It’s been a terrific season on the pitch thus far for both seniors and juniors; and there will be a full ‘mid-term’ report in my December email but remember we publish a full weekend preview on both the website and on social media every Friday.

Our next management committee meeting is on Monday 5th December; should you have any feedback or queries about the way YOUR club is run, do contact a member of the committee.
Thanks for all your support both on and off the pitch to date.

With best wishes for the month ahead,
Stuart Emms, Chairman

Upcoming Events – Dates for your Diary (more details to follow on all..)
Thank you to all of you who recently attended the Quiz at the Town Hall – another great evening and c£500+ raised for club funds. Thanks to Neil Forsyth, Tom & Linda and all of the volunteers who helped the event go so smoothly. Upcoming events as follows, do try and support these events, as we expand and all train on separate nights they are key to retaining our #oneclub feel:
• Sat 10th Dec 2016 – Christmas Jumper Social, Wotton:
o Annual get together in Wotton’s ale houses, replete with dodgy knitwear, celebrating both the festive and mid-point of the season.
• Sat 4th Feb 2017- Wine & Cheese Evening, Wotton Town Hall. Details TBC
• Sat 1st Apr 2017 – End of Season Dinner Dance & Awards, Barn at Berkeley (tickets on sale early/mid Feb)
• Other end of season junior and youth events TBC

Showers & Changing at Sport Wotton
Members will be aware that the school deciding to re-develop the old gym changing rooms at KLB has put increased pressure on sports hall facilities on match days. So far, thanks to Sam and the Sport Wotton team, this has been largely managed successfully, but I’d still ask members to pay close attention to what changing room they’ve been allotted each week.
Having so many teams using the sports hall has meant we’ve had some feedback about lack of hot water/showers at the end of the day as the system is beginning to creak a little. We have reported this to Sport Wotton, and we continue to monitor. In an effort to mitigate, can players also help by turning showers off rather than letting them run; if they are stuck on please inform the front desk.

National KO Competition update/upcoming fixtures:
MENS 1ST XI England Hockey Mens Trophy
16/10/16: (Rd1) bt City of Bath 5-1
13/11/16: (Rd 2) bt Devizes HC 6-0
05/02/17: (Rd 3) v Maidenhead HC (Home)

LADIES 1ST XI: Investec Vase
30/11/16: (Rd1) bt Dart HC 2-2 (3-2 on penalty strokes)
20/11/16: (Rd 2) V Chichester HC (away)

BOYS U18s: England Hockey Plate
06/11/16: (Rd 1) bt Plymouth Marjons HC 3-2
20/11/16: (Rd 2) V Olton & West Warwicks HC (away)

Update Kit Offering – Goose & Gander
Further to last month’s update, the club’s revised kit offering is now available online and in store at Goose & Gander. DO note the last order date for guaranteed Xmas delivery/pick up is 26 November. All the details on this link http://gooseandganderltd.com/collections/wotton-under-edge-hockey

Further storage/shelter next to the pitch
Members will recall that earlier in the season, the committee had agreed in principle to proceed with a container or shelter adjacent to the pitch to (a) provide additional storage for equipment and (b) to improve our refreshment offering at junior tournaments and other high profile matches. We have engaged the contractors (Swinhay) who are currently laying the WCSF footpath down to the skatepark to dig out the hardstanding and hope to secure a container to put in place in the very near future.

WCSF Tree Planting – Sunday 20th November
Wotton Community Sports Foundation has another tree planting lined up - 10am at the Wotton Community PARC on New Road on Sunday 20th November. We have 420 of the small (but free) trees from the Woodland Trust to plant. We recommend the usual boots and gloves plus small spades, as the tree holes don't need to be too big. There will be chocolate biscuits (also free!) and if there are plenty of us we will be finished well before lunch. Best place to park will be through the New Road gate and then on the right.
The hockey club has been well represented at these sessions in the past, it’s a great way of putting something back and feeling you’re part of the project legacy for years to come; great fun for the kids too!

‘Top Gun’ Update
The race for the seniors leading goalscorers trophy, awarded at the end of season dinner, as follows. So far we have had 56 different scorers across our 8 senior league XIs!
Dave Chevin (M4) 10
Lauren Leyland (L1) 10
Victoria McGuaig (L2) 10
Ryan Howarth (M1) 9
Darren Pearce (M2) 6
Chris Barton (M3), Mike Buist (M1), Matt Fairburn (M1), Harry Willcox (M1), Greg Willcox (M2) all on 5 goals. All to play for!

Last Training Dates before Xmas
Please note the last training dates before Xmas will be week beginning 5th Dec, therefore last session for:
• Vixens, M3/4/5 will be Tues 6 Dec
• Badgers, M1/2 will be Weds 7 Dec
• Juniors and L1/2/3 will be Thurs 8 Dec
Training will recommence on normal days w/b 2 Jan.

Party in the PARC – 17th June 2017
WCSF have taken over this midsummer event, replacing the ‘Beer & Bands’ previously run by the Lions club up at Conygres. Intended format: 9am-11pm – Family Fun, Local Bands, Local Beer, Local Food. Fun Run, parkrun, Skate and BMX Jam, stalls, music, food.
As a club we are looking about how we can be a part of this event; perhaps with a mini-festival of our own; but save the date! Any ideas, please feed into Willie Cruickshank