Old hockey friends reunite
Those who attended mentioned that the social aspect of the club is almost more important that the sport itself.
ON Saturday evening, April 1, the Alberton Cricket and Hockey Club hosted a hockey reunion. Old friends reunited, enjoyed drinks together and reminisced about their past in the Hockey Club.
It was a casual, informal event where those who wanted to attend could just quickly pop in from 6pm and leave when they wanted to. Everyone was welcome – some of the people who attended had been in the Hockey Club for only a few years, while others had been a part of it back in 1978.
“The club doesn’t offer hockey anymore, which is sad, so we decided to plan this get-together so that everyone can just catch up and enjoy the evening together,” said Beverly van Zyl, who had being playing junior hockey for 24 years. She added that one of the reasons the club doesn’t offer hockey anymore is because they don’t have an astroturf – the nearest public turf is in Benoni.
But it’s not all about cricket and hockey at this club. Those who attended the reunion mentioned that the social aspect of the club is almost more important that the sport itself. “When the kids practised, all the mothers used to sit together and have a good old chat,” said Angela Cheary, whose two children used to play hockey at the club. “It used to be fun and we used to look forward to it,” she says.
Most of those who attended were in their late twenties to early thirties, but there were a few gems who had been a part of the club since its early beginnings – such as Frank Anderson (known as “Gandhi” to his close friends) and Peter, who joined the club almost forty years ago. He stayed for a number of years and made many friends before leaving the club.
This year the club celebrates its 50th birthday – not just for one day, but for a whole year! To find out more about special events relating to this, pop an email to bev.vanzyl@telkomsa.net.
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