Guildford Tchoukball Club

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Fifty shades of green

A long time in the making, but not what you’d expect. This is the Guildford Tchoukball Club’s Fifty shades of green.

Originally set as a challenge never expected to be seen I give you today the Guildford Fifty shades of green. Green is the colour that the club players wear Let’s name every one of them, starting from their first year.

Originally we had Quincy, Ekberg, and Prain Years before Louisa was ‘raining down the pain’. There was Davies and Clarke, and not forgetting Giraffe Guildford’s ethos was born, ‘we’re all here to have a laugh’.

Before Tim broke Blakemore, we had a leftie called Flem Years later we went international recruiting Nora and Jen. A similar process happened with the addition of Payam and Ganino We also stole Lauren for a year before Bury could say ‘no’.

Who could forget our ladies, Hannah, Jo, and Mands With Lucy and Kath Guildford ladies could be a plan. By adding Mari and Whatmore to the Guildford scene This legendary ladies team looks like a dream!

Mr Mills started with Guildford and soon Ben was added too Mack playing for GTC was his best dream coming true. ‘Spin Master’ Carl and relentless powerhouse Matt Put them together you get ‘Wrecking Ball’ Pat!

From the coach’s left and right hands, Kenny and Dom To the defending legends, put simply, Eithne and Brom. Shooters ‘Danger Man’ Ellis and Skilton ‘the Extraordinaire’ Not forgetting club captain, Andy ‘Cumdog Millionaire’.

Duo ‘Too Good’ and ‘Too Bad’, Tom and Pete Giant Mr Pryor, that guy has incredibly large feet. GTC’s youngest player can put up a fight His name is Kit, but he’s no Michael Knight!

Last few entries to complete the line-up we add in Mr Lunn Along with Mr Lee, who makes every catch fun. GTC newcomers include Louis, Rich, and Sam The brand new Bentley, and the returning Will.I.AM.

Adding the juniors, Morgan, Ethan, Jake, Jess, and Pop That brings our total to one over the top. Our aim was fifty, but with us being so keen We gave you an extra, to make fifty-one shades of green.

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Q&A with the GTC Committee

The interview was with Chair Rob Ellis (RE), Secretary Pete Justin (PJ), Tresurer Tom Offin (TO), Club Captain Andy Cummins (AC), and Head Coach Mack Hofberg (MH).

Hey guys, thank you for taking the time out to have this interview. Let's jump straight in. According to records the club was formed in 2009, but something tells me that isn't strictly true... Can you confirm this?

PJ: Do you want to take this one, Rob?

RE: Yeah sure. Officially the club did form in 2009 with it's original name FAST. Unofficially, we were Liphook Tchoukball Club before that since 2002, but when it came to creating this club [Guildford] we had so many other players that weren't in Liphook that we felt it was best to start from scratch. This way everyone at the time was considered a 'founder' and we all felt equal.

That sounds like a fair approach, and a great ethos to have. Since I mentioned 'ethos' I have to ask, I've heard of 'Guildford's ethos' but never seen it written down. Can you tell me what it is exactly, and how it came to be?

TO: Fun! Our friends are players, and our players are friends. With fun comes dedication, and with dedication comes performance.

Sounds like the best ethos to have. How did your ethos impact on the club when you formed a second team a few years back and friends were split across the two teams?

AC: It didn't have an impact really. Everyone in the club is friends so from that perspective it didn't matter. I just know that I have to work hard!

PJ: With A and B teams for Nationals but mixed teams for Regionals and other competitions, I get to play alongside everyone. So there are no divides in the club.

So as the club gets bigger so does your Facebook friend list! Ha! At the 2016/2017 Tchoukball UK Awards Ceremony Guildford walked away with a lot of trophies. How did you all feel each time your club, or a member of your club, received an award?

MH: Incredibly smug! Haha, jokes!

PJ: I actually did feel a little smug. We've worked so hard in Guildford over the last few years, and to get so much recognition it was a little hard not to be.

That is an interesting perspective Pete. This year we saw a new GTC banner at tchoukball events with the slogan "Bring The Heat". Can you tell me how that came about and if there were any other suggestions in the running?

RE: I don't think it would be appropriate to share the other suggestions...

TO: Haha, yeah there were some... colourful suggestions.

MH: I still think we should have gone with "gullible is written on the back of this banner".

RE: Considering that was the second best suggestion, I think you can understand why we went with "Bring The Heat". Haha. But seriously, "Bring The Heat" was the obvious choice once suggested as it sums up both teams within our club when we step onto a tchoukball court. We bring our A-game!

That you do, and we saw that last season. OK, my final question, and I'm intrigued to hear your answers. Who, is the best player within the club?

PJ: The club needs all of it's players equally. I would find it impossible to single somebody out. Maybe after a particular match, an individual can be singled out for an outstanding performance. But everybody has been that player at some point.

MH: Off the top of my head I'm going to say it's a tie between Pete and Tom. They are players who I think would do anything for the club and truly care the most for it.

TO: Everyone has their 'best' place equally and on different days, but my vote would be for Mr Ellis for a few reasons. 1. All round tchouk skills. 2. Sportsmanship (but can be competitive when needed). 3. Dedication to the club and years in service both on and off court.

RE: Like Pete and Tom said, for me it would be too difficult to say who is the 'best' player as we have so much talent in our club. Previously we did an internal poll on who people liked to play alongside which Louisa Hall had a landslide of votes, and I can understand why as personally I love being on the same team as her - much better than being against her skim! For that reason, I'm going to say Louisa.

AC: I think we have several players who fit that bill for various reasons. I completely agree with all the reasons why Rob was voted for, but I'd also throw Mack in as well because he has a lot of responsibility within the club. Mack is one of our youngest players, coaches both teams, and tends to lead the team he is on in terms of point scoring.

The fact you all feel that the 'best' person can change from day-to-day really shows just how much talent you have in your club. That's all of my questions. Thanks for your time today, and I look forward to seeing how you get on this season.

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What gets GTC psyched

In a recent interview with Guildford Tchoukball Club, we asked them what music their players listen to when preparing for training or workouts.

The responses we received were great, and some really show the character of certain players.

Although not the full list, we've included a random selection below:

Club Secretary Pete Justin said that he finds the collaboration of Linkin Park with Jay-Z great to train to, and particularly the song Numb/Encore

Assistant Coach Dom Raeyen likes fire related songs (true Guildford style) and chose 'Who's Got A Match' by Biffy Clyro

Club Chair Rob Ellis said that synthwave music works quite well and suggested the track 'The Man Who Made A Monster' by Dance With the Dead

Left/right shooter Alex Pryor informed us that Les Miserables really gets his juices flowing

Club Tresurer Tom Offin informed us that the only track that will do it for him is heavy metal track 'Bodies' by Drowning Pool

Of all the responses we received our favourite answer has to be that of former Assistant Coach James Skilton, who was quoted as saying "Anything with a banging donk on it!"

Like the list of above songs and want to hear what else the GTC players chose? Check out the full club playlist on Spotify.

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National League round 1 snowed off, but GTC are still sleeveless!

Rumours surfaced on Saturday evening that snow would be falling everywhere except Guildford because the GTC players refused to not 'bring the heat'. Whilst the rest of the country were putting on their scarves and woolly hats, GTC players were seen still walking about with sleeveless tops on radiating heat wherever they were.

Club Treasurer Tom Offin was quoted as saying "I'm not saying that we control the weather, but I don't see any snow here, do you...?" Although we're not convinced, it's hard to argue with a statement that is factually correct.

At the time of publication there was no update on when the postponed National League date will take place, but we expect an announcement from Tchoukball UK shortly.

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Think tchoukball is a 'boys' club'? You'd be wrong!

Louisa Hall is one of Guildford's original players and has played tchoukball for nearly 15 years. In 2004, despite only playing tchoukball for around six months, Louisa was selected to play for the UK ladies as the youngest player. Since then Louisa has been selected every year an international tournament takes place, and has been the captain of the UK ladies for the last few years. In a recent poll with Guildford players, Louisa was voted as the most favoured person to play alongside. With an equal measure of intelligence and strength on the tchoukball court, Louisa is a force to be reckoned with. Just ask anyone who has been a 'victim' of her famous underarm skim shot!

Next up is Eithne McCarthy. Eithne started her tchoukball career at Portsmouth University whilst studying for her degree. Early on Eithne established herself as a top defender and would not back down from any shooter, no matter how much power they put into their shots! After finishing university Eithne joined Farnborough Jets where she became their number one defender. When Farnborough folded a few years ago, many clubs 'bidded' for Eithne with the promise of chocolate and hugs, but it was Guildford who she chose to join. Since joining Guildford, Eithne has fought her way onto the first team helping them win a plethora of silverware including the 2017 Super League, not to mention taking home a silver metal with the UK ladies team at the 2016 European Championships.

The last person we'll introduce you to is Mari Haugen. Mari, like Eithne, started tchoukball at Portsmouth University and after she graduated it looked like she found her home playing for Portsmouth Ducks. That was until Guildford subtly told her that she'd look good in black and green, which saw Mari transfer to Guildford mid-season! For Guildford Mari has played for both Inferno and Ignite, adding her own dynamic style to matches and creating strong partnerships with anyone who has the opportunity to play opposite her. Like Louisa and Eithne, Mari is a current UK ladies player and scares her opposition with her raw power and signature fist pump cheer after scoring a point (ask Switzerland for references!)

These ladies prove that tchoukball is not a boys' club, and I feel sorry for the person that tries to tell them otherwise!

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Could Guildford have selected their team for the European Winners' Cup?

Back in May Guildford Inferno won the UK's Super League which guaranteed their place at the European Winners' Cup (EWC) in 2018, but all has been quiet on that front since then.

Despite not making an official announcement, it has been rumoured for a while that the coaching team have a rough draft selection list of the team going to EWC, but have been keeping it under wraps. When we asked Assistant Coach Kenny Thomas about said list he was very coy with his response saying "the first rule about fight club is you do not talk about fight club". For those that have seen the 1999 film Fight Club, this is a saying used about a secret club where they do not want anyone to know about it, but it does exist.

Reading between the lines of Kenny's response, and taking into account where the reference comes from, we believe that this list does exist, and wonder when it will surface. Considering the newest recruits Guildford has this season we are very interested to see the selected team!

At the time of publication we could not get hold of Head Coach Mack Hofberg or the other Assistant Coach Dom Raeyen.

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2017/2018 season, and training with GTC

The 2017/2018 season has only just begun and Guildford are already hard at work with their weekly training sessions.

We recently caught up with Head Coach Mack Hofberg for a few words on the coming season. Mack was quoted as saying:

"Last year we [Guildford] achieved what no other club has before. Inferno won the Super League, Ignite won the Division 1 League and were promoted, and then Inferno went on to win the Super Cup. So the question is 'how do we improve on this?' The coaching team and I have had many discussions and planning meetings to determine our aims for the coming season and we've all agreed that we want to see a Guildford vs Guildford National League final. THAT is the dream! Although I cannot divulge any specifics, we [the coaching team] have some great ideas to allow us to achieve this."

Mack went on further to talk about Guildford's weekly training sessions:

"We are training weekly at Bohunt School in Liphook, which we've had a great relationship with over the last few years. Each training session has a theme to work on (whether specific types of defending/shooting, or fitness) mixed in with a healthy dose of game time and fun. The key is to work on specific areas we see as development areas, but also keep the morale high with fun activities which won't be 100% translated into a tchoukball match (at least I hope no-one turns into a zombie during a match...)"

Mack and the club can be found on Wednesday evenings at Bohunt School in Liphook from 7:30-9:30pm, and have opened their doors to any nearby players to join them. If interested, contact them at [email protected].

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New GTC signings for the 2017/2018 season

Guildford have been busy with negotiations again this year as they released the up-to-date player roster for the 2017/2018 season. Additions to last years' roster include:

Sam Scott - previous Southampton and UK men's right shooter

Louis Baldwin - previous Southampton and Fareham left shooter

Richard Latouche - previous Southampton all rounder (yes, he is that good)

Will Waters - returning Guildford player who last year played for Fareham

David Bentley - sorry to disappoint, but not the ex football player, but a returning player from a few years absence

These five names were hidden within the club's registration of players to Tchoukball UK for this season, but one omission we noticed was that of James Skilton, who last year was part of the solid attacking unit with Head Coach Mack Hofberg. No-one in the Guildford HQ was available for questioning at the time of print, but with the addition of the above players it will be interesting to see who plays for Guildford's first team 'Inferno' this year.

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Fire supports fire!

Sunday night saw local ice hockey team Guildford Flames take on Milton Keynes Lightning at the Guildford Spectrum, and hidden within the crowd were some familiar faces.

Several GTC players were seen 'bringing the heat' by showing support for fellow temperature risers Guildford Flames on Sunday night. Almost unrecognisable and trading in their sleeveless look for ice hockey jerseys were a number of GTC players cheering on the Flames. Surprisingly there was no sign of the GTC 'Bring the Heat' banner, but we expect that security might've stopped them on the way in had they brought it.

It was good to see GTC supporting their local ice hockey team, and after speaking to GTC Chair Rob Ellis, it was implied that this could be the first of many supporting visits to view the Flames in action.

"Tonight was fun. We [Guildford Tchoukball Club] got the night off from our busy schedules and got to appreciate our teammates off of the court whilst watching another sport. What better way than seeing fellow fire legends, the Guildford Flames! It was a great experience and I look forward to the next time."

The Guildford Flames won the match 7 to 3 limiting their opponents to one goal per period. During the breaks Guildford Flames brought on their under 9s to give a demonstration of the junior players, which one child who wore the number 3 jersey stole the entire crowd's heart being half the size of the rest.

Guildford Tchoukball Club used a similar suffix to the Guildford Flames when naming their first team Inferno back in 2009. This tradition continued with the birth of their second team Ignite in 2015.

For more information on the Guildford Flames ice hockey team, visit www.guildfordflames.com.

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RECAP: 2017/2018 South-East Regional League - Round 2

The second round of the South-East Regional League took place on 19th November at Fareham Academy, and saw both Guildford teams returning with Ignite looking to hold on to first place.

Stepping onto the court for the first match were twelve Guildford players making up both teams as Inferno and Ignite played each other. As the match started both teams showed why Guildford is currently the number one club. Both teams moved each other around but struggled to score with top defending from all players. Going into the second period Inferno and Ignite were level to begin with, but some good tactical moves from Inferno saw them take the lead by the end of the period. Although fighting back in the final third, Ignite could not pull back the lead that Inferno built and the match ended with Inferno winning 62 to 55.

The next Guildford match saw Inferno take on Fareham Orange. Inferno, hot from their earlier win, stepped onto the court with nothing but winning on their mind. From the start of the match Inferno took the lead, showing their skills over the less experienced Fareham. By the end of the first period Inferno had gained almost a 20 point lead and it didn't look like they were going to slow down during the second period. Fareham put up a great effort, and managed to sneak a few cheeky points through Inferno's defence, but when the final whistle blew Inferno walked away the victors with a score of 62 to 31.

Ignite were up next for the final match of the day against Portsmouth Drakes, and it was clear to see from the beginning that this could go either way. Ignite had a little delay in getting on the scoreboard, but it wasn't long before they shifted a gear bringing the scores back to level. Although at the start of the second period neither team would back down with some quick switches, pinpoint accurate shooting, and strong defensive units, all eyes were on Guildford newbie David Bentley whose second line defence helped turn over some crucial points giving Ignite the lead. Ignite started the third period 11 points up, so Portsmouth were going to have their work cut out for them. Despite a good effort from Portsmouth, they were no match for Ignite as they pulled away and won the match 64 to 47.

Coach Mack Hofberg commented "It was a great day today and the best thing about Guildford is the quality of players that we have. Although Inferno beat Ignite at the start of the day, I think if you played that match 10 times the result would be different each time, and I love that about our club."

Guildford will next be playing at round one of the National League in Bedford on 10th December.

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RECAP: National League Cup

Guildford entered both teams, Inferno and Ignite, into this tournament with a goal of bringing home the trophy. Although both teams played some top quality tchoukball, it was Inferno that came first beating Bury Kings in the final. Ignite made podium position beating Leeds Galaxy by one point in the last few seconds of the game.

The full results were:

Guildford Inferno 28:16 Guildford Ignite

Guildford Ignite 23:17 Southampton Stags

Guildford Inferno 21:12 Leeds Galaxy

Guildford Ignite 26:19 Leeds Galaxy

Guildford Inferno 25:22 Bury Kings

Guildford Ignite 19:30 Bury Kings

Guildford Inferno 30:19 Headingley Outlaws

Guildford Ignite 26:24 Headingley Outlaws

Guildford Inferno 28:14 Southampton Stags

Guildford Ignite 23:18 Leeds Cosmos

Guildford Inferno 25:15 Leeds Cosmos

3rd place playoff: Guildford Ignite 26:25 Leeds Galaxy

Final: Guildford Inferno 26:24 Bury Kings

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RECAP: 2017/2018 South-East Regional League - Round 1

This years' South-East Regional League kicked off on 22nd October 2017 at Fareham Academy, and last season's champions Guildford Ignite were back to defend their title. But did they have what it took to remain on top?

From the moment the day started it looked concerning for Guildford as only 10 players walked through the door to make up both teams. To add to the concern, long-time player Pat Dennis was missing from the lineup, speculating rumours that he may have jumped ship from Guildford completely this season after becoming dubbed "The Wrecking Ball" for Fareham Rhinos in last season's Nation League.

The first Guildford match was Inferno vs. Fareham Black. Five Inferno players walked onto the court supporting their famous sleeveless look against what seemed to be double the amount of Fareham players. Despite the lack in numbers, Inferno didn't let this stop them from showing what they are made of. The level of tchoukball was on-par with what could be expected from a National League final, yet this was only the beginning of the season. Inferno gave as good as they received, but as the time went on the lack of players on the bench to substitute with started to show. By the third period Fareham took advantage of this and took the lead, beating Inferno 61 to 47.

Guildford Ignite were next up against Fareham Orange, and the lineup looked very similar to Inferno's match with only five Ignite players walking onto the court. Ignite also did not let this phase them and played as if they were equal on numbers, taking the lead very early on. In the second period Ignite had found their rhythm and showed why they were the reigning South-East Regional champions expanding on their lead. The third period started with Ignite the heavy favourite for this match working as a solid defensive unit and not letting their lead drop. When the final whistle blew Ignite had kept their lead winning 69 to 32.

Portsmouth Drakes were the next match against Guildford Inferno. Inferno looking to prove themselves showed Portsmouth exactly why Guildford is the number 1 club in the UK. The game went back and forth with Inferno matching Portsmouth every step of the way, despite the lack in numbers and having already played one game. Portsmouth, hoping to replicate Fareham's earlier win over Inferno, needed to move Inferno enough to take advantage of their low numbers. Unfortunately for them, Inferno used every last ounce of energy to pull away in the third period and win the match 67 to 60.

The final Guildford match of the day was Ignite vs. Fareham Black. Fareham knew that Ignite would put up a fight, but treated them the same as Inferno and exploited the fact that they only had five players. Although Fareham took the lead they could not shut out one Ignite player who refused to let Fareham bully them with their numbers. Fareham, making some tactical changes, hoped that their top defenders would be able to slow this player down, but this opened up the other end for attack. Ignite quickly discovering who their top scoring players were yelled the signature Guildford call, "Plan A". After clawing back to even scoring Ignite's defensive team countered Fareham's attack and scored the point to put them ahead for the first time in the game. With only seconds left on the clock Fareham knew that they needed to score. Unfortunately for them, Ignite defended Fareham's final shot and ran the clock out allowing Ignite to win 60 to 59.

Guildford coach Mack Hofberg commented that "We [Guildford] knew that we were going to have a tough day today going in with only five players on each team. However, both teams have shown what we can do with just five players, so I look forward to showing what we can do with a full squad at future events."

The next event will be the National League Cup on 12th November at Alexander Sports Centre in Bedford.

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Green Queen, Lookin’ Mean!

Guildford Tchoukball Club were very honoured this week to receive some exciting news from Buckingham Palace!

After keeping silent for many years on where her allegiance lies in the tchoukball world, Her Majesty the Queen made it very clear that The Royal Family is not made up of ‘blue blood’ but in fact ‘green blood’! That’s right the Queen is without doubt Guildford Tchoukball Club’s biggest and most distinguished fan. As if that wasn’t enough, Her Majesty then confirmed her devotion to GTC by celebrating her 90 birthday in a custom designed outfit for all the world to see.

Needless to say we are all very honoured here at the club and were only disappointed that the sun didn’t come out on the day, as we have been reliably informed by the royal household that her sleeves are in fact removable and she was fully ready to show the guns had it been warmer.

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TEAM NEWS

BREAKING NEWS: Ever present Guildford defender, Tom Offin, is out for the rest of the 2015/16 season due to injury.

Following x-rays and an MRI scan, doctors have diagnosed a bucket handle meniscal tear which will require surgery to repair the damage. The knee specialist has said that surgery is expected to take place within the next 6-8 weeks, with Tom being able to resume training 6 weeks after surgery.

Teammate and defender Pete Justin has said of the news: “Tom has been playing for the club for over 10 years and in that time has never been forced out of action with injury for any substantial period of time. He has been one of the club’s most durable players and so this news comes as a shock to me, as it does to the rest of us at the club and to his supporters and fans.”

All of us at Guildford Tchoukball Club are wishing Tom and his bucket handle a speedy recovery.

In other team news, the first appearance of the season for defender Dom Raeyen is expected this Sunday. This could not be better timing, with the absence of Tom Offin. Dom is taking a short break from Top Gun school to re-join Guildford teammates and hopes to pick up where he left off, by dominating opposing teams with his athletic defending style.

There were strong performances in the previous National League round from both Inferno and Ignite. Players have been training hard to further improve for Round 4, as both teams look to move up their respective league tables this Sunday.

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Ellis’ replacement?

Recently we heard that Inferno player Rob Ellis could possibly be out for the 2015/2016 season due to injury, but it appears that Guildford Tchoukball Club may have a trick up their sleeve.

Rumour has it that GTC are in talks with James Skilton for the upcoming season and what better timing. During the 2014/2015 season, Skilton was a key player for Farnborough Jets and also made his UK squad debut at the FITB European Championships in Germany. Skilton joining GTC would be a huge signing for the club and a great replacement if Ellis is out.

Skilton was reluctant to confirm or deny whether he will be joining GTC, but was quoted as saying: “At the end of the day, I want to win trophies and to fulfil my ambitions of playing internationally at club level. I’m ready to commit to a team long term so it’s about choosing the right one for me.” The only concern could be a lack of game time with two very capable right shooters, Louisa Hall and Pat Dennis.

Having played alongside GTC player Mack Hofberg for Alton a few years back, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hofberg was pursuing this signing. With the start of the new season only a few short months away, we eagerly await to hear.

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World Championship Success for GTC!

Last week saw the World Tchoukball Championships held in Taiwan and we are proud to announce that several past and present members of Guildford Tchoukball Club were involved in the successful tournament.

Current Guildford Inferno players Mack Hofberg and Louisa Hall played for the UK men’s and women’s teams respectively. I am led to believe they provided some true Inferno spirit to the squad and wreaked havoc on some of the international teams defence. This was Mack’s first World Championship for the UK men and he certainly proved why he was selected with some awesome shooting and defensive work to help the men claim 7th in the tournament. Louisa on the other hand is well experienced with the World Championships; mixed with her cool head, great play and steady leadership as UK women’s captain saw the ladies take 3rd place which is a fantastic achievement! A special mention also goes out to some of our past Inferno players or ‘Embers’ if you will, who were also responsible for the great results; Will Waters, Scott Mills, Ben Wallace and Stuart Blakemore.

There were also a few other players amongst UK squads who appeared to ‘Ignite’ a little fire amongst the teams so another special shout out to them!

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Rob ‘Danger Man’ Ellis, Out for 2015/16 Season?

Could Guildford Tchoukball Club be facing a turbulent season with one of their key athletes out with injury?

Reports are coming in that Inferno starting player, Rob Ellis, has severely injured the ligament surrounding the ACJ joint in his shoulder. Ellis has been reported as saying "I just don’t know what happened, I was going about my day walking on my hands and the next thing I know I’m in A&E".

With GTC often cutting things fine on player numbers as it is, will they have enough ahead of the fast approaching season?

We await further updates on this story as it develops.