BRISTOL & West Hockey Club Men’s Over 35s side have won their first ever national title.
The team wrote their name into club history with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Amersham & Chalfont to win the Men’s Over 35s Shield in the England Hockey National Club Championships.
The match took place on May 3, under the floodlights at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
It was a thrilling showdown, filled with grit, determination, and unforgettable moments.
Bristol & West, who train and play at Mangotsfield School, faced a seasoned Amersham & Chalfont side packed with veterans from last year’s Over-40s campaign.
But we arrived with fire in our bellies and, after a turbulent road to the final, we were focused, hungry and didn’t disappoint.
With a strong travelling contingent of fans cheering us on, it was Charlie “Chipper” Williams who stepped up in style, netting in the 21st minute to give us a 1–0 lead.
Both teams traded attacks throughout the first half, but with resolute defending led by captain Dan Ott, Bristol & West held firm until the break.
At half-time captain Ott rallied the team with a talk that reminded everyone why they were there – not just to play, but to make history.
He said: “We didn’t come all this way to leave empty-handed.”
The second half was even more intense than the first. Short corners at both ends of the pitch were kept out, then two yellow cards temporarily reduced Amersham to nine men.
Bristol & West pressed forward to capitalise but couldn’t find the breakthrough, and the momentum shifted. An Amersham short corner in the 55th minute resulted in a penalty flick, which they converted to level the score at 1–1, setting up a tense final phase.
In the 66th minute, Bristol & West launched a blistering counter-attack and Chipper struck again, bagging his second goal, but the drama was far from over.
Moments later, we were reduced to ten men after a yellow card, a five-minute sin bin that meant we had to defend our narrow lead a player down to the end of the match.
Amersham threw everything at us, even swapping their goalkeeper for an extra outfield player in a desperate bid to force extra time.
Through several minutes of relentless pressure, every tackle and clearance was met by roars from our travelling support and, as they counted down the final seconds aloud, Amersham’s last attack broke down…and the whistle blew.
The pitch erupted. Players sprinted toward the fans, arms aloft, to celebrate a hard fought and historic victory.
Wayne Manton (Goalkeeper)