Christmas - Hong Kong Football Club

Christmas Festivities at the Club

HONG KONG FOOTBALL CLUB DECEMBER 2015

b Dec 2015

Club Magazine Dec 2015 1

Contents

The Thoughts of the Chairman ...................2

From the Desk of Mark Pawley ...................4

Food and Beverage promotions ....................5

Rugby.........................................................16

Mini Rugby ................................................19

Soccer ........................................................22

Crusaders Soccer .......................................26

Squash .......................................................27

Hockey .......................................................30

Lawn Bowls ................................................34

Netball .......................................................38

Tennis ........................................................40

Badminton .................................................42

Golf ...........................................................43

Swimming and Triathlon ...........................45

Ten Pin Bowling .........................................48

What’s new in the Library ..........................49

38 34

GENERAL COMMITTEEPresident : Dermot AgnewVice President : Fook Aun Chew Vice President : Nick HunsworthVice President : Bobby LawsonVice President : Iain ValentineChairman : John ShanahanHon. Secretary : Mike WoodHon. Treasurer : Alan MorganConstitutional Affairs : Jeff LaneDevelopment : Neil RobertsDiscipline : James NiehorsterMembership : Maurice O’BrienSports and Recreation : Philip WoolfHockey Officer : Charles PoultonLawn Bowls Officer : Mike WorthRugby Officer : Ian PetersenSoccer Officer : Neil JensenSquash Officer : Adam Wilson

MANAGEMENTGeneral Manager : Mark PawleyDirector of Operations : Tony SealyDirector of Food and Beverage : Dominique ArtigolleDirector of Finance : Ricky ChanAsst. Financial Controller : May ChangExecutive Chef : Danny LaiFacilities Manager : Evan TaoMembership Services Manager : Kerry OgleHuman Resources Manager : Angela ChanExecutive Housekeeper : Tracy Tseung

CLUB MAGAZINEMonthly journal of the Hong Kong Football Club. Arranged by Karen Chan-Mulvenna. For information and requests for placement of advertisements in “Club” please call 2830 9503. The opinions expressed in the articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Hong Kong Football Club or the General Committee. The Club reserves the right to edit and clarify all content. The copyright of all materials is held by the Hong Kong Football Club.

Hong Kong Football Club 3 Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong

Tel 2830 9500 Fax 2882 5040 Website: www.hkfc.com.hk

45

2 Dec 2015

The Thoughts of the Chairman

The Annual General Meeting of the Club was held on the 5th November 2015. I would like to thank all Members that

attended and who, along with their Spouses and Partners, stayed on after the meeting to enjoy the Member’s Cocktail Party. I welcome to the General Committee two new Members; Ian Petersen, representing the Rugby Section, and Charles Poulton, representing the Hockey Section. The Chairmen of the five Standing Sub-Committees remain the same as last year and are as follows:-

Chairman of the Constitutional Affairs Sub-Committee – Jeff Lane

Chairman of the Disciplinary Sub-Committee – James Niehorster

Chairman of the Development Sub-Committee – Neil Roberts

Chairman of the Membership Sub-Committee – Maurice O’Brien

Chairman of the Sports and Recreation Sub-Committee – Philip Woolf

As you all know, there are several construction and upgrading works already in progress in the Main Clubhouse Building, with others about to be initiated. I will keep you informed of progress as we go along.

We now rapidly approach Christmas, so don’t forget the Annual Christmas Fete on the afternoon of Saturday 12th December on the Main Pitch where you will need to book your tickets in advance. We also welcome back the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir at 7pm on Monday 14th December also at the Main Pitch with mulled wine and mince pies to follow afterwards. And, don’t forget the New Year’s Eve Party to be held in the Sports Hall on Thursday 31st December, and, of course, we host the New Year’s Day Youth Rugby Tournament on the 1st January.

In closing, may I, on behalf of the General Committee and myself, wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

JOHN J SHANAHAN Chairman

John J Shanahan, Chairman

Notice to Members: Increase in Monthly Subscription in 2016At the Annual General Meeting held on the 5th November 2015 an increase in monthly subscription was approved which will come into effect on 1st January 2016.

1. Monthly Subscription for Full Members, Corporate Members (including Corporate Nominees) and Associate Members (Sports Preferred Associates, Lady Associates, Family Member Associates and Consular Associates) will be increased from HK$1,450 to HK$1,500.

2. Monthly Subscription for Sports Debenture Associates and Junior Associates (between the age of 21-28) will be increased from HK$580 to HK$600.

Please note that the new monthly subscription rate will be reflected in the December 2015 statement.


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4 Dec 2015

From the Desk of Mark Pawley

Mark Pawley, General Manager

Y ou should have received a copy of the Club’s Festive Events schedule in October, which I hope has been/will be a useful

aid for planning all your Christmas and New Year activities at the Club with family and friends. Please note too, that the shop on the G/Fl Lobby, selling food and beverage items, has recently gone through a transformation, or two, and is now called the Christmas Goodies Kiosk and is kitted out with a number of festive goodies whilst retaining a number of day to day food and beverage items. The Kiosk is well worth a visit!

For your information, set out on page 5 of the magazine, we have the Christmas Opening arrangements for the F&B outlets, over the Festive period. On page 6 of the magazine, we also set out the Christmas event highlights.

Apart from our festive events going on at the Club throughout December, we also have a number of other special promotions to “tantalize your taste buds”. Surely, the Japanese Kobe Beef versus Australian Wagyu Beef should be able to tempt a few

of you into the Restaurant during the month — the promotion runs every evening (except Sunday). In the Coffee Shop we have the Family Hot Pot Dinner and Clay Pot Corner promotion for all those supposed “cool” evenings in December and, in the Sportsman’s Bar the Ham and Turkey Platter and Mulled Wine promotions start from 1st December. Also, don’t forget the Christmas Quiz Night in the Sportsman’s Bar on Thursday 10th December!

For wine lovers (especially those of you that like Italian wines) we have the Tenuta Sette Ponti Wine Dinner on Saturday 12th December. As ever, please do book early for this as our Wine Dinners tend to sell out quite quickly!

Last, and by no means least, on behalf of the Management team and all the wonderful Staff of the Club, may I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Club!

MARK PAWLEY General Manager

Featured Reciprocal Club this month: The British Club, Singapore

An award-winning club nestled on top of Singapore’s second highest peak at Bukit Tinggi, you can enjoy first class leisure, sports and entertainment facilities set amid lush tropical greenery and flowering shrubs. The bustling life of the city is just a 10-minute drive away. Founded in 1983 for the many British expatriates living here, these days it is a home away from home to over 30 other nationalities including Singaporeans.

THE BRITISH CLUBSINGAPORE

73 Bukit Tinggi Road Singapore 289761 Tel: 6467 4311

Website: www.britishclub.org.sg


CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY 2015

NEW YEAR’S EVE OPENING HOURS

As in past years the opening hours for our Food and Beverage Outlets will be changed for New Year’s Eve as per the following schedule:

Coffee Shop – closed from 5.00pm (last orders will be taken at 4.15pm)Restaurant – closed from 3.00pmChairman’s Bar – open as usual from middayCaptain’s Bar – closed from 5.00pmSportsman’s Bar – closedFamily Lounge Bar – closed from 5.00pm

CHRISTMAS OPENING ARRANGEMENTS

Christmas Eve, 24th DecemberThe Coffee Shop will be closed from 5.00pm to 6.00pm in order to help with the set-up for the evening meal. Please be reminded that there is no A la Carte Menu available after 6.00pm.

Christmas Day, 25th DecemberThe Coffee Shop will be open from 12.00 noon and will be closed from 5.00pm to 6.00pm as with the above to help with the set-up for the evening meal. There will be no A la Carte Menu available all day because of the Christmas Day Lunch and Dinner Buffets.

The Sportsman’s Bar will be open at 12.00 noon on 25th and 26th December with full A la Carte menu available. The Captain’s Bar will closed all day on 25th and 26th December.

NEW YEAR’S DAY OPENING HOURS

Coffee Shop will open at 9am on Friday 1st January 2016.

A little behind in your festive planning? The Sportsman’s Bar is available for private functions from 11am until 3pm, Monday to Friday. For more information on packages and bookings please email our Catering and Event Department on: [email protected]

6 Dec 2015


Christmas Goodies KioskThe Kiosk will be offering a selection of festive food and beverage goodies. Stop by the kiosk for gift ideas for your family, friends, colleagues and clients!

Christmas and New Year Programme 2015The F&B department has lined up a number of exciting Christmas and New Year activities, please see the Club’s Christmas and New Year’s Programme which has already been mailed out in September. You can also view at the Club’s website www.hkfc.com.hk

Christmas HampersShare the joy of the festive season by sending hampers to your loved ones, relatives, friends or business partners. Hampers can either be picked up at the Club or arranged for delivery to the lucky recipients!

Order forms are available at Reception and can be downloaded from our website.

Christmas Carols Performance

by theHONG KONG WELSH MALE VOICE CHOIR

at the Sportsman’s Bar Monday 14th December from 7pm until 7.45pm

On Monday 14th December, our annual evening event with the Welsh Male Voice Choir will take place next to the Sportsman’s Bar, free seating will be available at the South Stand (facing the Main Pitch) so we can

accommodate as many of you as possible.

A light early Dinner Buffet will be available at the Sportsman’s Bar and Coffee Shop from 5.30pm. A la Carte menu in both the Sportsman’s Bar and the Coffee Shop will be strictly limited on that day from

4.30pm to 7.30pm.

Mulled Wine, Minced Pies and soft drinks will be made available at the end of the Carol Singing at the

Sportsman’s Bar to all those in attendance.

Sit back, relax and let the professionals take care of the hard work.

A variety of delicious dishes including U.S. Tom Turkey and Glazed Bone Ham can be ordered for takeaway for the perfect party at home or at the office.

Enjoy Christmas Takeaway E-shopping Online at https://www.hkfc.com.hk/food-beverage/food-beverage-eshop

Should you have forgotten your password or have enquiries about online registration, please send an email to [email protected]

Turkey and Other Festive Takeaway

8 Dec 2015

WINTER COMFORT FOOD for Lunch and Dinner throughout the month of December

As the weather gets colder, stop by the Coffee Shop for some hearty comfort dishes made from seasonal produce and warming spices.

FAMILY HOT POT DINNER AND CLAY POT CORNERFriday to Sunday (except 25th to 27th December) from 6.00pm to 9.30pm

Winters are not the same without our Hot Pot and Clay Pot favourites in the Coffee Shop.

Our Family Hot Pot Dinner Buffet includes a variety of seafood, meats and vegetables in an al fresco setting. Come along with your family and friends for a leisurely meal.

Please call the Coffee Shop at 2830 9569 for more details.

COFFEE SHOP

COFFEE SHOP

WINE CAROUSEL every day from 6.30pm to 10.30pm

From 6.30pm till 10.30pm daily, you can enjoy 2 hours of free-flowing wines specially selected to match the season at a set price of $185 per person. Alternatively you can select any two glasses of wine for only $90.

All these wines can be purchased from our takeaway list. Forms are available on our website or at Reception.

CHAIRMAN’S BAR

CHAIRMAN’S BAR

CHAIRMAN’S BAR

$12.50 OYSTER every day from 4.30pm to 10.30pm

Fresh oysters are available in the Chairman’s Bar daily at only $12.50 each. Enjoy this offer while stocks last.

MUSCADET IS AN OYSTER’S BEST FRIEND Muscadet is low-key, low-alcohol, understated, sometimes tart, and always full of minerality.

Muscadet is made from a grape called Melon de Bourgogne.

In short, no wine pairs better with the very tradition of eating raw oysters. For years, it’s been the French bistro staple to pair with oysters.

In fact, there is nothing in the world that pairs better with raw shellfish than this white.

Price: $55/glass, $280/bottle RP: 92

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

RESTAURANT

Please contact the Restaurant at 2830 9562 for a reservation or email: [email protected]

DRESS CODE: Club Casual.

No Collarless T-shirts, no Flip Flops or sandals with socks, no short Casual Shorts (Knee length – no beach wear). Ladies are required to dress to a comparable standard.

SUNDAY BRUNCH from 11am to 2.30pm

RESTAURANT AND CHAIRMAN’S BAR

JAPANESE KOBE BEEF VS AUSTRALIAN WAGYU BEEFevery evening (except Sundays) from 6.30pm to 10.30pm throughout the month of December

All Kobe beef is Wagyu but not all Wagyu beef is Kobe.

Wagyu beef is intensely marbled with softer fat, has a higher percentage of monounsaturated fats, Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids and is lower in cholesterol than commodity beef. The combinations of these fats deliver a distinctive rich and tender flavour compared to other beef.

Our Executive Chef Danny Lai and his team will prepare a variety of dishes for your tasting. Book now to sample the delectable delicacies!

Please contact the Restaurant at 2830 9562 for reservation or email: [email protected]


RESTAURANT

FOOD AND BEVERAGE

10 Dec 2015

Please call the Sportsman’s Bar at 2830 9531 or email [email protected]

Gearing up for Christmas, we have many festive promotions/activities at the Sportsman’s Bar. Here are some highlights:

Home-made Mulled Wine Perfect for those cool evenings on the Patio.

Ham and Turkey Platter The festive Ham and Turkey Platter will be on promotion throughout the month of December. Bring your friends to enjoy the festive mood this month!

Special Festive Quiz Thursday 10th December The evening begins with a festive Buffet at 7pm, and the Quiz starts at 8.30pm sharp. Please call the Sportsman’s Bar at 2830 9531 to book your team table or email [email protected]

Christmas Carols Performance by the Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir Monday 14th December Mulled wine, Minced Pies and soft drinks will be made available at the finish of the Carol Singing at the Sportsman’s Bar to all those in attendance. (For details please refer to page 7)

New Year’s Day Youth Rugby 1st January Crowds are always large at this first event of the year. With food outlets and cash bar set up on the Training Triangle, bring your guests to enjoy this fun event. Let’s kick off the New Year Day with a bang and support the Hong Kong and overseas rugby players starting from mid-day.

Hong Kong Welsh Male Voice Choir on Monday 14th December

Ham and Turkey Platter

Special Festive Celebrations at the Sportsman’s Bar

SPORTSMAN’S BAR


JANUARY PREVIEW

VEUVE CLICQUOT CHAMPAGNE DINNER

INCLUDES A 5-COURSE SET MENU AND 6 EXQUISITE CHAMPAGNES

Friday 22nd January 2016in the Restaurant

7.30pm to 7.50pm: Pre-Dinner Drinks8pm - 11pm: Dinner

$850 Per Member, $998 Per Member’s GuestLimited Seats Available

Pre-Dinner Drink

VEUVE CLICQUOT YELLOW LABELserved with Canapes

First Course

VEUVE CLICQUOT ROSESustainable Tuna Carpaccio with Fennel,

Seville Orange, Chicory and KohIradi Salad

Second Course

VEUVE CLICQUOT VINTAGE 2004Haddock Fish Cakes with a light Parsley Sauce

Third Course

VEUVE CLICQUOT VINTAGE ROSE 2004Marinated Pork Tenderloin withBraised Choucroute and Bacon

Fourth Course

VEUVE CLICQUOT LA GRANDE DAME 2004Pan-fried Cod Fillet and Alaskan Red Prawn

with Creamy Caper Vermouth Sauce andAromatic Du Puy Lentil

Last Course

VEUVE CLICQUOT DEMI-SECPoached Pear, Wild Berries Sorbet and Toffee Sauce

Please contact the Restaurant at 2830 9562 or email: [email protected] for reservations and enquiries.

• Cancellations or amendments must be faxed or emailed to the Restaurant and must be made before Monday 4th

January 2016 otherwise, full payment will be debited to the member’s account, unless there are exceptional circumstances

• The A la Carte menu will not be available that evening• All the above wines will be served in limited quantity

12 Dec 2015

Festive Season at QUE MO Spanish Restaurant

Group Menu Food Options:

1. Tapas at the terrace: $150 per person with minimum 1 hour Beverage Package ($100 per person)

2. Lunch: $150 per person with minimum 1 hour Beverage Package ($100 per person)

3. Dinner: $250 per person with minimum 2 hour Beverage Package ($200 per person)

Beverage: $100 per person, per hour includes cava, house wine, beer, sangria, soft drinks, bottle water * available until Thursday 17 December

Chef Martin – QUE MO Christmas Dinner Menu $588 per person (Wine pairing +$148 per person) * available from 21 to 31 December

For more information, please contact QUE MO at 2836 0699 or [email protected].

5/F, QRE Plaza, 202 Queen’s Road East, Wanchai, Hong Kong

10% service charge applies.

Chef Martin Carrasco from Barcelona

We collect and deliver your carFREE OF CHARGE (Subject to Distance)We provide good quick repair service at reasonable prices.

Our Competitive Labour Charges:- FROMLubrication Service $ 210.00Tune Up Engine $ 800.00Engine Decoke and Grind Valves $ 2,500.00Engine Overhaul $ 5,500.00Brake System Overhaul $ 1,200.00Clutch Mechanically Overhaul $ 1,700.00Air Condition Freon Recharge $ 400.00Alternator Overhaul $ 700.00Starter Motor Overhaul $ 700.00

ALL REPAIRS WITH THREE MONTHS GUARANTEEOur Business Hours: 8am-6pm, Mon-Sat and Public HolidayOur 24 hrs. Emergency Towing Agent “We Tow Towing” Tel:6128-0999Please call us at 2565 6166 Fax 2856 1047E-mail: [email protected]

FOOKIE MOTORS CO. LTDShop 7, G/F, Paramount Building12 Ka Yip Street, Chai WanHong Kong

14 Dec 2015

Photos from the Halloween PartySaturday 31st October Families and friends enjoyed a fun-filled afternoon at the Club, complete with face painting, bouncy castle, games and a live drama show.

16 Dec 2015

Charles French, Rugby Section Captain

‘Pardon My French’

Dear Rugby Section,

New Zealand won the World Cup, whatever...

Our very own Craig Wooten was elected as a Life Member of the Football Club in recognition for his very long and outstanding service to the Rugby Section including the 10s. Well done Craig!

Walton BrunchOn the 11th October 2015 it was the 13th anniversary of the Bali Bombing. Tommy Holmes, Pete Record, Charlie Vanrenen, Dan Miller, Stevie Spiers, Jake Young, Ed Waller, Shane Walsh-Till, Anika Linden, Tina Brandes and the Rugby Section Captain, Clive Walton will always be permanently remembered through the memorial in the Club, on the beach in Kuta, at the Memorial in London, on the bauhinia flower emblem on our playing shirts and in the way that those who knew them recall their lives cut short at this time of the year.

The Walton Brunch is the most important social event on our calendar and I would like to thank everyone again for coming. I was told that we made a pretty good dent in the champagne, but there were a few cases left…

Matt Worley reports from ParisBonjour! My first 3 weeks at Racing 92 has been brilliant. I’ve been able to train with some of the worlds best players past and present, I am getting stuck into my French lessons, and managed to get to see the sights of Paris. Everybody here has made me welcome and part of the squad. My first game was 2 weeks ago and I started at 9 for Racing 92 away against La Rochelle - the speed and intensity of the game was huge. We lost narrowly and were beaten by a better team. Determined to get a win against our next opponents, Bayonne. The intensity of training sessions increased

in order to get us prepared for that match. One of our sessions included a 3 hour long training session with the Racing 92 professional team. This consisted of skill drills, positional split sessions and ended with a full on 15 v 15 match. This was incredible as I was able to train and play with the likes of Joe Rokocoko, Casey Laulala, Chris Masoe, Juandre Kruger and François van der Merwe. Following on from that the next few days consisted of heavy gym sessions, high intensity cardio and speed drills as well as individual specialist coaching. All the hard work that week paid dividends

Rugby News


and we beat Bayonne 20 -18 in what was a brilliant attacking display from us, we were fitter and faster than our opposition. Next game is away at Brive and hopefully we can keep the wins coming. Things are looking positive for our future games. I was very pleased to see a win for Club v Kowloon this weekend and hope that winning streak continues as well. Au revoir! Matt

Meet the New Head CoachPhil BaileySo, you’re a Mungo, tell us about your League Career.

I was signed out of high school at 16 by Manly. Moved to Manly at 17 and made my first grade debut at 18. Was signed by Cronulla in 2002. Went on to play over 110 games for the Sharks and represented NSW 3 times in a series win over QLD in 2003. It’s been a long drought for us New South Welshmen since. Was selected for a Kangaroo squad to tour the UK and France. Outstanding time. We lost our first game a one off test in NZ to the kiwis... No one wanted to say it but there was a sigh of relief from all the players who pulled through with no injuries. No one wanted to miss the next 6 weeks. (I hid the severity of a broken foot from the medicos and managed to play the tour. Then had a screw put in it once I returned to Oz).

I then moved to Wigan in 2007 and played over 100 games there winning the comp in my last year. Wigan was a great experience and I went back over for the Rugby World Cup (RWC) and met some of the old gang I knocked around with.

So then why coach Union? I was lucky or unlucky enough to be invited to play for the classic wallabies in Bermuda twice. We finished 3rd and won it the next year...... Much to the groan of the other nations as we had 4 ringers. (Myself, Bryan Fletcher, Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns). I think they banned us the next year as we haven’t been back since.

I really enjoyed the experience and the guys. It was a great introduction into rugby life and culture by some of the former greats. Then it was onto NYC with my now wife. I got involved at the New York Athletic Club. Playing for a season and then coaching the next. In that time the national team coach was having a shake up of staff. As most leagues are I was asked to take over

defence. That then catapulted me into rugby with my first game coaching v the NZ Maori.

How was the World Cup? The RWC was outstanding. Great to be involved and a fantastic experience. It was run to perfection. The opportunity to rub shoulders with and bend the ear of some of the leading rugby players and coaches was amazing. Unforgettable experience.

First impressions of Hong Kong, the Club, people, standard?

My wife and I are loving HK. It sounds funny but it’s a slower pace than the day to day of NYC. Oh and we’re loving the weather...at the moment. I’m impressed with the standard of rugby across the board and also the knowledge. The HKFC and its Members have been amazing (besides Tatts). Made us feel very welcome.

Why do you have such an inappropriately strong handshake?

The handshake is a family thing. Lots of uncles and the handshake is our way of showing affection I guess... my wife says we aren’t big on hugging.

When is it appropriate to keep the handshake going as long as possible?

It’s too long when it becomes awkward. A quick squeeze, a g’day and move away. (Wrong!) In some areas of Africa, handshakes are continually held to show that the conversation is between the two talking. If they are not shaking hands, others are permitted to enter the conversation.

What is the casual cousin of the handshake?

In NYC the casual cousin of the handshake is the fist bump. (correct)

Catch Phil and his handshake down at the Club! Phil Bailey

RUGBY

18 Dec 2015

1. What is your party trick: No real party tricks unfortunately ( I can confirm he likes punching people’s shins)

2. Why did you move to Hong Kong: Parents moved to HK to work for the family business when I was young.

3. Highest Rugby Honours: Captaining the Hong Kong 7s team

4. What would your last meal be: Roast lamb

5. Most treasured possession: Slow cooker

6. Best/Worst rugby memory: Lifting the shield at HK 7s or ending Timmy A in grand final.

7. Favourite player growing up: Austin Healy and Tim Alexander

8. Most embarrassing moment, on or off the field: Bad stomach incident at the in-laws

9. What would you spend your last HK$500 on: Put it all on red (Wesley Snipes would disagree)

10. In the 15/16 season I will… hopefully help bring back the league title for Club

Meet our 7’s SuperstarMark Wright

Mark Wright

RUGBY


Mini Rugby

Under 12s

ClubClub team started our Richard Hawkes campaign with a pleasing 3 wins from 3 games. First up we met Valley, who historically have dominated us, primarily due to having much more intensity and desire in the forwards. For this tournament, our big boys were right up for it, preventing Valley from building any good momentum. Likewise, the Club backs contributed with an excellent defensive display, repeatedly shutting down the dangerous Valley backline. After a mighty arm-wrestle, we scored in the final moments of the game for a thrilling 1-0 win. DB Pirates were next - the confidence was growing and we began to express ourselves more in attack, taking away a 4-2 victory, which qualified us for the Cup final. In the final, we met Stingrays who had dispatched USRC Tigers and Sandy Bay on the other side of the draw. By this stage though, the Club boys’ taste for success had been whetted and away we went, finishing with a

Mini Rugby Tigerfest

take from both the wins and the losses, as it provides obvious areas to work on over the coming weeks. With this being the first time that many of the team members had played together, we can expect real improvement as the boys familiarise with each other and work out some combinations.

ScorpionsScorpions started their season with a slightly disappointing 3 losses from 3 games, but they played well in patches. Notably the team finished the day against Sandy Bay with excellent determination, good defence, and scored one try (but with the opportunities we had, it could easily have been three!).

Scorps have not played any rugby together as a team, and are getting used to new positions so we will improve by working better together.

Thomas Hulme

Under 11sHKFC U11’s went to the first festival of the year with a new approach to training and playing. Pre-season had been all about skills and games at high intensity. For festivals the squad was split into three even A teams to play in the A stream and one in the B stream. The new attitude to intense rugby and player development could be seen in he results of the three “A” teams. Of the 12 games they played only one was lost, and this was a narrow defeat to a HKU Sandy Bay 1st team. In the B Stream, FC 4 put

flourish and a solid 4-1 victory. Overall, a very happy day, bringing home some well-deserved silverware but more importantly, building trust in each other and sparking the desire to improve as a group and to achieve more.

DragonsDragon’s started the day strongly with 2 wins, against Stingrays (1-0) and Valley (2-1). The following 2 games were more demanding on our lads, going down to a strong Kukris outfit (5-1) and Sandy Bay (4-0). There are positives we can

Under 11s

U12 Club brings home some well-deserved silverware

20 Dec 2015

MINI RUGBY

in some spirited performances. Whilst they did not get a win, all their games were nail biters and the coaches were very proud of their players.

Finally, a special mention must go to departing Head Coach James Manders. James has been Head Coach of this group of players until this season. This was his last festival before he returns to Australia. He was given a rousing send off by all the players to thank him for his years of hard work and dedication. Both James and his son Ollie have been an integral part of this team and will be greatly missed.

Under 10sThe U10s made a good start to their season, with some excellent rugby being played throughout the Tigerfest tournament. The organisation in defence is coming along well and they have clearly made good progress since the start of the season. All of the teams who played registered wins, with the pick of the crop going to FC3 who remained unbeaten throughout the day.

The introduction of the scrum this year changed the dynamics of the play and there was more open space, particularly off the set-piece scrum. This meant that the teamwork and communication became even more important – especially with the larger pitch size at this age.

Going forward, all of the teams will

continue to develop their rucking and handling skills for the next tournament at Sandy Bay, as this was an area for development in all of the teams.

FC3 had a great start to the season, winning all four matches, scoring 19 tries and conceding just 3.

Our running was strong, with Tom Teare, Matthew Menzies, Jeffrey Ho and Alexis Couble regularly breaking tackles and making good ground. Tackling was also better than in training and everyone did their bit.

We used four different scrum halves, Caleb Lee, Noe Seyer, Leo Solbes and Harry Page and they all mixed

the game up with little breaks and some nice passing away from the scrums.

In open play Oliver Lai, Hugh Levett, Tristan Wu and Sam Hussey all made yards, and the front row of Tom, hooker Lyon Hall-Cooper and Jeffrey did a great job in their first tournament together.

Tom scored 6, Alexis 4, Harry 3, Matthew 3, Oliver 2 and Lyon 1. Couldn’t have asked for more at the first tournament of the season, and coaches and parents were very proud of all the effort the boys put in.

Samuel Hussey, Head Coach U10s

Under 9sThe U9 boys Harriers, Kookaburras, Eagles, Hawks, Falcons and Raptors really enjoyed their first contact festival at the USRC Tigerfest on 1st November. We have been together in our new squads for only a couple of weeks and so the boys have had limited training time together as a team. As one would expect, there was a real mix across the teams participating in the festival as regards how the boys are coming to terms with the additional complexities and physical demands of the contact game. Some clubs have clearly had quite a lot of training time together already whilst there were some at the opposite end of the spectrum

Under 11s

Under 9s


which called for some innovative refereeing! Our HKFC boys acquitted themselves very well across the board, really getting stuck into the tackling and putting on a great show for the watching (and on the odd occasion, wincing) parents. We have quite a bit to work on, which the coaches are looking forward to getting stuck into in the coming training sessions, but a very encouraging start, well done all!

Simon Cooke, Head Coach U9s

Under 8sTo take pressure off the numbers of children wanting to play tournament rugby, to further develop our new players and to give an extra training session to those players who couldn’t make the afternoon, the U8’s ran a morning training at the HKFC, 24 keen players turned up, raring to g. The parents thought they had a lie in – they didn’t get one.

Hopefully all of these players will head to Pokfulam for the next mini rugby festival on 22nd November. We can field an unlimited number of teams…The rest of the U8’s made their way to KP for the first festival of the season. Each of our four training groups: The Leopards, the Lions, the Pumas and the Tigers fielded two teams each.

For each festival this season we will focus on one training group, this time its “The Lions”. This group was split in two :

FC 1 - Aiden Durkin, Liam Gordon, Edward Harvey-Palmisano, Harry Hattam, Lauren Lau, Tiernan Lee, Gus Lyons, Harry Ruffy and Mia Wong.

FC 2 - Imogen Bater, Rio Cheung, Elie Cox, Lucy Guest, Jamie Pennel, Ollie Phillips, Lizzie Stanton, Stephen Kang and Tyson Uyede.

Considering it was the first tournament of the season, the players performed amazingly. FC 1 and 2 showed a creative desire to pass and run with the ball from anywhere on the pitch. The players have been working hard, passing on the move, making longer passes away from the tackle area and support play. These skills don’t always come off in game play, but they did during the

MINI RUGBY

first game. One coach felt the defensive line or getting in “shape” and tackling was the best he’d seen. It was very pleasing to see the children “thinking” before making decisions. There was enough evidence to suggest that both teams are, very much, heading in the right direction.

Considering it was the first tournament of the season, the players performed amazingly...the players have been working hard, passing on the move, making longer passes away from the tackle area and support play...

Under 8s

22 Dec 2015

Jingle Bells Jingle Bells Jingle All The Way…

Being a Bolton Wanderers fan I’ve asked Santa for 3 points and for us to climb out of the bottom 3…hmmm...

This month we have reports from the annual cricket match at the HKCC, the Ladies tour of Bali, a feature on Boxing Day and an update on the Crusaders from Nigel.

Boxing Day celebrations for the Soccer Section have grown over the years from the traditional England vs Scotland showdown to a full day of matches and entertainment.

The current holders of the trophy are England.

Schedule for the day is as follows:

Stephen Tew, Soccer Section Captain

Captain’s Report

HKFC SS vs HKCC Taverners

Soccer News

The annual trip up the road was as always a top day out.

The sun was shining, the artificial pitch was threatening to crack and take spin, by 8am we had lost one player to a calf injury playing 5-a-side football…by 10am, one player would be stuck in a meeting until 2.30pm and another was battling it out at immigration…ETA unknown.

This made the toss a one-way decision we needed to bat.

We lost Paul Wilson early and out to the wicket strode the chairman looking

to redeem himself following last years hour long duck… Pipes settled and in full flight, taking apart the bowling and edging closer to the illusive retirement at 30. Enter the Chairman who doing his best Geoff Boycott impression calls Pipes for a run, which never was and starts the mini collapse.

Big Bob once again ignoring the calls to relax and take some time is bowled looking to hit the ball to Quarry Bay…The Chairman soon follows and it was left to Tewy and THB to rescue the innings with a 58 run partnership.

Spuds and Deadly provided some traditional tail end slogging with THB top scoring with 37.

All out for 153, which from 38 for 4 was defendable.

Deadly usually line and length and the accuracy of Glen McGrath went for a record 20 runs off his first over……Pipes or Doudike according to the scorecard took the new ball from the other end and sent down 6 overs of swing for a career best of 4 for 27.

Tewy held up the other end going for 8 runs off 4 overs…the Club was back in the match with the oppo 54 for 4. The Taverner’s sensing this was the key moment in the match, knuckled down

Happy Xmas, Tewy

10:00 – U10 Mini Tournament11:00 – Senior Challenge Match

England v Scotland13:00 – U12 Boys

HKJFL Select ‘A’ vs HKJFL Select ‘B’

13:00 – U12 Girls HKJFL Select vs T.B.C.

14:00 – U14 Boys HKJFL Select vs Kitchee

15:30 – U16 Boys HKJFL Select vs T.B.C.

** Further details will be shared by team reps shortly including F&B arrangements.


HKFC RestaurantFriday, 4th December 20157pm until late$550 per head, inclusive of all festive food & drinksFancy Dress.......Xmas Songs & Hits!

Venue: Date: Time: Cost:

Dress Code:

THE SOCCER SECTION

HKFC Ladies Football Take to the Fields of Bali

and out together a match winning partnership of 50+ to put themselves in a commanding position and ultimately going onto win the match with a couple of balls to spare.

Man of the match: Doudike – 25 runs and 4 for 27

Notable mentions: THB top scorer 37, Tewy 28 and 0 for 8 and Pugh for his pacey 4 overs.

Tit of the match: for the second year running the Chairman Kieran Flynn…running out Pipes and not being able to perform the long barrier…

Thanks to the HKCC for a great day….quality after match food and we look forward to next year.

Six years after the beginning of the Ladies Football team, it finally got their shot at an international tournament, the Bali 7s.

The team found itself at an automatic disadvantage travelling only with six players to what would be a hard fought day of six games of 20 minutes each. The first match was against Hong Kong friendly rivals, The Good Bellas. With a nothing to lose attitude, the ladies held strong and managed to pull out a 0-0 draw against the team that eventually win the tournament.

The next match put the ladies up against an Australian team that was more experience than youth, and that proved to be enough to hold them to a 1-1 draw thanks to a strike from Andrea Fraser. The third match was perhaps the rockiest as fatigue set in and the ladies went down 2-0 to another batch of Aussies.

With the points proving that the ladies

weren’t at the bottom of the table, the team managed to rally after a lunch break. Capitalizing on the speed of striker Andrea Fraser, the ladies pulled out a spirited 2-0 victory over yet another Australian team.

The final regular round match pitted them against the team that had been dominating the tournament, the Indonesian national team. With a clean sheet every game and plenty of finishes to the back of the net, this would not be an easy game for the six woman squad. The ladies’ strategy then came down to minimizing any goal differential adding an extra man to the back. The

strategy paid off resulting in a 0-0 score and putting the ladies in a position to play for a spot in the finals. The only problem, they would actually be playing the Indonesian team again.

After a quick break, the ladies gave it their all against what on that day was a better opponent. The highlight came as a half field shot from mid-fielder Michelle Proctor lobbed the keeper and the HKFC Ladies became the only team in the tournament to score against the Indonesians in regular time.

The final featured the Indonesians and The Good Bellas that came to a stale

SOCCER

24 Dec 2015

mate during regular time and finished with an exciting round of penalty kicks. The Good Bellas managed to secure the win and the HKFC Ladies look forward to facing them during the regular season.

Women’s soccer is few and far between in Indonesia and the aim of this first time tournament was not only to give their women’s team an opportunity for international play, but also to show the community the excitement of women’s football. Here’s to more success next year!

Boxing Day Best XI’s Scotland’s Best XI – Scott Semple

I’ve been very lucky over the years in this fixture with a record of 3 wins, 2 draws and only one defeat, so I tend to be something of a good omen. Having chipped in (literally) with a few goals and even more nutmegs - it is a game I always look forward too.

Given the success it has been very tough to pick a final best XI given the contribution of so many to some great victories and performances over the years.

I’ve gone with the tried and tested 4-4-2 and have come up with the following:

Goalkeeper - Rudi McHollaender - The big keeper is quite simply the best there is. He has kept us in the game on a number of occasions and rightly takes his place between the sticks. He is often seen scoffing down haggis pre-match with a can

of Irn Bru (hence the ginger tinge)….a ritual from his Ajax days.

Right Back - Jamie Milne Ever dependable, Jamie absolutely thrives in this game. His commitment to the cause is second to none and even skips his third helping of deep fried ice cream on Christmas Day to ensure he is in the best shape possible…if the shape is round that is.

Centre-half - Neil Morrison Neil’s reading of the game is second to none. His man of the match performance in 2012 was key to Scotland running out 3-2 winners. It was only when we reached the Sportsman’s Bar that Neil finally let the England attackers out of his back pocket much to the relief of the police and Mrs. Hamilton-Bram.

SOCCER


Centre-half - Alan Morgan Can often be found on the roof of the Sportsman’s when he hears the F&B is ‘on the house’, Captain Morgan was at his best in 2010 marshalling the team when Scotland absolutely trounced England 6-1 in the Boxing Day Massacre™.

Left Back - Mark Bavis Our very own marauding full-back and Rod Stewart wannabe as despite the cockney accent and his support for a team that wants to be Irish. He’s pure dead brilliant and Scottish through and through. Try and get past him at your peril.

Right Mid - Scott Semple Well of course I’m going to choose myself ! There is something about this fixture that brings out the best of me and I can’t quite figure out why…I’m certainly proud of the crucial goals scored over the years, but get more delight out of a nutmeg of which there have been more than a few.

Centre Mid - Andy Hunter The metronome of the team. Sits in the middle of the park and keeps the ball moving whether the passes be short, long, square or over the top. Very smart player, especially as he gets all the younger players to do all his running for him!

Centre-Mid - John McCasey A gallus player despite the peely wally glaikit look, but such is the commitment to the cause John has agreed to get both a Scotland and Rangers tattoo! He doesn’t do tap-ins and has been known to score the odd stoater in this fixture.

Left Mid - Amro McAbbas Yet another player that thrives in this game. The Egyptian Magician has

scored his fair share of crucial goals over the years and was an easy first team pick for this squad. His goal celebrations are legendary and has promised to do a ‘Nessie’ should he score this year…..

Striker - Stewart McInnes Fantastic all round attacker and utility man. Happy to put his life on the line for his country or more importantly go in goals if your other goalkeeper has just been sent off…ideally you don’t get sent off as well Stew, but one step at a time!

Striker - Charlie Hunter A chip off the old block with sublime skills to boot. Charlie scored a momentous winner in 2012 when Scotland thought they would make it easier for England by going down to 9 men. It really was a brammer!

Subs: Allan Fraser - Demoted to the bench for his ‘zero from two’ penalty kick record!

Anto McGrabo - Anto McLegend

Matt Paterson - Scored 2 in the Boxing Day Massacre™

Russell Henderson - Selfless player that takes attention away from his teammates as opposition players always want to kick him.

Manager - Mark HealyMark first got involved as the understudy to Tom Vincent in 2011 and I don’t think anyone had heard anything as professional as when Mark spoke…..it could just be that that’s what happens when you follow Tom Vincent say “It’s Boxing Day, so let’s get Boxing!”

Mark took over on his own in 2012 and we actually did a warm-up!

SOCCER

Rudi Hollaender

Jamie Milne Neil Morrison Alan Morgan Mark Bavis

Scott Semple Andy Hunter John Casey Amro Abbas

Stew McInnes Charlie Hunter

HKFC Finest England XI

GK James Seddon has become somewhat a fixture in nets over recent years. Great handling and extremely comfortable on the ball when on the deck.

England being at the fore of world football tactics quite regularly would play a 3-5-2 formation especially against lesser opponents in the FIFA rankings such as the Faroe Islands, Andorra and Scotland. Richard Lant; South China legend past and Andrew Russell; South China Legend in the making providing the quality while Phil Ingham (captain) perfectly compliments with the grit and leadership qualities needed. Russell still calls Lanty “Sir” on pitch showing the respect he still has for his old PE teach! Old habits die hard.

Playing the five across the park; Jack Sealy ,Mike Sealy, John Pimlott, Mark Grainger, Jack Beacher would give the Scots something to think about. Pimlott sits deep protecting the back three and cleaning up (or is that out) any Scottish forays into the final third. Not many Scots have been in the same country as Messi let alone on the same pitch which underlines Sealy (Jack) qualities. Both he and Jack Beacher are similar players. Pace and power with good feet and engines to get up and down the line, Both have the odd goal in them too. Grainger and Sealy (Mike) provide the guile constantly probing into areas that make the “Sweatys” sweat.

Up front Paul Wilkin the “mystro” himself and one of the top scorers in HKFC history is a handful for any defence. His direct running coupled with the reaction time of Mickey Quinn is legendary. Mike Campion is the perfect foil for Wilkin. Blessed with a lethal free kick only matched by a disturbing array of step-overs in his locker.

Cheers, Deadly

26 Dec 2015

Charity Partner of the Soccer Section

Proud to support HKFC Crusaders Special Soccer

“When’s our next tournament?” “When’s our next tournament?” “You said...”

A constant question followed by the “You said” statement asked by the HKFC Crusaders to Head Coach Nigel R Merritt and one that until this week, he couldn’t answer. Now he can!

Not only lining up one exhibition match, but two, Nigel could hold his head up high in front of the HKFC Crusaders at an early November Monday evening training session to give them the good news.

The first exhibition match is the Operation Santa Claus exhibition match on Sunday 29th November between 12.40 and 12.50pm at the Chinese International School - this will already have been played by the time you read this!

The second and the one where the HKFC Crusaders really strut their stuff is the tour to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, for the Indochina Starfish Foundation ISF (the HKFC Crusaders charity partner) training camp and round robin tournament against the ISF’s own players with intellectual disabilities over the weekend of 27th

and 28th February 2016.

Both of the above tournaments/exhibition matches are proudly sponsored by the Prudential and it is hoped one or two of the Prudential staff will accompany the HKFC Crusaders to Cambodia next February.

Two games and new kit for this season... what else could the HKFC Crusaders want? Don’t ask, because they have many, many demands when it comes to showing off their silky footballing skills.

Nigel R Merritt HKFC Crusaders Head Coach

Excitement builds in the Crusaders camp

Crusaders Soccer


Excitement builds in the Crusaders camp Summer League Results

Squash News

Once again the HKFC Summer Squash League gave Squash Section members looking to keep their fitness up and their eye in a chance to continue playing ‘competitive’ squash during the off-season. With 8 teams of 6 entrants each, we also had a solid back-up pool of 50 players to cover the ever growing list of holidaying and injured players!

The regular league took place over seven weeks and with regular movement in the top half of the table, it was eventually won by The Polar Bears convened by James Osmund. In contrast, the bottom of the table was a lot more stable with The Black Mambas convened by Jon Pipe occupying the wooden spoon position for most (if not all!) of the summer!

The championship play-off final was one to relish as The Polar Bears took on The Killer Whales. With five of the six matches played, The Killer Whales were leading in matches 3-2 and 12-10 in games, but this match was far from over as we saw the Ng brothers face-off for bragging rights. Adrian Ng of The Polar Bears had to beat Henry Ng of

The Killer Whales 3-0 to win the match outright, or 3-1 to result in a dead heat after games count back. With Adrian 2-1 up, Henry looked to be in control as he managed to put a few points between himself and Adrian as they both chased the 4th game, giving Henry the opportunity to serve for the game and, with it, the overall match. However Adrian used his experience and wisdom to battle back from game point down on multiple occasions and managed to pip Henry 3-1.

So, a dead heat after games count back and we turned back to the summer league table as the deciding factor with The Polar Bears emerging victorious.

The hotly contested plate playoff final saw The Blank Mambas squeeze a narrow victory over The Praying Mantis’, with Jon Pipe finally securing his first win of the Summer after seven attempts. Overall it ended three matches a-piece, with The Black Mambas winning 11-10 on games count back.

A big thanks to all the convenors who worked tirelessly to ensure full teams were made available each week.

Position TEAM Played Won Drew Lost Points Games Won

1 The Polar Bears 7 6 0 1 37 88

2 The Killer Whales 7 5 1 1 36 90

3 The Great Whites 7 3 1 3 33 84

4 The Golden Eagles 7 4 0 3 29 76

5 The Grizzly Bears 7 3 0 4 23 69

6 The Black Widows 7 2 0 5 23 66

7 The Praying Mantis 7 2 0 5 22 76

8 The Black Mambas 7 2 0 5 21 76

LEAGUE WINNERS: The Polar Bears convened by James Osmund

PLAY-OFF CHAMPIONS: The Polar Bears convened by James Osmund

PLAY-OFF PLATE WINNERS: The Black Mambas convened by Jon Pipe

PLAYER OF THE LEAGUE: Nathan L’Huillier who went undefeated for the whole summer!

SUPER-SUB OF THE LEAGUE: Lam Wai Ming who played more matches than all the subs and regular players!

TEAM OF THE LEAGUE: The Killer Whales convened by KK who turned out their regular team most often

28 Dec 2015

Winter League October Summary The winter league got off to a very fast start in early October where many of the fixtures were played between HKFC teams. Every individual match is important as this gives the team one league point with an extra point being awarded to the overall winners of the team’s matches.

Division 2

The league season got off with a bang as HKFC 2A playing HKFC 2B on the first day of the season. 2B were 4-1 victors setting the stall out for Ho Fai Chiu’s team. 2A made amends in their second game with a very hard fought 3-2 win over KCC 2B. But HKFC 2B couldn’t win their second game against KCC 2A who look to be the team to beat in the league

Division 3HKFC 3 convened by Elliot Froidevaux had a very close game against the powerful KCC team in the first round narrowly losing 3-2. They have regrouped well to win their next two games against LRC and FC 1.

Division 4HKFC 4 have had two 5-0 wins in their first 3 games and have narrowly lost to Spirit 1 3-2 in their other tie to make them second in division 4 in these early days of the season.

Division 5David Robinson’s HKFC 5 team had a tough start against old foes KCC in their opening game losing 4-1. They lost by the same margin to YLJR1 in their second game but had a well-earned

victory in their third game vs USRC.

Division 6The season opened with the derby game of HKFC 6A playing 6B. The tie saw Club captain Julian Tanner’s 6B team beating Kien Ng’s 6A 4-1 to set the stall out early for div 6 bragging rights. 6A bounced back to win against Tomcat 3-2 in round 2 with 6B narrowly losing to DB 1 in their second game.

Division 7The division 7 team’s pre-season must have been strong as they had a rip roaring start in their first match winning 5-0 and only dropping one game in all the matches. They lost 3-2 in their second game but won their third 3-2 to give them a solid start to the season.

Division 8 HKFC 8 started their campaign a week later than the rest of the teams due to having a bye. They played HKCC in their first game beating the old rivals 4-1 up at Wong Nai Chung Gap Rd.

Division 9Philip Ting’s division 9 team has won three of their first 4 games beating last year’s finalists Star River 3-2 in the process. They lost very narrowly 3-2 to probable league favourites Head Advance 8 with the top 3 players all narrowly losing 3-2 in their individual games. This month has some action shots of the Division 9 team.

Division 10HKFC 10 led by Robert Jones has won 2 of their first 3 games with wins

against Head Advance 10 and the sailors at RHKYC 1. They lost 3-2 to TZSC 1 to ensure they have had a solid start to the season.

Division 11HKFC 11 lost their first game vs TMSC 1 in a tight encounter. Results are pending for their next few games.

Photos from Division 9

SQUASH


SQUASH

Division 13HKFC ably led by Damien Laracy had a very strong start beating SCAA 5-0 in their first game. They had a tougher second match vs Kinetic 4 losing narrowly 3-2 in a very close game.

Division 14Another club Derby match was in order for the first game of the season with 14 A playing 14 B. James Osmund’s 14A side won 3-2 against Brian Tam’s 14 B 3-2 with 14A’s number 3,4 and 5 all winning their games to show they have strength in depth.

Masters Division 1 Early results are still waiting to be updated. The M1B team had a very strong victory over CWB. It will be interesting to see which HKFC team finishes on top at the end of the season with two very strong squads.

Master Division 2 The old rivals in last year’s final HKFC M2A played HKFC M2B in the season opener with the M2A team winning 3-2 ably led by Simon Ho. Nick Shultz’s M2B team had a tricky 2nd game vs DB masters losing 3-2 out on Lantau.

Master Division 3HKFC M3A have enjoyed a solid start to the season by beating arch rivals HKFC M3B and then RHKYC in their first two games. A narrow loss to Gloma in the third week means that Dave Cross’ team are well placed. Michael Yang’s M3B bounced back from the club derby defeat in the first week to win their second match but they lost their third match 3-2 to Jaws M.

Master Division 4The newly formed masters Div 4 is still in its early rounds. The M4A team won their first game vs HKFC M4B but they then lost their second game to a strong CUHK team.

Ladies Division 1The HKFC L1 team has lost their first 3 games in the very strong division 1.

Ladies Division 2It is early days in the ladies Division 2 but with 3 teams from HKFC battling it out for glory it will be interesting to see which team turns out to be strongest. The HKFC L2A team led by Cherly Yat Ching Vong are unbeaten so far with 3 wins from 3. The L2B and L2C teams have had mixed results but have won a match each.

Ladies Division 3Last year’s league winners L3A got off to a very strong start beating HKFC L3B I the first round of fixtures. Chin Mcnamara’s team will be aiming for more silverware again this year.

LADDER MOVERS OF THE MONTH:

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER

(Men’s)

Dean Thompson 103 places

Suberna Shingla 85 places

Andrew Ward 66 places

(Ladies)

Javy Wong 25 places

Squash Kit Must Travel

George Chan at the Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland

30 Dec 2015

Men’s F Team The Fs started the season with a new look squad including Neil Galloway, Simon Shepherdson, Chee Ip, Quentin Job, Matt Brook and Angus Davidson all having been promoted from the Es and Paul Proudfoot and Oscar Poelmann coming from the Gs to augment what had been an injury ravaged squad by the end of last season. We also welcomed back Steve Smart after a lay-off of some considerable years – some of this year’s D team probably didn’t start playing minis before Steve’s last game.

Pre-season started well with solid wins against the Gs and Cricket Club and we went into the season, following a good turnout at the start of season social, full of hope and expectation, if a little hung over still. The Men’s 3rd Division looks very different from last year, with the top two teams from the 4th Div having come up (IUHK and Dragons), a newly created team (Islamic Association of Macau – who appear to have nothing to do with Macau?), Pakistan Association B having come down and the Punjab team now being their As, after the drop out of their team from the premier league, none of the games were going to be easy.

Our early season form carried forward into the first game with a 3-1 win over Shaheen C. After that, despite good

turn outs, the heat, humidity a couple of 6pm starts and, in one case, flooding took its toll on us and we struggled against some pretty good teams. The second game against IUHK, was a disappointing affair when despite finding ourselves 2-1 up we succumbed to some long ball hockey and went down 4-2. That was followed by what can only be described as a bizarre result against Dragons B, who turned up with 12 players and no keeper, played 11 on pitch and rather took us to the cleaners in a 10 goal game - suffice to say we only scored one of those! All, I can say is that they deserved it and that despite the result we didn’t actually play that badly.

This was followed by our game vs Pak Association B on a day that looked rather like Noah had come to visit for the weekend. A 9am start in the aftermath of a typhoon and ankle high water on the Valley pitch at 8.50am didn’t bode well, especially as we only had 10, with one still stranded in Discovery Bay! Despite that we struggled and squelched our way to a 2-1 lead again at half-time, when Will Probert eventually managed to arrive but sadly the lack of a subs bench left us exposed and again we gave up the lead to lose 4-2. The following game vs 144 United was another one of those games, when we played well and built a 2-1 lead (again) only to lose our way, this time we kept going until within 10 minutes of the final whistle, when we coughed up 2 quick goals and, despite digging deep and pressuring the opposition hard we went down 3-2 – that game hit the mark when everyone had played at least once – including, our wandering Scotsman - Ali Gordon, last season’s MVP - Patrick Lam and pilot Patrick Watts.

At this stage, it very much looked like we were going to lose whatever happened and so the Skipper decided to go off in a strop and take the kids away for half term to Japan. Lucky I did really because in my absence Lyle Williams took up the reins and (despite

a losing record as stand in skipper last season) the Fs rallied and fought out a 0-0 draw against Valley D. Whilst not the result we were looking for – it stemmed the flow and continued the good play and fight that we had shown against 144 United and translated it to some much needed points and a clean sheet for the keeper Jeroen Touw and the backline unit of Lyle, Fergus McCoig, David Watts and Gilson Chua. We then followed that up with a good win vs Skyers A, when we played our best hockey of the season to record a 3-0 win, in a game where we controlled the whole game, made numerous chances, we should’ve scored more, pretty much denied them a shot and recorded another clean sheet and had the bonus of a guest appearance from Chris Grossick. Despite the fact that it was generally a very clean and friendly game we managed to chalk up more cards in that 70 minutes than we had in the season to date – all from pretty innocuous challenges/tackles in the middle of the pitch with nothing going on around.

Hopefully things have turned around now and we are looking for a stronger finish to this half of the season. The race for our league golden stick is wide open with 3 players on two goals – myself, Gordon Marsden and Oscar and a host of thousands – Quentin Job, Eugene Cheuk, Neil Galloway, Fergus McCoig, Angus Davidson and Paul Proudfoot on 1 each. For a team that is generally pretty well behaved, the disciplinary race is also hotting up with Matt Brook on 1 yellow and 2 greens (shows how committed he’s been!), Eugene and Paul Proudfoot on a yellow each and Clive Miners and Gordon each with a green card.

We should also say congratulations to Q and his wife on the arrival of their newest addition to the family. Luckily baby Job arrived at a time when Q was injured so his arrival hasn’t disrupted his hockey season just yet!

Hockey News


A TOUCH OF MAGIC

When: Friday 11th December

Where: HKFC Restaurant

Time: 7:00pm

Cost: $698 pp

Hockey Section Christmas Party

As the holiday season draws closer, hockey slows down a little. There are not many games in December in the run up to Christmas. Games to watch out for though are B’s v HKCC A on the 5th and C’s against Valley B on the 12th. I hope to see you all at the Christmas party on Friday 11th December. Hopefully there will be ‘a touch of magic’ in the air.

At time of writing, teams have only played 3 or 4 games each. The A’s have had a strong start with 3 wins and a draw, including their win against the B’s 7-0 The score, however, did not reflect the game. The B’s have been unlucky with some of their results, going strong for 60 minutes and then conceding goals in the last 10. The C’s are still settling in, which is understandable given the number of new players, and are sitting mid-table. The D’s have made a strong start and are joint 3rd, above the C’s! In the 2nd division the E’s and F’s have struggled to get going but I’m sure they will find their form soon. The only way is up! The G’s have begun with some results and are also sitting joint 3rd.

Rhona Barr, Ladies Captain

Ladies’ Captain Report

HOCKEY

Katie and Ellie

This goes to Katie Daly from the D team. It was a fantastic deflection from the left post on a short corner. Katie injected the ball to Ellie Batterham who hit the ball in for Katie to slot it high into the net. Additionally it came at a crucial time, to draw 1-1 with top of the table Dutch A.

Goal of the Month

32 Dec 2015

Introducing the Foxes (aka Ladies F Team) of 2015/16 where we have a team sheet of 17. This year we welcome nine new foxes to the team (Amy Hopkins, Emilie Wong, Emily Norris, Ingrid Chan, Jemma Abbs, Lauren Edgely, Melissa Mayo, Phoebe Fraser, Samantha Liddelow) — five of whom are new juniors entering the senior part of the Hockey Section for the first time. Continuing the tradition of developing the junior players, we are excited to have them as part of the team. The returning foxes include Jessica Lam (Captain), Clare Bottomley (Vice-captain), Annabel Baillie, Emily McPherson, Emma Maclean, Joanna Fargus, Melinda Mak, Rhona Barr and Vanessa Sweeny. We’d also like to congratulate Alex MacFarlane and Fiona Wilkinson who are expectant mothers - we look forward to meeting the new fox cubs and have you re-join our foxes family in the future.

During the off-season, we are proud of Vanessa Sweeny, who competed in the White Collar Boxing event on 12th September. Before the event, she had

never put on boxing gloves and over 3 gruelling months of intensive training, we could see her physical and mental transformation into a fighter. Vanessa was amazing during the match and KO-ed her opponent in the 2nd round!

Coming off Vanessa’s victory in the ring, we turned our attention to victories on the pitch. We ended last season strongly in 3rd place just 1 point shy of 2nd place. In hindsight, fortunate, as the top 2 teams were promoted to the First Division. With this is mind - we started the season with great expectations with the vision of capturing the Second Division title to earn a second spot for our Foxes team photo to hang proudly on the Club wall.

From the first 3 games of the season, we have amassed 2 points - still chasing the first “W” for the season. Our confidence and cohesiveness as a team is building. We came close to a W at our last game leading 1-0 for 68 minutes but were pipped by an unlucky short corner from Recreio at the finish. On a positive note, by the last game, we had managed to learn everyone’s names as well as create nicknames for the 4 “Ems” - “3 Emily’s (Emily McPherson, Emily Norris, Emilie Wong) and 1 Emma (Maclean), as well as the 2 Mels (Melinda and Melissa)! Big shout outs to Annabel Baillie and Emily McPherson for padding up and stepping into the foamy shoes of GK over the last few weeks.

Great news, as we finally secured some coaches this week. Not just one but TWO premier division players sharing the coaching duties (Samantha Hill from the A team and Alison Meikle from the B team). First training session tonight and we’re already feeling the difference. Some reassuring words from our coach - “you guys aren’t as bad as I expected” - we see the glass being half full and are encouraged by this observation! Big thank you to Chappie for taking us at training over the last few weeks.

With the influx of the youth and other new foxes, we are rebuilding as a team. What better way than to bond than with food and drinks – thanks for the baking prowess from some of our juniors – thank you Phoebe Fraser for your spooky Halloween cupcakes!

A big thank you to all the supporters who turn up to cheer and share in our joy from the sidelines! We encourage you to come down to watch our games, we promise entertainment, there will be food and drinks, and a few of us are likely to get injured (ahem… Jessica) at each game so we’ll need your help as medics to bring us ice!

Cheers to the rest of the season, we raise a glass of sparkling grape juice for the juniors and champagne for the adults!

Jessica Lam, F Team Captain

HOCKEY

Ladies F Team aka the “Foxes”


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34 Dec 2015

Lawn Bowls News

Record holder, record breaker – HKFC ladiesIn 2013 Premier League HKFC ladies broke the record held by Tai Koo Recreational Club for more than a hundred years by winning the Division One champion title for seven consecutive years. The ladies were not satisfied with this achievement. Ladies A Team helped the Club break the record again and again in 2014 and 2015 to achieve 9 championships in a row. This year’s title was already secured after playing the second last game which saw Camilla Leung, Vivian Yip, Dorothy Yu and Phyllis Wong crowned as the “Best Team”. Congratulations to the A-team ladies!

The glory of “9 champs in a row” does not only go to the 13 ladies of this year’s A Team but also to those from A and B teams from the past 8 years. We have included a table on the adjacent page to show our appreciation to all who have contributed to the team’s success.

A special thanks to all side captains who seconded their teammates to the winning teams whenever there was a need. As always, we are very grateful for the support from the Club’s green management staff and our Greens Secretary.

I have confidence that our ladies will work hand in hand to break their record again in 2016.

Cheers with Kenneth Pang

Shirley Ma, Grace Chu, Emmie Wong (skip) and Celena Kwok

The Best rink, Phyllis Wong, Camilla Leung (skip), Vivian Yip and Dorothy Yu

Congratulations from Chairman Bernard

YM Wong, Wanis Sze (Skip), Josephine Lam and Rita Shek

Camilla Leung and Josephine Lam

Emmie Wong and Celena Kwok


Before 2009, we only had one team of 4 bowlers in the HKLBA’s Premier League. In 2009 Premier League, a team was converted to a side which is composed of two teams with 4 bowlers each. In the following year, it was further enlarged to 3 teams per side with 12 players altogether. This structure has been adopted ever since.

Thanks to additional players seconded by other sides/teams as substitutes for the champion side/team in 2007 - 2015:Calinna Chan; Carrie Yeung; Connie Chan; Connie Chung; Daisy McNie; Flora Ni; Josephine Wong-Ng; Wai-yee Lau; Linda Lousich and Tonia Yiu

PLAYER 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007

Side/Team Captain

Side A Camilla Leung






Side B Rita Shek

Team A Camilla Leung

Team A Camilla Leung

Alice Antunes ● ● ● ● ●

Anne Gately ● ● ● ●

Camilla Leung ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Carole Chau ●

Celena Kwok ●

Connie Wong ●

Dorothy Yu ● ●

Emmie Wong ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Erica Wong ●

Grace Chu ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Josephine Lam ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Karen Li ●

Linda Da Luz ● ● ● ●

Lydia Yang ● ● ● ● ●

Phyllis Wong ● ● ●

Priscilla Lam ● ●

Rita Shek ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Rita Tsui ●

Shirley Ma ● ●

Shirley Ou ●

Tammy Tham ● ●

Vivian Yip ● ●

Wanis Sze ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Wendy Hui ●

Winnie Au ● ● ● ● ● ●

Wong Yee Ming ● ● ● ● ●

Premier League Champions 2007 - 2015

LAWN BOWLS

36 Dec 2015

There were 14 teams including teams from six Asian countries that participated in the 4th Japan International Open Lawn Bowls Tournament 2015. The tournament was held in Yokohama City on the historic grounds of the Yokohama Country and Athletic Club. The pacing of the venue green was about 10 seconds. 14 teams were divided into two groups and played in a round robin format. After seven games of qualifying round, the top two teams entered the semi-finals.

The path to victory in the 2015 Women’s Indoor Pairs was very tough. All the games we played to get to this point were exciting but not at all easy as we faced strong opponents in every round.

As we progressed through each round, practices became more frequent as we aimed to play better to reach a higher standard of bowling. Cooperation within the team was very important and we supported each other whenever we encountered tough times.

In one particular game, we were losing by miles at the beginning of both sets and the outlook was very grim. But

Connie and Connie’s Path to Victory in Women’s Indoor Pairs

we remembered that “a game isn’t decided until it’s actually over”, and so we redoubled our efforts, persevered and won in the end. It was only with much resilience that we clawed our way into the semi-finals. It wasn’t at all easy playing against experienced veteran bowlers, but we found ourselves wolfing down a quick lunch with one thing on our minds – we were going to the finals! There, we met two bowlers with strong drawing power and the points stayed dangerously close throughout. It was with much determination that our extra practices paid off, and victory was ours at the end of a tiring but rewarding day.

A big Thank You to all who supported Connie and Connie throughout the journey, and special thanks goes to Stephen Chan, who dedicated much time and effort to practice with us – that is, with the promise of a goose drumstick.

By Connie Chung

Stephen and I joined the Club three years ago. We are both very keen bowlers and enjoy practicing the game whenever we are free. This year, I had the honour to represent the Club in the Women’s Indoor Pairs with Connie

Chung, and with much hard work, we won the championship. I want to thank those who always supported us and spent time to play many practice games with us before the final day. How very true that practice does make perfect. We went through several tough games and eventually won the title. I am sure both of us will continue practicing to get into higher levels. We do hope to bring more glory to the Section in the coming future.

By Connie Chan

LAWN BOWLS

Prize presentation of the Men and Women’s Indoor Pairs winners

Women’s Indoor Pairs champions, Connie Chan and Connie Chung

Danny Ho, the team manager, CT Wong, Elisa Cheung and Terry Kung

Champion of the Mixed Triples, Japan International Open Lawn Bowls Tournament 2015


Our Section bowlers, Terry Kung and C T Wong teamed up with Elisa Cheung of KBGC to represent Hong Kong in this tournament. The weather on the first day was fine, but the following day was very wet and rainy and the temperature dropped down to 10ºC. The third day the weather was fine but the green was still very heavy.

Our team beat China in the semi-final and also beat Thailand in the final. This is the first time that Hong Kong has won gold in this tournament. The line up of the team was Elisa Cheung (lead), Terry Kung (second) and C.T. Wong (skip). Congratulations to all.

By C T Wong

LAWN BOWLS

Champions Terry Kung, Elisa Cheung and CT Wong

We are ready!

Terry Kung carrying the flag for Hong Kong

Visitors from Neutral Bay Club, SydneyThirteen lady bowlers from Neutral Bay Club visited the Club on 4th November. The Section arranged a friendly game at the Indoor Green, where many cheers and laughter was heard throughout the morning. Some of the greatest rewards of these friendly games were new friendships, and shared experiences of bowling skills and tips. Leone Schueler, team leader

of Neutral Bay Club, also extended an invitation to our bowlers to visit them in Sydney where they would reciprocate and arrange a few games for us with other local bowling clubs. To the ladies from Neutral Bay Club, thank you for visiting us, and you’re always welcome to visit again!

By Bernard Young

Group photo of Neutral Bay Club and HKFC players

38 Dec 2015

Netball News

Penny Angove Netball DSA Chairperson

Chairperson’s report As expected, this month has been a hectic one, and has seen a huge amount of support for the Netball DSA from friends and family of existing members and from the greats of the game past and present. The Net Ball was expertly organised and well-attended, our visiting coach for 2015 — Norma Plummer — was excellent, and overall the season has started strong with a high proportion of wins across all divisions.

Disco Fever The inaugural Net Ball, themed to replicate the vibe of Studio 54, was a roaring success on October 10th, with the Restaurant at HKFC filled to capacity for dinner, drinks, dancing and a humour-filled speech from Norma Plummer. Friends and family of HKFC Netball DSA attended in their finest, looking spectacular and the evening’s MC, Dom Dunne kept everything moving along nicely with some hilarious quips about the netball girls. The food, as always, was delicious, the drink plentiful, and the band, STYLUS, made sure the dance floor was full from the first to the last song of the evening.

With some fantastic raffle and spot prizes on offer, guests responded extremely generously and a lucky few walked away with some brilliant gifts from: FOSSIL, Flight Centre, Bikini Fit, Doan Ho photography, Grant Burge Wines, 2XU, Mira Moon Hotel, Kinesiology Asia and a couple of very generous “mystery” donors from within the DSA! Representing this year’s sponsor, The Hong Kong Trust Company were Crystal Ha and Jeffrey Chan, who mingled with the other greats in the room, including the Netball DSA’s founder, Heather Probert and Norma Plummer herself, who rounded off her visit to Hong Kong with great panache.

Some of Takumi Photography’s shots are shown here, and they really capture the essence of the evening — glamorous, fun and fabulous!

Learning from a LegendWith a very full schedule during her visit to Hong Kong, South Africa’s coach and ex-Aussie Diamond, Norma Plummer, set aside four solid sessions to spend specifically with our senior competitive squads for training. Utilising her many years in a netballing environment as both a player and as a coach, she put the girls through their paces, honing in

on weaknesses (yes, we may have one or two!) and working on drills and court play to improve the games of all teams at all levels. Making the most of the opportunity in the senior teams were more than 60 players, and many more in the junior teams worked with Norma during her time with us too.


Latest Match Reports:Typhoons A new netball season and a new-look Typhoons team. With some familiar faces returning and welcoming some new, the Typhoons got off to a great start to the season with a convincing 35-14 win over HKCC Devils. An exciting and very strong first game performance, with a new line-up and new combinations. Well done team!

Leading into the second game everyone was keen to put out another strong performance, especially for Norma Plummer who was supporting from the sideline. Unfortunately injuries were out to destroy us, with players dropping like flies and we eventually went down 29-45 to Hantang Phoenix. Despite the loss everyone gave it their all right up until the final whistle.

With some great feedback from Norma and Pauline O’Kane we got back to basics and planned our attack for the third game. Valley Tigers did not know what hit them when they took the court against us! We dominated every quarter, building as the game went on, coming away with a convincing 48-15 win. BOOM! 2 wins from 3 games ... Typhoons mean business peeps!!

Hurricanes October 5th 2015The Hurricanes managed to prove themselves in their

on, we were able to carry on our skilled play. Most importantly, we held on to our lead. Frequent turnovers in the defensive end allowed for more shooting chances. The final score of the Hurricanes first ever game was 24-21, our debut win!

October 12th 2015 The Hurricanes were up against a skilled and experienced team, the HKU Knights. Nonetheless, they were up for the challenge. Without the shooting help of Lauren Laroche and Caitlyn Rawiller, Alexia Rutkowski and Imogen Shute were left to play GS and GA respectively. In this quarter, very much like the first quarter of last week’s game, the Hurricanes were able to work together well and end the quarter with a score of 7-3.

With a few changes in mid-court and defence, the Hurricanes lost a bit of their ‘mojo’. Whilst still maintaining their lead, they let HKU win the quarter. They ended the third quarter with a score of 16-12. The final quarter was the highest scoring quarter for both teams. Whilst the Knights put up a strong fight, the Hurricanes managed to get their second win of the season 26-21.

Fresh from a win — Typhoons and the HKFC Netball DSA official sponsor, The Hong Kong Trust Company

outstanding entrance to the league, with a win against Valley Cougars. In the first quarter, we played our game at a consistent pace. With safe and well placed passes in the attacking end along with our accurate shooting we were able to win this quarter 7-3.

In the second quarter there were changes to the mid-court and shooters. We then started to lose the ball to the Cougars, ending the quarter at 11-11. With fewer changes in this third quarter, we were able to settle down and bring the score back. Exceptional play put us back ahead in this quarter, 20-13.

In the final quarter, with fresh mid-court players coming

NETBALL

40 Dec 2015

Tennis Society vs Squash Section Golf Day Kau Sai Chau North Course, Friday 6th November 2015

In the past few years, the Tennis Society and the Squash Section have put their friendly rivalry as racquet players on the golf course in an annual match. This year the competition was held on Friday 6th November at the challenging Kau Sai Chau North course in Sai Kung. The match last year was closely contested and with the score tied at 3.5 points all the outcome was decided in the anchor match which unfortunately the Tennis side narrowly lost by one point. This year we were motivated to do better and recruited a mixture of players from the Tennis Society including coaches, A+, A, B, D, social players and 3 ladies!

Wolf Blass, proud to be the official sponsor of the Tennis Society

Tennis Society News

The format used was four-ball match play with handicap. Organizers from both sides (Anatole and John) leading the way, the first pairing was a match between the methodical math whiz Anatole Le and Tennis coach Toby Clark against John Thompson and Leo Kwok from Squash. The match was very close being one up or one down and all square all the way to the 16th hole. Despite a hard battle, the Squash team took the next two holes to win the first point 2 and 1. Credit to Squash who played well and Leo who won best stableford on the Squash side. The highlight of the match was on the 14th hole, a difficult 168 yards downhill Par 3. On a windy day blowing from left to right, Toby hit one of the best shots of his life, a draw that landed 6 feet right of the flag and then made the putt for the 4th birdie in his life! Needless to say, Toby won nearest pin on that hole.

Despite losing the first point, we were always confident with our chances, especially with our 2nd pairing of Captain Redbeard Duncan Spooner and Tennis coach Nathan Booth. They were playing against Dallas Reid and Kien Ng from Squash, tough competitors and longtime golfers. Alas for Squash, our Tennis guys were too strong taking the lead from the start and never letting their opponents mount a comeback for a comfortable 4 and 3 win. Duncan had a stellar day of golf taking nearest pin #5 and shooting a net score of 66 and gross 77 for the best net and gross scores of the day. There’s a reason why Duncan was Captain for the match and also Captain of the Golf Society!

The third pairing was composed of Jenny Chapman and Chris Baleyte from Tennis against Malcolm Kerr and Dave Cross. Jenny, used to competing in golf events, fired bullets from the beginning to take the early lead while Chris was not feeling well but nonetheless managed to win longest drive on hole #8 before he had to quit after 9 holes. Unfazed by playing alone against two respectable opponents


of handicap 11 and 20, Jenny ran away with victory 3 and 2 playing alone on the back nine! Well done to Jenny for handling pressure on her own to dismantle two Squash men with the 2nd best net score of the day (69) and longest drive for women to give Tennis a 2 to 1 lead.

The next pair was made up of Beatrice Lin and Québécois Gilles Bonnier vs Jason Waldie and Nick Schultz. Although Jason had the lowest handicap (5) from both sides, Beatrice was not a lady to be intimidated and Gilles mentioned before the match he liked to take on low handicappers so the Tennis side was confident in this match up. Beatrice had a great round while Gilles helped and tagged along winning holes with his golf bag on his back walking the hilly North course. The match score turned out to be the most lopsided one with a 5 and 4 win for Tennis!

The second last pairing was formed of A+ Tennis player, Publicity Officer Henry Lai and Mel Watt against the unhurried Andrew Wood and Chris Burley from Squash. Henry and Mel had never played the North course before, perhaps a strategic pairing slip from the organizer’s part. They fought their best against tough and experienced 13 and 14 handicappers while figuring out how best to manage a new course in windy conditions. Henry played well with Mel and they battled hard to keep the score all square with 3 holes to play. Sadly a new course with tricky conditions proved a little too much in an encounter decided on the smallest of margins where the opposition made some unlikely putts from beyond 60 feet and so they went down 2 and 1 to reduce the Tennis lead to 3 to 2.

And so would come the final and anchor match between Tennis Chairman Greg Brutus and Membership Secretary Job Tang vs Luke Cianfarani and Wei Lam. The Tennis side was worried before the match if Job was going to make it as there was an accident in Sai Kung which caused him to miss the ferry. Fortunately Greg managed to square the first hole against two opponents and Job arrived to play starting from hole #2. Golf being a very mental game, the missed tee time and rush to make up for it was a negative turn of event for the pair. Greg and Job were behind early playing catchup and were 3 down with 3 holes to play. They fought back

and won the 16th and 17th holes to cut the deficit to 1 down going into the 18th while the rest of the Tennis and Squash teams were standing by the 18th green watching the last hole being played out with beers in hand. Job hit a good 3rd shot that faded onto the green but unluckily bounced right and slowly rolled into the bunker (and so were heard a bunch of ahhhh’s). From there it was a difficult task to get up and down and so Squash won that match 2 up to make the final score a draw at 3 points all.

It was a great day of golf and overall a draw was a good result and a step in the right direction given the losses in previous years. The Squash team looked a little shocked with the outcome thinking they would run away with the trophy given their strong lineup. Little did they know about our depth, strategic pairings and steady ladies. Overall the Tennis side played better golf on the day with Duncan’s best and Jenny’s 2nd best net scores and three wins by the margins of 5 and 4 (Beatrice/Gilles), 4 and 3 (Duncan/Nathan) and 3 and 2 (Jenny/Chris) while the other 3 matches were very close each going down by 2. That should have been the way to decide the winner when the score is tied! After the match we gathered at KSC for food and prize presentation followed by more drinks back at the Sportsman’s Bar. The match and festivities were held in great spirit and we are looking forward to the match next year.

Anatole Le, Event Organizer

TENNIS

Team Win Loss

Ladies A+ 2 3

Ladies A 2 2

Men’s A+ 1 5

Men’s A 0 4

Men’s B 2 4

Men’s D 4 1

Junior B 4 4

Junior C 2 5

Junior D 2 5

Update email contactsTo all members of the Tennis Society, please send us your most updated email contact to [email protected] or send us a message to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/hkfctennissociety)

League Results (as of 7th November)

42 Dec 2015

Get to know the player:Gilbert WongFavourite tennis player? Andre Agassi

French Open, Wimbledon, US Open or Australian Open? US Open

Worst on court outburst? Hmm... being called foot fault by the opponent who stood 10 feet behind the baseline while I was serving...

Best tennis memory? Playing my first Davis Cup game for Hong Kong

Favourite hangout at HKFC? I love the 10-pin bowling!

Weapon of choice / favourite shot? Backhand down the line

TENNIS

Royal Signals Badminton Team Visiting HKFC

The Royal Signals Badminton Team (RSBT) visited and played the HKFC team on Sunday 10th November in the Sports Hall. We put up a team comprising mainly younger players, complemented by a few senior players. A total of nine doubles matches were played with HKFC rolling out a 7:2 win. Other HKFC Badminton Society members joined in the social matches with mix-and-match pairings from both sides to give some interesting combinations. Afterwards, a physically exhausted joint group rounded off with some Cantonese cuisine and drinks.

Badminton Society News

Exchange of Souvenirs

Pre-match group photo


Golf Society News

Palm Island Inter-Club Challenge Palm Island Resort, Friday 30th OctoberThere are some events where the golf is the most competitive aspect and there are other events when the thing most keenly contested is the Pig, the Golf Society equivalent of the dunce’s cap!

As we gathered at the bus station for the trip to Guangdong, Ian “Jumbo” Petersen put in a very competitive early marker when he scurried back from the Coffee Shop having found that he had set out without his passport. He was immediately dispatched to Happy Valley to retrieve the missing ID and remarkably reached the bus stop at the border before we got there. Had he redeemed himself ?

Well, Captain Spooner, was keen not to be outdone and immediately countered with a ‘missing shirts’ bid. This was to be the debut of the new GS match shirts but when it came to handing out the 10 shirts he proved not to be 1 short but a massive 3 short! I wonder where the other ones went? If you see a taxi driver wearing one, do let me know as it will solve that little mystery! Anyway, suffice to say that for sapping team spirit and sense of unity, El Capitano had thrown his hat in the ring.

The competition was an aggregate gross strokeplay format with the best 6 scores counting (from a team of 10). We knew a little about the other visiting clubs and immediately identified our hosts, with their local knowledge, as potentially our biggest competition. The course was known to few but accurately described by one as a ‘long Lotus Hill’.

We played in pairs and when news of the scores started to trickle in, it was clear we had a solid base. Terry Wright shot the lights out with a gross 74. Partnering him the skipper didn’t play to his best but

somehow muddled round in 82. In the next group, Jonny Brock came in with an impressive 77 and Dallas Reid had a solid 80. So with 4 good scores in the bank, we needed another couple of solid performances to seal the team score.

Taylor Hui and Ivan Ng had some good holes but gross strokeplay is a tough format in which a couple of bad holes can really make a mess of your card. We wouldn’t be taking their scores today. In the next flight, Ian had had one bad hole too many but Andrew Wood had creditably scraped into the high 80s. One more good score needed, could our final pairing of Nick Allen and Warren Weener deliver?

Nick hadn’t done badly but didn’t register his best score. Warren? Well, we did end up taking Warren’s 93 but in the post-match debrief it became clear that Warren might have scored rather less had he not ‘given up’ and taken the maximum ‘double par + 1’ 11 on a par 5! This was a heinous admission. For the non golfers, you NEVER give up in a gross competition. No matter how badly you think you are doing, your competition could be doing worse! Let’s hope it didn’t come down to fine margins. If it did, the recipient of the Pig was now clear.

In practice, Warren was saved on 2 counts. Firstly, his extra shots cost us nothing. Secondly, we were then regaled with the tale of the ultimate

Pig-clinching performance of Dallas Reid. Increasingly frustrated with his golf, in the latter stages of his round, he sank to his knees and proceeded to pound his 3-wood into the ground in an axe-wielding fashion until the inevitable happened (see above). Dallas was truly shafted and the Pig was his!!

And so the (official) prize-giving ceremony began. Terry’s stellar round had duly made him the individual gross champion. He also took 2 of the near pin prizes and a long drive prize, with other long drives won by Duncan and Warren. Jonny bagged the individual gross runners-up prize and Duncan the net. And so, with all this silverware already awarded it was little surprise when we were then declared the overall winning team. A generous lucky draw meant that no-one went home empty handed and so it proved a bountiful outing to China, celebrated long and hard with a sack full of roadies for the journey home.

Duncan Spooner, Captain

44 Dec 2015

Yinli Golf Outing, Monday 2nd NovemberThis was my 2nd trip to this gem of a golf course in Dongguan and again it proved itself to be a fantastic day trip into China.

With only 6 players participating in this event we decided to play a 3 player team stableford challenge.

My team consisted of Quentin Burrows and Alex Mackintosh (Sandy) and we were taking on Terry Wright, Gilles Bonnier and Mike McSweeney.

With our handicaps fairly evenly matched we thought we were all set for a thrilling game. But with myself struggling with a back injury and my team mates unable to find their form, our stableford score was pitiful to say the least. Just a glance at the scores and no adding up was necessary, a sound victory to Terry, Gilles and Mike.

Nearest the pins were still in play and were very tough off the blue tees, with nobody finding the green on Hole 12. Gilles took Hole 15; Mike, Hole 3 and Terry Hole. 8. We all joined together as a 6 ball on the last hole for the longest drive competition and Gilles just rolled it past Terry’s drive to claim the sleeve of balls.

The package included a set lunch which was all in Chinese and with no one in the group speaking any Chinese, it was pot luck when we ordered and it turned out great.

There was a slight delay when we took the bus back to Wanchai as there was a 10-car pile up on the motorway which caused us to be stranded for an hour, but even this wasn’t going to spoil a fantastic day out in China.

Look forward to coming back again next year.

Phil Head, Golf Event Organiser

Reunification Cup Lotus Hill Golf Resort, Saturday 7th – Sunday 8th NovemberAs back-to-back runners-up in this 4-way competition against the American Club, the Chinese Recreation Club and the Country Club, arguably the highlight of the HKFC golfing calendar, we were determined this year to go one better. Once again we had the lowest handicaps of the 4 teams, but in this net stableford competition would that be an advantage or disadvantage?

Everyone likes to come in with more than 36 points having played their best but this format is determined not by how many scores you have in the high-30s but by how many you have in the mid-20s. On the Saturday, we delivered a strong all-round team performance with no-one scoring lower than high-20s. Lee Wainwright‘s far-from-disastrous 27 took the Duffer’s Cap by a fine margin from Duncan Spooner’s 28, unable as he was to reproduce the fine form of his warm-up round (see Tennis/Squash write up). Anatole Le grabbed the headlines with a whopping 40 points. If only we had all been to Lotus Hill the previous 2 weekends to practice! Jonny Brock and Nick Allen also beat their handicaps.

Overall, this solid team effort translated into a 13-point overnight lead, with a rather larger margin to the 3rd and 4th place teams. Would it be enough? Last year we had led by 5 only to be overhauled on Day 2 by a 10-point swing. HKFC has the reputation amongst the other teams for ‘having the most fun’. This year there was no Phil Head on the team to drag us seriously astray and so despite a mildly bacchanalian dinner everyone was tucked up at a sensible hour.

Anatole was rewarded for his great scoring on Day 1 with the 1st tee time on Day 2 at 6.45am (although he moaned about it a lot less than Mr Brock). Clearly the lack of pre-match preparation time didn’t suit him and he failed to reproduce his magical form from Day 1. Brocky came in with another solid score but Nick Allen was another who struggled to come up with back-to-back brilliance. Would this be the theme for the weekend as we again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory?

NO IT WOULD NOT! Once more, a very solid team performance left our opponents with an awful lot to do to close the gap. Capt Spooner bounced back with a strong score, Dallas Reid shot 37 points on Day 2 and Jim Suttie also scored well. And our francophones, JP Cuvelier and Eric Desgouttes, were very steady throughout. Crucially, we only

GOLF


had one rotten score (from an ailing Warren Weener), and the format required us to discard our best and worst scores. Thus when CRC registered their 2nd score in the high-teens, we knew we could relax.

Finally, we had put the ghost of the last couple of years to rest and reclaimed the Reunification Cup. Furthermore, as HKFC dominated the prize-giving ceremony, Jonny Brock collected the prize for the best aggregate gross score with a long drive prize to boot, the captain collected a long drive and a near pin, and Dallas bagged a near pin too.

Duncan Spooner, Captain

Message from the Swimming and Triathlon CaptainHong Kong Football Club recently competed in the 2015 Hong Kong Clean Half Ocean Swim Race. The Clean Half is a 15km, open water swim, through the ocean on the south side of Hong Kong Island. The course begins in Stanley Back Beach, crosses Tai Tam Bay, around Stanley Headlands, past South Bay / Repulse Bay, and finishes at Deep Water Bay Beach. The Football Club had a number of athletes competing. Four groups did the race in teams of 5 swimmers, each team accompanied by a support boat. There was also one pair, consisting of Charlie Morris and Olya Korzh who swam the entire race between two; and Craig Nortje who swam 15km in the open ocean all alone! In the end, the Football Club took home a number of awards and podium finishes. Huge congratulations to all competing athletes.

Sean P. Whipkey

Kids in Hong Kong Triathlon Well done to Beauella Purcell, Ellabelle Purcell, Erin Shirley and Tatum Sadler all putting in strong performances at the Hong Kong Triathlon. It was a tough hilly course topped off with a run under the midday sun. Ellabelle Purcell took 1st place on the podium on her very first triathlon - great work!

Swimming & Traithlon News

Sean Whipkey, Swimming and Triathlon Captain

Photos from the HK Clean Half Ocean Swim Race

46 Dec 2015

HK Clean Half Ocean Swim RaceWe decided to test ourselves this year by entering the Clean Half in the Yak category. This entailed completing the 15km swim as a team of two, switching between swimming and kayaking every 30 minutes. We trained together in the pool and a number of times down at Stanley, practising the precarious kayak-mounting changeover and debating the perfect method of team navigation. For both of us, the race would be the furthest that we have ever swum (or kayaked) in a single session. We prepared our hydration and nutrition plan in advance and relied on Squeezy Energy Drink and Squeezy Energy Bars and Squeezy Gels that kept us going to the end without any sign of bonking.

We were one of the first teams to arrive down at Stanley Main Beach, which meant that we had the pick of the kayaks. Whilst we may have picked the prettiest one, it was in a little too buoyant a mood… a small gust of wind and Olya capsized before the race had even started. Watching on from the beach, Charlie saw this as a good omen. The capsize helped weigh the craft down, making it sturdier for what remained of the (entire) race.

Charlie started the team off well from the beach, making it across from Stanley Main Beach to the first buoy. The changeover was slick and Olya began on her metronomic march, never breaking her rhythmical stroke in the water or indeed in the kayak. We took what seemed to be an unpopular line from the first buoy out to the satellites, staying very wide of the headland. This worked to our advantage, as we caught up with many teams that had opted to swim closer to shore. As we approached the satellites the swell started to pick up, making kayaking a little sickening and the changeovers that little bit more challenging.

A few hours in and we were quietly confronting our own personal battles. Charlie was suffering in the kayak from sea-sickness and both team members, while nicely hydrated, were secretly finding it difficult to know when and how to relieve themselves. Eventually nature took its course. At the 5-hour mark we had made it around Round Island with Middle Island in our crosshairs. At that point we knew that we would finish. As we approached Deep Water Bay beach it was wonderful to see a

Hong Kong ASTC Triathlon Asian CupIain Veitch Swim: Super choppy – Managed to survive and come out in about 4th place. Only a minute down. Game on!

T1: Lost my bike – Idiot. Lost about 1- 2 min down. Game still on.

Bike: Made up some time on lap one but then electronic gears went from bad to worse. Stopped to fiddle with it and decided to pull out only to be given such a torrent of abuse by a friend for quitting that I got back on.

Run: Was too far back to catch the good boys so just used it as a fast training run and tried to enjoy it.

Result: 4th – Bugger.

Jesssica McCarrollSwim - ditto. Choppy with a strong current. Test case for the boys who saw most of the ladies fleet get pushed into the rocks. Definitely favoured the stronger swimmers. Finished 1 minute behind leader.

Bike - Finishing high in the swim meant there was no one to draft sadly. Managed to close the gap somewhat in the first two laps only to give them back in the final two.

Run - Lovely cool run. Held my time and place (Age group 2nd) although some of the young girls caught up.

All in all a good morning out.

SWIMMING & TRIATHLON

Korea Iron Man 70.3Location: In the very south of South Korea in place called Gurye.

1.9k swim: The setting for the swim was a chilly but stunning lake on the outskirts of Gurye. The unusual thing about the start was that athletes filed into the water in small groups and timing started once you entered the water. This meant avoiding the usual chaos of the mass start but then also meant that for the remainder of the race you were never quite sure

throng of HKFC swimmers waiting to cheer us home. We staggered over the finish line to a thunderous reception and to the surprise of finding out that we had won our category!

By Charlie Morris and Olya Korzh


SWIMMING & TRIATHLON

of where you were in relation to those around you as they could have started before or after you. The swim itself was one large loop starting and finishing at T1.

The swim was slightly long (2.1K) but went reasonably well for me i.e. I managed to finish in one piece. I think I came out in roughly the top 20?

90k Bike: The route was a bikers dream. It certainly wasn’t pancake flat as advertised on the iron man website but even so the road surface was perfect, the roads were closed to other traffic and the scenery was stunning. Despite one large section being repeated in the middle the route wasn’t repetitive but instead kept things interesting as you could keep a close eye on the competition.

I really held back on the bike as I just don’t have the legs I used to when putting in the serious training hours . Normally I tend to lay it all out and hold on for the run but I took the sensible approach and just road my own race as opposed to getting to involved in the racing around me. I came off the bike in 3rd place overall feeling tired but by no means smashed. I was interested to see how the run would go. A really nice touch was the race volunteers were there to take your bike from you at T2 and also to

help you get changed in the tents. Really nice touch.

21k Run: I had thought the run would be boring as it was a 10k out and bike route repeated twice. Normally I find this pretty dull but the local support was amazing and again closed roads and lots of water stations made it really enjoyable. Also, for those used to slogging it out in the Hong Kong heat the temperature was a warm 25 degrees but almost no humidity. Perfect for running.

I went off deliberately slow, wanting to build into the last leg. I very quickly got passed by a chap from the UK who had earlier told me he was a 30 minute 10k runner and then a couple of local Korean racers. On present form I just assumed I would never be able to catch them and didn’t get too concerned about things but waited for the legs to get going. After 2k I decided to put the hammer down and managed to pick things up. I felt better and better as the race went on and despite being given a 30s time penalty for not wearing my race belt properly I managed to gain back the lead by about 10k to go and continue to open up a gap. That’s the nice thing about triathlon I suppose. Even though the UK lad was clearly a better runner than me you have to be able to factor in the other two events and their effects on the body.

Ended up as first in age group, first overall age grouper and clocking the second fastest run of the day including the pros. Wasn’t expecting that but it did make me think more seriously about trying to get really fit again and trying out this more sensible race strategy.

Total Time: 4 Hours 16 min

By Iain Veitch

48 Dec 2015

Message from the ChairmanThe Bowling Interest Group “BIG” started off the 10th HKICTB league at an away game at Ladies’ Recreation Club on 8th October. We had a total team handicap score of 3,456 vs LRC’s 3,455, and won 13 to 9. It was our first time seeing our new member Mark wearing the team polo shirt and it suited him well!

We had our second away game on 5th November at the Kowloon Cricket Club. We scored 3,482 vs KCC’s 3,500 and lost 9 to 13. There were a few games that were lost by very small margins, and Raymond was the star of the evening, with a game of 191 which was the highest score that evening. Everyone enjoyed the fellowship and great games by all. It was also good to see Andrew Yip of KCC, a long-time

Henry Luy BIG Chairman

Ten Pin Bowling News

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friend of BIG and a keen bowler, who has given much advice to BIG in the past, including the application of oil patterns at the Bowling Alley.

We look forward to our third away match against Kowloon Tong Club (KTC) on 19th November, stay tuned for more updates.

Henry Luy

BIG Chairman


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Alert by James PattersonAtlas of Adventures: A Collection of Natural WondersAuggie & Me by R.J. PalacioCaptain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir of SirStinks-A-Lot by Dav PilkeyClimbing Everest (Totally True Adventure) by Gail HermanCrooked Little Lies by Barbara Taylor Sissel Darth Vader and Son Friction by Sandra BrownGarfield- Cleans His Plate- His 60th Book by Jim DavisGarfield- Fat Cat 3-Pack (Vol. 2) by Jim DavisGoodnight Darth Vader by Jeffrey BrownInfinite Home by Kathleen AlcotJust Mercy by Bryan StevensonKitchens of the Great MidwestLonely Planet : SpainMake Me A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee ChildModern Romance by Aziz AnsariPercy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick RiordanQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop TalkingRising Strong by Brene BrownSilver Linings: A Rose Harbor Novel by Debbie MacomberSimply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World by Emily P. FreemanThe Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf DobelliThe Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward The Day The Crayons Came Home by Drew DaywaltThe Good Neighbor by A.J. BannerThe League of Beastly Dreadfuls Book 1The Life- Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie KondoThe Little Paris Bookshop by Nina GeorgeThe Marriage of Opposites by Alice HoffmanThe Micronutrient Miracle: The 28-Day Plan To Lose Weight by Mira CaltonThe Murderer’s Daughter by Jonathan KellermanThe Taming of The Queen by Philippa GregoryTrim Healthy Mama Cookbook by Serene AllisonVader’s Little Princess by Jeffrey BrownWhat Pet Should I Get? by Dr. SeussWho Do You Love by Jennifer WeinerX (A Kinsey Millhone Mystery) by Sue Grafton

50 Dec 2015

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