Page 50 - OO_2019

www MATCHES
OOGS v Old Bedfordians
By Roy Nicholson (St A 65)
The match against Bedford at Royal Worlington & Newmarket Golf Club is significant in that it falls on a Saturday two or three weeks before the Halford Hewitt and is played on turf very similar to that at Sandwich and Deal.
The match is 12-a-side foursomes with two matches played off scratch, giving both schools valuable HH practice, and four off handicap over 36 holes.
Worlington has a reputation for really good lunches, which is very much part of a thoroughly enjoyable day, this year being no exception!
New players are always welcome, especially younger ones.
OOGS v Grocers’ Company
By Guy Beresford (B 81)
OOGS returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 41⁄2-1⁄2 win over the Grocers’ Company in May at the New Zealand Golf Club in Surrey.
The Grocers’ half point was won by a pair including OO Sir Michael Pickard (C 51), who putted brilliantly against a strong, senior OO pairing in OOGS Vice-President David Aston (St A 55) and Peter Smith (B 52).
On the OOGS side there were wins for Ed Dyson (B 05) and Richard Hall (Sc 93); Al Stuart (B 84) and Steve Carr (S 84); David Lowe (G 97) and Robert Shaw (S 92); and James Aston (St A 92) and David Simons (Sn 59).
In the afternoon the Knight Salvers were won by Richard Hall and his Grocers partner, John Symes- Thompson.
The weather was fine, the course in excellent condition, the lunch superb (washed down with the Grocers’ port) and the company, as ever, delightful.
OOGS v Old Haileyburians
By Guy Beresford (B 81)
OOGS went down 3-1 to a strong OHGS team at Denham in May to level the series at 2-2 and return the Haileyburians v Oundelians Trophy to OHGS.
Our solitary point was scored by Richard ‘Bomber’ Harris (Lx 91) and Guy Beresford. There were losses for Jonny Andrews (Sc 84) and Richard Ellis (Sn 86); David Simons (Sn 59) and Peter Smith (B 52); and Al Gordon (C 69) and James Aston (St A 92).
HOCKEY
By Tim Pollard (Sc 93) Eight things we learned: 1) Experience will out
Playing the Oundle School 1st XI at hockey is a Herculean task when an OO team’s average age is the wrong side of 40. That explains how we quickly plunged 0-2 down in the opening minutes, as youthful teenage legs overcame our sleepy heads, slower wits and distinct lack of practice. But wily experience won’t be held down,
Anexcellentlunchjustaboutmadeupforthedefeat.
OOGS v School
Due to a fixture clash with the Grocers’ match the following day, we co-opted some staff to boost our team and beat the boys 3-2 in May.
Next year we will try to avoid the clash and send out details to OOGS members earlier.
OOGS v Old Stamfordians
By Colin Ringrose (St A 65)
OOGS drew 2-2 in June at Luffenham against Old Stamfordians. It was an enjoyable afternoon's golf played in perfect conditions on a course with punishing rough. I found more balls than l lost!
OOGS: Joss Cheatle (G 00), David Thomson (S 65), Bob Ellis (D 65), Charlie Underwood (Sc 93), Mike Winson (S 64), Peter Fox-Andrews (N 64) and Colin Ringrose.
OOGS v Old Uppinghamians
The annual ‘Committee Match’ against Uppingham at Rye, an established piece in the Halford Hewitt week jigsaw, was this year played in sparkling weather and won comfortably by Oundle.
OOGS: Fred Domellof (Lx 76), Nick Owles (N 63), James Aston (St A 92), Nick Copestick (Ldr 69), David Aston (St A 55), Colin Ringrose (St A 65), Robert Ringrose (St A 71), Al Gordon (C 69), Ed Dove (C 85) and Barry Peak (Sn 82).
Pictured left to right, OOGS trio James Aston (St A 92), Nick Copestick (Ldr 69) and Nick Owles (N 63) at Rye GC for the match against Old Uppinghamians
and soon Jamie Letten (St A 11) and Simon Hicks (F 07) equalised through silky stickwork that caught the youngsters unaware.
2) The young guns
Not all our side were born in the 1970s (or earlier, in one or two cases!). A flurry of new signings brought much-needed fresh blood, fast legs and fit minds to boost our attack, a feisty foil to the wisdom of our stalwarts, Dudley Moor-Radford (B 85) and Jules McAlpine (Lx 88), who made history by playing in defence for the first time in three decades. The defensive troupe of Giles Hall (L
SPORT
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