On Tuesday 4 April staff hockey players rallied around to create a staff team that was strong enough to take on the 1st XI team. Head of Hockey Mr Tom Walter provides a report from the entertaining match. Pupils and key players Will Gresswell and Harry Rees also provide a report from the closely-fought match:
Staff 4 v 4 Students
The 1st XI students were fired up for this one, with plenty of pre match excitement. The staff team sheet was released the evening before and there was an immediate response from the fans, questioning the surprise inclusion of Mr Jonnie Howorth and the notable absence of not just one, but both of the Miller brothers.
The start of the match was delayed slightly as the staff conducted their stringent and clearly well practiced warm up routine, chipping balls into the D for Mr Pete Muhley to smash into the goal with his 9 iron. Mr Nick Brown also looked on good form, finding the open net with at least every other shot whilst the goalkeeper, Mr Jim ‘The Cat’ Reynolds, was getting padded up on the side line. Current Year 12 student Joe Tucker kindly stepped up to umpire the match and once the game was underway, it was only a matter of seconds before Jack Rees was bundled over and Mr Walter received a stern telling off from Mr Tucker. However, J. Rees responded brilliantly, scoring a quick fire double and made sure Mr Walter was fully aware of it. The end of the first third could not come quickly enough for the staff, who without the solid presence of Mr Brown and Mrs Katherine Green would surely have been further behind. There was a chance for staff captain Dr Bob Snellgrove to score in his testimonial match when he set through on goal, only to scuff the ball in Jamie Gibbs pads with the whole crowd willing him to score. Dr Snellgrove then proceeded sensibly to substitute himself. Part-time NFL blocker Mr Andy Dix took to the field and played the right wing-block role superbly. It is not unusual for athletes to struggle with transfer between sports but Mr Dix made the promotion from football to hockey appear seamless. One the student team, part-time lumberjack Freddie Bowcock made a nuisance of himself in the middle of the park, stick tackling wherever possible.
The students left the field very smug, and decided against a team talk whilst the staff opted for constructive criticism. Mr Howorth was reminded that he was playing for his place in future staff teams and it was suggested to Mr Muhley that you do not have a caddy in hockey, and he might have to actually do some of the hard work.
The second third started very differently and it did not take long of the staff to find a way back into the game. After Mr Walter had turned Will Gresswell inside out 3, nearly 4, times he then managed to send the ball past the onrushing Jamie Gibbs and into the top corner. Game on. The students, pressed forward and the mercurial Arthur Langeler, who has had an impressive debut season for the 1st XI despite only being in year 10, managed to get the better of Mr Lawson on most occasions, going round, over and under him on numerous occasions. Mr Lawson was then further humiliated as he tried to drag Will Gresswell to the ground, only for Will to shrug him off and for it to Mr Lawson who ended up on his backside to the delight of the crowd! Harry Emmanuel and Ollie Brown were keeping things tight at the back for the students, despite Mr Johnston trying to stretch the play with his goal hanging all game, until Mr Howorth exploded into life and pounced on a loose ball in the D, turned like a double decker bus going round the Arc de Triomphe and sent a rocket of a shot into the bottom corner. At 2-2, the students looked nervous. Harry Rees decided to get involved in the game and tried to display the composure on the ball which has impressed his fans this year. Despite a few nice touches, no one could have predicted that Mr Howorth would get on the score sheet again but with a complete miss hit, he did. 3-2.
The game was nicely set for the last third. The students quickly won a short corner and Harry Rees was eyeing up Mr Reynolds top corner. The staff were put under more pressure when Mr Paul Green was sent to the half way line for charging down the short corner like it was the start of the Battle of the Somme (one of his favoured battles to teach in History). Such was Mr Green’s enthusiasm that Freddie Bowcock had not even put the ball down to take the short corner. It seemed Mr Tucker had started to find his confidence with the whistle and was umpiring with unquestionable consistency.
As the game went by, another Year 10, Callum Creighton began to display his industrious and hungry attitude, hunting down the ball all over the pitch and putting pressure on every member of the staff team. Mrs Green continued to impress, breaking down the student attacks and Mr Alex Duncan, promoted to the staff hockey team from staff football, sprinkled some of his magic across the pitch with his sound tactical knowledge and the occasional Cruff turn. The game once again swung in favour of the students. Through some constant pressure Brandan Tan and Callum Creighton went close, only to be denied by the giant paws of Mr Reynolds, before the students finally managed to bag an equaliser. However, this lasted only a matter of minutes as once again, unbelievably, Mr Howorth was given space in the students’ D and hammered home his hat trick goal, jogging back to the centre spot kissing the Shiplake badge on his shirt, sending a serious message to the selectors ahead of next season’s game. All that was left was for the staff to see out the remaining few minutes but in true Shiplake fashion, the students showed their endeavour to get a result and after Tom Paine made a series of strong tackles on the left flank, Will Gresswell showed some sublime skill to set up J Rees in the D, who was as clinical as ever and he notched his hat trick, calmly slotting the ball past the onrushing Mr Reynolds.
An entertaining match finished 4-4 and the students hold on to the trophy for another year. I would like to thank Dr Snellgrove for the 29 years of service he has given the hockey club at Shiplake, developing both the players and the club and we wish him well in his hard earned retirement at the end of the summer!’
To complement Mr Walter’s totally unbiased view of the staff’s immense skill on the hockey field, pupils Will Gresswell and Harry Rees provide a students’ perspective on the tense game:
‘On Tuesday 4 April the staff side came up against the Shiplake College 1st team. With Captain Will Gresswell winning the toss we decided to take push back. Inside the first 5 minutes the students’ side totally dominated possession with the skill and strength out muscling all staff members. We took an early lead through some intricate interplay between the side, leading to Jack Rees scoring past the giant of a man in goal Mr Reynolds. Taking an early lead meant the staff were very eager it to level the scores up. Mr Howorth started to match the physicality with some very strong shoulder barges as well as some elbows in the back. The defence couldn’t quite handle it, which meant Mr. Howorth slotted one home to level the scores.
Staring the second third at 2-2 with some subs coming onto the pitch, we saw the likes of Mr Muhley and Mr Grant Lawson making their mark in very different ways, on what was to be a very tight game. With Arthur making the staff down the right hand side work Mr Lawson started to use his presence as a way of winning the ball. Will Gresswell came up against Mr Lawson and completely out-muscled him, which meant Mr Lawson was left on the floor scrambling to get back up. The staff managed to steal the spotlight for only a short period making it 3-2. With some tired legs on the pitch the appearance of Jack Rees came back on and, within a quick time frame, managed to again make it all square with one third left.
This last 15 minutes left some tired legs on the astro with the three Year 13s staying on for the whole game and Harry Rees making some great balls into the back post causing some chaos in the defence. Joe Tucker was receiving abuse all game from both sides with some very dodgy decisions, which put the staff side in front once again from some good stick skills from Mr Walter, who then set up Mr. Howorth for his hat-trick. The fatigue started to set it on the older staff members with the Captain Dr Snellgrove leaving the pitch and being replaced by the hard working Mr Duncan who put it some crunching tackles, which may not have been legal. With only about 2 minutes left in the match Harry Rees played a fast ball into the D, which Will managed to deflect into the path of Callum who smashed it home to equal up the game. However, Mr Johnstone who had been making a nuisance of himself throughout the whole game making it very tricky for the defence with some great skill created many chances for himself and being very unlucky not to slot some home. The final whistle blew ending the game with a draw, as the staff refused to go into extra time or even penalty flicks.’