No . 135 The Trusty Servant
Plate Competition Winners : Linden Grigg ’ s ( F , 13-18 ) team . Runners Up : Michael Hawkey ( Coll , 16-21 ).
Commiserations to Dr Hodgins ( HoDo F , 09-21 ) who turned up to see his team of 2018 leavers ( embellished by Pranav Patel , their contemporary Aulae Prae ) lose all three pool matches . Exemplars of the rapidly advancing skill levels during Nevin Pot , they swept all before them during the Plate , winning the final with the last flyer of the game .
Thanks and congratulations to the following for raising sides and organising them on the day :
Guy Pascoe ( I , 86-91 ); George Leicester-Thackara ( K , 92-97 ); Nigel Day ( F , 99-04 ); Guy Mercer ( I , 05- 10 ); Charles Devas ( A , 07-12 ); Louis Russell ( A , 11-16 ); Rollo Quinault ( H , 11-16 ); Linden Grigg ( 13-18 ); Henry Axtell ( C , 15-20 ); Michael Hawkey ( Coll , 16-21 ); Will Johnson ( G , 16-21 ); Axel Blakey ( A , 17-22 ).
Thanks also to the Home Team referees , led by Dr Mark Romans , of Callum Mackay , Luca Ryan , Hugo Barnes and Will Matthews who will all be welcome as OW players next year .
By the conclusion , every team had played at least 4 matches and rediscovered forgotten skills . Any current Wykehamist watching on Hockstapler would have received a masterclass in playing sixes ; learnt how you can still play competitively 26 years on ; and what a love for the game , Our Game , was instilled in those who had come back to play . The Trusty Servant fervently hopes that , despite the pressures of other sports now encroaching on Common Time , a similar love for Our Game / Win Co Fo / Winkies is instilled in current and future generations of Wykehamists .
Nevin Pot will be back .
OW Football News Alex Dawkins ( G , 02-07 ) writes : The 2022 / 23 season has proved to be a challenging one on the pitch for OWFC . The First XI , once again competing in the Premier Division of the Arthurian League , started the season with high hopes , which were enhanced by a hard-fought point away at Eton on the opening day . But an array of injuries , bad luck and an ODI cricket tour to Namibia have robbed us of key players at various times throughout the season , and we have endured a steady slide down the table since , notwithstanding some positive results and performances along the way .
Despite our shaky form , there have
been many positives , including Kahan Shirvani ( K , 12-17 ) becoming a tower of strength in the back line , as well as promising flashes from many of the younger players such as Axel Blakey ( A , 17-22 ), Tom Swart ( I , 16-21 ), Caspar Byers ( I , 16-21 ). And of course , win , lose or draw , there was always time for a beer in the pub afterwards ! This season also saw James Essex ( I , 06-11 ) become the club ’ s most capped player ( since records began !). James has clocked up 173 appearances , scoring an astonishing 154 goals in that time - congratulations , James !
The highlight of the season was arguably the second staging of Maclure Pot ( named in honour the late Patrick Maclure , a great supporter of OWFC and OW sport in general ) - the annual match between the Old Boys and Soccer XI . Jason Dodd and Mark Burley brought the boys up to London for a game under the floodlights on a Friday evening in November . We took an early lead through an expert finish from Gus Morse ( K , 04-09 ), before the boys turned the tables ( helped by younger legs and endless rolling substitutions ). Goals from James Essex ( I , 06-11 )( x2 ) and Alex Dawkins ( G , 02-07 ) looked to have given us a 4-3 victory before the talented Soccer XI snatched a brilliant equaliser from 25 yards with the last kick of the game . We hope to
A Chawkerite captain and his winning team . Another Chawkerite with his winning team .
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