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Belper HC were the first team to appear on the HOD HC Under 16 International Tournament website in October as confirming their entry and it was with growing trepidation that they watched the participation list grow during the winter with international, international selection and regional squads but with a distinct lack of similar club teams.
However, it was with excited anticipation that the tour party set off on Wednesday April 20th at 5.30am in their mobile sauna – the heating pipes in the non air-conditioned coach were unable to be turned off and weather proved to be the hottest Easter for 60 years! Further concern manifested itself 10 minutes into the trip on the outskirts of Derby as the driver proceeded to turn north up the A38 to junction 28 of the M1 at Mansfield when he should have been proceeding south towards Dover for the ferry! Thoughts that this could be the original tour from hell began to circulate amongst the passengers, who were already 2lbs lighter in their involuntary weight-loss programme.
Having finally reached Leicester Forest East services an hour late to pick up an increasingly anxious Jess Horn, the party were then confronted by the overhead gantry signs informing them of long delays on the M1 near London. Plan B was executed with a swift exit at junction 15A to take the A42 towards Oxford and the M40. It was an uneasy race against time around the southern section of the M25, notorious for its hold-ups, then down the M20 to Dover. The 11.50 sailing was made with 10 minutes to spare but with a loss of at least half a stone through anxiety and heat exhaustion from most of the passengers.
The calm and quiet crossing was a welcome relief for the sorely tested nervous systems of the tour party but unbeknown to them, further stressful moments awaited. Odysseus, during his troubled journey in Homer’s epic poem, was confronted by such obstacles as the Sirens and the twin dangers of Scylla and Charybdis but these must have been nothing as compared to Belper’s seemingly never-ending search for mythical fuel service stations conjured up by an out-of-date satnav and then its subsequent incomprehension of the complexities of the latest motorway layout around Eindhoven. With only a few minutes left on the driver’s time Belper’s Ithaca, the safe haven of the Valkenswaard StayOkay Youth Hostel, was eventually reached.

A well-rested group surfaced for an 8.00am breakfast on Thursday morning to be ready for their 9.30 practice session at the HOD club in preparation for their early evening game at HC Eindhoven. The intricacies of Eindhoven’s new road system having been mastered, the squad arrived on time for their match at 4.00pm.
A game of 3 x 20 minutes having been agreed, Belper were one down in 5 minutes as the team had an early lesson in Dutch hockey skills when two circle clearances went straight to opponents who scored at the third attempt. Belper earned their first corner on 13 minutes and Jess Horn unerringly found Naomi Cotterill on the right hand post and the deflection was spot-on between the defender and keeper to make the scores level. To their supporters’ delight Belper took the lead just before the end of the second period when Maddy Wood won the ball in midfield after a disciplined press had forced a turnover and released an early pass to Naomi Cotterill who quickly entered the circle, catching the keeper unprepared with a reverse stick shot into the far corner.
Eindhoven fought back quickly with two goals at the start of the third period to take a 3-2 lead and it looked likely that would remain the final score. Inside the last minute Belper won a corner and the final whistle went before it was taken. Therefore all 10 outfield players came to the circle’s edge to press possession and although Maddy Wood’s initial shot was saved, it rebounded to Jess Horn who forced another corner. Again the Horn/Cotterill combination came up trumps with a carbon-copy of goal no.1 and so 3-3 was the final score.
Eindhoven were excellent hosts with a post-match meal of lasagne and salad for all and it was nearing 8.00pm when the two teams had to be parted when their post-match socialising was well into its second hour because Belper had to return to the Youth Hostel for their 9.00pm supper.
Friday dawned with an early practice session at 9.00am in preparation for the match vs the Irish Under 16 squad at 1.00pm. After training, the squad had a team meeting video session in the HOD clubhouse viewing some selected clips of the Eindhoven game.
Ireland agreed a 3 x 20 format for the match and were 3-0 up after the first period. Following the team talk at the break, Belper then defended superbly with excellent discipline as their illustrious opponents could not find a way through for the next 40 minutes. Their 4th and final goal came when the stopwatch read 2 minutes and 25 seconds over the scheduled end and when the ball was taken over the back line by the Irish attacker. The defence stopped (the lesson here is to play to the whistle, no matter how obvious the error) and the ball ended up in the net. Belper were grateful to the HOD club for providing the officials, so good manners prevented any remonstration with the young umpire who had done his best. However, the match had provided an object lesson for the squad in how a half-pitch defence works when all players stick to the discipline and was a big confidence boost because Ireland had finished 4th in the 2010 European U16 Championships in Barcelona.
Belper’s day was not yet finished as, after a quick shower, all boarded the bus for the 30 kilometre trip up the motorway to Den Bosch HC for the European Club Championships for Women. The team were able to view two thirds of the Slough (England) vs Atasport (Azerbaijan) game – 2-0 to Slough – as an aperitif for the Den Bosch v Antwerp match at 6.00pm. Den Bosch have been European Club Champions for the past 10 years and did not disappoint with their host of Dutch internationals (8 in the present senior training squad) as they cruised to a 8-0 win with Allestree’s Alison Murphy being one of the umpires. Belper were able to watch the technique of the world’s top female drag flicker Maartje Paumen, the striker skills of Lidewij Welten, originally from HOD and the midfield mastery of Maartje Goderie. Then followed an enjoyable evening meal in a local Italian restaurant for all 27 in the tour party, the only downside being the refusal of the establishment to accept any of the credit cards offered but a subsequent rifling of everyone’s pockets secured just enough Euros for the team leader to avoid a night in the cells.
The real business of the trip dawned on Friday with the start of the competition. Belper’s first game was at 10.30 vs Cubs from Belgium. The Belgians had brought their top 32 U16 players and divided them into two teams – Cubs & Cats – and were using the tournament as part of the selection process for their national squad for their competitions later in the year. The Cubs scored in the 5th & 7th minutes but then Belper’s defensive discipline again came to the fore as there was no addition in the remaining 18 minutes. This was another encouraging performance against a nation who last year finished 3rd in the 2010 European U16 championships.

Another tough game was next on the agenda – Zuid Nederland – the Dutch regional squad, who were to contest the final on Sunday with their counterparts – South Holland. These Dutch squads were only missing their U16 internationals who were at the U16 Four Nations Tournament in Valencia, where Belper’s Kathryn Lane was representing England in the U16 competition. Netherlands vs England in Valencia? 5-0 to the Dutch says all you need to know about the differing attitudes to developing players in the two countries. Belper experienced an almost similar score going down 5-1 but with Maddy Wood getting a goal from a well-worked free hit on the edge of the circle.
Belper were hopeful of points in game 3 vs the host club HOD. A goal in the 4th minute put Belper on the back foot and that one mistake proved to be costly in an evenly contested game. Belper created enough chances to win the game but didn’t take any of them – and that was the difference. A painful lesson in lack of concentration at key points in the match.
Game 4 was back to international competition – Ireland again! This time only a 2-0 loss but over 25 minutes. Goals in the 5th and 15th minutes were all the Irish could manage as again Belper put up a strong defensive show as an inexperienced club side against international opponents needed to in order to prevent a rout.
The last game of the day was vs Dutch club side Amersfoort, who play in the top division of the Dutch U16 league and who finally finished 5th in the competition on the Sunday. This was probably Belper’s best performance of the tournament as they matched their opponents, demonstrating what they had learnt. For the first time Belper opened the scoring. Five minutes were on the clock as Becky Hawkins deflected Jess Horn’s precise pass home at the first penalty corner. Could Belper hold on to their lead for the remaining 20 minutes or even increase it? Alas, one lapse of defensive discipline in the 13th minute opened the door and the Dutch were through the gap in an instant to equalise but there was no further score as Belper recorded their first point of the day.
On Day 2, the top 3 clubs in each of the two pools played off for the top prize and the bottom 3 teams in each pool competed for the Runners-Up Trophy. Belper’s initial Runners-Up mini-league opponents were Nord Pas de Calais – and Cubs again! To get into the cross-over play-offs for the Runners-Up Trophy, Belper had to win the game vs the French regional team, or at least draw, to have a chance of 2nd place in the group and thus have two more classification matches after the Cubs game.
Again Belper were not quite able to get over the line in this close contest. All was going reasonably well until the French scored on 14 minutes – one moment’s lapse again! Zut alors mes amis! And that was the difference – a game we could have won – should have won – but didn’t. And what a scalp that would have been.
With the knowledge that they would now be competing for last place unless a miracle occurred – and that would be against the USA (explanation later) was probably the reason for the listless display against the talented Belgian Cubs, who had received a severe telling-off for not making the top 6 and had been told their international places were on the line. 5-0 was unsurprising in the circumstances but Belper should note that all the goals originated down their left hand side because of a combination of slack marking, slow anticipation and persistent ball-watching. Lessons understood?
Belper then had only one game left – would pride kick back in? Could they put together everything they had learnt and give their best performance of the tournament? The USA would be placed in 12th – last place – whatever the score because, despite all the clear instructions on the HOD website that it was an Under 16 tournament, they incomprehensibly had brought an Under 17 squad! They had therefore been disqualified from the tournament proper for having over-age players but were allowed to play all their games but with each game being registered as a 3-0 loss irrespective of the actual score.
In true Belper spirit they gave a battling performance against an international team. 3-0 down inside 7 minutes made everyone fear the worst – but no more goals ensued as Belper got into the pace of the game and resisted determinedly – but that had needed to happen from minute 1 and not minute 7 to get a result to be totally delighted with.
With their participation ending at 1.00pm, Belper were able to shower, change and then watch the semis and finals of both the girls’ and boys’ competitions before the prize giving ceremony with the Mayor of Valkenswaard. The trophies for the winning teams were awarded plus the individual medals for best players and keepers. Lastly was the presentation of the Fair Play Trophy, the largest cup on display. To their delighted surprise, Belper HC from England were announced as the winners and so, looking very smart in their tour shirts, all the players shook the Mayor’s hand and that of the Tournament President, to receive their trophy before moving to the dais. It was a satisfying reward not only for their resolute attitude under demanding circumstances but also their immediate acceptance of umpiring decisions plus courtesy and good manners towards opponents and officials alike.
Belper then returned to the Youth Hostel for their own awards and debrief meeting followed by traditional the Easter Egg Hunt in wood behind the Hostel. The remainder of the evening passed in packing for the early start the next morning and then socialising with the other teams in residence. The return journey was thankfully uneventful and arrival back in Duffield was an hour earlier than scheduled at 5.00pm on Easter Monday.
The bare statistics of games won/drawn/lost would indicate an unsuccessful and disappointing tour. What the superficial facts conceal is the tremendous development opportunity that was offered to all the players. To have played three international games; four matches against top continental regional sides plus fixtures against three quality club teams, has given Belper U16s an experience that few other players in England can match. It is now up to them as to how they use the opportunities afforded to improve themselves to be the best that they can be. When matched against their peers: 3-3 vs HC Eindhoven, 1-1 vs MHC Amersfoort and 0-1 vs HOD HC, Belper can claim parity. In matches against international & top regional sides, they defended admirably for long periods. The knowledge gained over the four days of hockey should enable them to make rapid progress in their personal improvement.

BELPER HOCKEY CLUB HOLLAND TOUR. EASTER 2011. MATCH STATISTICS.
Pre-Tournament Practice Matches
21.04.11. v Eindhoven HC. Draw 3-3
Goal sequence: 5m 0-1; 13m 1-1; 33m 2-1; 43m 2-2; 55m 2-3; 60m 3-3.
Goal scorers: Naomi Cotterill: 13c, 33f, 51c.
Match Duration: 3x20 mins
22.04.11. v Ireland U16. Lost 0-4
Goal sequence: 13m 0-1; 17m 0-2; 20m 0-3; 60m 0-4. Match Duration: 3x20 mins
Tournament Pool D Matches – Day 1
23.04.11. v Cubs. Lost 0-2.
Goal sequence: 5m 0-1; 7m 0-2. Match Duration: 25 mins
23.04.11. v Zuid Nederland. Lost 1-5
Goal sequence: 2m 0-1; 11m 1-1; 13m 1-2; 14m 1-3; 16m 1-4; 22m 1-5.
Goal scorers: Maddy Wood 11f.
Match Duration: 25 mins
23.04.11. v HOD HC. Lost 0-1
Goal sequence: 4m 0-1. Match Duration: 25 mins
23.04.11. v Ireland. Lost 0-2
Goal sequence: 5m 0-1; 15m 0-2. Match Duration: 25 mins
23.04.11. v Amersfoort HC. Draw 1-1
Goal sequence: 3m 1-0; 13m 1-1.
Goal scorers: Becky Hawkins 3c. Match Duration: 25 mins
Tournament Runner-Up Pool Matches – Day 2.
24.04.11. v Pas de Calais. Lost 0-1
Goal sequence: 14m 0-1. Match Duration: 25 mins
24.04.11. v Cubs. Lost 0-5
Goal sequence: 6m 0-1; 8m 0-2; 12m 0-3; 16m 0-4; 17m 0-5. Match Duration: 25 mins
24.04.11. v USA. Lost 0-3
Goal sequence: 1m 0-1; 5m 0-2; 7m 0-3. Match Duration: 25 mins

Final Ranking.
1. South Holland. Regional Squad, The Netherlands
2. Zuid Nederland, Regional Squad, The Netherlands
3. Ireland, National U16 Squad, Ireland
4. North Holland, Regional Squad, The Netherlands
5. Amersfoort HC, Club Team, The Netherlands
6. Cats, International Selection Squad, Belgium
7. Cubs, International Selection Squad, Belgium
8. Pas de Calais, Regional Squad, France
9. Grossflotbekker HC, Club Team, Germany (Hamburg)
10. HOD HC, Club Team,The Netherlands (hosts)
11. Belper HC, Club Team, England
12. USA, National U17 Squad. (USA disqualified from actual competition for having over-age players)

BELPER HC TOUR AWARDS
Players’ Player of the Tour: Jess Horn (prize – HOD Club shirt)
Most Improved Player of the Tour: Yasmin Clough (prize – HOD Club shirt)
Golden Ball Award: Naomi Cotterill (hat-trick vs HC Eindhoven)
Silver Ball Award: Sorcha Cahill (dynamic double save vs USA & penalty shoot-out performance)
Bronze Ball Award: Ellie Miles (outstanding defending throughout the tournament)
Pink Ball Award 1: Nicola Hartley (‘blonde moment’ no.1)
Pink Ball Award 2: Elspeth Varley (‘blonde moment’ no.2)
Belper Tour Pennants: Niamh Cahill, Charlotte Gale, Becky Hawkins, Brie Parkin, Cerys Parkin, Alex Smith, Maddy Wood.

TOUR PARTY
Players: Niamh Cahill, Sorcha Cahill, Yasmin Clough, Naomi Cotterill, Charlotte Gale, Nicola Hartley, Becky Hawkins, Jess Horn, Ellie Miles, Brie Parkin, Cerys Parkin, Alex Smith, Elspeth Varley, Maddy Wood.
Staff: Coach – Tim Barlow; Managers – Tracey Parkin, Sharon Smith.
Supporters: Howard Cotterill, Mike Gale and family, John & Sue Hawkins, Jerry & Michelle Horn, Steve & Jackie Miles.
Tim Barlow