Chris Glover, Manager, making a point. Photo c/o Andy Smith
There is no doubt that the start of the season has been a very good one for Beeston Hockey Club. Both our Mens and Ladies 1st XI’s have made 100% starts in their respective leagues, and there is definitely a buzz around the place at the moment. The biggest challenge for us all is to keep that positivity going, but we are well aware that the only way we can do that is with continued hard work.
This week we welcome Timperley to Nottingham Hockey Centre for the first time as they make their bow in the Investec National League. Moving up from a regional league is normally a huge step and one that some teams can find too big a gap to bridge. However, if you are well prepared and recruit intelligently, then it is possibly to achieve that first season stability from which longer term success can grow. It looks like Timperley have made a promising start to their first season with a draw against Liverpool Sefton followed by an excellent win over Ben Rhydding. Despite tasting defeat for the first time last week against Wakefield, we know that they will provide a stiff challenge for us and we will need to be at our fluent best if we are to continue our winning streak.
Last Saturday was a tough match against a physical and experienced Brooklands team. Going a goal down early in the first half was a huge mental test for our young squad in terms of how they would respond. Colin and I need not have worried though, as a composed and mature second half performance saw us turn the match around to take the three points. Maintaining that level of maturity and remaining clear in our decision making until the final whistle will be critical to our continued success over the next few weeks.
It was also a real delight to welcome Rosario Villagra into the squad last week after her arrival from Argentina. Rosario will hopefully give us a bit of South American flair in our final third, and I am really looking forward to seeing her take to the pitch for her home debut this afternoon.
We also welcome into the squad young Maddy Wray who makes her 1st XI debut today. She has joined us from Southgate Hockey Club while she studies for her A-Levels, and she will join the throngs of under 20s we have in the team today. David Griffiths, club director, calculated this week that the average age of the Mens and Ladies 1st XI squads combined is just 21 years old, branding them the ‘Beeston babes’, and it is this infectious energy of the young players that we hope will carry us to success this season.
Finally I would like to thank our match sponsors Irwin Mitchell and also offer a warm welcome to our spectators and our officials, umpires David Haynes and Pritpal Sihota, and delegate Bev Deakin. We hope you all have a great day at Nottingham Hockey Centre and fingers crossed we can continue our fine form.
C’MON YOU BEES!
Chris Glover, Ladies 1st XI Manager
Irwin Mitchell are player sponsors of Beeston midfielder, Maddie Pearce. On behalf of Maddie and Beeston Hockey Club we would like to take Irwin Mitchell for their valued support.
