AHC - Read & Black - Captains' Season Reviews

The Ladies' Section

Season Review: Ashford Middlesex Ladies’ 1st XI

Season 2022-2023 for the Ladies’ 1s came off the back of a winning season and earning promotion. It was always going to be a tough act to follow. We moved across leagues, so back into London we went. Playing with the likes of Hampstead & Westminster, Eastcote, Wapping and Chiswick to name a few – you got it, there were a few road trips on the cards.

We started the league with a few draws; one being against Chiswick which we were losing 1-3 only to pull it back 3-3. The determination to keep fighting was certainly there still, but this season was certainly going to be harder than the last one. We had some seriously frustrating losses but also some wonderful wins.

Our aim for this league was to finish mid table which unfortunately we didn’t manage. The league was certainly tougher than the previous year but we had struggles with availability, juggling the game days and the longer journeys with work and family commitments, which made it just that bit tougher.

Our fabulous coach Jackie was as amazing and supportive as ever. Always one step ahead in seeing how we can improve each week, pushing us to do that and always being prepared with a plan of attack. I think I speak for everyone when I say thank you for all your time and effort over the years in coaching us.

We certainly stepped up our game in the second half of the season but unfortunately it didn’t go our way and we were relegated, BUT it is only setting us to re-group come back stronger. For the up-and-coming season we are aiming for mid to top table and collecting at least 30 points along the way.

I’d like to say a massive thanks to everyone for their support: to David and Lesley for umpiring constantly; to Kirsty and Emma as fabulous ladies’ club captains and our number one supporters Bash, Emma and Lynne who chased us around London to watch. Bring on September! ❤️🖤

Lucy Scott

Ladies 1st XI

Season Review: Ashford Middlesex Ladies’ 2nd XI

With the change in leagues, we found ourselves in Division 4 South West coming up against some new teams we haven’t played before. Looking forward to the season, unfortunately we didn’t get off to the best of starts, not managing to secure a win. The mood and dynamic of the team remained positive, we continued to train hard taking plenty of positives from the games, building on the skills learnt at training and playing as a collective unit.

Starting the second half of the season with a win, we were confident more results would go our way. One draw and four wins was certainly a step in the right direction. The contribution from each member of the team was evident every week with MOM votes being shared by multiple players and the winner usually securing the ‘title’ with only 3 or 4 votes.

The lessons and skills learnt this season has put us in a great position to be a force to be reckoned with next season.

A huge THANK YOU and full credit goes to each and every member of the team, our passionate coach Jackie and our lovely umpire Lesley. All those that helped out had a positive attitude, showed continuous commitment and support throughout the season – it was greatly appreciated.

#proudcaptain

#bringonnextseason

Elize Brown

Ladies 2nd XI

Season Review: Ashford Middlesex Ladies’ 3rd XI

It was a tough but enjoyable season for the 3s with a mixed bag of results.

Captaincy was covered by Tracey Holland (Luvvy), Lucie Stevens, Nicky Davis and then Gillian Clegg with selection led by Jackie Parsons, who we will miss greatly as she guided the 3s throughout the season.

First game of the season started with the bare eleven players which resulted in Luvvy having to step onto the pitch to help out. Sadly, this ended up being her only stint on the pitch for the whole season.

The team’s availability struggled in the first few games but then picked up during the season and we often had three subs! A great win over Cheam and a memorable close loss against Teddington being the highlights of the season.

The 3s had a lot of new players to welcome this year – Dhanvi, Laura, Daya, Amy C, Lily, and Megan, all of whom quickly gelled within the team and proved to be valuable assets. This puts us in good stead for the forthcoming season.

Throughout the season it was a joy to observe the progress made by many individual players. Specific targets were set and met in each game. Whilst the results were not generally in our favour, the season proved successful in developing both individual skill and team work. Hopefully the 2022/2023 3rd XI season will act as a launching pad for all involved. Certainly, some of the younger players will be challenging for places in higher teams having 'guested' there to gain experience, with very positive effect.

Whilst those remaining in the 3s have developed a strong team ethos that should pay dividends in the matches ahead.

A huge thank you to all the umpires this year, who were, as ever, invaluable. We are blessed as a club too have such professional, quality and friendly umpires. Particular thanks to Lesley and David for covering so many games.

Ladies 3rd XI

The Men's Section

Season Review: Ashford Middlesex Men’s 1st XI

The 2022/23 season would be the first full season of my tenure; joining in January 2022 and ending that season unbeaten in six to retain our league status, I was excited at the prospect of what we could achieve as a group.

Pre-season was positive, but with a very different squad to that which closed the previous one. I was pleased to announce a new Captain in Luke Cottrell and most importantly a new feature for the group in that of a Manager, Tim Bray who made a huge impact, particularly on the younger players. Speaking of younger players, one of the key objectives of the season ahead was to embed our talented juniors into our performance squads. We signed a new GK in Harry Musson (England Performance Centre squad), who joined Noah Benedict and Louis Kinyanjui in their second season in the 1st XI squad; I was also delighted to add home grown talent in Jake Glew, Sidney Woolmore, Oli Austin and Henry Clark to our squads – all of whom performed strongly in the Summer League and are exciting talents for the future.

We entered the season probably still lacking a bit of confidence and still needing to find connectivity with the new faces. We didn’t get the ideal start in what is a highly competitive London league and despite some positive individual performances, we finished the first 3 fixtures with just 1 point. Enter Siyabonga Martins, an esteemed hockey professional, who became the glue that the squad needed, and at the precise moment, ahead of a huge must win game at home London Wayfarers. The team delivered a fantastic performance, in particular from our experienced players in Saj, Dan, Luke and Charles, which really helped to deliver a huge 2-1 win, proving to the squad that we do belong and can compete in this league. This win in mid-October kick started a terrific run of performances (5 unbeaten), and most importantly provided huge confidence boost to this new group of players.

Around the mid-season point, we said goodbye to Siya who returned to Namibia but introduced our two new overseas players in Fernando Cabanez and Nico Colman, both from Argentina. They brought passion, intensity and goals… with Nico scoring 15 in 8 games for the club. Their addition fuelled some early very strong performances after Christmas but somehow, we found ourselves on the wrong side of the results. Not deterred by our league position, we knew how much we had progressed since September and with 6 games to go we felt confident that we could turn performances into points.

It’s at this point in the season, upon reflection, the consistency in the high level of performances from a number of players helped see us through – Dan Hakl showed why he’s one of the best players in the league; our trusted defensive unit in Harvey Bray, Charles Cottrell, James Gault and Matthew Sutch, all of whom improved significantly over the season, seemed to just click in terms of fluidity of ball possession between them, as well as communication on marking; and finally Luke Cottrell, whom, with his performances at centre half, orchestrated our ‘rondo’ hockey style.

We achieved 14 out of a possible 18 points in the last 6 games, cementing a strong mid-table finish. Most importantly, we finished the second half of the season with Sidney and Henry making strong performances in the 1st XI, a proud moment for their families and with Jake achieving his first assists and scoring his first goals (of many to come, I am sure). I was absolutely delighted that we achieved getting our juniors into 1st XI league fixtures (Oli made his debut in goal vs OMTs, performing brilliantly and made consistently strong performances throughout in the 2nd XI squad); this was vital to futureproof the squad.

Looking back, I am very proud of the squad, their resilience and hard work helped deliver a strong finish in the league. Was it where we wanted to be? Getting feedback from the players, no, it probably was not, however, we’ve set a strong foundation to build from for future seasons. I’d like to thank Luke and Tim for their counsel and support over the season. Without them success would not be possible. Player coaching is a tough gig at times, so I am very grateful for having a strong safety net in you both.

I’d also like to thank the club, in particular Ian, Peter, Andrew, Kam, Neil and Dave for their ongoing support in what we’re trying to achieve as a Performance Squad. What you’re all doing to drive the success for the club is incredible and we are lucky to have you!

Looking ahead to next season, I am excited to continue my role as Head Coach of the Performance Teams, whilst also continuing my playing responsibilities within the 1st XI. I am delighted to see Nathan George step up as 2nd XI captain next season. He takes over from Chris Taylor who has made a monumental contribution to the culture and performances in the 2s over the past few seasons. I am really passionate about continuing the progress we made last year, and in particular supporting the development of our talented juniors, all of whom continued their representation in the Talent Academies selection. We’ll ensure we put in the work during pre-season to ensure a fast start, which already has some great fixtures to look forward to.

Of course, we lose a few faces. Tom Pitfield as he moves to Australia and Freddie Cottrell who has relocated to Germany for work. I want to take this time, to thank them both for their commitment in my tenure but also seasons gone. You’ve made incredible contributions on the field but it will be the beers with you both in the bar that we will miss the most. Good luck in your future endeavours. With players moving, we get to welcome new faces and I am pleased to share that we have already confirmed some fantastic additions to the squad, of all which we will announce through our social media channels in the coming weeks.

Finally, I would be remiss not to thank the parents and supporters of the club, of whom I have had the pleasure of meeting some of you in the past 18 months. I am always open for a chat, so I welcome continued dialogue as I support, as best as I can, in the wider club’s mission.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

Sam Druce, Men’s Head Coach

Nando & Drucey

Mens 1st XI

Drucey & Nico

Mens 1st XI

Mens 1st XI Social

Season Review: Ashford Middlesex Men’s 2nd XI

From one of the most successful seasons in 2s history in 2021/22 where famously; my brother Steven was meant to be helming the ship, and I was very happy to do all the admin respectively, to then after the second game of the season he gets the call-up for the 1st XI. I battled on with what couldn't have been more of a supportive team to finish the season a comfortable 6th.

So, what next? Well... obviously I would stay on to captain the 2s for a second year moving from the South-West to the North-West league.

With what started in usual 2s fashion with in consistent team sheets due to availability and people being slotted into different teams throughout the club, let's just say that the start of the season was... a mixed bag! Let’s remember the aforementioned move to a new league okay? From our opening game securing a draw against the previous seasons 3rd place was a superb result and then to the very next week playing what was the 9th place team of last year, it was evident that this was a club that was very comfortable to the idea of playing ringers (they will remain anonymous) we were shown the first long drives home with a 5-1 defeat. From then on it was a very good league to be a part of with the boys consistently performing against the entire league until the Christmas break where we ended (very undeserving of how we’d been playing) a measly 8th.

Well let's agree that the Christmas breaks for some teams can be an absolute nightmare with the lack of contact between the team and training sessions going a miss or they can swing the other way. The weeks of binge eating, carb-loading, unholy amounts of consumption (sugary drinks for the colts and we all know what for the men...) and actually enjoying some time off from hockey obviously works wonders for the 2s, so let's not change that for the next season please gents.

We came back from the Christmas break with only the desire to show this league that we were in the complete wrong position in the league and that’s exactly what we did. From the get-go we were securing 3 points most weekends and the occasional 1 pointer, very rarely dropping points. I think at one point we were 15 points from a possible 18, apparently the teams that beat us in the first half of the season didn't travel well to Short Lane - well thats what they said...

By the time it was 4 games until the of the season we had worked our way from our 8th place to a miraculous 5 place and we were on a neck and neck race to securing champions league status (top 4) with the ever-present David Merchant coining the phrase “The road to Bulgaria for our european friendly”. The last few games for the 2s were a very tough draw, playing 2 of the top teams in the last 3, gaining enough points to indeed secure our Bulgarian friendly. However, there was a catch, with an additional slip week due to the number of teams in our league it had gone unnoticed that our rivals had a game in hand to play the bottom team of the league - of course, in true Ashford HC how could it possibly go any other way! Needless to say, our rivals went on to win that game, although, only securing a tough 4-3 draw which did indeed cost us our European friendly by 2 points.

Of course, it has been an absolute pleasure to have captained the 2s for a second year and have 2 brilliant seasons finishing 6th and 5th. There are a few honourable mentions: The true captains of the team Paul “Shah” Neyton and his trusty sidekick Stephen Forster, these two remembered weekly how the opposition played in the game previously and were there to lead the team talks when I was too busy catching a breath and looking at my heat maps (if you know, you know), without these two there is no doubt in my mind that the season would have ended very differently. I am thankful to the entire squad for being a great bunch to play with and have a laugh with after a game no matter the outcome, that’s what makes playing hockey on Saturday so easy so I thank you.

A massive congratulations on the entire team for securing Team of the Year and an even bigger congratulations to the very deserving Henry Clark for winning the 2s Player of the season award.

Unfortunately, my tenure of Captain is over, but don't worry you’ll still see me on the pitch with these legends.

Chris “Twinkle Toes” Taylor, over and out.

Kind Regards,

Chris Taylor