhydding weren’t about to go down without a fight they put some good pressure on and won some short corners causing the GK and defenders to be aware including a goal line stop. Ben Rhydding finally popped through on a quick break beating the CB and GK to slot a goal home.

Slaz we’re not deterred by this and proceeded to put in 3 more goals before half time through short corners and open play.

The second half started brightly for Slaz with a lot of the play been in the Ben Rhydding half of the pitch. Marshall Tebutt (MoM) finally got his hat trick after a few missed efforts at the back post. Keith Stevenson slotted 2 goals home, one a flick from short range, before replicating a Ronaldo celebration to earn him the WoM award. Ben Rhydding continued applying pressure and came away with another goal.

Final score 9-2.

Thanks to Matt Green and Ben Graham for umpiring the game.

Men’s 5th’s
No Game

Mens 6th’s (0) vs. (1) Ben Rhydding 9th’s
This week, the development team travelled to Ben Rhydding. Short on players and without a keeper, this was anticipated to be a challenging game, but a fine performance by all ensured a close contest throughout. A strong midfield performance from Julie Bailey, Frankie Tyrell and May Bailey producedsome first-half scoring chances for Seth Hoole and Connor Browett, whilst solid defence from Jack Sanderson, Damien Greig, Josh Green and Richard Coughtrey ensured a scoreless first half.

The second half was equally competitive. Some good interplay between player of the match Owen Coughtrey and Bobby Bear created problems down the left for Ben Rhydding, whilst Aleks Thompson made some good runs down the right wing to keep Ben Rhydding on the back foot. However, the lack of players eventually told as Ben Rhydding pressed into the Slazenger half and a speculative shot towards goal rebounded off the post with the Slaz defence being beaten to the ball by an alert Ben Rhydding forward who had a tap-in to score the winning goal.

This was an impressive performance from the young development team despite the result, who showed great spirit and teamwork.

Ladies 1st’s (4) vs. (1) University of Leeds 1st’s
The team was feeling positive after recent wins and headed into this weeks game against Leeds Uni feeling optimistic and raring to go! There was change to last weeks team as Nicci Swinden was out injured and Alice Gascoigne returned from her trip. Slazenger Ladies 1s started the game strong, there were some solid passes throughout midfield and Hannah Field capitalised by scoring an early goal (with a bit of help from her foot!). The opposition equalised within two minutes and when Hannah’s second goal was disallowed, Slaz heads went down. 

The score at half time was 1-1 but after an inspiring half time talk from our captain, Jessica Rudge, Slaz started the half strong. The defence consisted of Lisa Minchella, Ashleigh Jones and Andrea Wallace who were solid at the back and new keeper Erin Haigh made some excellent saves. There was some slick passing from the defence through midfield to the forwards and Jessica Rudge scored an open stick goal which is her first open stick goal in five years. This gave the team the confidence needed to continue pushing forward and many chances were given to Sarah Sykes who failed to deliver. 

However the Slaz captain showed everyone how it should be done and that her first goal wasn’t a fluke as she netted another open stick goal. The team were now playing full of confidence and continued to push forward with Melissa Lambert showing off her skills down the wing. Hannah Field, who is hoping to achieve top goal scorer this season, realised she needed another goal to stop the captain from running away with the trophy so soon in the season so scored her second goal at the tail end of the game. 

No game next week as Slazenger Ladies 1/2s have a bye in the cup but we head into our next game away at Ben Rhydding on a high.

Thanks to Lisa GK and Keith for umpiring.

Ladies 2nd’s
No game

Ladies 3rd’s (0) vs. (4) Wakefield 4th’s
Ladies 3rd’s lost 4-0 to Wakefield 4th’s. Ladies 3’s played Wakefield away. In a hard fought local derby Slaz could not beat the home keeper who saved numerous efforts and although the Slaz team defended valiantly they could not prevent Wakefield coming out on top. This is a new team combing experience and youth and can play some really nice passing hockey. The best is yet to come.

Ladies 4
No Game – Halifax 5th’s have withdrawn from the league

U16 GIrls
U16 girls fought back from 2-0 down against Wakefield to secure a well deserved 2-2 draw. The girls showed massive heart conceeding 2 early goals but showing true Yorkshire grit grew steadily into the game. Annalise netted the first at the far post, before Eleanor made a strong run down the right wing into the D before firing past the home keeper to bring the scores level. Everyone played their part with Tori in goals pulling off a fine save in the last minute to ensure Slaz got the result they richly deserved.

Men’s 1st’s (2) vs. (1) Sheffield Uni Bankers 2nd’s
Much the same going into the second half, but Slazenger we’re on the back foot after going down to 10 men for a spell following a yellow card. Sheffield went 2-1 up as they continued to push with the extra man and converted a dubiously awarded short corner. Slazenger continued to push but couldn’t find the back of the goal to draw things level and will rue missing a number of half chances they created.

Thanks to Matt Smith and Rob Whawell for Umpiring.

Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (3) City of York 5th’s
A long aerial ball from Amir Khalil set up Richard Tuddenham to neatly slot away his first of the game. A similar move later in the first half gave Slaz a second. Ben Graham netted a third after a goalmouth scramble. 

However, just as in the previous week, the team found themselves struggling and conceeded 3 within a short period. While the visitors pressed into the final minutes, a few errors had been punished to leave them with only a single point from the match.

Men’s 3rd’s (3) vs. (1) Boston Spa 2nd’s
Slazenger 3rd’s hosted visitors Boston Spa 2nd’s. Boston Spa played a physical and direct game, which struggled with a possession based hockey which the 3rds displayed. Ultimately hard work in the face of a physical opposition paid off. Slazenger ran out victors with goals from Emmett Fearn, Keith Leonard and Damian Greig. 

Thanks to Tracey Lorriman and Ben Stevenson for umpiring.

Men’s 4th’s (0) vs. (10) Leeds Adel 5th’s
The men’s 4th’s travelled away to Leeds Adel with a scratch side, losing 10-0.

Men’s 5th’s (5) vs. (3) Leeds 8th’s
Slazenger Men’s 5th team welcomed league leaders Leeds 8 to Horbury, and Slaz were looking to build on some good performances in recent weeks.

Slaz built pressure in the early phases of the match, controlling midfield and getting lots of shots on target, but not scoring. Against the run of play, Leeds 8 sliced through the midfield and defence to score the opening goal.

For the rest of the first half, Slazenger 5 and Leeds 8 were closely matched but just before half time, Slazenger pressure led to a penalty flick being awarded. Damian Greig scored the flick to give Slazenger 5s a deserved equaliser.

Slazenger were quick off the blocks in the second half, building pressure and scoring three quick goals through Dene Michella (2) and Damian Greig to race to a 4-1 lead. Leeds gradually clawed their way back into the goal as Slazenger intensity dropped, and pulled the game back to 4-3 with 10 minutes to go.

Slazenger switched back on, and scored a 5th goal through some great running from John Sykes and ended up 5-3 winners, and moving up to 5th in the table.

Thanks to Alex Stacey and Chris Gascoigne for umpiring.

Men’s 6th’s (0) vs. (3) Bradford 4th’s
The Development team took on Bradford in this first league game of the season, fielding a young team with several debutants, in a fixture which always proves to be competitive.

The game started in end to end fashion as both teams strived for control of the midfield. Kurtiss Holliday, Owen Coughtrey and Dene Minchella created some early chances for Zach Parkinson and Seth Hoole, but the Bradford keeper could not be beaten, whilst Jack Sanderson and Harry Ashford showed stout defence to keep the Bradford attack at bay.

Bradford broke the deadlock half way through the first half however, with a good passing move creating space on the right allowing the Bradford striker to score in the corner. A second goal quickly followed for Bradford in similar fashion, whilst heroic keeping by player of the match, Jack Hancock, ensured that the half-time score remained 2-0. The second half saw an improved performance from Slaz as the young team began to find its feet. Aleks Thompson and Connor Browitt started to make some headway down the wings, whilst Lisa Minchella provided some much needed defensive
guidance.

Slaz created chance after chance and had the best of the half, but could not find the goal. Bradford finally broke the Slaz resolve scoring a third against the run of play towards the end of the half, to make the final score 3-0. This was
however, a good opening performance for the Development team, who showed great promise for the rest of the season.

Ladies 1st’s (4) vs. (2) Leeds Adel 2nd’s
Slazenger’s were up for their match, still buzzing from their triumph the week previous. Adel had been a worth adversary in past games so slaz knew they had to prepare for a tough game. The team arrived, confident. Their formidable leader had trained them hard in preparation – they were ready. This report must pay tribute to the amazing hockey played throughout the 70 minutes. Slazenger’s pieced together slick passes and drove hard with the ball. The defence were a metaphoric brick wall, to quote Gandalf the great “thou shall not pass”.

The goals did not match the intensity and brilliance of the Slaz performance, but when all is said and done a goal is a goal. Coops set the team off with a (poached) push in to the back of the net, swiftly followed by another (The Sykes house was in uproar that evening). It didn’t take long for Rudge to follow suit with her own little flick, not her usually extravagant style but she made up for it with 2 amazing drag flicks (Shame Adel’s keeper was on her game!!!). As always Ellie was in the right place at the right time and put Slaz’s final goal away.

Unfortunately, the umpires chose the wrong time to blink and Adel took advantage on 2 occasions, rounding the game off at 4-2. Honourable mention to Erin, the new keeper who proved skills trump experience – she was a little fire cracker and defiantly deserved her MOM badge. Not so honourable mentions to Hannah and Coops, who fancied themselves as roughians and were given green cards for their troubles!

Thanks to Lisa Chappell and Damian Greig for Umpiring.

Ladies 2nd’s (2) vs. (2) Thirsk 2nd’s
Slazenger’s dealt with the pressure but there was an unlucky deflection from keeper Tracy Lorriman into the foot of Michelle Adams on the goal line rewarding Thirsk with a Penalty flick. Tracy kept her cool and saved the penalty flick! Shortly after the penalty flick, Thirsk scored their 2nd goal. Slazengers seemed to settle after this and worked well as a team passing and moving off the ball to get into the visitors D with the first goal for Slazenger’s from Lucy Howarth. Slaz were trailing 2-1 at half time.

The second half brought Slaz out with added energy pressuring Thirsk from the off. Whilst Thirsk had some breaks Slaz kept their composure and continued to defend well. The pressure paid off and Hannah Kyle scored the 2nd goal for Slaz. Both teams had fair chances in the second half but the game ended 2-2 with Tracy Lorriman being recognised as player of the match.

Men’s 1st’s (2) vs. (4) Lindum 2nd’s
The men’s 1sts travelled out to rainy Lincoln for a battle against the hosts 2nd team. Unfortunately, the visitors were not able to match the conversion rate of the home side and ran out second placed. Goals came from Isaac Fisher and Danny Perry.

Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (4) Leeds Adel 3rd’s
In time honoured cliché, the Seconds battle against visitors Leeds Adel 3rd’s genuinely was a game of two halves. In a rainy encounter, it was the hosts who started the brightest. A strong combination of Amir Khalil and Paul Wiper in the centre controlled the game and distributed the ball well. However, defensive confusion led to Adel netting the softest of tap-ins. However, Slaz struck back through a long aerial thrown by Khalil finding Iah Hedges on the right side who slotted it between the keepers pads to equalise.

The traffic through the first half continued to be with Slaz, who netted two more and missed another handful. Asad Baig converted a sweeping passing move from the team, and converted a penalty corner with a deadly strike from the top of the circle. The home side went in at the break 3-1 to the good.

However in the second half, things were not as simple. It was obvious that Adel had received the hairdryer treatment, and came back with intent. This was matched with a shocking 5 minutes from the home side midway through the half which allowed the visitors to net 3 goals. With time running out, Slaz reorganised, but it was too little, too late. Unfortunately, the side had thrown away a 2 goal lead. Isaac Burrows had fantastic game at the back to take the Man of the Match awards.

Men’s 3rd’s (4) vs. (1) City of York 6th’s
The men’s 3rd’s hosted City of York 6th’s, coming away with a well earned 3 points from the encounter. Damian Greig netted a brace, while Matt Smith and Mark Hammond netted a goal apiece. 

Men’s 4th’s vs.  – CANCELLED DUE TO OPPOSITION

Men’s 5th’s (1) vs. (2) Halifax 4th’s 
Slaz Men 5s took on Halifax 4s on a wet and windy day in Calderdale. Most of the early possession went Halifax’s way, overrunning the Slaz midfield on numerous occasions to run up an early 2-0 lead.  As the half progressed, Slaz gradually started getting more possession, particularly through our midfield star player Amar Khalil, but we were still two goals down at half time. 

Slaz were a team transformed after half-time, better pass completion and quicker ball speed, combined with a change of formation following an on pitch call by Amar  to move to 5 in midfield. Slaz were making repeated in-roads into the Halifax defence and well-worked link up play lead to Keith Stevenson scoring and getting Slaz back in the game. 
At the other end of the pitch, keeper Adam Garside pulled off some superb saves to keep Slaz in the match whilst we searched for the equaliser. Sadly, a second goal eluded us and the game ended 2-1 to Halifax. Man of the match was Adam Garside for his superb saves, and special mention to Amar who was just superb all match and ran rings around the Halifax midfield. “Cockadoodle-do” was Daz Bailey for forgetting both match fees and beer money! #epicfail.

Men’s 6th’s vs. Wakefield – CANCELLED DUE TO OPPOSITION

Ladies 1st’s (6) vs. (1) Harrogate 2nd’s
Slaz Ladies 1sts enjoyed a comprehensive 6-1 victory against Harrogate 2nds. The result never looked in doubt and Slaz were on the attack from the first whistle. It only took a few minutes for Frankie, returning from one of hockey’s shortest ever retirements to score the first. There then followed a bizarre passage of play, it is rare enough to see the crossbar hit at any time, but Slaz managed it twice in less than a minute! The pressure continued for almost the entire half and was rewarded with further goals for Rudgie and Maisie for a comfortable 3-0 half time lead.

As conditions worsened maybe it was not surprising that the second half began in more muted fashion. The game became more even in cold wind and rain and midway through the second half Harrogate managed to pull a goal back. Far from being the start of a comeback, this seemed to spark Slaz back into life and they finished the match strongly with further goals from Maisie and a Harrogate defender before Hannah rounded off the game with a sweet strike.

A really good win, Maisie was a well-deserved player of the match. On to Adel next weekend.

Ladies 2nd’s vs. Wakefield Wanderers
Game cancelled as Wakefield wanderers have folded 

Ladies 3rd’s (0) vs. (7) Otliensians
The ladies 3s travelled to Horsforth to play Otliensians in what proved to be a very tough game. The home team started well and were awarded a penalty corner after 8 minutes which took a lucky deflection to find the back of the goal.  Within a minute, Otliensians scored from their second penalty corner of the match to lead 2-0 at half time. Despite everyone working really hard in the second half, the home team showed their superiority and scores another 5 goals. Slaz went close on a few occasions but just couldn’t beat the home team’s defence and the final score was 7-0. Player of the match went to Imogen Kirk-Smith who worked tirelessly throughout the match. Lots of work to do in training but the ladies 3s will keep working hard and learn from the experience.

Ladies 4th’s (4) vs. (3) Leeds Adel 5th’s
The Ladies 4th team played their first league match this weekend against Leeds Adel 5th Team.  Ingrid Coughtry was first to score for Slazenger’s but very soon, Adel equalised and this set the pace for the remainder of the game. Evie Mollart was next to find the net taking the score to 2:1 at half time. 

Returning to the pitch, Slazenger’s effort was rewarded with 2 goals in quick succession by Frankie Tyrrell and Lyn Wood’s goal supported by new play Emma Hammond. Forever hopeful of the win, Slazenger’s were surprised by Adel’s fight back and soon they too scored 2 further goals in quick succession. The final minutes left Slazenger’s holding on with Adel making a last attempt for the draw hit the post shortly before the final whistle.

A win for Slazenger’s – 4:3. Player – Evie Mollart and Rachel Rutherford.

Soon the goals started to come 3 by Owen and another 2 of our tournament’s top scorer, Seth. Jack in goal with the help of Declan and George in defence kept a clean sheet.

Slazenger felt ready for their last game against Sheffield Hallam, and they went ahead when the ball was crossed in from the right by Declan to be tapped into the goal by Seth. It showed that the boys were getting tired and Sheffield Hallam were able to sneak two goal in. But some excellent saves from Jack and solid defence from George kept Slazenger in the game. With the last touch of the game, Will got his well- deserved first goal of the tournament. The players voted Owen Coughtrey their Player of the Tournament.

Thanks for all the great support for the team at training and at the tournament. If your son would like to try out hockey and join the boys at training on Tuesday nights please contact SlazengerHC@outlook.com for further information.

Photo
Back row (L to R): Will Carr – Harry Firth – Declan Buxton – Owen Coughtrey
Front row (L to R): George Garside – Jack Sanderson – Seth Hoole

Slazenger U18s (3) vs. (7) Leeds U18s
Slazenger Under-18s were unable to capitalise on a flying start as they bowed out of the EH Cup at home to Leeds. Conceding two goals in the first six minutes stunned the confident visitors but they gradually turned the match around thanks to their proficiency with short corners.

Leeds converted four of their five short corners and Slazenger only managed to score from one of their four, although this did put them into what appeared a strong position at 2-0 up. After weathering early pressure from Leeds, a good move in the third minute led to Luke Minchella turning the ball into the net after George Bentley’s initial shot.
A short corner to Slazenger three minutes later then resulted in a second goal as Max Godley shot and Tommy Randle provided the decisive touch.

It needed a couple of good saves by Aidan Coughtrey to preserve the advantage but Leeds finally broke through when a strong run into the D and a pass set up their first reply. Two converted short corners in the last five minutes of the first half then turned the tables as Leeds moved 3-2 ahead. Leeds scored the next four goals, two of them from penalty corners, as their two extra substitutes took advantage of tiring Slazenger legs in the second half.

But the hosts did have the final word when, in the last minute, a short corner ended in a penalty flick after Randle’s shot was blocked by a defender on the line with his body. Alex Stacey stepped up to score in the bottom corner. Slazenger now go into the consolation Plate competition for losing in the first round.

Men’s 1st’s (2) vs. (5) Driffield 1st’s
Men’s 1st’s lost out in a 7 goal thriller at the Southfield pitch. Slazenger scored their goals through Alex Stacey and Danny Perry. Unfortunately at the other end, Driffield netted 5 to take the 3 points.

Men’s 2nd’s (3) vs. (2) Aire Valley 2nd’s
Another game, where the scoreline did not tell the whole story. Slaz were by far the dominant side, with progressive passing hockey. However it was evident that the Slazenger shooting sticks were still carrying some rust, as shot after shot rained everywhere but the back of the net. The slow pitch, combined with some particularly impressive goalkeeping and very dodgy shooting kept the scoreline goalless. 

Asad Baig netted the first of his brace, flicking the ball into the back of the net from a short corner. A period of sustained pressure saw the visitors win as a penalty stroke, when the Aire Valley defender stopped the ball on the line with his foot. After being dispatched by Richard Tuddenham, the team went into the half 2-0 up. In the second half, the home side scored two from two short corner strikes. However, Slaz netted one of their hundreds of chances to take the points. 

Men’s 3rd’s (2) vs. (4) Leeds Adel 4th’s 
In a tight end to end game, there was very little to separate the two teams, going into the second half, Adel had nudged ahead, matching the two goals scored by Keith Leonard and dding a third to take the lead. However, Slaz were their equal and were unfortunate to miss a great chance with minutes to go. However Adel were more clinical and netted a fourth at the other end to put the result beyond doubt. While the scoreline looks convincing, it certainly was far closer for the rapidly improving 3rds side.

Men’s 4th’s (7) vs. (5) Leeds Leodis 1st’s
Slazenger’s turned up to face an 8 man Leodis thinking this would be a walkover. Leodis started with an early goal putting a bit of shock into the Slazenger’s team. We quickly returned the favour and put 2 goals in in quick succession. The umpires by this point were sick of the backchat from both teams and both captains were issued a warning that cards would be coming out. Leodis weren’t done before half time however and returned another 2 goals. Slaz walked in 3-2 down at half time.

Young Josh Bennett was not happy with the speed of the umpires decision making and made his displeasure known, only to ironically receive a swift yellow card for 5 minutes at the start of the next half. John Sykes applied the hairdryer treatment at half time! Slaz came out with 10 men and quickly started moving the ball around the sides of the pitch much more effectively than the first half. Leading to a quick equalizing goal. The lack of players for Leodis started to take its toll as Slaz moved the ball freely, scoring at will to take us to 7-3. We got a bit sloppy with a 4 goal lead and Leodis got a second wind and punished us with another 2 rapid fire goals. Slaz bucked their ideas up for the last 10 mins and kept Leodis out with only a couple of runs into out half. Game ended 7-5. MOM – John Sykes hat trick.
WOM -Josh Bennett yellow card

Ladies 1st’s (2) vs. (5) Driffield 1st’s
Slazenger 1st’s hosted travelling Driffield 1st’s. Goals for Slazenger were scored by Sarah Sykes (2). 

Ladies 2nd’s (4) vs. (1) Skipton 1st’s 
Slazengers attacked right from the start with strong passing and lead runs down the wings. This lead to a well worked team goal set up by Mia Davies and scored by Natasha Wiper. Slazenger Midfield and defence worked hard to neutralise attacking play from Skipton, with key interceptions and game management from Alex Stead, Lucy Howarth and Naomi Frith. Defenders covered every attack and marked effectively. Mia Davies scored a second goal from a short corner to secure the lead, with Lucy Howarth scoring from a short corner rebound to take Slazengers into half time with a 3 nil lead.

Play continued with slazengers maintaining control of the game in the second half and were rewarded with a beautiful second goal from Natasha, crossed by Lucy which worked right from a turnover in defence by Andrea Wallace. Ruby F continued to hold play in the attacking third and stretch Skipton Defence. A skipton short corner was awarded against the run of play which they successfully converted in the last three minutes to make the final score 4-1 and Slazenger Ladies 2s first win of the season. Player of the match was Natasha Wiper for her excellent goals.

Ladies 3rd’s (1) vs. (2) Huddersfield Dragons 2nd’s
Slazenger Ladies 3rds were denied a draw in their latest friendly after conceding a deciding goal at Huddersfield Dragons 2nd’s in the last couple of minutes. The first half was an even contest before Dragons opened the scoring via a short corner that led to several close-range shots before the ball finally deflected into the net off Sarah Ritchey.
Slazenger equalised before half-time when Natalie Beech crossed into the D and Lauren Fealy swept it into the net.
The second half was another even affair but Dragons nicked the victory just before the end with a good goal after a shot from the top of the circle.

Slazenger U18s (7) Hull U18s (4)
George Bentley scored a hat-trick as Slazenger Under-18s opened their Yorkshire League season with a 7-4 victory over Hull. Slazenger edged the first half 2-0 with goals from Luke Minchella, after a cross by Bentley, and Max Godley, who turned before shooting powerfully into the net.

It took a while for Slazenger to get on top of a Hull side who arrived with only ten players, but the second half resulted in a flurry of goals. Hull pulled one back but Godley quickly doubled his tally, before Bentley scored his first after beating a defender to make it 4-1.

Pieter Aben and Minchella combined to set up Bentley’s second goal, after he showed some neat 3D skills, and although Hull reduced the deficit again, it was soon 6-2 as Matthew Smith deflected the ball goalward after Godley’s ball into the D. Hull scored two more before the end but Bentley was able to complete his hat-trick between those strikes with a reverse-stick sweep.

The social mixed 7’s hockey competition is back this summer, starting earlier in the offseason than usual. The competition will be on Wednesday nights between 28th April May and the 9th June inclusive, only £3 per week. Its open to all those old enough to play senior hockey (13 and older); new players, returning players, friends of the club and regular members are all welcome. Teams are mixed ability, so register now! Sign up via your captain, team manager, or by emailing clubhouse@slazengerhc.co.uk

What is it?

For those who have not played before, the tournament is a 7 week competition between 8 mixed teams. Each team has players from across the club, so its a good chance to meet new people and play some social mixed hockey. It is competitive, but as there is a mix of abilities, the aim is to have a laugh as much as compete! Players who are competing in development teams and are 13 and older who wish to play senior hockey are encouraged to join in, as it is a fantastic opportunity to get involved with the senior game.

Fixtures are either 8-9pm, or 9-10pm, and all proceeds go towards long term saving for any future pitch refurbishment, which helps keeps the cost of our subs down through the season! As usual, if you have specific requests (playing at the same time for travel reasons) we’ll try to accommodate it.

This year, some tweaks will be needed to account for the COVID-19 requirements. This information will be posted in due course.

Note: Apologies this is coming out very late. I’ve not had as much time to get it organised this season, so for it to run as usual, I’ll need people to register as soon as they can. We regularly have 70 players involved, so please get your name down as quick as possible. Otherwise, I won’t be able to run it this year. Thanks

We are able to return to the pitch for training and matches. League fixtures have been cancelled until the start of the 2021 season in September. However, there will be training and summer activities over the coming months.

Training will return at the following times:

• Wed 31st March for Men (including u14 & u16 boys)
• 1st April for Ladies (including u14 & u16 girls)
• Sunday 18th April – U8 & u10 Boys and Girls – 9:15am – 10:30am
• Sunday 18th April – Under 12 Boys and Girls – 10:30am – 11:30am

In the next week, we will be publishing the details of summer competitions and our annual interclub summer league competition, which we encourage you all to get involved in!

If you have not been to training before, you will need to complete the England Hockey Participation Agreement.

As a reminder, the changing and shower facilities still closed, however, toilets will be open. The precautions we had in place before Christmas will continue:

• Any spectators must follow gathering limits and social distancing rules.
• The clubhouse will remain closed until it can open in line with the government guidelines.

As we get back to training and playing, we need to maintain vigilance. This is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that hockey is played in a safe way for all those involved:

No-one should leave home to participate in any form of hockey if they, or someone they live with, has any of the following:

• A high temperature (above 37.8 Degrees C);
• A new, continuous cough
• A loss of, or change to, their sense of smell or taste

The science shows that the highest risk of transmission is in the gatherings before or after a game. We need to continue our 2 meter social distancing before and after games and training sessions.

After a month off, we are able to return to the pitch starting today (Wednesday) for training and matches. We are awaiting confirmation from Yorkshire and North Hockey whether we will be able to play league games, or if these are limited to friendlies.

As a reminder, the changing and shower facilities still closed, however, toilets will be open. The precautions we had in place before lockdown will continue, with a couple of important changes:

• Any spectators must follow the revised Tier 3 gathering limits and social distancing rules.
• The clubhouse will remain closed in line with Tier 3 guidelines.
• The start time of games will be changed to allow for additional cleaning and allow players to get on and off the pitch:
  • 10:30 games will start at 10:00
  • 12:00 games will start at 11:40
  • 13:00 games will start at 13:20
  • 15:00 games will stay at 15:00
  • 16:30 games will start at 16:40

As we get back to training and playing, we need to maintain vigilance. This is everyones responsibility to ensure that hockey is played in a safe way for all those involved:

No-one should leave home to participate in any form of hockey if they, or someone they live with, has any of the following:

• A high temperature (above 37.8 Degrees C);
• A new, continuous cough
• A loss of, or change to, their sense of smell or taste

The science shows that the highest risk of transmission is in the gatherings before or after a game. We need to continue our 2 meter social distancing before and after games and training sessions.

As you may be aware, our lengthy sponsorship deal with YCE Ltd came to the end recently after 7 years. You may also have realised that Grays are stopping production of the kit we have used for the past 4 seasons. So in the background, we have been working to source a new sponsor and new kit for the 2020 season.

After a long search, we have reached a 3 year sponsorship agreement with Wolffkran Ltd. Wolffkran supply cranes for construction across the UK. However, you may recognise them from the festive illuminated cranes which light up the sky at Christmas on the M1 near Meadowhall, Sheffield!

This sponsorship means that the club will continue to offer a discount on playing shirts. All players will recieve a £10 discount for their first home and away shirt during the 3 year sponsorship period.The new kit will be produced by Stag Sportswear in Leeds. The kits are fully sublimated, so there are no vinyl or embroidered details, which should make a more durable kit. Stag will also host our club kit shop in future. This will include playing kit in addition to a full range of training and off pitch wear, which will be rolled out over the season.

The Kit!

If you’re wondering about the sizing, the new kit is matched to the previous Grays sizing, as is the colour! Samples will be available at training however, if you wish to check.

Ordering Kit

To get the majority of the kit out to players, we will be taking orders directly via the club. Once the bulk of ordering is complete, we will be opening up the online shop and orders will be completed with Stag directly. Covid has slightly delayed this rollout, however, we are encouraging everyone to order as soon as possible. 

These are fantastic prices compared with a lot of other clubs and sports. We have further negotiated start of season discount packages to make the kit even cheaper!. These will only be available during the start of the season, before the online shop opens.

Deal 1&2: Home Shirt, Shorts/Skort, Socks and Hoodie: £64.95 (Adults) and £56.95 (Juniors)

Deal 3&4: Home and Away Shirts and Socks, Shorts/Skort and Hoodie: £79.95 (Adults) and £69.95 (Juniors)

Forms and Paying

To order, either fill in a form in person at any training session or after a game (order forms will be in the container during training and captains will have copies). Alternatively, download the spreadsheet, complete it and email it back to us at Clubhouse@slazengerhc.co.uk.

Please make all payments to our club account:
Slazenger Hockey Club
Sort Code: 05-04-09
Account Number: 62 98 61 50

On Friday 07 August 2020, England Hockey announced the move to Stage 4, the return of competitive activity but not yet the return of competitive leagues. This allows us to train (in groups up to 30), play intra-club 7’s and friendly games at a local level in preparation for the return of league hockey (Stage 5). 

We are working on the principal that league hockey for juniors and seniors will be returning as soon. However it is understandable to expect some level of disruption to the season starting. 

We expect to restart training on the following days: Mens (Wed 2nd Sept), Ladies (Thurs 3rd Sept), Juniors (Mon 7th Sept, Tues 8th Sept, Sun 13th Sept)

To enable SHC players / coaches / umpires / spectators to return, there are number of things the club and members must do this is set out in the video below:

Our club COVID officer is Will Buckley.
You might recognise will as being Mens 1st Team Captain a few years back. Will is heavily involved in Health and Safety through his job and has generously agreed to take on the important role of COVID officer. Will is key to keeping our COVID planning up to date and ensuring that we keep things as safe as possible as we transition back to hockey.

You can ask any questions via the new COVID@slazengerhc.co.uk email address.Captains, Team managers and other Club officials will also be kept up to date about the club planning, so any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

What do you need to do?

You MUST do the following steps before you can be involved with Return to Hockey at Slazenger Hockey Club.

1.) Complete England Hockey’s Participation Agreement
This should be completed by the Parents of U18s. It can also take up to 24 hours for England Hockey to pass this information on to us, so we suggest you do this soon – please don’t do this last minute!

Complete the Participation Agreement

This is compulsory in order to train/play at Stage 4. Once completed and submitted, you will receive an email confirming your agreement, you will need to forward this to your squad captain or coach.

2.) Renew your Clubbuzz registration (or sign up if new)
All players must re-register as usual to ensure your member contact details are up to date. This includes non-playing members who are involved in training and playing sessions, such as coaches and umpires. This allows us to keep contact details up to date in line with GDPR and England Hockeys’ COVID requirements.

Click here to Renew Your Clubbuzz Registration

We also suggest that you:

3.) Read England Hockey’s COVID19 Guidance
Please take time to read through the England Hockey ‘advice links’ provided which outline how we must all behave to keep stage 4 running and hopefully allow us to get to stage 5 (competitive hockey).

Advice for Umpires [link]
Advice for Coaches [Download]

4.) Read our Risk Assessments
As part of England Hockey’s requirements for return to play we have also created the following risk assessments:

These downloads document the precautions we have put in place to allow the return of hockey.

5.) Volunteer
While we are unsure of what will be required to restart league hockey, it is likely to need more help. This may include people to monitor entrances and exits to the pitch, extra marshals to help out on match days. Please let your captain know if you can help.

Thanks for reading this. We look forward to seeing you all back on the pitch soon!

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to withdraw any geo-blocking in place for all FIH Hockey Pro League matches from 2019 and 2020 on its free video platform www.FIH.live. No login is required and full length matches from the international game are available to stream free.

The same will apply for all FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers, which were played in October and November last year. This comes in addition to all matches from both 2018 World Cups, men and women, being already available.

Furthermore, FIH is currently producing a number of additional programmes for use by its 32 broadcast partners, reaching 192 countries around the world, so it’s well worth checking out in your free time!