Ashford (Middlesex) Hockey Club

The annual start of the season Club Day will be held on Saturday 4th September at Short Lane, starting at midday and all current, past and would be players of all ages and abilities are welcome. Your Team Captains’ will be sending out further details soon, but please make a note in your diary.

In addition, if you fancy giving hockey a go and haven’t played before, please come on down..

The collection of Tesco vouchers and Sainsbury Active Kids vouchers for equipment for the junior section has been going really well, however we still need more vouchers if possible. We have already exceeded last year’s Tesco total of 3,900 vouchers and presently we have a grand total of 4,500. We also have 700 Sainsbury Vouchers. Tesco have stopped issuing their vouchers but the Sainsbury Scheme runs until the Tuesday 8 June 2010. We will have to send the Tesco vouchers in 10 days time (13/6/10) so please hand your vouchers to a team captain if playing summer hockey, one of the Colts coaches, put either type in the Tesco Collecting Box behind the bar in the Function room or post them to the Clubhouse, Short Lane Stanwell TW19 7BQ as soon as possible please. The Cricket Club also have voucher collecting boxes in the Members bar, so please make sure your vouchers go into the correct box! Any vouchers will be gratefully received.

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.

I am sorry to report that long time Hockey Club Vice President Mrs. Joan Wadmore died peacefully at the age of 92 on Sunday 14/3/2010. Her funeral has been arranged for 12.20 pm on Thursday 25th March at Hanworth Crematorium. It will be followed by a small wake at the Clubhouse, Short Lane from 1pm. Family flowers only, but donations in lieu of flowers to the British Heart Foundation c/o Holmes and Daughters Funeral Directors, 23 Church Road, Ashford TW15 2UG. AHC will be sending a donation and if you wish to donate there will be a collection pot available from behind the bar or you can see myself (Lynne Morgan) or Doreen Brown.

Summer training for members of the Ladies senior sides starts on Tuesday 14th July at 8pm and will last one hour. Sessions will be run by Mandy and take place on the hard play area as last year and will continue on every Tuesday evening until the end of August. All current and new palyers very welcome.

Ashford Scorers:Jacqui Bashford, Gillian Clegg (2), Sam Kendall, Bex GriffithsWe managed to beat the Windsor Royalists 5-4 today. We were 3-1 up at half time and cruising (a bit like at Xmas) at half time. After the break they pegged us back to 3-2, we then got another to go 4-2 up and guess what once again they pulled one back to make it 4-3. In the last ten minutes of the game we scored another and yes they pulled one back, but we remained in control to score another victory over Windsor.Helen Siwek and Cal Antell were making their AA’s debuts, whilst Jacqui Bashford and Manon Thomas were making welcome returns to hockey and an Ashford shirt. Cal was made player of the match or as Antiques should that be “Treasure/find of the Day” as due to illness it was her first game of the season and she bravely volunteered to go in goal. Thanks are also due to Luvvy and Sam who kindly umpired a half each.The full squad was:Cal Antell (GK), Linda Burne, Doreen Brown, Alex Saunders, Hilary Hull, Sue Westlake, Lynne Morgan, Helen Siwek, Sam Kendall, Tracey Holland, Jacqui Bashford, Bex Griffiths, Jane English, Manon Thomas. Spectators:Val Baldwin, Shirley Winson, Shirley Gale, Sheila Kinnear, Jane WilliamsBesides it being another AA’s victory, the sun shone, it was a friendly game and a few memories exchanged and a few drinks were downed afterwards.

Ashford Scorers:
Jackie Parsons (2), Jane English

Despite losing four players late in the week, the Ashford Ladies veterans (AA’s) were still able to field a fairly strong side for the annual Christmas challenge match against Sunbury Stars Of The Past.

In very mild and pleasant conditions, and in front of a fairly large crowd, the AA’s started off very strongly and dominated much of the play in the first quarter of the game. South African super star JACKIE PARSONS was making her Antiques debut and was dominating play up front with her silky stick work and powerful yet controlled shooting. Sunbury were finding it very hard to cope with Jackie and the flowing hockey being played by a dominant AA’s midfield, and almost inevitably JACKIE PARSONS opened the scoring with a very accurate short corner strike and then a controlled lifted shot to put the AA’s 2-0 ahead. Sunbury slowly got more into the game, but the ever green AA’s sweeper DOREEN BROWN was controlling matters well at the back and they were unable to mount any serious attacks on the Ashford goal. However, one or two Sunbury players were starting to show some fine individual skills and not long before half time, and in one of their rare attacks, a basic AA’s defensive error allowed FIONA PARK to push the ball in from close range to make the score 2-1. The AA’s then dominated the rest of the half, but failed to add to their goal tally.

The second half again saw the AA’s on top and a good combination involving LYNNE MORGAN and CLAIR BRANT, enabled JANE ENGLISH to put the ball in the back of the net from close in to make the score 3-1. Despite the AA’s dominance, Sunbury rallied and scored a good goal midway through the second half to make the score 3-2. Ashford again got on top of the game and created numerous chances and were unlucky to see several strikes go just wide. Unfortunately another defensive lapse saw Sunbury score a surprise equaliser from the resulting breakaway. The AA’s fought back though and in the dying minutes of the game two of the Red & Black forwards got the ball round the Sunbury keeper only for it to stop dead on the goal line and confusion between the Ashford players meant neither struck it home and allowed the simplest of chances to be cleared off the goal line. Thus the friendly game played in an excellent Christmas spirit resulted in a draw and the trophy will now be shared by clubs until Christmas 2008.

Team:
A.Boxell, D.Brown, J.Trew, A.Saunders, V.Baldwin, L.Mitchell, L.Burne, J.English, J.Parsons, C.Brant, L.Morgan (Captain), S.Kendall, C.Davies