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Mens Section 2014/15 Awards

Mens Section 2014/15 Awards

Liz Spencer29 Apr 2015 - 19:26
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by Sam Howells and Rob Farrow

Club Man Of the year:

As always this award was exceptionally hard to choose but we feel that this year’s winner has gone beyond the call of duty this season and deserves to be ranked alongside the famous previous winners Chris Withers, Ahmet Tuney. Moley and Barry Jukes just to names few.
Although we had to pick one winner, there are still lots of people we need to mention.
Firstly all the captains and coaches for the endless hours they put in over the season to make sure each game went ahead so we could all play hockey. Without these guys our section simply wouldn’t function. Chris withers again for doing a stellar job getting people to umpire each Saturday and Sunday.

To all of the men that have umpired, we know there are a lot and for that we thank you.

Ravi for taking pictures of our games and allowing us all to have a Facebook profile pictures of us playing hockey…and pictures of the ladies section for us to check up on.
If there is anyone we have missed we apologize, and can assure you that we are exceptionally grateful for all of your hard work this season.
Its been Sam’s and I’s first and all the help we have received from aplenty of people could not be more welcome. And so finally we move onto our winner…..the world wide phenomena hashtag fillspromo.

Mark was asked to manage the side during their first preseason game and hasn’t looked back. Turning up every Thursday night just to watch the boy’s train and check form, dealing with the 2s and 2As stealing his players and even turning up to all games even when his son Jack decided to remonstrate with an umpire and get a red card.
Mark has travelled to some of the grottiest places in London to support the Refills, orchestrated what no other team could do and beat the league leaders Chiswick and make sure the Refills only lost three games this season.
Mark also achieved what many had tried but failed before him to get the Mighty Refills promoted…all be it in second place, but with a game forefitted at the beginning of the season it make the achievement all the more impressive. If we had more Mark Mundells in the world I’m sure it would be a much better place to live in. So this year’s winner of clubman of the year is Mark Mundell from the Refills

Young Player of the year:
There were a few names floating around for this award and all for different reasons, but all good nonetheless.
Ali Higginson with a dashing resemblance to his dad, Max heaver, Julius Manton Jones and Nick Park for keeping the girls colts section happy at parties. Will CK and Jack Wheelan for having an outstanding debut season for the 1st team and there is Charlie Cooper…who is just Charlie Cooper we need not say anything more.
Then onto our winner….this young gun, joined us not that long ago and has come on leaps and bounds since doing so. Not only has he become one heck of a hockey player probably having the jazziest hands in the club, he is a clubman.
Playing for any team that will let him play, turning up to training when the pitch is covered in snow and actively involving himself in all hockey events without fail, Peter Scott has been bought up with the hockey club bug and has a huge future ahead of him.

Unfortunately Peter will be going on holiday for 3 years, but we are looking forward to welcoming him back with open arms once he has drunk Bath dry. So our deserved winner is Peter ‘Pedro’ Scott

Most Improved:
This award again is very difficult to pick as so many people have stepped up and really progressed throughout the season.

Jack Tooley in goal, although not playing much mens hockey he has been training at a much higher level and impressing more and more every week. Huw Kimber has learned how to dribble even more and pass the ball even less, a skill to be admired.
Tommy Alexander has learnt how to stop goals going in, but struggles to keep his legs closed still.
Barry Jukes still remains a sieve, but has managed to develop the knack of pulling of a worldy save only to let the ball trickle through his legs…something even Laz would be proud off.
Jonny Kurtain has stepped up a team and has never looked back. The entire youth of the rascals have come on leaps and bound managing to secure promotion in their first season conceding only 5 goals in the process.
Our winner though comes from a dirty background, that of a football playing background. He saw the error of his ways and joined the men section on a full time basis and has turned into quite the player. Playing mainly for the refills, but stepping up and playing for the 2’s when required, if he continues to progress at the rate he is, there is a good chance he could be the next Will CK or Dick Mantell. Our most improved player in Adam Waldron

Team of the year….. This was a tough choice between 3 teams. The mens Vets have had an outstanding season securing cup semi-finals and winning their league on the last game.
Barty I’m sure will understand though, that this has become a bit of a formality within the club, and that the only real chance they have of winning this award in the future is if they win the EHL and with some of the players they still have knocking about for them, this could be quite likely.
The second team to be up for team of the award have already had a mention, and it’s our stars of the future with a few old shaky legs helping them out along the way. With many a kid running rings around the adults in the league, the Rascals went onto storm Division 10 of the MBBO and only conceded 3 goals all season! Conceding only 3 goals is an incredible achievement and to put this into perspective, the mens 2’s and 2a’s let in 18 goals over the space of 4 hours when we went to play Hampstead. This is no mean feat from the Rascals but in our eyes there can only be one winner!
They have their team chopped and changed most weekends and have been stuck in the same league for the past 5 years trying to get out. Only this year they managed it, not winning but beating every team in the league and reaching the cup final this afternoon. Led by Tim ‘schweffer’ Lavers on the pitch and Mark Mundell off it they have become a formidable force within the London league and have always mucked into help out the club when needed. Our team of the year is hashtagfillspromo the Refills…..

Player of the season
As normal, the captains provided Rob and I with their teams player of the season. The following players were nominated:
Rascals – Sam Armitage
Rovers - Ian Tomlinson
3s – Angus Purcell
Refills – Tim Hamilton
2As – Tom Falconer
2s – Allun Lloyd
1s – Dan Shingles
Some excellent nominations and not only some great players but also some real club men in there but unfortunately there can only be one winner for this award.

Ian Tomlinson is without doubt the best goalkeeper in Division 8 of the MBBO and looking through the archives, has been nominated for this award on several occasions but just fell short.
He has played in all 22 league games this season and has only missed a handful of games in the last three seasons. A true club man, Iain is a rock in goal only conceding 28 goals in 22 games, he has umpired on a number of occasions, organises the Rovers social events and actively seeks to encourage younger members of the squad. Unfortunately, Iain cannot be with us this evening but Iain Tomlinson is our player of the season.

Veterans Player
Stuart Sheppard

Further reading