Hilton College Hockey

BARCELONA TO CAIRO

2009-04-09T12:55:00.001-07:00

Barcelona is the centre of European Basketball - this is the main court at the Olympic Stadium in Badalana.

Barcelona Airport departure lounge.

A quick snack before departing.

Organised and ready to board.

Louis Taylor in thoughtful pose.

Cairo Airport. After four days of good healthy wholesome food for most the boys it was great to get back to some fast food.

Burgers and Coke - what a meal?

If Eddie Talor's happiest moment on tour was watching Barcelona FC - this visit to Macadees ranked a close second.

BARCELONA VS BAYERN MUNICH

2009-04-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

Last day in Barcelona and another Spanish lunch - Lloyd and Dylan not looking too happy with what is on offer?

Die hard Barcelona supporters - Haydn and Eddie en-route to the European Cup Quarter Final against Bayern Munich.

Kyle Reed, Ollie Allen and Haydn Corke at the Nou Camp Soccer Stadium.

Barcelona warm-up in progress.

A sea of red flags at the start.

Barca fans in action.

Thierry Henry sets up Messi for the third goal.

A serious thrashing!

Barca fans celebrate!

A NIGHT AT THE RACES

2009-04-07T23:24:00.000-07:00

Eddie suits-up in the locker room.

The Williams Racing team.

Time to take to the track!

All ready at the start.

And away they go!

Pure pace through the chicane.

Team Ferrari!

Kyle Reed sped away from the pack and was crowned the best and fastest driver of the evening, followed by John Kelly and Kyle Buckley.

Team Ferrari in the pit lane.

Foot flat and racing out!

Action on Cow Corner.

Cornering at speed.

Who are these drivers of team Ferrari?

Checking the results.

A great evening's entertainment.

A RAINY AND COLD DAY IN BARCELONA

2009-04-07T10:17:00.001-07:00

With the rain bucketing down and the temperature dropping it was an ideal opportunity to go underground and head for the city.

Rob, Guy and Eddie in jovial mood now that the hockey is behind them for a couple of days.

Louis and Kyle window shopping at the PUMA Shop.

Another Spanish restaurant - some habits die hard - 5 boys (they will remain nameless) ordered a hamburger and chips - what soft tourists!

Some amazing musicians perform in the underground - even CD's for sale!

James, John, Oliver and Eddie headed for home and Man United vs Porto game at Old Trafford.

Eddie takes great delight in Louis "hitting the wall" and falling asleep on the tube.

CLUB EGARA

2009-04-07T05:27:00.000-07:00

Club Egara, home of 6 Beijing Olympic players hosted Hilton this morning - this is a view of their main pitch from the Club Diningroom.

The Egara Honours Board showing their Olympic representatives.

The Egara Coffee Shop.

Another view of the main pitch - we practiced on an adjoining half-pitch - a great practice to round off the tour.

Our favourite Spanish restaurant - La Masia tucked away in the back streets of Badalona suburb - home of the Olympic Basketball Stadium and centre of Basketball in Europe.

Eddie, James, Haydn and Lloyd.

Buckers and Andy.

Who are these kids - another fun activity for the players?

Entrance to accommodation - a rather cold and rainy day in Barcelona. Tomorrow the tour comes to an end with a lunch with most players then attending the Barcelona vs Bayern Munich European Cup Quarter-final match at the 98 000 Camp Nou Stadium.

MEALTIME

2009-04-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

A pleasant Spanish restaurant.

Kyle searching for that last bargain.

"I look so good 'cos I eat so good" The team have eaten exceptionally well on tour and although vegetables have been in short supply, they have not eaten MacDonalds and Burger King everyday. A number of Clubs have given us great meals for free. There is no doubt that everyone is returning a few kg's heavier than when they left.

Relaxing after supper - for 1 Euro.

TRAINING SESSION AT RIO CLUB DU POLO

2009-04-06T05:56:00.001-07:00

Lawson and Eddie all smiles after parting with 100 Euro each for tickets to the Barcelona vs Bayern Munich European Cup match on Wednesday night.

Oliver Allen showing the price and seat position at the Camp Nou for Wednesday's big match.

Last minute nerves before departing with their cash. Rob, Oliver, Haydn and Kyle.

Yet another hockey training session - this time with Rio du Polo First team coach Jorge DoSonch Silva.

Action...

action...

action!

Last tactical application and instructions.

All over, done and dusted!

BARCELONA

2009-04-05T08:26:00.001-07:00

Kyle Reed strolls into Barcelona station.

Chaos reigns outside the station as we step into the midst of 10 000 runners about to start the Barcelona half-marathon. With a rock band blasting forth and a non-English speaking bus driver it wasn't long before the group was separated. 45 minutes later everyone had been accounted for and we headed off to the Hostel.

After dropping the luggage we started our city tour with a visit to the world famous Church (The Holy Family) designed by eccentric architect Gaudi. Dylan and James pose in front of the building.

Pakita our friendly tour guide gives James and Louis some details of the construction.

The tour group in front of the church.

The start of an amazing visit to the home of Barcelona football club - the world famous Nou Camp! The visit started with a 3-D film, hence the glasses.

Louis and Haydn on the hallowed turf.

Guy Drake battling to take-in the 98,000 seater stadium where Barcelona and Bayern Munich clash on Wednesday.

One of the most famous badges in world soccer.

Kyle Reed and Andy Schofield with the European Cup on display in the museum.

Louis and Haydn - simply amazed!

The "Bullet Building"

TRAIN TO BARCELONA

2009-04-05T08:15:00.001-07:00

After an exhausting day at Euro Disney it was all aboard the overnight express to Barcelona - a major tourist destination, Olympic city and home of Barcelona Football Club. With 11 million inhabitants this is one of the major Mediterranean cities. Eddie, Spoons, Andy and Kyle look forward to making the trip.

John, Ollie, Guy and Lloyd in high spirits after a day of rollercoaster rides at Disney.

Dylan, Rob and James settle quietly into their apartment.

Louis and Kyle Reed exchange a couple of stories about the day at Euro Disney.

DISNEYLAND

2009-04-04T10:35:00.001-07:00

An early start to update the blog from Paris.

The long awaited visit to lala land!

Farewell to Thomas - a brilliant driver and one of the team.

Lloyd and James before launching into the theme park!

Buckers could not be happier!

Breakfast treat at Disneyland - Spoons, Lawson and Buckers!

Survivors of Thunder Mountain.

Guy Drake in fancy dress?

After 10 days of touring Europe with 16 teenagers the coach is looking a touch worn out!

The tour group was amazed to find Ralph Tiaden's brother working at EuroDisney!

John Kelly at the start of the Parade.

Oliver came into his own in hunting down autographs of famous legendary hockey stars - this is Goofy - Gold Medalist in the 1968 Olympic Games.

Another hockey legend - centre back Donald Duck who has 342 caps for the Disney All stars!

World XI player of the Year in 2006 - Pluto.

D'Austerlitz Station enroute to Barcelona. What a day for the boys!

PARIS BY NIGHT

2009-04-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

Arriving at the comfortable surroundings of the CISP Youth Hostel in Paris the team was immediately energised for a night out in Paris.

Oliver Allen and Kyle Reed tuck into supper.

Andy Schofield, Lloyd Mercer and Nick Lawson-Turnbull re-charge the batteries for a night out on the town.

A very pleasant Youth Hostel.

Louis and Eddie - no signs of home-sickness!

Brilliant tour guide Marie together with driver Thomas at the start of our tour.

Symbol of the cultural capital of the world.

Ollie, Lloyd and Guy on the boat trip on the Seine River.

Louis and Kyle in relaxed and chilled mode.

Guy, Lloyd and Ollie with a tourist-type pose.

Part of the group on the boat trip.

Impressive!

Impressive Cappuccino coffees end off another brilliant evening on tour. And now for Euro-Disney!

TO PARIS

2009-04-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

An early morning start from the cramped quarters of the Stayokay Youth Hostel in Rotterdam. Paris awaits.

Guy Drake came into his own as tour leader once we crossed into France. Arriving at a One Stop, Guy took over and in fluent French ordered an entire meal for the battle weary troops of the Hilton Hockey Club.

Not satisfied with his ability to converse in French he took over the role of waitron with aplomb - a brilliant job Guy - the French Department will be mightily impressed!

FEEDBACK

2009-04-02T13:58:00.001-07:00

We have now completed an exceptionally tough week in Holland and Germany. Six high quality matches and four demanding coaching sessions compressed between 13 hours of bus travel to Hamburg and back in 6 days is a tough ask for any player in any league. There is no doubt that fitness levels, match temperament and skills have been tested to the limit. The improvement in personal skills and confidence has been noticeably together with tactical application. The culture of hockey, the hospitality of the clubs, the professional nature of the sport is simply incredible. National players abound at every club and to rub shoulders with the best players and coaches in the world is mind boggling. The boys are exhausted, but having the time of their lives. The tour brochure has been a hit at every club and people cannot believe that Hilton College is such a spectacular setting. We have indeed been privileged to be part of such a "hockey mad" part of the world and now look forward to a period of rest and relaxation in Paris before moving on to Spain.

AFTER MATCH FUNCTION AT KZ

2009-04-02T13:48:00.000-07:00

Andy Schofield and Guy Drake with one of the KZ U18 players.

John Kelly in jovial mood at dinner.

Eddie Taylor with KZ players.

Kyle Reed and James du Plessis.

INTERNATIONAL LADIES AT KZ

2009-04-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

International stars Alex Dawson (Great Britain) and Rachel Dawson (USA) - members of the Kleine Zwitzerland First Team.

INTERNATIONAL AT KZ

2009-04-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Making contact with another international star, Aaron Hopkins from Australia. Lloyd Mercer, Guy Drake and Oliver Allen complete the photo.

Wouter Brasen - 18 year old Dutch junior striker - earmarked as a future Dutch left striker poses with Nick Spooner, Lloyd Mercer, Guy Drake and Oliver Allen.

Korean Internationals Seo and Jang pose with Lloyd, Guy and Haydn. Seo is the fastest forward in world hockey and a member of the World XI team.

Oliver Allen challenges the fastest player in world hockey to a 25m dash. After 5m Seo was running sideways and chatting to Ollie and John who joined in the fun.

Gold Medalist Mauritz Crucq who played for Germany at the 1996 Olympics chats to Dylan Perrett, Guy Drake, Haydn Corke and James du Plessis.

KLEINE ZWITZERLAND TRAINING

2009-04-02T04:36:00.000-07:00

Another world class coaching session - this time by Simon Organ - ex Great Britain player and now on the coaching panel at Kleine Zwitzerland in Den Haag. Much technical input regarding reverse stick hitting, defence, penalty corners and drag flicking.

Simon in action with the team prior to the warm-up exercise.

Haydn Corke and Greg Drake practicing defensive techniques.

Eddie Taylor and James de Villiers.

Kyle Reed showing great form on reverse hit.

Louis Taylor prepares to unleash.

Mark Ralph (Captain of Scotland and member of the Great Britain team) explains a couple of key defensive issues.

Ant Chantler recording everything.

Simon gives a demo of the latest push-out techniques.

Louis and Nick in discussion with Simon.

Oliver and James with the Scottish Captain, Mark Ralph.

INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

2009-04-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

Guy Drake meets international Pakistan star Waseem Ahmed.

Oliver and Guy spend some time with New Zealand internationals Simon Childs (20 years old and 98 caps for NZ) and New Zealand captain Ryan Archibald (28 years old and 213 caps)

Dutch international Jeroen Hertzberger and Pakistani star Shakeel abassi limber up prior to practice on the Rotterdam Field.

Jeroen Hertzberger - dutch international with Guy.

Guy with Shakeel Abassi (Pakistan) in Rotterdam.

Tomorrow the team travel to Den Hauge to practice and play at the Kleine Zwitzerland Club. Another tough day of hockey.

PRACTICE AT ROTTERDAM

2009-04-01T10:24:00.001-07:00

Rob, Dylan and Ollie at the world famous Rotterdam Hockey Club.

Peter and Phil preparing the chaps for the practice session.

Peter in action with the group.

All kitted out and looking the part.

Team photo with New Zealand international - Peter

TRIP TO ROTTERDAM

2009-04-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Today was the long and arduous journey back to Holland. As you can see the boys used every oportunity to recharge their batteries.

We are not sure whether this is good or bad for the mangement team.

Men down - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Lawson down and out!

Dylan Perrett in dreamland.

MATCH VS ALSTER

2009-03-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

Match Day in HamburgLloyd Mercer and Haydn relax before the start.

The culture of hockey is simply amazing in Europe - players start at a kindergarden age and follow through to the senior ranks - top international players are earning between 20 and 30 000 Euro a month playing club hockey plus endorsements and payment for national duty. The above picture shows the satellite club of Alster with a junior girls practice in progress.

Mike Mill had time to catch up with Marcus Post together with mom and her sisters prior to umpiring the match.

Warm-up in progress.

Great match - we scored more goals than the opposition played over two halves of 35 minutes - this really tested the stamina of the players.

Supper at the Alster Hockey Club - the hospitality was amazing!

Umpire and video operator relax after another heavy fixture!

Top German International and Olympic Gold Medalist Sebastian Biederlack signs the autograph book prior to chatting and meeting the Hilton players.

Some of the Hilton players with the German Internationals that play for Alster.
The team is playing exceptionally well and the skills that they have been introduced to are much in evidence. Tomorrow is the long trip to Rotterdam followed by a facinating coching session on the number one field at the Rotterdam Club - amazing!

INTERVIEWS WITH JOHN AND ROB

2009-03-31T06:38:00.000-07:00

SHOPPING IN HAMBURG

2009-03-31T06:19:00.000-07:00

Tuesday in HAMBURG - most of the team spent time in the CBD doing shopping and generally "chilling" before the match against Alster this evening.

Kyle Reed and Eddie plus coach on the tube to Hamburg.

Starbucks for morning coffee and cake.

Walking the CBD - not much chance of getting a bargain in this place!

Louis, John and Hayden - not a shopping bag in sight!???

VIDEO OF RUSSELL GARCIA TRAINING SESSION

2009-03-31T00:12:00.000-07:00

Hockey launches into the new era of video feedback for moms and dads back home - this is footage from the Russell Garcia training session. Obviously, there are now a host of applications that can be made to benefit our players. One will be to have our own intranet site with footage from matches for the players to study and reflect upon and coaches to have info on aspects that need attention all quite amazing! Have a great day - we might just get clever enough to send you live footage from the match tonight?

HOCKEY IN HAMBURG

2009-03-30T23:39:00.001-07:00

Sunshine on tour! This is the Hamburg Communications Tower - up for sale for a cool €40 million!

We are greeted with a sunny spring day - very similar to a winter Highveld morning in Johannesburg - Alster Lake looks an absolute picture as we head to the training session an hour and fifteen minutes across towm.

Russell Garcia, the Scottish National Coach gets going with the training session - the prime focus being on the one on one situation both from an attacking and defensive viewpoint.

Russell has a great sense of humour and introduced a number of competitive yet fun exercises for the players who were soon huffing and puffing around the paddock.

Russel has represented England and Great Britain and coached extensively in Spain, Holland, Germany and now in Scotland.

Oliver and Eddie in action during the clinic.

The restaurant with no waitrons! After 10 minutes we simply left and ordered another round of Burger King fastfood!

Another Hamburg landmark - Otto von Bismark - yet another dose of culture for those History buffs in the tour party.

At the after-match function it was great to meet Mr Nowak - father of Torben who played for Hilton last year. He still receives the newsletters and thoroughly enjoys the coolerbox sagas. Flottbek Club are also in the flight path for the local airport. Mike du Plessis and Mike Mill enjoy the conversation.

Louis Taylor and Nick Spooner bid farewell to Torben. It was a very competitive match played in 3 chukkas of 20 minutes between 18h00 and 19h30 - without floodlights - beautiful sunny evening. Louis scored for Hilton and despite having 8 shots on goal this was the only chance that we could convert!

HAMBURG ON SUNDAY

2009-03-29T12:02:00.001-07:00

This has got to be the most unbelievable sight that I have ever seen on any hockey tour that I have ever been - a neat and tidy cupboard! Now who takes credit for this - parents, dorm leader, Housemaster, coach or none of the above? Rob, Dylan, James and James take the "Neat as a Pin Award" for Day 5 of the tour.

Much of the city is built around the lovely Alster Lake. This lake always froze over during the winter and the residents of Hamburg would go skating on the surface. For the past 8 years this has not happened - impact of global warming? With info like this the tour is in danger of losing its sporting focus. This is the only city that seems to come to a complete standstill on a Sunday - not a shop is open and people flock to the public parks and harbour area.

An invite from the Gates family led to the coach deserting the team and enjoying a typical German High Tea at their home - what a selection of German cakes!

Georgios and Anka Gates with daughter Sophia at their home in Flottbek - our very special hockey family from Hamburg.

The reminder that we are in the Easter holiday period and that Spring has officially begun are evident in numerous gardens in Hamburg where any number of decorated eggs are on display for the passing public. After a day of rest and relaxation we are back to the business end of the tour with a coaching session with Scottish National Coach - Russell Garcia at Flottbek -cannot wait to see what he has in store for us!

HAMBURG ON ARRIVAL

2009-03-29T11:47:00.000-07:00

Louis, Rob and Kyle taking in the sights and sounds

of the central square.

The cold coach. Obviously, no wife around to tell him to put on his gloves and beanie - reactive touring at its best!

Obviously, Kyle Reed has picked up some tips from the chaps in Amsterdam?

Louis and James du Plessis - freezing cold in Hamburg.

HAMBURG

2009-03-29T02:30:00.001-07:00

James and Louis in the very ornate central square in Hamburg.

"The Widow's Cottages" - the oldest buildings in Hamburg.

Tour Guide Kathrin Helle with James, Guy and Louis.

James, Haydn and Nick in the old part of Hamburg.

Oliver and Lloyd at St Michael's Protestant Church, Hamburg.

ON TO HAMBURG

2009-03-29T02:02:00.001-07:00

"The Gateway of the North" A 49m bridge over the Elbe River

- our entry into Hamburg.

Nick Spooner, Andy Schofield and Louis Taylor after the pit-stop at

Burger King.

Lloyd Mercer, King Corke and Dylan Perrett.

Kyle Reed, Kyle Buckley and Eddie Taylor.

Arriving in Hamburg. This is harbour area - a very busy tourist centre - time to find our tour guide. Almost two million inhabitants and a harbour area of 74 square km! Nick Spooner when asked to compare Durban with Hamburg said it is like comparing a mouse with and elephant - he's right - this place is enormous!

ACTION AT PINOKE

2009-03-29T01:39:00.000-07:00

In one day at Pinoke the boys met more internationals than in a year in South Africa. Here they rub shoulders with Eli Matheson and Des Abott (Aust - Olympic Bronze medalists), Jesse Malineu (Dutch international), Lloyd Madsen (SA international) and Giles Bonnet.

Giles Bonnet gives the team some after-match advice.

Bicycles were a constant menace on the roads of Amsterdam!

Our Number One Sponsors spotted in the streets of Amsterdam!

The team in front of Anna Frank House.

REPORT BACK

2009-03-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

This tour is like being on a three-laned express highway with the only speed being "FLAT OUT!" The first lane is HOCKEY and the boys have been amazed at the technical and tactical level and ability of the Dutch players in the U18 age group. Eddie Taylor remarked that he has never seen the level of skill, pace and interchange of players amongst any players back home. Their ability to counter-attack with blinding pace and skill is awesome and we have been stretched to cope with the attacks. If the tour had to for some reason to be aborted tomorrow the vast amounts spent on this tour would have been well spent - the boys have been exposed to so much - it would take us a month of Sundays to learn - if ever - back home. The first match against AHBC was a cracker and the Hilton boys played at a level above what we have seen at home. Kyle Reed was brilliant on the evening and showed that he would be a force amongst the Dutch players if given the opportunity. The team created a number of goalscoring opportunities with Louis and Spoons coming close with ripping shots. Our tendency to lose posession on attack cost us dearly as the opposition countered with blinding pace to score some classy goals. With final scores being of no value due to the training nature of the matches we eventually ended scoring fewer goals than the opposition. Eddie Taylor scored for Hilton after an inspiring run from defence and a superb reverse stick shot from the top of the D. The players were amazingly upbeat despite the loss and spent time watching the Club's Mens First Team practicing on the main field. Morning two followed with a revolutionary coaching session with Giles Bonnet who has recently returned from a session with Australian great, Ric Charlesworth. The players were put through their paces by Giles and a number of new ideas and seeds were planted in the minds of the players. This session alone was worth all the time and effort expended on this tour - as Lawson summed it up - "awesome...simply awesome!

The second match of the tour against Pinoke was a little disappointing, but understanable as the players had completed the training session in the morning followed by a walking tour of Amsterdam! Again we were in awe of the basic skills, speed and incredible individual skills of the opposition who were on a par with the AHBC players. These clubs are of comparative provincial strength back in SA and would easily make the semi-final play-offs at an IPT. Nick Spooner played a great game and scored a superb reverse stick goal. Lloyd Mercer also got on the scoreboard with a stunning reverse stick shot. Although we played well in patches, we never reached the heights of performance against AHBC - tired minds and bodies?

And so to the CULTURAL lane! The walking tour of central Amsterdam was interesting and made fascinating with brilliant tour guide Marcus who held the boys captive with the most amazing stories and anecdotes of central Amsterdam. The tour ended at Anna Frank House and again the boys have broadened their minds and education. Unfortunately, the Rijksmuseum was closed to visitors.

The third lane is TOUR FUN and this is definitely the express channel. On the word "sleep" these are some of the comments overheard: "Sleep is something a person does in South Africa" (Kyle Buckley), "Sleep is a game - it hides away and then you try and find it - I can't find it" (Oliver Allen), "My mother told me about sleep long ago - I can't remember what she said!" (Eddie Taylor), "Sleep cannot be found in the dictionary!" (Guy Drake), "Sleep and tour are not synonymous!" (Lawson). Tired is also a much misinterpreted word on tour -people say they are tired, but when they are still on full throttle at mid-night then what does the word "tired" mean. The Scottish supporters were in town en-masse for the soccer world cup qualifier wearing kilts, T-shirts, veldskoens and short socks in freezing, cold and raining weather. Obviously, there had been a drought in Scotland because these men were extreeemly thirsty and swallowed everything in sight! They simply abused the local Dutch from morning to night and then through the night - with their flags everywhere one could imagine that you were in the middle of Glasgow! The Scottish police must have had a trouble free weekend back in Scotland. It was enormous fun for the boys with the coach being the only one coming close to being beaten by an obnoxious local while taking a photo of a canal of al things - Kyle Buckley and Nick Spooner were on hand to dump the local into the canal, but the pink triangle made a hasty departure.

This has been an awesome tour from all aspects and we are having a great time.

For the veterans back home: your equals in Holland, due to the low cloudy weather and inability to spot Boeing aircraft simply built their hockey club 10 km from and in the direct flight path of the main landing strip at Schipol Airport - massive Boeings fly about 500m over the Club every two minutes. Imagine that at Beckingham? Lone veteran Mike Dup was very impressed by this attention to detail.

GUIDED TOUR

2009-03-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Kyle Reed poses at the Anna Frank House

With a central defender like this who needs Eddie Taylor?

Art work by the unknown artist in central Amsterdam.

Typical Dutch architecture.

The most amazing and entertaining "Marcus

the tour guide"

TRAINING SESSION WITH GILES BONNET

2009-03-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Ant Chantler re-emphasises some key points

about counter defence with the defenders.

Giles Bonnet, one of the world's top hockey coaches emphasises key

strategy regarding individual flair on attack.

Giles Bonnet, ex SA Captain and past coach of SA, Belgium, assistant coach to China

at the Olympics gets his message across to the boys.

Giles imparts some pearls of wisdom and the latest trends in

world hockey.

AHBC ACTION

2009-03-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

AHBC AT NIGHT - imagine Beckingham being like this!

Andy Schofield and Nick Spooner with Dutch International

star Floris Evers

Nick Spooner at pace against AHBC

Match action! A top class match - boys played

exceptionally well against a superb team.

Hilton coming out of defence.

2009-03-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

A rare privilege for the Hilton players - standing on the pitch

which has been graced by the greatest hockey players in the world.

AMSTELVEEN

2009-03-27T00:52:00.001-07:00

AHBC HOCKEY CLUB

The Holy Grail of Hockey! There are 6 astroturf

pitches at the Club with the 20 000 seater stadium in

the background as the centre piece which hosted the World Cup

a few years ago. There are 6 000 hockey playing members at this Club alone

and their U18 team ranked as the number 1 technical team in their

age group in Holland! Three of their team

practice with the First Team and the bulk are national

age group players - we play them an hour from now - scary stuff!

AMSTERDAM!

2009-03-26T23:51:00.000-07:00

Loading the bus.

Amsterdam Airport - having just met Thomas Apel

our driver - this is really exciting!

After 24 hours of travel we arrive in grey, windy wet and cold Amsterdam - amazingly on time - thanks Egypt Air. The Stayok Hostel is brilliant and after a ten minute "settle-in" we were on our way to the Holy Grail of Hockey AMSTELVEEN!

SITES AND SCENES AT CAIRO AIRPORT

2009-03-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

The coach updating the Blog - quite cheerful

after a night without sleep!

Mike and Ant email home

A rather drab Cairo from the airport

A novel shopping experience in Cairo

JOHANNESBURG TO CAIRO

2009-03-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

Cramped and chaotic coffee shop - no credit, no customers!

Last of the big spenders - John Kelly has a coffee

A smooth start at Durban International

Ant Chantler on the wrong side of the camera

Moms and Dads bid farewell

Supper in JHB - what a friendly waiter

Johannesburg: A wonderful turnout of parents were at ORT to wish us well and send us on our way - except for Ian Spooner who was insistent on climbing into one of the bags - eventually, security (Linda) escorted him out of the building and took him home - ag shame!

Cairo! After a long and dreary flight with a great supper we landed to find that credit cards are not an option in the airport. Everyone is keen to accept Euros in cash and then your change is in Egyptian currency - what a rip-off - no wonder that there are no customers in the restaurants. Most of the players and staff seem in good shape although a little short of sleep - 10 hours to go before our first match against AHBC!

We're Off!

2009-03-25T04:19:00.000-07:00

A special send-off was arranged for the school to bid farewell to the tour group.

Best wishes from the Head of School.

Singing Oh Boys of Hilton

Ready to get on the bus!

Saturday 14 March: Official Tour Farewell and Lunch.

2009-03-16T01:27:00.000-07:00

Once again a big ‘THANK-YOU’ to everyone for making Saturday such a special occasion for the players. It was wonderful to have such a strong representation of moms and dads present for the Tour Farewell and the kit that the team has been given is absolutely magnificent! Thanks also to everyone for making such a special effort to be at Hilton on Saturday and playing such an important role in making this tour a reality.
And then the lunch on the banks of Gilfilan – what a grand affair as the embankment regulars noses were put out of joint by the size and scale of the catering capability of the hockey contingent. Special thanks to Linda Spooner for co-ordinating the moms in providing a fantastic lunch for everyone – and as for the tasty beef fillet brought all the way from Botswana by Sandy and Janet Kelly – amazing! The photos were taken courtesy of Graham Allen.

Tour Squad

Eddie and Louis or Louis and Eddie

Stick Bags as team studies brochure

Guy Drake - youngest on tour!

James de Villiers - is this all happening?

Coach of the team - Gavin Thomson

Euro Hockey Tour 2009

2009-02-26T05:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hilton College Hockey Blog that will be following the fortunes of the First Hockey Team on their tour to Holland, Germany and Spain starting on 25 March and ending on 11 April. The events of each day will be recorded by the boys together with a series of photos as the drama of the tour unfolds.