School win inaugural Loveland Bowl

A huge day for the club on the 3rd January with the 1st XI playing against Reigate Priory - high up in the league above - being a forerunner for the long awaited school v the young OCs match that followed.

The school came along early and were in the stand to watch our performance which turned out to the best of the season by a long chalk. The performance was especially pleasing with our blooding the Wood brothers and there being a perceptible increase in the levels of fitness in some key areas. Indeed, the conclusion is that there are now going to be some tough but welcome selection decisions for the next three months.

1st XI 5-1 Reigate Priory
Reigate Priory are sitting third in the league above ( and could go into second should they win their game in hand on those above ) and although they themselves were four or five players short nothing should be taken away from us as we outplayed RP for the first 25 minutes and were three goals to the good, courtesy of two superb finishes from a rejuvenated and fitter Gavin and a classy finish from Nick. Rippers in the middle had his best game of the season and although we did fail to find him during a 20-minute spell when we lost the initiative his influence was key. Our three goals came from swift incisive moves down the right flank and hitting the back line. Similar moves down the left also created problems for RP and Rory was unlucky not to score his first goal for the first team when his deflection hit the bar in the dying minutes of the half. RP pressed for the last 10 of the first period with our being a little naive when tired and continuing to press rather than looking at the phase of the game and playing a more conservative game. During this time Trickster stood firm with Cato - as always - putting in a huge amount of work and capably dealing with the scraps. Nick and James Wood gave us the solidity at centre back and left midfield that frustrated the opposition.

The second half saw us on top again and a glorious sweeping move from the left across the pitch to the right byline resulted in Rory popping home the final pass to in essence wrap up the game. At this point RP woke up and stepped up their game and slotted home a good goal after a period of concerted pressure but it had to be a good strike to beat Trickster who earned his corn with his best performance of the year.

The final 10 minutes were ours and there was time for Chris Valentine to score our final goal at his second attempt to wrap an excellent victory.

The game taught us a great deal. Our fitness is still lacking in certain areas so we need to take 13 to every game and utilise the subs properly and effectively. There is also a need to recognise that at certain times of the game we need to rein in our enthusiasm. A 3 - 1 half time score would probably have put a completely different complexion on the game and to this end we did our best to throw away possession and give RP a lifeline back into the game but we stood firm.

All in all a great start to 2009 and hopefully we will have a game next week to consolidate what we learnt this week.

School 2-0 OCs 2007-8
After much gnashing of teeth and wailing the school fixture has reappeared in the calendar after a break of over a decade and on a cold but dry evening at TD the game played by both sides was worthy of the occasion to commemorate the late Roger Loveland. Fittingly Roger's widow Betty was present to make the presentation of the Loveland bowl to the school's skipper after a very exciting and entertaining game. A number of familiar faces were present in the crowd and with the parents and friends of a number of the players also in attendance the game was very well supported.

In essence the OC side will wonder how they did not run out winners due to the chances and number of short corners that came their way but they came up against Ross in the school goal who had a truly outstanding game making a series of top draw saves that kept us at bay. As the match wore on we became frustrated and the school's belief grew and 15 minutes from the end the school slotted home their second short of the game and took the lead. Although upping their game, our lack of team work counted against us with Ross again picking off anything thrown at him.

Three minutes from the end and against a stretched OC side the school nipped in to score their second and make the game safe.

The trophy was presented to the beaming school captain with the OCs pledging to win the trophy back in 2010.

I would like to thank the four umpires who helped out today in both games to save the teams taking part from having to provide unqualified umpiring and also to the school and Paddy Harman for organising the 2 teams. However the greatest thanks go to Betty Loveland and Roger's brother Tony and his wife for coming along and continuing the great Loveland service to Cranleigh and OC hockey for braving the cold and in Betty's case in presenting the trophy.

We all look forward to the 2010 fixture. David Knapp

Roger Loveland Trophy announced

Chris Burton, who is very well known to many of us through his many years in the umpiring fraternity and is also a vice-president of the club, announces details of the new Roger Loveland Trophy.

Many of our members will not know who Roger Loveland was but those as long in the tooth as me most certainly will!

When I started umpiring back in the 1970’s, Roger, along with his very noisy brother Tony, was playing for the Old Cranleighans 1st XI and indeed skippered their side for many years. He was always the perfect gentleman and his knowledge of the game was extensive. On the pitch he played hard but fair but in the bar he was frequently the first person to buy the umpires a beer and engage them in friendly banter.

Roger continued to play, latterly in the Vets, but was still always delighted to welcome any SHUA members as old as he was! Very sadly Roger died recently very prematurely. He will be missed greatly in hockey circles.

In memory of Roger the OCHC committee has most generously offered and annual award to SHUA as they felt that Roger’s affinity with the umpires was so much a part of his hockey. We are absolutely thrilled by this and our Council has agreed that the Roger Loveland Trophy, to be presented annually at our AGM, should be awarded to the SHUA umpire who has made the most improvement during the season.

Our sincerest thanks go to the OCHC and as a vice president of their club, I hope that the next time those who knew Roger visit the club, they will raise a glass in his memory.

Roger Loveland

It is with great sadness that we have to report that Roger Loveland died at his home on Tuesday, February 19, He was 67. For half a century Roger was indelibly linked with the OCHC among Cranleighans and opponents and was a much-loved figure.

Roger’s popularity stemmed from the way he played the game. Skillful – even when in his sixties he shamed players a third of his age with his touch, not to mention availability - he never lost his temper with opponents or umpires, and was renowned for playing unquestionably by the rules. Off the field he was a gentleman through and through with a wicked sense of humour who encouraged generations of Cranleigh hockey players.

"The OC club of today owes a huge debt of gratitude to Roger and would not be on such a secure footing as is currently the case without the effort and support put in by him over the last 50 years,” wrote club captain David Knapp in a tribute on his blog. “Sadly the club never made him aware of their gratitude in a formal way, but knowing Roger who did not crave for any recognition he would not have expected any such attention doing what he did out of the kindness of his heart."

Chris Burton, the long-serving umpire and administrator, said: "I will remember Roger as always being the perfect gentleman in every sense of the word. He had a wicked sense of humour, played the game hard but was always the first person to shake the umpires' hands and buy them a drink. Along with his brother Tony, he was one of the old stalwarts of the OCs."

Roger first turned out for the club in 1957, a year before he left Cranleigh, and played every season through to the end of 2005-06.

The funeral is on Friday, February 29 at St Mary's Caterham-on-the-Hill at 3pm and it follows a family-only cremation.