Hampton Sports Chronicle - Summer 2018

SU M M ER 2018

Hampton Sports Chronicle

Rosslyn park sevens heaven Hampton’s 1st VII made up for a challenging season by winning the plate at the prestigious Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens.

centre of the pitch.

A deft exchange of hands between Gwilym Bradley and Charlie Bowe brought Hampton into the 22. Fom the resulting ruck Shane Barry scored to give his team a commanding 19-7 lead.

After a positive first day in which the team won two of three games, against Halliford and Glantaf, they progressed to the Plate quarter-final groups.

Hampton’s defence once again stood resolute, and they were able to deny Hartpury a route back into the game despite a three-on-one opportunity following a superb cover tackle

by Shane Barry.

Despite losing to Coleg Sir Gar in the quarter-final group stages, the team did move forward to the semi-final as best runners-up, though to reach the final they would have to face the Welsh side again.

This initially seemed to be a challenge, as they trailed 0-14 at half-time, but the deficit was no obstacle for a resilient Hampton side, who set up a plate final clash with Hartpury College.

Hampton once again fell behind, this time to an opportunistic quick tap with only a minute on the clock.

One could have been forgiven for calling Hampton’s challenge impossible, against a traditional English rugby powerhouse comprising multiple Gloucester Rugby Academy representatives.

But Hampton’s plucky team fought back well, eventually forcing a knock-on after two

Aidan Barry breaks through in the Rosslyn Park Sevens Plate Final

minutes of Hartpury pressure inside their 22.

Hartpury then found themselves a man short, with the referee opting to send their number 7 to the sin bin after an offence at the ruck.

Soon after, Shane Barry was able to score Hampton’s opening try under the posts, with an exquisite ‘turn and go’ to level the scores after six minutes.

With the clock dead, Hartpury chose to roll the dice and attempt to run from deep, though Hampton’s numerical

The 1st VII were proving themselves to be perfectly capable at this level, and once more capitalised on poor Hartpury errors, this time travelling the length of the pitch to put the result beyond doubt, with Sam Pointon dotting down over the whitewash.

advantage paid dividends as they stole the ball from the ruck following excellent play by Nick Bitzakidis.

Hartpury were able to bounce back with a try, and it was only more sublimed defending that kept them ahead.

From the resulting penalty Rory Caroll crossed in the corner to take a 12-7 lead into the break.

The 1st VII did have to remain solid in the closing stages, but managed to do so and sealed their 29-12 plate victory with a sumptuous try. Sam Pointon made a lung-busting lengthof-the-pitch effort to send the Hampton supporters into jubilation.

Hartpury’s first mistake of the half came with the kick off, as their kick-off didn’t travel the required distance.

Hampton were able to take advantage of this error, with Shane Barry taking a quicktap penalty before his brother, Aidan, made a break through the

Mr Burke on Youth Football Coaching

Mr Cook’s 25 Years of Hampton Cricket

Max Kretzschmar on Life in Football

Louis Lynagh on Playing for England

Page 9

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Page 15

Page 5

The Hampton Sports Chronicle is written and edited by Hampton boys from all year groups. Editor Summer 2018: James Dowden

Ahead of the game

Cole: mining for runs

Hampton School Headmaster Mr Knibbs speaks to Ben Holker about his favourite sporting books of all time and the value of reading.

Josh Bartholomew recently caught up with Cole Campbell to ask him a few questions about his career in cricket and life beyond Hampton.

Book: The Inside Story Of Arsenal Under Wenger Author: John Cross

admiration – I think he has a lot in common with Arsene Wenger in style and approach.

My first choice is the most recently written from September 2015 and is by a journalist called John Cross. It is a brilliant biography of Arsene Wenger and I think it gives an incredible insight into his time at Arsenal and his decisionmaking, strategy and philosophy.

Hamptonians won’t be at all surprised that I rate this book so highly!

I think the reason I particularly enjoyed this book and why I would recommend it to anyone - whether they like basketball or sport at all is because it’s a brilliant narrative.

It’s a fascinating book, not just for Arsenal fans, but for anyone who is interested in how modern football in England has evolved since the Premier League began.

It also explains how even if you are the most famous player, the most well-paid player, and the most important player on paper, you can not win on your own. As an analysis of the importance of teamwork in achieving success, it’s a superb read

If there is one book that I wish I had written, it would be this one.

It’s deeply emotional at times; it’s incredibly funny at times. Everyone can identify the highs and lows that come with following your team, whoever you support.

You will have experienced all the things that Nick Hornby has: the disappointments and the triumphs. A great many books have been written since Fever Pitch, but in my opinion, none are as beautifully written.

“Everyone can identify the highs

It is also a great book if you are interested in leadership of any organisation because it explains really well how Wenger has shaped every aspect of the club. Whether or not you are a ‘Wenger In’ or a ‘Wenger Out’ person, I don’t think there is a better way of gaining an understanding for how a big sporting organisation has evolved and how it works than you will get by reading this book.

It is the story of his career generally, but in particular about how the NBA championship-winning Chicago Bulls team was put together by their coach, Phil Jackson. It explains how he persuaded Jordan to become more of a team player in order to fulfil his personal ambitions.

Jackson is another coach and leader for whom I have a lot of 2

I think that sometimes when you are really anticipating something, whether a film or a book or anything, you can sometimes feel a bit disappointed by the reality.

But in this case, the book was even better than I thought it would be.

The thing that surprised me was how Nick Hornby’s writing was almost poetic at times. Of course, he has since gone on to become a very famous novelist and screenwriter.

“I had that feeling when you wanted to stay up half the night to finish the books.”

Were there any inspirational messages that you learnt from these books that you would pass on to Hampton boys?

Both the Arsene Wenger biography and the Jordan Rules book are strong on the idea that shared values are very important within any organisation.

Book: The Jordan Rules Author: Sam Smith I think this one is probably more of a surprise. It is about basketball, which is a sport I enjoy watching almost exclusively on TV, though I have seen a couple of matches live in America. It is written by an American journalist called Sam Smith and is about arguably the most famous basketball player ever, Michael Jordan.

I remember buying Fever Pitch in hardback the first day it came out. I had read reviews and I thought I am going to love this book.

Book: Fever Pitch Author: Nick Hornby

“It’s deeply emotional at times; it’s incredibly funny at times.”

Another book I would recommend is Fever Pitch, an autobiographical novel by Nick Hornby. It is about being a football fan, in his case an Arsenal fan. Whether or not you support Arsenal, I think it’s the best book ever written about being a football fan and the emotions we go through.

and lows that come with following your team.”

Was there anything interesting or surprising about these books?

In all three cases there were things I got from reading the books that I didn’t expect when I started them.

When I read each of these books, I had that feeling when you want to stay up half the night to finish it.

If you have core values that people understand, subscribe to and really do all they can to live up to, then your team, your club and your organisation will prosper. You will individually benefit from this as well as benefiting as a team.

So, if there is one thing I could say to Hampton boys it is that we as a School have certain values that are really important. If you subscribe to these, follow these and live by these day-to-day then not only will this continue to be a happy and fun place to be, but you will personally succeed even more.

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Hampton School 1st XI batsman Cole Campbell has enjoyed a productive year, breaking into the Hampshire U17 team, as well as scoring 945 runs for the School team last season.

“Last season was probably one of the best years the Hampton 1st XI has had for a long time,” says Cole.

“The tour to Sri Lanka at Christmas

But gaining an opportunity is only the first part of the challenge, as Cole freely admits.

It’s an apt topic to end our interview on, as Cole plans to spend six months next year in New Zealand.

Cole rushes into our interview in an out-of-breath frenzy, having come straight from cricket training, despite the looming darkness of winter which sifts through the windows where we sit.

“I have family over there, and I plan to try and move into their county (equivalent) setup. If all goes well, I’d like to move back for the British summer and play for the Hampshire 2nd XI.

Hard work, he tells me, is the key to his success: “I’ve had to work hard at my game. I was dropped

by Middlesex at U13 level, and was rejected twice by Surrey at trials. Age group cricket is really brutal and ruthless. It was only recently that I made it into the Hampshire Academy.”

Our conversation moves onto how Cole made the step up to senior school cricket: “I played a few 1st XI games in Fourth Year, but fully made the step up when I was in Fifth Year. My first season wasn’t brilliant personally, but it really allowed me to learn how senior cricket works.

“It gave me a lot of experience.

Coming up against other schools’ elite players is so different – you get much more chat from the opposition when you’re trying to concentrate.

That takes a lot of getting used to!

“I was dropped

by Middlesex at U13 level, and was rejected twice by Surrey at trials.

Age group cricket is really brutal and ruthless.”

Cole played a key part in a strong season for the Hampton School 1st XI, who won key games against some traditional cricketing powerhouses in Dulwich and Harrow.”

“When I was facing van Meekeren, all I was originally thinking was how I wasn’t good enough to play him.

I managed to get through the initial period, and after that I was able to get used to the speed.”

“I faced Paul van Meekeren. He was bowling 85 mph – that’s something you don’t face in schools cricket!”

“If I could, I’d love to play for their 1st XI in the near future, but I’d be competing against international batsmen such as Rilee Rossouw and James Vince! went really well both on the field and off it – we really bonded as a group (the team also won 5/6 games against some strong local opposition). We also had some really impressive victories, for example against Whitgift. Everyone in the team was performing in every game we played.”

Despite Cole’s reluctance we chat about his breakthrough season for the Hampshire U17s. So how exactly does a promising junior cricketer go about making their way in the county game?

“I made my U17 debut against Gloucestershire last season, and managed to score a quickfire 30 runs. This helped me get into my stride,” he tells me.

“This also gave me an opportunity in the Hampshire Academy set up, and from there I was able to play the rest of the season for them.”

“I played one three-day game for the Hampshire 2nd XI last season, and I didn’t perform particularly well. I’m hoping to play a few more games for them this year, but I know I’ll have to execute my skills far more successfully.

“It’s a completely different level of cricket. You play against some county bowlers who are struggling to hold down a spot in their respective 1st team. For example, I faced Paul van Meekeren (Netherlands and Somerset fast bowler). He was bowling around 85 mph – that’s something you don’t face in school cricket!”

“I plan to go to university anyway, as I’d like to continue with my studies, but I really want to carry on playing cricket on the side.”

It’s a conundrum which most promising athletes find themselves facing in this country – will attending university be of any detriment to their sporting career? Despite this, Cole Campbell seems to have his plan mapped out. Remember the name.

Cole speaks of facing fast bowlers.

How does one deal with such speed, I ask? “It’s normally more of a mental challenge.

3

The de medici code Josh Bartholomew speaks to Dr Akbar de Medici about his experience of working in sporting medicine and for the NFL. Since leaving Hampton in 2002, Dr Akbar de Medici has worked in a range of different roles, including as Head of Research and Development at Fulham FC and his current jobs at NFL London and the ISEH (Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health).

In the NFL especially, the pressure on medical staff has never been stronger, with recent studies sugesting that 99% of American footballers show signs of CTE (Chronic Traumatic Enthelopathy) at some point in their life after retiring.

Despite this, Dr de Medici praises the American medical system. “I’m trying to bring some of the practices that they have in the NFL to the UK,” he says. “If you watch a typical football game in the UK, you’ll see a physio and a doctor, and they’re the ones who run onto the pitch.

“In the NFL, there are around 35 doctors for each game. They are all specialists, and I don’t think we need to go to that extreme over here, but I think we could find a balance.

“The procedures they use in America, like the choice of hospital an injured player will go to, who treats them and where they’re going to get seen are much more meticulous in America than over here, which needs to change.”

Concussion itself is a topic which

4

Dr Akbar de Medici with former Chelsea star, Didier Drogba Dr de Medici is very knowledgeable about, having founded the Complex Concussion Clinic in London.

This entails “working with all professional athletes that have serious concussion injuries-. We see them in our clinic, look after them and ensure they follow the ‘Return to Play’ protocol correctly.

“The IOC release the guidelines for concussion, and they’re used from school sport all the way up to international level. I help the panel that decides on these guidelines.”

As mentioned earlier, Dr de Medici understands the reasons behind such a controlled medical procedure in America, compared to the care over here: “A lot of it is due to litigation. In America, you’re much more likely to get sued if something goes wrong, so the doctors are very careful: there’s much more support and structure to make sure everything is taken care of.”

With less pressure comes less care, says Dr de Medici. “I think player care is very important. This is quite controversial, but one thing we need to work on is pitch-side emergency care. I think the doctor that runs onto the pitch should be more experienced and skilled than they are at the moment.

“They’re very good at dealing with knees, hamstrings and smaller scale injuries, but they wouldn’t have the

full range of skills if their player had a cardiac arrest.”

This was tragically highlighted in 2012, when footballer Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest at White Hart Lane.

Medical staff were treating him on the pitch, but Muamba’s survival has been credited to a consultant cardiologist who was attending the game as a fan.

Medical staff currently hold a huge amount of responsibility, but it’s an interesting debate as to whether they should be neutral or not. “One of the key messages in a study by Harvard was that doctors shouldn’t be linked to their clubs,” he says.

“There should be an independent doctor, who’s completely neutral to the game, so there is no chance that they could be linked to a decision that could harm a player.

“That has been brought up, but it’s very challenging to put into place.”

As well as his role with the NFL, Dr de Medici also works with the FA and RFU. “Sometimes they contact me for assistance with more complex injuries to help them sort it out,” he comments.

Yet the greatest pressure on sporting doctors nowadays is from the clubs: “You get stress from all sorts of people: the club, the owner

One lynagh

Louis takes on the Welsh backline for England U16 against Wales U16 of the club, the player’s agent, the players themselves. It’s quite difficult sometimes to tell them that there’s nothing I can physically do to get the player back playing as quickly as they need to be. Often, they go elsewhere to get an opinion, but I don’t think that’s correct.”

Dr de Medici expands on the difficulty of potentially having to compromise medical ethics to satisfy a player’s needs, saying that “I always have to be thinking about how I’m dealing with a certain issue, and the potential repercussions.

“It can be difficult when you’re working with Ronaldo, say, or Messi, and you have to tell them that you can’t risk your career by taking very dangerous risks.”

These players become even more stressed with big events coming up: “I deal with a lot of sportsmen who need to return to action quickly as they’ve got the World Cup coming up, or the FA Cup Final in a few weeks.

“Often, you have to use less conventional, riskier methods to make sure that they’re back as quickly as possible. That can be incredibly challenging, but it’s not too hard. I love my job!”

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Paul Wilkinson recently caught up with with England schoolboy rugby star Louis Lynagh to talk about his international and academy experience.

LL: Yes, he’s played a massive part in improving the little areas of my game and teaching me how important it is to have good sportsmanship, above anything else.

Storming into the the England U16s whilst playing for Harlequins U18s and our very own Hampton 1st XV cannot be easy for anyone.

PW: You ou have already starred for England U16s in their victory over Wales U16s, but is this your biggest achievement to date?

However, when I sat down with Louis Lynagh, it was clear that through his passion and determination for the game, he did not see this as a struggle.

LL: Yes I think it probably is, but I’m also playing for Harlequins U18 and have been selected for two England U17 & U18 camps so far, with aspirations of making further England appearances thisyear.

PW: When did you first start playing rugby?

LL: I started playing rugby when I was around four years old at Richmond Rugby Club, but I first passed a rugby ball when I was one.

PW: And did you take up the sport because of how successful your father was in the game?

LL: I guess that rugby has always been my go-to sport and this is slightly because of my dad, but he believed that you could play any sport as long as you tried your best at it, so he didn’t really mind if I played other sports. But rugby was the path I chose.

PW: Has he had a big influence on your career so far?

PW: Did you feel a lot of pressure playing for the 1st XV when you were only in the Fifth Year?

LL: At first, the only real pressure was getting to know the older players, but once that passed I knew my game would take care of itself. I learnt a lot playing in the team so young and it has massively helped the development of my game PW: Do you ever struggle to balance your rugby commitments with your work at school?

LL: At points I did but now that I’m in the 6th form, even though the work is in greater loads, the teachers are working hard with me to make sure I can cater for both my work and rugby commitments at equal levels.

PW: How far do you think you can go in the sport and what would be your ultimate dream?

I live in England and if I got the opportunity to play for England I would take it.

LL: I don’t feel like saying how far I think I can go because I believe that if I continue working hard and improving, good things will follow.

However, my dream right now is to become a professional and then ultimately to play international rugby for my chosen country.

“If I got the opportunity to play for England I would take it.”

PW: What advice would you give to fellow Hamptonians looking to follow in your footsteps?

LL: The key thing is take on as much advice as you can and to focus on your own game. Do not worry if someone is quicker than you or can lift more than you in the gym, just focus on what you can do to make your game better. Also, listen to any constructive criticism from coaches and if you have a bad game, learn from it and come back next week knowing that you are not going to make the same mistake again.

PW: You have already worn the White Rose of England, but are your sights set on pulling the Wallabies jersey over your head?

LL: Right now what I’ve achieved is great in my eyes, regardless of what country it was for. If I do get to play for any country internationally in the future it would be a huge honour.

Of course I’m Australian and would love to play for them but realistically

PW: Finally, bearing in mind that your future at Hampton may rest on this question, who is the best coach at the School?

LL: (laughing) I don’t think that I can answer that one.

So, there you have it, an interview with one of Hampton’s rugby stars.

I am sure that everyone will agree with me when I say that whichever club or national side he ends up playing for, we will support him.

“Do not worry if someone is quicker than you or can lift more than you. Just focus on what you can do to make your game better.”

5

Road to allianz Josh Bartholomew reports on the U15 rugby teams’ and their historic cup run to Allianz Park and the RFU Schools Cup Semi-Final.

Round 1 The U15’s national cup campaign began strongly with a 48-7 win against The Forest School, largely thanks to 28 points from outside-centre Jesper Hartikainen.

Round 2 Having been drawn against traditional rivals Wellington College in the second round, Hampton triumphed 30-29 in a thriller on the 3G. Cheered on by a large crowd of parents and sixth formers, the impetus swung back and forth, but Hampton eventually came through with a strong defensive effort in the later stages.

Round 3 Hampton triumphed 26-0 over Sherborne School to progress in the national cup, despite a long journey to Salisbury.

Hampton came out firing after the break, and strong ball carries from Tom Tomlin and Rupert Reddish gave them a strong attacking platform on which to build. Back rower Tomlin came within inches of putting his team into the lead, but was denied by a last-ditch tackle from former Hampton pupil and Whitgift full-back Gon Declercq.

The attacking play continued, and Hampton settled for three points, courtesy of Jamie Benson’s boot.

Only minutes later Benson would find himself in the action once again, breaking through numerous Whitgift defenders to go one-on-one, before the Whitgift full-back tackled him.

Lucas Mangham scores against Millfield School in the quarter-final stage of the Schools Cup After a tight first half where Hampton crossed the try line just once, the U15s managed to pull away from their opponents in the second-half, tries from Jack Wells, Charlie Masters and Dylan Straker-Grimes ensuring Hampton travelled home victorious.

Round 4 The U15s faced another lengthy journey, this time to Southampton, but it was worth the trip as they ran out 51-7 winners against King Edward Vi School.

Again, the first-half was fairly even, with the score at 17-7 when half time came, but

Hampton managed to break free once more, with five second-half tries setting up a regional final clash with Marlborough College at home.

Round 5 Hampton progressed into the quarter-finals of the national cup with a resounding 36-5 triumph against a good Marlborough side.

Tries from Jack Wells, Alex Taylor, Joel Luckman and Joe Watton secured the victory, while Jamie Benson ran the show from fly half to make sure that the U15s moved into the national section of the competition, having won the South-East area final comfortably.

Quarter-Final The team booked their place in the semi-final with a 22-5 victory over traditional sporting powerhouse Millfield.

Hampton raced into a 7-0 lead courtesy of a try from Lucas Mangham, and looked potent going forward, though their opponents were growing into the game. After a well-constructed attacking set, centre Tim Lamming charged over the whitewash just before half time.

Alex Taylor carries the ball against Marlborough School in Round 5 6

The U15s pose for a photo ahead of their Schools Cup Semi-Final clash Hampton’s U15 rugby team lost 21-10 to Whitgift in a pulsating semi-final at Allianz Park, the home of Saracens RFC. An early try from Tim Lamming and five points from the boot of fly-half Jamie Benson weren’t enough to beat a powerful Whitgift side who scored twice in the closing stages to book their place at Twickenham.

Hampton had the better of the early exchanges, and Whitgift had a player sin binned for taking out Benson in the air. The Hampton fly-half kicked the ball into the 22, and a short spell of pressure resulted in centre Lamming crashing over the whitewash with six minutes on the clock. Benson converted to give his side a 7-0 lead.

The Hampton side was able to counteract the Whitgift attacks for most part with their own defensive valour, and were unlucky not to keep the Whitgift at bay until half-time.

As it was, Whitgift’s pick and go strategy was proving fairly successful with their ball carriers providing Hampton’s steady defensive unit with a stern test.

Eventually, Whitgift were able to barge his way over the try-line just before the interval, and the conversion left the score-line at 7-7, promising a nail-biting second half.

But then after a yellow card for Hampton lock Jack Slaney, Whitgift went straight into the Hampton 22, with their strong forward pack desperately trying to turn around a three-point deficit with only minutes to play.

Hampton were defending superbly, and held up the Whitgift ball carriers numerous times, repelling attack after attack on their try-line, but eventually their hooker managed to bulldoze his way over after a relentless spell of attacking pressure to seize the game.

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The U15s continued to dominate possession and territory, and a smart box kick from Luke Greenall almost saw Hampton score a second, but Whitgift managed to reach the ball first and clear to touch.

The pressure and intensity grew after the break, and Millfield scored in the corner to reduce Hampton’s lead to just nine points with almost half an hour to play, but the U15s held strong and sealed victory with a late try.

Harlequins Academy fly-half, Benson, was controlling proceedings, but the Whitgift defence was holding strong at the crucial moments, and Hampton couldn’t find their way to the try-line for a second time.

Road to Allianz 48-7 The Forest School 30-29 Wellington College 26-0 Sherborne School 51-7 King Edward VI School 36-5 Marlborough College 22-5 Millfield School

In spite of their strong defence, Whitgift’s attacking play lacked precision and structure, consisting of pick-and-go tactics throughout.

Luke Greenall makes a break from scrum-half during the Schools Cup Semi-Final

7

Keeping up with the roland-joneses

Mr Burke’s goal-den generation

Luke Jefferies assesses the rise and rise of Old Hamptonian test cricketer Toby Roland-Jones.

Roland-Jones now has four England test caps to his name, something that seemed a long way away just two years ago.

Roland-Jones celebrates taking out the South African top order on his debut Toby attended Hampton between 1999 and 2006, playing 1st XI cricket for the School from the age of 15. He played as a batsman for School and junior Middlesex teams, with no intention of becoming the kind of opening bowler he is now.

His best season as a professional cricketer was in 2012, when he finished with 61 wickets. It helped him get picked for the England Lions, although injuries kept him out for the following season, disrupting his progress.

During the 2014 season against Northamptonshire, Roland-Jones made a name for himself with match figures of 12 for 105, to go along with his blistering 60 off 30 deliveries.

However, he only took 43 wickets during the rest of the season, which was unlikely to impress the England selectors. The 2015 season followed in a similar fashion, as he scored his maiden Championship hundred against County Champions Yorkshire, batting at 10. However, just 48 wickets meant he wasn’t quite in contention for an England spot.

8

A year on, at the tail end of the 2016 season, Roland-Jones’ Middlesex had the chance to win their first County Championship for 23 years. The final game of the season against Yorkshire had arrived.

A draw and Somerset were champions, yet if either Yorkshire or Middlesex won in their clash, they could become champions instead. With five overs to play, and three wickets left for Middlesex to take, Somerset were preparing to celebrate.

Up stepped Roland-Jones to take his famous hat-trick and hand Mddlesex a dramatic win. RolandJones was now a hero amongst all Middlesex fans, and his achievement was now recognised

by England, as he got his first call up for the tour of Pakistan.

Although he failed to make an appearance but it was a step in the right direction for the man from Ashford. He went on to play for the England Lions that winter in Sri Lanka scoring a composed 82 runs from ninth in the batting order.

Later that year, an injury to England pace bowler, Mark Wood, meant that there was one extra space in the England squad and Roland-Jones was the chosen man.

He made his debut in the Third Test against South Africa. He couldn’t have dreamt of a better start. Ripping through South Africa’s top order, he took four wickets in his first 33 deliveries, one of those being Hashim Amla.

He finished with eight wickets in the game, and had finally cemented his place in this England bowling attack for the foreseeable future. His ticket to Australia for the Ashes was virtually booked, but an injury in the penultimate county game of the season undermined his chances.

It turned out to be a stress fracture in the lower back, which means Toby Roland-Jones spent his winter in England, recovering his fitness.

However, there is no doubt that the last year and a half have been the making of the former Hampton boy, and hopefully his recovery from inury will bring good news soon.

Test

First Class

Matches

4

99

Runs

82

2409

Btg ave

20.50

21.70

HS

25

103*

4s

10

312

6s

3

42

Wickets

17

364

Blg ave

19.64

25.39

Bls bld

536

17,498

5 wkts

1

16

Mr Burke with Pele, considered by many to be the greatest player to have ever graced the beautiful game

Luca Parrish recently caught up with Mr Burke to ask him a few questions about his career in football and youth player development.

Over the years, Mr Burke has worked at many top level clubs; he was Director of Football at Brighton and Hove Albion and Head of Tactical Analysis at Derby County. At both Fulham and Southampton he was the Head of Talent Identification and Recruitment, and was responsible for signing players such as Chris Smalling and Leo Ulloa. In addition to this, he has worked as a youth coach at Fulham and Charlton as well as spending three years working at the acclaimed Aspire Sports Academy in Qatar.

When I sat down to interview him, I realised that he didn’t take the path into coaching that some might expect, first becoming a teacher after finishing his playing career. He says that he “was not offered a professional contract after a spell as a youth player at Brighton and then decided to become a coach.” He then chose a teaching degree at university and “aligned it with coaching qualifications to become a youth coach.”

He said that there were a number of key skills and attitudes he possessed and goals he had set that enabled him to advance to such a high level in football. These things included “hard work, having clear goals and working towards them, doing the best I could do in any job I was at and being bold enough to lead workshops, demonstrations and coaching sessions.”

Next, I enquired about where he enjoyed working the most. Quickly and assuredly, he answered Brighton, where he was Director of Football rather than being a coach or scout. He says that as Director of Football, his “role was much broader.”

Burke adds that “it was good to be able to build the whole football club, from the vision and the philosophy, to employing all the staff”.

In addition to this, at Brighton, he ran “the football side of the club: running the budget, transfers, players wages, the academy, and all those parts”. He says “it was exciting to start from scratch rather than inheriting an existing football culture”.

He feels that young players need to have “resilience and grit, they need to be mentally strong and deal with setbacks, and have a continuous improvement mentality”. Mr Burke also believes that a good young player should be able “to see the game not as a fan, but as a way of learning when they watch it”.

His focus on the mental side of the game in answer to the previous question led me to believe that he values this aspect of the game more than the physical or technical sides. However, Burke believes in the ‘four corner model’: “The technical and tactical, the mental, the physical and social corners”.

To help back up the last point, he described football as a “social game” and added that “you’ve got to get on with people”. He said that “players need to have strengths in all of the four corners”, and to know “where their weaknesses lie”. Mr Burke says that the mental aspects of the game get more and more important as players progress and says that he often sees players “who have great ability”, but who fail to apply themselves in the correct manner.

He has also worked with many players who have gone on to become very successful at high levels.

He “was very fortunate’ to coach ‘the likes of Joe Cole and Jermain Defoe”, along with many other of the “best boys in the South East of England”.

That group of players also included the likes of Ledley King and Ashley Cole. They “really stood out as the best young players” he worked with.

My final question was about playing styles: did he prefer Guardiola’s attacking flamboyance or Mourinho’s defensive pragmatism?

Mr Burke added that he thought “teams have to be defensively organised”, but he also said that “when you are attacking, you want people to be creative and have individuality”, and that “whatever the shape is, it has to allow people to express themselves and have freedom to be creative, whilst havinga balanced attack and defence”.

9

Keenan success Having captained the 1st XV to an 11-win season in 2004, Mr Keenan has returned to the School after a brief fling with American football.

Having always played at fly-half, Keenan spent two years at Fairmont State University as a kicker.

Sharing a field with current Rugby 7s speedster Perry Baker and Dewey McDonald of the Seattle Seahawks, Keenan offered the Hampton Sports Chronicle an insight into the unfamiliar concept of college sport.

“Part of me says I could have made it in the NFL. I believe I had the physical attributes to make it.”

“Part of me says I could have made it in the NFL,” says Keenan. “I believe I had the physical attributes to make it, but in my position, I needed to slot 100 kicks out of 100, under extreme pressure. The people I was competing with had been practising all their life, whereas I’d only kicked for a couple of years.”

Keenan’s belief that he had the physical qualities to compete in the NFL sounds a warning to any rugby players thinking of crossing the Atlantic: “It’s definitely a difficult

obstacle to overcome, when you’re up against people who’ve been playing the sport and honing their skills all their life, whereas you’ve picked it up fairly late.”

Former Saracens forward Hayden Smith made the switch to play tight-end for the New York Jets, but difficulties in adapting to a new sport meant he made just one catch in five appearances for the seemingly eternal NFL strugglers.

This can work both ways though, as Patriots safety Nate Ebner showed when he attempted to force his way into the USA Olympic Rugby 7s squad. Ebner performed promisingly, but his team fell to 9th place.

With rugby becoming an Olympic sport, does Keenan think it will catch the eye of other Americans?

“I don’t think so,” he says.

“Americans are so wholly focussed on the Big Four sports (American Football, Basketball, Baseball and Ice-Hockey), and they don’t look beyond those. It’s only since Rugby 7s became an Olympic sport that

Mr Keenan speaks with Josh Bartholomew about his experience of playing college football in America.

10

people started caring about it.”

“If you have an eightyear-old who has the potential to be a decent athlete, they would take up one of the Big Four – rugby isn’t even on their mind.”

Premiership Rugby has recently explored opportunities to grow the sport in America, with Newcastle Falcons facing off against Saracens in the second English domestic rugby game to take place across the pond this year, though Keenan doesn’t think it can rival other American sports: “I still don’t think so. It’s a long process. If you have an eight-year-old who you can tell has the potential to be a decent athlete, they would take up one of the Big Four – rugby isn’t even on their mind.

Rugby just doesn’t have anything more attractive than American Football!”

Making the switch is very difficult, Keenan tells me, one of the challenges is the lack of rugby positions which directly relate to roles in American Football. “Personally, I think it’d be difficult for me to have played any other position. Fly-half isn’t a role which is at all similar to an American football position!

“For a winger, say, it’s a different matter. I played with Perry Baker (USA 7s speedster, thought to be the fastest man in rugby), who’s actually gone the other way, which shows that the sports are actually fairly similar.

Perry was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, but he was struck badly by injuries, and never played in the NFL. It’s a ruthless industry!”

Keenan notes the similarities between playing fly-half and being a special-teamer: “The principles are very similar. I think something that

The boy dunn good James Dowden caught up with Old Hamptonian Luke Dunn to ask him about his role at Spanish side Sevilla FC.

our 5-0 drudging at the Bernabéu and needed some serious cheering up. The draw was on the TV in the office and while everyone else was slightly sombre when United were pulled out of the pot as our next CL opponents, I went absolutely mad.

benefitted my game was that I was purely a kicker.

“When I played fly-half for Hampton, kicking was something I practised after a training session, or on a separate day – it took a backseat. In America, it became my entire game!”

He also speaks of the differences in the American college system to our academy structure. “Because they create so much income for their universities, athletes get full scholarships, which is helpful because sometimes in England, less privileged members of society can struggle to ‘get noticed’.”

“Kicking was something I practised after a training session, or on a separate day – it took a backseat. In America, it became my entire game!”

But does the system work, I ask? “I think it does work at a lower level, where you’re happy to trade free education and accommodation for your sporting talent, but when you’re playing Ivy League and your university is making so much money, then question marks arise.”

Keenan ends the interview by reflecting on his career in America.

“Do I regret not playing in the NFL? No. I did everything in my power to get picked, but it wasn’t meant to be. I was the best I could be. I’ll take that.”

See Mr Smith in English if you are interested in writing for HSC

Luke Dunn with Alex Ferguson after the Champions League tie Whilst at Hampton School Luke Dunn enjoyed editing the Hampton Sports Chroincle under the guidance of Mr Smith. Since leaving Hampton Luke has gone on to work at Sevilla FC as a translator and social media correspodent. I recently caught up with him to ask him a few questions about how he made the switch from Hanworth Road to the Andalusian plains.

How did you break into working at Sevilla FC? By fluke really! As a part of my Spanish degree I was obliged to find either a job or place on a university course in a Spanish speaking country for the third year of my course.

From the beginning the dream was to find something at a football club.

I wrote to just about every team in Spain but nothing was happening.

One day - by complete coincidence - a family friend ran into the lad who had my current job last season and explained my situation. A couple of phone calls later I had my dream job for the year.

I honestly didn’t believe it was true until all the paperwork was signed

and I had everything in writing. I leave in June to go back for my final year at university but have found a family in Sevilla and have a Spanish club for life.

What has your role been at Sevilla and what is a typical day is like?

I have more or less been responsible for every word of English Sevilla FC has released publicly since mid-August. This has most importantly meant managing the Club’s English social media (live tweeting and facebooking matches), as well as translating match reports, interviews, Club statements, website articles and various other bits and pieces (chuck us a follow at @SevilaFC_ENG and you’ll make me a very happy man!).

As for highlights there are honestly far too may to mention but if I had to choose, it would be the Champions League last-16 tie with Manchester United.

As a United fan myself, once I knew I’d be working at Sevilla I joked for months that the two teams could be drawn against each other - it was a total pipe-dream at the time. I’d just got back from Madrid after covering

I can honestly say the matches themselves will stay with me forever.

Up until about three days before I still hadn’t decided who I was supporting but I had become so attached to the incredible fans at Sevilla (honestly, they’re easily the best I’ve ever seen) that I went with my employers.

In the first-leg I was lucky enough to see one of the greatest goalkeeping performances of all time from David De Gea and then meet Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Bobby Charlton and José Mourinho after the game.

As for the second, I’ve never been so on edge. After about 70 minutes of barely being able to sit down, Wissam Ben Yedder silenced Old Trafford with two goals and I just about had a heart attack in the stands. I can honestly say I’ve never celebrated so hard in my life and it was against my own team!

“Friends were crying from happiness, strangers were hugging and I had to physically stop myself shaking as I was updating our Twitter.”

A close second has to be coming from 0-3 down against Liverpool to draw 3-3 at the Sánchez-Pizjuán Stadium. When that equaliser went in friends were crying from happiness, strangers were hugging and I had to physically stop myself shaking as I was updating our Twitter. Football, eh?

How important are languages to the world of sport and the benefit they can provide?

I think it speaks volumes that nearly every foreign player (no matter where they’re based) takes English lessons and media training when they reach a certain level – even if they have no intention of ever playing abroad.

Language is everything and native English-speakers who can speak another language fluently are gold dust to global sporting organisations.

Football clubs in the Champions League are a perfect example when most communications are carried out in English and when there’s so much interaction between countries.

Having another language in your pocket opens up an entire world of opportunities – I’m sure that’s true of most industries.

How is the sports translation industry today?

When it comes to competition, sure, there will be a lot of people vying for translation jobs and many with the advantage of native parents and the like; however, my two cents is that the best translators aren’t vocabmachines with stunning knowledge of the pluperfect subjunctive.

For me, above all else, they’re good writers who can understand tone, idiom and context. Get that down and you’ve won half the battle.

In sport specifically, don’t be afraid to have a sense of humour – some people take football (and other sports) far too seriously and would be better off remembering that sports journalism is not an academic science.

11

Cooking up success: 25 years of Hampton school cricket Mr Cook has been involved in Hampton School cricket for the last 25 years and Sam Colvine caught up with him to speak about his experience.

Former Head of History, Mr Cook, is a familiar presence around the corridors of Hampton. To current students, he is associated with entertaining and insightful lessons regarding the First World War or the effects of the Great Depression.

However, he has been a crucial part of the cricketing landscape at the School for the best part of 35 years.

Three and a half decades, as I found out, have seen their fair share of elegant cover drives, brutal cracks over the boundary rope and many other strange events.

Between 1990 and 1997, Mr Cook marshalled the 1st XI whilst also enjoying stints coaching junior teams. From the moment Mr Cook

and extremely good captaincy, Hampton succeded in securing a draw with the opposition “7 down and 20 short.”

Another standout game for Mr Cook was when Hampton played Latymer on “a wicket that looked terrible.”

Replying to Latymer’s 240, Hampton required “nine runs off the final over with the last pair in.” However, any doubt in Mr Cook’s mind was quashed as the first ball was a 6 the ball was still going up when it hit the fence.” Hampton won with two balls to spare.

arrived at Hampton, he could sense that the attitude towards the game was quite different to anywhere else.

“He was flatmates with the current England assistant Head Coach, Paul Farbrace, who taught and coached at the School.”

“Here, I was aware that almost every game of cricket that the oys played lasted an entire afternoon and I couldn’t get my head around it.”

His astonishment at cricket at Hampton was only amplified by his own cricketing background in which, during seven years of secondary school, he only played “one game of cricket that lasted more than 20 overs and scored zero in it.”

This is just one of the reasons Hampton produces such great cricketers, two of whom have recently won England caps: Zafar Ansari and Toby Roland-Jones.

Having been at the School for so long, Mr Cook was able to witness

the entire development of these two Old Hamptonians. When asked if he expected them to become so accomplished and earn England caps, he said that, typically “the real giants at schoolboy level never really get any better”, but “Zafar was always going to be a strong cricketer.”

Although nobody can predict how someone’s sporting career will progress, by the time Zafar’s life as a schoolboy at Hampton had reached its twilight, it was obvious that “he had very clearly outgrown school cricket.”

Even though he probably gained more success during his time in test cricket, Toby Roland-Jones didn’t offer the same certainty during School as his fellow Hamptonian Ansari.

Former England all rounder Zafar Ansari during his time at Hampton 12

“Is it fair to say his brother was a better school cricketer than Toby (Roland-Jones)?

I’ll suggest that.”

The general public, when they think of him, may recall his astounding wicket-taking feats against South Africa last summer or his hat trick for Middlesex to secure the County Championship in 2016. Yet Mr Cook remembers a player who was “as much a batsman as a bowler.”

Despite being a frontline seamer who can swing the ball, during his tenure in the 1st XI “I wouldn’t have suggested that he’d be the quickest of the fast bowlers in his time.”

Moreover, his brother, Ollie, may have been superior to his sibling: “Is it fair to say his brother was a better school

cricketer than Toby? I’ll just suggest that.” Evidently, Toby has proved us all wrong.

If you were to walk out on to Hampton’s fields on a Saturday afternoon in the Summer term, you would be guaranteed to observe high quality, competitive cricket played in a gentlemanly spirit.

In spite of the fantastic games which are a frequent occurrence here, 35 years has brought its fair share of surprising events and inexplicable shenanigans.

After umpiring a 2nd XI match 5 years ago, Mr Cook was “staggered by the amount of sledging going on, and it wasn’t just the opposition.”

Probably the most extraordinary, albeit immensely honest thing to happen in Hampton cricket was courtesy of another Ansari, Zafar’s older brother Akbar. At the time,

he was the “leading batsman” in a Hampton 1st XI that had made it to the National T20 final at Edgbaston.

Mr Cook continues the story “He was facing the first ball of the last over and Hampton needed 12 to win.

One thing many people don’t know about Mr Cook is that during his early days at Hampton, he was flatmates with the current England assistant Head Coach, Paul Farbrace, who taught and coached at the School. According to Mr Cook “he was a complete natural at coaching boys of any ages.” He had the perfect gauge of knowing “which boy needed an arm around the shoulder and which needed a kick up the backside.”

After great success at Hampton, Farbrace left to assume a post at the ECB as one of seven regional coaches. Nonetheless, even then, Mr Cook couldn’t say with certainty where he would end up: “He was certainly moving upwards, though I didn’t necessarily envisage him coaching national teams.”

Mr Cook thinks extremely highly of him saying “He’s a wonderful coach: if you have that with the schoolboys there’s no reason why you shouldn’t have that with adults.”

The two bonded further when they coached the 1st XI together although, when Farbrace was there, it was a one-man show: “I didn’t do much coaching when he was around, there wasn’t much point.”

However, as Farbrace worked his magic, Mr Cook was able to look on and improve his own coaching techniques, learning a “huge amount about not just coaching but cricket from him.”

In 25 years involved with Hampton cricket, Mr Cook has been a point of stability amidst so much change - with the introduction of T20, different equipment and facilities and developing attitudes towards the game. Who knows what the coming years will bring? We hope that Mr Cook can share them with us at Hampton.

“There was an appeal against him for caught behind and he walked having not been given out by the umpire.” Typically Hampton went on to lose the game.

Along with the odd unusual moment, Mr Cook has witnessed some amazing games during his time. Two games strike him as examples of Hampton’s greatest triumphs.

The first was a draw at Guildford in which Hampton scored “about 250” and were “out of the game at tea time, as they were chasing them quickly.” Nonetheless, “as a result of some good bowling

Current England assistant Head Coach, Paul Farbrace 13

Under pressure Josh Bartholomew offers his opinion on how to improve the UK’s school sporting system.

Over the summer, I had the privilege of watching the Paarl Derby in South Africa. The annual clash takes place between the town’s two high schools – Paarl Gym and Paarl Boys High – and sells out a 25,000-seater stadium.

In the past, these two schools have nurtured a number of Springbok caps, and recent international alumni include Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger and Handre Pollard. This year’s match featured four South Africa Schools Internationals, and it’d be a surprise if none of the players become Springboks.

Trying to think of a comparable British example proved to be more difficult than I thought – it is more or less impossible to draw any parallels between school sports in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere sporting platforms from which talented athletes begin their careers.

It isn’t just South Africa which has a passionate school sport system.

New Zealand’s quality in this regard was shown off recently with the award-winning Sky documentary ‘Beneath the Black,’ and a video, which went viral, of a schoolboy rugby player sidestepping his way to the try line to the back-drop of thousands of screaming fans: pupils, alumni and spectators with no affiliation to either team.

Dealing with pressure is something

that cannot be taught - some of our most talented athletes fall off the sporting spectrum, unable to cope with the spotlight being shone on their gifts. This is something which few school sports systems get right; though South Africa possesses a working formula.

For the whole week leading up to the Paarl derby, the town comes to a standstill as both schools bid for bragging rights. Such pressure and belief from a collection of fans can only help players when they have to deal with this burden under greater duress, as Springbok fly-half and Paarl Gym alumnus Handre Pollard found out.

Pollard captained South Africa U20’s, but entered the 2015 World Cup as a relatively unproven international prospect, with the weight of his nation on his shoulders.

Though fly-half is not a particularly punishing position physically for young players, it’s often even more demanding than other positions mentally, and South African flyhalves have a history of being unable to cope with the pressure of being their country’s ‘golden boy’.

But Pollard revealed an ability to deal with pressure which belied his 21 years. In his youth he played in front of large crowds, which helped

14

James Dowden spoke to Max Kretzschmar about his career in football since leaving Hampton School both in the League and non-league.

Since leaving Hampton, Max Kretzschmar has played for a number of League and non-League clubs. Having played for Wycombe Wanderers in 2012 he has also played for Woking, and has now signed for Hampton and Richmond Borough.

Max recalls his time here at Hampton School with great fondness. “I made a lot of friends there and still talk to many of them today,” Max recounts.

“The exceptional standard of teaching and coaching at the school was a massive thing for me looking back on it, though it’s something you take for granted when you are a pupil.”

Action from the School Paarl derby him marshall a sparsely talented South Africa team to the World Cup Semi-Finals.

Such pressure at an early age is rarely imposed on our young athletes’ shoulders, and as our cricket and football teams continue to underperform at international tournaments, the same excuses are bandied about: they ‘buckled under the pressure,’ or ‘they couldn’t cope with the expectations of a nation.’

These failures will not change unless our sporting system changes with them– the public has to show far more of an appreciation for sport at a school level in order for our national teams to succeed.

Besides, the amount of talent which must slip through the net of our youth academies is incomprehensible. In today’s commercialised, pressured sporting world, aspiring sportsmen are lucky to get one opportunity to prove their mettle at the highest level.

The technical differences between school and professional sport are so vast that it’s unrealistic to expect our young athletes to cope immediately, even without such high expectations on their shoulders.

And though there will always be a certain sense of expectation around talented academy sportsmen, this can be counteracted by an earlier introduction to pressure.

Handre Pollard kicks for goal in his Paarl Gym days

Maximum effort

When we train for lower level sports matches, there is little training in

how to deal with the physical and mental ‘pressure’ of an important moment in the game; it’s expected that these more talented athletes will be able to cope automatically.

“The only way for our national sporting fortunes to improve is for the watching public to place a higher value on school sport.”

What if this is a myth? What if we only see ‘talent’ because they can deal with sport’s stresses more easily? It always strikes me that we don’t help ourselves in this country with our sporting system, and being able to deal with pressure is another example of this: one can only wonder how much talent goes to waste through the failures of the sporting establishment.

But the only way for this to be fixed - and the only way for national sporting fortunes to improve - is for the watching public to place a higher value on school sport.

Though it’s unrealistic for such high expectations to be placed on our young athletes, it’s only fair that those who pay such close attention to sport on a national level also take notice of the talent coming through – after all, who doesn’t like having noticed the next big thing before anyone else?

He adds that the School helped provide a springboard for his footballing career.

“From a sporting perspective, the School supported my football. Both The Headmaster Mr Martin, and Mr Mills, the Head of Football, allowed me to prioritise my club football over School football and this really did help me become a professional player in the end.”

Max says that one of his biggest regrets from his time at Hampton was the fact that “I never got to win an ISFA Cup with the School.”

However, he would be in the stands for Hampton’s 2011-12 clash of the schoolboy footballing titans, Hampton and Millfield, as Hampton recorded a famous 2-1 victory.

Max was fourteen when he was dealt the crushing blow of being told by Southampton academy that he would not make it.

For an academy with a track record of producing talent such as Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana and Theo Walcott, this could have been a significant setback, but the young Kretzschmar took it in his stride.

“Looking back on it now it was a really positive thing for me,” says Max. “The standard of coaching is well renowned at Southampton of course, with the youth system producing so many young players, so it was great to reap the benefits of the coaching there.

“I went on to sign for Wycombe Wanderers after that, where I became a bigger fish in a smaller pond, so to speak. I was lucky to work under a great youth coach there in Richard Dobson, who brought through several young players at that time. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”

During his time with the youth sides at Wycombe, Kretzschmar played with one of the highest rated

English talents of the time, Jordan Ibe. “I was lucky to captain Jordon Ibe in the Wycombe U18s. He was playing up 3-4 age groups and tearing defences apart every week. He went on to make his debut for the first team at 15-years old! He was a special talent at that age and has obviously done brilliantly to make it all the way to the Premier League.”

Over the years he has played against many other quality players such as Mohammed Salah, John Terry, Tom Huddlestone, and Andros Townsend.

However the player that stood out for him was the Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, who he encountered when Wycombe played Chelsea in 2014. Max remembers that the Serbian “was so physical and never lost the ball.”

Kretzschmar enjoyed a happy time at Wycombe and it was here that he enjoyed his career highlight during the 2013/14 season, scoring his first two goals away against Hartlepool.

He scored six goals that season but the Chairboys (as Wycombe are nicknamed) were still three points from safety heading into the final game.

According to Max, Wycombe “looked dead and buried” but a 3-0 win at Torquay coupled with a Bristol Rovers defeat to Mansfield Town saw Wycombe stay in the Football League on goal difference.

going to your local club and watching a game.

More and more fans now prefer it to your usual Premier League outing.”

This season Max Kretzschmar has been one of the players of the season in the National League South, scoring 23 goals in all competitions from midfield, and firmly endearing himself to the HRBFC faithful.

This has helped the team to go on “an incredible winning run mid-season which propelled us towards the top end of the table” and has left the Beavers in the hunt for an automatic promotion spot to the National League, equivalent to the fifth tier in the football pyramid.

Continued on page 18 Though still young for a footballer at 24, Max is already looking forward to the next chapter of his life.

“I’m looking to study Sports Media and Journalism at Staffordshire University in September next year so a job in sports journalism is something I’d like to do in the future.”

The sporting theme continues as he seeks to complete his coaching badges. “A coaching role at a professional football club would be something I’d love to do too,” he adds.

Having already worked so hard to make a career as a footballer, few would bet against him doing so as a coach in the future.

It was during his time at Wycombe that Max scored against Halifax in the FA Cup First Round.

Max added that, having “grown up surrounded by the ‘magic’ of the FA Cup as a child, to score in such a historic competition was great.”

Nowadays Kretzschmar plies his trade at local side Hampton and Richmond Borough, having previously played for Woking. I asked Max about the differences between the League and nonLeague system and what makes the “There is of course a difference in the standard of the football but I must say there’s some real talent on the non-League scene in the form of both players and managers. I think in the Football League, budgets are a little bigger so first team pitches are a little better and the general day to day running of the club is a little easier.

Max Kretzschmar in action for Hampton and Richmond Borough FC

“I’ve certainly realized, playing in non-League for the past two years, that the sense of community around clubs is incredible. I’d really recommend 15

Love of the game James Dowden spoke to Max Kretzschmar about his career in football since leaving Hampton School both in the League and non-league.

When did you first join the tennis team?

That would be in the First Year, when I first joined the School. I went along to the elite session on Tuesdays and then in the summer, I joined the team and started playing matches for the School. I played with other players in the team and really enjoyed it.

Do you have any technical tips?

I’ve got to say that consistency is key, so on forehands and backhands, just keep that patience when hitting the ball and ensure that you move your feet and set before each ball. Of course, practice is also crucial to becoming a good player.

What is your most memorable moment?

For the School, I’d say it was when I played with my doubles partner, Fraser Barkley; we went to Eton College to play in a tennis tournament. We ended up winning a cup called the Phillips Cup which we really had to fight for, but it was a great success and we were very happy.

Who is your tennis idol?

Welsh’s inside centre on that day was Old Hamptonian, Seb Jewell. Jewell began his professional career at Harlequins, despite only being picked up in his last year of School after his father passed on a video of him to the Harlequins’ Academy Director. A matter of months later, Jewell was partnering club teammate, Danny Care in the halfbacks for England in an U20 game against Italy. “That game is something I look back on with pride. I got to represent my country and sing the national anthem, which was something I’d always dreamed of.”

Do you prefer singles or doubles?

In a competitive sense, I prefer singles because you get more of a boost out of it, I’d say. When you win on your own you feel more confident. In terms of being sociable, doubles is really useful, especially in school tennis because I’ve made loads of friends through it.

I play around four times a week, that’s roughly two hours for each time that I play. I first began playing properly at the age of eight. I watched my brother play a lot and I just got into it from then. I started getting coaching and joining squads, and I got a real buzz from it.

Senior Tennis player Joss Connell during a pratice session

HSC meets on Thursday lunchtimes at 1.15pm in Room 54

Note from the editor I would like to thank all those who have helped contribute to these pages and especially Mr Smith whose guidance I have greatly benefited from in the making of this edition.

The incredible range of sporting activity at Hampton remains as strong as ever, and the fascinating range of careers our sports-themed alumni enter into is a testament to that.

Having surprisingly stepped up to the plate to edit the Chronicle with limited design and artistic experience, I have come to discover the great enjoyment in both designing and writing HSC.

From medics to rugby players and from American footballers to social media correspondents the list is both diverse and seemingly endless!

The Chronicle has had a pleasingly wide range of contributions from across the School and year groups.

Regular readers of the Chronicle may be surprised at its length at 24 pages and just over 16,000 words!

Thus making it the largest HSC ever we believe.

16

Josh Bartholomew speaks to former London Welsh rugby player Seb Jewell on the impact of liquidation and life after rugby.

In January 2017, one of rugby’s longest running professional clubs played its last game. London Welsh had spiralled into a financial abyss, and liquidation was the outcome of an elongated spell of economic pressure, caused by years of yo-yoing between the top two flights of English rugby.

I’m half Scottish so it is, of course, Andy Murray. He has done very well and I was delighted to see him win Wimbledon in both 2013 and 2016 as well as the Olympic Gold Medal twice.

How many times a week do you play and how long have you been playing for?

Jewell in the crown

Nonetheless we are always keen for more people to join, whether you are passionate about writing or just keen on sport. Come along to one of our weekly meetings or speak to Mr Smith in the English Department.

HSC meets on Thursdays at 1.15pm in Room 54 James Dowden Editor HSC 2018

Correspondents include: Josh Bartholomew Luca Parrish Luke Jefferies Josh Hood Vishal Saha Ben Holker Paul Wilkinson Sam Colvine Tanmay Thanawalla Ollie Maskell Ben Martis-Jones

liquidation, we knew there was a possibility that it was going to happen. We were told that the club were doing everything they could to survive.”

Soon after, this prospect became reality, as London Welsh ceased to exist as a professional establishment in January 2017. The players had been given indications, but having to find new jobs was still a huge shock. Jewell was fairly lucky and was offered other playing contracts, but he rejected them.

“I’d had enough of rugby at that time. I felt I needed a break.”

“I got to represent the Barbarians which was a huge honour, and I’ll never forget it, while I also kicked the winning points for Welsh’s first ever Premiership win. I got to play in so many big games against my idols, doing what I dreamt of doing, and there are far more great memories than bad ones.”

Jewell hit the ground running at Old Deer Park, laying claim to the number 12 shirt, despite facing competition from international star, Gavin Henson.

“We never looked too much into it, preferring to just go about our job of playing, and we didn’t think too much of it.”

But as times grew tougher and the High Court refused requests for Welsh to stay afloat, Jewell found himself faced with the prospect of unemployment. “After the initial incident where we were told that Welsh were going into

After his hiatus from rugby, Jewell decided to explore other ventures. “I now work as a media and talent manager at a company called ‘Insanity Group’. I represent all sorts of celebrities, and manage the jobs they get, the brands they work with and their day to day activity.”

Now his rugby career is over, does he look back on it with any regrets? “Not as such,” Jewell replies. “Everything that happened to me led to either a better long-term situation or it helped me to learn about myself. I think I could have got a few more opportunities, but 90% of players do.

Frustratingly, Jewell’s move to Wasps coincided with the emergence of England star Elliot Daly, and the Old Hamptonian played just four times in his debut season, prompting another move – this time to London Welsh.

“We were aware that London Welsh weren’t a club that were wealthy and that was always the case,” says Jewell, when asked about Welsh’s financial situation.

“It would be tough for the Championship sides, but frankly some players’ wages in the Championship are simply ridiculous and not sustainable.”

He hadn’t planned for life after rugby, and this job came about by chance. “I had never thought properly about what would happen when my career finished, so I was fortunate to get this job.”

Despite the dream start, Jewell’s time at Quins wasn’t altogether positive, with most of his three years at the London club being spent on loan at Esher. It was as a result of this that Jewell had to look elsewhere, and eventually Wasps came in for the youngster.

But despite two seasons in the Aviva Premiership for London Welsh, times were turning sour for the Exiles, and after settling back in the Championship, they succumbed to the financial pressures. This resulted in Welsh’s subsequent liquidation.

“The standard of English rugby would only improve if the Premiership was ring-fenced. There just aren’t enough teams in the Championship to compete and the standard is far weaker, as we’ve seen with the last few promoted sides.

Seb Jewell playing in the Aviva Premiership with London Welsh

Jewell is rare, in that he retired young and I find myself wondering towards the end of our interview which he preferred playing rugby, or his new job as a talent manager.

“If I’m being honest, I’d had enough of rugby at that time. I was fortunate enough to receive offers from a few other clubs, but at the time I didn’t find one that was a good fit for me.

I love what I do now, and look forward to going into work each week. It’s scary starting a new job, but it excites me at the same time.

“I’d gone through so much, and for me I felt I needed a break. I didn’t know whether it would be two weeks, a month or until the end of the season, but I knew that rugby was not for me at that moment.”

Having played two seasons in the Premiership, as well as 58 games in the Championship, there are few better qualified than Jewell to comment on the state of English rugby, and the relentless debate regarding potential ring-fencing of the Aviva Premiership.

“I’m so fortunate to have been given this opportunity.”

“That said, I loved playing rugby. I got to have a lifestyle and do what thousands of people would love to do, and for that I’m so appreciative. It taught me invaluable life lessons, and I like to think I did alright.”

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Through the blizzard Josh Bartholomew reports on a wintry encounter in the U15B ESFA Cup Semi-Final.

Masters of middlesex The Hampton U16 rugby side set out to reclaim the Middlesex Cup as Ollie Maskell reports from the Allianz Park.

The Hampton U16 rugby side set out to reclaim the Middlesex Cup as Ollie Maskell reports from the Allianz Park.

Having won five games on their way to a national semi-final, Hampton’s U15B team faced Hurstmere Foundation School for Boys in a bid to book their place in the final at Stoke City’s stadium.

Hampton U16s triumphed in the Middlesex Cup for the fourth year in a row, as tries from Patrick Silcox and Theo Johnson secured victory in a tight final against University College School.

The Hampton boys started clinically in snowy conditions on the 3G, with Jules Lockey and Haris Williams both scoring within a minute of each other to give Hampton a 2-0 lead after just five minutes of the game.

“The first-half featured some dogged defending

by Hampton, making some huge hits.”

Hurstmere grew into the contest, and Hampton’s back four had to remain solid to prevent the opposition from mounting a comeback.

Despite this, the U15Bs were threatening on the break, and won a penalty shortly before half-time to set up a golden opportunity to push their victory beyond much doubt. Lockey converted, and Hampton’s lead was now three goals at the half way mark.

By this stage the 3G was covered in snow, and Mr Sims spent the interval sweeping the lines to make them visible!

Unfortunately, Hampton lost the lineout, and after ten phases UCS outnumbered Hampton out wide to score in the corner to make the score 10-5.

Only a couple of minutes later Lockey completed his hat-trick, and though Hurstmere managed to hit back with a consolation goal, Danilo Delic scored Hampton’s sixth to send the side to Stoke City.

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Tommy Nagle makes a break in the U16 Middlesex Cup Final The final started slowly, but ended in narrow success for Hampton, after they had dominated for long periods of the game.

After a few early penalties, a break from George Price through the middle of the defence brought Hampton to within 10 yards of the try line.

See Mr Smith in English if you are interested in writing about sport

A penalty was awarded to Hampton, from which Patrick Silcox scored a quick tap try in the corner from five yards out.

Max Kretzschmar celebrates scoring for HRBFC against Chelmsford

Hampton were quickly turned over after the kick-off, but Tommy Nagle intercepted the ball in the next phase, and made 40 yards before being tackled. Hampton could not take advantage and conceded another penalty to give UCS a platform to start an attack.

They gained ground, but were tackled into touch within ten yards of the Hampton try line.

Hampton knew that their opponents would come out after the break with nothing to lose, and the home team defended well as a team to keep the game tight.

Haris Williams scored his second, halfway through the second period to give his side a 4-0 lead, and the substitutes came on knowing that Hampton’s place in the national final was as good as confirmed.

“The 3G was covered in snow, and Mr Sims spent the interval sweeping the lines to make them visible.”

The result was a penalty for Hampton, which was kicked to touch. Hampton mauled to within metres of the try line, and gave Aidan Barry a crash ball, which he drove close to the line. One phase later Theo Johnson powered his way over for a 10-0 Hampton lead.

The rest of the first-half featured some dogged defending by Hampton, with Aidan Barry making some huge hits. However, too many mistakes from both sides meant neither team could score as halftime approached.

In the final minutes, Patrick Silcox converted a penalty to give Hampton an eight point cushion with only a few minutes left. Hampton controlled the dying moments successfully and ended the match victorious The support from the Hampton parents and family was as loud as ever and most definitely made the stadium seem full of supporters.

Although Hampton were able to play in the final, this was perhaps not the most important match in their Middlesex Cup run.

Two years earlier, this Hampton year lost out by two points in the semifinal against Harrow, and a year later, they lost to Harrow by a single point in the NatWest Cup. This year, Hampton drew Harrow in the first round, a home match which Hampton won 34-12, despite a number of injuries.

“It was a display of the true potential that this year group has, evidence that they can play very high standard rugby.”

It was a display of the true potential that this year group has and evidence that they can play a very high standard of rugby.

The Middlesex Cup was a deserved award for this Hampton year group after five years of hard work as a team, and a well-deserved round-off to their years together.

After the interval Hampton brought on two very influential substitutes in Tommy Nagle and Alex Riches, who had been badly missed through injury in earlier games in the season.

Their impact was immediate as Hampton advanced 20 yards, leading to a Tommy Nagle break and pass to Will Howting who came up short 10 yards shy of the try line.

The victorious U16 side celebrate under the floodlights at Allianz Park 19

Isfa cup nights James Dowden takes a trip down memory lane as he tracks down past scorers for Hampton in ISFA Cup Finals.

ISFA Cup Finals and Hampton School - an iconic duo. As a bastion of school boy football over recent years, Hampton have reached seven ISFA Finals since 1999. From Stadium MK to Filbert Street, from Howard Webb to Mark Clattenberg, Hampton ISFA Cup Finals have seen it all.

The HSC attempted to track down previous scorers via the wonders of the internet and the alumni office, to record their memories of the final.

1998-99 Hampton 2 Wolverhampton 1 Alex Nasrallah It’s hard to believe it was almost twenty years ago! Nevertheless, I recall us all heading up to Leicester

in the minibus driven by our coach, Iain Maclean. On longer away trips he would always ensure we had a good pre-match meal; this time we also made an extra stop to do a few exercises with Steve Timbs encouraging us to run faster! No doubt it helped us start the game on the front foot.

“We also made an extra stop to do a few exercises with Mr Timbs encouraging us to run faster!”

On arriving at Leicester City’s stadium we did our initial walk around the pitch and that’s when you could feel this was a special moment. The team was well represented by all three years and we were all looking forward to the kick-off, with David Elleray, a former Premier League official, as the referee.

We knew a few coaches were bringing pupils (even from LEH), as well as staff and parents, but coming out of the changing room it felt like

Our opponents in the final were Millfield School; I already knew a few of their players from ISFA representative teams and was expecting a tough match, but we had a talented group and would travel with confidence.

I remember very little of the day itself, mainly just the agonising wait to get to the ground and focus on the match itself. As we walked out onto the pitch for the first time, it was hard not to be taken in by the occasion and the fantastic opportunity we had to play at such a venue.

The 2004-05 ISFA final, held at Leicester City’s Walkers Stadiums the entire School had turned up. Our support dwarfed the opposition’s, which gave us a boost.

“It felt like the entire school had turned up. Our support dwarfed the opposition’s, which gave us a boost.”

Under the floodlights, we started quicker than Wolverhampton. Within minutes, I found myself with just a couple of defenders ahead of me; somehow I found a way through and with a low strike across the keeper we were ahead!

We didn’t have any nerves but the early goal gave us even more confidence. Soon after, Dan Sims curled a delightful cross into the box from which Andrew Stone glanced a delicate header into the far corner.

Action from the 1998-99 ISFA final as referee, David Elleray, watches on

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Maximum effort

We were two-up inside twenty minutes and in complete control.

Wolverhampton managed to get one back but our central defenders, Matthew Waldron and Chun yip Chow kept things tight in the second-half. Everyone defended well from Andy Flemming and Mike Sexton upfront, to Kevin Waren,

Ben Naidu and Rob Dixon running relentlessly; James Comber a safe pair of hands and Tom Jackson as an energetic sub.

Winning the cup whilst keeping to our passing tradition throughout, and to be the first team to bring the cup back to Hampton was a great experience.

2004-05 Hampton 1 Millfield 3 Frank Paxton After scraping through a nervy home semi-final on penalties, we could all start dreaming of the final. A newspaper cutting of the Walkers Stadium, as it was then, was pinned up in the changing room and my mind was focused on little else in the build-up.

“A newspaper cutting of the Walkers Stadium was pinned up in the changing room, and my mind was focused on little else.”

The crowd started to filter in as we went through our warm-ups and it became clear what a great turnout it was from both schools; I think there were over 1500 in attendance which was a brilliant effort all things considered.

We had a young team, comprised mainly of Lower Sixth players, and started the match cagily.

My goal opened the scoring and came slightly against the run of play; a cross came in from the right, and although largely unsighted, I managed to guide a header towards goal which struck the post and rebounded to my strike partner, Richard Allen. Richard fired the rebound across goal and I managed to divert it into the roof of the net; in all honesty, I felt offside, but I managed a quick glance to the far side and saw the linesman Mark Clattenburg (thanks, Mark) running back to halfway.

“I felt offside, but I managed a quick glance to the far side and saw the linesman Mark Clattenburg running back to halfway.”

Unfortunately, we couldn’t build on that goal and Millfield deservedly came back to win 3-1 but I still look back on the day with great fondness 2011-12 Hampton 2 Millfield 1 Charlie Gerson The build-up to the game was agonising. I remember being sat in my lessons unable to concentrate on anything my teachers were telling me. The only teacher I listened to that day was Carlos Mills instructing me to ‘load up on carbs before the game’.

The journey to the game was a mix of emotions. We were all describing the best possible outcome for the evening ahead, but with a hint of pessimism in our words.

It was only after arriving at The New Den that the momentous occasion finally set in and we realised it was destined to be our evening. The moment as we emerged from the tunnel only confirmed that belief, as our fans had come out in force and they truly were the 12th man.

The game began frantically. Millfield dominated possession - I don’t think we touched the ball for the first 15 minutes. I remember very little after that, aside from my goal.

It’s been a few years now since the final, but the main memory that sticks was the excitement around the whole School; every teacher I saw that day mentioned their support as did the majority of students I passed in the hallways.

“The team left School in a luxury coach, which sure did beat cramming into the old Hampton mini-van as we had done for most games that season.”

The journey itself was quite quiet; the occasion of the day was all the boys could think about, until we arrived at Stadium MK. Upon arrival, we passed Howard Webb (our official for the game) in the entrance and walked out onto the pitch, which let the whole experience sink in for the boys and settle some nerves.

As the crowd piled in, there were a lot more Hampton supporters than Ardingly and they were in full voice throughout the entire game, a trait I know the Hampton supporters pride themselves on.

The game started slowly with Hampton struggling to establish themselves and Ardingly dominated the first-half scoring three goals.

The second-half we came out much stronger, and I managed to get myself on the scoresheet quickly after the break striking a corner into the bottom left of the goal.

We continued to be on top for large parts of the second period, and had a strong penalty claim turned down, to which Howard waved away all our ‘strong’ protestations.

However, despite a much stronger second-half, the game ran away from us and Ardingly scored late on as we pushed men forward and deservedly ended the game as victors.

Although the result didn’t go our way, the support was incredible and the day is still one of my fondest memories from my time at Hampton.

One of the centre mids picked the ball up on the edge of the box and decided to have an attempt at goal. Normally his shooting wasn’t the best, but I thought I’d take a gamble. The ball rebounded off the goalkeeper and thankfully I managed to sort my feet out and score one of the simpler goals ever witnessed in The New Den. We went on to win the game on what must have been the lowest possession percentage of any ISFA Final. A memory that I’ll never forget.

2014-15 Hampton 1 Ardingly 4 Harry Heywood

The victorious side of 2011-12 lift the Boodles ISFA trophy

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Sculling for Glory

View from the boundary

Semior rower and Captain of Boats Matt Turner spoke with Ben Martis-Jones about schoolboy rowing and the upcoming reggata season.

Why did you first start rowing?

I took up rowing because it was something new that I wanted to try. Ironically, my parents were quite against it and suggested I do football instead, but I guess I’m glad I didn’t listen to them. But people take it up for many different reasons but the classic one is that they’re not any good at any other sports.

What makes the Schools Head such a competitive race?

It’s so competitive because for schools it is the ranking for the season and it is the only race where nearly every school attends. It also provides the first race which forms ‘The Triple’ in schoolboy rowing, along with the National Schools Regatta and The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley.

from Hammersmith down to Fulham to make sure we weren’t losing any time.

“The Cox is a vital role which is massively underestimated by people not in rowing.”

We went in with this idea of rowing our own boat and own race, as too often you can get caught up with who’s around you. What went well?

We got in our own boat and we hit a good rhythm which we had hit in training and knew could work us down the course.

“We have a lot to build on going into the summer season.”

It’s all about getting into your rhythm, while working your pace very well because if you leave too much to that final stretch from Hammersmith down to Fulham you will run out of river to gain the time back.

What was the race plan like?

We actually tend to avoid using pushes on the basis that you should go as hard as you can on every stroke. For us it was all about getting into a good rhythm, and working it the whole way through the race. We didn’t have particular points along the course; we wanted to make sure we nailed the section 22

What are your aspirations for the Summer both personally and as a crew?

For the 1st VIII we come into National Schools in May, but as a crew, our main focus is The Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta, which is almost the ‘piece de résistance’ for schoolboy rowers.

Coming into National Schools we will definitely be looking for a medal, but even coming 4th seeds you for Henley, which theoretically means you shouldn’t meet any other seeded crew before the 3rd day of the 5 day regatta.

At 6.8km long how do you go about racing it?

How’s racing on the Tideway different to other races?

On the Tideway it has both the stream of the river and the tide coming in or out from the mouth. So for half the time you are going with the stream but against the tide and the other half with the stream and the tide. Schools Head is always rowed with the stream and tide, meaning the boat speed is always a lot faster, which adds complications to rowing better.

“We have a lot of boys going off to GB trials, of which 2 should definitely be looking at Junior Worlds (Championships).”

The Hampton 1st VIII at the Schools Head of the River Race How important is your cox, Charlie Marcus’ role in the race?

He was crucial. From seeing the Boat Race, coxing on the Tideway is extremely tricky. He has to memorise his position for the whole 6.8km to the precise moment and while steering he also has to keep the crew in order. Mentally, it’s very challenging because it’s almost the act of doing two things once, as you have to focus on your boat as well as steering the boat. It’s a vital role which is massively underestimated by people not in rowing and I’m sure he made a massive impact on the crew.

What went well and what can the crew take away from the race for this Summer regatta season?

We came away with fairly good positioning of fifth by 0.2 seconds to Abingdon, which across a 17 minute race is nothing.

Although it’s frustrating we clearly have a grasp on fourth place and hopefully on a bronze medal. So we have a lot to build on going into the Summer season, and it’s a nice position to be in where you can see potential medals pretty close.

In terms of personal aspirations, we have a lot of boys going off to GB trials in pairs regatta, where I’ll be with 5 or 6 other Hamptonians of which 2 should definitely be looking at Junior Worlds. Overall, there’s a lot to look forward to going into the Summer and I think it will be quite exciting.

What advice would you give to any young Hamptonians who are considering taking up rowing?

I would say it can be a real life changer for you during your time at Hampton as it teaches you all sorts of things, as well as being such a great sport to be involved with. I would recommend just taking it for a term and see what you think, and then if you enjoy it keep taking it and you will grow to love it as a sport, so don’t be afraid to give it a go.Photo: Rich Man AllMarkOne ©

Tanmay Thanawalla speaks to School cricket coach Chris Harrison about his coaching methods and his life in cricket.

Chris Harrison is a professional cricket coach currently working at Hampton. He has had a lot of experience playing and coaching the game, and is one of the most highly regarded coaches around. When he was younger he played ‘all the sports’. At school he tried his hand at tennis and basketball, and he has even admitted that he ‘would have liked to become a professional footballer’.

However, over the years his cricketing abilities seemed to become stronger and stronger.

He practised every aspect of the game as a youngster - ‘bowling, batting, wicket-keeping and even playing left-handed’ - and he kept developing into an even better player. In his own words, he ‘used to be down at the nets every day’, developing his game while having a good time.

He attended Lytham St Anne’s High School in Lancashire and played cricket in the Lancashire Schools System in his adolescent years. At this stage he was playing a very high quality of cricket and in his late teens won a scholarship to Worcester University courtesy of Worcestershire County Cricket Club.

“Chris’s ‘claim to fame’ was being ‘mates’ and playing with the great Freddie

Flintoff himself, even playing at the same cricket club St Anne’s CC.” During this period he had the opportunity to travel the world and play cricket while doing so. He went on tours to South Africa, the Far East and Australia – he had the opportunity to live in Perth for 6 months playing cricket every day, which he described as an ‘amazing experience’.

He didn’t leave the university with a professional contract but went back up to Lancashire to trial with the 2nd XI. After playing with the side for a brief period of time Chris decided that he was going to look into other career options alongside cricket.

In 2005 Chris moved down to London and started coaching at Shrewsbury House School.

3 years later in 2008, he had the idea of running his own cricket business and proposed a plan to Hampton about what he could do with them.

At this stage, video analysis of cricket was very new and Chris was one of the first to use the technology to analyse cricket. Hampton were keen to work with him, and he has been training students of all abilities since.

“During this time he also played with ex-England footballer Phil Neville, who he says could have ‘most likely gone on to play for England.’”

Chris’s ‘claim to fame’ was being ‘mates’ and playing with the great Freddie Flintoff himself.

They spent a lot of time together during his

Lancashire Schools career, and they even played at the same cricket club - St Anne’s CC.

During this time he also played with ex-England footballer Phil Neville, who he says could have ‘most likely gone on to play for England’.

As a child and teenager, Chris looked up to all the Lancashire and England players: ‘Mike Atherton, Neil Fairbrother, Graeme Hick, Alec Stewart’, the list goes on.

“He even played with England off-spinner Graeme Swann.”

In his playing career he played with and against some of England’s most memorable cricketers, including encounters with batsman Mark Chilton and even England off-spinner Graeme Swann.

Despite not making it as a playing professional for a long period of time, Chris has thrived in the coaching world and helped many budding cricketers enhance their games over the years.

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Ben Holker researched English cricketers to see if any school could match Hampton’s impressive feat of producing two England internationals at the same time ....

Alastair Cook – Bedford School Alastair Cook is a former captain of the English Test and ODI teams. He is regarded as one of the best batsmen ever to play for England. He was a gifted musician, which lead to him getting a scholarship to Bedford School where he boarded from 13 years old. However music was soon eclipsed when MCC came to play against the Bedford School XI. The visiting side were a man short and drafted the 14-year old new boy to play against his own school: Cook scored a century. Since his England debut, Cook has emerged as England’s leading run-scorer of all time as well as a former captain.

Tom Curran – Wellington College Tom Curran was born in Cape Town and moved to England to study at Wellington College in Berkshire.

A dynamic all-rounder, Curran made his England test debut in December 2017 at the age of 22, and has since played in two Tests and three ODIs. The oldest of three cricketing brothers, Curran has developed into one of England’s most promising young bowlers.

Mason Crane – Lancing College Mason Crane was educated at Lancing College, a school near Brighton. He played for England at age-group level before debuting for Hampshire Cricket Club at the age of 18. He subsequently played for New South Wales in Australia.

At just 20 years old, Crane made his England Test debut against Australia on the 4 January 2018, taking 1 wicket.

Mark Stoneman – Whickham School Mark Stoneman was born in Newcastle and joined Durham in 2005, making his first team debut in 2007. He scored a fifty in only his second match. Stoneman is a top-order batsman of high quality, making his England Test debut in August 2017 against West Indies. A resilient opening batsman, he has now scored 352 runs in 8 games, averaging 44 runs a game.

Joe Root – Workshop College Joe Root was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire in 1990, and in 2005 won a cricket scholarship to Workshop College. After landing a three-year professional contract with Yorkshire, Root’s consistency earned him a Test Debut in 2012. A ‘champagne moment’ for Yorkshire Cricket arrived when Root partnered Jonny Bairstow, another Yorkshire-bred batsman, in a 124-run partnership versus New Zealand in 2013 to prop up England. One of the highlights of his career came in 2017 when he took over from Alastair Cook as the England Captain.

Zafar Ansari – Hampton School Zafar left Hampton in 2010 to study at Cambridge University.

He made his Surrey debut against Sussex that September before making his first class debut for Cambridge against Essex in April 2011. He had bowling figures of 5-33 in only his third first class match for Cambridge against his own county of Surrey, Kevin Pietersen being one of his victims.

He scored his maiden first class century in 2014 for Surrey against Derbyshire. In Surrey’s next first class match, he had his first 5 wicket haul for the county with figures of 5-93. Zafar played three tests for England as well as a single one-day international before announcing his retirement from professional cricket in April 2017.

Toby Roland-Jones – Hampton School Toby was born in Ashford, Middlesex in 1988. While at Hampton, he was not best-known for his bowling as batting was his strong suit: he usually batted at three but also bowled occasionally – a classic ‘batsman who bowls’. Toby studied Accounting and Management at Leeds University and until his final year there, a professional cricket career seemed unlikely. However, the umpires who watched him bowl were impressed and put in a word with a couple of counties to help him win a contract with Middlesex. He picked up 36 first-class wickets in his initial season in 2010. His best season was in 2012, when he finished with 61 wickets. This helped him to be picked for England, but he was soon laid low with injuries. Toby then made a fine comeback in 2015, scoring an entertaining century against Yorkshire. In 2016 he took a hat trick on the final day of the seasons as Middlesex famously won the County Championship. He made his Test debut in July 2017 against South Africa scoring 48 runs in the two innings and taking 8 wickets in 34 overs.