Hockey Report 01 (1965-66)

As we look back over this, our second season of hockey (as a Senior school option), we have good reason to be pleased with our achievements and confident for the future.

The season's key-word has surely been "progress". Having begun with an untried team and a crushing defeat (0-6) by Windsor G.S., a "hockey" school of long standing, we concluded with a 5-all draw against Eastcote H.C., who did us the honour of inviting us to play in their "New Clubhouse Festival".

Until hockey becomes a "school" game we shall always face the same difficulties of inexperienced players and of teams that leave almost en masse at the end of the year. What has been so encouraging about this season is that, faced by schools which have hockey as a major sport, we have either held our own or have gone down fighting to lose by relatively narrow margins (6-0 apart!) and when playing against schools that also treat the game merely as a senior option we have shown our great superiority on one occasion winning 8-0! Perhaps the most striking proof of the team's skill and stamina was their defeat of a Staff XI by 5-1.

A further encouraging aspect of the season is the fact that so many boys have gone on to play for Eastcote H.C, and others for university teams. Sawyer deserves special mention in that he has played regularly in goal for Eastcote 1st XI with much success.

The future holds promise of further progress since Fourth formers now have the chance of taking up hockey and no doubt many will take this opportunity of learning to play this most enjoyable game, with the prospect of playing for school teams of the future.

R. G. CLAYTON

Results

Played 10, Won 3, Drawn 2, Lost 5

Points for 22, Points against 22

Players: Sawyer (Capt), Green, Lister, Douglas, Jarvis, Lake, Storey, Coath, McLening, Keithlow, Powell G., Cannon, Hartnall, Harris, Hawkins, Murless, Shaw, Haddock, Hadland.