Active Magazine // July 2012

Olympic special EvErything you nEEd to know, and how to gEt involvEd locally

STA M FOR D & RU T L A N D’S SPORT A N D L E I S U R E M AGA Z I N E

A LEAgUE OF

Our handy guide to pre-season pain

Local roundup

How teams around Stamford, Oakham and Uppingham have fared

Netball takes off in Rutland

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JULY 2012

Fit for football

ISSUE 1

Flintoff’s coming to Stamford!

www.theACTIVEmag.com

ISSUE 1 // JULY 2012

Ready for Freddie

THEIR OWN

24/06/2012 23:52

SO LD

U OF ND FE ER R

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Guide Price ÂŁ895,000 smithsgore.co.uk 24/06/2012 11:56

Editor’s Letter

Publisher Chris Meadows Chris@theactivemag.com Editor Steve Moody steve@theactivemag.com Production Editor Julian Kirk Art Editor Mark Sommer

I USED TO PLAY IN A CRICKET TEAM with a chap nicknamed Strangely Brown – when he was 16 somebody noted he was ‘strangely brown for somebody who should have been indoors revising’. It stuck. He’s now 35 and even his mum calls him by his nickname.

I played hockey with this old chap, who was taking a lot of stick about his age, grey hair and moustache from his student marker. This big-mouthed lad had to be carried off halfway through the game, and no-one saw anything.

The moral of this tale: if you’re going to pick on somebody, make sure they’re not a major-general in the Paras first.

I saw a team-mate get lost in a underground sewage tunnel system looking for a cricket ball, to much hilarity as he reappeared no longer in whites, but browns, while a golfing partner fell out of a tree trying to play a ball trapped there, and snapped his pitching wedge in the process.

It seems that every weekend of my life has been taken up running about after various shaped balls, watching buffoons I’m pleased to call friends get up to all sorts of idiocy and brilliance, laughing at the ridiculous banter, the hilarious mickey-taking, the post-match pub analysis that goes on long after sense has staggered off home to bed.

So welcome to Active, the first issue of a magazine for the Stamford and Rutland area celebrating all those great things about local sport and leisure – the people, the places and the past-times.

Whether you’re already playing or just thinking about getting up off the sofa and giving something a go, we’ll feature it and help you find out what you need to do and where you need to go.

In this issue, we focus on the Olympics, and how you can try out some of the sports locally. We’ve got pre-season fitness training for football, a column from The Sunday Times sports writer Martin Johnson, regular features such as Stalwart and Final Score, and we feature a new netball league in Oakham which is giving women the opportunity to get back out playing sport again.

We hope you enjoy the magazine and we’d love to hear from you about your sport, your club or hobbies. So please email me at steve@ theactivemag.com

Thanks, Steve

Twitter // @theACTIVEmag Facebook // www.facebook.com/theACTIVEmag

Contributors William Hetherington Dean Cornish Jon Tyrell Photographers Nico Morgan Jonathan Clarke Neil Paterson Production Assistant Abigail Sharpe Advertising Sales Rachel Meadows rachel@theactivemag.com Amy Roberts amy@theactivemag.com Lisa Ward-Taylor lisa@theactivemag.com Juliette Chapple juliette@theactivemag.com If you have information on a club then get in touch with us by emailing editor@theactivemag.com. If you would like to stock Active magazine then get in touch by emailing distribution@theactivemag.com.

If you would like to discuss advertising possibilities with Active magazine then please email advertise@ theactivemag.com Printed in the UK by Warners Midlands plc. Active magazine is published 12 times per year on a monthly basis.

ISSN 2049-8713 A Grassroots Publishing Limited company.

Registration company number 7994437 Disclaimer Copyright (c) Grassroots Publishing Limited, 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or be stored in any retrieval system, of any nature, without prior permission from Grassroots Publishing Limited. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Grassroots Publishing Limited or its affiliates. Disclaimer of Liability. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the quality and accuracy of the information contained in this publication at the time of going to press, Grassroots Publishing Limited and its affiliates assume no responsibility as to the accuracy or completeness of and, to the extent permitted by law, shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained in this publication. Advertisers are solely responsible for the content of the advertising material which they submit to us and for ensuring that the material complies with applicable laws.

Grassroots Publishing Limited and its affiliates are are not responsible for any error, omission or inaccuracy in any advertisement and will not be liable for any damages arising from any use of products or services or any action or omissions taken in reliance on information or any statement contained in advertising material. Inclusion of any advertisement is not intended to endorse any view expressed, nor products or services offered nor the organisations sponsoring the advertisement.

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25/06/2012 07:22

CONTENTS NEWS 16 I BURGHLEY PARK CRICKET WEEK

Social event and six-hitting festival is bigger than ever

Issue 1 /// July 2012

19

17 I HOCKEY CLUB LAUNCHES

King’s Cliffe club is on the look-out for new members

19 I GET READY FOR FREDDIE!

Cricket legends take on the area’s best players for charity

HEADS UP 21 I MARTIN JOHNSON

The Sunday Times sports writer on the joys of local sport

22-23 I KITBAG

All the essential gear you need

25-27 I A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

A Rutland netball league is getting women back into sport

28 I PIGGY GOES FOR GOLD

Local equestrian star Piggy French will be competing for Team GB at the Olympics.

30-43 I OLYMPIC SPECIAL

The medal hopes, an insider’s view of tactics and how you can get involved in the sports at a local level

22

46

28

30

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54

FEATURES 45 I THE LEAPING LORD

A look back at Stamford’s own aristocratic Olympian and how he inspired a legendary movie

46-47 I INSPIRED BY WIMBLEDON?

Game, set and match... how to hit the perfect serve and ace your tennis oponent

48-49 I PRE-SEASON PAIN

Active’s fitness guru sets out a pre-season strength and conditioning plan in advance of the new football season

REGULARS 59 I WIN OR LOSE…

Refreshment and nutrition are vital elements of any activity, and The Tobie Norris provides both...

51-53 I FITNESS AND HEALTH

Ways to lose weight, eat more healthily and make yourself feel better

54 I A DOG’S LIFE

Will Hetherington and dog Ella walk the Easton-on-the-Hill loop, with the odd pub stop-off on the way

ROUND UPS 61 I SCHOOL SPORTS

A round up of what’s going on in local school sports

62-64 I FINAL SCORES

How clubs in the Stamford and Rutland area are getting on.

66 I STALWART

Terry Rawlings of Ufford Park CC

61 /// J U L Y 2 0 1 2 5

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25/06/2012 01:02

In Play Freddies in town!

Andrew Flintoff will star for the PCA Masters against a Dean Headley XI at Stamford School on July 27. And you could be playing with him: a charity auction will see the lucky winner as 12th man for the stars, including fielding for the team, with a signed shirt and hospitality. Email info@englandmastersstamford.co.uk for more details of how to bid.

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EDWARD SIMONS / ALAMY

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In Play

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24/06/2012 10:54

Dambusters take flight MARK EPTON, REVOLUTION IMAGES

In torrid weather conditions of wind, rain and exceptionally cold water, 1,000 hardy triathletes took part in the Dambuster triathlon starting at Rutland Water last month. Carl Shaw won the men’s event in 1hr:47:29 with Lou Collins the women’s winner in 2hrs:04:59.

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24/06/2012 11:00

In Play Sims blasts into the night Local driver Alexander Sims’ Status car enjoyed an eventful first outing at Le Mans last month, getting a puncture at the end of the Mulsanne Straight in the dead of night, before hitting a barrier. The car eventually retired a er 18 hours of strong running due to a fault. Of the world’s biggest sporting event, the Wansford driver said: ‘This was an amazing experience.’

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24/06/2012 11:18

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24/06/2012 11:18

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24/06/2012 11:59

News GOT A STALWART THAT DESERVES RECOGNITION? EVERYONE DESERVES recognition for the hard work they put in to making their cricket club run smoothly.

From a budding young volunteer to the lifetime achiever and everything in between, the Lincolnshire NatWest OSCAs is your chance to say ‘thank you’.

If you know someone at your club who you think deserves an award, then you can nominate them now .

The categories are: // Young Volunteer // Behind The Scenes // Officials Award // NatWest CricketForce // Lifetime Achiever // Leagues and Boards // Building Partnerships

Stamford Badminton Club thrives after rebranding New name and social media push sees the club’s membership growing with new season on the way STAMFORD BADMINTON CLUB, formerly Queen Eleanor BC, has seen numbers thrive a er its rebrand and a social media push earlier this year.

The club’s Bret Allibone told Active: ‘We had a low point in January when we were regularly only getting a small handful of people showing up to play on our Tuesday club nights. The attendance was low enough to bring in to question whether our club was still viable.

‘We decided it was worth one last publicity push to attract more players and keep ourselves in the local leagues. We renamed ourselves Stamford Badminton Club, launched a new website and Facebook page and put posters up on various community notice boards.

‘The response was instant. By the end of February we were regularly getting twenty or more players showing up to play on our Tuesday club nights and this enthusiasm continued through to the end of the season, in fact we were so popular that we extended our season though to the end of May. It just goes to show that there are plenty of people out there that love a game of badminton but just didn’t know how to find a game locally.’

Club nights will start again on Tuesday the 4th of September 2012 and more details can be found at www.stamfordbadmintonclub.co.uk

Olympic torch relay arrive in Rutland FOLLOWING THE OLYMPIC torch relay practice at the end of April, the real thing is coming to Rutland and Stamford on July 3.

The route will take in Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford, arriving in Langham at 2:18pm and then into Oakham for 2:30.

In Oakham, it will travel down Barleythorpe Road, Melton Road, the High Street before heading to the Edmonton Way junction where

the convoy will go to Whitwell Harbour at Rutland Water and just before 3pm. Travelling by boat across the reservoir, it will reach the Normanton shore at around 3:20pm and the head to Uppingham in convoy for 4:15pm, taking in Ayston Road, Firs Avenue, Ayston Road, London Road, High Street East and Glaston Road.

The torch will arrive in Stamford

at 4:45pm, travelling along Tinwell Road, West Street, Scotgate, through Red Lion Square to St John’s Street and into the High Street.

Then it’s off to St Paul’s Street, Brazenose Lane, St Leonard’s Street, Wharf Road and onto High Street St Martin’s. It will then go in convoy from the Barnack Road junction to Burghley House, arriving at 5.15pm.

The nomination deadline Thursday 12th July. To find out more about these categories, visit the OSCAs page at http://www.lincscricket. co.uk/natwest-oscas-2012

HANDBALL CLUB LAUNCHES IN OAKHAM EX PROFESSIONAL handball player Sergiu Tautan has launched a club in Oakham and is looking for new members.

A certified handball England Handball Association coach, Tautan said: ‘Handball is not a very o en sport played in England, and is a shame. You will see at the Olympics how spectacular , dynamic and technical it is. Our club wishes to attract as many people we can for playing handball and to form a competitive team.

‘The game is quite fast and includes body contact as the defenders try to stop the attackers. Goals are scored quite frequently; usually both teams score at least 20 goals each, and it is not uncommon for both teams to score more than 30.

‘In the future we would like to organise training sessions for kids and over seven years-old, to form a competitive team and to participate in the local competitions between schools also those organised by England Handball Association.’

Training sessions are at Catmose Sports Centre in Oakham every Friday from 19:00 to 20:30. For more information email rutlandhandballclub@yahoo.co. uk or phone 07577 262430.

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News p.13.indd 13

25/06/2012 00:27

News

16 TEAMS, 20 BEERS, ONE OLYMPIC TORCH:

2012 Burghley Cricket Week SIXTEEN LOCAL cricket teams will once again battle for the Burghley Sixes title in the first week of July as part of the burgeoning Burghley Park Cricket Week and Beer Festival.

Over the past few years the event, backed by car dealer Hindmarch, has enjoyed a resurgence with crowd sizes almost reaching the heydays of the 1960s when thousands of visitors ringed the boundary three-deep to see who would triumph.

As entertaining as the fast paced six-a-side cricket is, no doubt an essential element of the appeal is the beer festival, with at least 20 real ales on every night (and of course burgers and hotdogs on sale to soak it all up). And this year, on Tuesday July 3 the beer tent will be a great vantage point to watch the Olympic torch relay as it travels through Burghley Park.

Organiser Russ Hibbitt said: ‘Last year we had more than 2,000 people watching over the week, and our bar staff pulled more than 4,000 pints, which shows that cricket week has again become a major date in the Stamford summer calendar. It’s great to see the high level of interest in the competition, and the beer of course.’

SIX A SIDE FOR FIVE NIGHTS

16 local village teams are invited to take part with three games being played each evening starting at 6.00 pm. The semi finals and final take place on the Friday evening, with a live band performing a er the Sixes final on the Friday evening. Defending champions are Barnack.

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Cricket news p.16.indd 14

25/06/2012 01:12

Stamford RFC gain award Stamford rfc have been awarded the rugby football Union’s prestigious rfU club accreditation award. the club were presented with their award by rfU ceo Ian ritchie.

Stamford rfc, who have had held the mini and Junior Seal of approval for several years, have been working hard to achieve all the organisational standards to meet the rigorous rfU award. club president Steve fowkes said: ‘I would like to thank all of our volunteers for their dedication and hard work which has enabled the club to gain this award.’

Daniels gearing up for new campaign Stamford have completed the re-signing of midfielder danny Brooks. the 6’1” left sided player is no stranger to this level of the football pyramid having previously played for Grantham town, lincoln United, eastwood and hednesford, as well as the daniels. manager Graham drury is pleased with his latest recruit and believes he can get the best out of Brooks. “danny has played at this level for a

long time but I believe he has not yet reached his full potential,” drury said. “he needs someone to believe in him and I think coming to Stamford will be a great way for him to progress as a player. “at his last few clubs he has not played enough games - but here at Stamford, I will get the best out of him and can see him getting at least 30 or 40 games under his belt. “danny is a strong lad and is

capable of playing dangerous 30-yard balls into good areas. “he can also play left-back as well as left winger, so there’s certainly a lot to his game.” drury has also re-signed three youngsters to the club: Jake Gibson and Jake Walton, who both left the club during the course of last season, are back, as is Seth Burkett, who returns after a spell playing in Brazil and loughborough University.

Are you the next stAr of sports journAlism?

If you’ve read our column by The Sunday Times sports writer Martin Johnson, you’ll know that the first step to a career being paid to watch top athletes perform in the biggest games in the world begins on your doorstep.

So we’re on the look-out for contributors who want to get their first taste of sports journalism by writing for Active.

If you’ve got something to say, have original ideas and a passion for writing about sport, we’d love to hear from you. It could be your first step…

Email steve@theactivemag.com

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News p.15.indd 15

25/06/2012 00:24

News Hockey club stars revealed

time to tread the boards?

ATTRACTeD By THe RoAR of greasepaint?

Stamford Senior youth Theatre has its annual auditions coming up in July.

There’s also an in house schools performance of the recent, much-lauded show Torchbearer on July 13th at Stamford Arts Centre to whet the appetite.

Audition dates are July 23 and 24, and are informal, fun with no previous experience necessary. Auditions places usually go fast, so in order to reserve your time, contact Mary now on 07884018027 or email stamfordsyt@aol.com.

The Ladies section of Rutland Hockey Club did recently held their a presentation dinner, handing out individual awards and celebrating a successful season in which the 1st X1 consolidated their position in the Cambs Premier League and the 2nd X1 won promotion to Division 1.

Full list oF winners 1st X1 Player of the season Kimberley Cooil 2nd X1 Player of the season Megan Wright u16 X1 Player of the season Charlotte Brooks Most improved Player of the season Isabelle Chedd Goal of the season Fiona Ginn Club Member of the season Anne Pollock Players’ Player of the season Katie Richardson

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25/06/2012 00:23

News

Hockey launches in King’s Cliffe Enterprising club is looking for new players and launches a quicker, simpler version of the game called Rush Hockey

MAN vs WORLD Part one: the fear WITH THE OLYMPICS looming, one enterprising east Northamptonshire village has launched a hockey club to cash in on the extra exposure for the sport this summer.

King’s Cliffe has set up a quickfire form of the game called Rush Hockey as part of a nationwide campaign to get people playing.

It’s aimed at all ages and simpler rules are designed to make it easier for beginners and lapsed players alike to pick up.

‘A few months in and we’re attracting a wide range of players from local schoolboys and girls to dads in their fi ies,’ said co-organiser Tim Pollard. ‘This is grassroots sport at its most basic: getting a community to try something new. We’ve been encouraged by the way it’s snowballed and a er just a few weeks we’re already hosting five-a-side games most weeks.’

The club plays weekly at the King’s Cliffe Active community sports centre, the new facility built a er £1.4m was raised through fund-raising and national grants. Hockey takes place on the all-weather astroturf, next to the new football pitch, basketball practice area and skateboard pipe.

‘The emphasis is definitely on fun,’ added Pollard. ‘We’re one of the few village sides in the area and hope to roll out coaching and children’s sessions in future.

‘A village the size of King’s Cliffe is very lucky to have an astroturf and now we need to get people locally to try something new.

Many won’t have played since school days and this is all about encouraging people to come and have a go.’

The club meets on Thursday nights for a match and Rush Hockey simplifies the rules to make a more flowing game. All standards are welcome and hockey sticks are provided.

Email: simon.fairhall@btinternet.com // Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/playRushHockey

Global triathlon too ambitious?

Perhaps you’re an Ironman then… followed by a 26.2-mile run,’ he says.

‘You don’t need to be a great swimmer, cyclist or runner to compete, but just have the heart to race.

To take part in triathlon you don’t need expensive bikes and equipment.

Entry level equipment can resemble a tri suit {specially designed to be worn for all three disciplines of a triathlon},

jit·ter: noun 1. jitters, nervousness; a feeling of fright or uneasiness verb (used without object) 2. to behave nervously.

The fear. The self doubt. The jitters. Everyone gets them.

If you don’t get them then you’re not trying hard enough. I had them before both the marathons I’ve run. On my bike ride from London to Cape Town they got so bad that I brought the trip forward by a month. I brought the second trip from Korea to Cape Town forward by a week too just to get it all started. In the days and weeks running up to an expedition your mind is in overdrive day and night thinking through all the worst case scenarios. The ‘what if’s’ haunt your dreams and it’s all people ever ask about.

What if you get shot?

What if you get attacked?

What if you can’t find food/water/shelter?

What if you get sick/injured?

WANT TO JOIN IN?

MANY PEOPLE start with triathlon by taking part in small pool-based distances known as sprints which are a 400m swim, 10-mile bike and 3km run, says Dave Patmore-Hill, head coach at PACTRAC triathlon club in Oundle.

‘As you get braver you can move from Sprint all the way to an Ironman distance triathlon of 2.4mile swim, 112-mile bike

STAMFORD’S EXTREME athlete Dan Martin is attempting a global triathlon, swimming the Atlantic, running the United States and cycling Asia and Europe. Each month we’ll be following his progress. In awe, and with our fingers crossed…

a bike helmet (mandatory) and a roadworthy bike.’

Whether you are a novice, experienced, or simply interested in triathlon you can visit www.pactrac.co.uk and check out when the next local races are - the club already has 180 memebers - and the next training sessions.

Contact for Dave is also through the club website.

Before I started my first big bike ride I e-mailed a friend a who knows a bit about this sort of thing and asked him for advice: he said that the hardest part is getting out your front door. I didn’t believe him at the time but he’s spot on. Once you’re out your front door, once you’ve started, the hypotheticals fade and the day-to-day management of the trip takes over. I know this will happen on this trip but here I am, less than a week from starting my global triathlon by swimming the Atlantic and I’m nearly paralysed with fear and riddled with doubt.

But I’ll make it.

Swimming the Atlantic: impossible?

“It’s 3,500 miles of cold, deep, dangerous water. There are huge waves, massive storms, hurricanes, icebergs, strong currents, sharks, poisonous jellyfish and heavy shipping traffic. I have to get in the water day a er day, for four months. It’s simply not possible: some ships can’t even do it, let alone a guy with a raggedy beard.” // For updates visit www.danmartinextreme.com

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Hockey newsJK/SM.indd 17

25/06/2012 01:28

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24/06/2012 12:22

News

Get ready for Freddie

Q&A

Ashes cricket legend the latest England star announced to play in a charity match at Stamford School this month CRICKET LEGEND ANDREW FLINTOFF will be playing in Stamford against the finest local cricketers in a Twenty/20 match in aid of charity at the end of July.

Ex-England bowler Dean Headley, now in charge of cricket at Stamford School, has assembled a team of stars including Flintoff, Sky TV pundit David Lloyd, Dominic Cork, Gladstone Small, Devon Malcolm and Neil Fairbrother.

As well as playing against Dean’s local side in the a ernoon at Stamford School’s ground , the stars will be lending their time and support to the junior Kwik Cricket tournament taking place in the

morning, between 16 local clubs.

Throughout the day, there will be food served from various stalls, as well as beer and cider tents ensuring the whole family are catered for. And in the evening, the Olympic opening ceremony will be shown on big screen TVs too.

All proceeds from the day are going towards bursaries for boys and girls to go to Stamford Endowed Schools. // Tickets for the July 27 event can be bought at: www.englandmastersstamford.co.uk

DEAN HEADLEY Ex-England cricketer and Stamford schoolmaster talks to Active How long have you lived in Stamford?

It’s coming up to two years now.

What’s you role at the school?

I’m employed as the cricket professional in the main, but with a wider role of helping with the other major sports as well.

How have you found Stamford?

I love the place: one of the great things about it is how friendly everyone is, and it’s extremely beautiful too.

What’s the idea behind the PCA cricket masters?

We wanted to bring a high profile cricketing event to the area, for the community to enjoy and in the process raise money to support bursaries for the school.

What’s the bursary scheme for?

The bursary system has replaced the outgoing Lincolnshire Scholarship system that many people have benefited from. It is designed to help child from the locality to gain financial help to attend our senior schools. The reward is means tested. However, it is possible to have full fees paid if appropriate, thus making our schools more accessible.

Was it easy to get the players to agree to take part?

Yes. The PCA Masters is a commercial project which helps raise money to support current or past cricketers.

Believe or not that cricket has a high suicide rate so the support for ex-players is important.

How’s your invitational team looking?

We’re using the in-coming school captain, an old boy of the school (Will Clough), two ex- England players and seven players from local cricket clubs.

What can people expect on the day?

A fun day, inspirational and exciting day which I hope creates a community feel with long lasting memories.

DH FACT FILE TESTS 15 // WICKETS 60 // AVERAGE 27.85 // STRIKE RATE // 50.4 BEST BOWLING 6-60 v Australia, Melbourne 1998

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25/06/2012 06:32

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PORTRAITS 24/06/2012 12:55

Guest column

Onion bags and skittles at the Plough and Partridge The Sunday Times’ senior sports writer Martin Johnson recalls his early days in local sports reporting

M

ANY YEARS ago, during a Test match at Headingley, play was called off early one day because the umpires decided that the light wasn’t good enough to continue. Driving back to my hotel, I came across a local league match on the village green, and pulled over to take a look.

It was considerably darker than it had been at the Test, and one spectator, with an allegiance to the side that was losing, kept shouting: ‘appeal against t’light Broad Oak! Appeal against t’light!’ This happened maybe half a dozen times, until one of the other spectators piped up: ‘listen, if tha’ can’t ruddy well see, why don’t thee go ‘ome!’

That’s the beauty of local sport. It has a charm all of its own, and the outcome of the skittles match at the Plough and Partridge can induce just as much misery or joy, sometimes more, in a tightly-bound community as the result of the Test match might for the country as a whole.

Like many journalists covering mainly international events, I cut my teeth on a local newspaper, and my first assignment was subbing the local football reports that came in.

Every one was sent in by someone who was clearly 100 years old, and steeped in the language used when Stanley Matthews was in his pomp.

No-one ever scored a goal, they ‘burst the onion bag’, and the goalie who’d failed to stop it, was always the ‘hapless custodian’. The ball wasn’t a ball, it was the ‘leather’, or just occasionally, the ‘leather spheroid’, and a match that ended 5-4 – as most of them seemed to do – was always described as ‘Rovers won by the odd goal in nine.’ Two goals were a ‘brace’, and five a ‘nap hand’.

This job was always allocated to the sports

department newcomer, and when someone else arrived after me, I was finally able to leave the world of onion bags and take on the job of rugby correspondent. Upon being appointed, I informed the sports editor that what I knew about rugby could be easily accommodated on a stamp, but in the world of local newspapers, knowing your subject is a long way down the list of essential criteria for any appointment.

Thus, when I went down to the training ground to try and find some material for the Saturday match preview, I asked the secretary to fill me in on the team news. The fly half, he informed me, was being dropped, and so the Thursday evening headline on my first rugby report read: ‘Jones Axed For Saracens Clash’.

The phone rang first thing Friday morning, and the caller identified himself as a ‘Doctor Hughes from the club committee.’ I asked the good doctor how I could help him and his reply was along the lines that I could best help him, not to mention the world in general, by resigning as rugby correspondent with immediate effect.

This was in the old amateur era, when players routinely dropped out because they were best man at a wedding, or unable to get time off work, and apparently terms like ‘axed’ were not appropriate.

‘How, pray, should we have reported Mr Jones’ omission?’ I enquired.’

‘You should have said ‘he’s been invited to play for the second team’ replied the Doc. By now I’d had enough. ‘Tell you what Doc. Next week, you write the report, and I’ll come and run your surgery. What say you?’

As it happened, we had a chuckle, shared a pint or two after the game on Saturday, and got on very well from then on. The club, I learned, was very much a family, and the local reporter – while retaining his right to be critical if warranted – was part of it.

Rather different to the football correspondent, who was once banned from the ground for writing something critical, and was eventually replaced by someone who was more of a PR employee for City FC than an impartial observer.

Hence, after a heavy defeat, the headline would invariably something like ‘Blind Ref Robs Super City’. One report of a 0-0 home draw, and I’m not making this up, involved about 800 works mainly devoted to the theory that City would actually have won 2-0 had it not been for square goalposts. City had hit them twice and if they’d been the normal cylindrical type, our man in the press box argued, the ball would have rebounded into the net.

I was also cricket correspondent during my time there, and knew nothing about that when I started either. My first game was Leicestershire versus Essex in the county championship.

The Essex number three, a chap with the Scottish sounding name of McEwan, had made an elegant hundred, so I wrote something like ‘with the Test series coming up, the selectors could do a lot worse than pick this bloke’.

Next day, a more experienced reporter came up to me in the press box and said: ‘Interesting point you make about McEwan. And I’d normally agree with you if it wasn’t for the fact [pause] that he’s a South African.’

Nowadays, of course, being South African is an almost compulsory requirement for selection, but thankfully the gaffe at least remained inside Leicestershire, rather than going nationwide.

Nowadays, local publications are coming under serious economic threat, with titles closing, and dailies becoming weeklies. Heaven forbid that this great tradition of providing local news and sport to local communities ever dies, and I still get more pleasure from reading about what goes on locally than the death, disaster and mayhem in the nationals.

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Feature /// Gear

Kitbag

Got the idea, but no gear?

Here’s some great sporting stuff to spend your hard-earned on.

Vango Alpha 200 Tent A great option for the summer festival goer, the Vango Alpha 200 has a large front porch and a high dome ceiling and pockets inside too, making it a great affordable, featurepacked tent.

From Precision Sports, Stamford Price £49.99

Nike contrast boots Mercurial Vapour, Maestri, Tiempo and T90: anyone who’s anyone in Euro2012 is wearing Nike’s hottest new boots, with swerve zone fins and passing pads.

Stanley Matthews is turning his grave…

From Nike stores nationwide Price £140-plus

Suzannah dressage saddle The Horseeshop sells some of the finest, most original designed to order saddles on the market, so they perfectly fit horse and rider with ideal weight distribution.

From www.horseeshop.co.uk Price £1,095

Cube Peloton Race Cra ed from Suplerlite aluminium alloy, this bike is ideal for aspiring roadies looking for a dependable and lightweight bike that can handle long training rides, commuting and competition.

From WrightCycles, Baston Price £999

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Garmin Approach S3 Loaded with 27,000 golf courses, you never need to look like a Star Trek officer peering into a range finder again. Just a sly look at your watch and your yardage magically appears.

From www.garmin.com Price £350

The North Face Base Camp Mini Flipflops These new and understated classics feature EVA foot beds with egg-crate inspired design for a great next-to-skin feel for the feet, plus sleek synthetic straps with so bindings to reduce the risk of chafing and jersey linings for smooth comfort.

From Precision Sports, Stamford Price £25

Bradbury 400 These incredible handmade Bradbury bats are a work of the woodworking art, and made of the finest, lightest English willow will help you clear the longest boundary.

From Rutland Sports, Oakham Price £275

Taylor Made Rocketballz Tired of looking for golf balls.

Slightly da name, but seriously good kit with thin face technology and each clubhead designed specifically for its job – they could add 15 yards to your game.

From Thorpe Wood Golf Club, Peterborough Price £450 approx

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Feature /// Netball

A league of their own

Women in Rutland are flooding back into sport thanks to a pioneering new netball league Words: Steve Moody /// Photography: Jonathan Clarke

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Feature /// Netball

I

f you’ve ever turned up at a new club, you’ll know how intimidating it can be. The in-jokes are indecipherable, even the simplest sporting function becomes a crisis of hand eye coordination, and if you haven’t played in a while, you may well be puffing along embarrassingly at the back wondering why you’ve bothered turning up.

These issues, and more, are ones that Tina Sayers identified when she started thinking about forming a new netball league. But on top of these, there are obstacles that seem to effect women more than men. It’s a fact that most women, once they get a bit older, are juggling a career, kids and running the house, and sport drops down the list of priorities to the point where getting back into shape and competition seems a far off dream.

So the new Rutland County Netball League (RCNL), now in its first season, has been set up to help women get back into sport.

‘I wanted to start a netball league in Oakham because I love netball and I am very passionate about women in Rutland being able to participate in competitive sport for fun,’ Tina says.

‘I rediscovered netball about seven years ago and love it, for the health benefits and the social benefits; but in order to play I had to travel to other counties.

‘But I realised that lots of women would love to play, but the thought of doing so is intimidating.

So I’m passionate about ensuring that RCNL is approachable, and I think anyone who is ‘brave’ enough to join our Back to Netball sessions soon realises that netball is for women of all ages, shapes and sizes, and all levels of ability – and that’s it’s a very friendly group and a lot of fun.

‘When I’m talking to women about netball their first assumption is often that we’re all tall and lean and super sporty; people who run 20 miles a week and who don’t eat carbs after 6pm.

‘But we most definitely are not: netball players come in all shapes and sizes and all ages - from students to grandmas. The first thing new players always say is ‘I haven’t played for 20 years!’.

‘No matter - within weeks they have a brand new set of friends, and will be an expert in the finer points of footwork, contact and obstruction.’

RCNL was formed in late 2011 and at first had just a few girls turn up each week in the cold. But word got round, and at one point the Back to

‘I REDISCOVERED NETBALL ABOUT SEVEN YEARS AGO AND LOVE IT... I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT ENSURING THAT THE RUTLAND COUNTY LEAGUE IS APPROACHABLE’

Above

The focus in the league is on enjoying playing sport. Players of all ages, shapes and sizes, and all levels of ability, are welcome

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BACK TO NETBALL HOW TO GET INVOLVED FROM JUNE 28, RCNL’s B2N training sessions will be led by qualified coach Sam Griffin.

Sessions will cost £2 and will start at 7pm, with the aim of helping new players improve their skill sets and fitness.

The league has also agreed to implement a newcomer retention scheme: new players will be ‘befriended’ by an individual from one of the teams, so they can be mentored through the start-up process.

Anyone interested in joining should go to www.rcnl.co.uk and use the Contact Us form, or call/text Tina on 07841 592490

THE LEAGUE: TEAM

W

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COUGARS 5

4

1

22

CAVELLS

4

3

1

17

MERCURY 4

3

1

16

OSPREYS 5

2

3

15

DPS

5

3

2

13

PANTHERS 4

1

3

10

5

5

JEWELLS

Netball sessions had 40 women turning up each week. Soon the first team, Oakham Ospreys, was formed from the first ‘intake’ of new players and then shortly afterwards, the next set of new players made up the Rutland Jewells.

Then, a number of established teams for Stamford, Oakham and Uppingham joined the league, which now runs on Thursdays from 7pm at Catmose Sports Centre. Back To Netball sessions run alongside, with another team in process of forming. As new players come in they are integrated into the newer teams, and because many of the women have gone through this process this year, it makes it much easier for rookies to integrate.

Don’t think though that it’s just a cheery night out. The games are fierce, fast-paced and there are some good players involved. But all seem to be taking the league in the pioneering spirit of adventure that starting up a new project entails.

As Tina says: ‘It’s a great time for new players to join us, and hopefully by September, when we will start our winter league, we will be able to enter another one or two new teams from these great sessions for women who are new to netball, or who wish to get back into netball.

P

5

D

PTS

A team of their own: Rutland Jewells AS ONE OF THE TEAMS formed from new players, it’s been a steep learning curve for the Rutland Jewells.

As team captain Rachel Harris points out, to start with just working out everyone’s best position to play in was the toughest part, and it’s something that continues to evolve through this season.

‘All of our players had played before, even if it was at school, and I worked out the other week that we’d had a combined 108 years out of the game before we started playing again!

‘But the Back to Netball sessions really helped.

‘I thought it would be difficult but it’s surprising how quickly you bond as a team.

‘Now all we’ve got to do is start winning more games.’

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24/06/2012 09:52

Feature /// Piggy French

Piggy French goes for gold Local rider Piggy French has been selected to compete for the British equestrian team at the London Olympics Words: Chris Meadows /// Photography: Nico Morgan

L

eicestershire-based rider Piggy French will be going for gold this summer, riding either Jakata or DHI Topper W. Piggy told Active: ‘I am overly excited and very relieved. It is what my team and I have been working towards over the last few years so it’s excellent to be getting this far; we just have to hope and pray that the horses stay in one piece to get there.

‘I have to say a massive thank you to my owners for their support; I wouldn’t have got to this stage without them.

‘Obviously, I’m confident that Topper will cope with the going there because of our experience at the test event but they are both amazing horses with different strengths. We will make a decision nearer the time based on who is feeling on the best form nearer the games.’

For the third year running Piggy finished the 2011 season in fourth place in the British Eventing Rider Rankings and as leading lady rider. Piggy was also selected for the British team at the European Championships, winning a bronze medal.

Her team horse Jakata topped the British Eventing Horse Rankings for 2011 while DHI Topper W ranked seventh.

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PIGGY FRENCH FACT FILE // Senior European Championships: 2009 (I.Silver), 2011 (T.Bronze) // World Equestrian Games: 2010 // Coined ‘piglet’ by her siblings as a child as they thought she looked like one, which later became ‘Piggy’ // Won her first medal in 2001 – team gold at the Young Rider Europeans // Won the Olympic Test Event invitational competition at Greenwich Park in 2011 with DHI Topper W // Leading lady of the British Eventing rankings for 2011 For more information on Piggy, visit www.piggyfrench.co.uk

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Feature /// Olympic guide

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Committed supporter, completely confused, or just fancy trying a sport you’ve seen on TV? Our experts give you the essential guide to the key Olympic events and tell you how to get involved //

Photography: Nico Morgan

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Feature /// Olympic guide

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SAILING // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES Britain is the world’s most successful Olympic sailing nation and has won more medals at the past three games than any other nation. Ben Ainslie will be going for his fourth successive gold medal. Other Beijing champions defending their titles this summer are Paul Goodison (Laser) and Iain Percy/ Andrew Simpson (Star). // WHEN IS IT ON? Sunday 29 July to Saturday 11 August at Weymouth // INSIDE TRACK For all Olympic classes, except match racing (one-on-one in a knockout format), the sailors compete in fleet racing, where all boats in the same class race at the same time.

The fleet racing points system is simple: you get the same number of points as the place you finish in a race (first = 1 point, etc) except in the final medal race where the points are doubled. The sailor with the lowest number of points at the end of the regatta wins.

The course will be set so that the boats must sail both up and down wind.

Upwind, it is impossible to sail directly towards the wind so the boats must zig-zag to reach the buoy. Getting the sails set to catch the most wind is vital.

Anyone breaking rules can be forced to do time-consuming 360 or 720 degree turns by the umpire.

Sailing is often thought of as a bit complicated to follow but don’t worry: GPS tracking and graphic overlays are being used during the coverage so you can work out who’s winning. // INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Rutland Sailing Club has fantastic facilities and can offer beginners’ tuition as well as events for those coming back to the sport in need of a refresher. Call Ben Lulham on 01780 721999. Also visit the Royal Yachting Association website for advice at www.rya.org.uk

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LEO MASON OLYMPIC GAMES PHOTOS / ALAMY

Feature /// Olympic guide

ARCHERY // WHEN IS IT ON? 27 July-3 August at Lord’s cricket ground // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES Allison Williams is a hot favourite, and veteran of four Olympics, while Larry Godfrey has been dubbed the ‘Kevin Pieterson of archery’.

Hopefully for his hairstyle, not his inventive - and potentially disastrous - shotmaking. // INSIDE TRACK Archery has been an Olympic sport since 1908,

the first time the modern Olympics were held in London, with Great Britain winning individual ladies’ gold.

The bows used in that period had more in keeping with the sort of tree and catgut concoction Robin Hood would have used. At the London Olympics they are high tech, with sophisticated sights, stabilisers to absorb the excess energy when the archer releases the arrow, and arrows made of a mixture of carbon fibre and aluminium.

Olympic archers shoot at a centre target

measuring just 12.2cm from a distance of 70 metres.

The final rounds in the competition are head-to-head, with two archers shooting at their own target (not each other), in a knockout format. A lethal penalty shootout, in other words. // INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Grange Farm Leisure Activities near Wansford have all the kit, and expert tuition, too. Ring 01780 782459 for details.

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MARATHON // WHEN IS IT ON? 5 August (women), 12 August (men) in London // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES Hope for better luck for Paula Radcliffe, thwarted by bad fortune at the previous two games, and now competing in her fifth Olympics. But relative unknowns are also worth watching: Claire Hallissey, first British woman at this year’s London Marathon, and Scott Overall, competing in only his second full marathon.

// INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Stamford Striders (www.stamfordstriders.co. uk) meet at Blackstone’s Sports and Social Club, Lincoln Road, 7pm, three times a week.

Tuesdays are the main club run, Thursdays hill and speed work, and Fridays are a social run.

Each session lasts 60-90 minutes and the pre-prepared Tuesday running routes are five to six miles. Running is inexpensive – most local club memberships are around £20 a year – and you don’t need special kit to get started.

If you decide to run regularly, or longer, it’s a good idea to invest in ‘gait analysis’ at specialist shops to get the correct shoes fitted to avoid causing yourself injury.

IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY

// IINSIDE TRACK Look out for two different styles, from

women’s world record holder Paula Radcliffe, and marathon newcomer Scott Overall.

Paula will be setting the pace. In races past she’s liked to lead the field, and has used this to her advantage, maintaining a fierce pace that only the best can keep up with. This tactic saw her set the unbeaten time of 2:15:25 at the London Marathon in 2003, four minutes ahead of the runner-up.

Scott Overall is something of a tenderfoot novice to long distance racing. A middledistancer who made his marathon debut in Berlin last year, finishing fifth, his plan will be to keep to his own steady pace, picking off runners later who have gone off too fast.

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Feature /// Olympic guide

CLAY SHOOTING // WHEN IS IT ON? 28 July-6 August, Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, London // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES Richard Faulds is the Steve Redgrave of British shooting: he’ll be competing in his fifth Olympics, and won gold in Sydney. // INSIDE TRACK Olympic clay target shooting is split into two categories - Trap and Skeet

// THE SKEET COMPETITION Competitors move through a semi-circular range featuring eight shooting stations. Targets are released from separate traps (high and low) and the shooter gets one shot at each.

Single or double targets are thrown for at least 65 metres travelling at speeds of up to 55mph. The men’s event is five rounds of 25 shots over two days, while the women shoot three rounds of 25 in one day with the top six from each going through to a 25-target final. // INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Ed Smith, lead clay shooting coach at Grange Farm Leisure, can help. Visit www.grange -farm.co.uk

KEITH VAN LOEN / ALAMY

// THE TRAP COMPETITION Five banks of three traps with different heights and angles sit in a trench 15 metres away from the shooter. Clays are launched from an underground bunker to a minimum distance of 75 metres away, and at speeds of up to 80mph. Heights range from one to four metres with the shooter not knowing which traps will release the target. The men’s event is

five rounds of 25 shots over two days, while the women shoot three rounds of 25 in one day, with the top six from each going to a 25-target final.

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CYCLING // WHEN IS IT ON? Track: 1-7 August, Velodrome BMW: 8-10 August, Olympic Park Mountain Bike: 11-12 August, Hadleigh Farm, Essex Road: 28 July-1 August, Box Hill, Surrey // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES Who isn’t a medal hope? Likely to be Team GB’s biggest chance of a medal haul, the team reads like a who’s who of Olympic legends: Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton, Jason Kenny on track while Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish will take to the road in search of glory. // INSIDE TRACK In comparison to road racing and mountain

biking, track cycling is an incredibly specialised indoor event, with a number of disciplines that place as much emphasis on strategy and subtle technique as on physical fitness, power and stamina.

Races take place on an indoor velodrome - a 250-metre wooden oval, with straights banked at 12 degrees and the corners banked at a 42 degree angle. The bikes and equipment used are also highly specialised, and bear little semblance to road-going machinery.

In the short head to head duals, watch for riders biding their time, saving energy and trying to get track position in order to launch their attack at the perfect time.

The sprint is a short-distance event in which two or more riders cover three

laps. Only the final 200 metres is timed. Riders need strength and speed, as well as an awareness of tactics as riders will change their speed to try and feint or surprise their opponent.

In the team pursuit teams of four endurance cyclists compete in one of the most tactical events in cycling. The riders circulate as a pack, with the leader having to ride fast enough to set a competitive pace, while not tiring his team out or leaving his team-mates behind. // INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Cycle Wright has a vast array of cycling equipment for all disciplines. Visit them at Waterside Garden Centre, Baston, or call 01778 560 495.

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Feature /// Olympic guide

HOCKEY // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES England’s men and women are both ranked fourth in the world, and GB’s women won their first ever world silver medal at the 2012 Champions Trophy. Keep a look out for ex-Oakham schoolgirl Crista Cullen. // INSIDE TRACK A great innovation over recent seasons has been the ‘self-pass rule’: watch out for speedy attackers getting straight up after they’ve been

fouled to race away with the ball. In the womens’ game, Alex Danson is particularly effective at lifting the ball into the air over defenders when travelling at breakneck speed.

Hockey also benefits from a ‘team referral’ system, where the team captain can ask the umpires to check the video if they think a mistake has been made.

Both the GB squads pride themselves on their penalty corner routine, so watch out for Ashley Jackson and Crista Cullen’s flicks. With the ball travelling at speeds approaching 80mph, you’ll understand why defenders like to add extra protection when facing them.

There will also be plenty of dummy runs and feints going on to try and distract the ‘keeper, so keep an eye on the replays to see where the ball actually ends up. // INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Rutland Hockey Club operate hubs at Oakham, Uppingham and Stamford and puts out adult sides from September to April, as well as junior sides. Training sessions take place at several times and venues through the week. For further information visit www.pitchero.com/ clubs/rutland or email simon.cooper@ rutlandhockeyclub.org.uk

DANIEL SWEE / ALAMY

// WHEN IS IT ON? 29 July-11 August, Riverbank Arena

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AFLO FOTO AGENCY / ALAMY

TRIATHLON // WHEN IS IT ON? 4 August (women), 7 August (men), Hyde Park // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES Alistair Brownlee and Helen Jenkins are current world champions, with Jonny Brownlee (Alistair’s younger brother) another hopeful. // INSIDE TRACK The Olympic triathlon consists of a 1,500-metre swim, followed by 25-mile cycle finishing with a six-mile run. Between each discipline a changeover occurs, known as ‘transition’, and athletes must ensure these are as quick as they can make them.

The athletes prepare meticulously to ensure their transition area is planned and set so they know exactly what position or order they take off or put on equipment – no fiddling with stuck zips or trying to find their trainers.

After completing the bike portion of the race, which can resemble a high speed Tour de France peloton, the athletes enter transition one last time to change from bike to run.

Dismounting the bike while it is still moving and running to their transition area saves valuable time.

On the run course, it’s a straight race to the finish line with the very best running sub-30 minutes for six miles.

// INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? PACTRAC is a local triathlon club based in Oundle, with around 180 active members of varying abilities and racing at different distances.

Head coach Dave Patmore-Hill is a British Triathlon qualified coach, and has raced for Great Britain at amateur level.

To take part you don’t need expensive kit as entry-level equipment can be a tri suit (designed to be worn for all three disciplines), a bike crash helmet (mandatory) and a roadworthy bike.

Visit www.pactrac.co.uk and contact Dave Patmore-Hill for more information.

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Feature /// Olympic guide

EQUESTRIANISM // WHEN IS IT ON? 29 July-9 August, Greenwich Park // INSIDE TRACK Equestrian sport first formed part of the Olympic programme back in 1900, disappearing briefly until 1912, but has been a feature ever since. The only Olympic discipline to involve animals, and one of only a handful of sports where men and women compete head to head, the equestrian programme comprises three separate competitions: dressage, eventing and show jumping. // EVENTING A combination of dressage, show jumping and cross country, it is often considered the ultimate test of horse ability, agility, strength and courage. Following the dressage, the cross country course includes natural, solid obstacles such as walls, ditches, hedges, water and technical combinations of fences, and the horses must jump around a course of several miles within the time allowed.

Stride patterns are vital: going flat out, a rider must be able to gauge the distance to a fence so the horse takes it in its stride perfectly. Getting the speed and stride wrong could result in time lost, a refusal or even a fall. On uneven terrain, at speed, it requires incredible skill and judgement.

Penalties will be incurred for failing to jump a fence on the first attempt, rider falls and for every second taken over the time allowed. // DRESSAGE Horse and rider are required to perform a number of predefined movements in a marked arena measuring 60 metres x 20 metres. A panel of judges will award marks between 0 and 10 (with 10 excellent) for each set movement; awarded on the basis of how correct, fluent and expressive the movements are, together with an impression of harmony between horse and rider. // SHOW JUMPING As its name suggests, this event is one of pure jumping skill. Horse and rider must jump around pre-set courses of up to 1.6m in height within the time allowed. The fences consist of lightweight wooden poles and ‘fillers’ supported at the required height by ‘jumpcups’ on vertical wooden stands known as ‘wings’. Penalties are incurred for knocking down a fence, refusing to jump or for exceeding the time allowed. The competition runs across five rounds, with the first two rounds deciding the team places and the remaining rounds determining the individual victor. // INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Obviously you’ll need a horse, and some tuition. Speak to the experts at Grange Farm (01780 782459), who can put you in touch with the right people to start you off, or get you back in the saddle.

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ACTION PLUS SPORTS IMAGES / ALAMY

Feature /// Olympic guide

BADMINTON // WHEN IS IT ON? 3-5 August, Wembley Arena // BRITISH MEDAL HOPES In the mixed doubles and ranked number 10 in the world are Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier. Having reached the final of the world championships this year and consistently pushed the worlds top pairs all season, they stand a great chance. // INSIDE TRACK Players manoeuvre the shuttle around the court, playing both drop shots and deep shots,

luring their opponents into making the first ‘lift’ or high shot, so that they may gain the attacking position. In theory the first pair or player to have the attacking advantage should prevail in the rally. The most obvious example of this is the serve. It is important that your opponent is unable to attack your service effectively. The best servers skim the net, so that the shuttle is already below the net cord when their opposite number contacts it.

Conversely, if you can attack your opponents serve, forcing it downwards, then they must respond by ‘lifting’ the shuttle, allowing you to gain an immediate attack.

// INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED? Rutland has numerous thriving badminton leagues. Most of the larger clubs, such as Uppingham Hill and Oakham, have rackets and shuttles to borrow on the night if you want to try the sport out.

Many will offer visitors a free taster session - you just need a decent pair of trainers and a tracksuit or shorts and sports shirt. Most local clubs charge a membership fee, and can be anywhere between £100 to £300 per year.

For more details contact Peter Atkinson at Uppingham Hill Badminton Club on 07917 027891 (www.uppinghamhillbadminton.co.uk)

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24/06/2012 09:51

A 20/20 CRICKETING EXTRAVAGANZA & GREAT FAMILY DAY OUT!!

• KIDS FUN AC TIVITIE • BEER S TENTS • FOOD AND DR INK AVAILA BLE

PCA ENGLAND MASTERS versus THE DEAN HEADLEY INVITATION XI FRIDAY 27th JULY 2012

STAMFORD SCHOOL GROUNDS • Gates Open at 9am • 10.00-12.00 - Under 10’s Kwik Cricket competition - featuring 16 local teams • Food and drink available all day - locally supplied • 2.00pm – 20/Twenty Game PLAYERS CONFIRMED BUMBLE • DOMINIC CORK • MARK EALHAM • GLADSTONE SMALL DEVON MALCOLM • MAL LOYE • JOHN EMBURY • CHRIS SCHOFIELD NEIL FAIRBROTHER • PHIL DEFREITAS • PAUL NIXON SHAUN UDAL • DEAN HEADLEY • ANDREW FLINTOFF

TICKETS & HOSPITALITY TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE VIA THE WEBSITE – THERE IS LIMITED AVAILABILITY

www.englandmastersstamford.co.uk Hospitality tables, sponsorship and advertising opportunities; Email: info@englandmastersstamford.co.uk p.20 Ad.indd 44

24/06/2012 12:35

Feature /// The Olympic lord

Stamford’s leaping lord The lasting athletic legacy of Lord Burghley, the 6th Marquess of Exeter, is written in gold, celluloid and Stamford pub signage.

By Will Hetherington

O

lympic gold medalist, the inspiration behind an Oscar-winning film, a grandee of the athletics establishment and with at least two pubs in Stamford named after him, David, Lord Burghley (1905-1981), inherited the title of 6th Marquess of Exeter from his father in 1956, but by then he had already made his name.

Winning Olympic gold in the 400-metre hurdles in 1928 at Amsterdam, it was the culmination of some tough Olympic experiences: he made his Olympics debut in Paris in 1924, when he was eliminated in the first round. At the 1928 event, Burghley was eliminated in the semi final of the 110 metre hurdles competition, but triumphed in the longer race, beating second and third placed Americans Frank Cuhel and Morgan Taylor by just 0.2 seconds.

The inspiration for one of the characters in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, played by Nigel Havers, he trained on the estate by balancing matchboxes on top of hurdles, attempting to knock them off with his lead foot without touching the hurdle. This imaginative, effective technique was reflected in the character in the film, although the producers used champagne glasses instead, matchboxes not reflecting the necessary upper class pedigree.

His talent for athletics was first noted at Cambridge University when, in a feat made famous in the film, he raced around the Great Court at Trinity College, becoming the only person to sprint around the courtyard before the college clock tolled 12 times.

Burghley seemed to enjoy a challenge: another remarkable and uniquely aristocratic record he set was the fastest time around the promenade deck of the Queen Mary, in March 1936, with a time of 58 seconds. And he did it dressed in formal evening wear, of course.

OUTDOOR OLYMPICS BURGHLEY HOUSE will be throwing The Great Olympic Garden Party every day during the Olympics, and the normally closed private South Gardens will host a big screen, showing television coverage from Saturday 28 July to Sunday 12 August.

Tickets will cost £12.50 for adults and there will also be four evening film showings, starting on Saturday 28th July with iconic sports movie Chariots of Fire, followed by three other movie screenings on August 1/2/3.

For more information visit www.burghley. co.uk/olympics

‘ANOTHER ARISTOCRATIC RECORD HE SET WAS THE FATEST TIME AROUND THE PROMENADE DECK OF THE QUEEN MARY’ As well as winning the Amsterdam gold, he also won silver in the 1932 Los Angles Olympics 4×400 yard relay, and once he retired from active sport, worked hard for amateur ideals within the Olympic movement. As president of the IAAF, chairman of the BOA and a member of the IOC, he was a leading light in bringing the Olympics to London in 1948 and was heavily involved in the organisation of the event.

In Stamford there is now a bar in the William Cecil Hotel named after him, as well as The Hurdler pub, near the fire station.

And in this special Olympic year Burghley House is paying tribute to the 6th Marquess with an exhibition dedicated to his sporting achievements, showing among other things his Olympic medals and the outfit he was wearing when he won. The exhibition is on at Burghley until the end of October.

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23/06/2012 13:52

Feature /// Coaching clinic

MAKING

SERVING EASY

Serving can be a nightmare for beginners, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Just follow our simple guide and you’ll be aceing it in no time.

ABOUT R2R TENNIS

BLEND IMAGES / ALAMY

Ralph Clarke is a former touring professional and director of R2R Tennis. R2R Tennis delivers tennis coaching at Oakham,Oundle and Stamford Tennis clubs. www.r2rtennis.co.uk 07866433605.

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STEP BY STEP SERVING

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

Here are some common mistakes and hints to put them right. // TRYING TO HIT THE SERVICE TOO HARD. Always try to ‘swing easy’, let your racket do the work and create ‘easy power’. // SECOND SERVE IN THE NET ...TOO OFTEN? Look up and make yourself big.

Reach up and aim to hit high over the net without worrying if you hit too long.

Use the hammer grip.

Don’t be safe and use a restrictive forehand grip. Use the Hammer grip and power up with the wrist snap.

STEP 3:

// Put the racket and ball together in a relaxed hanging position. Point your ball throwing arm towards the net post.

STEP 6:

// From the ‘tick’ the racket should find a pre throwing action position somewhere across the shoulder blades.

// Hold the racket in the ‘hammer grip’. Get used to turning the wrist in to the ball to produce extra wrist snap.

STEP 4:

// Keeping your throwing arm straight and place the ball as if throwing ‘up the net post’ imagine if you had a clock face in the sky.

The ball needs to be placed at 12 o’clock.

STEP 7:

// When the ball gets to the 12 o’clock position, throw the racket at the ball and fully extend for extra power.

// Find a balanced position with the your front foot pointing at 1 o’clock and back and back foot at 3 o’clock.

STEP 5:

// As the throwing arm rises the racket arm relaxes and separates into a ‘tick’ position.

STEP 8:

// The racket throw determines the direction. Throw your racket at the service box and finish by the front leg with a sensation of’ back foot to front foot’.

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25/06/2012 00:37

Feature /// Pre-season prep

Three-week pre-season football programme A PROPERLY STRUCTURED pre-season training programme can make all the difference to grassroots football league players and teams. Just don’t leave it too late!

It will make pre-season easier, allowing you to push yourself harder and consequently emerge fitter and stronger for the start of the season than you otherwise would have.

This is for players who want to have given themselves a head start when their club’s own pre-season training begins.

It is designed to build up fitness, muscle strength and endurance that will both lessen the pain of pre-season and give individual players a potentially crucial head-start over possible rivals for their place in the starting line-up.

WEEK ONE SESSION ONE Find a football pitch, ideally somewhere that takes you five minutes to jog to for the perfect warm-up. // Five-minute jog to park/pitch // Stretch // Five x three-quarter pace sprints from

one touchline to the other and back, with 30-second recovery rests between each sprint // Two and a half minute recovery (jog on the spot or kick a football about) // Repeat the above // Five-minute jog home SESSION TWO

// One set of press-ups/squat circuit

divided into six sections to run around.

From one corner to the halfway line is one section, then on to the next corner flag is another. The goal line is the next section, and then up to the halfway line is the next and so on until you are back where you began. These six sections provide the framework for this next drill. // Five-minute jog to park // Running six laps of the pitch, in the

following sequence

// Sprint one section, jog five // Sprint two sections, jog four // Sprint three sections, jog three // Sprint four sections, jog two // Sprint five sections, jog one // Sprint all six sections

SESSION THREE Imagine the perimeter of a football pitch

WEEK TWO SESSION ONE

// Five-minute jog to park // Stretch // Five x three-quarter pace sprints from

one touchline to the other and back, with 20-second recovery rests between each sprint // Two-minute recovery // Repeat the above // Five-minute jog home

SESSION THREE

// Five-minute jog to park // Stretch // One lap of full-size football pitch (timed

with stopwatch)

// One lap jog for recovery (kick a ball as

you go). Repeat the fast and slow laps four more times, on each fast lap attempting to match the time of the first // Five-minute jog home

SESSION TWO

// Two sets of the press-up/lunge

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23/06/2012 13:38

WEEK THREE SESSION ONE

// Five-minute jog to park // Stretch // Five sprints across the pitch and back, with

30 seconds recovery between each.

// Two-and-a-half minutes rest // Four sprints across the pitch and back, with

15 seconds recovery between each // Two-and-a-half minutes rest // Three timed sprints across the pitch and back, aiming for 30 seconds or less each time. The recovery time allowed between sprints depends on the time recorded (whatever is le out of the 30 seconds).

So, a 24-second sprint earns six seconds recovery, a 30-second (or more) sprint earns no recovery. // Two-and-a-half minutes rest

// Five minutes jog home

SESSION TWO

// Three sets of super circuit

SESSION THREE

// Dividing the perimeter of the pitch into six

sections as in Week One, Session Three, run laps of a football pitch in the following sequence. // Sprint one section, jog one section for recovery // Sprint two, jog one, // Sprint three, jog one // Sprint four, jog one // Sprint five, jog one // Sprint six // Jog six

CIRCUITS Each week you need to complete a circuit of 10, 12 and 15 repetitions of each: week one is the ‘press-up and squat circuit’, week two is the ‘press-up and lunge circuit’ and week three the super circuit, PRESS UP AND SQUAT CIRCUIT

Press-up

Double Leg Squat

Press-up (1 leg raised)

Single Leg Squat (leg to front

Press-up (wide arms)

Single Leg Squat (leg to back)

PRESS UP AND LUNGE CIRCUIT

Press-up

Forward Lunge (alt leg)

Close Arm Press-up

Programme developed by strength and conditioning expert Mark Gordon.

Side Lunge

Staggered Arm Press-up

Multi Directional Lunge

For more information visit: Mark@fitness2health.co.uk www.fitness2health.co.uk Facebook: Mark FitnessTrainer

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 2 4 9

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23/06/2012 13:39

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24/06/2012 13:09

Fitness /// Update

YURI ARCURS / ALAMY

FITNESS NEWS

From fat to fit Over the next few issues, Active’s health and fitness expert Mark Gordon will be putting together a programme that will help you get fit, live more healthily and eat better too. But first, the basics of fitness THE FOUNDATIONS AND COMPONENTS OF FITNESS

I thought it was only right in the first issue to lay down the foundations of fitness. After all, once we understand the individual elements, we can then follow the components that best suit your activities and work towards programs of fitness.

Fitness is defined in many different ways and its meaning can become an exhaustive list. However ‘total fitness’ or ‘wellness’ is now often used and can be interpreted as ‘Striving for optimal quality of life including social, mental, spiritual, and physical components’(i.e. strength) but will be made up of various components.

Basic fitness can be classified in four main components: strength, speed, stamina and flexibility.

However, exercise scientists have identified nine components that comprise the definition of fitness:

STRENGTH

The extent to which muscles can exert force by contracting against resistance (e.g. holding or restraining an object or person).

POWER

The ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements. The two components of power are strength and speed. (e.g. jumping or a sprint start).

AGILITY

The ability to perform a series of explosive power movements in rapid succession in opposing directions (e.g. Zig-zag running or cutting movements).

BALANCE

The ability to control the body’s position, either stationary (e.g. a handstand) or while moving (e.g. a gymnastics stunt).

FLEXIBILITY

The ability to achieve an extended range of motion without being impeded by fat or muscle.

LOCAL MUSCLE ENDURANCE

A single muscle’s ability to perform sustained work (e.g. rowing or cycling).

CARDIOVASCULAR ENDURANCE

The heart’s ability to deliver blood to working muscles and their ability to use it (e.g. running long distances).

STRENGTH ENDURANCE

A muscle’s ability to perform a maximum contraction time after time (e.g. continuous explosive rebounding through an entire basketball game).

CO-ORDINATION

The ability to integrate the above listed components so that effective movements are achieved.

NEXT MONTH, we’ll start breaking these down and

I’ll show you how you can test yourself against the ‘components’ of fitness and how to choose which of these you should focus on the for your sport.

MARK GORDON, Mark@fitness2health.co.uk, www.fitness2health.co.uk FACEBOOK: Mark FitnessTrainer

BARNSDALE HALL OFFERS TASTER FITNESS SESSIONS Barnsdale Hall Hotel Leisure Club is offering sample membership for a reduced trial price over the summer.

For £60 those signing up will receive six consecutive weeks of unlimited membership, allowing them to enjoy the luxurious facilities.

The club features a 22-metre heated indoor swimming pool, two spas, sauna, steam room, five tennis courts, 18-hole crazy golf, nine-hole pitch and putt, all weather boules green and, of course, the fully equipped, state-of-theart gymnasium.

Being attached to Barnsdale Hall Hotel will also allow people to enjoy a well-earned drink or light meal or snack in the Brasserie Restaurant and Bar with outside Terrace overlooking Rutland Water.

Leisure club manager Andy Rudkin said: ‘This is an excellent one-off opportunity for people to come and try us out as it’s very rare that we open the club up to such a fantastic offer.

‘We truly believe our facilities are easily the best in the area and it’s time to show them off.’

For more information on this offer contact the club on 01572 771314.

OVER 50s MORNING AT CATMOSE Catmose Sports Centre in Oakham is offering the over-50s a sport and fitness session every Wednesday morning from 930-1130am.

Sports to take part in include badminton, short tennis and table tennis.

Costing £3 for non members and £2 for members, the price Includes a coffee house voucher too.

Call 01572 490030 for more information.

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Fitness featureJK_SM.indd 117

23/06/2012 13:30

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24/06/2012 22:40

Feature /// Health and beauty

IMAGE SOURCE / ALAMY

GOVERNMENT LOOKS TO GET PEOPLE ACTIVE

Sports Massage: no pain, no gain

THE LATEST CAMPAIGN from the Government’s Change4Life programme, called Games4Life, is aimed at to inspiring the nation to get active during this year’s summer of sport.

With more than 1,200 hours of sport on TV over the summer (which works out at 13 hours a day), Games4Life intends to build on the excitement and encourage millions of people to get involved and get active.

A new survey shows that 93% of people will be tuning into some of this coverage during the next three months and while they watch more than half will be snacking on crisps, four in 10 adults will be drinking alcohol, and one in five will settle down with a takeaway.

In a bid to get the nation up off the sofa, Games4Life will be encouraging everyone to fill out a simple activity check questionnaire in return for a tailored Games4Life activity pack to keep both adults and kids busy during the summer months.

The campaign will bring ideas and inspiration to the public’s fingertips via the Change4Life website, which is the Department for Health claims is ‘full of fun, easy and free ways for everyone to get moving’.

And for families, a new mobile app – the Fun Generator – will equip them with more than 100 ideas on how to get active.

Visit www.nhs.uk/Change4Life/Pages/ change-for-life.aspx for more details on how to get involved.

Sports massage can help ward against pulls and strains, and aid recovery time too DO YOU SPEND days after a hard game, session or workout hobbling about, with muscles that feel like they’re made of tough old boot leather?

Then perhaps it might be time to think about sports massage. Most professional sportsmen and women swear by it, and most pro teams have a masseur with them at all times, to aid recovery and ward against pulls brought on by stiff muscle.

Massage is a combination of manipulation and stretching of the soft tissues of the body, and is one of the oldest forms of therapy. Sports massage takes that further, and is a form of deep tissue massage used to treat muscle tension, fatigue

and stress.

Sports masseur Rachel Fry, who works at The Broad Street Practice in Stamford, explained the benefits: ‘Sports massage relaxes and stretches muscles and soft tissue, and relieves muscle pain. It can also be used to promote muscle repair and helps to prevent further injury or stop injuries from re-occurring.

‘Not only that, but if used regularly it can improve muscle performance in event preparation and speed up post-event recovery too.’

SPORTS MASSAGE – DOES IT WORK? ‘I’ve had a recurring problem with my calf, where it would keep tweaking following a pull about a year ago. In the end, resting it didn’t seem to be making much difference, so I went for massage, which, if I’m honest I thought was a bit of a girly thing to do.

‘I was wrong – the deep

muscle massage is designed to break down the scar tissue that has formed and so it’s no light, gentle rub down! But after a couple of sessions, I’ve never had any more problems with my calf at all. No pain, no gain!’

ML, Stamford

WHERE TO GET SPORTS MASSAGE Rachel Fry Diploma Sports Massage MSMA (Member of the Sports Massage Association) The Broad Street Practice 20/21 Broad Street Stamford

JANET AND JAMIE JOIN EMMA CANNINGS THE EMMA CANNINGS SALON, now well established at the Stamford Garden Centre and having grown steadily over the last two years, has added new staff to meet increasing demand.

Emma has taken on two new therapists: Janet Prior (pictured right) and Jamie Stanjko (le ), bringing the team up to a total of seven.

Emma said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to have two such popular and experienced therapists joining the team. We’ve worked hard to create a team of therapists with incredibly high standards and Janet and Jamie are a perfect fit.’

The salon offers a wide range of treatments including MD Formulation Glycolic peels, Decleor facials and body treatments, Jessica nails, Bare Escentuals make-up and Crystal Clear microdermabrasion. A full range of treatments and prices is available from the website (emmacannings.co.uk).

Alternatively call 01780 766583 or drop in at the Stamford Garden Centre to book an appointment.

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Feature /// Great walks

TOP STAT

in three This walk takes rt in counties. You sta d then Lincolnshire an move through hire and Northamptons .

Cambridgeshire

Clockwise, from above

The ruins of Wothorpe Towers – is there really a tunnel from here to Burghley House?

Have a nose around Church Street on your way to the pub.

Cross the railway and head up the hill to Easton.

Ella loves nothing more than a splash in the Welland before a well-earned trip to the pub.

5 4 J U L Y 2 0 1 2 ///

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24/06/2012 09:16

The Easton-onthe-Hill loop A classic Welland Valley walk with stunning views across three counties and well-placed pubs for a pint or two, as Will Hetherington and labrador Ella discover Words /// Photography: Will Hetherington THE ROUTE

Start on the town meadows in Stamford between Bath Row and the George Hotel and strike out west towards the A1. Go through the gate at the far left of the fence and keep going over the meadows for half a mile until you get to the green steel bridge over the Welland.

Cross the bridge and turn right. If it’s a hot day make sure the dog makes use of the river here because there aren’t too many opportunities later on. Keep the river on your right for 250 yards and then bear left towards an underpass beneath the A1. If you get to the weir you’ve gone too far!

Once you’re under the A1 the path takes you up to a railway crossing and away from the traffic noise. After this you know you’ve left Lincolnshire because there are real contours!

Seasoned fen-hoppers will find the ascent to Easton reasonably demanding, but hardier Rutlanders should positively skip up the slope.

In due course the footpath, which is part of the Jurassic and MacMillan Ways, brings you right into the stunning old part of Easton-on-the-Hill with its honey yellow stone cottages lining the road. Head down Church Street into the village with the church on your right and enjoy this wonderful example of a stone-built English village at its very best.

When you reach the T-junction you will find the Blue Bell pub, which is a good spot for a drink. Or, if you can wait another five minutes, turn left here, right down New Road and left

along the A43 to the Exeter Arms. Stop here and enjoy a drink or even one of their excellent pizzas before starting out on the second half of the walk.

It’s mostly downhill from here so you can afford to have more than one pint if you need it…

Turn right out of the Exeter Arms and follow the path along the A43. Walk past Racecourse Road and look out for the footpath which cuts off diagonally on the south side of the A43. Head down here for half a mile through some pretty woodland until you come to the Wothorpe ruins.

Here you can either turn left and follow the footpath which wends its way back down through wealthy Wothorpe to Stamford, or stay on the track as it heads over the A1. The latter route is flanked by some glorious horse chestnut trees and brings you out by Burghley Park Golf Club, where you simply turn left and walk the half mile or so down the hill into Stamford.

THE POOCH PERSPECTIVE

There are no cattle or sheep on the meadows or up to Easton, although there are some sheep on the way back through Wothorpe. There’s plenty of opportunity to chase other dogs around and get in the river on the meadows. And both pubs in Easton have good beer gardens.

Difficulty rating (out of five)

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION Where to park Bath Row or the Cattle Market by the George in Stamford, or you can park at the Exeter Arms or the Blue Bell in Easton and start and finish your walk there.

Distance and time: Four and a half miles/one and a half hours.

Top and above

Stamford’s skyline looking back from the town meadows.

In the footsteps of Queen Boadicea.

Highlights The views of Stamford as you walk away from town and look back towards it. Easton-on-theHill’s stunning church and old

village. And the ruins of Wothorpe Towers, which were built as a dower house for Burghley in the early 17th century.

Lowlights Crossing the A1 hardly evokes the spirit of rural England, but it does provide the opportunity to gloat over the motorists wishing they were out in the countryside.

Refreshments The Exeter Arms in Easton has a

small but pleasant bar and a decent beer garden. There’s a pizza menu and a full restaurant menu. The Blue Bell in Easton is an Italian restaurant and a pub with one of the biggest beer gardens this side of Munich.

Stamford spots include the George, Bull & Swan, William Cecil, Cosy Club and the London Inn. Or you could tuck into fish and chips at the Riverside overlooking the meadows to replace all those calories you have just burnt off.

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 2 5 5

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24/06/2012 09:16

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24/06/2012 13:29

Feature /// Sportsman’s Dinner

Voujon Dean and JT, Active’s perfectly-honed gourmet athletes give their post-meal analysis on Voujon, Broad Street, Stamford.

Dean - What I liked about Voujon is the waiters are friendly and keen to have a chat about local sport – they get so many people in here they always know who’s won what, or how many runs I didn’t get.

JT - Yep, it was nice to be greeted by the ever-genial waiter, Sam Abdul, who I often see at Burghley Park Golf Club.

He’s not a bad golfer actually, but I’m sure he still owes me £70 for the driver I let him have. We were once partners in the monthly medal, and he’s certainly a better golfer than his handicap suggests.

I think he must be keeping the handicap secretary sweet with free curry.

Dean – There was a buzz in the restaurant, with the majority of tables full, so it’s probably best to book, which we hadn’t. That said, I was quite happy to wait for five minutes: the sofas are stylish and comfy, they had a TV in reception (on mute) showing a Euro 2012 game and with the quick service on the Cobras, I was happy! They’ve thought of everything in here. And no, JT, you shouldn’t have asked them to put Coronation Street on.

JT – There was a crucial early decision to make: getting the right number of poppadums. It can make or break a curry if you go too greedy too early and munch a dozen without thinking.

Dean – Yep, true, you’ve got to have balance up front. But a curry isn’t a curry without me spilling mint sauce and red onion all over the tablecloth. The poppadoms in Voujon are the best in town, and the condiments are a sight to behold: a feisty mint sauce, oodles of coriander in the onion salad and a sweet mango chutney. They could also do with some lime pickle and maybe a bit more spice.

of the best pints in town. The chicken was genuinely the most succulent meat I’ve had for a long time. It wasn’t not too hot either – I was in heaven!

JT – Starter: I thought about the mixed platter. Something to share, and it meant I didn’t have to choose one dish, but Dean pointed out we’re not on a date. I fluttered my eyelashes though and got my way. A kebab, couple of tikkas and a bhajis each, just right. Although when I came in here with my girlfriend she let me have more.

JT - Overall, I’ve always rated Voujon as the perfect curry house to take a date, or go for an impromptu post-match curry too. It’s obvious plenty of others think the same, as we saw two chaps from Uffington Cricket Club, and somebody from the squash club.

Dean – I’m a growing lad. And what girlfriend?

JT – For main, I let Sam decide. I tell him what to do on the golf course - he’s the expert in here, and he picked the lamb tawa jalfrezi. The food came in good time.

Dean - I’m not so brave, but I am confident enough of the quality to shy away from my standard chicken balti, and plump for a special, a murgh shaslik, with a Kingfisher-on-tap chaser. It’s one

JT - My lamb came in its own frying pan and was absolutely cracking. Do you reckon they serve it in this dish to save on the washing up?

Dean - Not everyone thinks like us JT.

DEAN AND JT’S SCOREBOARD Service: The beer keeps flowing, chat is good and not too much of a wait.

5/5 Quality: Premiership standard puppodums, succulent meat and about the right heat 4/5 Price: Higher end of the price range, but they’ve not got you over a barrel, Harry Redknapp-style 4/5

Dean - Often upmarket curry restaurants score highly on presentation, lighting, décor and squareness of the plates, but lack the quality or quantity to satisfy a well-trained sportsman’s appetite. The Voujon scores highly on all levels with tasteful décor, friendly staff, good quality food, and decent portions and it’s not too expensive either. For poppadums, shared starter, two main courses (including rice and naan) and three beers each set us back £65. A perfect evening.

Voujon

26 Broad Street, Stamford, 01780 757 030 www.voujonrestaurant.co.uk

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 2 5 7

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24/06/2012 13:51

Feature /// Win or lose

The Tobie Norris

In the first of a regular series, Steve Moody scours Rutland in search of the perfect post-match pub. First stop: the Tobie Norris

‘W

in or lose, on the booze!’

It’s a phrase you generally hear from a bloke, sat in his pants on some slatted wooden bench, with smelly kit strewn all around him, having been stuffed that afternoon by fitter, faster and more focused opponents. Although possibly it would be laden with more expletives.

You’ll not hear it if you’ve won though: an evening celebrating with a few beers is a given in that case.

In order to bring you the sporting experience in all its many guises, we’ll also be featuring the best pubs you can visit to drown your sorrows or talk up your triumphs. First up is the Tobie Norris. It’s a well-known place and almost always busy, whether you wander in on a Wednesday at 6pm or roll through the doors late on a Saturday.

The appeal is obvious: it’s one of the most distinctive pubs in Britain, with bits dating back to the 13th century and having been rescued from oblivion – as a decaying ex-RAF serviceman’s club - by local pub/restaurant/hotel magnate Mick Thurlby in 2006.

PUB LANDLORD WILL FRY’S GUIDE TO HIS BEERS

a few regulars and always some guest ones, too. Me, I’m a fan of the Castle Rock, a light session beer, although if there’s Doom Bar as a guest beer, then I’m happy to give that a go. Also vital for any team is the provision of jugs, and they keep them flowing in the Tobie – jug nights are on Wednesday when they’re reduced to £10.

On the nutrition side are the pizzas and a wide range of posh crisps and nuts. The pizzas in the Tobie are second to none, and a handy early evening fill-up to line the stomach. After all, many a sportsman or woman has set off on a post-match marathon only to come over all Paula Radcliffe due to a lack of sustenance before they begin.

You can build your own, too: mine was ham, pineapple and chilli, which I like to think is far eastern in it influences, rather than a bit chavvy. Others disagree.

But it was very good, and I should have gone large. Schoolboy error.

There are a few things to watch out for: the stairs are quite steep and if you’re old like me and prone to seizing up with cramp halfway up, best take a friend along as a willing sherpa, but it’s worth the perilous trip for the tasteful vintage Pirelli posters in the toilet. I’m slightly obsessed with the girl in the stockings over the right hand urinal, if I’m honest.

And the Tobie isn’t the place for the last rounds of apple sourz at 2am, drum n’ bass (or whatever the kids listen to these days) and the hope of a grope. But if you want a great place with superb beer, excellent atmosphere and the perfect spot for some post-game team bonding, then it’s very hard to beat.

Castle Rock Harvest Pale 3.8% Refreshing pale yellow beer full of hop aroma and flavour. A good session beer.

The 500-year-old oak beams all do that tortured, twisty thing that makes you wonder how they hold anything up, the stone floors are as uneven as an Andy Carroll performance and the doors are of such varying heights that you need to make a note if you’re over six foot of which ones you need to duck through.

It’s all an essential part of what makes the Tobie unique, and why it has won so many national awards. But, of course, you can have more charm than Hugh Grant visiting a Swiss Girls’ Finishing School, but if your beer is rubbish then the punters won’t come.

Fortunately in this regard, the Tobie is in good hands, as landlord Will Fry’s handling of his beer is as metronomic as his bowling for Uffington CC. There are

Adnams Ale Southwold Bitter 3.7% Fruity, hoppy bitter with a sweeter a ertaste from Suffolk.

Wyld Wood 7.3% Vintage medium dry organic still cider from Weston’s that’s great a er a hot day in the field.

Warsteiner The king of European lagers

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25/06/2012 11:20

Feature /// School sports

Stamford Schoolgirls win national trophy STAMFORD SCHOOL GIRLs under 18 football team finally won the Independent Schools Nation Football Cup Final after two previous near misses.

Played at Borehamwood, home of Arsenal Ladies, they took on reigning champions ACS Cobham in the final having finished as runners up in the competition the last two years. Lead by their captain Lauren Rigby, they won 2-0.

The game started with the two sides looking evenly matched and composed for the first 15-20 minutes, but Stamford grew in confidence as the half progressed and started to dictate the game.

They created several half chances to finally open the scoring on the 27th minute with a fantastic

20 yard left-footed shot from Emma Couzens.

The second half saw Stamford increase their domination, with Abbie Brewin and Lauren Rigby constantly harassing the ACS Cobham defence and coming close to doubling the score on several occasions. Meanwhile the back four, inspired by the impressive Maria Davies and Annissa Zak, neutralised any attempts from the opposition to get back into the game.

The second goal came 12 minutes before the end, when Hannah Brewis latched onto a through ball from Beth Carnegie to beat the keeper from close range.

The girls played magnificently to reach the final, beating Wellingborough 6-1, Uppingham

4-1, Oakham 3-0 away from home, and also went to Welbeck Defence College and won 4-0.

Heidi Myles, Head of Games at Stamford High School, said: ‘The girls put on a fantastic performance and fully deserved to lift the trophy for the first time. They worked tremendously hard throughout the season to reach the final and have taken football at Stamford High School to new heights.

Le to right back:

Hannah Brewis, Emma Couzens, Beth Carnegie, Genny Peck, Andy Elliot (coach), Abbie Brewin, Maria Davies, Annissa Zak, Aimee Blay Front: Olivia Chandler, Aisling MacDonald, Hannah Paish, Zoe Wilson, Sarah Bloomer Lying down: Lauren Rigby [Captain]

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Up and coming

Agilitas Sports

Summer 2012

Multi Sports Activity Camp

Every month, we’ll feature talented youngsters from the area making a name for themselves in sport

Charlie James // Tennis TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Charlie James from Ufford won the recent Dollamore Grade Three Competition in Chesterfield recently, which should see him move into the top 50 rankings and a place in the national finals.

Seeded second, the Stamford schoolboy beat a national ranked contender from Dundee in a close fought three set final.

Training in Stamford, Virgin Active (Peterborough) and Hills Road in Cambridge, the higher rating as a result of this win should see him

leap up the ranking and into the major national tournament in August.

For 5-11 yEar oldS

only

Monday – Friday Weeks commencing 30th July 6th august 13th august 20th august

per day

at Stamford rugby Club, Hambleton road, Stamford, PE9 2rZ

£15 Children will need a packed lunch, water, sun cream, hat, waterproofs, change of clothes, water pistol and a towel.

9am – 3pm

Activities will include: multi skills, parachute games, crazy catch, cricket, football, volleyball, dodgeball, rounders, tag rugby, team building games, netball, frisbee, softball, badminton, new age kurling and more!

For booking forms please go to the ‘sports camp’ section at www.agilitassports.com Email: agilitassports@btinternet.com

Agilitas Sports

Summer 2012

Holiday Sports Camp Programme Ben Jennings // Sailing KING’S SCHOOL and Rutland Sailing Club’s Ben Jennings has had a highly successful year as one of the top young sailors in the country.

Ben is consistently one of GB’s top two Under 14 Topper sailors, and part of the RYA’s North of England squad.

On top that, at recent National events he won first in the under 14 category and came 17th overall against kids of up to 17 years old.

Ben is also representing Eastern

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Area at prestigious National Team Racing Final 1-2 July 2012, organised by the National Dinghy Racing School Association (NDRSA), and sailing for Cambridgeshire Schools at the National Schools’ Sailing Association Regatta in Weymouth, July 2012 (along with other Kings’ pupils) July 2012.

Later in the summer, he’ll be competing in the World Championships in Holland, and Active will be following his

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

09.00 – 10.00

Team games

Team games

Team games

Team games

Team games

10.00 – 11.00

Tag Rugby

Football

Rounders

Netball

Cricket

11.00 – 12.00

Rounders

Multi skills

Tag Rugby

Volleyball

Tag Rugby

12.00 – 13.00

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

13.00 – 14.00

Parachute games

Frisbee games

New age kurling

Tag Rugby

Boccia

14.00 - 15.00

Water Fight

Water Fight

Water Fight

Water Fight

Water Fight

This programme is subject to change depending upon weather and the group.

If the weather is very good we will have a water fight in the last session of the day. For this children need swim wear, towel, water pistol and bag for wet gear.

in the event of poor weather we will use the club house for indoor games, videos (Cert U), drawing, quizzes, board games etc. Children are welcome to bring their own games e.g. dS or i-pod touch for use in these times but these games are brought at their own risk.

25/06/2012 01:04

Roundup The scores, star performers and stats from a month in Stamford and Rutland sport.

// Cricket STARS OF THE MONTH

Our roll of honour of batting greatness (or quite good) in the last month…

114 S Cowley Oakham v Enderby (Leicestershire League Division 3) 107 G Scotcher Barnack v Burghley Park (Hunts League Division 1) 104 J Ashwin Uppingham Town v Burton Lattimer (Northants League Division 13) 97 M Edge Oakham 2nds v Shepsed Messengers 2nds (Leicestershire League Division 7) 93 G Cooper Oakham 2nds v Shepsed Messengers 2nds (Leicestershire League Division 7) 90 C Simmons Stamford Town v Uffington (Rutland League Division 3) 86 A Butt Barnack v Oundle (Rutland League Division 1) 83 G Peck Stamford Town 2nds v Spalding 2nds (South Lincs & Border Division 2) 76 M Greaves Stamford Town v Uffington (Rutland League Division 3) 67 S Lockwood Oakham v Billesdon 2nds (Leicestershire League Division 7)

How come my five-fer’s not here?!

Are your clubs star performances not here? Then make sure next month you email active with club reports and scores, and we’ll put them in.

Email: steve@theactivemag.com

65 G Cunningham Uffington v Castor (Rutland League Division 3) 60 G Cunningham Uffington v Stamford Town (Rutland League Division 3) 60 D Goodson Nassington 2nds v AK XI (Hunts Division 2) 58 S Lakhano Oakham v Eaton Socon (Rutland League Division 2) 57 D Piggott Stamford Town v Peterborough (Rutland League Division 1) 56 O Lindley Burghley Park v Barnack (Hunts League Division 1) 55 D Robinson Nassington v Uppingham Town (Rutland League Division 1) 55 J Gallimore Ketton v Whittlesey (Rutland League Division 3) 54 A Bandaranaike Nassington v Bourne (Rutland League Division 1) 52 O Ahmedzai Nassington 2nds v AK XI (Hunts League Division 2) 50 S Len Stamford Town v Woodhall Spa (South Lincs & Border League Division 1) …and the star bowling performances 9-2-18-5 S Prentice Stamford Town v Skegness 2nds (South Lincs & Border League Division 1) 11.1-5-19-5 B Slack Burghley Park v Eaton Socon (Hunts Division 1) 10.1-5-20-4 K Ikhlaq Nassington v Ramsey (Cambs League Division 1) 12-3-31-5 S Armstrong Stamford Town CC v Sleaford CC 2nds (South Lincs & Border League Division 1) 9-1-20-4 N Williams Stamford Town v Woodhall Spa (South Lincs & Border League Division 1)

WE WANT YOUR MATCH REPORTS! PLEASE SEND THEM TO THE EDITOR steve@theactivemag.com

// Tennis Oakham fighting back After a tough opening three matches in the Leicestershire Premier League, which despite great efforts from Ralph ‘The Rocket’ Clarke and ‘Jumping’ Jack Haworth ended in three losses, Oakham finally recorded back to back wins against Leicester Forest East and Rothley, 7-2 and 5-4 respectively. Ralph and Jack, who is moving into the top ten for his age group in the UK, won a stunning perfect six rubbers in the latter two matches.

Tim Davies and Martin Gilliam provided an unbeaten three against Leicester Forest East while James Henley contributed a vital two rubbers with different partners, Nick Howitt and Warren Thomas, over the two matches whilst preparing for his ‘A’ Levels at Oakham School. One cannot underestimate the contribution of Nicky ‘I Hit The Ball The Hardest’ Rae, who has contributed a further three wins over the season so far, while also studying hard hoping to get the right ‘A’ Levels to enable him to get a tennis scholarship to the states.

Tennis Shorts Ketton Tennis Club have had one of the strongest starts to a season in many years, with their mixed first team starring at the top of Division Two of the Hunts and Peterborough leagues.

// Golf Greetham Valley’s great run in the Mail on Sunday knock-out came to an abrupt end at Tydd St Giles recently.

With home advantage being so important in this competition, it was always going to be a tough match. In the first game the home side took an early lead when George Grant was edged out by Addy Bills three and two.

Second team captain Alan Bennett fought

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hard to halve his match with scratch and ex Euro-Pro tour player Kevin Gouds.

A four and three by Tydds Neil Johns over Steff Dutton gave the home side a slender lead and when Neil Harris lost out three and two to home captain Andy Betts in the third game, the Tydds victory was secured. In the final game Adam Clegg halved his match with Paul Barton. Adam’s long driving was equally matched by Paul’s long and accurate putting. Tydd’s victory of three points to one takes them into the latter stages of the competition with a trip to Portugal just over the horizon.

Greetham proprietors Frank, Hazel, Robert and Dee Hinch said that they were proud of the team for reaching round six of the ten match tournament adding that they had exceeded all expectations as on their journey, thousands of other clubs had fallen by the wayside.

ARE YOUR CLUBS RESULTS NOT HERE? SEND THEM TO THE EDITOR steve@theactivemag.com

// Sailing Tearaway wins the Formula One Nationals Tearaway sailed by Bruce Bonar, Andrew Bonar, Graham Colam and David Ashworth were winners of the Hunter Formula One National Championships over the 15 – 17 June and became the fifth different winner of the trophy in the last five years.

A strong fleet of 11 boats took part in the event from the thriving Formula One fleet at Rutland SC with new owners and crew joining in the competition. The winners were pushed very hard in every race by Josh Wilce and team on Evolution who took second overall. John Ball improved on his fourth position in 2011 to take third in Fracas and Class Association Secretary Nick Bett was fourth Sailing Apocalypse (once again missing out on count back!)

// Judo Golf shorts Cathy Lee, from Toft GC won the Stoke Rochford Golf Club Ladies Open, and so the Turner Cup, with a gross 74 (net 63).Toft’s Helen Roscoe was fourth, with a gross 87 (net 70).

Craig Allan, Deggie Palmer, Andy Vernon and Pete Sciciliano won a shotgun start Texas Scramble open to all club members at Rutland County with a net 54.17, which included 13 birdies and five pars.

Vale Judo Club head to Dublin for training This long anticipated event saw Holly Newton, Lauren Gear and Sofia Palmer jetting off to Dublin for three days, to train with a host of past and present Olympians.

The two hour tachi waza sessions in the morning, two hour ne waza sessions in the afternoon were run in turn by Aleksei Budolin (Olympic and World medallist, European Champion), Sergei Aschwanden (Olympic and World medallist, European Champion), Mark Huizinga (Olympic and European Champion) and Illias Illiadis

(Olympic, World and European Champion) – an awe inspiring line up.

The girls were able to try some Championship winning techniques, and experienced a number of new drills and games to try out back at the club. The camp was attended by judoka from Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Germany, USA and Sweden providing plenty of training partners, and it was particularly good to meet up with Swedish friend Helena Lindstrom from Molkom Judo Klubb.

// Rugby Bourne into Midland Div 5 Bourne RFC’s promotion to the RFU league structure has been confirmed, and the club will compete in Midland East Division 5, having won the Lincolnshire Merit League last season.

// Triathlon PACTRAC’s Novice MiniSeries race at Oundle attracted 44 competitors with Tom Stead, a 15 year old triathlete from St Neots, winning.

Despite not seeing the course in advance, and out of the water in ninth place, he managed the fastest bike split of the night to start the run in pole position, over half a minute up on Henry Morton – a position he maintained to the end.

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07/06/2012 16:08 25/06/2012 00:09

DAVID KILPATRICK / ALAMY

Roundup

Featured match Uppingham v Barnack June 17th Uppingham travelled to Barnack on a dry day a er another week of heavy rain.

wickets for just 21 runs due to excellent bowling by D Tayyub (3 wkts for 21 runs).

Ben Collins was back to add to the bowling attack, Captain Jamie Dumford won the toss, for the first time this season. Uppingham chose to bat and opened with Jamie Dumford (4) and Jamie Richardson (11) as they struggled losing three

Mark Cox (77 not out) batting at number three became the backbone of the Uppingham innings. Max Collins (17), Colan Bartram (13), Danny Dumford (10) and Alex Ashwin (19) all helped and Stu LambieĂ s 8 not out proved invaluable

as Uppingham posted a final total of 173 runs for 9 wickets in 45 overs.

In reply Barnack opened with Asim Butt (38) and Malcolm Holmes (9) scoring quickly in the early overs, but the introduction of Danny Dumford (5 for 41 runs) and Ben Collins (3 for 41 runs), quickly changed the game.

Dumford trapping Holmes lbw in his first over and Max Collins taking a superb catch to remove the very

dangerous Butt from the first ball bowled by brother Ben. T Ahmed (23) batting at number four played a solid innings and D Tayyub (38) batting at number nine looked to be taking Barnack to victory, before getting caught out by Stu Lambie of the bowling off Alex Ashwin (2 for 19 runs) to clinch a nailbiting win for Uppingham with Barnack 13 short.

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25/06/2012 00:10

Next month in

On the fly In Rutland, we have one of the finest places in Europe to learn fly fishing.

Our expert angler and ex-GB fly fisherman tells you how to get started.

School’s Out! Dreading six weeks of bored kids, rain and vast expense? Don’t worry – we’ll be featuring the best places to go, the most fun things to do and lot of ways to tire the little darlings out in our school holiday special.

Football season preview It might be August, but the football season is soon underway.

We look at our local clubs’ chances.

PLUS ALL OUR REGULARS Great Walks // Win or Lose // Sportsman’s Dinner // News // Final Score // Health and Fitness // Stalwart and much more….

/// J U L Y 2 0 1 2 6 5

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25/06/2012 01:32

Feature /// Stalwart

Terry Rawlings UFFORD PARK CRICKET CLUB

‘I HAD A JOB TO GET ANYONE TO FIELD IN THE SLIPS TO JONATHAN AGNEW BECAUSE HE WAS SO FAST AND THE BALL WAS WHIZZING OFF THE BAT’

Words /// Photography: Steve Moody

I

T SAYS A LOT for the sort of club Ufford Park is that although we chose to feature Terry Rawlings, he spent much of the time highlighting other perfectly likely candidates for the accolade of Stalwart.

‘Eddie Wilkinson, who lives next door to me, well he’s been connected to the club since the 1960s, and he does all the odd jobs. And Elaine Ward is the scorer, as well as secretary and has been for years.

‘Of course, there’s John Mason, who does the outfield. He started playing when I did and he’s a year older than me, and played right up to 1998.’

All very modest, but Terry is Ufford Park CC. Now 68, he first played in 1956 when he was 12. ‘It’s been 56 years now and I’ve played here all the while, until one or two injuries came along, and I also had a heart attack in 2000, so I only played three or four games at the end of the next year.

‘I don’t play both days now, although I should have done the other weekend but I hurt my foot bowling on the Saturday. I play Saturdays only when they’re short, and some first team games on Sunday in Rutland Division Two when the boys are doing exams, but when they’re back I’ll be in the seconds.’

Terry admits to not being as prolific as he once was, but he’s still adding to the 40,000plus runs he’s scored over the years, and adding to the 1,800 victims in his pocket.

‘My highest score was 141 not out against St Ives in 2000, before I had my heart attack (he says the two aren’t related) – me and Nigel Clough put on 254 for the first wicket,’ he remembers. ‘I don’t get many runs now, but the 1970s were the best – I got 2,064 runs in the 1974 season, I think it was.’

As captain of the club in the ‘70s, Terry threw the ball to a young Jonathan Agnew, of Leicestershire, England and the BBC. He adds: ‘He played here when he was 13-17 years old, before he went to Leicestershire. I had a job to get anyone to field in the slips because he was so fast and the ball was whizzing off the bat.’

But it’s not just actions on the field that have wedded Terry to Ufford Park. Generations of his family have helped run the club.

‘My father was chairman from 1952-69 and he was treasurer, too. There’s also pictures of my grandfather, so I suppose he played as well. I’ve been fixture secretary since 1963 and was secretary too, but Elaine Ward took over in 1994. As for fixture secretary, a lot of it’s done by computer now anyway.

‘But not much changes here: it’s been the same for generations. On a sunny day it’s a lovely place to play.’ // Do you have a Stalwart worth celebrating?

Email steve@theactivemag.com with details

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24/06/2012 22:42