For some, this season will be remembered for its similarities to the England football team’s World Cup campaign: a bogey team; a sending off; a match we should have won; great potential unfulfilled. However - unlike England - we had outstanding performances; great victories, a foreigner who brought something useful to our game, an inspirational captain and, of course, 17-year-old forwards who actually made an impact on the pitch.
The season began with the customary success in the Bill Buttle tournament at King Edward’s School. Conceding only two goals in five matches, we beat our own 2nd XI in the semifinal and dispatched King Edward’s 2-1, in a tense, closely contested final, in which a shootout was averted by Stuart Gregory’s penalty stroke save late on.
Despite the limited preparation, it was apparent from this first action of the season that our Australian summer signing, Thomas ‘Bruce’ Crowley, was going to be a very useful addition to the team as he slotted neatly into the centre midfield position, freeing captain Will Shipley up for a more attacking new role behind the strikers.
Our first regular fixture of the season was against Queen Mary’s School and the early promise was maintained with an impressive 9-0 victory that saw six players score and took Mallory Percival’s season total to nine by 14th September. That victory was followed by a string of further successes; Warwick (5-3), Solihull Sixth Form College (7-0), Bishop Vesey’s (5-2), Repton (7-2), King Edward’s again (3-1) and Newcastle under Lyme (5-0).Will Shipley or Mal Percival scored in every one of those games. Next up came the big local derby with Bromsgrove. A late pushback afforded us something that midweek fixtures don’t often allow; a big crowd.With many staff, parents and Sixth Formers – including a very vocal element from the Rugby squad – supporting us, the game was played in an atmosphere unlike any that the squad had experienced before. Buoyed by the support, the team entertained the spectators with a fantastic display of fastpaced, high-energy skilful hockey. In the end we came away with a well-deserved 3-0 victory courtesy of Singh, Proud and Percival.
Stowe were the next opponents for a confident and enthusiastic Solihull side. Having – like England – eased off in the second half of many of our previous matches, we were looking to maintain our performances through 70 minutes and set ourselves the task of scoring as many goals in the second half as in the first. At 9-0 up with only 45 minutes played it looked like we were going to achieve our aim. Unfortunately the Stowe keeper was injured and the match was abandoned. The dream of double figures remained unfulfilled.
After the Stowe match we brushed aside Loughborough, Kings Macclesfield and Bloxham, scoring 19 goals including rare gems from Dan Strang and Josh Sloane. Equally impressively, the ever-reliable defensive unit of Tom Harrison,Tim Hill, Paul Yarnell, James Mansfield, and Stuart Gregory keeping, conceded only one goal in those three games.
By now it was January and time for the Under 18 England Hockey Schools Cup competition to start. Having won the Warwickshire County last season we were headed straight into a semifinal against arch-rivals Warwick. The team were far superior to the opposition throughout the match and dominated play. The result was an impressive 5-1 victory which earned us a place in the County final at Rugby School.
Our opposition in the final were King Edward’s. Nerves played their part in the first half and we didn’t manage to dominate the game in the way we had hoped. Nevertheless we took a lead into half time and played more confidently in the second half, taking our total to five goals. Although King Edward’s managed a couple of consolation goals, they never really looked like taking the County title from us.
After the final came the 80-mile trip to Worksop College. Being one of only three teams to beat us last season, we knew this would be a tough task, particularly with three key players – Tom Harrison, whose injury would ultimately rule him out of the rest of the season, Dan Strang and Tom Crowley – missing from the squad.We failed to produce the rapid, fluid hockey of previous fixtures and chances were few and far between. Despite the unproductive attacking play, we always looked comfortable in defence and were never troubled. That was until their centre forward earned a dubious penalty and the resulting goal saw us slump to a very disappointing first defeat of the season.
Next up came the Midlands rounds of the cup competition, with a quarter-final draw against Staffordshire champions Painsley School.With a member of Cannock’s first team squad in the team, we knew they were opposition to be wary of and he did slip through half of the team to score an outstanding individual goal early on in the match. However we quickly regained our composure and found that the rest of the Painsley team were no match for us. Attacking with pace and making it difficult for them to get the ball to their key player, we dominated the game and won 6-1.
That set up a semi-final clash back at Worksop. With the addition of Jon Proud and Tom Crowley to the squad, and the outstanding season we were having, confidence was high. We knew from our earlier defeat that a full strength Solihull side had little to fear from our opposition. Unfortunately, Worksop proved to be our Portugal as the dream of National success faded before our eyes. From the outset, the game did not go our way. Nerves hampered our usual playing style and we looked comfortable but toothless in possession. Our short corners were uncharacteristically poor and we failed to inject and stop a single one in the first half, let alone get a shot on target. Nevertheless we went into the half time break relieved to have the advantage courtesy of a Will Shipley goal. Surely now we could take control of the game and bury the Worksop jinx. In the second half Worksop equalised early on and the team lost composure. Mallory was sent off for a strong challenge then, not one, but two free hits were upgraded to short corners as a result of objections from our players. Ironically, given our numerous ineffective efforts,Worksop converted their only two penalty corners of the match. Our increasingly desperate play never looked likely to recover the game and we crashed out of the cup 3-1 to inferior opposition.
Everyone in and around the 1st XI had genuinely felt that the National rounds of the cup competition were a real possibility, so getting over the crushing defeat at Worksop was difficult. The team responded brilliantly and beat Bromsgrove 4-0, Warwick 13-2 (finally surpassing ten-goals), and Worcester Sixth Form College and Stowe in an undefeated last month of the season. The Worcester game was particularly pleasing as we did something that we hadn’t yet managed and fought back from 4-2 down (only Worksop had taken the lead against us before) to win 5-4 with a Tom Crowley short corner right at the death.
The end of the season was celebrated with an enjoyable trip to the Bath Festival where, entered into the highest ability group, we won one, drew one and lost two of our four fixtures. The 4-1 victory over Framlingham College was most notable for Jon Proud’s uncontainable delight at scoring against his former school.
By all standards this 1st XI Hockey season has been the most successful in recent times, possibly ever. Goal scoring records were broken, archrivals were overcome comfortably and top sides were beaten for the first occasion in a long time. Whatever the disappointments of unfulfilled promise in the cup, this team deserves to be remembered as a truly great side.
Special thanks must go to all the Upper Sixth leavers who have contributed so much on and off the pitch, in play and in the great team spirit that we have had. They have been fantastic to work with and are great role models for the younger players. Particular thanks go to Will Shipley who has been an absolutely outstanding captain, leading the team with such enthusiasm and commitment and doing so much to raise the profile of hockey within the School. Thanks also to Chris Mayer for his coaching and Ian Griffiths for umpiring.
Next season’s team has much to live up to!
Top scorers:
Will Shipley (35), Mal Percival (33)
Mr M P Babb