Belper u16 boys fail to qualify for national indoor finals on goal difference
Squad: Dougie Campbell, James Cozens, Matt English, Jonno Miles, Matt Marshall, Callum Duncan, Matt Jones, Vikram Jones.
Results: vs Warwick School 2-1; vs Cannock HC 5-0; vs Bromsgrove School 1-3; vs Ludlow HC 3-1.
Scorers: 4 Matt Marshall; 2 Jonno Miles, Matt English, Matt Jones; 1 James Cozens.
Belper Under 16 boys just failed to join their female age-group counterparts in the National Indoor Finals in January on goal difference. At the end of their pool games, they were tied on 9 points with Bromsgrove School and Cannock. Bromsgrove went through to the Midlands Final against Beeston HC, the other pool winners, by virtue of a +9 goal difference, whereas Cannock and Belper had tied on +6. Both the contestants of the final were to be the two Midlands' qualifiers for the National Indoor Finals according to the rules.
That the Belper boys got so far was an outstanding achievement having had no previous indoor experience. An early arrival at Aldersley Leisure Centre meant that the squad were able to get in some solid practice before the competition. As was to be expected, the first game vs Warwick School was a sorting out of how to play and the team did well to engineer a 2-1 win.
Match 2 vs Cannock was a stunning performance as Belper played with pace, determination and no little skill to give their best performance of the day. Cannock had a number of quality players but they missed some crucial opportunities in front of goal and Vikram managed to keep out all their corners. When Belper were in front of goal they took their chances to achieve a result that surprised both the spectators and the players themselves.
Encouraged by this performance, Belper felt that they could achieve a result against Bromsgrove who had considerable indoor experience. Alas, the quality of Bromsgrove's penalty corners were responsible for two of their three goals and Belper could manage only one in reply.
Belper still had a chance of winning the pool if they scored a hat-full of goals against Ludlow HC, putting the pressure on Cannock and Bromsgrove in their final games. Another solid performance ensured a 3-1 win but not enough goals were scored against a team that had improved during the competition, following their conceding of 6 goals in each of their games against Cannock and Bromsgrove at the start of the day.
All the players learnt quickly and showed an excellent attitude and enthusiasm. Callum Duncan and Matt Jones were strong and responsible defenders; Jonno Miles and Matt Marshall shared the midfield duties with considerable success and James Cozens, Matt English, Dougie Campbell and Jonno Miles worked hard in the strikers' roles. Vikram Jones in goal made some excellent saves, particularly against Cannock, to keep the team in the competition right until the end. The players will have gained valuable experience for the future and are to be congratulated on almost qualifying for the National Finals at their first attempt.

U15 boys triumph at Loughborough tournament
By Jerry Sharp
On a cold a blustery Sunday afternoon (02 12 07) Belper U15 boys notched up a victory at the Loughborough Town Mini Hockey Tournament.
A full squad of 10 players all contributed to the win which saw victories over Loughborough Sharkes, Coalville Rangers, Loughborough Coalville and Rawlins Outlaws in thepool round before beating Leicester Westleigh in the Final.
A very pleasing show demonstrating how the squad have improved steadily over the 1st half of the season - well done boys and well done Ben, Lozza, Tim & Ian for all the training.
Team Squad:
Chris Bell, David Boddy, Ross Duncan, Nick Pankurst, Kirtley reed, Joe Sharp(c), Max Spalton, Nic Trifunovic(gk), Mat Wilson

Striker tops Christmas list for Lamb as Nailers fall to twin defeat
By Kerry Slack (courtesy of Derby Evening Telegraph) 28th November, 2007
Belper coach Ben Lamb will be on a recruitment drive over the mid-season break after watching his side slump to two successive defeats. The Nailers were beaten 3-2 by Old Georgians before Team Bath Buccaneers defeated Belper 5-0. They now have a two-month break before the second half of the season commences.
"Against Old Georgians, we played some of the best hockey that I've seen us play this season," said Lamb. "It was the same old story - we took the lead through Tom Leatherland but didn't capitalise on the chances that we created, so the half-time score was only 1-0. "They scored early on in the second half, we went back in front through Jack Wells' goal from open play but they then scored two late on to beat us. "We really thought we could win that game and I think there was a bit of a hangover when we played Bath the following day. "We were just awful against them. We didn't perform and they thoroughly deserved to win. "They're a very good team. "I'll definitely be looking to strengthen the squad over the winter break with a striker high on my list of priorities. "Sam McCambridge has done well since he joined us but we need more than the one striker contributing goals."
Lamb has called in his players for extra training this weekend as they prepare for the Midland qualifiers for the indoor league. "It's the first time that I can remember Belper playing indoor hockey," said Lamb. "But because we're new to indoor hockey, we have to qualify for the national league via a Midlands play-off, which takes place on December 9. "There won't really be much of a break over the winter really. "As well as playing indoor hockey, we're training in preparation for the second half of the season in January and also have a few mid-season games lined up to keep us ticking over."

Sunday 25th November 2007 - U18 Boys Cup Match v Leek HC
After a long day of hockey at Belper the U18 lads took to the pitch knowing that all the other junior teams had won and they were determined to be in the draw for the third round of the National Cup as well. Belper started the game strongly and mounted several attacks on the Leek D but these were all dealt with and the visitors made some attacks of their own. These amounted to nothing though as captain Sam Browne marshalled his troops well at the back. As the half drew on Belper dominated and it was no surprise when they took the lead on 25 minutes; Ben Mills’s short corner strike was stopped on the line by a Leek defender but only cleared as far as Ricky Ho-Chaw who turned the ball in from 5 yards. Inevitably a second came shortly after when Belper won a free hit which was smashed into the D by Steve Tee, Ricky was waiting on the back post to deflect home his second goal on debut.
At half time with the score still at 2-0 Belper were happy with their performance and Coach Lamb called for more of the same. Leek would have felt that a good start to the second half could have put them back in the game. This did not materialise though as Belper doubled their lead within minutes of the restart. Firstly Douggie Campbell, poaching in a way similar to his father would have done on the Scottish moors made it 3-0. Then Rich Cassidy added the fourth with a great solo goal that saw him dribble into the D and crash it home on his reverse stick. With the game over as a contest credit should be given to Leek who kept on pushing to the death. This saw the game turn a bit nasty as tired players on both teams started to make some slightly interesting tackles. Belper remained on top throughout though and Oli Phillips snuck two goals for himself before the end, firstly turning well in the D to crash the ball home and then completing a great team move down the right which saw some of the best passing of the day to get Belper round the back of the defence from where ball was slipped to the penalty spot then to Oli on the back post who tapped it in.
Some of the gloss was taken off the win as firstly Stevie Tee (bumping over a Leek player) and then Ben Mills (advising the Leek umpire of the rules) spent time in the sin bin. This allowed Leek to score a late goal with a one man advantage but overall Belper were delighted with a great team perfomance and now eagerly await the draw for the next round. Many thanks to victorious coach Mark Lamb, assistant coach Dave Tee and manager Steve Miles.

Sunday 25th November 2007 - U15 Boys Cup Match v South Notts HC
Squad: Nik Trifunovic (GK), Joe sharp (c), James Cozens, Chris Bell, Ross Duncan, Max Spalton, Max Wilson, Curtley Reed, David Boddy, Jacob Bullock, Toby Hooker, Nick Pankhurst, Fraser Brown, Ciannon Lee, Alex Goodwin, Alex Field.
A near perfect morning for hockey saw Belper’s U15 Boys squad in the Clubhouse at 8.30am ‘preparing’ (scoffing toast and jam) before the first match of their Cup campaign. The game started well for Belper with their first shot on goal after just 3 minutes. After a few more minutes of pressure the first goal came and from then on the boys worked steadily, as a team, slotting in 7 goals before half-time. South Notts managed to break through just once before the break, while Nik was down on the ground having just made a great save. Belper restarted relatively slowly but still managed another 6 goals in the second half. It was great to see the how whole team have grown in confidence both individually and collectively; a tribute to the revised coaching for the junior boys this season.
Final score 13 – 1 to Belper – a great team effort! Goals: Chris Bell (4, on his birthday weekend), Joe Sharp (2), James Cozens (2), David Boddy (2), Nick Pankhurst (2), Curtley Reed.
Many thanks to Ben Mills for umpiring, Lozza for coaching the team and Sally, Judy and Jackie for organising breakfast and post match refreshments.

Sam Hawkes and Luke Davies sign for Nailers
By Ben Lamb
Sam Hawkes has re-signed for Belper after just 3 months at Bournville. Injury prevented Sam for playing for Bournville and after a move back to Nottingham, he felt his future lies at Belper. "It is a great boost for us" said Lamb, Nailers Coach. "He was an important part of the set up last year and it is great to welcome him back", "He has the quality and the experience to add to the promising squad of players we already have" added Lamb.
Due to registration deadlines, Hawkes is unable to play this weekend when the Nailers travel to face Old Loughtonians, but should be available for selection the following weekend.
The signings however, don't stop with Hawkes. Luke Davies has also signed for the club from Midlands Premier Division Club, Mansfield. "Luke did a bit of training with us in the summer, but then decided to stay at Mansfield". "He has now signed for us and we are very excited, as he looks a promising player" Lamb stated. Luke like Sam is also unavailable this weekend, but will look to figure in the squad the following week.

Bumper day of hockey at the Meadows on Sunday 25th November
Sunday 25th November will be a busy day at Belper HC. The U18 Boys, U18 Girls, U15 Boys and U15 Girls have all been drawn at home in round two of the EH Cup. The U15 girls host Leicester HC whilst the boys will play South Nottingham. The U18 boys have drawn Leek as reward for their 4-1 defeat of Barton in round one - all the other Belper teams got a bye - whilst their female counterparts will play against Cannock. As if all this hockey isn't enough there will also be a Men's National League game versus Bath University to sandwich between the cup fixtures. Times will be added to this website as soon as they are confirmed and your support for some or all of the matches would be greatly appreciated.

Belper hit for six after injury blow to skipper
By Kerry Slack (courtesy of Derby Evening Telegraph) 7th November, 2007
Three goals in five minutes proved too much for Belper as they were taught a lesson in finishing by an in-form Southgate side in EHL Men's Division One. The afternoon got off to a bad start when influential captain Mark Lamb failed a fitness test on his knee. But coach Ben Lamb says that is no excuse fo a 6-0 defeat. "Mark had a fitness test before the match on a tissue tear in his knee, which he failed," said Lamb. "That forced us to reshuffle our defence before the game and upset the balance. "Our defending was naive against Southgate but we can't use the fact that Mark was out as an excuse. "Southgate are by far the best team in the league and I believe they're strong enough to get promoted at the end of the season." All bar one of Southgate's goals came from open play.
Adam Wilson got the visitors off to a perfect start with the opening goal after only five minutes. Jordache Rawson got a second straight from the restart and Southgate were awarded a penalty stroke after 10 minutes, Rick Gay converting to put them 3-0 up. Joshua Coote netted a fourth for Southgate before the break and further goals from Joel Evans (50) and another from Rawson sealed the win. "I can't really fault the guys that played," said Lamb. "The defence was just a bit inexperienced. "We played better in the second half but just didn't create chances. "We'll keep plugging away and will be much wiser the next time we play them."
Belper have no fixture this weekend. It's the second time in a fortnight that the Nailers have been without a game and Lamb says it's frustrating. "The last time we had a week off, we came back and got beaten 6-0 by Southgate," he said. "We're keen to get back on track and it would be nice to have a match this weekend to try and put right last Saturday's result. "However, we've got to wait a fortnight before our next game, which is against Old Loughtonians."

U18 boys cup campaign begins with a win
This season under 18’s Boys cup campaign got under way with a hard fought 4-1 win over Barton. After a tentative start the team settled down and started to create a number of opportunities. The first Belper goal eventually came from Marvin Pehike half way through the first half. Belper then went through their best period of possession, which resulted in a well worked moved, nicely finished off by Dougie Campbell. Giving Belper a 2-0 lead at half time. The second half started where the first left off with Belper creating good opportunities. This all attacking approach resulted in Barton catching us on the break and scoring from a short corner. This stirred Belper on and a well worked short corner saw Richard Cassidy scoring Belper’s third. Not long after Belper made it four, when a free hit was fired into the D, and deflected onto Olly Philips to fire the ball home.An all round good effort from the newly formed Belper team. Barton made the lads work hard for the win. Many thanks go to Mark Lamb for his coaching and to Dave Hall for umpiring.

Bright lights of Belper help attract Aussie starlet Sam
By Kerry Slack (courtesy of Derby Evening Telegraph) 1st November, 2007
The new Westfield shopping centre had little to do with luring Belper's latest recruit to the area from Australia - although he is partial to a bit of retail therapy every now and then. Forward Sam McCambridge, the leading goalscorer in EHL Men's Division One, joined Belper Hockey Club just before the completion of Derby's new multi-million pound shopping centre. But it wasn't the exciting developments in the city that attracted the 21-year-old - it was a glowing report about the hockey club from former coach Craig Keegan, who stepped down at the start of the season. "Craig coached me when I was about 15-years-old back in Tasmania, where I'm from," said McCambridge, who is in England for two years. "He mentioned my name to Belper coach Ben Lamb, who fired an email to me at the start of the season and I responded straightaway. "I've settled in really well. "The club is great, very family-orientated, and I love the Derby and Belper area.
"And the Westfield centre is just huge! "I do enjoy shopping and can't wait for pay day so I can go and spend some money there." McCambridge is currently living with Belper captain Mark Lamb and his wife Lizzie. But that could all change next year, with the arrival of their first child. "Mark and Lizzie are so good to me and it's nice to have some proper home-cooked food," said McCambridge. "Their baby is due early next year so I may move in with Roger (Carter, Belper chairman) so I can get some rest!" The hockey club paid the airfare for their latest recruit and organised his accommodation.
But McCambridge is paying his own way at the Lamb residence after getting himself a new job. "I've just started working full time at the Sleep Inn on Pride Park," said McCambridge. "So I pay for things like my upkeep and food. "I love my job, though, and I'm enjoying the countryside over here, which is very different to back home." McCambridge is currently the Nailers' top scorer with six goals from five games. And this weekend, he will go head-to-head with the league's second highest scorer, Southgate's Dan Shingles. "It should be interesting and I'm looking forward to," said McCambridge.

U13 NoDe Tournament - Sunday 28th October
By Judy Hooker / Alan Wisdish - u13 Boys Managers
On a wet Sunday morning, Belper hosted teams from Burton, Chesterfield and North Notts for a round of mini hockey.  Belper Boys fielded two teams (A and Alpha) and had a welcome one from Belper Girls. At the start, the tournament was played in some very wet conditions with all the Belper teams starting out with a win. The A team kept up their winning ways, but were hard pushed by the Belper Girls. Burton, Chesterfield and North Notts all had a series of good matches. The Alpha team were not so fortunate, but played well and showed a lot of promise. The aim of the day was to play hockey, the focus was not on the scores. Many thanks to Harry for stepping in as a last minute goal keeper for the A team.  Nik T was given a good work out with the Belper Alpha team who also had some last minute additions.
The teams were: A team: Nick P, Toby, Jake, Harry (GK), Connor, Alex (T-G), Alex (R) . Alpha: Nik T (GK), Chris, Simon, Dylan, Thomas, Adam, Henry, Alasdair
Many thanks to Ben Mills for the umpiring and Ben Lamb and Matt Rowe for looking after the teams. Also, thanks to Becky and Emily for keeping the whole event to time table.

U13 / U15 Belper Boys in action - Sunday 21st October
By Judy Hooker - u13 Boys Manager
It was all hands on deck on Sunday for the first U13 v U15 Boys training game of the season. An excellent turnout by the U13s saw them acquit themselves well against the much, physically bigger, stronger and, in the main, more experienced older boys. It was a baptism by fire for some of our new starters this season, but all coped well and everyone enjoyed a glorious afternoon of hockey. The U13s were disappointed not to be able to score from some well-worked opportunities and the U15s came out winners overall, making the most of their extra firepower. Many thanks to Ben Lamb for coaching both teams on the day, to Sally Cozens for providing refreshments and parents for supporting the teams. We plan to repeat this fixture on 9th December, starting at 11.00am, followed by refreshments in the Clubhouse, all welcome.
Next fixtures:- 28th Oct - U13s friendly league fixture at Belper, 11.00am start followed by U15s Boys v Girls at 2pm.
Crickehockeydirect from Draycott will have a stall in the carpark.
4th Nov – U13s at Lutterworth Tournament, U15s friendly v Beeston.

Nailers show their resilience as they bounce back to win
By Kerry Slack (courtesy of Derby Evening Telegraph) 24th October, 2007
Belper once again showed their resilience to come back from two goals down against Brooklands before going on to record a memorable victory. With only 10 minutes gone, the Nailers had conceded twice. Brad King opened the scoring for Brooklands from open play after five minutes and, three minutes later, Matt Lennox netted a second. "We got lost on the way to Brooklands and arrived with only 20 minutes to warm-up," said Belper coach Ben Lamb. "It was hardly ideal preparation and I did start to worry."
Lamb need not have as Aussie starlet Sam McCambridge reduced the deficit after 34 minutes, Richard Kitchen equalised following a penalty corner in the 63rd minute and Tom Leatherland opened his tally for the season with the winner two minutes later. In all five league games the Nailers have played this season, they have conceded first and Lamb is concerned. "We had a big team talk before the game about conceding first and our aim going into the Brooklands match was to try not to concede first," said Lamb. "Instead, we got off to our worst start of the season, shipping two goals inside 10 minutes. "We certainly like making life difficult for ourselves and it will be interesting to see what happens if we actually score first. "It seems to spur us on. We were awesome after Brookland went 2-0 up and we played the best hockey that we have played all season during the second half. "We defended really well and Ben Bradley, who was making his first league start in goal, hardly had anything to do. "He made a couple of good saves during the first half and another one late on to deny Brooklands an equaliser but it was a fairly quiet debut for him. "I'm really pleased for Tom Leatherland though, who got the winner. "It's his first goal of the season, although he has been working tirelessly up front with Sam (McCambridge)."
Belper are without a game this weekend. Their next fixture is at home to Southgate on November 3. "I'm not sure whether the break will do us good or not," said Lamb. "We're training as normal this week but will have the weekend off and it will be a bit of a breather because it's been a pretty hectic start for us. "I guess we'll see in a fortnight if we have used the break wisely or not."

McCambridge double steals Belper a point from Bankers
By Kerry Slack (courtesy of Derby Evening Telegraph) 17th October, 2007
Aussie ace Sam McCambridge scored twice as Belper maintained their unbeaten run in EHL Men's Division One. The Nailers looked dead and buried as they trailed hosts Sheffield University Bankers 3-0 going into the second half. But a terrific fightback, sparked by Dan Mills' 59th-minute goal from open play, saw Belper take a point from the match. And while coach Ben Lamb was pleased that his side sneaked a point, he was also disappointed not to get more. "We were awful for the first 10 minutes of the game, average for the middle bit and brilliant for the final 15 minutes," said Lamb. "We didn't play well at all and I know that we can do a lot better. "While we did OK to get a point from the game, I still see the Sheffield match as one that we should have won. "But I guess one positive that you can take from the game is that we showed a lot of character. We even had a chance at the end to win but we would not have deserved to. "We just kept plugging away and Dan Mills' opening goal came out of nothing. "Sam (McCambridge) scored the other two and he has done really well since joining us. "He has now got something like five goals in four league games and he caused the Sheffield back line problems."
The point from Sheffield means that Belper are now unbeaten in three games going into the weekend's tough match against third-placed Brooklands. Victory would see the Nailers overtake their opponents in the table. "It's going to be a very tough game but we're confident and the point gained at Sheffield has set us up nicely," said Lamb. "Brooklands are a very competitive side who will make things difficult for us. "And while our aim is to get all three points, I'd like us to try not to concede the first goal. "So far, we've conceded first in all of our matches and it's something that we've been working on trying to put right during our training sessions. "We'll be working on that again this week but it will be interesting to see how the team react if we score first, to see whether we can hold on to a lead."
Belper will be without first-choice goalkeeper Neil Slaney for the trip to Brooklands but Lamb believes that youngster Ben Bradley will step up for his first league start of the season. "It's a shame that we will be missing Neil, who is at a wedding, because he was awesome against Sheffield," said Lamb. "However, I'm confident that Ben can come in and do well. "He played a bit of the recent cup game and has looked good in training. "Hopefully, he can come in, impress and give me a selection headache for the following game."

U15 Belper Boys win against Lichfield as goalie Browne displays hidden skills!
By Joe Browne and James Cozens
On Sunday 30th September Belper u15's played against Lichfield u15's in their first friendly of the season. The Belper lads had not played together before so it was all new for them.
The first third started and it took a while for both teams to warm up. Eventually as the third picked up Lichfield scored two breakaway goals and Belper found themselves 2-0 down. The "Third Time" whistle blew. Paul Lawrence took the lads into the goal and obviously gave them a great team talk. Belper started the second third on top. Nothing was getting through the defence: Max Spalton, Josh McCallion, Alex Field, Ross Duncan and Joe Browne (First time in goal, EVER!). Eventually the goal came, due to some excellent work by Chris Bell running down the left wing who crossed it into James Cozens. James fired it home to make it 2-1. More pressure from Belper resulted in the equalizer. Jake Bew had already won a short-corner, but thanks to some outstanding umpiring by Ben Mills to play the advantage let James in again to score his and Belper's second. Belper were still in awe of their great equalizer, when the Lichfield striker broke free and conjured up a one-on-one opportunity. The first time keeper Joe Browne didn't commit himself and gave a tiny angle to which the striker could only hit the post. Joe Browne got back in position to deliver a mighty boot down field. The "Third Time" whistle blew again.
As the last third started Belper were on the upper hand. Josh Wood, David Boddy and Alex Goodwin made some great runs down the wings in midfield. Max Wilson, Cianan Lee and Toby Hooker tracked back well to make some important tackles. Max Spalton did a goal-saving stop on the line from a well crafted short corner routine. It was end-to-end stuff until we gave away a penalty flick. All the Belper team were already waiting for the restart as it seemed an impossible task for the debut goalie. The Welsh international and skipper stepped up for Lichfield. Keeper are you ready? Player are you ready? He flicked the ball at a tremendous pace. It seemed unimaginable for even the greatest of goalies to save. It was sailing towards the goalies top right, but then Joe Browne gave a valiant left hook to save the flick and Belper. It also put the match back in Belper's hands. Belper then created an excellent scoring opportunity and it fell to James Cozens again. This opportunity again came from some more admirable skill from Chris Bell. Chris crossed the ball in to James. James then committed the keeper. The only thing that the keeper could do was foul James and gave away a penalty flick. James stepped up and neatly placed the ball into the bottom right corner. Belper held onto their lead to win the match 3-2.
Many thanks go to Paul Lawrence - coach, Sally Cozens - manager, Ben Mills - umpire.

Ben Lamb steps up the learning curve for his first game in charge
By Kerry Slack (courtesy of Derby Evening Telegraph) 20th September, 2007
Ben Lamb has been involved with hockey long enough to know what it takes to be a success. Lamb, who has replaced Australian Craig Keegan as coach of the men's first team, has been playing the sport since the age of 10 and joined the Nailers five years ago. On Sunday, he will take charge of his first game as Belper play host to Bourneville (1.30pm). The transition from assistant coach to first-team coach has come a little sooner than expected for Lamb but he says that he is more than ready to get started. "Craig had been grooming me to take over from him in the next couple of years but that has happened a bit sooner than either of us expected," said Lamb, referring to Keegan's acceptance of more responsibility at work. "I had only been Craig's assistant since Christmas but I've learned a lot from him in those few months. "I used to assist him during training sessions and on match days and think I've picked up quite a few tips. I've also learned a lot from Midland coaches Peter Leigh and Steve Floyd and feel ready for my first game in charge."
As well as coaching the first team, Lamb is also involved with the juniors. "We have a thriving junior section," he said. "I coach the boys from under-11 to under-16 and we groom them so that they can progress into the men's first team. "At the minute, we have several talented youngsters, including 15-year-olds Jonny Miles and Dougie Campbell and 13-year-old Joe Sharp. "Joe is the brother of Rachel, Emma and Alice Sharp, who play for the ladies' first team and the son of Jackie, who also coaches at Belper. "He has a rare talent and comes from an incredible family and is one for the future."
Lamb will give a debut to 16-year-old Richard Cassidy on Sunday, while he also intends to include a couple more under-18s. "Richard is likely to start and I will be including another couple of 17 and 18 year olds in the squad," said Lamb. "They have been waiting in the wings for a while now but, because the first team have been so successful, they have had to wait. "But I think now is the time to give them a chance."
This year, there is no relegation from Men's National Division One as the English Hockey League look towards the reorganisation of the league in 2008-09. "That is definitely a relief," said Lamb. "However, promotion back to the Premier Division is our aim. "I'd at least like us to finish in the top two or three and think we have the players to do that." As well as keeping hold of experienced players such as Mark Lamb, Chris Hall, Neill Slane and Richard Kitchen, Lamb has recruited promising Australian forward Sam Cambridge. "Sam scored 23 goals in the Australian League last year," said Lamb. "He has been in England for just over a week now and has looked sharp in training. "We're hoping that he can fire us to glory this year." Included in the Bournville side to face the Nailers will be former Belper players Sam Hawkes and Simon Thompson, who left the club over the summer.
Squad for Bournville game, Belper Meadows Sunday 23rd September 2007, start 1.30pm: Neill Slane [GK], Steve Tee, Mark Lamb [Captain], Dan Mills, James Hewitt, Richard Kitchen, Chris Hall, Jack Wells, Richard Cassidy, Sam McCambridge, Ben Walton, Tom Letherland, Martin Beckford, Jamie Webb, Luke Whatling, Ben Bradley [GK], Manager: Steve Mills, Head Coach: Ben Lamb, Assistant Coach: Jason Wellings

Men's 1XI continue pre-season development
This weekend saw Lamb's young 1st XI continue their pre-season development against Birmingham University & Leek. The Nailers outfit have now played 4 pre-season fixtures registering 3 wins and a draw and Lamb feels the development of the squad is beginning to come of age. "The young guys have applied themselves very well in the 4 games we have played so far". "I must add that Mark Lamb, Richard Kitchen and Neill Slane have been excellent throughout not only playing very well themselves but pasting on their experiences to the rest of the squad". "Team spirit in the camp is very good".

Click here to view: Belper Men's 1XI Match Report

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Belper Men 1XI sign top young Australian
Belper Mens 1st XI have secured the services of top young Australian forward Sam McCambridge. Sam plays his hockey for Tassie Tigers back in Hobart Tasmania and follows in the footsteps of previous Australian imports Craig Keegan, Mark Lamb, still present 1st XI Captain, Chris Lamb and Tim Gillon by coming to represent Belper in the English Hockey League Division 1. Sam boasts a scoring record of over 20 goals in the past campaign back in Tasmania and hopes to fire Belper to glory this coming season. Ben Lamb 1st XI Coach feels this is a positive step forward for the Derbyshire club. "I am delighted to have secured Sam's services for this coming season. With initial help from Mark Lamb and then Craig Keegan we have managed to set this deal up". "We have a history of bringing talented Australian's to our club and I am sure Sam will be successful with us". Lamb added "Sam is a Centre Forward a proven goalscorer who can beat players and score from any angle. I am sure the Belper crowd will enjoy watching him play".
Along with the signing of Australian Sam McCambridge the club has also been busy bringing in further players. James Hewitt has returned to join the club from Nottingham having left 2 years ago with Jamie Webb also making the same trip down Brian Clough Way. Joining them is Jack Wells from Oxford Hawks and Ben Walton from Sheffield who Lamb spotted whilst playing in Sheffield at the National League Playoffs. Jack is also an exciting young player, dynamic and full of potential. All Belper's new signings have been training well with the new group and have settled very quickly. As well as new players, this years squad sees many of Belper's junior players being given an opportunity to respresent the 1st XI. Steve Tee, Dan Mills, Sam Browne, Luke Whatling and Tom Letherland have all been involved in training and pre-season fixtures. Although the club has lost players after dropping out of the Premier Division last year, it is an exciting time down at the Meadows. Lamb commented "The squad we have at the minute is very young, but with that brings the arrogance of youth. The boys at the minute have nothing to lose and are working hard in training. They have shown real signs of quality and I am confident that they will give a good account of themselves this season. I am sure they will provide good entertaining hockey for our supporters to watch". With Mark Lamb, Richard Kitchen, Chris Hall, Neill Slane and Jason Wellings the only survivors of last years squad the 1st team has been totally remodelled. "I would like to thank the guys that have remained from last season to show there commitment to Belper. Their experience and knowledge is vital to the success of the squad".
Belper start there National League Division One campaign at home to Bournville on Sunday 23rd September 2007 down at the Meadows, 1.30pm start. Ben Lamb has asked that the club do there best to make the effort to come and support the boys. "Support from club members and supporters of Belper hockey will be vital to us this season". "A big crowd down at the Meadows will make all the difference. With a young team the crowd will play a very important role of helping us gain success this season". It would be great to see you all there.

Junior boys training resumes
Belper Hockey Club commenced last Tuesday evening (18.00 to 19.30) with its new coaching strategy for Junior Boys with current first team coach, Ben Lamb extending his role to provide coaching throughout the entire Junior Boys section. This will enable a direct link between the top club sides and emerging talent, thus giving opportunity for local boys to rapidly move through the teams towards a very high level of hockey. Ben will be supported in this by another highly qualified Belper player and coach, Paul Lawrence along with members of the current 1st team squad. The coaches will work together to develop a structure which includes boys from ages 11 through to 16 and into senior hockey.
This season will also see the introduction of an extra evening of junior boys coaching. These ‘Boys’ Academy’ training sessions will be on Thursday evenings 17.30 to 18.30 (warm-up 5.15pm) commencing Thursday 13th September 2007 and will be led by Tim Barlow (Ladies 1st team coach), who is an England Hockey Level 4 Advanced Coach and one of the Welsh Hockey High Performance Coaches. The ‘Boys’ Academy’ will be a group of players who are considered by the club to have the potential to join the first team squad in 1-5 year’s time. The age range of the group will be approximately 11 to 16 years and participation by invitation only. These sessions will follow the same successful formula the girls’ section have implemented for the last four seasons where Tim will be focusing purely on improving individual ball skills (both core and high-level), agility and mobility as opposed to team play.

Belper Mens Hockey Club - Pre-Season 2007-8 Newsletter
By Nick Morris (Secretary)
This newsletter briefly touches on relevant information that all members need, to get the season going including subscription renewal information, training times and team information. Good luck and enjoy your hockey!

Click here to view: Belper Mens Hockey Club Newsletter

Men's Hockey team selection and committee meeting
By Nick Morris (Secretary)
I hope you are well. Here we go again...another summer gone by and hockey looming large. Our first selection meeting begins on Wednesday 5th September at 7pm followed by the first committee meeting of the new season - 8pm. Please make every effort to attend this important first meeting at the Carter's residence in Duffield.

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Summer 'turn-up and practise' coaching sessions
If junior hockey boys are in need of some extra hockey coaching during the summer months Tim Barlow is kindly running six Tuesday ‘just turn-up and practise’ sessions where Tim will help and advise you on any part of your game you need to improve on - so come along with your wish list! Open to all ladies, junior girls and and junior boys 11-18yrs. Remaining dates: July 17th, July 24th, July 31st, August 7th and August 14th. All sessions are 19.00 - 20.30 and £2 per session. Plus, there is a goalkeepers coaching session on the same evenings 20.00 - 21.00. This is a great opportunity for you to enhance your hockey skills.

It's not hockey - but it's for a good cause
Last year 21 year old cricketer Tom McGonigal died tragically of a brain heammorhage, since his death his parents have set up a trust fund in his memory. On Sunday 2nd September at 2pm a 5km fun run is being held (£10 entry fee), it starts at Belper Meadows Sports Club and goes around the Derwent Valley. All money raised goes to The Tom McGonigal Trust Fund, the charity supports underprivaleged children in the Derby area. If you would like to enter please contact Ben Mills for entry and sponsor forms: pigeotay@hotmail.co.uk

Belper U11 Boys England National Champions 2007
Belper U11 Boys represented Derbyshire and the Midlands at the Yazoo National Mini Hockey Tournament Finals on Sunday 13th May, 2007 at an incredibly wet Highfields, Nottingham. The Tournament was between five teams who had won the right to represent their region in the “round robin” competition; therefore the opposition would be the best of the best.
Belper’s first game saw them play Ben Rhydding Hockey Club representing the North region, a tight game saw Belper come out victorious with Alex Taylor-Grout scoring the only goal in the seventh minute, following up his own shot which had been brilliantly saved by the Ben Rhydding keeper.
Next up were the South’s representative Marlow, who proved too difficult to break down, George Murfin and Alex Robey both having good shots saved by the Marlow Keeper, neither defense could be breached and the scores remained goalless.
Belper’s third game proved to be the most crucial as they met the East’s representatives Old Loughtonians from Essex. “The Loughts” had won their first two games scoring three goals in each game; Belper must win to stand any chance of taking the national title!
Nick Pankhurst gave Belper a one goal advantage on six minutes, a fantastic defensive display then followed from Jacob Bullock and goalkeeper Nik Trifunovic to keep Belper in the game, this along with a belief defying goal line block by Toby Hooker gave Belper a well deserved 1-0 win meaning a victory in Belper’s final game would see them lift the National crown!
Only the West’s representative, Millfield now stood between Belper and the National Championship, goals from Alex Taylor-Grout on 5 and 8 minutes gave Belper the victory they required, and saw the very soggy Belper players and fans begin their celebrations!
Other team members Luke Rowbottom, Conner Gordon and Chris Handley, who played a huge part in Belper’s qualification and subsequent victory, should not be forgotten!
Belper’s victory was masterminded by joint managers Judy Hooker and Wayne Murfin and Coach Tim Barlow whose attention to detail was something to behold!
Another truly fantastic Belper victory in a tournament at National level continuing what is becoming a very impressive record. Belper Hockey Club junior boys section is having an excellent run of success having won the U11 National Championship in 2005, fourth in the U13 Boys National Championship in 2006 and winning this year’s U11 National Championship. This success is down to an enthusiastic group of coaches and helpers; the future looks bright for Belper Hockey Club.

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Belper Men 1XI are relegated to Slazenger England Hockey National League Division 1 - April 2007
So, after one season in the England Hockey Premier Division Belper Men’s 1st XI are relegated back to Division 1. This weekends play off games against Bowden Hockey Club at Abbeydale Park, Sheffield were just too much for a team that has taken quite a battering all season. Bowden, on the other hand finished runners up in Division 1 and were on a high showing a confidence Belper had been missing all season.
On Saturday Bowden won comfortably 6-0 punishing any mistakes made by a Nailers team that never seemed to get out of second gear. However, a harsh decision ruling out a penalty corner goal when the Nailers were 2-0 down may have made the game slightly closer. Bowdon won thee penalty corners to Belper’s two but neither side managed to convert any and while Bowdon absorbed a lot of attacks Belper never had any time to dwell on the ball and build more than a couple of passes. Bowdon on the other hand used long incisive passes to produce attacks on the break scoring four more.
On Sunday a 7-0 reversal was never on the cards, but Belper put up a much better performance – certainly in the first half. Richard Kitchen back at the heart of the midfield was at his best of closing down the opposition. James Blackwell found more room on the right of midfield to penetrate and James McBlane didn’t shun his responsibilities or commitment in keeping the Bowden attackers at bay. Captain Mark Lamb never quite looked his normal assured self due to illness but led his team well to the bitter end. It was good to see Dominic Graham back from injury and Ali Hitch, Simon Thompson, Dan Berry and Chris Hall showed glimpses of their true abilities. Mark Whatling, Seb Malti and Jason Tomlinson were isolated up front and never saw enough of the ball as the score lines suggest. Nick Morris occasionally showed his burst of speed and close skills, but took a nasty blow to the head from a misplaced Bowden aerial ball which probably accounted for his untypical glaring miss on the far post later on in the game! Neil Slane was reliable in the Belper goal seeing plenty of action and kept the score line fairly respectful.
0-5 was the final result and by the end of the seventy minutes the Belper players were a well beaten team. Coach for the weekend Ben Lamb should be applauded for filling in for Craig Keegan, thanks to Les Blackwell for managing the side for the last two seasons and it was great to see so many Belper Hockey Club supporters even on the Sunday when events on the pitch were not too good. Well played Bowden HC – you deserved your success and it is now your chance to experience the thrills and spills of Premier League Hockey.
It might have been all so different if Belper had not lost 2-3 away to Guildford in the last game of the Premier League season three weeks ago – a win would have made them safe. But, maybe their achilles heel all season of conceding too many goals (73 goals in 18 league games) was evident to see even in this game against the leagues bottom club.
Belper Hockey Club must not be too despondent as the success it has achieved since winning the EHL national League play offs in 2001 and entering the National League has been outstanding. This has been down to the endeavours of many club members especially Roger Carter and Nick Morris and of course the generous sponsorship of Bowmer and Kirkland.
It is time to re-group and re-build for next season. It would seem at the time of writing due to re-organisation of the Slazenger England Hockey leagues at the end of next season there will be no relegation only promotion from Division 1 – this maybe leaves an opportunity to blood a few promising youngsters along with a core of this years team.

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