Be Prepared!
This Back Post contains an update on socks, the Xmas social, Movember progress, and how to raise funds for the club over Black Friday.
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.
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
This Back Post contains a sad update on a much loved former member, info on our NEXT social, Women in Officiating, Movember, this week’s fixtures and last week’s results.
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
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
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.
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:
Make sure you’ve paid your £2 entry through your team social secs
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
Win your game - start the good vibes early
Hydrate and eat post game - don’t be the fool who skips this step and doesn’t make it past 6pm
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 👀
Get some spooky tunes on - personal faves include Disturbia (Rihanna), She Wolf (Shakira) and I’m in love with a monster (Fifth Harmony)
Snap some content - make sure your team Instagram is popping off throughout the night, remember to tag @wappinghc in posts and stories
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.
Get the details right - 7:30pm, The Castle
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)
This Back Post contains a sign up for slip week’s social hockey, info on TOTY, reel of the season, women in officiating and a L1 match report
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/
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
This Back Post contains a shout out for umpires, sign up for slip week’s social hockey, and info on how you could save a life.
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…
This Back Post provides some details about Halloween (spooky) and some exciting updates on new sponsors, partners and fundraising opportunities.
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
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 Lump month and upcoming socials.
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
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
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)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
This Back Post has updates on the Ladies day/night this weekend, a final reminder about subs payment, and an intro to Lump month.
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
The season starts TOMORROW. Make sure you’re ready!
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.
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!
Club day this weekend!
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:
Register for the mixed tournament here: https://forms.gle/VvyaWUkSvnoWmYVn6
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!
Wapping have a jammed packed weekend ahead!
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:
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!
This edition of The Back Post contains ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO KNOW on President’s Day, Club Day and start of season so make sure you give it a read!
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.
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!
LAST CHANCE TO BUY YOUR EOSD TICKET IS TOMORROW!
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
This week’s Back Post contains a shout out for Award nominations, 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!
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
Hanging in there
This week’s Back Post contains more updates from the Kidds, a shout out for sponsors, information for women thinking about umpiring and some reminders on things to do.
Last weekend saw some good wins for the L1 (4-1 v Chiswick), the M6 (2-1 v Brom Becks) and also for the Kidds with the U12 girls and boys both winning 3 of their matches at the weekend (report below). With leagues coming to a close there are lots of important points to fight for this weekend across the club, please do try and stay to watch the team after you or come earlier before your match to support and be that all important 12th man. As we look ahead there are also some important reminders about EOSD and summer leagues as well as notes on the Women in officiating network, sponsorship and England Hockey Equality, Diversity and Inclusion survey.
Note from the Co-Chairs
As the end of season looms we just want to say a huge thanks to all the players and organisers hanging in there. It’s been a tough year results wise but the support and camaraderie across the club has been nothing short of inspiring. Let’s make the most of our remaining games before doing what we do best: P.A.R.T.Y. Undoubtedly there’ll be team socials left, right and centre - Smithy attending them all - and a cracking End of Season Dinner to wrap it all up, so let’s see the season out in style.
Sponsorship/Partnerships
Looking ahead to next season we’re facing increased running costs so have formed a new sponsorship team to help keep fees low and provide great deals for our members. If your employer has a corporate social responsibility budget that aligns with what we do (Back2Hockey, Kidds, Mental/Physical Health, Sport in Tower Hamlets etc) or know a business who might be interested in sponsoring a team/event please do let us know. Additionally, if there’s a business who provides a product/service that’s of interest to our players (performance/social focused) then let us know so we can reach out to see if we can partner for great deals.
Wapping Kidds weekend review
Last weekend U8, U12s and the U14 girls teams all in action across London.
The U8 squad, coached by lead coach Raj and junior coach Akash, produced an impressive performance and showed huge improvements from their pre-Christmas tournament. The day included lots of goals scored, amazing skills on show, 2 very happy coaches and lots of grinning U8s.
Next the U14 girls were away at Honor Oak. Featuring the ever present 10 year old Leo W, the 7 outfield players won 2, drew 1 and lost 1 against very strong opposition. 3 of their number play in the ladies' sides and the experience they have gained really showed, coach Liv Shears was particularly impressed with the structure and their fearlessness facing short corners with no goal keeper.
Both U12 teams were in the London Plate competition. The U12 girls, away at Blackheath, played 5 matches in the pool, losing the first 2 but getting stronger through the competition to win 2 and draw one, putting them in the playoff for 5/6th place. Losing eventually to a very tall (!) Wayfarers team, the girls came away satisfied that they had put their best into the tournament. Two very happy coaches, Alan D and Sandra A, are confident that this team, most of whom are still U11, have a good base to build on next season.
Finally the U12 boys trekked to Battersea Park for their Plate competition. They were strong from the start, comfortably beating all 5 teams in their group to make the playoff. A very competitive final, for a place in the England Hockey Plate finals ensued, with Wapping conceding a goal in the dying minutes. Coach Grant A notes "Been a while since I’ve coached that group and the talent we have there is very exciting!"
A huge thanks to all who traveled, and particularly to the team managers and umpires Alan D and Alex L who came to Blackheath and Battersea and made everything flow.
Summer leagues 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.
To sign-up to play for one of the Wapping teams, please fill out this form.
Corporate teams frequently need players to fill last-minute holes, and we will be running a ringers' list again. Sign-up for that on the form, and join the WhatsApp group (we promise to keep it focused!) here.
Additionally, If you/your company are thinking about entering a team please email cityandwharfhockeyleague@gmail.com.
Women in Hockey Officiation Network
The Women in Hockey Officiation Network is a pioneering initiative for women in hockey who officiate, whatever level to feel supported as part of a community.
The first event was held on Monday and brought together umpires of all levels across the London network. The session was great and revealed some shocking statistics on how the number of female umpires decreases significantly as you move through the leagues to national league. Unfortunately, some of this decline is due to abuse given to umpires.
The network was shown various hockey incidents including players throwing sticks and reacting to umpiring decisions as well side-line commentary/abuse. In small groups we debated how we would deal with the situation. These responses were shared with the group and we had feedback from international umpires and umpire coaches and assessors on how they would respond or defuse the situation. The most important part I took away from the session was the escalation process and the responsibilities of the captain.
If you would like to sign up to be part of the network click here.
Please remember that we need umpires to play hockey each week. Recently there have been a number of London clubs cited for umpire abuse or misconduct and umpires are being asked to report anything of concern. We are all responsible for treating umpires with respect. We all need to encourage new people into officiating as well as supporting our umpires to progress and achieve their qualifications. We are currently working on a program to increase and support our fabulous umpires, if you would like to find out more please contact Josh Dawson, our ULO.
End of Season Dinner
There are just two weeks left to buy tickets for the EOSD, taking 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.
If being the team with the biggest turn out is the competitive nudge you need to buy a ticket then have a look at the graph below to see which teams are currently lagging behind!
Fixtures this week
Lee Valley
10:00 - L5 v Tulse Hill and Dulwich 4 (pitch 1)
11:30 - M3 v Surbiton 3 (pitch 2)
13:00 - M4 v Richmond 2 (pitch 1)
14:30 - L2 v Surbiton 3 (pitch 1)
John Orwell
11:10 - M8 v East London 5
14:00 - M10 v London Royals 2
15:30 - M6 v Tulse Hill & Dulwich 3
Away
10:30 - L4 v Winchmore Hill & Enfield 1
11:30 - L3 v Ashford 1
12:30 - M7 v Wanderers 5
13:00 - M9 v London Royals 3
13:30 - L1 v Wanderers 1
13:30 - M5 v West Herts 2
13:40 - M2 v West Hampstead 1
15:30 - L6 v Tulse Hill and Dulwich 5
Sunday 19th
14:00 - M1 v Indian Gymkhana
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
Small and mighty
This week’s Back Post contains some excellent updates from the Kidds, a shout out for the M1, a match report for the M10 and a plug for next year’s committee.
Last weekend saw a massive 8-0 win for the L4, a 2-1 win for the M10 (match report below) and huge wins for the L1 against top of the league Teddington (1-0) and the M1 against relegation rivals Oxford (3-2). On Sunday there were also some great wins for the Kidds (match reports below) and a 3-0 win for the Pirates against East London. This weekend there are lots of matches including six at Lee Valley on Saturday and a big home match again at Lee Valley for the M1 on Sunday.
M1 v Richmond this Sunday
The sideline support across the club has been fantastic over recent weeks. This weekend the M1 are playing Richmond 1 in their battle to stay in East Conference. The M1 got a great 3-2 win against Oxford University last week who are also fighting regulation. They are playing at 1pm at Lee Valley on Sunday so it would be great to get a big Wapping crowd out to support the boys and hopefully cheer them on to another crucial 3 points!
Wapping Kidds
U10 Boys
The U10 Boys were entered in the London In2hockey Cup, as part of the national In2hockey championship, against local rivals Blackheath, as well as teams from Surbiton, Wayfarers, THD, Brom Becks and Spencer.
The boys were very strong, dominating the first 3 matches with excellent individual skill and defending high up the pitch to quash the attacking options from Spencer, Brom Becks and THD. Against Wayfarers, Wapping again dominated, winning penalty corner after penalty corner, but a breakaway goal from Wayfarers was the decider. Similarly against BEHC and Surbiton, Wapping earned plenty of penalty corners, but failed to convert, and ultimately lost both 1-0.
Player of the tournament was Edward Crocker, who was outstanding in controlling the centre of the pitch and also his creativity in front of goal. A special mention goes to 8 year old Arthur Smith Kershaw who made some cracking saves.
U10 Girls
The U10 Girls were entered into the London Plate competition. Losing the first game with a slow start against eventual competition winners Surbiton, they came back very strongly, beating all other opponents (BEHC, East London, Old Cranleighans and THD) scoring 12 goals in the process. The only goal conceded was in the first match.
Wapping ended the tournament in joint 3rd place. A special mention to the Old Crans rainbow pony mascot, the girls now have ideas too, feedback was we need mini wapping shirts for whatever they have planned!
U14 Boys
This weekend the U14 Boys faced Honor Oak at John Orwell. A strong performance by all the boys left Honor Oak rueing the absence of their GK, 11 outfield players were run ragged by halftime. In the spirit of fair play Wapping's GK Nico Newell very sportingly offered to swap teams, and was immediately put under enormous pressure. Despite a cracking second half performance from him, Wapping ran out 11-0 winners.
Amongst many fabulous performances from a very strong group of boys, James Wright was player of the match, controlling the game like a pro. To quote his coach, he was "unreal".
A huge thank you to coaches Tim Wright and David Van Stolk, umpires Sandra Akinbolu, Iain McAuslan, Amy Winkelgrund and Alan Donji.
This weekend sees the turn of the U8s, both U12 teams and the U14 Girls. We wish them well, and look forward to some similarly stunning performances!!
Volunteering
With the success of the Wapping Kidds over the last few weeks, we really want to make sure we give the players of the future the best possible support. Our volunteer coaches are fantastic, the results prove that, but we are stretched. We are growing rapidly, and run through the summer term, so need coaches, and in particular assistant coaches, to help on a Friday evening and Saturday morning.
If you think you can help, we would love to have you. You do not need coaching qualifications or any coaching experience. All you need is enthusiasm for the game, an ability to enjoy both random questions and seeing the immediate impact of your support, and a bit of time. All sessions are led by experienced coaches, and all kit is provided.
Whether you would like to come and lead a shooting master class, or join in a game of Bulldog or Foxes and Chickens, please drop us a line at wappingkidds@gmail.com.
Committee positions next year
As it’s nearly the end of the season (boo), election time for captains and committee roles is fast approaching. Next season may seem far away, but to get ahead with pre-season means to think about these positions for next year.
Look out on Wapping social media for more detail about committee positions but in the meantime please do have a look at https://www.wappinghockey.club/exec-and-committee-responsibilities for some inspiration. Please get in touch with a committee member or your captain if you would like to get involved with a particular role next season.
M10 2 - 1 Tulse Hill
The Wapping 10s faced an uphill struggle this weekend after a loss to their league counterparts, the Wapping Mens 9s 4-1. With 10s goalkeeper Shawn Molver and Captain Karndeep Sidhu out due to injury, goalkeeper Graham and defender Rishan had to fill in last minute.
The first 3 minutes of the match saw 11 outfield players for Wapping as goalkeeper Graham was unable to be ready in time for push back. This gave TH&D early chances to land the first goal but they were unable to capitalise on this
With a Wapping goalkeeper now on the field, Wapping went on the offensive. The first goal, coming from a penalty corner, saw Douglas Shipton injecting into the D, all for Alex Jacko to be given enough time and space to perform a scoop shot which landed in the net.
The second goal came from Emiel Occidental pressuring the TH&D defender into playing the ball out in their own half. A mistake allowed Alan Dorji to aerial the ball into the D. After a few passes, unmarked Patrick O’Malley found himself with the ball at the top of the D and was able to double Wapping’s league.
Wapping continued to attack in the second half. Drama came from Emiel almost scoring an own goal. To his relief a back stick foul was called, disallowing the goal. Moments later, TH&D grabbed a goal through a counter attack with many Wapping attackers committed up front. This saw a 2 vs 1 with the keeper, all to be passed around Graham and into an empty net. 2-1!
In the final 15 minutes. TH&D went on the ultra offensive looking for the equaliser, while Wapping had to stay resolute in their defending. This saw all players defending in and outside the D. Which also saw Graham being green carded and sent off for 2 minutes, a heart in mouth situation! With countless foot fouls and decisions going to the away side. Wapping managed to weather the storm and came out on top with a close 2-1 win. Queue the Maroon celebrations!
Fixtures this week
Lee Valley
10:00 - M4 v East London 2 (pitch 1)
10:00 - L5 v London Edwardians 4 (pitch 2)
11:30 - L1 v PHC Chiswick 1 (pitch 1)
13:00 - L3 v Southgate 3 (pitch 1)
14:30 - M5 v PHC Chiswick 2 (pitch 1)
16:00 - M2 v Southgate 2
John Orwell
11:10 - L6 v London Wayfarers Foxes
12:30 - L7 v Tulse Hill & Dulwich 6
14:00 - M9 v HAC Sutlers
15:30 = M7 v Tulse Hill & Dulwich 4
Away
10:30 - L4 v Southgate 4
13:45 - M6 v Bromley & Beckenham Cardinals
15:00 - L2 v Wayfarers 2
16:00 - M3 v Wayfarers 2
Sunday 19th
13:00 - M1 v Richmond (LV1)
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
Wonderful Wapping Women
This week’s Back Post contains a reflection for IWD from our VCP, Lizzie, some reminders on things to come and this week’s upcoming fixtures.
Last weekend saw some hard fought wins on the ladies side for the L5 (3-2), the L7 (4-3) and the L4 (2-1) as well as an important 1-1 draw for the L3. The M9 also came out on top against the M10 (4-1). As the end of the season comes nearer there are some big matches this weekend across the club including a derby for the M2 against East London 1 and a big match for the M1 against Oxford University on Sunday.
International Women's Day - a reflection from Vice Chair of Performance, Lizzie Salmon
As it was International Women’s day this week, it’s a good time to reflect how far we have come and how far we want to go - both in our club and in our sport.
It is pretty cool to be part of a sport that sees a fairly even gender split from grassroots all the way up to pro level. Particularly after the success at the Rio Olympics, the conversations I have in the hockey world, see conversations in the hockey space easily flip between how excited players and supporters are to watch or develop in the male and female teams.
Personally, I love also being part of a club that sees strong female representation on committee. I am inspired by the women who run our club everyday. It emboldens me to step up, contribute and pass on inspiration (hopefully) to my fellow hockey friends. Having played L5s, L2s & L1s, I am also so chuffed to feel whichever team I get to play in as the years go by, they are full of supportive, legendary women who back each other on the pitch and off.
It is also been great to see the L1s be supported by Makers who are looking to also develop more women in the tech space. With this partnership we can support each other in our different spaces to empower more women.
But, we are not there yet, but I am also proud to be part of a club that is continually asking can we do and be better.
Wapping and Hockey, more generally, need to keep asking the hard questions. How can we have better representation in coaching? How can we make sure the whole club/hockey is a safe space for everyone? Although I have found most people well meaning, there are systematic issues baked into all clubs and Wapping is not different.
It would also be ridiculous of me, as white cisgender woman, not to point out that this comes from a perspective of privilege and assumptions. As we talk about moving forward towards a more equal world we must bring as many voices as possible so our actions do not just act as band aids to real, far greater issues.
From an ally-perspective, it can be easy to hide behind fear or ignorance rather than to act. Pass the mic, listen and be open to challenging your assumptions. I don’t believe most people are malicious but being scared can make us blind to growth.
Let’s invite as many different people to the table as we learn what real equality looks and feels like. Let’s find better words to express ourselves and be inclusive. Let’s challenge ourselves to be be more open and more awesome together
It’s great to see how we have progressed this IWD at Wapping and in hockey. More please. After all, hockey always wins!
End of Season Dinner
Another reminder to grab your tickets for the End of Season Dinner on the website here.
Also please make your food choices if you haven’t already for the event.
Easy Fundraiser app
Last week we reminded you that Easyfundraising is the easiest way to raise money for the club. When you shop online a percentage of your total is donated back to us. The site also provides one-off deals on things like changing utilities or taking out a phone contract. It costs nothing to sign up and so far 104 supporters have raised £2,450.46 for the club. As well as being able to sign up here and add the extension to your browser there is also an iphone app if you shop on your phone (unfortunately no android app at the moment :( ).
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.
To sign-up to play for one of the Wapping teams, please fill out this form.
Corporate teams frequently need players to fill last-minute holes, and we will be running a ringers' list again. Sign-up for that on the form, and join the WhatsApp group (we promise to keep it focused!) here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BeQgwxm6T0H5vzL504eDJO
Fixtures this week
Lee Valley
10:00 - L2 v Southgate 2 (pitch 1)
10:00 - L7 v Royals (pitch 2) - friendly
11:30 - M2 v East London 1 (away) (pitch 1)
11:30 - M3 v Epsom 1 (pitch 2)
13:00 - M6 v London Academicals 2 (pitch 1)
14:30 - M8 v London Academicals 3 (pitch 1)
John Orwell
11:10 - M10 v Tulse Hill and Dulwich
12:30 - M4 v Indian Gymkhana 2
14:00 - L4 v PHC Chiswick
Away
10:30 - L3 v UCL Rums 1
11:00 - L5 v Wanderers 6
13:30 - M5 v Barnes 2
14:45 - L1 v Teddington 1
15:00 - M7 v Kings and Alleyns 2
15:00 - M1 v Oxford Uni on Sunday
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
Play safe
This week’s Back Post contains a request for photos and videos, information on safeguarding, some fundraising updates and this week’s fixtures list.
Last weekend saw a huge 3-1 win for the M3 and some great results for the Kidds. The U12 girls were unbeaten in their tournament (winning 4 and drawing 1), the U14 girls won 2, drew 1 and lost 1 and the U14 boys came from behind to win 3-2 against Brom Becks. All but two teams are back in action so lots of hockey to be looking forward to this Saturday!
Thank you to everyone who came to the L1 and M1 raffle and quiz on Saturday night. Congratulations to everyone who won a prize and the Ladies 5s who emerged as quiz champions! Please get in touch with Dan Verity, Jenna Maclaren, or by replying to this email if you have not received your prize yet.
Note from the Co-Chairs
England Hockey have updated the safeguarding guidance on their website. There is now a wealth of information for parents, young people, coaches, organisers, umpires, committee members and players. With increasing numbers of excellent young people playing for us we recommend everyone reads the Adults on teams with young players guidance. Please do take a quick read when you can - Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
On the topic of safeguarding, it’s also worth a couple of general reminders:
all contact for U18 should be via their designated parent/carer. If someone who is under 18 contacts you via email or whatsapp without their adult looped in, please loop the parent/carer in and gently remind them of the protocol.
we have a page about Safeguarding at Wapping on our website, including contact information for our welfare officer, Sandra Akinbolu. Going forward, we are looking to expand our safeguarding team so if this is something you’re interested in helping with let us know.
Club google drive
The press team would greatly appreciate it if club members could upload pictures and videos they don’t mind sharing to this club wide Google Drive folder. Pictures from matches and socials are really useful for promoting the club through our social media channels and website so it would be great to get as much uploaded to the drive as we can. Please ensure there are no U18s in the photos.
Link to Google Drive folder here
Easy Fundrasing
A Back Post reminder that Easyfundraising is the easiest way to raise money for the club. When you shop online a percentage of your total is donated back to us. The site also provides one-off deals on things like changing utilities or taking out a phone contract. It costs nothing to sign up and so far 104 supporters have raised £2,450.46 for the club. To do this please:
Sign up using this link
Download the browser extension, the plug-in pops up automatically when you shop to let you know when a donation is available.
They also have an iPhone app for people who shop via their mobile (no android version yet though)
Track your donations to see how much you’ve raised in your account and they’ll send updates oh how much the club has raised.
End of season dinner
Another reminder to purchase your ticket for the end of season dinner at the De Vere Grand Connaught rooms on 22nd April if you haven’t already. It will be a great way to round off the season with the whole club so make sure you don’t miss out!
Fixtures this Saturday
Lee Valley
11:30 - M2 v Purley Walcountians 1 (pitch 2)
13:00 - L1 v Tulse Hill and Dulwich 1 (pitch 1)
14:30 - L3 v Harrow 1 (pitch 2)
John Orwell
11:10 - L5 v Kings and Alleyns 2
Away
12:45 - L7 v Remnants 1
13:30 - L2 v Wanderers 1
13:30 - M3 v Ashford 1
13:45 - M6 v Spencer 6
14:30 - M4 v Hampstead and Westminster 3
14:30 - L4 v East London 4
15:30 - M5 v Old Merchant Taylors 2
17:15 - M1 v Guildford
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
DC’s Done it! *Whistles*
This week’s Back Post contains info on the L1 / M1 fundraiser, food options for the EOSD, more info on CAWHL, and an amazing update on one of our home grown umpires.
After a slight pause for slip week, almost all teams are back in action this weekend including a M6 v M7 derby clash at John Orwell. This weekend the L1 and M1 are also holding a club fundraiser at Hackney Bridge with a quiz, brilliant raffle and great food and drink. It would be great to see as many from the club as possible there as well as friends and family. The menu for the EOSD has also been revealed and we have a big congratulations to our club’s first national league umpire!
Note from the Co-Chairs
Firstly, it was a pleasure to catch up with Tim (Wapping HC’s founder), Suzi and Alix Poeton at the Moretown Belle the weekend before last.
We can proudly announce our intentions to establish The Kidds’ Foundation - a huge thanks to Tim and family for the idea and intentions to bring this into creation. Thanks also to Alex Bristow, Tim Wright, Sandy Akinbolu and David van Stolk whose expertise and support is indispensable in achieving this proposal.
If anyone has any experience setting up/running charitable organisations please let us know as we’d love to pick your brains!
Secondly, it’s summer league prep time. Our City and Wharf Hockey League is bags of fun and helps raise essential funds for the club so the more teams we sign up the better. If you work for a company (or know one) who might want to field a team for some social summer fun, please can you let the CAWHL team know so they can get in touch.
Raffle fundraiser
This Saturday evening the L1 and M1 are running a club fundraiser quiz and raffle at Hackney Bridge from 7pm. Come along for great food, better drinks and an even better raffle.
The quiz will start at 8:15pm run by Chedd and Rankin from the M1 with a cash prize for the best team.
Whilst we count up scores we will then hold the raffle where prizes include 5x Pscyle spin classes, lots of hockey stash and equipment, a diamond necklace, Printworks and Leyton Orient tickets, Hello Fresh boxes, a physio session, a personal training session, food, drink and more!
Please bring your team, housemates, family and friends along for what will be a great night.
End of season tickets
A reminder to keep buying tickets to the End of Season Dinner on the 22nd April to round off the season as a club.
If you have bought your ticket:
Please use this Google form to choose your food.
If you have not bought your ticket:
Buy it here! The standard cost of a ticket is £65.
There is the option to make an additional contribution to cover the rise in costs however this is not expected at all; we would love to see as many people there as possible.
We love umpires!
Following on from last week’s umpire promotions, last Sunday Dan Carter (pictured below) smashed his L3 assessment, moving from the Development Panel (NPDP) to men’s B Panel. In the process he becomes the club’s first ever National League umpire!
Dan passed his assessment by umpiring Lichfield M1 v Birmingham M2 in Conference Midlands.
Summer league sign up
WHC runs London's biggest corporate summer league and the City and Wharf Hockey League 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.
Supporting summer league - whether through your company team, umpiring or coaching at Back 2 Hockey - is a great way to contribute to the Club. No matter your background or experience, please get in touch if you would like to help out or would like more info on entering a team.
To sign-up to play for one of the Wapping teams, fill out this form.
Corporate teams frequently need players to fill last-minute holes, and we will be running a ringers' list again. Sign-up for that on the form, and join the WhatsApp group (we promise to keep it focussed!) here.
Matches this weekend
Lee Valley
10:00 - L6 v Kings and Alleyns 3 (pitch 1)
10:00 - L2 v Kings and Alleyns 1 (pitch 2)
13:00 - M4 v West Hampstead 2 (pitch 1)
14:30 - M3 v Old Merchant Taylors 1 (pitch 1)
18:00 - M1 v Bromley and Beckenham (pitch 1)
John Orwell
11:10 - M10 v Bromley and Beckenham Hawks
12:30 - L7 v East London 8
13:40 - L3 v West Hampstead 2
14:00 - M6 v Wapping 7
14:00 - L1 v Surbiton 3
15:30 - M8 v Kings and Alleyns 3
12:00 - L4 v Richmond Ravens
Away
12:45 - M2 v Tulse Hill and Dulwich 1
15:00 - M9 v London Wayfarers Barbarians
16:00 - L5 v East London 5
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
Thinking caps on
This week’s Back Post contains info on the L1 / M1 fundraiser, a shout out for recently assessed umpires and info on the games happening this weekend.
Last weekend saw a massive 7-1 for the M10 over East London 8, a crucial 3-0 win for the M5 against Harrow and a 4-2 win for the L1 who now sit second in an incredibly tight London Prem league with only 4 points separating the top 4 teams battling for promotion.
This week is slip week for most but seven teams are still in action with multiple postponed matches being played.
Umpire assessment
Congratulations to those who have recently passed umpiring assessments: Sam Peel (outdoor: Level 1) 🥳 and Phil O’Hagan (indoor: Level 2 indoor, outdoor: London Prem Panel) 🥳 🥳
It is really crucial to the club that we have a few umpires per team so please do support and encourage team mates to sign up to one of the England hockey online hockey courses below. It only takes a couple of hours, is hosted online, and run by umpires with heaps of experience, so a great way to pick up some hints and tips. This month there are courses running on Tuesday 21st and Sunday 26th of February.
L1/M1 fundraiser
Next Saturday (25th February) the L1 and M1 are running a quiz and raffle at Hackney Bridge from 7pm. Come along for food, drink and lots of prizes. Raffle prizes include:
A 24 pack of Neck Oil IPA
A £150 formal dress voucher
Gym class passes and classes
Various pieces of hockey stash
Restaurant vouchers
Many more!
Make sure to come along with your team and any friends who may be interested as well.
End of Season Dinner tickets
A reminder to keep buying your End of Season Dinner tickets on the Wapping website shop here. It’s the event of the season so make sure you don’t miss out! Dinner will take place from 6pm-1am at De Vere Connaught Rooms and tickets include a sparkling wine reception, a two course dinner, wine, the awards ceremony and a DJ until 1am.
Matches this weekend
Lee Valley
13:00 - M10 v London Wayfarers Barbarians (pitch 1)
John Orwell
11:10 - L4 v Hampstead and Westminster 5
12:30 - M6 v Wanderers 3
14:00 - M8 v Wanderers 6
Away
10:30 - L6 v London Wayfarers Foxes
12:00 - M7 v Bromley and Beckenham Cardinals
12:30 - M5 v West Hampstead 4
16:00 - M1 v London Wayfarers
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