WEEKLY NEWSLETTER WEEK 2 30/9/17
INTRODUCTION
The second week of the season brought a full list of fixtures for Timperley.
The Women’s team went to Heaton Mersey and came away with their second win of the season with a 16-4 win against a young and promising Mersey side. Next Saturday Timperley travel to play reigning champions Oxton in one of the season’s big games.

The Men’s 1st team opened their season with one of lacrosse’s toughest games, a visit to perennial powerhouse Stockport. Half time saw Timperley trailing by 10-2 and were in danger of being blown away. However, a stiff talking to saw Timperley put up a real performance in the second period, taking the half 9-5 which saw a final score of 15-11. More importantly the game showed that Timperley, as long as they rid themselves of the Timperley sickness –a slow start, will be able to compete with anyone in the game. Lacking England face off man Tom Bracegirdle and top middie Cam Leslie but still able to field a strong 15 man squad, the season should be interesting.

The A team enjoyed their second win of the season with a 13-9 victory over local rivals Brooklands. Timperley only just had their noses in front 5-4 at half time but controlled the second half and led the game 13-7 before allowing Brooklands two late goals. The team has a very competent defence and an exciting attack and midfield. It will be an exciting season which will hopefully see the emergence of some real Timperley stars.

The B team under the excellent leadership of Martyn Henderson opened the season with a loss away at Mellor-always a tough place to go. The B team is the place where experienced players can continue to enjoy a game and where they can assist young players to the tough move into senior Lacrosse.

We had some real concerns over our junior boys programme for this season. Not enough players and not enough good players. The first two weeks have suggested that although the numbers of players is obviously a challenge there are some signs that our teams have some real potential. We have good management and coaching on all teams and some potentially outstanding players.

This week the U12 faced one of the top teams in Stockport. In a bizarre game Timperley went down 7-8 in a game they should have won. The result swung on officiating. In the first quarter Timperley achieved the almost unique accomplishment of out muscling a Stockport team. The key determinant in the game involved the face off where the Stockport player had a stick which when he clamped jammed the ball in his stick and he then ran around attempting to punch to ball free. The Stockport coach said that they had the manoeuvre cleared by panel referees. The reality is that the move was illegal and that the ball sticking in the stick should have been dealt with by an immediate change of possession. Ultimately a call for a stick check would have resulted in a 3 min penalty and the offending stick being ejected from the game. The result would probably have led to a Timperley victory with some competent officiating.

The U14 are short of numbers but they are not short of spirit. They have faced two tough opponents and although suffered two losses their heads have not dropped. In Matt Robinson the team has a strong and capable manager and in Dan Walker and Marius Robinson two outstanding young coaches. If there are any boys in Yr 8 or Yr 9 now is the time to try a new and exciting sport, Lacrosse at Timperley is for you.

Our U16 squad are the reigning North Champions and we have a talented squad this year. They have a strong squad but are struggling to field their best team and play the lacrosse they are capable of.

It will be an exciting year for our girls’ programme. Under the inspirational leadership of Cengiz Ilhan we have the biggest and most talented junior programme that we have had in the club’s history. We are this season fielding an U11, an U13, 2 x U15 and 2x U18 teams.
A big change this season is that Di Gill has stepped down from running the Saturday Morning beginner sessions. Others have stepped up and when I watched the session last Saturday it was obvious the change has been seamless and that Di’s legacy is secure.

Officiating Crisis
In the olden days when a lacrosse field had no fixed boundaries and protective equipment was unknown you considered it fortunate if you had one referee for a game. It was not unknown for games to be refereed/umpired by team captains who did it as they played!
The modern world requires a much more robust approach. For the men’s game, and I think the women’s, there has to be at least 2 officials for each game so each team has to provide one. This means that TLC has to provide at least 3 refs every Sat morning and 3 every afternoon – not to mention CBOs.
Officiating is a challenge for all sports but it is not an insurmountable problem. Why every time United play at OT there are some 70,000 people there who believe they could referee.
Lacrosse is an unusual sport but it is not difficult to officiate. If you are a parent who wants to ensure that your children enjoy their lacrosse and have the best opportunity please consider officiating. If you are an ex player who would like to make sure that current players have the positive experience you had and keep your contacts with the club please step forward.
Contact the club if you can help. It is a crisis.

REPORTS FOR 30TH SEPTEMBER AND 1ST OCTOBER
Saturday 30th Sept.
Women’s Team v Heaton Mersey Moved from Timperley to HM Won 16-4
Timperley played Heaton Mersey away this past weekend. Timperley got some early goals but Mersey didn't let their heads go down. Mersey had a lot of young players who show great potential for the future but Timperley's collective experience brought home the win on this occasion. Timperley named two joint MVPs Steph Hallows and Kat Swallow who showed great control and intelligent play in attack

Men’s 1st Team v Stockport Away Lost 11-15
Timperley 1st team started the league campaign against Stockport. The game was emotionally charged after the recent passing of Stockport's stalwart home referee Neil Singleton. After a well observed minute applause before the game the game started at a fast pace....for Stockport. A 4-0 lead after the first quarter and spoiling any Timperley attack put us on the back foot instantly.

The second quarter followed a very similar pattern which saw Timperley trailing 10-2 at half time. After some very frank words at half time from both coach and senior players it was agreed a lot more was required from the boys in blue.

A response was asked for and a response was provided. Timperley started to spoil the face offs meaning that possession wasn't a one way traffic. Tim Blower pulled off some brilliant saves and the attack began to click in gear. As the game progressed it was Timperley who made the most of their opportunities making the final score 15-11 to Stockport. Even though we had a positive 9-5 win in the second half, Timperley must start games quicker as that was a common issue last year

Men’s A Team v Brooklands A Home Won 13-9
Following their opening day win over Wilmslow Timperley faced a tougher challenge when Brooklands A travelled to Stockport Road.

The opening stages were very tight with the scores tied at 2-2 at the end of the 1stQ. At half time Timperley had their noses in front 5-4. Brooklands had a very good face off man who gave them a deal of possession but when Mike Smith took over face off duties with a long stick the damage was restricted .

In the second half Timperley’s young attack began to show their skill and with TJ Burgess and Ed Loveland to the fore they started to control the game leading 9-6 at 3Q.
The Timperley defence of Captain Adam Henbrey, Mike Smith, Christian May and Josh Blower was impressive throughout the game and Isaac Tweedale in goal made some excellent saves to support his defence.

Next week Timperley travel to take on Cheadle B knowing that a win will see them in the top group when the leagues split.

Scorers; TJ Burgess 7-1, Ed Loveland 2-3, Jack Bulmer 2-2, Marius Robinson 1-3,Sam Hirst 1-2 .

Men’s B Team v Mellor B Away Lost 3-9
Timperley B travelled to Mellor which is always a tough place to go. With the 1st team and the A team now allowed to field squads of 15 we will find it more challenging to field a B team. It is important that we succeed in getting a team out. If you fancy a game but are not able to commit to every week please let Alan Holdsworth, Tim Holdsworth or Tom Slater know and I am sure membership/registration issues can be dealt with.

We are lucky that the B team has an excellent captain in Martyn Henderson and the whole club needs to support him.

Boy’s U12 v Stockport Home Lost 7-8
This week the U12s took on Stockport at home. The team was a mixture of A and B teamers.

The first quarter was a tough affair with some robust challenges from both sides. The boys started well but Stockport broke the deadlock and took the lead but goals from Ben Edwards and Owen saw Timperley finish the quarter 4-2. The second was less physical and both teams played some nice lacrosse. Stockport scored first but the boys again responded well and Owen bagged 2 more. Halftime score 6-3. The third quarter saw Timperley switch off at crucial times which led to Stockport pulling the score back with 2 unanswered goals. The final quarter was much of the same in which Timperley struggled a little to keep their concentration. Stockport levelled the score before Owen put Timperley back in front. A late flurry from Stockport saw them take the lead late on and win the game.

Stockport will be one of the strongest teams this year and we were more than capable of beating them but we need to keep our concentration and listen to the coaches.

Stats
Owen Shuttleworth 6-1
Jim Hartley 0-2
Jack Dearden 0-1

Boy’s U14 v Norbury Away Lost 5-11
Timperley U14 Game 2 match report.

Game two took us to the healthy heartlands of a very wet Norbury. Again, we were short on numbers due to prior family engagements and injury. That though, was not the only feeling of déjà vu. As despite stressing the importance of playing from the very first whistle prior to the match, it fell on deaf ears, and within the first 10 minutes we were 4-0 down. I called a time out and I expressed my disappointment at their energy levels & overall attitude, then Dan & Marius had their say. Despite going on to concede 2 more goals in that quarter and lose it 6-0 there were signs that the message hit home.

Dan, Marius & I rallied the team during the break and we started playing some really lovely lacrosse in awful conditions. The quarter was won 2-1, with goals coming from Joe Tomlinson and Matt Fazal with an individual great goal. More importantly the boys started to believe in themselves. Defensively we were a lot brighter, stronger and better organised. Ollie Hancock shouting the instructions and Callum Legg once again showing stick control beyond his years. Midfield also putting a great shift in both directions. No coincidence we won that quarter. HT score 2-7. The second half saw us continue to make good strides and hopefully the boys will take great comfort from that as it showed they can play. Q3 score was 2-2 and if it was not for us rushing in the attacking third we would, should and could have had more but we were not. Quarter 4 was very similar to Q3 although the lads were now showing a lot of tiredness and Q time score was 2-1 to Norbury. Final score was an 11-5 defeat but I can't stress again how well the boys acquitted themselves from Q2 onwards.

Goals
Joe Tomlinson 2-0
Matt Fazal 1-2
Josh Spinks 1-1
Mackenzie Baird 1-0
Laurie Bailey 0-1

Boy’s U16 v WMG Home Won 9-7
Score: 9-7
Tom Wallis: (3.1)
Ewan Ginger: (2.0)
Will Hirst: (1.3)
Dan Flisk: (1.1)
Jack O’Mahoney: (1.0)
Chris(borrowed): (1.0)
Luke: ( 1 OG)

With only nine players on Saturday's game we had to borrow a few players from Wilmslow Mersey Guild, who were made up of players from Wilmslow, Mersey and Liverpool. With a slow start conceding 4 goals, one being an own goal, we thought that the game was going to be tough. However, the boys turned it around winning the second quarter 5-0 giving us the lead. The third quarter was different however, with both teams struggling to score only WMG could score once going in to the quarter tied 5 all. With Tom Wallis leading the team in goals and Gregor Allan making great saves as usual the boys scored four and only conceded two giving us a 9-7 win.

Unfortunately a fight occurred during Saturday's game which is unacceptable behaviour for any member of Timperley lacrosse club. The actions of a few of the players on Saturday's game were unacceptable and fell short of the standards that we expect from our players. The club are not taking any immediate action on the matter, however, if something was to occur again then the club will be forced to do so. We will be speaking to the players on Wednesday and will reiterate these points.
Sunday 1st October

U15 Blue beat U15 White 8-6
This is another age group where we entered two teams this year. Unlike the U18s the U15s play each other only once for the league and I made sure we played this game first to prevent any future questions.

We had 22 players for the two teams. The Blue team is mainly made out of the U13s that have moved up and the White team is last year’s U15s. I always thought this would be great game and so it was.

First quarter the Blues went up 5 - 0. They played some direct attack that the Whites were not organised enough in defence to respond. Second quarter Whites pulled back and score was 5 - 5. They sorted their defence and combined well in attack to pull back. Third and fourth quarters were much closer. Blues went ahead again which the Whites never pulled back. The final score was 8 - 6 for the Blues. Whites had number of shots come of the post but their sustained pressure in the final quarter did not result in any goals so Blues came on top.

We also had some U13s playing for the U15s and they all did very well.

WHITES:
Man of the match: Maddie Lord - worked very hard, created chances and scored two
Defence: Charlotte Bell - worked very hard in defence
Midfield: Elise Humblet - rallied them to get back into the game.
Attack: Tilly Young and Jess Haywood - spend each a half in attack and defence from the U13 team.

Scores and assist.
Maddie Lord 2/-
Elise Humblet 1/2
Jasmine Torevell 1/-
Jodie Pollard 1/-
Emma Whitley 1/-
Jess Haywood -/1
Emilly Meppem -/1

BLUES:
Man of the match: Katie Young - made some great saves
Defence: Mia Bowie - steady and controlled
Midfield: Alice Allen - worked hard
Attack: Henny Wright - goals and assists

Scores and assist.
Alice Allen 3/-
Henny Wright 2/3
Sophie Hurlstone 1/2
Ana Green 1/-
Charlotte Christian 1/-
Mia Bowie -/1
Niamh Gribbon -/1

U11 Girl’s v Cheadle Home Draw 5-5

Representative Games
Referees Trophy
Cheshire Men best Lancashire Men 13-1
Timperley Players; Tim Blower, Brendan Farrell, Mike Armstrong (Coach)

Boy’s U17
Lancashire U17 best Cheshire U17 13-9
Timperley players: Harry Alty, Dan Flisk, Ollie Lee, Ed Loveland, Marius Robinson.

THERE’S A LOT TO TALK ABOUT.
We are now into October . Leaves are falling as is Manchester sunshine-rain(one of our neighbours has recently finished her Masters and has returned to her home in Kuwait. I said to her she would be glad to get away from Manchester weather. Her response was she loved lots of things about Manchester but particularly the weather and the rain , Kuwait was dry with temperatures of 50c- unbearable)and the wind is chilly. The Lacrosse season is well underway. We are into Autumn.

Perhaps a good time to look back over a momentous and tumultuous summer.
Since the last Newsletter we have seen;

In Manchester;
• The tragedy of the Arena bombing and the city’s inspirational response. To be there was a life defining experience.
• The continued explosion of development in the city centre . Are 55 cranes a record?
In Altrincham;
• The town centre renaissance continues. Will Tim Horton be a plus ?
• Is Hale becoming passé?
• Can Altrincham accommodate an MP who is Pro Brexit. Leavers are threatening their MPs with deselection if they follow their convictions. Altrincham have an MP who is an excellent local servant but on the big calls he is wrong and is helping to destroy the futures of our children and grand children.
Lacrosse;
• The success of the Women’s World Cup.
• The humiliating ,disgrace of withdrawal from hosting the 2018 Men’s World Championship. Did it really cost £223K? Many questions need answering,
• Timperley’s successful visit to Maryland.
• The TSC Development plan. What do we want/
• What happened to the LDO programme ?
• What do we think of the North League reorganisation ?
• Is the game in Manchester in terminal decline?
Politics
• The June general election
• The continuing Brexit Fiasco
• Can the current government do anything with any degree of competence? It is certainly not the Tory party of Peel, Churchill and McMillan
• Who will represent normal people?
• World War 3. What happens when you have lunatics running countries.
Read a book
• I have read some challenging books over the summer including Sinclair Lewis (his semi satirical novel written in 1935 at the depths of US recession –“It can’t happen here “, and Lionel Shriver’s “The Mandibles”. If you have read either let me know what you thought.

I am sure that will keep me out of mischief for a while.