As the month of March progressed, we could see the end of the League season panning out for all our senior teams and the fixtures and tournaments for our junior section. Then almost overnight all hockey activities were suspended, and still are at every level until the end of June.
The clubhouse and grounds at Short Lane were closed, everything shut down, the staff furloughed and the United Kingdom population put under lock down conditions due to the very serious and infectious Corona virus.
For ourselves hockey wise, it also meant not only the postponement of the remaining matches, tours, hockey camps and tournaments, but all the end of season team celebrations/awards, the club’s Annual General Meeting and election of Officers for next season, the junior Awards evening and of course probably our biggest loss the postponement of our 100 year Gala Dinner from 25th April 2020 until 24th April 2021.
In addition, the National clubs hockey play offs, the European clubs championships, the Pro League (including all the home Great Britain games), and perhaps the biggest event in the International hockey calendar, the Olympics in Tokyo in August.
I can recall a bad winter in the 1960’s when all sport was frozen off for six weeks (I wasn’t at Ashford then though) and a period of five consecutive weeks in the 1970’s when games were cancelled due to the constant rain and flooded grass pitches, but nothing on this scale with all the possible fatal consequences.
Besides the obvious health effects, there will of course be uncertainty for people in jobs and careers, including those related to hockey. The Club and sport in general will need to position itself well, so we can bring it back as a celebratory part of getting back into physical activity. It is estimated that 140,000 people play sport weekly and a million or so play at some point in the year. We will need to make sure we are ready when Government restrictions allow for that moment, so that we don’t see a dip or lose too many players, coaches and members.
With the postponement of the Olympics offering more uncertainty as to national funding for the sport, England and Great Britain hockey are obviously concerned and working hard on devising a new central programme for not only Tokyo 2021, but also Paris in 2024.
As far as the overall club picture is concerned England Hockey Chief Executive Officer Nick Pink has said it was a “concerning time” and warned: “If we are still in this situation in the next three to six months it does change things. For clubs it will become an increasingly dangerous place to be.” As yet, no national picture has been gleaned in terms of how many of the 860 plus clubs might be affected. There are likely to be an array of different scenarios facing clubs, given the largely volunteer aspect, coupled with those clubs who run as a business with clubhouses and outside events, down to clubs run with no permanent home and those who play at schools or differing venues.
Ashford (Short Lane) Sports (A(SL)S) management committee is working hard to cut on-going costs of running and maintaining the site during the current situation and will endeavour to be ready when things can start up again, in whatever form that maybe. As a hockey club, we are in a lot better situation, financially and otherwise, than our sister cricket club at Ashford, who have no subscriptions or matches fees coming in, no opportunities to play cricket and yet have had to prepare for the delayed start to their season and pay affiliation fees etc. The hockey club committee, along with A(SL)S, will endeavour to monitor things and be ready for future developments. The most important thing though is that you all stay fit and healthy, observe the guidelines and help to keep each other’s spirits up. Ashford hockey will be back sooner or later, so take care of yourselves all you Red and Blacks, and I look forward to seeing you all at some stage in the summer.
Lynne Morgan, President AHC
