Derbies for days

As the weather (finally) looks to be turning in hockey’s favour, there is a weekend of tasty derbies to be looking forward to. Hopefully the M1’s satisfying win over East London last week has left you craving more derby victories as this week the M3, L4 and Dockers all take on East London at home (scroll down for timings). Additionally, if that wasn’t spicy enough, there are two inter-Wapping derbies taking place: the M8 v M9 at 14:00 at JO followed directly after by a L6 v L7 match at 15:30 so plan for a full day of sideline fun and games.

Plugging some support

The M3 and L2 are back-to-back at LV this weekend (Pitch 1, 13:00 and 14:30) and could do with some vocal support, so if your team is at LV too please consider wrapping up (Wapping blankets can be found in our locker), grabbing yourself a tipple, and exercising your lungs to help them secure those 6 points.

Dates for the diary:

As dry/damp January comes to the end, socials are creeping back and there are a couple key dates to get in your diary:

• Saturday 10th February: social secs have booked the club space at the Moretown Belle from 4pm for the England v Wales 6 Nations game

• Saturday 2nd March: L1/M1 quiz raffle fundraiser, after the success of last year this fundraiser night is back - so keep the date free in your diary!

Woo go Phil:

Massive congrats to Phil O'Hagan for passing his Level 3 indoor umpiring assessment, making him Wapping HC’s first ever NPUA Indoor umpire. He’s also been selected for the World Masters indoor cup, taking place at the end of March in Nottingham. We wish him all the best!

Leave a Google review:

If you’ve got a spare five minutes this week why not help improve the club’s SEO rankings and give Wapping a Google review? 

3 reasons why you should leave a review:

1. Another quick and easy way of showing appreciation for the club, shoutout your fave coach, a supportive team member, Lee Valley’s jacket potatoes - go wild

2. We want to hear from you! Any feedback, positive or negative is great to hear and means the exec can work to make changes that benefit members across the club

3. You’ll be one step closer to becoming a google review local legend

Results update:

Last week in a line: WWDDWWWWLLLLWL

Fixtures this Saturday:

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• Grubby: 50% off + free delivery on 1st box, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• 10% off all beers at Tap East

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

We’re back baby

Whilst the weather unfortunately continues trying to stop us from playing hockey, the festive break is well and truly over and this weekend teams are (weather dependent) back in action.

Some updates today about the M1 derby this evening, some exciting new stash and how to watch some England hockey from the comfort of your sofa!

M1 derby:

A reminder that the M1 are kicking off the second half of the season with a derby match against East London under the lights at Lee Valley this evening. With the M1 only 2 points off the top of London Prem it would be great to get as many supporters down as possible. Push back is 8:30pm on pitch 1.

sTash alert!

A shout-out to all women in the club who would like a pair of Wapping shorts. They are now available to order via the link below: https://www.hawkinsport.co.uk/products/wapping-hc-womens-short 

While you’re at it feel free to pick up other bits and bobs from the Wapping shop!

Hockey on the BBC

If you still feel you need more hockey in your life then the BBC have come to your rescue and are showing all GB Olympic qualifying matches, taking place between the 13th and 21st January, live on BBC sport. Details on match timings below:

GB Women

• V Canada: Saturday 13th September , PB 8:30am

• V Spain: Sunday 14th September, PB 10:45am

• V Malaysia: Tuesday 16th September, PB 13:15pm

GB Men 

• V Pakistan: Monday 15th September, PB 16:45pm

• V Malaysia: Tuesday 16th September, PB 16:45pm

• V China: Thursday 18th September, PB 14:30pm

England Hockey have worked really hard with the BBC since the Commonwealth Games to get them to televise hockey on free to air channels. The BBC’s argument is that when televised historically, hockey didn't get the 50K threshold of viewers that it has as a baseline for televising specific sports. It would be great to smash that number and show that hockey players are also watchers so please spread the message and see if we can get eyeballs on the games.

Results update:

Fixtures this Saturday:

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• Grubby: 50% off + free delivery on 1st box, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• 10% off all beers at Tap East

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Happy New Year!

And just like that it’s 2024 and we’re half way through the season. A big congratulations to the L1s and L7s, who sit top of their leagues and have won 10/10 and 8/9 respectively, with multiple other teams not far behind in their pushes for promotion.

Before we start again, here’s a couple of action points, a few thanks, some reflections from the committee, and a note on where our Chair will be focusing efforts in 2024.

Action points

• If you have any feedback/suggestions for next season please let someone on the Exec know before our 24/25 planning session on the 1st of Feb. We can only change things we know about so all feedback will help us help you.

• Continue showing love for your umpires. As well as unequivocal in game respect, please remember to welcome them when they arrive, offer them a drink, and include them at teas. Often they will have travelled a significant way or given up their own post-game fun to ensure your match can be played.

• If you have a medical issue please ensure someone on your team knows (ideally your captain) so they can provide appropriate help if required.

• Women: buy your Wapping Hockey shorts NOW.

Thank yous

Firstly, a massive thanks from our alumni for all your support when we lost Wonders in November. Wonders was a huge personality and in honour of everything she brought to Wapping we’re introducing a personality of the year award at this year’s end of season, ‘The Wapping Wonder’.

Secondly, a big thanks from Kidds to everyone who’s helping out including the 2s and 3s whose support at the Friday night sessions has been brilliant. The youth section is going from strength to strength and being able to support and inspire our young players together is something really special.

Finally, a massive thanks from us to you. This half season has been wildly better than last year’s in almost every way, and that is solely down to you all. Having oversight on the many conversations happening constantly across the club really highlights how brilliant people at Wapping are.

Committee Reflections

OFFICIATING:

Thanks to the amazing Jane we’ve filled every umpire slot this half season but, as ever, having more umpires would make everything easier. For the second half of the season we’re changing how we manage umpires, with teams being allocated slots they’ll need to fill, so if you haven’t already, make sure you take the online Level 1 Umpire course over the break so you can support your team with this.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank all our umpires for their support and all those who have encouraged umpires old and new this season. The London League are short of umpires currently and without people from the club willing to officiate we simply wouldn’t be allowed to compete.

If anyone is considering trying umpiring - this is your year - as we have three incredible umpire Development Officers who want to help so do reach out to them. We also have a number of new umpires this season, including some fabulous women, who would be happy to talk with anyone who’s interested.

SPONSORSHIP:

Following an overhaul of our sponsorships this season we were pleased to onboard loads of new sponsors. Before the season began Chambers Timber kindly donated the materials for the storeroom renovation and Simon Wright Jewellery renewed his position as the go-to man for all Wapping engagements.

Salmon Hockey has joined us as sponsor of the Dev Squad and is providing carbon sticks and shin pads at hugely discounted rates over at the Wapping Shop. NuSmile Dentists became L3 sponsors and are offering a mega 20% off all their treatments, a possible saving of hundreds of pounds if anyone you know is looking for Invisalign or whitening. They also do general dentistry so a good chance to get a check up at a similar price to the NHS.

The M3 brewed their "DoD beer" at Tap East which will be available in the New Year: Wapping members get 10% off everything in the bar. Finally, the mighty Feeney's Irish Pub came on board to sponsor the L5, stay tuned in the new year for news of their new venue.

We are now looking towards CAWHL sponsorships, if you know of anyone who may be keen to get involved, please do email wappingsponsorship@gmail.com

COMMUNITY:

We're thrilled by the fantastic start to this season, witnessing the club grow stronger with each passing week. From a community perspective, we've recently welcomed Emma Thorne to the welfare team, representing the ladies' side of the club. Emma is doing a stellar job, contributing content to ensure Wapping remains an outstanding club for all members. Expect more exciting updates from the welfare team in January! For any welfare-related concerns or suggestions, please don't hesitate to contact us at wappinghcwelfare@gmail.com or utilise the form.

CAWHL Summer League Update: Calling all volunteers! We're looking to make this year's Summer League bigger and better than ever. If you're interested in contributing or wish to learn more about available roles, please reach out to us at wappingvcc@gmail.com.

Whitechapel Clothes Donation: Thanks to those who have already donated! You can continue to drop off your contributions at either the LV reception or JO Store cupboard. We're extending the closing date into the new year to accommodate more donations.

If you have any suggestions or ideas to enhance our community initiatives, please get in touch! Your input is invaluable in shaping our community outreach.

Areas of Focus for 2024

Being blessed with a hugely dedicated committee means it’s full steam ahead across all areas of the club at all times, but as Chair there are two areas I’ll be championing for the remainder of the season.

• Continued momentum for Kidds. We’re creating more formal alignment structures with the adult side of the club and there’s been a lot of work with the newly formed Kidds’ committee to support operations. Thanks to an incredible bunch of coaches the talent being fostered is unreal and to bolster that we’re considering appointing a new Kidds Head Coach to help pull the areas together and support growth.

• Support for the 2s. Despite plenty of hard work, and some very promising games, the results for our 2nd teams haven’t fallen in their favour. And, in order to attract, maintain, and transition players at the club, it’s important we maintain divisional closeness between our top teams. As such, I urge everyone to support our 2s in any way they can, whether that be flagging players that could be playing higher, or cheering them on from the sidelines on a Saturday.

Wishing you all a Happy and Healthy 2024 - Rogers x

tips to prep for 2024 hockey!

1. Set a fun New Year’s Resolution: think big, why not resolve to score a hattrick in every hockey game you play in

2. Dive into the sales: if the above fails why not treat yourself in the boxing day sales

3. Analyse: if you’re sick of festive films and your team has used the club’s VEO camera, relive the highs of the first half of the season from the comfort of your sofa

4. Try and get off the sofa: try and at least do some light exercise inbetween the leftover mince pies and yorkshire puddings…

Social media never sleeps

Whilst hockey rests for some a little longer, please do continue to post on your team social media and like and save posts on the main @wappinghc instagram account. The engagement is making a real difference to the club in attracting players and sponsors. So drop us some likes or even a cheeky comment over the break xoxo

Results update:

Fixtures this week:

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• Grubby: 50% off + free delivery on 1st box, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• 10% off all beers at Tap East

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Countdown to Christmas

Whilst lots of teams didn’t get to have fun on the pitch last week due to the wintery temperatures (booo), the club certainly had a great time at the Christmas social. As we roll into the last week of league matches let’s keep our fingers crossed for slightly milder weather and some big wins!

Festive vibes!

A massive thank you to the social secs for another great evening on Saturday night at the Wapping Christmas social. There were turtle doves, the Spice Girls, reindeer, Greggs items, a Shrek squad and a Christmas boyband amongst others.

Best dressed went to: Ladies 3s who were dressed as Xmas #1s earning 50 big points towards their team of the year total (see below).

Team of the year

As we come to the midpoint of the season that also means we are half way through the team of the year competition. Points can be collected all over the place from performance on the pitch and helping out the club (umpiring, kidds, coaching etc.) to social media posts and even fancy dress at club socials. 

Top 10 teams so far:

1. M8

2. L3

3. M3

4. M2

5. L5

6. L1

7. L4

8. L7

9. L2

10. M4

Some explanation on how these teams have risen to the top:

• The judges: M8 and L5 have done tonnes of umpiring, making up the bulk of their points

• The party animals: L7 are getting a great turnout at socials

• The jacks of all trades: L3 and M3 are getting solid points across the board including umpiring, kidds coaching, fundraising and coaching

The workhorse: shoutout to Smithy who apparently is ‘carrying’ the M4s on points

Give the gift of sparkly teeth this Xmas 🎄🦷

A reminder that NuSmile dentists are giving Wapping players (and their loved ones) an amazing 20% off all general and cosmetic dentistry. If you, or anyone you know, is considering Invisalign / whitening etc, now’s the chance to invest to save hundreds of pounds 😁

Results update:

Last week in a line: WWLLL

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• Grubby: 50% off + free delivery on 1st box, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

It’s getting chilly

With temperatures dropping who knows how many hockey matches will be played this weekend. There’s a big M1 v East London 1 derby on the cards so let’s pray for sunshine!

However, whatever the weather we still have the Christmas social to look forward to on Saturday. Bring your best team outfits to Forge from 7:30pm for some fun festive vibes.

Umpire assessments:

A big congratulations to three of our Wapping umpires who all successfully passed their Level 1 assessments this month. Isabel Ringrose, JJ Littlemore and Brad Quinn were all passed by Phil O’Hagan.

If you are interested in getting involved in umpiring, please do reach out to our ULO Jane by emailing wappingulo@gmail.com. Not only is it a great way to give back to the club, but you will also receive £15 for every game you umpire.

Movember update:

As Movember ends here are some final pics of the M3’s Movember attempt! 
Please do continue to donate here.

Whitechapel Mission

A box is now at LV and there will be one at JO from tomorrow evening so please do donate any items you can. As a reminder the mission are in need of:

• Clothes, Toiletries and Linen. More info on this here: https://whitechapel.org.uk/supporting-us

We will be looking to make the donation to Whitechapel Mission on the 18th December.

Printers match report - 3-0 Win

Last Sunday the Printers mixed team took on Havering in the first round of the England Hockey mixed club at Lee Valley. Despite some weary legs and even wearier heads, the team managed to arrive on time and even get out for a warm up, a rare occurrence for a mixed match.

Wapping held good possession and pinged the ball around, resulting in a corner that was converted by Jenna Maclaren despite the routine being slightly ‘unique’. Shears spent the first half running miles in the midfield and Smithy in goal had little to do. 1-0 at half time and my ears could hardly believe it when Matt Bowen said ‘we were doing well’ and ‘playing some nice hockey’. Not the half time talks I’m used to.

Into the second half and some great individual skill from Sam was converted by Dom into a second goal for Wapping. Katie and Gigi continued to press hard and Shears was still running circles around Havering mids. Matt was busy in the middle denying, delaying and dictating play as usual. DV sealed the game with a lovely hit to make it 3-0 to Wapping.

MOM to Shears for relentless running and great ambition.

Results update:

Last week in a line: LLWLWLDLDLL

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• Grubby: 50% off + free delivery on 1st box, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Giving and receiving

Shoutouts last weekend to the M8 who put 8 goals past THD in an 8-1 win, the L1 who make it 8 in 8, maintaining their perfect start to the season and top of the league position, and the L7 for getting their first win of the season against East London. As we push towards Christmas there are lots of big games this weekend including the M7 and M9 who have derbies against East London.

It’s festive season!

It’s time to start getting in the festive spirit (if you haven’t already) with our club Christmas social which is taking place next Saturday the 2nd December at Forge (near Bank) from 7:30pm. Time to get your outfits, dance moves and best chat ready for what will be a great night to kick off the festive period!

New Year New Umpire system

A huge thanks to all those who have umpired this year/got trained up/been assessed. You guys rock 🤘 We're in a better place than last year but we've still a way to go, so now the teams have settled, we're switching up how we allocate umpires.

Starting January 13th, our ULO, Jane, will update the number of slots that need covering as normal but each slot will also have a team allocated to it based on level and timing of other games. If by Wednesday there has not been an offer to cover the slot, the team that has been allocated it MUST provide an umpire. Slots will be allocated well in advance so there will be plenty of notice for your team to organise who helps out.

So what do YOU need to do before then?

1. If you aren't already an umpire, take the online umpire course (click on the 'BOOK HERE England Hockey' box under the 'Level 1 Umpiring Course, select a date, register an account, and book your course. Please note that once taken our UDOs can support you with as much on pitch help as you need. If the cost (£30) is prohibitive please reach out in confidence to our treasurer.

2. If you're already an umpire, encourage your teammates to get trained up and consider reaching out to our Development Officers, James, Phil and DC should you like any development support.

Whitechapel Mission

Since 1876, The Whitechapel Mission has been called to serve the men and women caught in the cycles of poverty, hopelessness and dependencies of many kinds, and to see their lives transformed to hope, joy and lasting productivity.

Winter is a difficult time for many people, but especially for those sleeping rough. The weather is changeable, and the nights are longer. At the peak of winter, it will be dark by 4pm. We all know our summer is over and the cold is here. And they know it too.

How can we support?

1. Donating Clothes, Toiletries and Linen. More info on this here: https://whitechapel.org.uk/supporting-us

So maybe it's time to do a winter clear out to create space for those new clothes you've bought in the recent sales or gifts you receive over this festive period!

Or

2. Financial donations, which can be made here https://whitechapel.org.uk/winterappeal

There will be donation bags/boxes at both LV and JO storage rooms for you to drop off your amazing donations!

We will be looking to make the donation to Whitechapel Mission on the 18th December.

It’s Black FriYay

If you still haven’t downloaded EasyFundraising, today is literally the perfect day to do so before you make any Black Friday purchases! EasyFundraising partners with over 7,000 brands who will donate part of what you spend to a cause of your choice. It won't cost you any extra. The cost is covered by the brand.

Our cause is Wapping Hockey Club and we’ve already raised £2.7k for club for purchases from easyFundraising.

Additionally, Club member Iain Davidson has increased the donation payments for Three Mobile if you go via https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/retailer/three-mobile/ with donations going up to £50.00 per purchase, as well as some great Black Friday deals on phones, SIM only contracts and broadband.

And if you don’t need to change your phone contract, have a look at great offers from loads of retailers such as Amazon, Adidas, Apple, Expedia, JustEat and more – all who will donate money to Wapping when you purchase!

Results update:

Last week in a line: DLWLLLWDLWLLWDW

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• Grubby: 50% off + free delivery on 1st box, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Be Prepared!

Some great results last week mean that there are now three Wapping teams topping their respective leagues (L1, L6, M4) with the M1 and M8 close behind in second place in their leagues. This weekend all of our adult teams are once again back in action and there are some key tips on getting prepped for Black Friday and the Christmas Social.

CHRISTMAS SOCIAL

There are only 2, yes that’s right, 2 weeks to go until the Wapping Christmas Social on Saturday 2nd December. 

It will take place at Forge (near Bank) from 7:30pm to 2am. Tickets will cost £10 and will be available to buy through your team social sec.

After the successful Halloween outfits on show a couple of weeks ago I am expecting equally as impressive outfits at this Christmas social so get planning, crafting and organising now!

Back to Hockey

A reminder that if you have any friends, housemates or family who are looking to get into, or get back into, hockey, please do point them towards our ‘Back to Hockey’ sessions that happen every Tuesday evening 8:30-10pm at John Orwell.

The sessions are fun but also give everyone a chance to have a run around, meet new people and improve their hockey skills.

‘As the Vice Chair of Performance, I am thrilled to witness the transformative impact of our ‘Back to Hockey’ sessions. The commitment of our ladies first team players as coaches not only elevates the quality of instruction but also extends the opportunity for growth into the competitive season. This initiative epitomizes our dedication to making hockey inclusive, ensuring that the joy of the game is experienced by all’ - Lizzie Salmon, VIce Chair Performance

Easy Fundraising

With Black Friday coming up, there is literally no better time in the year for you to sign up to EasyFundraising.

EasyFundraising partners with over 7,000 brands who will donate part of what you spend to a cause of your choice. It won't cost you any extra. The cost is covered by the brand.

Our cause is Wapping Hockey Club and we’ve already raised £2.7k for club for purchases from EasyFundraising.

As we approach Black Friday and all the sales – this is a great time to check easyFundraising or use their Donation Reminder browser extension to see if your purchases can raise money for Wapping.

Club member Iain Davidson has increased the donation payments for Three Mobile if you go via https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/retailer/three-mobile/ with donations going up to £50.00 per purchase, as well as some great Black Friday deals on phones, SIM only contracts and broadband.

And if you don’t need to change your phone contract, have a look at great offers from loads of retailers such as Amazon, Adidas, Apple, Expedia, JustEat and more – all who will donate money to Wapping when you purchase!

Socks are back!

Wapping hockey socks are back in stock 🎉

They’ll be available for pick up from JO or LV from MONDAY next week.

Apologies to anyone who’s ordered socks for the delay.

Buy yours now

Movember

The M3 are almost half way through Movember with varying levels of facial hair growing success (see below). 

Please do continue to donate here.

A Time to say goodbye

A Tribute to Vicki Wonders will be held at Northallerton Methodist Church, 73 High St, Northallerton DL7 8EG on Saturday, 25 November 2023 at 1.30pm. Those who wish to can join us afterwards at Romanby Golf and Country Club,Yafforth Rd, Northallerton DL7 0PE.

We hope that this will give Vicki's many friends an opportunity to reflect on her zest for life & to share their memories of our beautiful girl.

We hope to live stream the Tribute Ceremony for those who cannot attend in person (details will be posted on Facebook).

There is no dress code but you may want to remember Vicki's love of the colour purple & Newcastle United ❤️

With thanks for your many messages & love from all of Vicki's family.

Results update:

Last week in a line: WLLWDWWDLLWLWLDWL

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• Grubby: 50% off + free delivery on 1st box, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Ready, Set, MO

Last weekend saw great results both on the pitch and on the Halloween dance floor. A shoutout to the Ladies 3s who not only got a big 3-1 win against Eastcote but also emerged victorious as Halloween fancy dress dinners. This Saturday all 17 of our adult teams are in action including derbies against East London for the L3, M4 and M7 and big home matches for the L1 and M1 against promotion rivals.

Vicki Wonders

Last week we learned of the devastating news that former Wapping member Vicki Wonders has passed away. Wapping HC sends its heartfelt condolences to all Vicki’s friends and family.

Please do send any pictures and fond memories through to wappingchair@gmail.com so we can include them in a memorial post.

Socials

Thank you to our wonderful social secs who organised a great night for the Halloween social last Saturday. My personal highlights included hogging the ‘dancing’ stage upstairs and sending a few too many song requests to the DJ, who very kindly played all my fave bangers. 

There were some great outfits on show including Harry Potter characters, lots of Barbenheimer energy, 118 men, and at least one lobster. However, it was the Ladies 3s who emerged victorious as fancy dress winners for their Baby Guinness outfits - congrats!

There’s no time for rest in the Wapping social calendar as teams can now look forward to the Wapping Christmas social - please share the details below with your teams:

• Date: Saturday 2nd December

• Venue: Forge

• Time: 7:30pm-2am

• Attire: team favourite festive fancy dress

• Tickets: tickets will cost £10 (includes Christmas nibbles) and will be available to buy through your team social sec

Women in Hockey Officiating workshop

As mentioned a few weeks ago, Women in Hockey Officiating are hosting a virtual workshop that is open to all women umpiring hockey in England, regardless of umpiring level. The agenda is as follows:

• Part 1: answering pre-asked question on umpiring topics including positioning (particularly at corners, flicks and shuffles), obstruction rules and working with umpiring colleagues

• Part 2: a series of scenarios to work through in small groups in a supportive atmosphere with guidance form experienced female umpires

Link to register here

Movember is back!

Another November has rolled around which means men across the country and Wapping will be growing, or attempting to grow, more facial hair for Movember. Movember are a great charity who raise awareness and look to tackle male suicide and mental health as well as testicular cancer. 

The M3s have a Movember fundraising page up and running so please do donate here.

If any other teams/individual fundraising pages up and running please do get in touch to share! Keep your eye out on the backpost this month for facial hair updates…

Grubby deal!

Wapping member and Grubby founder Martin has kindly supplied Wapping members with an amazing deal. Grubby delivers meal kits to your home, providing you with pre-portioned ingredients and a choice of 20 recipes a week to choose from and follow. Their meals are filling, have a minimum of 2 fruit or veg in every portion and are quick and easy to make. Additionally, Grubby donate a meal to a child in poverty for every box sold.

Discount details: enter the discount code WAPPINGHC to get an exclusive 50% off your first box (including free delivery) and then 30% off for the rest of your first month.

Salmon Hockey order

We are delighted to welcome Salmon Hockey as sponsor of the Wapping Dev team and provider of Wapping Kidds clothing. They are passionate about making hockey accessible and are offering equipment for all at affordable prices. If you’d like to order a Wapping Kidds shirt (£15), a pair of shin pads (£18) or a carbon stick (£50), please do so from the Wapping Shop, we’ll be placing an order next week.

Moretown belle quiz

One of our lovely sponsors, the Moretown Belle are celebrating their 5th Birthday with a Fancy Dress Quiz on Monday 20th November 2023. Details below:

• Time: arrive from 6pm, quiz starts at 7pm

• Prizes: for 1st, 2nd and best fancy dress

• Team size: 8 people

Please do keep an eye on social media for more details and start getting your team together!

Results update:

Last week in a line: DLLWLWWWWLWDWLDW

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• 50% off first box + free delivery, plus 30% off for the rest of the month

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Spooky season

It’s Wapping Halloween! Last week saw some teams busy battling for points, particularly the M2 who fought hard for a 5-4 win, other teams took the chance to relax in a well-earned slip week, and undoubtedly many teams spent the weekend busy prepping their squad’s Halloween costumes for one of the biggest nights of the year - tomorrow’s Halloween social. This Back Post lets you know how you can get ready for Wapping Halloween, shouts out to a couple of new sponsors, and includes an intro to our lovely welfare team.

10 ways to make sure you are treated not tricked this Wapping Halloween:

1. Make sure you’ve paid your £2 entry through your team social secs

2. Get your costume ready - have I been silly and left it until now to get my costume sorted? Yes. Does this mean I’ll be racing through Walworth charity shops at 9:30 on Saturday morning? Yes. Hopefully you haven’t left it as late as me and your costume is ready to go

3. Win your game - start the good vibes early

4. Hydrate and eat post game - don’t be the fool who skips this step and doesn’t make it past 6pm

5. Assemble your team - there are big team of the year points up for grabs for best dressed and higher numbers = higher impact. Gather your team early to prevent people snaking away home. Why not grab a pint as a team at our new M3 sponsor - Tap East 👀

6. Get some spooky tunes on - personal  faves include Disturbia (Rihanna), She Wolf (Shakira) and I’m in love with a monster (Fifth Harmony)

7. Snap some content - make sure your team Instagram is popping off throughout the night, remember to tag @wappinghc in posts and stories

8. Add the final details to your outfits - there is no such thing as too much, I’m thinking fake blood, fake contacts, glitter, slime etc.

9. Get the details right - 7:30pm, The Castle

10. Look out for each other and have a great time!

New sponsors alert!

Firstly, we are proud to welcome Salmon Hockey as the sponsor of our Development Team. Salmon Hockey share our passion for making hockey a more inclusive and accessible sport. As part of this they are very kindly offering hockey equipment at bargain prices. Haven’t washed your shinpads for 10 years? Me neither. Why not grab a new pair for £15?! Does your stick make concerning sounds when you shake it? Same. Get a brand new Salmon stick for only £50! Purchase through the wapping shop here: https://www.wappinghockey.club/shop

We also welcome Tap East as the new sponsors of the mighty M3. For those not familiar with Tap East, it is a microbrewery based right next to Stratford station - an ideal post-match pre-social location! To celebrate their 12th birthday this Saturday they will have 12 craft beers on tap - so make sure to slot Tap East into your team’s Saturday schedule this week if you can!

Our wonderful welfare team

This year we have a dedicated welfare and safeguarding team in place to support all of our club members and associates and keep everyone happy, healthy and safe.

The team is made up of:

• Alex Corrie (Men’s Section)

• Emma Thorne (Women’s Section)

• Sandra Akinbolu and Barbara Lo Giudice (Wapping Kidds)

All of us can be contacted at wappinghcwelfare@gmail.com, where any concerns, questions, or issues will be treated with dignity, respect, and confidentiality. You can also find all of our policies and guidance (including our reporting forms) on our website Wapping Hockey Club. No matter how small you believe the issue to be, if something doesn’t sit right with you, or makes your time on or off the pitch uncomfortable, reach out to us.

It is all of our responsibilities to keep each other safe and happy, and we want to hear from you. In order to make our club a better and safer space for all, we want to hear what you have to say, including any suggestions you may have for us. If you have a spare minute, please consider filling out this feedback/suggestion form to aid us in leading welfare at the club .

Please also take the time to familiarise yourself with the Club Code of Ethics and Behaviour (Wapping HC's Code of Ethics and Behaviour - Google Docs) which outlines how we should all work together to make the club a safe and inclusive space for all.

With the Halloween Social coming up, we would like to remind everyone that OUR CLUB LOOKS AFTER EACH OTHER. Stay safe, have fun, and enjoy our wonderful sport!

Results update:

Last week in a line: WLWD

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• 30% off Grubby meal kits for 4 weeks

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Slip week! (for some)

The Ladies’ side of the club had an unbelievable set of results last week with all seven teams picking up points, including a 5th win in a row for the L1 (match report below). With slip week coming up, lots of us will enjoy some hard-earned rest for recovery. However, whilst I will be sipping a cocktail on the beach on Saturday, there is unfortunately no rest for the M2, M8, M3 and L7 who all have matches this weekend, including a derby for the M8 against East London.

L’Ump month donation link:  https://www.justgiving.com/page/lump-month-2023

Slip week hockey

Slip week social Saturday needs more players! 2pm @ John Orwell. Very friendly. Everyone welcome. 

Register here: https://forms.gle/keghNB5e6wkKS9J78

The M3 are playing in the slot before at 12:30 and there will be a pub trip afterwards so why not make a day of it?

Team of the year

Team of the year is back! Each year we tot up points for all the things you do that make Wapping brilliant, and the team that gets the most points is awarded the very prestigious title of 'Team Of The Year'. Points range from performance, to social attendance and volunteering across the club. Some ideas to start boosting your team’s points below:

• Get all your team at the Halloween social for attendance points (7:30pm, The Castle, 4th November)

• Bonus points (and bragging rights) to the best dressed team!

• Get winning - the team with the most wins each half of the season will get points

• Volunteer: coaching, kidds sessions, umpiring, becoming a first aider = points

• Post a team reel…. (more details below!)

Reel of the season

This is your chance to showcase your team's highlights, lowlights and everything in between - on and off the pitch!

Team of the year points are at stake:

• 50 for Best Ladies' and Best Men's Reel

• 15 points for entry (some of the easiest points going!)

All entries will be uploaded to the main club Instagram account with your team's account added as a collaborator.

Deadline – 1st March 2024. Voting via team Instas sent to the main club account by 5th April 2024 (You can't vote for your own team but you can vote for each category.)

Talk to your team's social media sec for full entry details and get scrolling on insta reels/tiktok to get your creative juices flowing!

Some inspo:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CriSHR9JGB4/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CjC--MfrWug/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-AVRXngFEs/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah7neNL5WHw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvXLxcITJ80

Women in umpiring

Following research and reports of the issues and barriers that Women face in umpiring, the Women in Hockey Officiating network have announced the date of an upcoming workshop where they are inviting london female umpires in particular to discuss.

Details: Tuesday 28th November 8pm

Sign up details to follow - keep an eye on @womeninhockeyofficiating on instagram for more information.

L1 match report

The Ladies’ 1 have gone top of London Prem with 5 wins out of 5 (including wins teams who were 1st, 3rd and 5th in the league last year). Last weekend they had a tight 4-3 win over Surbiton 3s…

On a partly rainy partly sunny day wapping L1 gave up another Saturday to travel into the depths of south west London to take on Surbiton. The addition of two new teammates with 8 legs between them and heartbreaking smiles kept spirits high in the lead up to our game.

To contrast with our usual expectations, our new coach Lou gave a positive and peppy pre match talk. This seemed to do wapping well as within 5 minutes of push back, tash fired the ball into the D and found Sarah on the back post for a deflection to put wapping in the lead. Unfortunately, Surbiton were awarded a flick and took their chance to equalise, 1-1.

Wapping kept strong attacking down the right and took a chance to win a corner. With space on the right post, Lucia deflected the ball into the back of the net, 2-1 wapping.

Feeling composed after half time Wapping won another corner which Pippa converted, sending Wapping 3-1 into the lead. Surbiton kept themselves in the game and looked threatening on the attack. However, Wapping continued to shift the ball around and a great cross from Ellie H found Shears on the back post who then found the goall.

From 4-1 up Surbiton clawed back another two goals (boring).High tensions on pitch but cool heads from Lou and Matt on the sidelines allowed wapping to finish the game 4-3 up and in high spirits. The winning streak has left wapping in a solid position at the top of the table going into slip week.

Mom went to our superstar new keeper Jenna BL for keeping us in the game.

Dod went to mum to be Liv Corry who will one day learn to sign her name properly.

Please do email your match report to wappingnewsletter@gmail.com if you would like it featured in the backpost!

Results update:

Last week in a line: WLLLDDLWWDWDWWWWD

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• 30% off Grubby meal kits for 4 weeks

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Sliding into slip week

And just like that we are almost at the first slip week of the season! However, we still have 16 teams in action this Saturday, including M9 and L6 derbies against East London. Make sure to stick around at JO and LV to support other Wapping teams that are in action.

Halloween

With just over 2 weeks to go until the Wapping halloween social on Saturday 4th November (@ The Castle, 7:30pm) I hope all teams are prepping their costumes. See some photos from last year for inspo below….

Slip week hockey

If you can no longer go a Saturday without putting on your astros or fancy a break from the stress of the London leagues then do not worry, you can sign up for social slip week hockey using the google form below. Depending on numbers a friendly mixed game or tournament will be organised with a trip to the pub after.

Register here: https://forms.gle/keghNB5e6wkKS9J78

Umpiring sign up

Those who are qualified as umpires (at any level) please do sign up for umpiring slots in the coming weeks. We are asking all umpires to sign up for four games across the season so shotgun the slots early that work best with your schedule - it also makes life much easier for our ULO, Jane.

If you are struggling to find a game you are qualified for or nervous about umpiring at all please do message Jane who can link you up with one of our dedicated Umpire Development Officers to help support and progress your umpiring across the season.

If you are not yet qualified but would like to be, please do sign up for an online Level 1 course using this link.

Benefits of doing so include:

• £15 in your bank account for every game you umpire (that’s 2.5 free pints #girlmath)

• The chance to meet more people across the club, including other umpires and those playing in other Wapping teams

• The ability to develop a new skill and progress in your umpiring ability

L’ump month continues!

Thanks for all the donations so far! Please do continue to donate where you can here.

Some fun ways to get involved if you haven’t already:

• Wear some pink as a team: socks, hair ribbons, laces…. the options are endless!

• Post and re-post L’Ump month content on your team socials and personal Instagrams

• Have a pink themed bake off at training or your Saturday match - post the winner on socials and get donating

• Donate what you can to the JustGiving page

Save a life

There’s been a couple of cases in the hockey community recently where quick reactions from other players have saved lives. Both JO and LV have defibrillators so if ever someone collapses with a suspected cardiac arrest do not hesitate to run and ask for them. Defibrillator machines literally talk you through exactly what to do and will not shock the person unless there is no pulse, so no medical training is required to use them.

It has been announced that all underground/overground and some bus stations will have defibrillators and the London Ambulance Service are trying to train as many people on steps to take that will help save a life in the event of cardiac arrest. There is a 1min15 sec video everyone should watch and they are holding free training events across London.

If you are ever in the position where you need to know where your nearest defibrillator is - www.defibfinder.uk

Results update:

Last week in a line: WLLWWLDWLWWLLWWL

Fixtures this week

Member discounts:

Check out our Members' area (Password: whc1989) which has all of our available offers, including:

• 20% off NuSmile dentists

• A free Psycle session

• 30% off Grubby meal kits for 4 weeks

• 2 weeks free trial of El Tab app giving members 4 free drinks in London nightly

• 20% off Sharp Movement

• Discounted club trip to Leyton Orient on February 13th 2024 

Winter is coming…

Last weekend saw the M4, M8 and L1 all complete three wins in three games to open the season, with this feat seeing the M4 going top of their league. This week why not drop down to JO to see a M8/M9 lunchtime derby or to Lee Valley where 5 teams are in action including the M1 and L1.

This week’s Back Post provides some details about Halloween (spooky) and some exciting updates on new sponsors, partners and fundraising opportunities.

HALLOWEEN

With training getting darker, colder and wetter it can only mean one thing….Wapping’s Halloween social is nearly upon us. Our kind social secs have given us a break from hockey and beers over the slip weekend and organised a great Halloween social the following week on Saturday 4th November. Details:

• Time - 7pm

• Venue - The Castle, Aldgate

• DJ - expect massive tunes

• Fancy dress - compulsory (and expecting team coordination)

• Price - £2 to cover the cost of our fab DJ

• Vibes - immaculate

Get planning your costumes for what is always one of the top social nights in the Wapping calendar!

L’Ump Month

Please do keep donating to L’Ump month here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/lump-month-2023

Beady-eyed Back Post fans will have noticed a mysterious missing link last week to the L’Ump month shirts. If you would link a pink L’Ump month shirt to wear umpiring, out on the town or even when you’re chilling at home, please do email wappingkit@gmail.com confirming your size and product code (PR615 male and PR616 female) before midday this Sunday (15th). Shirts will cost £20.

Sponsorships, Partnerships and Fundraising

New L3 sponsor: NuSmile

A huge welcome to NuSmile as the Ladies 3s sponsor for the season. They are dentists based in Whitechapel and Tottenham providing both general and cosmetic dentistry. They are very kindly offering 20% off for Wapping members, meaning a check up = £20. Please do book online here - I will certainly be going for a slightly long overdue check-up.

Partnership: Tap East

Tap East will be selling Wapping beer at their brewery based by Stratford station. Do head over after (or even before!) your game or training session to get 20% off!

Partnership: Leyton Orient FC - Tuesday 13th February 8:45pm

We’ve teamed up with our Lee Valley neighbours Leyton Orient FC, who have offered us discounted tickets (£15!) to their match on February 13th. If that wasn’t a steal already, £7.50 of that ticket cost will come straight back to the club. We are ordering a batch of tickets so Wapping can all sit together. Do come along for what I’m sure will be a great night - please pay by Sunday using the following link if you’re interested, why not get your whole team to sign up?! 

Link to pay for tickets: https://shorturl.at/jXZ19

Fundraising: Tesco shop = Kidds hockey shirts

Please continue to buy your meal deals (and other shopping) at Tesco stores around Whitechapel, The City and Aldgate and make sure to donate your blue charity token when you checkout to the Wapping Kidds Foundation. We are hoping to use the money to purchase match-day shirts for the Kidds section of the club.

All participating stores: Bishopsgate, St Katharine's Docks, Cheapside, Aldgate, Monument, London Smithfield, Old Broad St, Commercial St, 45 Whitechapel Rd, 226 Commercial Rd, 90 Mansell St, St Paul's, Blackfriars, St Botolph's, Whitechapel Fieldgate, Aldersgate.

Fundraising: Easyfundraising

Those of you who have been at Wapping a while will have heard us bang on about EasyFundraising - because it is so easy. Just install the chrome extension and remember to click when you buy online to earn free money for the club. Link to install here: https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/wappinghockeyclub/

A massive thanks to our sponsorship lead Irini who has got us some great new sponsors and partnerships. Please do get in touch if you know of any company or organisation who would like to sponsor or work with us by emailing wappingsponsorships@gmail.com.

Please do also remember to follow @wappinghc and our team accounts on instagram and like, save and re-share posts. It helps the club in many ways, particularly in attracting new sponsors and partners which ultimately helps out everyone in the club!

Results update:

Last week in a line: WDLWLWLWWLWLLDW

Fixtures this week

Grubby meal kits:

Exclusive Wapping Hockey Club Discount

30% off first 4 weeks + Free delivery on first box, Code: WAPPING

Psycle:

Free Psycle session. Code: PSYCLEFORHOCKEY

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

Every Little Helps

With the league now in full swing a shout out must go to the M4, M8 and L1 for all winning both of their opening two games. This Back Post has a recap of the great Ladies day social last weekend, an update on the Kidds (including how buying your meal deal at Tesco could bring more hockey tops into the club) and some reminders on L’Ump month and upcoming socials.

Ladies’ night recap

Not only did four ladies teams win their games last weekend, but the whole ladies side of the club had a great social in the evening at Brewdog in Waterloo. A big shout out has to go to the Brewdog slide in particular. Thank you to our partner, El Tab, whose app allows you to order four free drinks (up to £10 each) at some of the most popular bars in London. Find an exclusive code in the members area of our website to get 14 days access for £1. Definitely worth considering the app for future team socials.. My Saturday saw me send a G&T, rum and pineapple, espresso martini and frozen margarita for a grand total of £3 thanks to El Tab - so a great money saving deal to get your hands on if you ask me.

Kidds

1. Tesco Stronger Starts: The Wapping Kidds Foundation
   Please look out for the Wapping Kidds Foundation in local Tesco stores token boxes - make sure you pick up a blue token when you checkout and put in the Wapping Kidds’ slot. We are hoping to win funding to purchase match-day shirts for the Kidds’ teams. List of stores to make sure you’re shopping in below:

   • Bishopsgate - 45 Whitechapel Road

   • St Katherine’s Docks - 226 Commerical Road

   • Cheapside - 90 Mansell Street

   • Aldgate - St Pauls

   • Monument - Blackfriars

   • London Smithfield - St Botolph’s (142 Houndsditch)

   • Old Broad Street - Whitechapel Fieldgate

   • Commercial Street - Aldersgate
     

2. Sign up to help! 
   As the Kidds’ section grows we are always in need of more Kidds’ coaches and assistants. All are welcome, whatever your level and experience in hockey and coaching. If you are interested in being involved please do get in touch with our Kidds’ coordinator Miranda (wappingkidds@gmail.com)
   

3. U14 girls start strong!
   This weekend saw the U14 Girls emerge victorious as 4-2 winners in their first ever 11 a side game against Honor Oak. It was a great game and the coaches were very proud of the team, particularly as at least 5 players were U12s! Congrats to the team for such a great start to their season.

L’Ump month has begun!

Quick reminder below (more details in last week’s backpost):

• Umpires: wear pink shirts and donate your match earnings if you can

• Order social shirts here (ROGERS IS THERE A LINK)

• Teams: get organised to play in pink socks and add a team donation

• All: donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/lump-month-2023

Social dates for the diary

• Halloween: Saturday 4th November

• Christmas social: Saturday 2nd December

Results update:

Last week in a line: WLLWDLLWLLWWLDWWL

Fixtures this week

Grubby meal kits:

Exclusive Wapping Hockey Club Discount

30% off first 4 weeks + Free delivery on first box, Code: WAPPING

Psycle:

Free Psycle session. Code: PSYCLEFORHOCKEY

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

Here come the girls

The first matches of the season saw some great wins for the M3 (2-1), M4 (5-2), M8 (4-2) and L1 (2-1). This Back Post has updates on the Ladies day/night this weekend, a final reminder about subs payment, and an intro to Lump month.

Ladies’ night!

With all ladies’ teams except the L2 (sorry L2) playing at Lee Valley this week, we are expecting a great atmosphere and big crowds for ladies’ day/night on Saturday. After our matches (and inevitably huge wins across the board) the ladies’ section of the club will be heading out to kick off what I’m sure will be a big night out. This is a ladies only social (men are, of course, welcome to head over to LV to support the ladies’ 1s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s v 7s throughout the day).

Registration/subs deadline

The deadline for membership fees is this Sunday the 1st October. Please make sure you have paid your membership fees through the link below by Sunday. We operate a ‘no pay, no play’ policy for anyone who hasn’t paid after this date.

https://www.wappinghockey.club/membership-match-fees
(scroll down the page to find the payment options and once added to the cart, click the shopping trolley icon to access the checkout page).

Please do speak to our treasurer Jules if you have any questions or if you are struggling to pay. All conversations will be kept confidential and we want to ensure that money is not a barrier for anyone playing for Wapping this season.

Social dates for the diary

More details to follow in the next few backposts but please get the following club wide social dates below in your diary as, if last year is anything to go by, you do not want to be missing out!

• Halloween social: Saturday 4th November

• Christmas social: Saturday 2nd December

L’Ump month

L’Ump month was started back in 2017 by 4 umpires in the M7 who began to umpire in pink and donate their match payment to a Breast Cancer Charity throughout October. 6 years later and with thousands raised across the UK, L’Ump month is back this October. How you can get involved:

• Umpires: if you are umpiring in October, please umpire in a pink shirt (with your colleague) if you can and donate your match fee to the L’Ump month fundraiser here.

• Wannabe umpires: maybe this is the reminder you need to get signed up on an online umpiring course.

• Everyone: we will be ordering some social shirts (details will be shared next week) and please also donate to the JustGiving page.

• Players/teams: organise playing in pink socks during October if you can and consider adding a team donation to the JustGiving page.

Boost your business: Sponsor the club

Trying to grow your business? Consider sponsoring the club and getting support from our fabulous community, killer press team, and a spot on our brand new sponsors/partnership hub. Join the ranks of Wrighty, Feeney’s and more who’ve become Wapping institutions.

Don’t have a business? Please ask your employer - we have a deck you can share.

Contact wappingsponsorship@gmail.com for more information.

Team league standings

After a couple of requests, the Back Post will begin reporting team league standings. 

Disclaimer: It is hard to draw conclusions after 1 match and Wapping being near the end of alphabet can snake us on league standings at the start of the season!

Fixtures this week

Grubby meal kits:

Exclusive Wapping Hockey Club Discount

30% off first 4 weeks + Free delivery on first box, Code: WAPPING

Psycle:

Free Psycle session. Code: PSYCLEFORHOCKEY

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

T-1 day

Club Day was a great day in the sun featuring a Kidds masterclass from Matt Bowen, a mixed tournament, 2 wins for the L1 and M1 in the afternoon showcase matches. The season is finally upon us - with all 17 adult teams in action in their first league games of the season. Today the Back Post covers 10 things you need to do before the start of the season.

1. Add your Availability to your team spreadsheet

Please please please make sure your availability in your squad’s spreadsheet is correct by midday Sunday each week. Managing selection for a club our size is no easy task and a lot depends on knowing what people will be doing the following Saturday. I.e. umpires/transport/social lives cannot be sorted until people know where they’re playing and when.

If you can’t make your squad’s allotted game but could make an earlier/later one, please note this on your spreadsheet using the option from the dropdown. Do not notify other captains and ask to be put on their lists as this causes confusion and adds extra work for those organising.

If you cannot access your squad’s spreadsheet please reach out to your club captain (wappingmcc@gmail.com/wappinglcc@gmail.com)

If anything changes during the week please let your captain and club captain know immediately.

We massively appreciate your help with this.

2. Pay your subs

This is the second backpost reminder to pay your Wapping membership fees. There are commission rates for those on a low income, students and new joiners. If you have any questions about membership fees or are having difficulty in paying then please do contact the treasurer Jules (treasurer.wapping@gmail.com). Conversations between players and Jules will be kept confidential. Link to pay here.

3. Make sure you are registered on GMS

If you haven’t already, this is your absolute last chance to make sure you are registered on GMS otherwise you will not be able to play in games tomorrow. Instructions on how to do so can be found here.

4. Join Wapping whatsapp groups

Make sure you have joined your team’s whatsapp group, if you are not sure who to contact please email wappinglcc@gmail.com to find out more about the women’s side of the club and  wappingmcc@gmail.com to find our more about the men’s teams in the club. Secondly, if you are new to Wapping join the newbies whatsapp group here. The final group to join is this group, which will contain a weekly bulletin of key Wapping information.

5. Get ready for the start of season social

To celebrate the start of the season, there will be a social at The Moretown Belle this Saturday. Wapping has an area reserved from 6pm but head over with your team any time after your match is finished and you’ve also finished supporting other wapping teams. A reminder to let the bar staff know you are part of Wapping every time you order a drink so that you can receive a discount on your drinks and earn some kickback for the club.

6. Sign up for the Ladies (only) Day social

If you are part of the Ladies’ side of the club, this is your last chance to sign up to the Ladies’ day social. Please message your captain if interested in joining us as we head out after our matches next Saturday 30th for a big girls night out sponsored by El Tab!
Apologies if our previous correspondence unclear. This is a ladies only social (men are, of course, welcome to head over to LV to support the ladies 1s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s v 7s throughout the day).

7. Sign up to umpire

If you have an umpiring qualification of any kind, or are interested in becoming an umpire please email our ULO Jane (wappingulo@gmail.com). We can’t play hockey without our great pool of umpires across the club PLUS you can earn £15 (and pay off a couple of pints) for every match you umpire.

8. Volunteer as a Kidds coach

Wapping has a thriving Kidds section and as it grows we are in need of more Kidds coaches and assistants. All are welcome, whatever your level and experience in hockey and coaching. If you are interested in being involved please do get in touch with our Kidds coordinator Miranda (wappingkidds@gmail.com).

9. Follow us on instagram!

Make sure you follow the club on instagram @wappinghc for fun posts and to be kept up to date on what is happening across the club. We’re super close to 2000 followers, so please do follow, like and share as it will widen the reach of the club, improve recruitment and bring about more opportunities for partnerships and sponsorships. Also make sure to follow your team’s instagram and to tag the club in your hockey posts.

10. Get ready for big wins this weekend

Teams across the club are pushing for promotion this season so make sure you get your pre-match night routine sorted (face masks, Grey’s Anatomy, big pasta bake etc.) to help your team get a big win on Saturday. Additionally, please do stick around after your matches this weekend to cheer other teams on in their first games of the season.

Fixtures this week

Lee Valley

• M3 v Hampstead & Westminster 4 @10:00 (pitch 2)

• L4 v Wanderers 5 @10:00 (pitch 1)

• M2 v Brom Becks 2 @11:30 (pitch 2)

• L2 v Hampstead and Westminster 4 @13:00 (pitch 1)

• M4 v West Hampstead 4 @14:30 (pitch 1)

• L3 v East London 2 @17:30 (pitch 2 - away)

John Orwell

• L7 v Wayfarers Wolves @11:10

• M5 v Spencer Titans @12:30

• M8 v Kings & Alleyns 3 @14:00

• M7 v Kings & Alleyns 2 @15:30
  

Away

• M10 v London Royals 3 @11:00

• L6 v Richmond 5 @11:30

• L5 v Tulse Hill & Dulwich 5 @12:30

• M6 v Spencer 6 @13:00

• L1 v Wanderers 1 @13:30

• M1 v Purley Walcountians 1 @14:00

• M9 v Tulse Hill & Dulwich 6 @15:30

A FINAL note from the chair 

The last two weekends have been breathtaking and I want to share a huge thanks to everyone involved in making them a success. The unwavering energy and good vibes that go into organising events like these is something very special, and the absolute dedication of our press team, capturing shot after shot of smiling faces, was the hangover tonic I think we all needed this week.

As a transient London based club we get more new joiners each September than most, so to feel at the end of Club Day that we’re already one big family is nothing short of incredible.

Helping run a club with so many brilliant and lovely people makes me feel v emosh, so a big hug to you all. I really don’t think there’s another club like Wapping.

Now let’s win all the leagues! Rogers x

Grubby meal kits:

Exclusive Wapping Hockey Club Discount

30% off first 4 weeks + Free delivery on first box, Code: WAPPING

Psycle:

Free Psycle session. Code: PSYCLEFORHOCKEY

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

Club Day Club YAY!

If you came down to JO for President’s day last Saturday, that was only a taste of the club vibe you can expect this Saturday as all teams and the wider Wapping family (cute) come together for Club Day.

If you haven’t already and would like to make sure you:

1. Register for the mixed tournament here: https://forms.gle/VvyaWUkSvnoWmYVn6

2. Register for your impact gumshield fitting - if you are still not convinced at this absolute deal, all purchases generate a 15% kickback for the club and the cost can also be covered by many dental insurance plans. Register here: https://app.impactgumshields.com/#/event/:213

Schedule:

• 9:30-11:00 Ladies 2 v East London 2s (LV2)

• 11:00-12:30 Ladies 3 v Wayfarers 3s (LV2)

• 11:00-12:30 Older Kidds’ masterclass with Matt B and the L1s/M1s (LV1)

• 12:30-14:30 Mixed tournament (all abilities welcome - LV 1)

• 14:30-14:50 Mixed tournament final (LV1)

• 15:00-16:30 L1 v City of Peterborough (LV1)

• 16:30-18:00 M1 v Sittingbourne (LV1)

• 19:00 - late Social at Hackney Bridge (18+, food and drinks available to buy and space for kit bags)

Throughout the day:

• Wood fired pizza will be available between 13:00 and 17:00

• There will be free Sharps sports massages from 14:00

Social media:

• Please tag the club insta (@wappinghc) and team instas on stories and posts throughout the day and make sure to use the hashtags #wappinghc, #wapping and #clubday

• Keep an eye out for interactive stories on the Wapping account and make sure to vote in polls on the socials!

• Please let one of the press team know if you don’t want to be captured in any photos or videos on the day (they will be wearing ‘Press team’ stickers on the day)

Ladies’ Day ! - Saturday 30th September

There is a club wide Ladies’ Day and evening social on Saturday 30th September - get it in the diary! All teams but the L2 are playing at home so it would be great to get as many Ladies down at Lee Valley for the whole day to support each other in their matches (listed below). Teams will then join with the L2 in the evening at Brewdog in Waterloo for a great evening of fun (which includes a great deal on drinks!)

• L5 @10:00 (LV2)

• L4 @11:30 (LV1)

• L3 @13:00 (LV1)

• L1 @14:30 (LV1)

• L6/7 @16:00 (LV2)

Balls galore! 

A huge thank you to Swike who have provided us with new training and match balls at JO.

Swike kindly sponsored the Hog Roast over summer and has now put us in great stead for the new season with bags full of new balls. 

Swike is a new app, designed to be a more positive take on social media. It's based around gamification whereby users can choose the type of content they want to see and swipe-to-like their favourite.

Check it out now: Home - Swike

Now to some (only slightly) less fun admin…

Make sure you register/transfer on GMS

It is crucial that this is done before the start of the season to be allowed to play for Wapping. If you have not played a season for Wapping before you will have to register as a new player or transfer from your previous hockey club. Instructions on how to do this can be found here.

Membership fees are due

This is the first Back Post reminder to pay your membership fees for the season. There are concession rates for those on a low income, students and new joiners. If you have any questions about membership fees or are having difficulty in paying then please do contact our treasurer Jules. Conversations between players and Jules will be kept confidential. For more info and to make payment click here.

Fill in your availability

With 10 mens teams and 7 ladies teams to field each week it is really important for club and team captains that they have everyone’s availability for game days across the season with good notice. Your captain should have shared an availability sheet with your team, please make sure you fill this in as soon as possible. Please reach out to your captain or club captain if you are unsure about your squad for access (wappingmcc@gmail.com/wappinglcc@gmail.com).

L1/M1 Beeston tournament

Last weekend the M1 and L1 squads traveled to Nottingham for Beeston HC’s preseason tournament. Saturday saw teams battle one of the hottest days of the year whilst playing three competitive matches each, followed by dinner out in Nottingham. Sunday’s weather was much more bearable and game pace picked up. Both teams faced national league in every match across the weekend and were competitive throughout. The L1 picked some great results including a 1-1 draw to Harleston Magpies (Div 1 south) and the M1 made it to the final of their group.

Grubby meal kits:

Exclusive Wapping Hockey Club Discount

30% off first 4 weeks + Free delivery on first box, Code: WAPPING

Psycle:

Free Psycle session. Code: PSYCLEFORHOCKEY

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

President’s YAY!

With less than two weeks until the season begins, preseason is in full swing with some jam-packed club weekends ahead to launch the start of the hockey year. This backpost has some key info on President’s day and Club day, as well as a note on how to keep up to date with all things Wapping.

President’s day- THIS SATURDAY!

This Saturday from 9:30 until late President’s Day will be taking place at John Orwell. Schedule and info below:

Schedule

• 9:30: Fun Family+Kidds session run by Kiran Dhoot

• 11:00: Older Kidds showcase game

• 12:30: Lunch and launch of Wapping Kidds foundation with special guest founder Tim Poeton all the way from the US

• 13:30: Alumni game - there’s still time to get involved with this so if you fancy a gentle run around in the sun then pop along.

• 16:30: Drinks and social (location still TBC but will be Wapping based). Will update in the Wapping News and updates group once sorted.

Key information

• If you have time and are feeling kind please bring some homemade treats (with no nuts ingredients). There will be a snacks and merchandise stall to help raise funds for the Kidds.

• Pizza for lunch! Orders will be taken at 11am (at the beginning of the Kidds showcase game) so please arrive in time for that if you would like to put your pizza order in 

• Please register for your Impact gumshield fitting here if you would like one (more details below)

Club day - Saturday 16th September

If one day of club wide hockey and fun isn’t enough then do not fear, next weekend on the 16th September Wapping club day is taking place at Lee Valley. This is always a great day to bring everyone together and start the season off with a bang. Again, schedule and information below:

Schedule

• 11:00: Kidds Masterclass (with head coach Matt Bowen) (pitch 1)

• 12:30: Mixed tournament (pitch 2)

• 14:30: Mixed tournament final (pitch 1)

• 15:00: L1 v City of Peterborough (pitch 1)

• 16:45: M1 v Sittingbourne (pitch 1)

• 19:00: Club social @ Hackney Bridge

Key information

• Scrumptious wood fired pizza will be available to purchase on the day (from 13:00-17:00)

• Sports massages will be available throughout the day from @sharp_movement_massage

• Impact gumshields will again be offering their services, book your slot for the 16th here

Impact Gumshields fittings

If you are in need of a new gumshield for the season then this is a great deal for you from our official gumshield partner, Impact Gumshields. By ordering a gumshield through Wapping, Impact Gumshields will offer you:

• A free digital scan on either President’s Day or Club Day

• 25% off your second gumshield (if you want a spare)

• A free case with your gumshield

• Free delivery of your gumshield to Wapping

• Please register if you would like one of these gumshields on the relevant date below:

• Saturday 9th September at JO (President’s Day)

• Saturday 16th September at Lee Valley (Club Day)

Smithy’s Sponsored Silence: 23rd September

For those of you who have had the pleasure of meeting Jordan ‘Smithy’ Smith, you will know he is incredibly talkative. However, on 23rd September, during his first match of the season and the subsequent club wide social, Smithy has pledged his silence!

He is raising money for MIND charity and to raise awareness around mental health ahead of World Mental Health Day at the start of October. Please donate if you can.

FIXTURES

This weekend’s pre-season fixtures can be found on our Instagram account here.

News chat

If you are reading this backpost thinking ‘I’ve read this all before’ - then great news it’s probably because you are in the News and Updates Whatsapp group. If this information is all new to you then you probably need to join the group where a weekly bulletin will be shared each week.

Please join this whatsapp chat through this link: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GHJWgVJeiSH0jJUOWQ6l5n

Additionally, if there is anything you would like included in this weekly bulletin please email wappingchair@gmail.com.

Grubby meal kits:

Exclusive Wapping Hockey Club Discount

30% off first 4 weeks + Free delivery on first box, Code: WAPPING

Psycle:

Free Psycle session. Code: PSYCLEFORHOCKEY

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

And… we’re back!

Happy Sunday, Wappers!

With President’s Day, Club Day and start of season rapidly approaching here’s all the info you need to know, along with the summer news from across the club. N.B. This is a long edition but worth a full read.

Things you need to do:

• Sign up to the Wapping HC news and updates WhatsApp group (more on this below)

• Register for President’s Day (more on this below)

• Register for the Club Day mixed tournament (more on this below)

• Register on GMS if you didn’t sign up last year.

• Go to training. With lots of new people joining, and to ensure you’re playing in the right team, it’s important to attend pre-season. If you can’t make it for any reason please let the Club Captains know (wappinglcc@gmail.com/ mcc.whc@gmail.com). New training times are below.

• Plan how to pay your membership fees 

• Join Wapping on Easyfundraising to raise funds for the club as you shop online

Important updates

Comms and admin

There’s been a lot of thinking around ways to reduce the admin burden on the committee, provide greater transparency and have more effective comms, so…

Wapping now has an uber spreadsheet which links lots of separate ones, auto-populating as much shared info as possible, to help us manage everything including fixtures, umpires, selection and availability, volunteers, Kidds and kit.

We’ve also set up three new club WhatsApp groups for you to join 

• Wapping HC news and updates (highly recommended that all members join). To reduce work for captains and ensure important info doesn’t get lost in team chats, we've created a new group for all members. Here we'll share a concise weekly bulletin containing all the club updates that you need to know. JOIN NOW 

• On the fly socials (optional). Heading out for more fun post teas? Planning a trip to TopGolf? Let other Wappers know your plans so they can join too. Only group admins (team social secs) will have access to post. Bridging the gap between locations and teams. No chit chat. Invite link

• Ad hoc helpers (optional). Would like to help out but can't commit to a committee role? Great. This chat is for you. Whenever the WHC committee need some extra support we pop a message in this group asking for help. Invite link

Costs and membership fee

We’re facing increased prices across the board this season which has put a lot of pressure on the Exec to ‘get it right’ but Jules, our Treasurer, has spent the summer reviewing, forecasting, and budgeting.

Thanks to a successful CAWHL, some positive recruitment, and fabulous work from our Sponsorship Sec, Irini, we are thrilled to let you know that membership costs have been frozen for yet another season however we will be carefully tracking and reviewing costs throughout the year to inform whether we can do the same again. That said, we need to ask for membership earlier this year so we can best manage what we do have, so the payment in instalments option will now be taken over 3 months rather than 4. Deadline for the first payment is 30th September.

Match fees are still being reviewed and we hope to have an update for your shortly. For those who don’t know, membership fees typically cover all our training costs (pitches, coaching etc) and match fees cover match day costs (pitches, teas).

Training and coaching

Our fabulous new Head Coach, Matt Bowen, has spent the summer making plans to improve coach development and we’re increasing the opportunities to get started in coaching, so if you’re interested in getting involved please drop our VCP, Lizzie, a message (wappingvcp@gmail.com).

Lizzie has also wrangled our coaching slots to ensure players have more access to training without increasing the number of slots we need - no small feat. If you’re a player who would like to train more/be considered to play higher please let your Club Captain know.

We were short a couple of coaches for the upcoming season so the L1 and M1 have volunteered to cover the gaps which is absolutely fab, especially since the club lacked female coaches over recent years. They’ll also be supporting the older Kidds sessions on a Friday which will be great for our young players.

Squads and selection

As worked well with the ladies side last season, selection and availability for everyone will now be managed by the uber spreadsheet to cut down on the admin the captains and committee have to do.

For those who don’t know, we’ve replaced our MX with our brand new boys development team, so our MCCs, Chris and Craig, along with the coaches and captains have been working hard to reshape the men’s squads. If you have any questions re squads/selection please reach out to them directly (mcc.whc@gmail.com). 

Our LCCs, Benji and Issy, have approached captains and coaches re potential moves and new joiners, and the ladies’ pre-season is shaping up nicely.

Please note that no squad is final at this point, so, if you’d like to be considered for a higher team, train hard and let your club captains know.

Fixtures

All fixtures info is being diligently added to the uber spreadsheet by our Fixtures Secs, Pete and Eleanor. As soon as fixtures information is available it will be pulled through to individual team spreadsheets. If you think any info is incorrect, or have any updates, please let them know (wappingfixtures@gmail.com)

We want to take a moment to say a HUGE thanks to Solley, our outgoing fixtures sec, who has done the role impeccably for many years. Solley, you really were the fixtures queen and we literally wouldn’t have been able to play without you.

President’s Day schedule (@ JO) 

Please ensure you register here. An opportunity to come together with Wappers past and present to celebrate how far the club has come. Details of the day below.

• 9:30 - 11:00: Kidds + family + friends session. All ages welcome but under 3s may struggle with the hockey. We'll start with some fun drills and then play some mini games. No previous hockey experience necessary. 

• 11:00 - 12:30: Older Kidds (U14-U18) showcase game. An opportunity to enjoy a game played by our most promising youngsters alongside some seasoned pros.

• 12:30 - 13:30: Lunch and official launch of the Kidds Foundation. Wood fired pizza delivery (not free unfortunately but we’ll be taking orders and payment between 11 and 12 and dishing them out upon arrival)

• 13:30 onwards: Alumni + current members mixed tournament. An opportunity for current and past Wappers to play together. The more the merrier! Please register using the form if you haven’t already and ensure you invite all your old pals. 

• 16:30 (TBC): Wapping based social

We’ll be running a kit and refreshments stall throughout the day and it would be incredible to have some homemade cakes/snacks on sale, so if you like to bake please do bring some along to help us raise funds for Kidds.

Club Day schedule (@ Lee Valley) 

Our smashing annual Club Day for all Wappers current and new. Stay around all day to make the most of what’ll be a cracker.

• 11:00 - 12:30: Older Kidds’ (U14-U18) masterclass (LV1). With Head Coach, Matt Bowen, and the ladies' and men's 1s

• 12:30-14:30: Mixed tournament (LV2). Make sure you register for this using this link

• 14:30-15:00: Lunch + Mixed tournament final (LV1). Lunch options TBC. Drinks and snacks available throughout the day.

• 15:00-16:30: L1 showcase game (LV1)

• 16:30-18:00: M1 showcase game (LV1)

• 18:30: PARTY - We’ll be moving en masse over to Hackney Bridge to continue the fun. Expect international street food, great drinks and a cracking night. Space for kit bags so no need to drop them home first.

Umpiring 

Following our in-person umpire course at LV, summer league saw two L1 assessments and some promising first games for our new umpires. We have reinstated our Umpire Development Officers so there’s heaps of opportunity to try umpiring and receive support from seasoned pros (and all round lovely chaps) Dan, James and Phil. A reminder that there are weekly online Level 1 courses open to all so get in touch with the lads if you’d like to know more (wappingudo@gmail.com).

We’d also like to say a big thanks to last year’s ULO, Josh, who did a cracking job and Jane who has very kindly agreed to stay on. One of two ULO positions remains open this season so if you’re interested in helping out with some adminstration, let Jane know! (wappingulo@gmail.com)

Kit

Our fantastic Kit Sec, Rob, along with helpers including Corrie, Smithy, Issy, Irini and Dad Rogers have revamped the JO storeroom. Clearing, sorting, removing and cleaning, before building a giant fitted shelving rack to ensure everything now has a home.

There will soon be a QR code accessible Google form to manage our kit borrowing system so we know where everything is if we need it.

We’ll also be allocating teams with specific kit that they will need to look after this season. With tighter reins on our finances it’s imperative that we look after the kit we have, so if you lose something, your team will need to finance it’s replacement at the end of the year. 

And finally it’s worth adding that if you’re in need of new Wapping socks you can buy them from our shop here.

SUMMER NEWS

Recruitment

Following last season’s struggles, especially on the men’s side of the club, there’s been a huge push over the summer to recruit. A big shout out to everyone who’s been plugging Wapping all over town the world (Jenna literally recruiting from Australia), the summer leaguers who have been picking players up left right and centre, our fabulous Recruitment Sec, Katie, and the Club Captains for managing it all.

That said, we’re still short a few ladies keepers, so if you know anyone who might like to play, or give keeping a go, please reach out to the club captains/Smithy and get them involved (wappinglcc@gmail.com/ mcc.whc@gmail.com).

Re. newbies, please ensure all new joiners are invited to all the WhatsApp chats, training sessions, pub trips etc. Being new isn’t easy so let’s make sure it’s Wapping welcomes all round.

Kidds

Kidds celebrated another awesome year with their end of season awards ceremony. The talent which is coming up through the teams really is something to be very proud of. Over the summer there’s also been another year of successful summer camps and the formation of a larger operating committee to help the rapidly expanding group. A huge thanks to Tim, Sandy, all the coaches, team managers and helpers who without which Kidds wouldn’t happen. If you’d like to get involved helping or coaching Kidds this season, please reach out to our new Youth Coordinator, Miranda (wappingkidds@gmail.com).

Back2Hockey

Wapping ran another incredibly successful Back2Hockey programme this summer, So successful in fact that we will now be offering free Back2Hockey sessions all year round. This is a big step forward for us in relation to goals around inclusion and community so I want to formally thank our Head coach, Kiran, who has been utterly fantastic. If you’d like to get involved helping coach those sessions (Tues 8:30 @ JO) please let Lizzie know (wappingvcp@gmail.com)

Summer leagues

We have received SO MUCH feedback on how successful and enjoyable this year’s summer leagues have been (incl. CAWHL, Redbridge and LV), with many reports that the CAWHL EOSD was the best yet. A massive thanks especially to Budgen, Benji, Issy, Smithy, Jules, the many helpers, the captains, and our hero umpires that made it all happen. 

But more importantly, we’ve had some fabulous results!

CAWHL:

Big congrats to our winners, Accenture who beat Bull Design Studio 4-2 in the cup final, Eversheds Sutherland for their victory in the plate final on sudden death strokes against Linklaters, and the Privateers who fought off Heinz 3-1 to take home the bowl. Some stats:

Men’s and ladies’ leagues:

Some excellent results for our men:

• M1-3 won the league! (Played 8, won 7, drew 1)

• M3-6 ended up mid table. (Played 8, won 3, drew 2, lost 3)

• M7-10 came 2nd! (Played 8, won 4, drew 3, lost 1)

• And our brand new dev team had some incredibly promising first games as a squad including a fabulous final 3-1 win! 

And more for our ladies:

• L1-2 LV Elite (Played 5, won 2, drew 1, lost 2)

• L3-4 Gap league (Played 9, won 7, lost 2)

• L5-7 Redbridge league winners! (Played 10, won 9, lost 1)

Wapping strong girls club

Thanks to the amazing Jenna, summer saw the formation of the Wapping Strong Girls Club. A WhatsApp managed group for all Wapping ladies where they organise fitness based socials and share related posts and encouragement. With en masse sessions at Hybrid and Metabolic, group runs, and banging good vibes, the ladies side of the club start pre-season fitter than ever.

Pride Cup

Earlier in the summer a few Wapping teams enjoyed playing at the fabulous Pride cup, The Royal’s annual celebratory mixed tournament. It had incredible fancy dress, heaps of sun, loads of hockey and a cracking social and Wapping managed to finish 2nd and 3rd overall.

Welfare team

Just a quick note to let you know we’re expanding our welfare team at Wapping to offer further wellbeing support to all our members. More info coming shortly.

Final note FROM CHAIR

I said this at EOSD but everyone was likely having too much of a lovely time to remember so I just want to say a huge thanks again to my Co-Chair last season, Saq, and all the outgoing Exec and Committee members. It was one of the toughest in the 16 years I’ve been at the club and your constant support and good vibes really carried us through. You lot are the beating heart of Wapping and the club wouldn’t have run without you. 

See you all pitchside very soon!

Training times

Grubby meal kits:

Exclusive Wapping Hockey Club Discount

30% off first 4 weeks + Free delivery on first box, Code: WAPPING

Psycle:

Free Psycle session. Code: PSYCLEFORHOCKEY

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

And that’s that!

After almost 7 months the 2022/3 hockey season has come to an end. The weekend saw some dramatic matches including a huge win for the L3 to avoid relegation and an agonising 0-0 draw resulting in the L1 losing out on promotion by just 1 goal. However, there is still the EOSD and summer leagues to look forward to and Wapping players to cheer on in the London Marathon on Sunday 23rd April.

LAST CHANCE for EOSD

The last chance to buy tickets for the end of season dinner on 22nd April is tomorrow so make sure you don’t miss out and buy your tickets here.

Summer league sign up

Wapping Hockey Club runs London's biggest corporate summer league, the City and Wharf Hockey League, which is back for 2023! It starts from the last week of April and runs to August, including hog roast/6-a-side tournament and black tie EOSD.

There is plans for a "Thank You NHS" team, offering for NHS workers to play free of charge. If you are interested in playing, please join via this link.

To sign-up to play for one of the Wapping teams, please fill out this form.

London Marathon

This year multiple Wapping players are taking on the London Marathon on Sunday 23rd April for various important causes, very impressive straight after a long hockey season. Please do come along and cheer on club mates, I’m sure the event will be a great EOSD hangover cure. It would be great if you could take the time to read their stories and donate to their chosen causes if you would like.

Cerys Jenkins-Lowe (L2)

Cerys is running the marathon for Alzheimer's Research UK following the death of her Grandma last year who battle with Alzheimer’s for five years. Alzheimer’s Research is the UK’s leading dementia research charity working to research causes, diagnosis, treatment and cure.

Cerys’ Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cerysjenkinslowe

Ben Bull (M1)

Ben is running the marathon for Khandel Light who work to improve the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged families in Khandel, India. Money raised will go towards work including improving water and sanitation, empowering women in the area and improving infrastructure.

Ben’s Just Giving page: https://fundraising.khandel-light.co.uk/fundraising/LDN-marathon-2023

Ali Jordan (M2)

Ali is running for Spinal Research, supporting the work of Rob Shelton who, after living with a spinal injury for over 20 years, is raising awareness and money to support those living with Spinal injuries. Spinal Research is the UK’s leading charity funding research to develop effective treatments for spinal cord injury.

Ali’s Just Giving page: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/ali-jordan1

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES

See it off

As the season comes to an end this weekend, there are still big relegation fights happening with all to play for as well as a shot at promotion for the L1. There’s details about pizza and support for the M1 on Sunday, your last chance to sign up for the EOSD and the social media teams of the year are announced!

Note from the Co-Chairs

Our End of Season Awards are just around the corner so make sure you get your votes in via your captain by Sunday so we can recognise all the amazing people at the club (captains should have received an email from our Secretary, Issy, so give them a nudge if you haven’t been asked for your votes yet).

M1 support on Sunday

The M1's season has come down to one massive game this Sunday. It would be great to provide some sideline vibes to help them keep their very deserved spot in the National League. I know you all probably have a big Saturday night planned, but this is one of the biggest games in recent Wapping history! So please try and encourage as many of your team down.

As a reward for all those who come down we will be running a raffle sponsored by the Mens 1s to win 2 bottles of wine for your table at the end of season! We have also been given the all clear by Lee Valley to order pizzas in entice you into spectating even more.

Game is 2:00pm at LV1

Team social media winners

As the season ends the press team are also happy to announce the winners of team takeovers and overall social media winners for the second half of the season. These points will go towards Team of the Year, the winner of which will be announced at the End of Season Dinner.

• Best ladies’ takeover: L3

• Best mens’ takeover: M9

• Best second half of the season socials: L1

Kidds round up and need for summer coaches

Throughout the year we have been giving updates on the Kidds section who have grown in numbers and has some fantastic results over the season. It's been great to see participation of both boys and girls at all age groups. The U10 boys in particular deserve a shout out as they have been excellent and genuinely competitive at the top level.  

The Kidds section also want to give a huge thanks to volunteers - we've had 35 adult coaches, 15 junior coaches, 7 parent managers, 5 people help at the desk and numerous parents who have driven people all over the place.  

Wapping Kidds is delighted to run summer hockey camps at John Orwell again this summer.  To make it work, lead and assistant coaches are needed. The camps will run for 2h, twice a week in the morning, every week during the summer holidays, beginning the week of 24 July 2023. The coaching roles are paid, and all admin will be done separately.  

This would suit students, or full-time coaches.  Lead coaches must have coaching qualifications and all coaches will need DBS checks. The camps are fun and engaging, with a focus on games.  Coaches have licence to develop the camps as they desire.  The kids absolutely loved them last year. If you are interested, or know someone who might be, please drop us a line at wappingkidds@gmail.com

L1/M1 Fundraiser

Thank you to everyone who attended the L1/M1 fundraiser at the end of February. As well as the L5 proving they were the smartest team in the club, the event raised £2,200 towards the club so thank you everyone who attended and brought tickets. Please do get in touch by replying to this email or contacting Dan Verity if you have not yet received your prize.

EOSD tickets

A final reminder to buy tickets for the EOSD if you haven’t already which takes place on the 22nd April. The deadline to buy tickets is the 7th April so make sure you don’t miss out. Tickets can be bought on the website here.

Umpiring congrats: James Holmes!

Congratulations to James Holmes who has passed his L2 umpiring qualification. He umpired Richmond W1 in their 2-1 win over Eastcote.

Win a stick! 

It would be great if people could fill out this form to win, and increase the club’s chance of winning 1 of 3 JDH Hockey Sticks signed by Jamie Dwyer (1 of the 3 will be sent at random to winning clubs). It’s a quick form and if sticks are won they can be used as awards or to raise money for the club. 

Fixtures this week

Lee Valley

10:00 - L3 v East London 3 (pitch 2)
11:30 - L4 v Spencer 5 (pitch 2)
13:00 - L1 v Wayfarers 2 (pitch 1)
14:30 - M2 v West Herts 1 (pitch 1)
16:00 - M5 v West Hampstead 4 (pitch 2)

John Orwell

11:10 - M9 v East London 8
12:30 - M7 v Spencer Titans
14:00 - L6 v London Gamblers 2

Away

10:00 - L2 v Wimbledon 3
10:30 - M3 v Wanderers 1
10:30 - L5 v London Edwardians 3
10:30 - M6 v Wanderers 3
12:00 - M8 v Wanderers 8
15:30 - M4 v Southgate 3
16:30 - M10 v London Wayfarers

Sunday @ Lee Valley

14:00 - M1 v Spencer 1 (pitch 1)

Dragon Hockey Discount Codes

Must use THIS LINK and the following codes to receive discounts!

Sticks: 20% off with code WAPPING20
Bags & Accessories: 20% off with code 20CLUBBAGS
Clothing: 10% off with code 10CLUBCLOTHES