Home Page | A.A.J.L.R. Forum | Contact The Webmaster

Leader Magazine
SUMMER 1965.
PERMANENT STAFF SPORT.
by Major K.O. MITCHELL, RAEC
This has been a successful year. It is an oddity that, although only a small percentage of the staff are active sportsmen, the staff teams are feared in Command competitions and respected by civilian opponents.
However, it is not a good thing that the same old faces appear in all the unit teams. With the approaching run-down of numbers it will become increasingley difficult to raise sides. How about some of the slightly pear-shaped, slightly idle, slightly hen-pecked, slightly old young men on the staff helping us out?
CRICKET
In the last edition we mentioned our interest in the Command Senior Final. This we duly won and several of the team were observed wearing dark glasses around the camp the following day.
We are playing a full fixture list again this season. In particular, teams seem to like visiting us on Sundays, but nobody has yet worked out why this should be.
This season has been a good one, apart from the weather. We have lost only twice in over tweny games, and have won the Command Senior Cup for the second successive year. The final was a tense affair - We were set to score 106 to win off 40 overs, after Capt. Owens had polished off the opposion tail with a hat trick. After several alarms, we scraped home with an over to spare, thanks to Capt Owens (53 not out) and Capt Cheeseman.
RUGBY
Once again we reached the 4th round of the Army Cup and we won the Command Cup for the third successive year. We also played a full fixture list against North Welsh civilian clubs and, though rarely at full strength, gave as good as we got.
The highlight of the season was a great fight back against the Lancashire Fusiliers in the Army Cup Third Round. With ten minutes left we were trailing 15-6 and we won 16-15 with the last kick of the game.
HOCKEY
For the first time the hockey side played a fairly full fixture list and, in consequence, we had our most successful season in army competitions.
The side was probably as good as any side in U.K. but the only honour achieved was that of Command runners-up. After beating School of Artillery in a brawl at Manorbier we comfortably disposed of 22 SAS and TERA and then lost the Command Final 1-0 to a team we normally have taken in out stride.
Then in the Army quarter final the eventual U.K. winners 2-1 with ten seconds to go. They scored and beat us in the replay. For this drawn match a party of 14 travelled to Ireland and it rained throughout the trip.
We have also been active in other spheres and it is rumoured that we are entering a team in next year's Canada Cup. Certainly of late the casual walker on Aberdovey golf course has been in danger of being struck by balls driven by gentlemen of decidedly military appearance.
There is also a thriving badminton club, which was re-formed during the Winter Term after two years of suspended animation, and now meets even Tuesday evening. Attendances of between eleven and twenty were not unusual, and so another court was made. Matches have been played against Dolgellau, Machynlleth High School Staff and Towyn. After losing the first three matches, the team was strengthtned and went on to win two further matches. Although all have pulled together to make the club a success, Mr. G. Walker is much to be thanked for all his administrative work, and congratulations are also due to Ray and Muriel Payne on reaching the Western Command final of the Mixed Doubles.
greenbar

BACK

   
greenbar

 Return To The Contents Page 

greenbar

If you have an old Leader Magazine then I would love to show it.

Mail To AAJLR
 Email the Webmaster