Secretaries Report (Incorporating Competitions)
Another sad note to start on. Midlands lost a true servant of the region when Sharon Geeson lost a battle following complications following her transplant. The county was represented at her funeral and our thoughts go out to her family and friends.
This AGM ends my 6th season as secretary and I continue to try and ensure clubs are informed as possible about goings on in the hockey world! My main duties still remain trying to fathom out club contact details at the start of every season (please send me any updates following club AGMs as soon as you know them), sending out invoices for affiliation fees in October, reminders for Council and AGM and directing the still considerable number of people who enquire ‘Where is my local club’ etc. to the website (www.nottshockey.org.uk). We are now seeing approaching 100 unique hits per day on average (peaking in the hundreds) and have over 125 followers on FaceBook. I use the contact details I have on record for your club when I pass information on to potential new recruits, so please make sure I am kept up-to-date if your secretary’s details change.
Single System
Once again the Hockey Development Group, incorporating the Schools and youth for both boys and girls met regularly and successfully ran the JDCs AND JACs for the single system their report should follow.
Communication
As mentioned above, the website is gaining in its readership, as is the FaceBook page. Everything we receive for distribution to clubs get’s emailed to club secretaries and goes onto the website and Facebook to try and reach as wide an audience as possible. I ask all secretaries to direct their club members to both, as well as forwarding on anything relevant I send out. This is to try and dissipate information as quickly, easily and cost effectively as possible. Please also check the web-site regularly and supply me with an up-to-date email address (one which is checked regularly)? Email is by far the easiest and quickest method of communicating, especially now that England Hockey sends out everything electronically (even AGM documentation and voting is now carried out via email).
Meetings
November’s council turnout was truly shocking. Only 5 clubs were represented and two of these by members serving on the committee. We need to interact with clubs in order to help you develop. It’s has and will be stated elsewhere – we have funds available to help – tell us how to spend it! We’d rather not force attendance, but beware; big sticks (and carrots) are being discussed!
Notts Hockey Flyer
The flyer we produced has been extremely well received. These went out with attendees to Highfields ‘Hockey in the Community’ initiative, but the design is generic enough to be available for other events.
If there is anything else you would like to see, or would like me to post some information to share amongst clubs please let me know.
Competitions
England Hockey Leagues
Beeston finished 4th in the NOW: Pensions Men’s Hockey league and made it through to the KO16 round of the Euro hockey League.
Beeston Ladies finished last in their National League Premier division and will be back in the Conference North next season.
Midland Leagues
Promotion/relegation has yet to be finalised but;
Sikh Union (Nottingham) finished 2nd in the new Midlands Division 2 and should be promoted to Midlands 1 depending on league rearrangements above and Boots should be promoted to Midlands 2.
Other Notts’ Clubs Promotions;
· Nottingham University 2s to Midlands Premier.
· Mansfield 2s to East Midlands 1.
· Beeston 3s to Midlands Premier
· Newark 3s to East Midlands Premier
· Boots 5s topped Central North East 1
· Newark 4s were runners up in North East 2
University of Nottingham Ladies won promotion from the Midlands feeder league to Midlands Division.
Worksop Ladies won promotion into the Midlands feeder league.
The full NWHL report should follow.
Men’s Senior County Championship
At the end of last season, Nottinghamshire travelled to Cheshire for the ‘C’ Division of the Senior Men’s County Championship. Notts struggled and failed to win a single match. This season we travel to Wiltshire on 9th/10th May for the C Division qualification round. A lot of soal searching went on over the summer and some important decisions were made. A new coaching partnership and a more transparent and thorough selection criterion will hopefully prove fruitful. But interesting how several clubs still don’t send people to trials. Whether this is because information isn’t passed on I don’t know. All men’s clubs have already paid for players to attend these training and trials sessions (some of them quite a considerable amount). Please support development in the County by forwarding this information on to all senior men’s team’s players in order to make our squad as strong as possible. All support is welcome in Swindon – let me know if you are considering travelling to support and I’ll forward you details.
My continued thanks go out to Highfields, who offer us meeting rooms at no cost and continue to provide their excellent hospitality. As an association we try and support one of the best hockey facilities in the country when we. We are still trying to bring the County Championship here as ‘repayment’.
And finally, a sincere thank you to everyone who has helped run the association over the last year. I would like to think that as an Association we can continue to offer some value to our member clubs, but we do need clubs input.
Gareth
April 2015
Secretary / Chairman / TreasurerGareth Parr / Andy Barnes / Sara Parr