"If all the year were PLAYING holy(hockey)days,
To sport would be as tedious as to work
But when they seldom come, they wish'd-for come,
And nothing pleaseth....."
(Henry IV, Part 1)

To me this means, it's time for all of us to have a good break, play another sport if possible and come back, to use the vernacular, gagging for HOCKEY again.

As the bard was also known to say, "all the world's a stage, its men/women merely players, they have their exits and their entrances..." and to those who are, alas, leaving us for pastures new, may I on behalf of SUBHC thank you for your contributions, large or small and wish you well in the future. There will always be a friendly welcome for those who have found the Club a good place to be.

More importantly however are those, some 90+ of you, who are planning to return and rejoin the Club, all things of course being equal. Have a great summer, keep in close touch and come back and play in the pre-season games. Regular bulletins will be published, but as that Norwich lady once screeched (she said she wasn't pissed)..."..let's be 'avin' you!". The regulars will continue to visit the Notty (hasn't it been just brilliant?) most Saturdays, so do pop in and have a pie and a pint.

Now, this weekend just gone was like the curate's egg-good and bad in parts resultswise - with the ladies ensuring safety with a slightly flattering but deserved 5-0 win against Slaz with man of the match Laura Collins just shading hatrick hero Sadie (a good capture from Hallam...and she's only 16!! Hope I'm right). The game, despite the awful weather was, I quote, " fantastically" umpired. However, the girls went down by the same score on Sunday but did field 5 of our juniors who all did really well and this could augur well for the future.

Our men's 1s are certs for the play offs with just the home game this Sunday v Donnie but we do need the win, just in case.....so BAGS of vocality and not just from Mrs. Wacka! If we stay up this season, I forecast good times for next.

Our 5's, 7's and 8's all go down or are due to but quite what the regionalisation brings we will have to wait and see. A fairly thorough review will take place to see if some of the problems can be addressed.

....however, however the feedback I personally got both this Saturday/Sunday and from earlier weekends is that this has, almost perversely, been a great feelgood factor season, possibly one of the best and which will manifest itself at the Awards Dinner on the 16th April. Hope you intend booking your tickets even whilst away, as I do not have that many left. Mob 0776 522 8364 is the hot line number.

Our vets won a highly entertaining match v Hull 4-2 and comments from the small but very vocal, mainly 1st team men were very amusing, directed at the rotund frames of Jimmy, Simon/Sammy Statham and Amo. "Play across the middle" Eberlin was heard to shout and Lorraine was heard to reply.." there's plenty of middle to play across".

After the 1's and 2's games played at a frenetic pace it was good to see a game played at a more measured manner and with some skill. Well done lads, including an absolutely filthy legged Holmesy turning up to play having just done a 21 mile fell race, in those 1970+ shorts of his!

As we began, let us also end on another quote, "..parting is such sweet sorrow....", but in our case it's only temporary and we shall be together again, some of us on the 15th and 16th April.. and before you know it the Notty will be full of good SUBHC mates.

Cheers, for now.
Bob

Submitted by banzai