Southgate Men 1s vs Old Georgians Men (H)
Southgate Hockey Centre
18:00 PB
Southgate will host last years league runners up Old Georgians on home soil on Saturday evening. Through a quirk in the EH 3 stage league structure in 3 seasons in the Premier Division and now in our 4th, we have yet to play host to one of the big name club sides in European hockey at home.
Yet that will all change come 6pm on Saturday as we look forward to welcoming Ashley Jackson and his team of international players to the Gate; from new signings Henry Croft to GB goal keeper James Mazerelo and Spanish firecracker Pablo Usoz. The roster for the OG’s squad is akin to reading a who’s who of hockey over the last 10 years from former Southgate skipper Dan Shingles, current England skippers James Albery, David Ames and Sam Ward to recently retired Scottish international and goal machine Alan Forsyth …and so the list goes on.
With Southgate’s own first game abandoned in the face of torrential rain up in the North West last Saturday – coach Huw Stevens and his Southgate players face an exciting if daunting challenge to match the Old Georgian machine- a machine built for European success. The last 3 encounters have all been played at St George’s College and ended in 3 defeats for Southgate- although there are fond memories of the 6-5 game on the 2nd March 2024 which at 4-5 to the boys in Red and Black with 68 minutes on the clock, saw a Tom Carson brace scored in the last 2 minutes to clinch victory for OG’s from the jaws of a real league upset and denying the ‘Gate a truly famous victory. What a game that was.
18 months later and The Old Georgians arrive in Trent Park confident from a 5-0 take down last weekend of Henry Croft’s former club Beeston, who rubbed salt into the wound of his departure with his debut goal for his new club in the 26th minute from a penalty corner. Sam Ward meanwhile continues to struggle to convert whilst on England duty yet can’t stop scoring in the Premier Division netting a hat-trick of flicks from top D. With 4/5 goals scored from corners- Erdal Demir new between the Southgate sticks and his PCD unit including runners Robbie Gill and Charles Hamilton will be requiring all their skill and courage to keep the OG threat at bay.
One thing the last 3 meetings of these two teams has not been short of is goals- and come what may the Southgate home crowd should be not short of things to cheer come Saturday as we finally welcome Old Georgians in what is sure to be a memorable game played under the lights. Don’t miss it.