Veterans Team Details
Team Info
- Captain
- Gray Smith-Laing
- Vice Captain
- Nick Willson
Playing no league hockey but only ‘friendlies’, the Veterans’ team comprises players of different playing standards and previous team levels, but all with a keen intention to enjoy their games, and the company of like-minded others. Technically, Veterans start as young as 35, though, ideally mid 40s is better. Sutton Valence Vets current team’s ages span from mid 40s to over 70.
Regular matches are played against Canterbury Friars, Chelmsford Evergreens, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge Black Knights, and more occasionally against Blackheath, Ashford, Purley, Epsom and Wimbledon, all of whom field teams of a similar status. This season the Vets will be playing a number of new teams away, on grass, from the Surrey Grass Conference, to fill gaps that had existed in their programme.
Team's Top Goal Scorers
| Player | L | F | C | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Humphrey | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| Rupert Humphrey | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Stuart Bates | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Charlie Worsfold | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Hamish Dow | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Roger Fermor | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lindsay Smith | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Totals | 0 | 30 | 0 | 30 |
- L
- League Game
- F
- Friendly Game
- C
- Cup Game
Latest Match Report
Veterans Team vs Purley, 18 February 2012
- Result
- 1 - 4 LOSS ( Rupert Humphrey )
- Venue
- Home (Senior School)
- Report
- Originally both this season’s games against Purley had been booked as ‘away’, but following a request Purley graciously agreed to play this one at Sutton Valence, despite their normal requirement of playing on grass. It wasn’t their first visit. At least, due to the School’s absence on holiday, it could be played at 14.15 rather than in the morning. Hopefully they will come again.
As happens at this time of the year, both teams were tight on numbers, with Purley’s eleven including Emily on their right wing. We know Emily from her capable umpiring on visits to Purley, and her playing skills were no less positive, keeping Gray very active in defence.
It always takes Valence the first quarter of the game to get to grips with grass, when we play on it, but Purley showed no such need in translating their game from grass to astro and quickly brought pressure on Valence’s midfield and backs. Their speed in cutting out Valence’s moves and accurate passing soon brought results, though both early goals ended up as ‘stolen’ taps-in by Scott, one of their younger forwards. During this part of the first half Bob Sagrott got hit on the side of his head by a ball lifted into the dee and further raised by a defender’s stick. Though bleeding, he returned to the field with a plaster on and played out not only the rest of the first half, but the rest of the game.
Valence were getting attacks together now, but long balls through were being cut out too easily and some of the other excursions which got through to the dee ended in misdirected or half-hearted shots easily despatched by Purley’s keeper.
Purley’s third goal was a much more direct piece of passing ending with a fine shot out of Valence Keeper Dave Britton’s reach.
The second half was possibly more even, with Valence making better attacking moves, particularly in the final quarter, with Fermor, Humphrey and Bates getting some good passing between them. Once again though, the final stage of conversion proved elusive. In the end it took an accurate short corner strike from Rupert Humphrey to get the one consolation goal, but only after Purley had added their fourth from a break-out from a long corner and a clinical strike just feet from the goal.
Man of the Match: Paul Linaker, but only because he was playing following celebrating his 75th birthday the day before. Some people just don’t recognise when it’s time to stop!
On 25th February Sutton Valence Vets are playing Canterbury Friars away at 10.30, in the second of their ‘trophy’ games with one narrow win under their belts. - Team
- Dave Britton, Phil Higgins; Bob Sagrott; Gray Smith-Laing (Capt); Steve Mole; Hamish Dow; Lindsay Smith; Roger Fermor; Rupert Humphrey; Stuart Bates; Charles Worsfold; Paul Linaker. Umpires: Nick Willson; Roger Fermor; Charles Worsfold; Paul Linaker.
- MoM
- Paul Linaker
