After the wettest hockey weekend for many season's we hope everyone is now dried and and ready to go again this week as the league season draws to a conclusion. Good luck to all the Men's team's with two ore league games, Ladies 1 and 2, Mixed XI and U14 Girls playing with games.

This weekend we will be using our new scoreboard for the first time when the Men's 1's play Whitley Bay 12noon push back on Saturday 23rd March in a game that will hopefully take them one step closer to National League Hockey next season. Please come down and support the lads in this key game and be our 12th player. Following a 5 - 0 away win last weekend at Formby, and a draw for Brooklands, the Blues are back in the forth promotion spot ahead of the neighbours by two points. Brooklands play North Prem leaders Wakefield at 3pm Saturday and a win would seal winning the league for the Yorkshire side - so it couldn't be much more of a nail biter !

To bring us a little more Caribbean magic on the blue pitch our new scoreboard, donated by Shelagh, Jack and Ben Entwisle, is in memory of our much loved brother Kwasi Emmanuel who died so tragically last July. Kwasi was only with us for one season but he truly touched the hearts of so many at the club in that short time. His smile alone summed up what life & hockey should be about - and his love of our sport is something we can all learn from. With a little bit of Kwasi magic pitch side we hope this will spur on the Men’s 1’s in their final home game of the season and do the same for the Ladies 1's who play their final home game on 30th March v Brooklands at 2pm. Lets do it for Kwasi and seal promotion for the Men's 1 so they can join the ladies in the National League.

Big congratulations this week to our Men's 2 who last week secured promotion from NWHL Division Two to the new North Hockey League West Pennine Division Two - congratulations to Captain Ross Small,Coach Ed Stropek and all those players who've played for the 2's squad this season. The icing on the cake could come this weekend depending on results or in the big season finale verses second place Fylde on 30th March to see who will be crowned Division 2 Champions . This is a major boost to our strategy to reduce the gap between out Men's 1 and 2's and with the national restructuring of league hockey its also a boost to gain promotion to the North League for the Men's 2's - great achievement with back to back promotions.

It was also job done for the Ladies 2's with a win last weekend v Bolton and up to 5th place in North Division Two (South West) and promotion to the North League West Pennine Division One. Congratulations to Captain Sarah Impey, Coach Mark Talbot and all the squad. Another important promotion and maintain the current gap between the 1's and 2's.

More success and congratulations as our Under 10 Boys we're crowed Cheshire Mini's Runners Up and are off to the North Regional Finals in a few weeks, and join our Under 14 Boys to pitch themselves against the best teams in the North. Well done also to all our other teams playing in the recent Cheshire Mini's they didn't make the North finals this season but we've had some fitting reporting in from our coaches and managers of the number of smiling faces and how much all the players enjoyed the hockey and experience.

The Academy are also running an Under 10's tournament on the Green pitch on Sunday another great opportunity for our youngest players to enjoy an afternoon's hockey playing local club's. Look out too for our Young Leaders in their new kit who will be helping run the tournament and umpire the games as part of our #GrowOurOwnVolunteers programme to inspire the next generation of players who 'make hockey happen'

The Cheshire Women's Hockey League finished last weekend with final league scores on doors .....

Ladies 3's - 7th in CWHL Division 2
Ladies 4's - 8th in CWHL Division 3
Ladies 5's - 9th in CWHL Division 4

It's also worth remembering that there are six divisions in the CWHL and the level our teams are playing at.

Finally on the hockey side of things, it was not to be for the Men's Over 50's this year in the EH Masters Championships as they lost 5-0 away at City of York - three early goals made from York defined the game and it was always going to be difficult to get back into the game. The Mixed XI are out final senior team left in the EH Championships so come along and support them this Sunday (24th March) v Ben Rhydding 13.00 push back at home.

Quick few reminders.......

2019 Hockey Dinner tickets are selling fast with over half the tickets paid for already - don't miss out as we are on track to sell out so make sure you buy over the Bar or online this weekend Buy your Hockey Dinner Tickets here !

Easter Hockey Camp - we've still got a some places available for the next hockey camp 3rd - 5th April. Contact Caroline Small at sportsdev@timperley-sports.com for more details go to Easter Hockey Camp

Timperley Sports Club EGM - Thursday 28th March 2019 stars at 7.30pm at the club - please make every effort to attend. TSC EGM Details

Finally, a special thanks to this week's Match Day Sponsor Neil Hornby whose sponsored the games in memory of his Dad, Ian Hornby. Ian was a long time Timperley member and played an active role in the life of the club for many years. Ian who played for 25 years, held a number of TSC Executive roles and was a hockey section Vice President. In the early 1990's Ian and Calvin O'Connor started what we now call the Academy and has left a great legacy for hockey at Timperley to build on and be enjoyed by his own grandchildren too. If you knew Ian raise a glass to him this weekend on what would have been his 70th Birthday.