The Ladies' Section
A season of change and new adventures!
Like many clubs up and down the country Ashford Ladies started the 2021-22 season staring into the unknown with feelings of hope that we would have a whole season of uninterrupted hockey, unlike the two seasons before!
Taking the leap into the South East League was always going to be a risk, but one that we knew the whole ladies’ section would embrace with enthusiasm and spirit – and that we did. Everyone was buzzing to get back onto the pitch and even more importantly enjoy the camaraderie that can only be achieved through team sport!
The 1st XI built on the unbeaten run that had been in place since the middle of the 2019-20 season, being on the right side of some unbelievable results. Whilst the division we were allocated may not have been where we wanted to be, winning the league with two games to go and scoring 147 goals, is no mean feat and one the team should be incredibly proud of.
The 2nd XI seemed to be in a perfect division with 10 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses. There were some fantastic contests on the pitch with exciting high goal thrillers thrown in! A particular highlight was a 3-2 win over top of the table, being the only team to beat to them all season – well that's a mic drop right there. BOOM!
It would be fair to say that the 3rd XI have suffered the worst feat of the league reshuffle and ended up in a division that was going to be incredibly tough. But where many a player would wave a white flag, the mighty Red and Blacks were never to be defeated in determination and commitment. The progress that individual players and the team as a whole have made this season is quite remarkable and puts them in a great position to start next season.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful coaches who have helped us all to continue to progress and face each game with strategy and passion. A huge thank you also goes to everyone who has taken the time to umpire for us this season – without you we would be nothing! And finally, a big thank you to every single player that has stepped foot on the pitch (or supported from the sidelines), you are what makes AHC what it is!
We never shirk away from a challenge so just to add a little more spice to our lives, the Ashford Ladies have decided to move to the London League this coming season - so we start 2022-23 in much the same way as the one just gone: a change and a new adventure!
Emma and Claire (Hynes and Barbie)
2021-22 Ladies’ Club Captains
Emma (Hynes) and Kirsty
2022-23 Ladies’ Club Captains
The Men's Section
The Men’s section took their first foray into the London Area leagues last season, not knowing what to expect. It was immediately apparent that the standard of the leagues we were in was high and the season would be hard work all round. This proved to be the case and what the leagues lacked in travel mileage, they made up for in competitive fixtures.
The Men’s 1s got off to a flyer in their league and won their first three and were unbeaten after five games. After such a bright start a disappointing run of results left them in the bottom half of the table after a Christmas with plenty of work to do – four teams would be relegated.
The introduction of a new coach, Sam Druce, reinvigorated the team and in winning four of the last six games the team finished the season strongly to keep their status and provide a platform to push on this season. The men’s 2s also found themselves in a tough league. They managed to get to grips with it quicker than most and some outstanding performances and results saw them finish comfortably in mid table.
The men’s 3s, also in a very tough league, had to dig in each week in true Ashford style and with a core of experience surrounded by youth were not always rewarded with points that the performances deserved. The 3s finished a credible 8th which was a real triumph. The men’s 4s and 5s teams in 2021-22 were made up predominantly of colts and slightly more mature gentlemen marshalled superbly by Major Cottrell. Both had tough seasons but the influx of around 7 or 8 new junior players into the lower end of the club saw improvement across the board.
A strong and enjoyable summer league saw Ashford’s A-L team win the tournament against Ashford M-Z, Amersham & Chalfont, British Airways, Chertsey Thames Valley and Staines. This, coupled with improvement across all men’s teams over the course of 2021-22 bodes well for the coming season.
Andrew Barnes (Digger)
Men’s Club Captain
Men’s Club Captain
