WTHC DECEMBER NEWSLETTER
I would like to begin by wishing all WTHC members and their families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We are now officially halfway through the 2022/23 Hockey season, and in the THREE months since the last update there have been some exciting developments both on and off the field. On behalf of the committee, I wanted to provide you with an update on some of these, to ensure all our members are kept up to date with all things WTHC.
There have been many highlights during the first half of the season, but the biggest of all absolutely has to be our newly formed Ladies 4th team picking up their first ever victory.
ASTRO TURF UPDATE
As you will all be aware, the condition of the Astro Turf Pitch and Lighting is rapidly deteriorating and needs replacing. Behind the scenes, a small group of people have been working hard on delivering the new pitch project and we remain on target for work to start in Spring 2023, upon the conclusion of the current season. The new pitch will be in place for the start of the 2023/24 season. This project will include a complete replacement of the playing surface, new fencing, new lighting, and a new spectator’s area. This project will truly set WTHC up for the future and we are committed to delivering it. Further news will follow in the new year.
CLUB KIT
As per my September newsletter, the club needs to replace its playing kit for next season, due to our current sponsorship deal ending. I am delighted to be able to announce further details of this. The club colours will be returning to Navy and Red, removing black, which brings us in line with the traditional colours of the town of Wisbech. This changes also allows us to align all of our training kit and leisure wear with the Cricket section, meaning that for many people who are members of both sections, they will no longer require separate kit for each sport. The change also ensures we continue to strive towards being a fully joined up club, with common goals and continued success. We will be remaining with Surridge, supplied via Mr Cricket and Hockey but the kit will have a brand-new design in addition to the colour change.
We are currently in the process of looking for sponsorship to ensure we can provide every playing member with their playing kit (shirt, shorts/skort & socks) at a very reasonable price. Should you know of anyone willing to donate to this cause, please contact me directly on 07590 328641 or matthewesser@hotmail.co.uk.
The new kit will be available to purchase in early summer 2023 and members will be contacted regarding specific requirements for playing kit in due course. I would advise all members to only purchase the current kit if absolutely essential, due to the significant change that will be taking place.
JUNIORS
Our junior programme continues to gather pace with record numbers of children attending our Saturday and Wednesday sessions. We are currently planning some fixtures for the new year to ensure all our junior players have the opportunity to represent the club.
Our Wednesday evening 5-6pm session remains very popular, but due to the timings we are looking for more people to assist with the session. If you would be willing to help, please get in touch.
This season we have been extremely fortunate to have gained a sponsor for our junior section meaning we have been able to give every junior member their own playing shirt for the first time.
Junior training will resume on Saturday 7th of January.
SENIORS
Our senior teams have now reached the halfway point of the season. Our Ladies 1s currently sit 5th in Division 1N after a couple of disappointing results clipped their fantastic start to the season. They will hope to push on in the 2nd half of the season towards the promotion places. Our Ladies 2s also sit 5th in Division 3NW after a solid start to the season with the Ladies 3s sitting 3rd in Division 5NW after a strong start. The biggest success story of all has been the newly formed Ladies 4th team, who struggled early on with even fielding a team but have gone from strength to strength in recent weeks. They are now fielding a full team every week and picked up their first point in November. They then went one better, defeating Cambs South 5-1 on the 3rd of December to pick up their first ever win. Well done ladies!
The Men’s 1s have had a challenging first half of the season, currently sitting 10th in Division 1N but have had some extremely close-run games. They will hope to push on and turn good performances into points in the second half of the season. The Men’s 2s have had a very strong start to season and currently sit 2nd in Division 3NW with the Men’s 3s and Men’s 4s also having very good starts to the season currently sitting 1st and 3rd in Division 5NW. Both will look to push on towards promotion in the second half of the season.
Senior training will resume on the 3rd of January with league fixtures resuming on Saturday 7th January.
SAVE THE DATES
The club has some exciting events coming up this year.
The WTHC Dinner and Presentation Evening will take place on the 22nd of April 2023. Further infoRMATION will follow early in the new year.
The first ever WTCHC Ball will take place on the 19th of August. We hope to make this a regular event and raise significant funds for the club. More info will follow early in the new year.
Keep an eye on our social media pages and website for all things WTHC.
Once again, I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you all back at WTHC in 2023.
Matt Esser
Wisbech Town Hockey Club Chairman