Yes, hockey matters, of course it does. But after forty years, the real headline is the arrival of a top-class coffee machine at Tuddenham Road. Credit where it’s due: Owen Thom, Men’s 1st coach, made it happen. Perhaps this is as much for Mrs Thom as for the rest of us; she soldiers on, toddler in tow, another on the way, while her holiday weekends are quietly sacrificed to the cause. Owen himself finally got a game, turning out for the Men’s Over-45s and looking sharp as they dispatched Norwich to reach the third round.
It may have been the last weekend of hockey in anything resembling warmth before winter bites. Across the club, Ipswich produced some fine performances. The Men’s 1s (see report below) overturned a 0–2 deficit against Saffron Walden to claim victory. The Men’s 3s impressed, while the Men’s 4s earned win of the weekend. In the women’s section, the 1s injury-hit, fell just short, and the 2s continue to navigate a testing campaign. The Women’s 4s and 5s were excellent, chalking up wins, while the Women’s 6s and Men’s 5s faced strong opposition. As for the Men’s 2s, after a bright start, they’ve drifted. Consistency wins titles; brilliance in bursts does not.

Elsewhere, a new sponsor this week, another next, and one more after that. The bar remains unsponsored, surely an opportunity waiting to be seized. And keep an eye out for a junior update; they’ve been busy.

Best of blue this weekend.

M1 W6-2
M2 L1-4
M3 W3-2
M4 W6-1
M5 L0-5
M6 PP
MO45 W4-1
W1 L1-2
W2 L0-9
W3 L1-3
W4 W5-1
W5 W3-1
W6 L1-7

M1 vs Saffron Walden
Ipswich travelled to Saffron Walden on Saturday for a late 3:30pm pushback. It has never been an easy place to play, in the back end of nowhere and it was cold, grim, and bleak. Still, Ipswich arrived with a strong squad… albeit missing a few.

Pre-Match Chaos
After some confusion around shirt colours, Ipswich finally enjoyed a decent warm-up led by Collo, with Southy and Wardy joining late once uncle James had changed his shoes and wardy has taped up, no change there. Owens’ mission briefing was simple: play our hockey, move the ball at speed, attack with pace. Simple enough.

Quarter 1: Dominance… But No Goals
Ipswich came out firing, completely all over Saffron Walden. Down the right-hand side, Cutts produced some beautiful one-touch combinations that carved open chances… but nothing quite clicked.

Then disaster struck. Saffron Walden nabbed two goals in quick succession thanks to a couple of defensive errors…no names mentioned… Uncle James.
Despite the scoreboard, Ipswich stuck to the plan and kept playing their hockey.

Quarter 2: The Comeback Begins
Ipswich continued to dominate possession, fizzing the ball around the back and taking it confidently through midfield and into the forward line. A penalty corner soon arrived, and Wiid stepped up to hurl the ball past the 4ft keeper’s stick-side glove (clearly taking advice from training where Cutts and Fry begged him to stop placing it and just flick it as hard as you can) The comeback was officially on. Five minutes later another penalty corner followed. Myles lined up to flick, but after a bobbly pull-out from Uncle James, Cutts reacted like a man possessed and unleashed a thunderous strike (he topped it) destined for the bottom left corner… where weasel Wardy was waiting to poach the glory.
2–2 at half-time.

Quarter 3: Total Carnage (In a Good Way)
The third quarter was pure, beautiful chaos, the moment Ipswich finally hit sixth gear.
Lazer balls from Uncle James, Fry, and Wiid found the forward line of Cooper, Ward, Cook, and Milo in acres of space at the top of the D. The lads hit the afterburners and won penalty corner after penalty corner.

With Wiid’s new astros struggling to grip the “slippy” pitch, Milo took over drag-flicking duties… and promptly smashed in a hat-trick within 15 minutes. Clinical, take note Wiid.
Special mention to 3D Pete for living up to his nickname and executing the 3D-giggle to win the final corner of Milo’s trio.

Quarter 4: Seeing It Out in Style
The final quarter continued in the same vein, Ipswich dominant, Saffron Walden hanging on. Wiid required a breather, so Uncle James took up an unfamiliar role in central midfield. Mom from last week “Bastowe” also aided the defence in a pass out and dykes who has recenlt returned from Turkey without new teeth or hairline proved solid at the back. After a beautifully weighted ball through to the forwards, Cook slotted home a well-deserved goal to seal the deal.

Meanwhile, the umpires were hot on bad tackles. How Sammy Lyne escaped uncarded is a medical miracle. Saffron Walden weren’t so lucky, picking up a green and a yellow in quick succession, allowing Ipswich to close out a comfortable 6–2 win.

Plan executed. Pubs appropriately frequented on the way home.

Awards
MOM – Milo: hat-trick hero
DOD – Cutts: for copying the coach’s haircut (harsh but fair) Honourable DOD mention: Cherry.
Bring on Loughts next weekend

Men’s O45s
Ipswich O45s vs Norwich City O45s
Result: Norwich City 1–4 Ipswich (at Taverham)

Ipswich O45s travelled to Taverham and delivered a performance of beautiful, intelligent passing hockey that simply overwhelmed Norwich City. The hosts might claim they had the three best individual players on the pitch – but Ipswich proved, beyond any doubt, that hockey is a team sport. And as a team, they were on another level.

First Half
The opener was a thing of precision. Wheels launched a pinpoint aerial to Rich, who took it in stride and fizzed a cross to Oli. From a frankly ridiculous angle at the far post, Oli squeezed it home for 1–0.

Goal two came after a sweeping passage of play that left Norwich chasing shadows. Oli fed Owen – who had been making everything tick in midfield – and he unselfishly slipped the ball across for Rich to slide in Ipswich’s second.

At the back, captain JC was quietly superb, reading danger early and organising everything in front of him, while Leon’s defending at left-back repeatedly shut down Norwich’s right winger and made him look distinctly ordinary. Then came a massive turning point. Norwich won a short corner, executed it well, and were destined to score… until Rhino produced an outrageous full-stretch stick save low to his right. A moment of brilliance that kept the momentum firmly in blue hands. Ipswich responded with more slick team play. Wardy was running riot down the flank, Jimmy Walker was conducting the whole operation from centre mid, and Foxy was everywhere knitting moves together. The pressure eventually paid off: another crisp sequence ended with Windy tucking away the third to cap off a superb half of hockey.

Second Half
Ipswich saved the passing move of the match for after the break. Twenty-five touches, involving pretty much the entire squad, pulled Norwich apart before Foxy unleashed a sniper’s finish — only denied by an inspired save from the home keeper.
At half time, Wardy had warned that Norwich’s three superstars would try to carry the game on their own. He wasn’t wrong. Each one took turns dribbling at the heart of the Ipswich defence, but time and again they were repelled thanks to disciplined tackling, sharp structure, and JC keeping everything calm at the back.

Ipswich, meanwhile, kept shifting the ball with fluency. Another rapid attack down the right drew a foot; Windy reacted quickest, dancing past two defenders before feeding Sam on the baseline. Sam drove inside, played the perfect 90-degree pass, and Wardy was there to finish it off: 4–0 and fully deserved.

Later in the half, Ipswich were playing with real swagger. Oli, clearly feeling the rhythm, pulled out a ridiculous blind no-look pass to pick out Windy in full flight — a moment of pure confidence that brought applause even from the bench.

Not long after, Wheels added a bit of drama by taking a short, reflective two-minute break following a green-card tackle — just to prove that even artists sometimes enjoy a brush with the darker arts. Norwich did find a consolation with a thunderous strike late on. Rhino, being the generous soul he is, cleared a ball a little too invitingly to their star man at the top of the D, and he hammered it home.

Full Time
Ipswich closed out the game with professionalism and more confident possession. A dominant team performance built on movement, passing, and togetherness — and a thoroughly deserved away win.

The cup run now continues in the new year…