A 17 strong squad of our U-18 Boys recently returned from a hockey tour of The Netherlands where they played four matches in The Hague and one in Rotterdam. The boys won three matches 4-2, 4-0 and 2-1 and lost two matches 2-3 and 0-2. The club also arranged coaching sessions for the boys by GB internationalists Alastair Brogdon and Simon Egerton of HC Rotterdam, and by Scotland’s 96 goal striker Kenny Bain at HGC.

It was the 11th Holland tour to be organised by Tour Managers Alan Innes and John Mowat, with many of the boys from previous tours having gone on to play National League in our 1sts. Also assisting on this tour were two other long serving club members Youth Coach Innes Taylor, and Umpire Dr. Peter Watson. The squad comprised 14 boys from Robert Gordon’s College and 3 boys from Cults Academy, all of whom have progressed through our Youth Section to play senor hockey alongside experienced players in one of AAM Gordonians’ five men’s teams.

Three of the five matches were played on the host club’s no.1 stadium pitch which was very special for our boys, and for the adults brought back memories of Gordonians playing in the HDM stadium in the 1996 European Cup Winners Cup, and Australia winning the Champions Trophy in the HC Rotterdam stadium in 2008.

Alan Innes summed up the benefits of these tours when he said “There are so many positive outcomes from taking the boys to one of the most successful hockey playing countries in the world. The high standard of opposition applying the latest techniques and tactics, the coaching sessions given by current internationalists, the bonding with teammates spending time together, the friendly spirit in which these international matches are played, and the mixing with the Dutch boys after the games, all combine to give our boys an experience that not only accelerates their development as hockey players but gives them great memories to look back on later in life. “

TOUR AWARDS
Players’ Player of the Tour: Sam Hill
Young Player of the Tour: George Jones
Most Improved Player: Callum Adams
Top Scorer: Chris Moon (4)

SQUAD : John Hannah (captain), Jack Rathbone (GK), Andrew George, Sam Hill, Brodie Nicol, Callum Adams, Cameron Stephen, Aleksander Wojciechowski, Blair Campbell, James Morrison, Matthew Davidson, Chris Moon, Tom Hill, Jack Beck, Ally Provan, Peter Serle, and George Jones.

MANAGEMENT
Manager: Alan Innes – Tour finances, flights, hotel liaison, tour communications.
Asst. Manager: John Mowat - Fixtures, photographer, minibus driver, host club liaison, guest coach liaison.
Coach: Innes Taylor – Match coaching, team meetings, player profiles, minibus driver
Umpire: Peter Watson – Umpire, tour Doctor, car driver.

Photograph:
AAM Gordonians U-18s in blue and yellow and GK Jack Rathbone in red, with their opponents HC Rotterdam in white and green, after the match played in the host club’s stadium !!