Annual General Meeting 2025 - Minutes

Stokesley Hockey Club 

AGM Minutes To be held on Saturday 17^th May 2025 at The Chapel 

1. Apologies for Absence

Rich, Alan, Clarky, Steve, Trig

2. Last Years Minutes

No Issues

3. Annual Reports

Chairman

Another year of progress for the club with all three teams maintaining their league status and a top 3 position for the 1’s

24-25 was another season of growth for the club, both in terms of its playing base and success on the pitch. Whilst the promotions and cup finals of previous years were not quite matched, there were some notable moments for all team across the season.

In terms of results, the 1’s were agonisingly short of a second promotion in a row and will no doubt believe they have the ability to ‘go again’ next year and get over the line. The 2’s and 3’s enjoyed entertaining cup runs with the 2’s losing out to flicks to a strong Manchester side - I believe the subsequent night out was memorable for many. The 3’s were undone by a very strong Lindum side with the junior members of the team outstanding on the day.

Consolidation in the league is still a successful year and hopefully the increased competition for places throughout the whole of the club can continue to increase the standard of hockey for all. Thanks to Dave and to Josh for their coaching efforts this year, I know everyone in the club is grateful for the work you do.

The junior section seems to be thriving despite some of the recurrent challenges in finding games to play for them. The numbers are good and Dave and his team of helpers (George/Jonny/Matty B) do a great job of developing them. Disappointingly we still appear to be the only club able to facilitate junior matches locally and so friendly ‘competition’ has been difficult to provide frequently. The events we host continue to be well received by other clubs and we are continually seeking support from England hockey to support our endeavours.

I’ll defer the to the captains for the team reports but I want to thank Jack/Chris and Jonny for not falling out (too much) this year and for working together to ensure that we have not needed to concede games due to lack of numbers.

Hockey clubs rely on their volunteers to keep going and Stokesley Hockey Club is no exception. I’d like to thank the committee for trying to keep the club easy to run. I’d like to thank the players for largely behaving themselves this year and to the umpires for facilitating the matches. No police were involved this year.

I also want to thank the supporters for driving around the country to support us. Russ also needs a special thanks for the work the chapel do to make Saturday afternoons a great place to have teas.

Here’s to a great 25-26 - enjoy the rest of the evening

Up the Stokesley!

Secretary

Stokesley Hockey Club Annual Update

We’re pleased to report another successful year at Stokesley Hockey Club. Membership remains steady at around 80 players, encompassing both junior and senior sections. Our senior teams have enjoyed positive league seasons, showing gradual improvement in their finishing positions—an encouraging sign of progress.

Committee and Governance

The committee has continued to meet regularly throughout the season. However, attendance has sometimes been inconsistent due to work and family commitments. To address this, we plan to schedule meetings well in advance and maintaina more structured calendar.

We are fortunate to have a small but dedicated group of committee volunteers. That said, with limited time and resources, we’ve had to prioritise certain areas, meaning some planned improvements have been delayed. Moving forward, we aim to expand our pool of active volunteers to help develop and support all aspects of the club more effectively.

Club Development and Future Plans

To support our ongoing development, Dave and I have met with our England Hockey Club Development representative. These discussions have primarily focused on junior recruitment, but the support available extends to all areas of club development. We intend to make the most of this resource to help guide and implement meaningful improvements.

As part of our strategy, we will identify key areas for development and set clear targets to monitor our progress.

Financial Considerations

With rising costs, we are entering a challenging period financially. Despite this, our priority remains to provide good value for money while continuing to offer a wide range of hockey opportunities. We remain committed to improving all facets of the club and sustaining our recent successes.

Treasurer

We have decided not to publish a complete financial report here, but I can summarise that since last season, our balance has increased by £403.12 once all debt or credits s have been cleared. The benefit of players paying via the app has made the lives of captains easier and means it’s easier to track payments. That said, we still have a reasonable amount due, so please clear this before the start of the season.

The club has invested in kit and equipment this year as expected, but with the hard work done to secure sponsorship, these costs have been offset. 

That said the predicted increases in fees from both England Hockey and for the pitch mean we should increase membership and match fees to allow us to break even. 

We should also continue to place a hold on players match participation once their debts reach £100 (unless prior agreement has been reached). 

1st Team 

After promotion the 1s are playing in the Y&N div 1 which is the joint highest in the clubs history. Initial expectations were to avoid relegation and try and stay in the division. 

It became clear that after 5/6 games that we should be looking at higher aspirations, maybe a European top 4 finish. 

With the introduction of a few key players at the start of the season we looked a settled squad with good availability to all games. 

If it wasn’t for some sloppy results then the might salamanders could have been looking at back to back promotions which I would have seen the club playing in the northern premier division, a daunting prospect for our little market town. 

All in all a brilliant, enjoyable and successful season with a top 3 finish just missing out on promotion by 6/7 points in the end. 

We are looking at recruiting some more players as we push to try and chive the same goal if not go one better next season.

2nd Team 

It was very much a season of ups and downs and then probably back up again. With a big preseason, the county cup, the national cup and the normal Hockey season was due to be more games than ever.

As last season, we continue to develop our younger players bringing Jack Hawking, Harry Bell, that Rapha Shaw and Dan Walker in as second team regulars. There should have possibly been others, but it shows the strength coming through the junior section and the third team. 

An extensive preseason, meant no fewer than 27 different players appeared for the second team, giving both ones and threes some early season minutes.

We started in fine form winning the county plate in its first year after a hiatus. Helped out significantly by members of the threes, a great run on the day ended in a dramatic penalty shootout. We also found a new penalty stroke maker in Mark Armitstead who had a 100% record over the season. 

The main fixtures started with a draw and then a couple of victories before we ran into a block of top teams, tough times through the winter period found us in a relegation battle with four games to go, but three victories in that final period lifted us to a flattering fifth place finish.

The national cup was something we hoped to progress well in, but despite what we thought it was a late winner against city of Manchester, an unfortunate final second equaliser by them and penalty strokes saw us out of the competition. 

Overall, it’s been a very successful year, winning the team’s first trophy in a long time and bring through some more young players shows the strong position the team is in. There are too many people to thank for their help this year, but none of what we managed to achieve is done by individuals and we have a great group helping to run the side.

Onwards and upwards next year, hopefully we can build on these solid foundations and progress

3rd Team

As the season draws to a close, it's a great moment to reflect on what has been a year of genuine development and growth for Stokesley 3s. From the very first match to the final whistle of the last game, the team has shown a real commitment to improving both individually and collectively — and the progress has been clear for all to see.

A particular highlight of the season was our fantastic run to the quarter-finals of a national competition, an achievement that speaks volumes about the potential within this group. It was a thrilling journey, filled with standout performances and moments of real resilience and teamwork. This run gave the squad valuable experience and belief, and it's something the players — and the club — can be proud of.

One of the most pleasing aspects of the season has been the development of our younger players, many of whom have taken significant steps forward. Whether it’s their increased confidence on the ball, sharper decision-making, or growing leadership on the pitch, they’ve embraced every challenge and shown maturity beyond their years. The future looks very bright with this young core forming the foundation.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the continued support of our parents and families. Whether it was lifting spirits on the sidelines, ensuring players got to training on time, or braving all kinds of weather conditions on match days, your support has been invaluable. Thank you for the commitment you've shown throughout the year.

As we look ahead, there’s a strong sense of optimism. With another year of development under their belts and plenty of experience gained, the squad is in a great position to build on this season’s achievements.

Thank you to everyone involved — players, coaches, and supporters — for making this a memorable and rewarding season for Stokesley 3s.

Juniors

Stokesley MHC Juniors have had a frustrating season with just 2 junior days (all of which we hosted) but the kids enjoyed it. The apathy of local sides to play matches, being the key stumbling block.

We continued to play local Junior Development hockey within Teesside amongst our older juniors mid age juniors with Darlington & it is from this group that we hope to integrate into our Tuesday night training & when age eligible into our Mens Saturday sides.

Stokesley School decision to lay a 4G astro in 2024,which isn’t compatible for hockey, made the decision to move to Macmillan Academy before senior training a natural transition & it has been successfully embedded as our new home.

Our Mens sides have a good supply of junior players & its good to see junior players moving up the sides, aswell as being happy to play down the sides where needed,an example to us all.

The challenge continues to be finding enough age range hockey to keep our juniors engaged with hockey, hence I’m hoping that our other Teesside clubs will get onboard with the YNE opportuntiesfor juniors to play, in a proposed localised Tessside hub.

Mark Armitstead & I have already had discussions with England Hockey representative Andrew Dales, about supporting our objectives & working alongside us, to give more kids the chance to play hockey, to get more from EH from our increased EH club costs. 

We must be aware that our junior numbers are at decent levels, but not at huge levels, so we must continue to look after & develop these players, for them & our longer term stability. Rapha Shaw, Jack Hawkins, John McAfee, Austen Kerr, Auden Ashwell & Eddie Shakesheff all being selected for their Durham County junior squads which is good to see & shows we are doing alot to assist players getting to these levels. 

My thanks go to all the captains & committee, particularly for Jonny Towers, for helping me with tuesday night training sessions along with our junior support leaders, Alfie Gander & Matty Boal. Jonny Towers for his faith in the juniors within the 3s side. Kev Lane & Tim Shaw have supported 3s & junior development matches & 3s coaching aswell which helps to share the load & hear different voices, to help them enjoy & develop their hockey.

Lots to be proud of but  alot more work ahead.

Umpire Development

All in all its been a good year with respect to umpiring for the club. We have put out the required umpires for every game so thanks to Chris, Mark, Dave, Clarkey, Andy, Phil and Dhruv for all your continued support throughout the year.

Special mention to the non-playing umpires Clarkey and Andy who give up their time to support the club week in week out, without them we would have really struggled. Also additional thanks to Dave for doing the weekly umpire organisation, it is very much appreciated. 

The club has a small pool of umpires which does make meeting our obligations challenging at times, but with people doubling up and even agreeing not to play and umpire instead, we have got there. The umpiring pool has increased this year with Dhruv joining, and Ethan passing his course which is great moving into next season. We always want more people to support and would ask for people to take up the free umpiring courses which are now included within the EH price increases, as the more people we have the less reliance we have on the core group.

Looking back on last season, discipline has been a slight issue, and we will be monitoring this in the coming season. Negativity and verbal abuse towards to the umpires is on the increase, and the committee will not allow this to continue. We all understand the passion each player has during the games but without the umpires there is no game, so I would please ask everyone to think long and hard about there actions during games and remember without the umpires Saturdays would be a boring day......

4. Committee Nominations 

Unless there are any nominations on the night, there is no requirement to vote unless there are objections. 

(Changes with last year in Red) 

Chair	Colin McAdam
Vice Chair	Dave Tucker
Treasurer	Drew Prunty
Secretary	Mark Armitstead
Fixture Secretary	Dave Tucker
1st Team Captain	Jack Atha
1st Team Vice Captain	Tom Atha
2nd Team Captain	Chris Heayns
2nd Team Vice Captain	Matt Hibbert/Alan Patel
3rd Team Captain	Jonny Towers
3rd Team Vice Captain	Chris Slade
Umpire Development	Rich Carr
Junior Development	Dave Tucker
Child Welfare Officer	Colin McAdam
Disciplinary Officer	Paul Clark

5. Constitution Changes 

   4.1 The main purposes of the club are to provide facilities for and to promote participation in the amateur sport of Hockey in Stokesley and the surrounding area.                                                                                                                                                -

   
   

   Change ‘Stokesley and the Surrounding Area’ to ‘Stokesley, the surrounding area and the area surrounding Macmillan College’ This is to reflect that, although we are still named Stokesley and will continue to recruit from that area, we now have both junior and senior training at Macmillan and it will be harder to convince juniors to travel from Stokesley.

   Passed

   
   

   5.1- add ‘Disciplinary Officer’ as a committee position.                 

   This is to make the disciplinary officer a permanent position on the committee, bringing an end to the oversight where we have a disciplinary officer which was not reflected in the club constitution.

Passed

6. Voting 

   Playing Kit

   Train Direct Sponsorship is due for renewal. They are willing to renew this sponsorship to continue to provide playing kit.

   They have proposed 2 options

   - Keep current playing kit, with free replacements for the next 2 seasons

   - Change to adidas kit. Train Direct will supply 1 home and 1 away set of shirts, shorts and socks free of charge. Due to the extra cost of this kit, any replacements will need to be paid for by individual members.

Discussion around whether it is responsible to have free kit if we lose money. Kit will not influence the membership fee.

Adidas- Passed

For both these options training kit and club branded accessories will again be available to purchase, with both adidas and lower cost non-branded options. 

Increase in fees.

Membership Fees to go up to £100 for adults, 70 for Students/Part-Time, 50 for U-18's.

This is due to the England Hockey Increase in membership fees, plus a contribution to

playing kit, plus a contribution to training fees.

Match fees to go to £12, this is due to the increase in pitch fees

Training fees to stay at £3 per session to encourage participation.

Discussion around training, should it be included in the membership fee. 

Membership fees going up.- Passed

Put to members to add to training costs to membership fees.- Passed

7. AOB

   Social Secretaries/Social Media Officers 

George - Social Sec

Chris - Social Media

Income into the club

Is the club a viable sponsorship opportunity at the moment? What exposure/benefits will a company get for sponsorship? What do we need to do to improve? Committee will look at a development plan in the coming months to drive this forward.