HOOKY SPORTS AND SOCIAL CLUB
We have an amazing sports club in the village which offers great opportunies. During the last 3 years the facilities have improved dramatically. We now have:
The Multi Use Games Area (MUGA for short) for training, netball, basketball and sports parties. Hire it yourself for a 5 a side kickabout, a kids party... ?
A new football pitch with excellent drainage!
3 new all weather astro tennis courts
Cricket pitch and funds to improve the nets area
Social activities as well as sports, including discos, barbeques, race nights and whist.
New Year Resolution time - get fit in Hooky?
NEWS FROM HOOK NORTON TENNIS CLUB – ALL YEAR ROUND TENNIS
This year was the 25th anniversary of the Hook Norton Tennis Club, and we celebrated this with a gala dinner at Brailes Golf Club in June, which was attended by over 60 people including many past members.
We had a successful summer season with our 5 teams performing well.
Our positions in the Banbury league were:
A team came 3rd in Division 1
B team was 5th in Division 2
C team – 3rd in Division 3
D team came 3rd in Division 4
E team was 6th in Division 5
Well done to all concerned.
We are now well into our Floodlit and Weekend winter matches. There are 4 Floodlit teams and 3 Weekend teams.
The Floodlit C team (captain Rebecca Watts) got off to a cracking start by beating Towcester 4 sets to 0.
The Floodlit D team (captain Mary Kennedy) started the season by drawing with Brackley C, but winning more games and gaining the bonus point.
The weekend C team (captain Sally Hopkyns) resulted in a 7-1 win against Charlbury B team. Ladies Mary Kennedy and Elaine Priestley won all their sets, while Hooky men Rai Wahlen and Wayne Crouch drew against the Charlbury men, resulting in a final game score of 45-22.
September Tournaments The men's singles tournament was won by Nick Morgan from Brailes, and the winners of the men's doubles were Chris Rothwell and Rai Wahlen. The tournament was sponsored by Hook Norton surgery. Coaching Senior coaching has now started (Sunday afternoons). Anyone interested should contact Sean Callery (737249). News from Junior Tennis Players of all abilities are welcome to join our regular sessions which coincide with term times. Currently a total of 60 Junior players from 5 years old are involved in weekly coaching sessions at the Club. Beginners are always welcome. The Junior programme adopts an inclusive group approach, where beginners are as welcome as advanced players, and this policy has enabled the continued growth in numbers with session costs maintained at affordable levels. Call Gareth Jones, the Club Coach, for full details of sessions at the Club on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, as well as Indoor Sessions at Sibford for 5 to 8 year olds on Saturday mornings. Junior Teams are now competing in the OLTA Indoor Winter Series for Boys and Girls, and this Summer, for the first time, Hooky entered the LTA National Club League County Division for Boys, 12U, 14U and 16U. Our players have benefited greatly through serious competition, and have competed well with more experienced Clubs from across the County.
2007 will see further development of our best players in all age groups with the formation of Team Squads and even more opportunities to compete. Players are welcome to join group sessions at any time - just call Gareth on 01295 811886. Want to know more? If anyone is interested in joining the Hook Norton Tennis Club, club nights are on Tuesdays and Fridays (7pm to 9 pm), and Sunday mornings from 10 am to mid-day. Come and have a game, or see our web site:
http://hn-tennisclub.mysite.orange.co.uk/
Elaine Priestley
HOOK NORTON (SENIOR SECTION) FOOTBALL CLUB
With the halfway mark of the current league season almost reached, our First Team finds itself handily placed in 3rd position in Division 1 (West) of the Sport Italia Hellenic League whilst the Reserve Team is positioned exactly as the 'middle diddle' side in Division 2 (West) of the same league. At the beginning of the season, I think we would have settled for this situation, had it been offered to us, especially as in both cases the teams have played by far the vast majority of their games away from home because cricket at The Bourne prevents us staging home matches there until after the second Saturday in September in most years.
Whilst the prospects of and aspirations for the First Team to gain a promotion slot are, therefore, still very much high on our list of priorities, we nevertheless accept that there is still a long way to go before we may even start to contemplate uncorking the champagne, if at all. Be that as it may, it is nevertheless encouraging that the First Team finds itself in this position when, in all honesty, the team has rarely played to its full potential, excepting in the away matches at Malmesbury Victoria and at Premier Division Shrivenham, the latter, apart from the final 20 minutes when we somehow managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by conceding 4 goals and thereby reversing a 2 goals' lead into a 2 goals' defeat in the League Challenge Cup. The order of the day is now for a bit more consistency, freedom from injuries and our fair share of luck and then we should be in with a good chance of getting ourselves into “the mixer”. At the time of going to print, we have just completed our first double of the season (against Purton) and have a crunch home match coming up against fellow promotion hopefuls, Winterbourne Utd. Before then, we entertain Eynsham from the Oxfordshire Senior League in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup, with the incentive of playing the winners of Garsington and Chadlington if we win our 1st Round tie.
Meanwhile, off the field of play, we still await the outcome of our grant applications to the Football Foundation for the funding of the balance needed to build the Sports and Social Club's proposed new club house and for the funding needed for covered spectator accommodation, floodlighting, dug outs and hard standing on the old football pitch.
The Reserve Team, under the guidance of school teacher and qualified referee Stuart Lester, is enjoying a much improved season from that of last year. Stuart has created a competitive, yet friendly spirit among his players who, like the First Team, have an excellent disciplinary record to show for their endeavours, no doubt due to the Code of Conduct forms that each player signed at the beginning of the current season!
In respect of both teams, we are now approaching the busy Festive Season and the second half of the season with an air of quiet confidence. We trust that you will continue to wish us well and to support us in as many ways as you can and, for our part, we will endeavour to fly the flag of Hook Norton and of its surrounding area in such a way that nothing but credit will be brought upon our close community. Up the Hooky!
September Tournaments
and the winners of the men's doubles were Chris Rothwell and Rai Wahlen. The tournament was sponsored by Hook Norton surgery.