Our Over 55s side retained their national title in style on Monday, defeating Canterbury HC 3–1 at the Lee Valley Hockey & Tennis Centre to claim back-to-back England Hockey Masters Cup Final victories. It was a performance that combined attacking flair, tactical discipline, and no small amount of good fortune — and it made for a memorable day for everyone involved.

Setting the scene

With an early 10am push-back, many players faced a crack-of-dawn start, but the mood was buoyant from the outset. This was a fixture with added edge: the two sides had met in the O50 Final in 2024, where Canterbury came out on top thanks in large part to an outstanding performance from their goalkeeper Simon Triggs. That result remained fresh in the memory, and providing a more complete performance against the same opponents — with Triggs again between the sticks — was a clear motivating factor.

Squad availability had been stretched in the days before the match. Gary Stoneley was working through recovery from a hamstring tear suffered in the semi-final, taking on a management role for the day under the direction of captain Andy Holden. Mahmood Bhatti and Nick Hooper were on tour in Kenya, while Richard Adams, Richard Hargreaves, Rav & Ian Phillips had been representing England at an O60 warm-up tournament in Tilburg over the weekend. Most returned late Sunday evening; Rav's Eurotunnel crossing meant he wasn't due back until after the match, so special credit goes to Richard Hargreaves for staying overnight in London to take his place in goal. Ian 'Monty' Phillips, characteristically finding new ways to test medical science, picked up an injury in Tilburg — we wish him a speedy recovery.

A bright start and a familiar nemesis

Reading came out with purpose, winning two short corners in the opening five minutes. Neither yielded a goal — the first was scrambled clear, the second charged down — but the intent was clear. Canterbury were struggling to contain Reading's pace, and in the 12th minute the deadlock was broken. With the pre-match talk fresh in mind about the need to work the ball past Triggs rather than going direct, the opening goal arrived in rather ironic fashion: a slightly lifted, near-straight strike that flew past Triggs and hit the backboard. 1–0.
The second quarter brought more of the same. Canterbury offered occasional glimpses going forward but without creating anything substantial, and Pete De Lange — who would be the afternoon's standout performer — made it 2–0 in the 21st minute, again from the top of the circle with a direct strike. Keeping it simple is so often the way...

A moment of controversy — and a crucial buffer

Three minutes into the second half, Canterbury pulled one back. A defensive short corner ended with an unfortunate deflection off the number-one running Skipper that looped high past goalkeeper Richard Hargreaves — who had otherwise barely been called into action. 2–1, and suddenly the game had a different complexion.

What followed was one of the more unusual moments you're likely to see in a hockey final. Pete De Lange, causing havoc for the Canterbury defence all afternoon, unleashed a powerful reverse-stick shot from a tight angle. The ball struck a Canterbury stick, redirected at considerable pace, and struck umpire Rob Dummer — who was positioned near the far post — squarely in the midriff. The ball dropped to André, who reacted quickly to finish. After consultation between the umpires, the goal was correctly awarded under current rules. Canterbury were understandably frustrated, and it would be fair to say that had the score still been 2–1, Reading may well have considered waiving the goal themselves. As it stood, 3–1 provided a rather more comfortable position from which to manage the final quarter.

Seeing it out

The closing stages were not without their moments of anxiety. Canterbury pushed forward and Reading's patterns became a little ragged at times. Richard Hargreaves made one excellent save to preserve the lead, and a wonderfully crafted short corner routine — Richard Adams injecting to the top, André stopping, De Lange drawing the defence before slipping the ball back across goal for Adams to tap in — agonisingly rolled along the line and stayed out.

A green card for Adams with a few minutes remaining added to the tension, but Canterbury were unable to create another genuine chance on goal, and Reading saw it out to a well-deserved victory.

A remarkable record

Man of the match Pete De Lange was outstanding throughout; Canterbury simply had no answer to him all afternoon. It was a thoroughly collective effort, however, with every one of the 20 players who contributed to this year's campaign playing their part.

The win adds another chapter to a remarkable story. By our reckoning, Reading have now won ten Masters national titles in the last fourteen years of competition — a testament to the culture and depth of talent that has been built at the Club over many years:

O40: 2011/12
O50: 2014/15, 2016/17, 2018/19, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23
O55: 2024/25, 2025/26
O60: 2024/25

If you're considering Masters hockey and looking for a club that combines competitive ambition with a genuine team spirit, come and find us. Days like Monday are what it's all about.