12th Jan Nottingham 0 Bournville 10 and others...

Resurrection Man.

Dan Miller, like all of us, is only a couple of genetic tweaks away from being a daffodil. It’s in his DNA – dioxyribonucleic acid –the genetic code in all living things and it only takes a slight rearrangement and you can change things into other things: you can become God. We are all biological computers, whose hard drives and software have been programmed and can be reprogrammed and the yellow harbinger of spring is no different. Yes, oh yes, the daffodil will be emerging soon: when all appears dead in the earth, it springs from its underground realms to release its glorious yellow – it is a resurrection and we’d all do well, in the middle of winter, to realise that we are all nearly daffodils. And heavy-footed clod-hoppers may stamp on the cold frozen soil to keep us down but nothing will deny the emergence of the daffodil (oh, and that, by the way, is a metaphor, and in no way should it not be read as a subversive dig at those who complain about my colourful and playful use of language and, foolishly, attempt to scold, censure and censor). That reminds me, a happy new year to our reader in Telford and his mate on the disciplinary committee – I love you both.

I’m not going to say Dan played like a daffodil but there were a few moments during this 10-0 drubbing when he wafted his stick in the style of one, blowing in the wind, a bit like how Morrissey used wave gladiolli around on the stage. But he does get stuck in. Miller, not Morrissey - and for that, he is one of us. Today, sadly, was another repeat in the Groundhog Season which is becoming our ‘Alternatives’ tour of torture, theatre of pain, our own anus horriblus (sic).

With all five teams playing at Goosedale, several of us had quite a day on Saturday – take for instance the club captain, our beloved Hertfordshire Bull. He was there from 10.30 to the middle evening, which gave him ample time to run the bar, umpire the threes, barrack former player,Glenn (currently knocking around in the dark grey of Mansfield, and long time lover of the Holland’s pies, so gorgeous, that all our 19 students are currently on double rations every time they play at home and even I’d had three by the time I left) El Capitano then played a role in the 4s’ welcome 2-0 victory over Worcester before taking up his role as bar man, raconteur and amiable host. It was The Doctor who noted the formation flying of a squadron of Geese after the 4’s had won and noone would have been surprised to hear that Youngy had arranged that too.

The day began with the expensively assembled (yes, really) Mansfield giving their landlords a 3-2 beating. Fortunate, in some ways, deserved in others – especially as their winner came minutes after Maughan had equalised with an absolute peach of a goal and Stephen Hall had lead with a barnstorming performance that had his erstwhile team mate, James ‘Brainz’ Hewitt drooling with almost homoerotic admiration from the pitch side. A disappointing result, especially after the 3s had just spanked Mansfield 7-1 but there is still some quality in the Nottingham team and any side that has Crabtree, Gisborne and Rippon in it will be entertaining to watch. And so it was – especially the MIPPs decision to reverse a penalty stroke decision after the evidence and the guile of Sergei Gisborne had convinced them that a shot had not hit his chest. “The umpire’s made his decision, he won’t change his mind!” sang James Applejuice from the side line. Oh yes he will, James and so he did.

A start at 1700 is a graveyard shift to some, but for those of us who welcome the shadows, who begin to emerge with the enveloping darkness and know the joy of floodlit hockey, it can bethe best time to play. The 5^th team’s encounter with Bridgford was certainly fun for the visitors: they won 5-2, but the game did see Gallagher, on the road to recovery (a small lane, just off Linby Road) smack a lovely strike into the net which was up there as one of the best goals of the day.

With the fire blazing away in the club, and Nick Ward back to warm his balls by its flames, here was hope when we needed it most for the flame burns eternally and is at its brightest in the blue days of January. Another month, the daffodils will be out and Nottingham Hockey Club will have cast aside the dark cloak of winter to emerge, resplendent into a spring time of promise.

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