York Freshers 5 vs Durham Freshers 4

First win against a Durham team in a couple of years

Team A 0 vs Durham ?

Overrun by a couple of national level players

Various v Team A (12th place)

Various v Team B York & Leeds (11th place)

Team A v Newcastle Jesmond

Durham v Team A

Team A v Durham

Team A v Durham

League: Friendly

Home at Yearsley Swimming Pool

Date: 2010-06-12

Captain: Erdi Babili

Starting team: , , , ,

Starting subs: , , ,

Details

The always hotly contended North East derby returns to Yorkshire. A match that promises not to disappoint.

Everybody v Team A

League: Student Nationals

Away at Oxford

Date: 2010-03-17

Captain: Ali McDougall

Starting team: lots, , , ,

Starting subs: , , ,

Details

Yorktopush hit the City of Dreaming Spires, and put in some terrific performances against fierce opposition, finishing just outside the top 10 in 11th place. Well done to one and all for a great weekend of Octopush and frollics

Variety Sunderland Won v We came last Team A

League: ONE Cup

Away at Durham

Date: 2009-06-20

Captain: Tom ‘Tables’ Chatwin

Starting team: Ali ‘Gills’ McDougall, Peter ‘Chuck Poppins’ Howes, Lucy ‘Half Pint’ Morris, Antn’y ‘Gavrillo’ Jacobs, Tom ‘Holy’ Abbott

Starting subs: Chris ‘Starsky’ Bailey, Thom ‘Hutch’ Matthews, ,

Details

Despite fighting hard in every game, York failed to win a single game. However, the largest defeat was only 3 – 0 to Sunderland and there was a few dubious decisions against York, who had two goals disallowed won of which in the final game would have meant the game was a draw.

Variety v Team B

Various From 1st to 12th v 7th Place Team A

League: Student Nationals

Away at Bangor

Date: 2009-03-14

Captain: Tom ‘Tables’ Chatwin

Starting team: Ali ‘Gills’ McDougall, Adam ‘Face’ Furness, Antony ‘Gavrillo’ Jacobs, Cullen ‘Rear Admiral’ Macintosh, Sam ‘Animal’ Russell

Starting subs: Peter ‘Chuck Poppins’ Howes, Lucy ‘Half Pint’ Morris, Jodie ‘Davey Jones’ Davies, Chris ‘Starsky’ Bailey

Details

York’s Octopush club produced some of their best performances yet to finish 7th at the student nationals hosted by Bangor in March. The growing club was able to enter two teams into this years competition, a main student team representing York and an individual barbarians team which was made up almost entirely of York students.

York, captained by Thomas Chatwin, started the competition strongly with a convincing win against the hosts. This was followed by another victory with the York forwards dominating the match. Next up was a strong Liverpool team who York failed to overcome and this was followed by another defeat. With a win needed against Warwick to make the play-offs, York put in a gutsy performance but lost the tightly contested match by one goal. Despite missing out on the play-offs by a single place, this was still a vastly successful tournament provide York with its highest ever finish, a testament to all the hard work put in at training.

The barbarians team had a very tough group stage, with the majority of the opposition having a lot more experienced players. Despite not winning a match, the team held their own and their performances steadily improved throughout the day.

Overall this was an outstanding day for York Octopush and one that the team will use to build on in the future, especially with a Roses match on the horizon.

Barbarians: Forwards: Ben Thompson, Thomas Grayson, Thomas Matthews, Alastair Gott Backs: Emma Prideaux, Jessica Morton, Thomas Abbott, Joseph Slade, Kevin Whitworth

Durham v Team B

Team A 3 v Byker

League: ONE League

Home at Yearsley

Date: 2009-03-07

Captain: Sam ‘Animal’ Russell

Starting team: Cullen ‘Rear Admiral’ Macintosh, Mike Slade, Alistair ‘Gills’ McDougall, Adam ‘Face’ Furness, Peter ‘Chuck Poppins’ Howes

Starting subs: Anthony ‘ Gavrillo’ Jacobs, Griff Chatwin, Chris ‘Starsky’ Bailey,

Details

The day started well with efficient meeting at Goodricke cashpoint as usual and 3 willing volunteers going and getting the kit.

soon after we were on our way in the green minibus. meeting up with other members of the team at the pool, some of which had been in town recruiting for the club and by the sounds of it having a good time.

We all got ready and got warmed up and the group split into 2 groups, 10 for the team against Byker and 8 playing 4v4 in the shallow end, i was in the shallow end but we had an excellent time.

Back to the match, Byker seems to have the balance of ages in their team right with the younger members being the nippier, nimbler and inevitably getting past some of the York defences and with the stronger, more lung capacity of the older members, were a formidable team.

I don’t know the end score but i do know that York unfortunately lost.

Team B v Jesmond

Team A v York B

Durham University N/a v N/a Team A

League: Friendly

Away at Durham

Date: 2008-12-13

Captain: Tom ‘Tables’ Chatwin

Starting team: Thom ‘Hutch’ Matthews, Chris ‘Starsky’ Bailey, Adam Furness, Rachel Whatmore, Cullen ‘Rear Admiral’ Macintosh

Starting subs: Ali ‘Gills’ McDougall, Jess Morten, Tom ‘Holy Tom’ Abbot, Anthony ‘Gavrillo’ Jacobs, Sam ‘Animal’ Russell

Details

This was a good session. There were two games going at once, with a mixture of York, Durham and Stirling players across the four teams. The teams were rotated often too, making the games much more interesting. It proved very interesting to play a team composed of a mixture of players (especially if you were a player down!) and was a good training experience – it’s always good to play with / against people you’ve not played with before. The time seemed to fly by, and I found myself wishing we had at least an extra half hour…maybe next time.

Team A 7 v 12 Durham

League: ONE League

Home at Waterworld

Date: 2008-12-09

Captain: Tom ‘Tables’ Chatwin

Starting team: Ali ‘Gills’ McDougall, Anthony ‘Gavrillo’ Jacobs, Sam ‘Animal’ Russell, Adam Furness, Jodie Davies

Starting subs: Cullen ‘Rear Admiral’ Macintosh, Peter ‘Mary Poppins’ Howes, Joe Slade, Rachel Watmore

Details

So yeah, we lost.

It started off not too badly, Durham scoring one, then York fighting back and eqalizing. This repition went on for a while, throughout the first half. Then during the second half, things changed.

Durham, took advantage of the pool size and strength of their backs and started hammering home a few more goals, before York battled them back. It appeared not to be about the octopush skills, but about flapping madly down the middle pushing all out of the way.

In the end, Durham won, just. Next time, we’ll teach them some real skills.

Jesmond 5 v 10 Team A

League: ONE League

Away at Jesmond – 18:30

Date: 2008-11-25

Captain: Tom ‘Tables’ Chatwin

Starting team: Ali ‘Gills’ McDougall, Anthony ‘Gavrillo’ Jacobs, Adam Furness, Sam Russell, Cullen Macintosh

Starting subs: Jodie Davies, Griff Chatwin, Lucy Morris, Joe Slade

Details

There was a feeling of apprehension when embarking the train to Newcastle. Fully aware that we were facing the winners of last year’s ONE league (Octopush North East league) and ONE cup, hopes remained high, determined to give them our best.

We arrived at the rugged piece of Earth, known as Jesmond’s pool, in time to get some practice in before the match started. We quickly settled in to getting some flicking going and a bit of tackling. Then it began.

As soon as the match started, the forwards raced off for the puck, with the backs spreading out to cover the width of the pool. Taught never to retreat, never to surrender, the forwards quickly crushed Jesmond’s backs, scoring a glorious first goal. After striking another crushing blow to Jesmond, the Northern team retaliated, getting the puck past the forwards and backs, scoring.

The forwards did not wish tribute, or song, monuments nor valler, and quickly scored again, giving York a good lead coming up to half time, as the backs fended off the barbarians attempts to decrease the goal difference.

Knowing we had a good lead at half time, the team was in high spirits and feeling confident. But we were still well aware that this could change. The second half saw York defending the shallow end of the pool. It also saw Jesmond scoring a few more goals, but these were outnumbered by another hard hitting assault from the forwards, and even the backs, as York’s lead increased, showing our skills were truly mad.

A victorious win saw the team performing an underwater length of honour, followed by a quick change of attire before retiring to the pub, for food, beer, and other assorted drinks.

The train ride home was interesting to say the least, with a game of the Ace of Spades being played. Ear nibbling, sock sniffing and face licking commenced for most of the journey back, with everyone parting ways at York station.

Those who scored in the name of Yorktopush:
Gills: 6
Tables: 3
Gavrillo: 1

Byker 17 v 2 Team B

League: ONE League

Away at Byker – 20:00

Date: 2008-11-24

Captain: Andy Latham

Starting team: Chris Bailey, Tom Abbot, Adam Lougman, Thom Matthews, Alistar Gott

Starting subs: Jess Morton, Kshitij Mittal, Tom Crawford ,

Details

Team B 6 v 11 Durham University

League: ONE League

Home at Bootham Pool

Date: 2008-03-09

Captain: Thomas Chatwin

Starting team: Jodie Davies, Ben Thompson, , ,

Starting subs: , , ,

Details

Last Sunday saw York’s last match in the ONE League, with York B were playing host to Durham, and in fact the last session at Bootham School’s pool.

Durham got off to a good start, building up an strong lead in the early stages of the match, with York B hardly getting a look in. From my position as referee, I could see York put up a spirited defence, but they seemed unable to take the game back to Durham. However, although it took York a little while to get into the swing of things, towards the end of the first half they started to claw their way back into the game.

The second half saw York take advantage of defending the shallow end, and the game was looking a bit more even. Some hard-fought goals and a few good breaks helped to even the score slightly, but Durham’s performance in the first half shone through to give a final score of 11-6 to Durham.

I must of course point out that this was really due to Durham cheating. They stole Ferdinand, York’s mascot, which clearly had a psychological effect on the team. Ferdinand was last seen on a train heading north, and a challenge that we’ll only secure his safe return by beating Durham (again!).