Ashford (Middlesex) Hockey Club

Tickets are now available at £1 each or £5 per book for the Grand Draw to be held at our 90th Anniversary Ball on Saturday 24th April. The prizes are many and various:

Cinema in your living room – LCD TV, Blu Ray Player

Hockey Heaven? A selection of Ashford Hockey Club sporting goodies including personalised shirt by WeAdmire.net and hockey kit from TK

ZZZZ…..not now! £100 voucher from Zoppo Hockey

Turning pro? A hockey stick from The ProShop

Ladies Pamper Hamper! Mini spa day at Virgin Staines & other goodies

Picture perfect – A 20” by 30” canvas of your choice from canvasRus.co.uk

Thirst quenching – A selection of South African wines from Cape Wine and Food, Staines.

Restore and revive – a Kinesiology session with Devin Dyason

Time for tea with Teapigs.co.uk – teatime treatsDriving forward? A round of golf for 4 at Stockley Park

Smile  A digital photo frame

Howzat? A pair of tickets for Surrey county cricket at the BritOval

Bubblicious – A bottle of champagne

Bowled over? Glass bowl from Classic Miniatures

Plus others – Buy your tickets from Tracy/Lynne at Short Lane or Wendy/Hayley on ahcsocial@hotmail.co.uk, or buy on the night!

Windsor Royalists 3 v Ahsford Antiques 3

Friendly 10/4/2010

In their first game of the season (our other game was snowed off!) Ashford Antiques (AA’s) drew 3-3 with a much improved Windsor Royalists team at Windsor on 10/4/10. The AA’s found themselves 1-0 down at half time, much against the run of play, but then then again the AA’s didn’t take any of their many chances to score as they dominated play in the first half. The AA’s did mange to equalise after the break when Helen Siwek persisted in front of goal to get the ball in. The Royalists then again took the lead, but the AA’s again equalised not long after, when Virgin Antique Sherga scored from a well worked team move. Yet again the Windsor Royalist’s experienced centre forward (before this game she had scored 45 goals so far this season!) put her side ahead and completed her hat trick. Undaunted by things and lack of shots from short corners, the AA’s continued to push forward and Sherga got a trade mark goal to make it 3-3 shortly before the end of the game. The other Virgin Antique Caroline Sibia did well on her debut, and thanks are due to Carol Davies who turned out for us, despite not having played for two years. Bash managed to snatch player of the match from Sherga amongst others, and special mention should also go to Ali B and Sam Clarey who shared the goal keeping duties, and Kirsty Hull who did well blowing the whistle. In addition, spectators The Queen, Audrey Hewes and Terry Hull, plus the mini Bashers and Lauren Clarey who supported us well in the sun. Fun was had by all and a lot of effort put in on the pitch by the AA’s on a very hot day, and of course a good gossip was had by all over tea after the game in the plush Health Club opposite the ground. Sorry I don’t know who won the AA’s Sweepstake on the National, but my nag came fourth. Val Urwin aka Dyna Rod (ex Ashford), played for them and sends AHC her best wishes.

Team: Ali Boxell, Alex Saunders, Doreen Brown, Jane English, Jacqui Bashford, Lynne Morgan (Skipper) Helen Siwek, Sam Clarey, Tracey Walsh, Sharon McGlinley Freddie Newman, Carol Davies, Caroline Sibia. Umpire Kirsty Hull.

For the first time ever the Annual pre Christmas match for the Challenge Cup match between Ashford Antiques (AA’s) and Sunbury Star of the Past Christmas (SSOP) had to be postponed due to the pitch being frozen on Saturday (19/12/09). Therefore as current holders of the Trophy, the AA’s retain the trophy for another year. Many of the players were very disappointed not to be playing and in particular AA Claire Brant (Barbie) who had dashed from Heathrow following the family’s trans Atlantic flight to play in the game. However, nearly 30 AA’s and a representative from SSOP still met up for a pre Christmas blast at Short Lane. The usual hockey & general knowledge quiz was held and won this year by YTS Antiques Kim Downs & Lucy Uttley. In addition, awards were handed out, food and drink consumed and a good time had by all prior to a very successful Children’s party.

Unfortunately at present we are still unable to resolve the on-going problems we have with installing the AHC Fixture List for the coming season on this website. Copies of the start times for most matches are available via the AHC and related Clubs sites on Fixtures Live (www.fixtureslive.com) and there is a link available to this website on the ‘Links’ tab above. They are also displayed on the Club Notice Board. We will endeavour to get things sorted out ASAP.

Windsor Royalist’s 0 v Ashford Antiques (AA’s) 3Windsor

18/4/09

On a lovely sunny Saturday, most of the AA’s regular squad travelled to the Royal Borough of Windsor to meet with the Queen (well the AHC version, namely Shirley Winson0 and to play some hockey and hopefully retain our 100% record for the season. Once the formal pre match formalities of the exchange of edible gifts was over, the AA’s knuckled down from the start and played some excellent hockey. At first though the three (yes three forwards!) seemed to be a bit goal shy, and the dynamic midfield of Westlake/Bashford, Morgan and Neyton were getting a bit restless as they were providing excellent goal scoring opportunities for the wayward forwards. However, Freddie and Tracey Walsh took heed and quickly added a goal apiece to maintain their individual AA’s goal a game record for the season and put the Red & Blacks 2-0 up. Windsor gradually got more into the game, but stalwart defenders English, Brown and Saunders coped with anything that came their way and goalkeeper Ali B had little to deal with.
At half time the opposition kindly provided some alcoholic beverages and oranges for the AA’s to enjoy and these obviously affected a few players as when Ali B said she was bored in goal, both Sam Clarey and Maria Cavilla volunteered to take over from her for the second half. What was more surprising was that Ali asked if she could have fifteen minutes playing at right back in the second half. An obviously sun affected Skipper agreed and Sam got kitted up and Ali made her debut on the pitch and actually connected with the ball once or twice, whilst Sam took in the view between the sticks! The changes didn’t seem to affect the team though and once again we dominated play, but found goals hard to come by. Despite having the shooting power of goal machines Maria Cavilla and Gillian Clegg on hand, the forwards just didn’t seem to want to get the ball past the Windsor keeper and the team and big crowd starting muttering about “Jug avoidance” tactics! Eventually star player Annie Neyton went on one of her electric runs and put the ball in from an acute angle, to make the result secure at 3-0. Thus the AA’s retained their 100% record having played two and won two goals for 7 and against 2 –yes!!
Several players put in fine performances including a storming one from Annie Neyton, who was voted the AA’s player of the match. Thanks also to all the spectators and supporters, especially Aunty Shirley and Ordinary Fairy for encouraging us and Windsor for providing such excellent weather and hot teas.
AA’s Team; Ali Boxell, Doreen Brown, Alex Saunders, Jane English, Lynne Morgan (Captain), Annie Neyton, Freddie Newman, Sue Westlake, Gillian Clegg, Tracey Walsh, Sam Clarey, Maria Cavilla, Jacqui Bashford

I have added most of Richard’s excellent photos from our Christmas Annual Challenge game to the AHC website (below).

There are over fifty of them including the pre and post match formalities and celebrations, along with a lot of action shots.

Our coaches will be both pleased and disheartened by some of the action shots, but we ended up winning the game 4-2 and congratulations and thanks to Sunbury Stars of the Past for joining in with everything and winning the quiz.

[Show as slideshow]

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Ashford Antiques (AA’s) 4 v Sunbury Stars of the Past (SSOP’s) 2

Short Lane 20/12/08

The Antiques won 4-2 today and so regained the Challenge Cup in front of a big crowd in mild conditions. It was 2-1 at half time, with Gillian Clegg opening the scoring with an individually worked goal, the Sunbury Stars of the Past (SSOP’s) then equalised and official OAP Lynne Morgan managed to put the AA’s 2-1 up with a screamer on the left from the edge of the D just before half time. The AA’s put the SSOP’s under pressure at the start of the second half but the green’s broke away and snatched an equaliser. The AA’s old heads on the pitch then showed their superior fitness and Annie Neyton got a fine individual goal to make it 3-2 and in the final ten minutes, AA virgin Tracey Walsh (nee Jones), who had made an excellent debut on the right wing, connected with one by the right post to ensure that we regained the Challenge Cup from Sunbury. Several players put in fine, confident performances including a storming one from Annie Neyton, the aforementioned Tracey, Alex Saunders, the effervescent Kirsty Rossington and Gillian Clegg, who was voted the AA’s player of the match by the SSOP’s. One of their supporters won the supporter of the day, despite Val Baldwin wearing some flashing decorations and Emma Hynes turning up with a massive hang over! Sunbury also won the annual quiz for the first time ever, so congratulations to Angela of the SSOP’s. AA’s Carol Stedman & Sally Woodhead came second and the new pairing of Joy and Jane Williams came third. Thanks as always go to Aunty Shirley Winson (nee Tarling not Temple as suggested by two entrants!), for marking the quiz, Rosemary for the food, Tracey Apples for helping out in lots of ways, sexy Santa for giving the prizes out and things!! Thanks also to all the spectators and supporters, young and old, especially Kirsty R and Richard for travelling down from Grantham to play/support/take the photos.

AHC SIMPLY THE BEST!!

Team; Ali Boxell, Doreen Brown, Alex Saunders, Ali Donelan, Jackie Parsons, Kirsty Rossington, Lynne Morgan (Captain), Annie Neyton, Freddie Newman, Sue Westlake, Gillian Clegg, Tracey Walsh, Val Baldwin
Umpires: Lesley Mitchell/Carol Davies

The Ladies 4th XI have a rearranged Middlesex League match v Staines Ladies 5th XI (away) at Feltham Community School this coming Saturday 29/3/08 at 11.30am.

In addition, on Saturday April 12th Bruce Cotton’s testamonial game AHC Legends (Men’s and a smattering of Ladies) v AHC Colts of 1994 will be played at Short Lane at 1.30pm and will be followed by an Ashford Antiques (AA’s) game v Windsor Royalists at 3.0pm.

Both matches will be very much social events, especially Bruce’s game; so if you aren’t playing please come along and give Pauline, Bruce and the girls a good send off before they emmigrate down under this summer, and also give the AA’s a cheer as well.