LYMM Hockey Club is celebrating a special anniversary after 10 years involving 1160 games played, 4381 goals scored, 783 games won, 18 league titles, 67.5% victory ratio, 310 members and one shout out on TV!
These statistics may sound like those belonging to a well established club, but in fact they belong to Lymm Hockey Club who this year is celebrating only its 10th Anniversary.
Competing with long established local clubs with generations of experience and support, Lymm Hockey Club is probably the fastest growing club in the North West today. In its inaugural year the ‘club’ managed to just about raise one mens team (some of whom had to be instructed which way up to hold the stick!). Little did they realise what they had started. From these humble beginnings the club went from strength to strength and a ladies team soon followed. Now the ladies outnumber the men with 5 senior ladies teams and 4 senior mens teams, as well as numerous junior teams for both girls and boys.
The Ladies 1st team have been promoted out of the Cheshire leagues and now play in the Northern league competing against clubs from east to west and as far afield as Newcastle. This progression has seen a number of high level players being attracted to Lymm Hockey Club. Alongside the development of our junior players, many of whom have risen up through the senior teams over the last few years, the increased interest in the club has seen their membership swell.
During this relatively short period, 34 players have gained representative honours in the various sections of junior development both at county and regional level.
The club would like to give gratitude to Lymm Rugby Club for their support during this time, for embracing the new organisation and allowing them to call Beechwood their ‘home’ too. In fact the rugby club even gave the first mens team some old shirts to use in their first few games! Now they are pleased to be able to sport their own purpose designed club kit which is now widely recognised across the region.
To celebrate the momentous occasion of reaching their 10th Anniversary, the club held a special dinner at the Park Royal Hotel in Stretton. Here former and current members both young and not so young joined together for games, music and dancing in recognition of the club’s achievement.
Ladies Club Captain, (and former Club Chairperson), Liz Hopkinson, who was also the very first ladies member back in 2006, said: “It was a fabulous night, we as a family have made so many new friends at Lymm Hockey Club and our daughter has grown up with it.”
That is what Lymm Hockey Club is all about -it is a family club where children can learn to play from as young as 5 or 6 years old and some of our mature players have been seen wielding a stick on the pitch into their mid 60s. The club really does span the generations and the genders. Lymm Hockey Club is asuccessful but all inclusive and family values are key to that prosperity. For more information visit www.lymmhockey.com.
