Marshall and Carter Keall send Vets to defeat

The 2008-09 season finally crawled to a finish as the Veterans completed their one remaining fixture, going down 1-4 to Spencer. To be fair, Spencer fielded more than a few familiar faces after struggling themselves to raise an XI, and we welcomed back former stalwarts such as Simon Marshall and Chris Carter Keall.

Spencer enjoyed more of the possession in the first half, although they failed to make that count in the final third, and it was against the run of play that Ed Breton gave us the lead. It didn’t last long, Spencer equalising soon after and then going ahead in bizarre circumstances five minutes before the break. A typically powder-puff shot from Marshall dribbled apologetically towards the goal, watched with interest by attackers and defenders who wondered if it would give up of its own accord before someone stopped it. As Pete Shanks prepared to end the farce by kicking it into kingdom come, Carter Keall, behind him in the goalmouth and nominally on the same side, called for him to leave. He did. So did Carter Keall. The ball puffed and panted its way about an inch over the line before expiring. Marshall had scored from a record distance of ten yards. Spectators headed to the bar.

In the second half we created no end of opportunities, most originating with Breton, but gilt-edged chances were spurned by Stuart Sleeman (whose chuntering against the umpire’s decisions included the justification "I’m a judge … I’m paid to be impartial") and Jon Gray.

For Spencer, Marshall showed superb pace, judgment, stick skill and awareness. Dan Marshall that is. His father, panting and clearly suffering, substituted himself shortly after half time and refused pleas to come back, preferring to lean on the fence and chat up the umpire's wife.

Marshall younger scored a third when Shanks, determined not to make the same mistake twice, made a different one instead, diving to keep on a ball heading off and allowing young Dan to slot home. A fourth was just salt in the wound.

AGM held ,,, and apathy rules

The AGM of the club took place at a packed Thames Ditton (!) where a number of issues were resolved and an even greater number deferred until the new committee's first meeting.

The good news was that after the disastrous losses sustained in the 1998-99 season, this time round the club managed a small surplus. This was attributable to a mild winter, with no matches cancelled, and tighter financial controls.

It was agreed that more had to be done next season to ensure that there was interchange between the sides; it was clear that we have fallen down on this of late and that in several instances players who have been dropped (usually through too many 'regulars' being available) have not been fielded by the next side down.

What they get up to in the summer with no hockey to play No.1 : Robin Leggett
The matter of umpires caused some consternation, with fewer individuals prepared to commit to officiating. There appears to be no real answer to this, although the 'you umpire my game and I'll umpire yours' approach may work for the lower sides.

The officials were elected largely unchanged (click here for full list). Simon Marshall stood down as Hon Secretary after several years of loyal service and was replaced by a genuine hockey player, Dodie Khurshid. Also, in a coup Nigel Fearnley stage-managed a political manouvre which would have done New Labour proud to oust Hamish Gowen as 4th XI vice-captain.

# The threat of expulsion from the league hanging over the 2nd XI has been lifted with the news that the punishment, which was levied as a result of our failure to pay a fine, has been deferred for 12 months.

# Congratulations to Danny Prior who successfully completed the London Marathon in a respectable time and raised over £3,000 into the bargain. Those of us who have played on the same pitch as Danny find it astounding that he ever broke into a trot, but well done anyway. The whereabouts of the other entrant, Tim 'this really is the last time' Nelligan, is unknown.a penalty-flick in the first-half. We await the league enquiry!