Hello everyone, hope you're well! I know I've vanished off the radar for a few weeks now that the regular season has taken its bow, but I hope you can forgive that as my Hockey love level usually reaches saturation point at about this time of the year and for my own sake I have to have a bit of a 'come-down' period; but I'm pleased to say that come this Saturday we are back in business as the hockey returns for the annual club tournament!
For those that have never come across this tradition before (and frankly, where have you been?) the club tournament is an all day grass hockey extravaganza and all round great day out/ piss-up. I've been playing in it since the age of 14 and after many years of getting thoroughly battered actually made it to the final last year. It was a losing appearance sadly but as a team I think we all accepted our medals for moral winners owing to the fact that by the time the final came around the majority of the team had ingested so much cider we couldn't see straight, and we were just being civil by allowing our opponents to win because they felt sorry for them trying!
The tournament is classic tour hockey, by which I mean mixed men's and women's teams. It is looking like this year (barring any late tapping up) I'm going to be hooking up with the cornerstone of Sale teams, the one and only 'Dream Team' run by my Dad; hopefully I'll be able to bring some 1st team class to proceedings, but after a few weeks off and a few more pounds on the scales I'm not sure that all will go quite to plan.
I'd urge anyone who is craving a bit of action or just a bit of a social to get themselves down this Saturday (14th April) to the club, we'll be playing and drinking all day on the grass hockey pitches, which some strange people also call the cricket pitch. Last year the weather was very kind to us and it was sunny all day. This year it's not looking like we'll be basking all day in the heat but hopefully the sun will pop out just long enough for H to get sun burnt (which is about 15 minutes normally).
For those wondering how hockey is different on grass, well the rules are all the same but when playing on grass the concept of a slick, flowing, passing game is usually shelved in favour of a more direct approach. As a forward this involves me standing on the edge of the opposing teams D and waiting for the ball to bobble from a 16 yard hit all the way through 20 players sticks and reach me, at which point I will also miss it and hope to tap it in when the keeper also misses it. It's not pretty but it gets the job done (which is also what I believe the Bishop said to the actress).
So please, grab yourselves some cider and some camping chairs and come on down. Hope to see you there. Viva Dream Team!
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