City of Bath Hockey Club’s Under 9 team, League and Cup Double Winners this season, took part in the Yazoo National Under 9 Hockey Festival in Nottingham on 17^th May and came away having had a fabulous day playing against clubs from all over the country. It was a superbly organised event that had a real carnival atmosphere, with each team making colourful banners and flags for their adopted country as well as being given their country’s shirts in which to play. They also had the opportunity to watch the National Ladies Cup Final, between Leicester and Slough, and see some superb quality hockey.

There were 40 clubs taking part in eight pools with each club being allocated a country. City, taking to the pitch as Finland, played quite superbly as a team and were the only team in the whole festival to win all four of their matches. They scored 13 goals and conceded none winning against Trinidad & Tobago (South Leicester HC), Pakistan (Upminster HC), Canada (Nottingham Highfields HC) and Spain (Reading HC). The 1-0 win against Spain/Reading, whose senior men’s team are the current National Champions, was a tremendous game. Spain/Reading had some players with marvellous individual skills but City/Finland’s passing game and width was more than a match for them with goalkeeper Jack Pounder not having to make a single save.

Coaches Mark Cope and Richard Bullard were very proud of not only the way the team played but also the sporting manner and spirit they showed.

Cope said, “It was a marvellous day. The squad really enjoyed themselves, worked very hard for each other and certainly raised City of Bath’s profile.”

Squad: Sam Cope, Alex Bullard, Jack Pounder, Matthew Simonds, Olivia Selvey,

Aimee Huntley, Juliet Bath, Oscar Vellacott, Charlie Roberts