Ladies News - Season 2009-10
Ladies summer league games - players wanted Any Belper Ladies players who wish to play in a Derbyshire summer league on Wednesday or Thursday nights from May 12th through to August 11th please contanct Dannih via email: dannih@fsmail.net for more details. Fixtures as follows: Wednesday 12th May 9pm Vs Ripley Thursday 20th May 8pm Vs Findern Wednesday 2nd June 7pm Vs Asterdale A Wednesday 9th June 9pm Vs Phoenix Thursday 17th June 8pm Vs Ashbourne Thursday 24th June 9pm Vs Ashby Thursday 1st July 9pm Vs Matlock Thursday 8 July 9pm Vs Staveley Thursday 15 July 9pm Vs Burton a Thursday 22nd 9pm Vs Burton b Wednesday 1st August 7pm Vs Asterdale b Wednesday 11th August 8pm Vs Rolls Royce Mixed fortunes for Belper players in international competitions. A total of 7 Belper players were in four different European locations over Easter in a variety of guises and with mixed fortunes. Jess Wood starred for England U21s in their 3-0 test series win over France in Lille. France were blown away to the tune of 4-0, 7-1 & 6-0 with Jess notching 3 of the 17 goals scored, two in open play and one at a penalty corner. Joanna Leigh also managed 3 goals for England U18 at Leusden in Holland but only came away with a silver medal after losing 1-0 to the Netherlands in the final from a dubious penalty stroke. Together with Alice Sharp and Anna Toman, England lost 4-2 on the opening day to Germany, came back well to draw 0-0 with Holland on day 2 and then pulverised the Spanish 6-2 on day 3. In this game Joanna scored the opening two goals for England and Alice the last one. This result elevated them to the 1st/2nd play off against the Dutch and it was only a contentious penalty stroke on 63 minutes that gave the Dutch the trophy. Jessica Horn in the England U16 squad at the same venue lost to Holland 6-2, Spain 3-2 and then managed a 1-0 win over Germany. This still left them with the 3rd/4th place play-off but Germany exacted revenge with a 4-0 win to claim the bronze medal. In Largs, Rhiannon Rogers had a win, a draw and loss as Wales ended all square with Scotland. From an opening 6-1 defeat on day 1, Wales won 3-0 on day 2 and then both parties settled for 2-2 on day 3. Charlotte Middleton, representing Wales at U16 level in Wrexham against Scotland, suffered 3 defeats (5-1, 4-1, 2-0) against an older and more experienced side in their test series. Belper players in Europe Following their successful end to the season in the National & Derbyshire Leagues, a number of Belper players are playing in Europe over Easter before they return for the Under 18 Cup Final on 10/11th April. Jess Wood journeys to Lille to represent England at U21 level in a series of matches against France in preparation for the European Championships later in the year. Click here for results... Alice Sharp, Joanna Leigh and Anna Toman will be playing for England U18 at the annual 4 nations tournament being held at Leusden MHC near Amersfoort in Holland. They play the hosts, Germany and Spain. Jessica Horn has been selected for the England Under 16 squad for the same tournament for her second year at this level. Click here for results... Rhiannon Rogers travels to Largs in Scotland to represent Wales at U21 level in a series of matches against Scotland. This is her third year at this level and for her second year, Charlotte Middleton is selected for Wales in the same test series at Under 16 level. Umpires say Belper Ladies best club in England Belper Ladies have been assessed by all the visiting national league umpires to The Meadows this season as the best club to come to from not only the 10 teams in their North Conference League, but from all the 80 teams in the 8 National Leagues - both men & women. Belper top the umpires' assessment tables for enjoyment, pre and post-match hospitality and on-pitch behaviour. The umpires send in their gradings after each match and these are averaged out over the season. So not only have Belper had success on the pitch but the match managers and their team of club members and parents have been given the best reward possible - a national acknowledgement of what they do says that they are simply the best! England U21 training for Belper duo Good news came to Belper HC this week as 1st team members Jessica Wood and Sabbie Heesh were announced as being selected for the England U21 training squad in preparation for the European Championships later this year in France. Also in the squad were three other ex-Belper players, Lucy Horn, Laura Bridge and Hollie Webb who played in the national league team for a number of years and learnt their hockey at the club. All 3 have numerous England Hockey championship gold medals for U11 & U13 mini-hockey, U15, U16 & U18 age group titles, both outdoor and indoor. Ladies 1XI retain their third place Sutton Coldfield, Belper's intended England Hockey League opponents at the weekend, probably didn't appreciate the irony of their name as their pitch was covered in snow on Saturday, which forced the cancellation of the game. With both Belper and Sutton having Cup commitments over the next few weekends, the new date for the postponed fixture is Sunday March 14th. With two of the league's fixtures cancelled, Belper managed to retain their 3rd place as Wakefield Bradford, the team immediately below them, were beaten 3-0 by table-toppers Durham University. On Saturday Belper entertain 5th placed Loughborough Students. When Belper beat the Students 2-1 in October, the result left them in 9th place and in the relegation play-off zone. Since then, the university side have made a steady climb up the table and Belper expect nothing but a competitive and challenging match at the Meadows at 1.30pm. Ladies 1XI play indoor at Lilleshall National Sports Centre While the juniors were busy at the various indoor competitions a small squad travelled to play in Division Two of the National Indoor League held at Lilleshall National Sports Centre. We played 5 matches over the two days, starting with a close match against local rivals Beeston. Belper had a dream start scoring two quick goals in the first five minutes. However Beeston were more organised in the second half and the match ended two all. The next two matches also ended in two all draws and we were going to regret not managing to win either of these two matches against Brooklands Poynton and Lansdown. At the end of day one the league was finely balanced; any of the top 5 teams could secure the two promotion places. It was another early start on the Sunday morning, We were first to play at 9.00am against Stourport, who were bottom of the league. We knew we needed to score as many goals as possible. A resounding 7 nil victory, included a hat trick by debutant indoor player Kerry McCollum and, not to be out done, Wiz Hunt also experiencing her first indoor competition scored two goals. Our final match was against the strongest and largest squad there, containing many familiar faces from recent England junior squads. We knew that we would have to be on top of our game to compete with them. Unfortunately, Birmingham University had not done us any favours by only managing to draw with Lansdown earlier that day, so there was all still to play for in the competition. We both needed to win to secure a place in the league next year. All our squad gave 100% in a tense game, but Birmingham's players were fresher and despite all our efforts we were unable to convert our scoring chances. The final score was a three nil loss. At the end of the competition we ended up fourth, narrowly missing out on promotion. It was a great effort by all the squad: Sabbie Heesh who made numerous crucial saves; Kirsty MacLeod who showed great maturity in defence; Jess Wood worked tirelessly in midfield and scored several fantastic goals; debutants Kerry McCollum and Wiz Hunt both gained in confidence as the weekend progressed and who between them scored seven goals; Lil Robinson worked hard in every match to find that little extra space in the circle and Captain / coach Anke Kozuch whose experience was invaluable and led by example all weekend. Lastly, a definition of dedication - Bradders who despite having a over 140 lesson plans to write before her shoulder op on Friday stayed with the squad all weekend helping on the bench and in the team meetings. A special thank you and good luck with the rehab! A depleted senior side missed out on promotion in the National Indoor League Division Two, finishing fourth overall. Joan Passant  Rhiannon Rogers scores for Wales on debutBy Tim Barlow 17 year old Belper Hockey Club first team player Rhiannon Rogers was on target against Turkey in Wales' 5-3 win in the European Nations Indoor Hockey Challenge competition in Rouen, France over the weekend. Wales ended up 5th of the 6 teams competing and thus did not figure in one of the top two promotion spots. These went to England and France, the two outstanding teams in the competition. Wales beat 3rd placed Sweden 1-0 in their final match, lost narrowly 5-4 to 4th placed Croatia but were well beaten by England 6-0 and France 11-1. Rhiannon gets back on the indoor court this weekend in Sheffield as part of Belper's Under 18 team, who are bidding to retain their national title. It is a busy indoor hockey weekend for Belper as their Under 16 team are in their national finals in Birmingham and the Senior squad are involved in the England Hockey Board's National Indoor League Division 2 competition at Lilleshall National Sports Centre in Shropshire. Rhiannon Rogers takes French leave First team member, Rhiannon Rogers (17) will win her first Senior Wales indoor cap when she steps onto the pitch on Friday January 15th at Rouen in France against England, in the European Indoor Hockey Nations Challenge. Over that weekend Wales will also play Croatia, France, Turkey and Sweden. The winners of this competition will be promoted to the next level - the Trophy - for the 2012 competition. The rest of the 1st team squad and Belper HC send their best wishes to Rhiannon for a successful tournament. To read 'England Hockey' tournament preview click here... To read 'Welsh Hockey Union' match reports click here... Success for BLHC at the Amber Valley Active Sports Awards
Once again BLHC have scooped up the trophies at the Amber Valley Active Sports Awards evening. BLHC had been nominated for awards in four categories. The U18 team were nominated for the Junior Team of the Year and for the Team of the Year, Tim Barlow for Performance Coach of the Year and Joanne Rogers for Unsung Hero. A selection of players and supporters attended the awards ceremony at the Alfreton Leisure Centre and the trophies were presented in amongst some witty commentary, dance shows and martial arts demonstrations. The first award for BLHC was given to Tim Barlow as Performance Coach of the Year, his impressive list of achievements appearing on the screen behind the stage. The U18 Girls were nominated in two categories so although it was hoped that they would win at least one category it was a delight to see them win both awards and a rather embarrassed group of players had to make two trips to the stage. Joanne Rogers had been nominated for the Unsung Hero Award for the huge amount of work that she has done for the Club and in particular the running of mini hockey. Reluctantly Joanne took to the stage to hear the details of her nomination. Unfortunately a gentleman who has been volunteering for his local cricket club for the last sixty years and had, almost single-handedly, rebuilt a pavilion beat Joanne into second place! It has been suggested to Joanne that she would be in with a good chance of winning the Award next year if she rebuilt the pavilion at Belper Meadows but to be honest she doesn’t look keen! Thank you to all the players and supporters who attended the evening. Amber Valley put a lot of effort into the awards presentation and it was great to see so many from BLHC supporting the event. Liz English Louisa Boddy wins National League honour
Louisa Boddy, Belper's top scorer last season, has been voted Conference North Division Player of the Season 2008/09 by all the other teams. Louisa, alas, has now left Belper to continue her academic studies at Durham University and will be seen in the purple Palatinate's colours this coming season. Ladies Newsletter 2009-10
Belper Ladies would like to welcome you all to the start of the new season. We are hoping that this season will prove to be as successful as the last and we are looking forward to catching up with old friends and welcoming new members. Click here for newsletter... Summer League
By Kate Turner This year’s summer league started on May 6th, with five games left to play until the last match on Aug 19th. We have displayed the same fine form from last season and find ourselves in the same place as last year – bottom! Who said summer league was serious anyway? So far we have played seven matches, lost seven. Goals against 25 (not bad eh?) and goals for 1 (thank you Vicky Fox). We have already played all the teams who take the summer league far too seriously so hopefully the remaining matches might see a draw or maybe a win! I will add though that the score hasn’t always reflected the game. Twenty-nine players have been involved in games so far. Some weeks we could have fielded two teams so a big thank you to everyone for being patient, waiting for a match and occasionally playing out of position. We have welcomed three members back from pregnancy and also been able to involve a few players new to the Club. I would like to thank Tanya, Suzanne, Charlotte Howarth and Sarah English for playing in goal. It’s always a relief to have a goalie, although on one occasion we had to play without. It was panic stations at 5.30, trying to find a goalie, whilst cooking tea and removing head lice from my daughters’ hair! To everyone’s relief the opposition were also without a goalie. I have learnt a few things from this year’s (very soggy) summer league. Do not assume that you are in white just because you are the away team. This happened earlier in the season. If I do say so myself, we did look very attractive in a mixture of blue, pink, red and fluorescent yellow! Finally, a big thank you to the umpires who have made our matches possible; Kath Holt, Andy Collis, Dave Hoare and Sarah English. Good luck to everyone for the forthcoming season and never take your captain for granted! Stop press – Thurs July 30th We won a match!!!  Ladies 1st team 2009-10 National League SeasonBy Tim Barlow This coming season promises to be as exciting and successful, if not more so, than the previous one. With so many of the players staying - and therefore being a year older and wiser - the prospects are of a finish higher than last season's splendid 3rd place in Conference League North are excellent, where Belper finished well clear of all the other regular hockey clubs and only the two university sides of Durham & Loughborough above them, who bring in outside players for their league matches at weekends. During the summer, four of Belper's 1st team - Alice Sharp, Joanna Lane, Sabbie Heesh and Sophie Hawkins - have been in the England Under 18 training group for their series of matches in Europe and after a break to recharge their batteries, will be raring to go to display their international skills once more on Christchurch Meadows. Rhiannon Rogers made an excellent recovery from her serious ankle injury to play for Wales Under 18s in the European Trophy competition in Madrid and will be back bidding for a slot in the starting line-up, having missed the whole of the second half of the league programme with ligament tears sustained in the National Indoor League in January. Also during the summer, Anna Toman and Jess Horn have been representing England at Under 16 level along with Joanna Leigh, Belper's exciting new international signing from Bradford Wakefield. Joanna won the Player of the Tournament Award at the recent Home Nations Tournament in Scotland. Jess won't be eligible to play at the start of the league programme but she will be 15 shortly after and is expected to compete strongly for a place in the league team. Representing Wales at Under 16 level in the Home Nations Tournament has been Charlotte Middleton, who is now also expected to press for a place in the 1st team training squad. Jess Wood has been training with England Under 21s over the summer but missed out on possible selection for the Junior World Cup in Boston through an arm injury but hopes to be fully recovered for the start of the league programme. More excellent news is that former Belper 1st team National League player & Ulster Under 18 representative, Kerry McCollum, makes a welcome return after two years away at university and travelling around the world. Her goal scoring ability will be a most welcome addition. In fact, Belper look to have in prospect, the strongest striker line-up for many years. Along with Rhiannon Rogers and Kerry McCollum are 'old' hands Gill Boddy (20) and Alicia Robinson (19), scorers of so many goals in Belper's four years in the National League. Also pressing for a place in the starting line-up will be 16 year old Charlotte Hobbs, unbelievably starting her 3rd national league season and scorer of crucial goals for the Under 18 team last season and indeed in the National League, her first being the memorable winner in the 2-1 win over Sheffield Hallam the day after her 15th birthday. Hugely influential last season was Anke Färber's strength, courage and experience in defence and that will be in demand again this time along with a hopefully fully recovered 'keeper Kathryn Bradbury, who sustained a complex shoulder dislocation towards the end of the programme. From the Under 15 team who reached the National Plate Final last season - and who were actually undefeated in normal time in both indoor and outdoor competitions, the dreaded penalty strokes being the heart-breaker on three occasions - will be a number of talented players looking to claim a place in the first team training group. Indeed, the prospects for the England Hockey age-group competitions look excellent. With six junior internationals available, Belper will be bidding to retain their Under 18 outdoor and indoor titles. The Under 15 outdoor competition now moves to an Under 16 format and so all those players who were hugely disappointed at Under 15 level last season, will have the chance to make amends, in both the outdoor and indoor competitions.  Belper u18 girls England Hockey National Champions for a third consecutive year By Tim Barlow Belper Hockey Club Girls' Under 18 team made hockey history at the National Finals at Birmingham University last weekend by being the first team to lift the trophy three years in succession - but only by the narrowest of margins as they beat Wakefield HC by a goal difference of one, at the end of the most pulsating match of the tournament. The elation at this result has now been tempered with the knowledge that a scan on Lucy Horn's knee has shown that she sustained a rupture to her anterior cruciate ligament and will need surgery that will keep her out of hockey for some nine months. Belper had to play three matches over the weekend. Their first on Saturday was a comfortable 4-0 win over Midland rivals Leicester. Charlotte Hobbs opened the scoring on 5 minutes with a deflection off a Sophie Hawkins' reverse stick centre that surprised the keeper. Six minutes later the keeper was again bamboozled, this time by a reverse stick shot from Alice Sharp that whizzed into the bottom corner. On the stroke of half-time Louisa Boddy was on the end of a slick corner move and fired the ball home from close range. Three goals up at half-time, Belper were able to cruise the second half and add one more goal from Anna Toman by the end. This was a fabulous four-pass move involving Louisa Boddy, Camilla Hall, Judy Wrigley and Toman which saw her slip the ball into the corner as the keeper advanced. However, the first half saw the knee injury to Lucy Horn that was to prove to be an influential factor during the tournament and its dénouement. Match 2 on Saturday against the South champions Reading, proved to be a stiff encounter. Lacking Lucy Horn's presence in midfield, Belper stuttered to 0-0 at half-time. A change of roles at the break saw captain Louisa Boddy move from defence into midfield. This proved to be the catalyst as within 4 minutes of the restart, Charlotte Hobbs snatched what proved to be the only goal of the game, when she saw her initial shot saved by the keeper but was able to bundle the rebound over the line. Sunday brought the showdown between Belper and Wakefield - who had also beaten Reading and Leicester - both on 6 points but Belper having a crucial advantage of a +1 goal difference over the Northern champions. Lucy Horn was unable to start but was on the bench in case of emergencies and her absence meant that Belper had to again re-shuffle their pack. It was a disjointed first half for the Nailers as Wakefield had the greater possession and forced a series of 6 penalty corners to Belper's none. The corner defence team of 'keeper Sabbie Heesh plus Anna Boyd, Louisa Boddy, Joanna Lane and Sophie Hawkins were magnificent in foiling all Wakefield's attempts to score. Alas, immediately after the break at the next corner, although Heesh saved twice in quick succession, the third attempt found its mark and Belper were a goal behind. Eight minutes later it was 2-0 to Wakefield as a first-time deflection off a hard-hit centre rocketed into the roof of the net with Heesh helpless. Drastic measures were called for and Lucy Horn came off the bench to play in central defence. Louisa Boddy and Sophie Hawkins moved up into midfield and Anna Toman joined the strikers. The effect was instantaneous as Wakefield were rocked back on their heels by waves of Belper attacks. Alice Sharp's mercurial dribbling skills won a penalty corner with 10 minutes to go. A slick move between Boddy, Lane and Hawkins saw Anna Boyd deflect the ball in at the far post to reduce the deficit. Now Belper just needed one more goal to win the tournament. With six minutes remaining Anna Toman won another corner. The penalty corner attack team that had served Belper so well in the National League had one last chance to get it correct. Louisa Boddy's strike was so fierce that it flew between the Wakefield keeper's legs before she could move. The backboard crack reverberated off the University's stone balustrades to mix with the Belper roars to signify the equaliser. With their international and national league experience coming to the fore, Belper calmly played out time to record their hat-trick of championship wins. To quote the Duke of Wellington after his victory over Napoleon at Waterloo - "a damn close-run thing." Squad: Sabbie Heesh, Ashleigh Theobold, Rachel Mason, Kirsty Macleod, Joanna Lane, Louisa Boddy, Sophie Hawkins, Judy Wrigley, Camilla Hall, Anna Boyd, Alice Sharp, Lucy Horn, Amy Davies, Charlotte Hobbs, Anna Toman. Final Table:
Competition Results: Round 1. vs Southwell Brincliffe - won 15-0. Round 2. vs Leek - won 9-1. Round 3. vs Olton - won 7-2. Round 4. vs Alderley Edge- won 5-0. Round 5. vs Southgate - won 5-1. Belper Ladies voted top club in England
Belper Ladies HC have been voted the top club in the Slazenger National League by the umpires. In their Conference North Division Belper almost swept the board by being awarded the highest score in the categories of enjoyment, pre-match hospitality and best on-pitch behaviour. They came second to Liverpool on post-match hospitality but an overall average score of 6.43 points to Liverpool's 6.19 saw them well clear in 1st place. The scoring system is for each of the 18 matches, the highest being 7 - excellent, followed by 6 - very good, down to 1 - unacceptable. Belper also beat all of the winners in the other 7 national leagues covering the men's and women's game - the closest being Bowdon HC from Manchester in the Men's Premier League with a total of 6.38. This is a splendid reward for all the club members, parents and supporters who work behind the scenes on matchdays to ensure that the players receive the back-up that their on-pitch performances deserves. Not only were the 1st team voted the best behaved on the pitch but they came top of all the other clubs in the league with their on-pitch performances resulting in a 3rd place behind the two university teams of Durham & Loughborough who received ratings in the bottom half of the league from the umpires.  Belper take national under 18 indoor title in style Squad: Sabbie Heesh, Joanna Lane, Sophie Hawkins, Louisa Boddy, Lucy Horn, Alice Sharp, Anna Toman, Charlotte Hobbs, Kirsty Macleod, Jessica Horn, Sarah English, Rhiannon Rogers. Belper Ladies' Hockey Club's Under 18 indoor team triumphed at the Birmingham National Indoor Arena on Sunday at England Hockey's National Indoor Championships with a comprehensive win over Trojans Hockey Club. In front of a crowd of over 2,500 spectators, Belper put on an impressive professional performance to defeat the Southampton club 4-0 for their first win at this age level, having been Under 16 champions for the past two years. It was a cagey first half with both teams testing each other out and not wanting to concede the first goal. Trojans, having been defeated 7-1 by Belper last year's Under 16 semi-final, were understandably conscious of the Nailers' reputation. Belper were also well aware that Trojans' Under 21 German international, Pia Grambusch, had been the source of the vast majority of their goals leading up to the final and a 0-0 score at half-time reflected the cautious approach of both teams. Sabbie Heesh in the Belper goal made three excellent saves early on to repel Trojans' initial thrusts and both Alice Sharp and Louisa Boddy had efforts saved by the Trojans' keeper.  It was three minutes into the second half when Belper took the lead. As the ball broke free in the circle an inspirational piece of quick thinking by Alice Sharp produced a reverse stick flick that the Trojans' keeper could only just touch as the ball flew past her at head height and into the net. Two minutes later it was Alice Sharp again who seized on a goalkeeping rebound from Lucy Horn's shot, to slip the ball between the keeper's legs as she advanced. This seemed to give Belper increased confidence as Alice Sharp continued to make consistent inroads into the Trojans' defence with her penetrative dribbling and it was one of her mazy runs that drew two defenders and then a slipped pass to Louisa Boddy allowed her to whip the ball into the bottom corner. Trojans had their chances with a series of penalty corners but Belper's defensive organisation was equal to the task and Jo Lane and Sophie Hawkins both took shots off the line. It was again the Sharp/Boddy combination who put the final nail in the Trojans' coffin when a neat reverse pass from Alice Sharp in the last minute allowed Louisa Boddy to again fire low into the bottom corner to record the final 4-0 scoreline. Sabbie Heesh in goal was in masterful form as she dealt with all Pia Grambusch's corner and open play shots. Jo Lane and Sophie Hawkins were exemplary in their discipline as deep defenders and their inspired covering, intercepting and tackling resulted in no goals being scored - an remarkable statistic in a 30 minute indoor final as Trojans had scored an average of 4.6 goals a game on their way to the final. Lucy Horn controlled the oppositions' right hand board allowing them few opportunities to progress in that area as well as being a key passing outlet and left side playmaker. Captain Louisa Boddy in midfield, was instrumental in keeping Grambusch quiet for the majority of the game and supporting Lucy Horn and Alice Sharp in attack. Belper won all of their pool matches over the preceding two days in their progress to the final scoring 20 goals and conceding 7. The results were: vs Kingston Grammar School 8-5; - Belper were 1-4 down at half-time but a magical burst of 7 goals in 12 minutes did the trick. vs Bradford Wakefield HC 3-1; - Belper were 3-0 up inside 4 minutes, Bradford scored on 6 and that was it. vs Chelmsford HC 4-1; 1-1 at half-time and then Belper scored 3 goals in 7 minutes to put the game to bed. vs Isca Dragons HC 5-0; 1-0 at half-time, then the traditional powerful Belper 2nd half as they raced away . In the semi-final Belper defeated Millfield School 5-4. Half-time score 2-1 and then Belper eased out to 5-3 with Millfield scoring in the dying seconds. Belper final goal tally was: 29 for and 11 against - a goal difference of +18. In the pool and semi-final matches Louisa Boddy scored 11 goals, Alice Sharp 8, Lucy Horn 4 and Anna Toman 2. Team photo courtesy of Hockeyweb, official photographer to England Hockey. Read England Hockey report...  Alice Sharp wins Higgins Group Award for 2008 by the Hockey Writers' Club. Alice Sharp has been chosen as the winner of the Higgins Group UK Youth Award for 2008 by the Hockey Writers' Club. This award is for the outstanding Under 18 player in Youth Hockey in Great Britain. Alice was selected as the most deserving of the award from a number of high profile candidates and her citation in the press release makes note of the fact that she is the possessor of 20 gold and 4 silver medals from all the competitions she has played in, from Under 11 mini-hockey to England Under 16. Her actual tally is as follows:  2002 - Belper U11 mini-hockey (Gold)2003 - Belper U11 mini-hockey (Gold) 2004 - Belper U13 mini-hockey (Gold); Ecclesbourne School U14 (Gold). 2005 - Belper U13 mini-hockey (Gold); U15 Cup (Gold); Ecclesbourne U16 (Gold). 2006 - Belper U15 Cup (Gold); U16 Indoor (Silver); Ecclesbourne U16 (Gold); Derbyshire U15 (Silver); Midlands U15 (Gold). 2007 - Belper U15 Cup (Gold); U16 Indoor (Gold); Ecclesbourne U16 (Gold); Derbyshire U15 (Gold); Midlands U15 (Gold); England U16 (Gold). 2008 - Belper U18 Cup (Gold); U16 Indoor (Gold); Ecclesbourne U16 (Gold); Derbyshire U17 (Gold); Mercia Lynx U18 (Silver); England U16 (Silver). Many of the previous recipients of this award have gone on to make their mark at full international level and to play in World Cup and Olympic Games competitions. Alice will collect her award later this month at the Hockey Writers' Club annual luncheon to be held in London. At the same time, a number of the Beijing Olympic hockey players will also receive their awards. Photo caption: Alice Sharp receiving the Young Player of the Year Award from Richard Higgins, chairman of Higgins Group PLC, at the annual Hockey Writers' Club presentation lunch at the Royal Thames Yacht Club in London. The Guest of Honour was the Chairman of the British Olympic Association, Lord Moynihan, who gave a detailed account of the planning and preparation for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. The Master of Ceremonies was Barry Davies, the BBC hockey commentator at the Beijing Olympic Games. Also honoured were Alistair McGregor and Beth Storry, the men's and women's goalkeepers in Beijing, with their Player of the Year Awards for their performances in securing 5th and 6th places respectively for the GB teams. To view the report on the England Hockey website click here.... Belper Ladies triumph at the Derbyshire Sport Awards Presentation Evening
 By Tim BarlowThe cream of Derbyshire's athletes, sporting volunteers and veterans, gathered with other invited guests at the University of Derby sponsored event, to celebrate the successes of the past year and recognise all the behind the scenes work that takes place to make sport in Derbyshire great. Guests of honour were Derbyshire's Olympic and Paralympic athletes - swimmers Ross Davenport and David Ellis, badminton player Donna Kellogg, footballer Leon Taylor, wheelchair tennis player Alex Jewitt and wheelchair basketball player Jon Hall, as well as athletics official Chris Cohen, badminton coach Andy Wood and British Cycling Performance Director David Brailsford, who all played key roles in Beijing. David Brailsford was presented with a Special Award for Outstanding Achievements in 2008, in recognition of the role he played in the British Cycling team's success in Beijing, which saw them bring home 14 medals in all, including eight gold medals. The team had previously topped the medal table at the World Track Cycling Championships in Manchester, taking nine of 18 gold medals available. Belper Ladies picked up an impressive three awards. First up were the Under 16 Indoor team, who won the Derbyshire 2008 Junior Team of the Year Award despite fierce competition from the City of Derby Swimming Club. The team, who retained their Indoor National Cup Champions title earlier this year at the NIA in Birmingham, received the prestigious award during the dinner at Derby County's Pride Park Stadium, attended by more than 250 people. Sophie Hawkins and Sarah English collected the trophy on behalf of the team, which scored a total of 37 goals and conceded only three during the finals, in their quest for the title. They were presented with the Derbyshire 2008 Junior Team of the Year trophy by David Lowe, a member of The Derbyshire Management Group for the 2012 Games. The Under 18 outdoor team claimed the runners-up trophy in the 2008 Team of the Year Award, sponsored by Derbyshire County Council, for their retention of the England Hockey Under 18 Cup at Canterbury Hockey Club earlier in the year when they defeated Chelmsford Hockey Club 7-0 in the final. The award was collected by captain Alicia Robinson, together with Jessica Wood, Louisa Boddy and Sophie Hawkins. Belper Ladies first team player, Alice Sharp, was runner-up in the Junior Sportswoman of the Year Award, sponsored by the University of Derby, for her achievement in playing a key role in England Hockey's Under 16 team's winning of the silver medal in the European Championships in The Hague in July. Alice was unable to be present to collect her award because she was attending a Great Britain Under 20 training weekend at Bisham Abbey NSC. The awards are organised by Derbyshire Sport, a county sports partnership which provides the strategic lead for sport in Derbyshire. Clive Moesby, Chair of Derbyshire Sport, said: "It was great to see so many people join us at Pride Park for a fantastic evening looking back at some of the sporting success stories of the past year. We have a great number of talented sports people in the county, from community coaches to elite athletes, and it is great to be able to recognise the dedication these people show." Click here to view the winners of the 2008 Derbyshire Sports Awards...  Belper Ladies win prestigious England Hockey award Belper Ladies 1st X1's matchday hospitality team has been voted by all the league clubs in the National North Division as Most Hospitable Club. Jackie Sharp and Joan Passant, who lead the volunteer line-ups as matchday managers, are delighted that all the time and effort put in by club members and parents has been recognised nationally. All the match officials and opposition have to be welcomed and provided with refreshments after their journeys before the match and then the post-match meal has to be prepared. The clubhouse has to be tidied from the previous team's meal, tables laid and food got ready for the players when they have showered and changed. Then, of course, there is the serving of the meal, the washing up and tidying of the clubhouse to be completed. So not only are Belper national champions on the pitch but also off it as well! 1st team co-manager Jackie Sharp said, "That glass of wine tonight is going to go down particularly well." Sponsorship secured with The Lion Hotel to help National League Hockey
Belper Ladies Hockey Club are delighted to announce a sponsorship deal with The Lion Hotel, Belper which will help offset the considerable costs of running a national league hockey team. The Lion Hotel is situated in the centre of one of Derbyshire’s most historic towns – Belper. The hotel frontage dates from 1776 and having now been extensively refurbished, the hotel provides an extremely high level of comfort and service. The Lion Hotel has 22 comfortable & tastefully decorated bedrooms with all modern facilities to ensure your stay is enjoyable. Experience 'Twenty Four' Belpers first Gastro Pub which offers a light bites menu alongside it's main gastro menu and has something for everyone's tastes as well as catering for special diets. There is also 25% discount off the total bill when you present The Lion Hotel advertisement found in the Belper Hockey Club official match programme. For more information on The Lion Hotel click here...  Belper u15/u18 girls National Club Cup Finals success 2008  It was another remarkable weekend (10th-11th May, 2008) for Belper Ladies Hockey Club when the junior under 15 and u18 girls travelled to Canterbury Hockey Club to play in the England Hockey National Club Cup Finals. The u18's were a class act, winning the u18 title in style and a very young u15 team were amazing as they finished runners-up to Wakefield HC. Congratulations to all players, coaches, management and parents who have spent many hours at the training pitch and have run-up hundreds of miles travelling far and wide across the country throughout the season. Belper u18 girls triumph for a second consecutive year Tim Barlow With one slight hiccup, Belper Under 18 team retained their national title at Canterbury HC on May 10/11th by winning two and drawing one of their games. This victory is dedicated to those 2nd team players (and a few from the 1sts) who went and fulfilled a National League fixture at Nottingham in March to allow the Under 18 team to win their 4th round match at Hull (which England Hockey had timetabled on the same day) to progress to the next round. Without their club spirit and willingness to go and endure an 8-0 loss, a result that they knew was likely happen, the Under 18s could not have enjoyed their success at the weekend. Belper opened finals weekend on Day 1 with an impressive 5-0 win over Leicester. The team's control of the game was evident from early on and, but for an outstanding display in goal by England U18 keeper Lucy Dawkins, the score could well have been in double figures. Ellie Green opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a tap in at a pc after Louisa Boddy's powerful shot had punched a hole in the keeper's defences. Lil Robinson bagged a brace - a reverse stick chip over a horizontal keeper after the initial shot had been saved and then her trade-mark deflection at a pc via Louisa Boddy and Jess Wood, that has scored so many goals in the National League. Just after the break, Jess Wood was waiting at the far post to slap the ball home after Anna Boyd had eliminated 3 players along the back line and to finalise matters, Jo Lane delivered a cracking cross-shot at a pc that the keeper never saw. Belper were confident in the early start on Day 2 vs Harleston Magpies but they had not bargained for the determination and aggression that the Norfolk side exhibited from the start in their desire to take on the holders of the Trophy. Belper had enough chances to put the game beyond the Magpies' reach but it was not until 8 minutes into the second half that Charlotte Hobbs's mazy run set up Jess Wood to fire Belper into the lead. The feisty Magpies kept going and Belper did not help themselves with a number of players trying to win the game on their own. With two seconds to go, Belper conceded their first pc of the tournament. The initial shot was blocked by the runner-out but the subsequent mishit looped over all the defence and dropped under the bar to nestle in the net. A 1-1 draw between Magpies & Leicester and Leicester's 3-0 win over Chelmsford meant that Belper only needed a draw to take the title in their last game vs Chelmsford. No thought was further from their minds as in the 1st minute, Louisa Boddy's exquisite pass to Jess Wood ripped open the Chelmsford defence and her subsequent run and reverse stick shot was stunning in its execution. Belper were on fire as their pride in their performance had been dented in the previous game. On 16 minutes Lil Robinson's classy turn and quick shot put Belper in reach of the Trophy. Soon after, Alice Sharp's shot was then deflected past the stranded keeper by one of her own defenders and just before half-time, Louisa Boddy stepped up to thunder a pc against the backboard. At 4-0 Chelmsford were out on their feet. There was no let up in the second half as Belper continued to produce their best Under 18 performance of the season. Anna Boyd and Lil Robinson managed two neat deflections in the 35th and 48th minutes respectively and Alice Sharp needed no help this time from the defence as she smacked in a shot from the top of the circle. The match ended with Belper holding the ball in the back with ease of possession to run the clock down. As the sun sank low in the west behind the famous cathedral, so Lil Robinson led her team up the steps to receive their trophy and gold medals to emphasise once more, that they are the outstanding Under 18 team in England. No more need be added - they were simply the best. Belper LHC would like to express their grateful thanks to the following for their help in making this weekend possible: Belper Meadows Sports Club, Belper Rotary Club, Derbyshire Sports Injuries Clinic, The Lion Hotel, DHL and Derby Rugby Veterans. Squad: Sabbie Heesh, Ashleigh Theobald, Joanna Lane, Rachel Mason, Louisa Boddy, Rachel Sharp, Sophie Hawkins, Ellie Green, Anna Boyd, Alice Sharp, Lucy Horn, Jessica Wood, Alicia Robinson (capt), Charlotte Hobbs, Rhiannon Rogers. Finals Results: vs Leicester - won 5-0 (HT 2-0). Ellie Green 10c; Lil Robinson 25f, 31c; Jess Wood 27f; Jo Lane 37c. vs Harleston Magpies - drew 1-1 (HT 0-0). Jess Wood 31f. vs Chelmsford - won 7-0 (HT 4-0). Jess Wood 1f, Lil Robinson 16f, 48f, Alice Sharp 19f, 36f; Louisa Boddy 21c; Anna Boyd 35f. Final Table:
Competition Results: Round 1. Bye. Round 2. vs Cannock - won 4-0. Round 3. vs Nottingham Highfields - won 7-0. Round 4. vs Hull - won 6-0. Round 5. vs Reading - won 4-1. |