Andover Diamonds

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Home Intro to AHC Our Sponsors Fixtures & Results Stats, Availability & Training Player Profiles Directions/Maps Events Gallery Wessex Masters League Links Contact us		Alan Longden Position: Midfielder To be completed.

		Alan May Position: Defender Alan is the quiet super hero of the Diamonds team. Just as the enemy beliee they have breached the last lines of defence, Alan steps in with a decisive tackle and saves the day. For all those teams who come to Andover with victory in their minds, we have a warning: underestimate Mr May at your peril!

		Alan Shaw Position: Forward To be completed.

		Alec Sandilands Position: Defence Large clumsy oaf who will sometimes interupt his reading to lumber about on the pitch, or, if Barry the Cat is unavailable, flounce around between the posts. Ideal position striker, at least then I have a chance of keeping up with JPC! I have been playing with the club on and off for the past 21 years (2009). A life long West Ham fan who is pleased to see that the Diamonds play their Hockey in a similar way.

		Andrew Dunnett Position: Midfielder To be completed.

		Bob Smith Position: Midfielder To be completed.

		Chris Burrows Position: Forward To be completed.

		Guy Panaszczyk Position: Defender Guy's body is, in his own words, a temple. His exemplary level of fitness allows him to concentrate on protecting his goalkeeper from the onslaught of the enemy. Like Hadrian's wall, he stands firm against the savages who dare to maraud the defences of the Diamonds. Guy is proud to have been a prominent member of AHC throughout its history, and is well respected by all. His favourite football team is West Ham, who, he tells us, won the World Cup in 1966, much as Barcelone won it in 2010.

		Ian Southgate Position: Defender/Midfielder To be completed.

		Ian Burnham Position: Goalkeeper / defender / umpire I started playing hockey at school in Leicester and played a few games in goal when we started a second team. Joined Leicester hockey club back in 1970 and worked through all 5 mens sides during the next couple of years and played county under 21s. Moved to Bristol in 1975 and played for West Glos. mostly 2nd team hockey until a soccer accident damaged both retina and I took up umpiring (no eyesight required!) for about 8 years. I went to a few games when England hosted the world cup in the mid eighties and thought I ought to try again and then spent about 20 years playing on the pitch in Bristol and Basingstoke (why?) when we moved here. Joined Andover when my boys were keen to play and got back to goalkeeping in 2005 with our Vets and enjoyed 4 cracking seasons ending up in the South premier league and playing a few games for the South and a couple of opportunities as sub in the England over 50s squad that won the Masters event in Hong Kong in 2009. Downhill since then - until I got the chance to play for the Diamonds! A new peak!

		James Wood Position: Forward To be completed.

		John Buckley Position: UBIQUE (Less Keeper) Is a founder member of the 'Eddie Stobart' Fan Club and one of several military personnel past and present representing the team. Stepping down from Captaincy this year he hopes to channel his focus, drive and all round charm onto the rest of the team. Having achieved Top goal scorer, Player of the Year and not receiving one disciplinary card (miracle) his objectives are high. As a team we have our Ups and Downs, we have our fair share of tantrums and always have a few knocks and scrapes, but a warning to all teams this year - Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (read up if you don't know, alternatively ask our resident guru Alec). Or in Johns words "Wreak Havoc and Let Slip the Dogs of War".

		John Priestley-Cooper Position: Forward/Midfielder Widely know as JPC; has played for Andover Vets for over 12 years and is very proud of being the first ever recipient of the Diamonds Player of the Year 2008/2009 season and even more proud that he is the only Man Utd and Aldershot fan within the Diamonds and is quite happy to continue to bring his Utd towel to each and every game for the benefit of the rest of the team.

		Lance Mitchell Position: Midfielder Lance came to Andover Hockey Club from Newbury in the year 2000. Lance's perceives his best position to be wing half, but he has enjoyed playing in full back position in pre-season games this year. Perhaps that is his destiny for 2010-11. Lance is proud to have won the Vets Player of the Season award in 2002, and to have played his part in getting the Vets to the top flight of the Wessex Masters League. His role model is Lou Walker, and he hopes that he can emulate Lou's achievment of still playing regualrly into his seventies. Just like Seasick Steve, Lance started out with nothin', and he ain't got a lot of it left!

		Lou Walker Position: Defender (and anywhere else he's asked to play) Lou is the oldest playing member of the club having joined their only team in 1970. He has played in all the clubs teams, captaining many, and has been club chairman, junior section chairman and is currently club president, kit manager and archivist. He formed the clubs junior section in 1985 and still remains a keen and active member of it. Voted Club Member of the Year for 13 years in succession, he was made an honorary life member in 2000, after 30 years of service. Lou has been with the Vets XI since 1995, and is a strong supporter of, and player in, The Diamonds. Unfortunately its suggested that he lacks a sense of humour!

		Mike Nutley Position: Midfielder Mike is a newcomer to hockey. Why would anybody in their right mind want to start playing hockey at the age of fourty-three?! Willing to play anywhere within the boundary lines of the pitch, Mike usually finds himself somwhere near the middle. Runs arounds a lot and generally gets in the way, but is great for the Diamonds as he is more of a nuisance to the opposition than to his team-mates. Mike enjoys every minute of play and is learning fast. He has discovered that the social side of hockey with Andover Diamonds is great too.

		Neil McLaren Position: Umpire Neil has been with the club since 1975 and has played for all the male teams and the mixed. He is a Manchester City supporter and lists his favourinte pastime as drinking. If he could be any animal for the day, he'd be an elephant because "they drink a lot!" Given the chance to be invisible, he would seize the opportunity to sneak into the ladies' showers. However his teammates would say that he couldn't remain undetected for long as his ability to produce the loudest and smelliest farts ever to be heard or smelt in any showers would soon reveal his presence and identity!

		Peter Lawrence Position: Midfielder / Forward Peter is enjoys his hockey in the winter months and likes to play cricket in the summer. He declare's his earliest memory to be, "Shit, I'm flying!" This is because he firmly believes that he was delivered by a stork. In the shower, he can be heard to sing The Drugs Don'r Work by Verve. It's a shame, because they seemed to work quite well soon after he was born! His favourite comedian is Stephen Fry and his chosen epitaph would be, "Veni Vide Vice." Hmmmm! Perhaps the drugs DO work after all, Peter!

		Richard Hulmes Position: Midfielder Richard has been playing hockey in the Army and Civilian clubs for over 50 years and after a layoff of some years joined Andover HC 5 years ago to coach the U14s and subsequently played in the 3rds but has decided that the Diamonds is now the team to play out his hockey shoes. He always believed that his speed was part of his hockey skill but now accepts that cunning, guile and just getting in the way is now part of the game plan!

		Sam Spratt Position: Midfielder Sam joined two seasons after much (2 years) badgering by Lou Walker, taking up the stick after 15 years of indolence and Saturday afternoons in front of the box. He remembered which end of the stick to hold but couldn't remember his body hurting that much after a match. He also set a personal record for the earliest in a season that he has ended up in hospital being sewn back together, until this season when he managed to end up there 2 months before the official start of the season! Very proud that one of his sons and two of his grandsons have now played for the club.

		Tony (Tea-Bag) Richardson Position: Midfielder To be completed.