Roller Hockey Photos

Over the years the Team Picture album on this website has been a popular stopping off point whilst our visitors flick through our picture albums. This particular album is an achieve of players representing England at Roller Hockey’s European and World competition. The album has recently been updated to display team photos taken at Senior, Ladies, Junior and Schoolboy levels during 2007. I hope to continue in maintaining this prestigious archive of images as a roll of honour dedicated to the players who “play for England”.

To maintain this website the only avenue to generating the finance we need is through the sale of the photographs we take. Most of our team pictures as with the other pictures on this website are available to purchase as prints. If you would like to purchase any of these pictures please email me with your questions or order, in addition to this on the right hand side of our front page I have put a “Make A Donation” button so if you enjoy looking at the photos on this website and want to show your appreciation you can make a financial contribution to the running of this world famous site.

What a Tournament! Four matches, all went to extra time and two then went to penalties. This years Spanish Princes cup was hosted at the venue of the current holders, Areces . The home crowd saw four teams Areces, Macenet, Vigo Stick and Sitges (all National Division 1 teams) play some great hockey over Saturday evening and Sunday.

Over the years I get to see the European National teams compete and team players working as a unit. Watching this tournament between clubs you see the same team members batterling and exhibiting their skills against each other, I’m sure that some of you who have played for England will recognise some of the team so watch this space to see some of the action from last weekend.

Congratulations to Macanet who won the 2008 Princes Cup host in Grado, Spain.

Maçanet – Sitges 3-2
Areces Elecinco – Vigo Stick 2-3
Areces Elecinco – Sitges 3-4
Maçanet – Vigo Stick 6-4

NOW SEE THE PHOTOS

The weekend of the 2-3 February will see the Princes Cup (La Copa de S.A.R. El Príncipe) contested at the home venue of last years winners C P Areces. The Princes Cup is the Spanish National Division ones equivelent to the Division of honour’s Kings Cup, the top three teams of the Spanish Nat 1 after this weekends matchs will qualify. C P Areces automaticlly qualify as last years winners. As top of Nat League 1 stands now Sitges have qualified on points so there are four other posible teams for the two remaining places that could be competing (GEiEG, Alcon, Vigo Stick and SHUM Massanet). We will be photographing the four matches and all the best pictures will be posted here the following Wednesday.

Herne Bay Utd 0 FC Porto 21

At the last of Herne Bay United’s home matches in the Euro League last Saturday we saw the host team on the constant defence. FC Porto one of Europe’s strongest teams powered on the pressure from the start, HBU held the Portuguese giants at arms length but after a period of testing the opposition the visitors started to notched up the goals. As the final score shows fitness was an issue for the non professional hosts, having said that, Brendan Barker along with Simon Hoskin and Neil Austin created many breaks but were unable to put ball between the goal posts.

During the second half HBU had a change to dinghy Porto’s goalkeeper a clean sheet with a penalty but Phil McVey failed to score after hitting the crossbar. The two HBU goalkeepers Dan Barton and Paul Nelson played to their best but this mountain was just too high to conquer.

HBU are away at CP Vic in Spain next month in there fifth European League match.

SEE THE PICTURES

I’m sure we like to see the pictures of our Roller Hockey matches especially if there is a chance that we could be in them. Some people like to see the goals and some like to see the conflict but overall we have a great game and through the medium of the internet our images can be seen by many all over the world.

Four years ago I put together a compilation of photos taken from national and international competition, making up an album of pictures depicting players falls and fouls during that past year. After speaking to many site visitors it was made clear that they enjoyed looking at the cheeky antics that players will try to get away with. In these photos the offending players don’t always intend to inflict discomfort but as the shutter opens to capture the 500ths of a second image see the competitors pushing the boundaries with them usually denying any intent.

Over the last week I have been looking through the many pictures I took during 2004 and 2005 when I accompanied the England teams competing in International championships. This compilation album that I have put together shows just these physical actions of players, to be fair a large proportion of the photos depict England players but you must remember in the early years I was taking photos for the English only websites.

Have a look at this collection of larger than usual photos, I hope this will show you some of the detail in the images that I get to look at when I am in the office after the competition.

GO TO PICTURES

International Roller Hockey returns to Kent this month in the continuation of Herne Bay United’s run in the European Champions League. Over the last two months we have seen CP Vic from Spain and Prato from Italy square up to HBU giving us some great nights of Roller Hockey. The well known club of FC Porto will be coming to the Pier Pavilion this month in possibly HBU’s last home match in this year’s European League. To take advantage of this and see our boys in some strong International roller hockey at Herne Bay on Saturday 19th January.

Herne Bay United v FC Porto (Portugal) at the Pier Pavilion, Herne Bay on Saturday 19th January Doors open 7pm. The main match starts 8.30pm. Tickets, Adults £4 Child £2.50

NATIONAL TRAINING WEEKEND TIME TABLE (January 2008)

BUSHFIELDS SPORT CENTRE
ORTON CENTRE – PETERBOROUGH PE2 5RQ
TEL: 01733 234018

SATURDAY 19th JANUARY

09:30 – 12:30 UNDER 11 & UNDER 13
12:30 – 15:30 UNDER 15
15:30 – 18:30 UNDER 17 (Open session for players born in 1992/1993)

SUNDAY 20th JANUARY

09:30 – 12:30 DEVELOPMENT SQUADS
12:30 – 15:30 LADIES
15:30 – 18:30 JUNIORS (Open session for players born in 1989/1990/1991)

The National Development Plan has been devised in an effort to help in the improvement of the general standard of Roller Hockey in England and can be seen in full on the NRHA Web-site.

This month we are running open sessions for Schoolboys and Juniors players for the European Championships to be held in 2008, the Juniors will be in Germany and the Schoolboys in Italy. It is important that all players wishing to be considered to attend these sessions.

As you may all be aware the “600 CLUB” is drawn every month and it will be on Saturday 19th January at the pier during the champions league match Herne Bay United – FC Porto.
If you have not bought a number please ask for a form which will be available at National Training Weekend.

A match not to have been missed, for those who saw it the entrace fee was worth it. Prato from Italy were an even match for the host team Herne Bay United in the latest European League game on the 15th of this month. The match play was so different from HBU’s match with CP Vic from Spain last month where the home team lost 14 – 0, HBU applied the pressure throughout the first half but the Italians found holes in the HBU defence and were rewarded for their efforts.

HBU did come out in the second half with a slight attitude adjustment and played the best I have seen for some time, Brendan Barker pulled all the stops trying to pull two goals out of the bag but only managed one more. If we had had another five minutes I think we could have seen a different final score. HBU 2 – 3 Prato. Lets hope lessons have been learned and the Brits can show the Italians we can be a force to be reckoned with at the return match on 15th March 2008 at Prato.

See the pictures from this entertaining match.

Bury’s home match to Middlesbrough at Soham on 8th Dec. started with Boro taking the first goal of the evening, the boys from the north were strong especially Micheal Ableson who has recently returned from Portugal after playing Roller hockey there for 14 months. Bury applied the pressure sealing the match at 8 – 5. See the pictures

HC Prato – are the visiting team on this occasion. Their player coach is the only name familiar to us – Enrico Bernadini. A veteran now and we saw him recently in an exhibition game in Montreux at the World Championships. He may not have quite the speed he had in 1999 but he now has the experience to use his skills to very good effect. He also still has the trademark of wearing only one glove!

This match will have two Referees from Spain. One of them is female! Teresa Martinez is well know to our players in the England Team as she is often officiating at World and European Championships. She is a very respected Referee and one of the very few women at this level. So girls who would like to become referees should come and see how she officiates and maybe take some inspiration and encouragement from what she has achieved and take up the whistle yourselves.
By Aileen Barker

Herne Bay United v Prato (Italy) at the Pier Pavilion, Herne Bay on Saturday 15th December Doors open 7pm. The main match starts 8.30pm. Tickets, Adults £4 Child £2.50