Hey Bees!
2025 has been packed with goals, grit, and good times—plus a sprinkle of festive chaos. From record-breaking wins to new faces, coaching updates, and socials that’ll make Mariah Carey jealous, this first edition is buzzing with everything you need to know about our wonderful club. Dive in, get involved, and keep the momentum rolling into 2026!

Coaching & Training
We’re keeping the sticks swinging until Thursday 11th December—because nothing says festive spirit like sweating it out before mince pies, roast dinners, and mulled wine!
• Thu 4 Dec – Training as usual
• Thu 11 Dec – Game tournaments followed by Christmas drinks at The Royal Oak.

After that, we’ll take a well-earned break until Thu 8 Jan. Rest up, recharge, and maybe practice your reverse stick in the kitchen.

Farewell to Mike
A huge shout-out to Mike, who’s been an absolute legend coaching our 3rd and 4th teams this year. Finding coaches has been tougher than finding a parking spot at Morrisons on Christmas Eve, so Mike’s support has been priceless.

He’s off on a big adventure from 7 Jan, but before that, join us at The Royal Oak on Thu 27 Nov after his last session to raise a glass (or three) and send him off in style. Safe travels, Mike—come back in one piece!

Coach Update
The coaching hunt has continued to be… let’s say “character-building.” Many clubs are struggling, but we’ve got good news: a potential coach will be trialling with us next week on Thursday 27 November. Her name is Zoe, and she currently coaches the entire women’s section of Wilmslow Hockey Club. Mark it down and show up—first impressions matter!

Massive thanks to Ben and Scott for steering the 1s and 2s whilst we search for a more stable coaching setup, and to Andy for stepping in when needed. They’ve all sacrificed pitch time with their teammates and personal time to keep us sharp, and the results speak for themselves.

Also, hats off to Alan Leonard, who’s been tireless in finding candidates. Fingers crossed for a positive experience with our trial coach!

Squad Updates
In additional to all the pre-season people we welcomed to our club, we’ve also welcomed some cracking new faces since the start of this season: Harry Macdonald, Oban Scobbie, Isaac Adams, Rob Guy, James Eccles, Nathan Pittendrigh If you haven’t met them yet, say hi—preferably not mid-tackle.

1st Team Update: Steady, Strong & Ready for More!
So far this season, the 1st team have ticked the right boxes—beating key lower-to-mid table rivals and grabbing a hard-earned draw against the long-haul trip to Whitchurch (because who doesn’t love a road trip?). Training attendance? Solid. Matchday squads? A little patchy at times, but the team’s progress as a unit is clear, especially in recent weeks.

Big shoutout to 2nd/3rd team heroes Andy Walker, Dan Taylor, Yuri Dean, Ricardo Machial, James McLaughlan, AJ Hoysted and Jack Foster for stepping up when availability was tight. And hats off to our new and returning faces—Alex Garlick, Jack Northern, Matt Brunt, Paddy Souter, Luke Williams, and Richard Ward—bringing depth and energy. Plus, fresh recruits Harry, Obi, and Isaac have already made an impact since joining a couple of weeks ago.
All signs point to an exciting second half of the season in 2026. Jim and I want to thank every player for your commitment and effort—you’re making this journey a blast!
Scott – aka, the Octopus

2nd team Update: From Setback to Supremacy: 2s Lead by 6 Points
After a setback in the first game, a result still under a ‘stewards enquiry’ by the league, the 2nd team have come steaming back with 8 successive wins, scoring 46 goals, conceding only 9 in the 9 games played and are 6 points clear at the top of the table.
It’s been a real team effort helped by excellent availability and everyone in good form. This was highlighted in the 8-0 dismantling of then 2nd placed Sale at St Bedes a couple of weeks ago.

Andy Walker is top of the charts with 13 goals and 12 assists. Tom Hornsby and Jack Foster are joint second top scorers with 6, and Ray Lysaght second in assists with 9 from only 5 games played.

The 2’s express train promises more exciting games in the second half of the season as we continue the promotion push.
Thanks to all for their commitment and support, particularly Freddie as VC, and Tom Hornsby and Andy Walker as match day VCs.
Martin – aka, Martin

3rd team update: Building Foundations: The 3rd Team’s Journey and Spirit
The 3rd team entered a new league this year, facing a big step up in quality. It’s been a tough start, but Cowboy and I are incredibly proud of every player who’s risen to the challenge, given their all, and worked hard to develop the skills needed to compete. We’ve had some changes within the squad, and everyone has embraced them, united by the goal of safety and competing against strong opposition.

Huge thanks to those who stepped in to help—Freddie, Jimbo, Alton, Jason, Yuri, Ricardo, and Ray—and to the players who’ve shown up week after week; none of this would be possible without you. A warm welcome back to Gaz, returning from injury to the sport and Club he loves.

We’re still building, but the foundation is solid for a strong second half of the season. In the words of former captain Jack and current vice Cowboy Lou: “BUZZ, BUZZ.” Big thank you to our club friend and coach, Mike. We’ll all miss you, have fun on your travels!
Graham – aka, Uncle G

4th team Update: From Development to Drive: The 4s’ First Season
The 4s went into their first season as a non-development side with one goal - to be competitive. And with 4 wins and 1 draw from 7 games, that target is definitely being met.
Highlights so far include starting the season with a 2-0 victory over rivals Horwich #FuckHorwich, a 9-0 dismantling of Lymm, and a dramatic last-minute equaliser against Didsbury Northern.

Ujan and I would like to thank everybody who has played for the 4s so far this season (there’s 37 of you, far too many for individual mentions), none of this would have been possible without you, and we’re excited to see what 2026 has in store! Up the Bees!
Ash – aka, the Godfather

We hope you’ll join us in thanking our captains—Martin, Freddie, Graham, Cowboy, Ujan, Ash, Scott and Jim—for their incredible effort and dedication so far. After countless hours each week debating team sheets, wrestling with Pitchero, updating GMS, and playing your favourite on-pitch dictators, they’ve developed a healthy dislike for each other. But hey, if mutual suffering brings great leadership, the hate is totally worth it!

Kit Orders
• The fabulous Remi has shared the details recently for the next kit order. Next kit order deadline: [21.11.2025] to ensure kits arrive for the first game in January. Home and away shirts available. [link].
• Shorts? Grab them from the club shop or bring your own black/white pair.
• Exciting news: 08UK joins System5 as our second sponsor! Their support means branded club socks are coming soon. Watch this space!

Umpiring
• Umpiring Course – a big thanks goes to Graham Taylor, John McLean, Phil Mair and Chris Bates who are set to complete the EH umpiring course in December to help us continue to fulfil our umpiring obligations for the remaining games of the season.
• And a massive shout-out to Dan Taylor, Jack Foster, Joe Fry, Jack Northern, Ben Greenwood, Ray Lysaght, Ash Critten, and others who’ve kept games running. It really does help so much when those who can, step up and volunteer for this - especially with four teams and more fixtures than ever.
• Special thanks to John McLean, our umpire whisperer—absolute legend.

Club Handbook Reminders
We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all of some of the important operational aspects of the club, as outlined in the Club Handbook.
• Subs & Match Fees – Depending on your membership type, there are Fees required to ensure the club can operate and cover its ongoing costs for the season. Please keep on top of payments to avoid a scary bill later. Questions? Speak to Adnaan (aka Mr Moneybags). Link to more details.
• Conduct – We’re inspired by how many members support each other, the club and the committee and foster a culture of inclusion, friendliness, and openness. From helping with hockey skills to offering a shoulder during tough times, your selflessness shines. Captains often feel backed by their squads, and your efforts make match weeks work in a season of progress.

Social & Events
• Festive Competition Alert! - Are you a tree-wrangler, a tinsel tickler, a kitchen ninja, or a full-blown snowball assassin? Show us your festive December vibe! Snap a pic of yourself doing your favourite seasonal activity and post it on Facebook or Instagram with #SMHC #festivefun for a shot at winning… drumroll… an SMHC branded beanie! Because let’s be honest—we’re in Manchester, the rain capital of the UK. Name a better prize… we’ll wait. ☔
• Festive Party – Nearly 40 of us will descend on Zouk Bar & Restaurant on Sat 13 Dec, 7pm. Expect pre-drinks, post-drinks, and karaoke that’ll make Mariah Carey cry. Haven’t paid your deposit interested in joining in the fun and frolics? Contact the lovely Freddie Brock ASAP.
• Quiz Night – We’re looking in to hosting our next big Quiz night in towards the end of Jan/early Feb at The Royal Oak. If last time was anything to go by, expect chaos, laughter, and questionable team names. More on this to come out soon.
• Charity Event (Q2 2026) – We would like to explore the idea of running a club-wide charity day after the season has finished. Diversity and inclusion is an important pillar of our club, as such we want to try to give something back to the community, to those who are perhaps less fortunate than ourselves. We welcome any and all ideas for what this could involve and invite those to take part in planning and running the event to reach and let us know.
• Tour 2025 – Barcelona, 26–28 June. Fourth year running (probably because we spend more at the bar than any other nation taking part, which is not surprising). Previous attendees get first dibs; any remaining spare spots will be announced in Jan. Interested? Ping Scott.
• Got ideas for socials? We’ve been enjoying each others company during club house get togethers, a bowling session, Halloween themed training and various get together in the running group. But there’s always more we can do, which you can get involved in arranging. Contact Chris Bates—we’re all ears (and beers).

We’re proud of the inclusive, supportive vibe in our club. Keep being awesome teammates and helping each other out. If issues arise, we’ll tackle them head-on (pun intended).

We’re not just four teams—we’re one club, one family, and occasionally one karaoke machine.