Centenary celebrations

THIS weekend Lewes Hockey Club celebrate their centenary year with festivities beginning tonight (Friday) with a black-tie ball at Lewes Town Hall.

Guest Speaker, Mike Corby, is currently president of Hockey England UK, a former Southgate and GB hockey player and also an international squash star.

Normal Saturday league games will then be played at the club in Cockshut Lane on Saturday from 1.30pm. Sunday sees a variety of games being played, with junior coaching in the morning followed by the Lewes Veterans XI playing an invitational team at 11.30.

The men's first XI entertain Oxford Hawks in National League Division Two at 1.30pm, and at 3pm the ladies first XI are playing an invitational team composed of players who have since left the club.

Phil Light will be providing live music in the clubhouse from 4pm onwards. Any past members will be welcomed at the club over the weekend.

The origins of Lewes Hockey Club have been placed as early as 1898. Records have shown that a mixed Kingston & Lewes side and a ladies team playing at Carrs Farm in 1903.

Over the years 1903 has been accepted as the official year the club was founded, although previous anniversaries have celebrated 1908 as the inauguration. The 90th anniversary was celebrated during the 1993/94 season and, whatever the year, the club are celebrating 2003 as their centenary!

The club temporarily disbanded, due to the First World War, but went on to celebrate it's 50th anniversary in 1958/59 at the Town Hall with Victor Sylvester and his orchestra. The club continued to enjoy its success through the 60's and 70's, becoming part of the new Southdown Club in 1972.

Under Peter Boyse's guidance Lewes opened it's astroturf in 1993. 1993-99 saw the club's most successful years with the men winning both their Peroni Regional League and the Sussex Cup. In 1996 the first XI qualified for the National League via the play-offs at Milton-Keynes, with goalkeeper Sean Rowlands and striker Jeremy Boyse standing out.

The club continued to enjoy success under Paul Degg and Peter Boyse, coming agonisingly close to the Premier division.

A loss of a number of players has caused the men to struggle in the National League, but the club is hoping to rebuild within the juniors under Patrick Newman and Jan 'Goldie' Goldsmith.

The ladies have also had their fair share of success, winning the Rodda Sussex League for three successive seasons from 1989/90, with the ladies second XI winning their league in 1992/3.

In 2000/01 the firsts won the Sussex League and went to play-offs, as well as being runners up in the Sussex Cup in the same year and in 2001/02. The 2nd and 3rd teams have also won their leagues in 1999/2000.

As a whole the club continues to thrive with eight men's teams including the vets and juniors and five ladies teams including the vets.