Well another week in Tier 3 and no reprieve yet for Great Manchester so we go again with our T3 hockey plans in our last hockey weekend before Christmas. The only disappointment remains that we've still not been able to be joined by players, umpires and friends of the club living outside GM - and the bar and clubhouse remains closed (apart from the loos and takeaway service for teas, coffees, snacks etc ). So onto this weeks updates!

300 Club and Quiz - 19th December at 18:00
Even more reasons to join in this months fundraising draw as there's an extra £100 Prize up for grabs plus another short quiz after the draw. Only £4 to enter and we'd love to get our first £300 Club sell out - buy a number via PayPal before 17:30 or from the Takeaway Order Point at the Club (on the decking) for £4 a number.
See full details 300 Club & Quiz Details

Festive hockey
The Festive 7's got off to a flying start on Tuesday this week once everyone got the hang of what was going on! We had 16 teams (mixed up from across teams) competing in four playing bubbles - and a great opportunity for players to meet folks from other teams. Thanks to everyone who played and we go again for Round 2 on the 22nd December. Special thanks to the Keepers who pretty much played no stop for 2 1/2 hours !

Players must update availability and confirm their Pitchero invite so we can meet the Covid / EH Tier 3 requirements of managing player numbers. Even if you didn't play in Round 1 update availability and we will get you on a team if space.

After Round 1 the leading teams are.....

Mens 4 - 7s's - Sam Chow's Team
Mens 1 - 3's - Matt Hardern's Team
Ladies 4 - 6's - the White Team
Ladies 1 - 3's - the White team

Saturday 19th December - 7 home games and more festive hockey !
The Men have four league games (in the reconfigured GM Divisions) with ...
Men's 2s v Stockport Bramhall 14:00 (H)
Men's 5s v Bowdon (A)
and the big one ....Men's 6s v Men's 7's 12:15 (H)
Plus Beavers v Winnington Park (H) 12:15

Then we've four festive games ......
14:00 (Green) Men's Festive Game
- looking a classic being well supported by those not playing in the league games from across the 1's, 3's and 4's and a few students back too !
15:45(Blue) Women's Festive Game
- its Team Santa (captained by Emma Bartlett) v Team Elf (captained by Sophie Binder)
16:00 - its Beavers v Beavers getting in the festive swing of things
17:15 - Badgers v Ladies 6's (Under16's)
- this should be another great game seeing the girls that moved up to form the Ladies 6's in September take on the badgers (without the oldies!)

Remember to follow all the standard Covid / EH requirements and spectators must check in with the Gate Marshalls before going onto the pitch (and no more than 30 spectators)

Sunday 20th December
Final Academy Sunday session until Sunday 10th January 2021 and Anna Mawby has some fun games organised for the Rio and Tokyo Training Groups. Sorry no cubs this week as there isn't room on the pitches to play 7 a side games and accommodate the clubs. Sorry no parents v kids this year.

Please change Pitchero status if your child can't attend as we are having to run a waiting list due to the Covid restrictions on numbers per pitch.

Tuesday 22nd December
17:30 - 18:45 Academy London Training Group festive matches and final session until Tuesday 5th Janaury

Followed by Round 3 of the senior teams Festive 7's

Sunday 27th December - run off your festive excesses !/b]
Would you like to play some mixed hockey ? and just get a run out after all the festive food and drink ? Update Pitchero by Tuesday 22nd December so we can work out the format / games and confirm and send Pitchero invites out by 23rd December. So far based on Pitchero availability we have 28 males and 20 female so a tidy number already keen to play. Let us know this weekend what format you'd like to play - if feeling brave we could do a mixed! We still need to follow all the Covid / EH requirements so update your availability asap if you want to join in so we can finalise games / format and invites.

We also working to set up some multi-generational family games (7 or 8 a side)

[b]Saturday 2nd January / 3rd January - Big NY Challenge Series v Bowdon
We're all ready to go with Bowdon for a bumper 2 days hockey with up to 25 games being played from Under9/10s to Vets and all sides in between!

Fixtures will be uploaded over the weekend on Pitchero so please update your availability ASAP so we can firm up that we can field all the teams planned (with a little doubling up). We'll be playing for a new trophy in memory of Pat Marston - so lets make a good start to 2021 !

Still time to ........
.....Buy your tickets in our Festive Hockey Raffle we've just hit the £1000 of ticket sales which is an incredible effort in a week and huge thanks to the c 70 people who have purchased tickets so far - we hope a few more members and parents will be able to buy some tickets from £5.
The Draw will take place at 12noon on 27th December and lots of prizes to be won !

... Drop off any final Food Bank Donations in the boxes in the main entrance by Sunday 20th

.... and there are still some TSC Wufflers available from the Club and if anyone if looking for THC stocking fillers (sock, tie sand a few bobble hats) please contact Shelagh E on Saturday at the Club or message

Big shout out for the players and friends who joined in the Walking Home For Christmas walk on Saturday 12th December walking 12 miles each - the M1's and others have so far raised £1053 which is a terrific effort. Click on link above to donate.

....and finally .....some news on the National League this week as we attended two Forums for EHL Clubs with EH, a Zoom call with both our 1's squads and submitted our preferences to EH. The outcome of the consultation is still being fine tuned but proposal (assuming car sharing possible and most clubs in Tier 2 or below) is a delayed start (likely to be 6th March til early May and a reformatted league playing fewer games. So not ideal but we are 100% behind getting National League Hockey back on as a Club and being able to get our full 1's squads together when hopefully Lancs and GM will join Merseyside and Cheshire in Tier 2.

Here's to another weeks hockey and the opportunity to enjoy some festive spirit and cheers !