'Great' event has teams coming back for more

WIZARDS wandered around chatting to golfers while the man in the nightie fell over - again - and Huggy Bear, well I can't say what he was doing to the Pageant Queen. It may sound like a scene from a Kubrick movie but no, it is just a snapshot of the 69th Easter Hockey Festival, which was back with a bang from the wizard's wand.

Richard Bowyer, organising committee chairman, spent most of the weekend wandering around with a klaxon trying to keep roughly 300 hockey players on schedule.

No mean feat I can tell you, but such has been the success of this year's festival that it needed a confident man with a big stick to keep the tournament running smoothly.

'We were hugely successful from the outset really and we have had to turn a lot of people away.

'I have already had one email from someone asking about next year's festival. We have had enquiries from the Netherlands, the USA, Zimbabwe and France,' said Bowyer.

David Pickup, just one of many men in a pointy hat, agreed that this year's tournament was one of the best he had attended.

'We have loved it, it is great to have a full tournament back in Guernsey, it is just like the old days and the facilities here are amazing,' he said.

His side, the Untouchables Hockey Club, was spawned from the University of the West of England and have been coming to 'the rock' for the last five years.

'It is brilliant really, teams notice the small things and the costs have been kept down.

'It is not really an expensive festival and it is a tournament organized by hockey players for hockey players,' he said.

The festival has been single handedly run for the last few years by Ray Bushell, but following his retirement the Guernsey Hockey Club asked Bowyer if he would take over.

It is not a job for one person any more said Bowyer.

'Ray has done a great job on his own but I said I would not do it without a committee.'

The appointment of the eight-man committee has enabled the Guernsey Hockey Association to spread the load and expand the festival, which would have been impossible with just one person.

The new format has proved hugely popular with the visitors.

'It is really good value for money, they do not have to pay for anything extra really, the music, entertainment etc is all taken care of so it is great,' said Bowyer.

'We appreciate that travelling here is expensive so we have tried to keep the cost of the festival down.

'When you see what each team will actually spend while they are here it is phenomenal,' added Bowyer.

Pickup has come up with some facts and figures that back up what Bowyer said, but if you are in the medical profession, it might pay to stop reading.

Taking an average of the number of players in the touring party, usually 17, he has calculated that over the last five years the Untouchables have contributed £53,975 to the Guernsey economy.

That not inconsequential figure includes 850 burgers, 135 bottles of spirits, 43.5 barrels of beer and roughly 2,360 litres of unspecified fluids.

A frightening tally when you consider that they will play about six games of hockey too. That is a lot of sloshing around.

Guernsey Hockey Clubhouse proprietor, Dave Walley, will trouser a fair proportion of that so he is a happy man too.

'We have been very busy and it has been the biggest festival for years. Everyone has enjoyed themselves and trying to keep up was a test,' he said.

The facilities on offer at Foote's Lane are excellent. With the two pitches in close proximity, it offers players exactly what they want - good hockey near a bar and very little transport involved.

Throw in some good weather and it would be difficult to buy a better advert for the island or the game.

The importance of strong hockey is not lost on Bowyer either and there are a number of national league players attending.

The River Taff Boys from Cardiff are using this tournament as a warm up for the European Club Cup and The Clubhouse Casuals will provide strong local opposition.

'The emphasis has been on the social side but we have tried to make it as attractive as possible, so we have mixed teams, veterans, locals, social sides and competitive ones.' said Bowyer.

Lydney Hockey Club hail from the Royal Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and were visiting Guernsey for the first time.

They were particularly impressed with their accommodation and the general level of organisation.

'It has been great, here in our lush surroundings,' said Julie Jenkins, playing with the women's team.

'Everyone really has been so friendly and we will send our men over next time, or may be we should not inflict that on anyone, I don't know but we would love to come back,' she added.

The importance of sporting festivals cannot be underestimated and hockey is just one of a number that took place this weekend.

If the figures are anything to go by they will be making a healthy, or unhealthy whichever way you want to look at it, contribution to the island's coffers and it is also good publicity for the island.

One thing that strikes me though, in sport, is the spirit in which it is played.

Enjoyment has always been at the heart of Guernsey sport and I think that all those involved with the festival at Foote's Lane should raise a glass of purple nasty to themselves for being consummate hosts, organizers and participants.