Thaw comes in time

14.05 (Fri Jan 26) The snow has almost all melted and so a decision has been made that all matches at home go ahead.


12.40 (Fri Jan 26) Latest news is that the pitch is beginning to thaw and so the chances of the games going ahead are better than they were. Much seems to depend on how things go in the next two hours, so more at 15.30.

22.30 (Thu Jan 25) A number of this weekend’s matches, including both home games at TD, are in doubt after Wednesday’s snow failed to melt, leaving many astroturfs in the area under a thin blanket of the white stuff. The problem was caused by the fact the pitches froze on Tuesday night, and the snow then fell on the frozen surface. While all around melted, the cold of the astro has acted as an underground fridge. A decision will be made at 2pm on Friday whether the home matches can take place, and other captains will be calling their opposition. An inspection on Thursday evening (above) was not promising but updates will appear here

Armitage out for the season

The 3rd XI’s promotion bid suffered a major blow on Saturday when James Armitage, turning out for the 4th XI after a long lay-off, tore a mediate ligament in his knee which rules him out for the rest of the season. Carried off squealing like a girl who has discovered a spider in her bath, his anguished expression was only matched by that of Louis Strover who realised that Armo’s absence meant he had to play a full 70 minutes for the first time since 2000-01.

Armo visited A&E at Kingston with Vikki, his girlfriend watching him play for the first time, where the tear was confirmed and he will be out for three to four months. He insisted that he will continue to run the 3rd XI from the touchline. We all wish him a speedy recovery.

Big Brother

As the row over Big Brother continues, Channel 4 CEO Andy Duncan has stubbornly refused to admit that the station has done anything wrong (other than take TV to low even his show couldn’t have dreamt possible). He said that he was "not ashamed of what was broadcast, quite the opposite". Those members of the lower sides who have played hockey against Duncan (he turns out for Old Whits) will not have been surprised by his defiance. In a decade of umpiring matches where he has played, the unsmiling Duncan has never knowingly accepted a decision made against him, and has certainly not shaken the hand of the umpire after the game. Perhaps Channel 4 and Duncan deserve each other.

And even the bookmakers are getting in on the act ...

Updated rules from January 1

A useful link here to the rules with effect from January 1, 2007. The link is a PDF so be patient.

The main changes are: The requirement to have a goalkeeper on the field at all times during play has been modified. The change permits teams more flexibility about what sort of goalkeeping option to adopt. It also takes account
of the possibility that a team does not have a fully-equipped goalkeeper available or simply wishes to play only with field players. The change mainly affects rules 2.2, 4.4 and 10.1 but there are also other changes especially if a team chooses to play only with field players. In relation to these changes, it is important to understand that a team either has a goalkeeper on the field (with full protective equipment or only with protective headgear) or is playing entirely with .eld players in which case no player has goalkeeping privileges. The HRB has observed that field players are increasingly wearing face protection especially when defending a penalty corner. The note to rule 4.2 has therefore been modified.

During 2006, a change to the rules was published to prohibit hitting the ball hard on the forehand with the edge of the stick. This is fully incorporated in this set of rules as rule 9.6. There is an important note to this rule explaining when the edge of the stick can be used on the forehand to play the ball safely. The note to rule 9.7 should also be studied carefully because it explains that a defender must not be penalised if they are genuinely trying to play the ball in a legitimate way when saving a shot at goal at any height.

Similarly, the note to rule 9.11 is intended to make the consequences of a ball striking the foot, hand or body clearer. Associated with its review of goalkeeping options, the HRB also considered the ways in which a goalkeeper is permitted to play the ball. The changes reflected in rule 10.2 permit a goalkeeper more flexibility when defending their goal.

New astroturf approved

We are pleased to say that the proposal for a new carpet for the astroturf was approved at the OC Society Excom on Tuesday and so we are aiming to start the re-lay in early April. The surface is the one we aimed for - ie better than the one now and like the ones at Old Georgians/Bank of England etc. We have also asked for, and look set to get, other improvements including an astroturf training warm-up area next to the main pitch (at the far end of the grandstand). There will also be a substantial investment in new drainage, the grass bog in front of the grandstand will be made into a hard-standing area for spectators, and there will be other improvements inside the clubhouse.

Treading the boards

Alarming news comes from deepest Hampshire where former 4th XI stalwart Richard Seeckts is appearing in pantomime as the Prime Minister in Sleeping Beauty at his local church hall. Seven of the eight nights are sold out and Seeckts claimed to have given up alcohol while “in rep”.

Welcome ...

Welcome to the new blog for the Old Cranleighan Hockey Club. While this is not aimed to replace the main website, it is hoped that team captains can use this as a way of keeping the club up-to-date with the affairs of their sides and a way for people within the club to give their opinions on anything they want.

Weekly match reports

At the weekend the 1st XI recorded an important win over UCL Academicals at Thames Ditton to start the second half of the season in a promotion spot, three points behind Old Whits and a point ahead of UCL. A reminder that David Knapp contributes match reports every weekend, as does James Armitage from the 3rd XI and Helen Hawes from the Ladies … occasionally, Steve Harmer writes a brief book on a 4th XI match.

For all of this season’s reports, click here.

A new pitch for TD

Speculation over when (or even if!) the pitch at Thames Ditton would be relaid was ended when the OC Society, who own the club, agreed to carry out the work in April 2007. It is hoped that the new surface will be ready in time for the summer leagues to take place from mid May.

The final decision will be taken by the Old Cranleighan Society executive committee on January 16.