Kobra versus legend

The road from Kinross Hockey Club to the ranks of the hockey elite is not a well-trodden one, but it is one that has recently been tested by former Kobra Alex Wilson, who is now plying his trade as a professional with Grossflottbek in the German First Division.

The picture shows Alex in action against Harvestehude, one of the top sides in the country, which gave Alex a chance to test his mettle against legendary players like Tobias Hauke (pictured in black).

Alex, pictured in mid air, seems to have been overwhelmed by the occasion, having apparently thrown himself at the great man’s feet, and missed.

Still, a worthy effort.

L3s awards

With the annual dinner having been missed this year, we decided we just go ahead and award some prizes for the 2019-20 season for the Ladies 3s anyway. And with the go-ahead spirit seizing us, we decided we’d just hand out the gongs at pitchside after training.

So in this, the L3s inaugural year, the winners were:

Most improved player: Niamh Chumley

Top scorer: Iona Sands

Player of the year: Olivia Jones

Well done to them all.

Roll on the 2020-21 season.

Midland Indoor

The younger members were of the Girls Dev Squad were in Dundee today for the Midland S3 indoor tournament. Never having put a team in for this competition before, we didn’t know what to expect, but we needn’t have worried. The girls put in some storming performances and came a very creditable second (equal), just pipped to the post by the hosts, High School of Dundee.

And more importantly, every single member of the squad is young enough to play again next season, so if we can do it again next year, who knows where me might end up.

Point forward for next time is to stop giving opposing teams a two-goal head start before we get going. Apart from that it was all good.

So congratulations to everyone who took part, particularly Niamh who stepped up to play in goal, to Stuart Neave for his work in coaching the girls, and to all the parents (and Millie and Beth) who turned up to support.

Hall of fame entrant

Cor! Another Kobra hitting the heights! The pic is of Amy during her last run out for the juniors, a stepping stone along the way to today's selection for Scotland U18s.

A new record for membership

Each year, the membership starts a bit lower than it ends the previous season and people move on. Then it builds up over the season as Kobras join up. As a result, we only know how well we are doing on membership in June.

The end of the Kobras season is now just a week or so away, and paid-up membership today reached 208, a new record for the club. There are also a dozen trialists about.

Dads and lads and all and sundry

So we decided we’d run the Dads and Lads sessions again this year, and it’s fair to say that things got off to a slow start with only and handful of hardy souls turning up in the damp weather at the end of May. But as the weather has picked up, more and more people have been testing the waters, and we are now basically accommodating anyone who fancies a run around on a Sunday afternoon.

Seriously good fun.

Highlight of this week was undoubtedly Kenny Little, now into his fourth week as a hockey player, who, in the middle of a game, decided he’d attempt a tomahawk.

On the run. From a crazy angle.

And pulled it off!

A few of the old hands looked a bit crestfallen to me, although they’d cheered up by the time we took this photo.

End of an era

Last season marked the end of an era for the ladies section, as David Parry stepped down from umpiring after many years of service to the club. Apparently it all started with a bit of pressganging (from unnamed parties), after which he never looked back and the ladies section was blessed with knowing that they would always have one umpire available.

David (or ‘Mr Parry’, as he was deferentially known by the ladies section, always keen to stay the right side of an umpire) was back at KGV on Tuesday for a short ceremony to thank him for everything he has done for the club and the handing over of a small token of our appreciation.

We wish him all the best

Masters miss out

The O35s Interdistrict Ladies Tournament was held at Kilgraston last Saturday. Spirits were high despite rather dismal weather, however the Midland squad (comprising an Olympic Bronze medallist, a few current Scottish Masters players and 7 Kinross players) was unfortunately unable to retain the trophy. Lots of money raised for charity, and with any luck some new Midland strips!!

Golden Bart

Well done to Bart and his Midlands teammates, who came home from the boys’ interdistricts with a gold medal. Bart, sharing the goalkeeping duties, only let one goal past him in the whole tournament, which is hugely impressive.

Izzy and the girls had a tougher time of it, coming away in fourth place.

Dads and lads and "lads"

The first Dads and lads session of the summer kicked off over the weekend, with a few more or less wary dads and other assorted beginners pitting themselves against some lads, most of whom were “lads”, which is to say they were either daughters, or adults who just needed an extra runaround.

Great fun, particularly with Gerrold showing us how hockey is played in the Netherlands. Apparently it’s very much like the way it’s played in the Kinross Gentlemen’s Second Team, although as the picture below shows, the Dutch have added hockey “chic”.

Roll on next Sunday. Drop us a line if you’d like to join in.

Annual dinner

The traditional end of season bash took place at the clubhouse last Friday, with much swankiness and glamour on display, and that was just from the Gentlemen’s Second Team.

Dougie ended his term of office as president with a moving speech about his bladder issues, as well as covering all of the season’s major events and achievements, and handing out thanks and gratitude to all. Beth revealed herself as something of a raffle ninja, getting through dozens and dozens of prizes in an astonishingly short time, and despite the fact that the Ukrainian cognac kept reappearing on the table of prizes yet to be awarded. The non-alcoholic mulled wine, now long past its sell-by date, reappeared for the fourth year running.

Most importantly, this year’s gongs were handed out to worthy winners, and the awards ceremony was full of the usual gushing acceptance speeches and streams of running mascara (that was the Gentlemen’s Second Team again).

Winners this year were as follows:

		Mens	Ladies
Most valuable player
	Firsts	Grant Ogilvie	Amy Weatherup
	Seconds	James Fenna	Joanne Pearson
Top gun
	Firsts	Grant Ogilvie	Vicky Carver
	Seconds	Douglas Ogilvie	Wendy Symington
Players' player
	Firsts	Lachlan Scott	Alice Lamont
	Seconds	Andrew Montford	Shona Graham
Most improved player		Joe Jennings	Fiona Rae
Young player of the year		Ben Volland	Nikki Dall
President's award		Susie McIntyre

Here is a photo featuring some of the winners, and also a few people who just wanted their photos taken.

Special thanks to Vicky Carver for organising everything so beautifully.

Same time next year?

Some more leaders

Congratulations to everyone who did the hockey leaders course at KAS a couple of weekends ago, in many cases dragging themselves away from their revision schedules in order to be there.

We are now looking in pretty good shape for coaching staff for the kobras.