Hockey

The latest season was distinctly one of two parts. In the early weeks of term the weather allowed practices to occur and all three teams began to settle and to develop. Much was promised by all team players and the quality of the hockey shown by everyone in the club was excellent. It was very pleasing to see that as injuries and illness took their toll any player who was selected for a team more than did justice to that eleven. The standard of hockey played by non-team players as well was as high as I can remember and many will, I hope, grace club sides when they leave.

Then came the snow and the rain and hockey stopped for over two weeks and the momentum was lost. After the enforced break the hockey was again of a very high standard but just failed to reach the heights which the early season had promised and of which it was capable.

The First Eleven under the leadership of John Higginson was, I think, a vintage side. There was no position in which weakness was displayed and both individually and as a team they played a level of schoolboy hockey of which they have every right to be proud. In defence they were solid and calm, in attack innovative, exciting and most importantly, hungry for goals, and in the mid-field they dominated by hard work and a high level of skill and support. What to me was even more important was that by their attitude to the game they brought credit to School hockey, and more important to themselves as sportsmen.

The Second Eleven had a sadly curtailed fixture list because of the weather but every player who was selected played with a quality of hockey and attitude which was most commendable. Many players in the seconds would have been regular members of many First Elevens and many who did not have an opportunity to represent the School would have done so in previous years. Perhaps the result of which they should be most proud is the draw against Hall Cross School, Doncaster.

Colts Elevens continue to develop year by year and this year was no exception. The steady improvement in senior hockey in the School stems from the hard work done with the Colts. It is here that the ground work is laid and I was much impressed by the skill and determination of those who played for the team. They too should have most pride in a draw, the one against Worksop College, again no mean feat. I look forward to the players from the Colts joining the senior players who return.

My thanks to all who played for any teams, to those who just played for fun and particularly to John Higginson and my colleagues who worked so hard.

Results: First Eleven

Barnard Castle School Pocklington School Worksop College Ashville College Hall Cross School Easingwold School Pandas H.C. Styx H.C. Retiring Captain's XI Wellensyans Retiring Captain's XI

Second Eleven

Barnard Castle School Worksop College Hall Cross School Pandas H.C. Q.E.G.S.

Colts Eleven

Worksop College Barnard Castle Pocklington School Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home

Home Home Home Won Away

Home Home Away Won Drawn Won Won Lost Won Lost Lost Drawn Won Lost

Drawn Won Drawn Home Lost

Drawn Drawn Won

The Stick was awarded to John Higginson. The Burn Trophy was awarded to John Sutcliffe.

The following represented the First Eleven:

J. D. G. Higginson*, T. W. Brassington, C. M. Caldwell*, A. C. Deighton, M. P. Forrester*, S. R. Forsyth*, I. Ghosh, S. J. Gildener, G. N. Kay, M. J. Mitchell*, J. S. Powell*, C. D. Pugh*, G. Silverwood, J. D. Sutcliffe*, A. L. Waters*.

Caps were awarded to J. D. G. Higginson and A. L. Waters.

The following represented the Second Eleven:

R. A. Bell, A. C. Deighton, I. Ghosh, S. J. Gildener, R. J. Hiles, R. W. Hudson, G. N. Kay, J. Mariyappan, T. J. Mcllhinney, A. C. Moxon, B. R. Neary, T. Reid, R. J. Stout, M. J. G. Williams.

The following represented the Colts Eleven:

A. S. Ashworth, J. Ballantyne, J. R. Brooks, B. C. Butler, M. J. Davies, T. G. Davies, A. J. Foster, S. Khanna, A. J. Killip, M. G. Kirk, M. A. Lang, M. J. J. Layram, M. D. Ludiman, D. Millen, H. I. Shedden, J. E. Swallow, M. G. Todd, J. Ward.

R. H. Hubbard