46 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2010

● AB ‘Norms’ Wisdom wins his bout against ET Libralon from HMS Sutherland as Cumberland clinches the Fleet trophy

Fight knights

clashed at HMS Neptune’s charity boxing dinner.

The black tie event was held in the base’s Warrant Offi cers’ and Senior Rates’ Mess, with spectators paying £50 per head for an evening of food, drink and fi ghting. The proceeds from the night – roughly £1,000 – were split equally between Help for Heroes, and Royal Navy and Royal Marines’ charities. There were seven bouts on the night, beginning with light heavyweights PO Illingworth and the Fleet Air Arm’s AET Day. In a bad start for the home team, AET Day was given the judges’ verdict on a split decision.

BOXERS from Scotland and Naval Air Command

Best. Game. Ever.

The heavyweight clash followed, with big hitters Cpl Maughan and AET Howard going toe-to-toe. It was RN Scotland team captain Maughan’s fi nal contest and the Royal Marine made it count, securing a victory against his airman opponent after forcing him to take two standing counts. The third bout between Mne Cottle and Logs Molyneux at middleweight witnessed three frantic rounds; it was the commando who came out ahead, taking the split decision verdict in his very fi rst bout. Scotland’s AB Whitnall followed at welterweight, felling AET Penny and winning a unanimous decision from the judges. With the home team three points ahead of their rivals, Mne Metcalfe was determined to widen the lead as he stepped into the ring at light heavyweight.

His opponent, LAET Rose, was no pushover though, and it was an aggressive three rounds in which each fi ghter thought they’d done enough to win and earned a standing ovation from the crowd. Mne Metcalfe earned the judges’ decision after landing the cleaner punches overall. The penultimate fi ght at welterweight saw AB Stewart and AET Thomas step into the ring for Scotland and FAA respectively. Both boxers had only one previous contest under their belts, but it did not show during the bout with each fi ghter pulling off a good demonstration of technical boxing. AET Thomas pushed the pace somewhat towards the end and took the victory on a split decision. Two light heavyweights, AB Green and AET Viqtrna, stepped into the ring for the fi nal bout of the night. In what was probably the most physical fi ght of the evening, both pugilists showed a high level of courage as they exchanged combinations of power blows for the whole three rounds. It was a close decision, but in the end the judges declared

Green the winner, clinching a 5-2 victory for Scotland on the night.

gongs: LS Wilson won her category while AB Wisdom was declared the boxer of the night.

Meanwhile down in HMS Collingwood... In a nail-biting competition, HMS Cumberland’s boxers fought their way to being declared Fleet champions of 2010. The Type 22 frigate, which returned in December from a demanding operational deployment east of Suez, fi elded six boxers – LS(EW) Abbi Wilson, AB(CIS) ‘Errol’ Flynn, ET(WE) ‘Nag’ Nagle, ET(ME) ‘Gail’ Porter, AB(WS) ‘Robbo’ Robinson and AB(Sea) ‘Norms’ Wisdom – ably coached by the Mighty Sausage’s EWO and PTI, WO1 Kent Tanner and LPT ‘Blood’ Reid respectively. Only the squad captain, AB Wisdom, had any boxing experience. Cumberland’s win was the result of hours of dedicated training whilst deployed, followed by a training camp at a rainy HMS Raleigh once the frigate returned to Devonport. The Mighty Sausage’s boxers also bagged some individual

● Action from the Scotland-Fleet Air Arm encounter at HMS Neptune

Picture: LA(Phot) Brian Douglas, FRPU North

AFTER a dank and dismal winter, the sun at last came out to greet more than 350 hockey players and offi cials in 16 squads: 15 of players, one of umpires and offi cials at the Inter-Services Outdoor Hockey

Championships at Aldershot.

Technically in the hosting chair, the Royal

Air Force (who last hosted the event over three days in 2005 on one pitch) were accorded the dubious privilege of watching the Army and Navy play each other on the fi rst afternoon at all fi ve levels (men’s masters, women’s masters, U23 men, women and men) before having to play twice on day two: in the morning versus the losers from day one, and then in the afternoon versus the winners. As always, the devil is in the detail and on

the Army patch, the efforts of secretary Lt Col Alan Flavell and his assistants made for the most splendid tournament – perhaps the best

yet, writes Lt Cdr Alan Walker, RNHA.

Overall, the honours were shared: three competition wins for the RAF, two wins for the Army with the Navy left to console themselves with a solitary but magnifi cent win 4-1 over the Army in the blue riband Army-Navy senior men’s match.... and then participating in arguably the most exciting Inter-Services match ever against the RAF and a fi tting climax to a wonderful occasion. After the Navy’s 4-1 well deserved win

over the Army (in which Cpl Tom Nicoll (CTCRM) had opened the scoring and an on-fi re PO(AET) Mark Stanton (JHF RAF Cottesmore) had buried two from open play, plus a penalty stroke for his hat-trick) the RAF and Army had fought out a dour 2-2 draw in the morning.

Olympian Guy Fordham scored twice for the Army with replies from Flg Off Chris Burden

(RAF Benson) and SAC Paul Dowers (RAF Wittering). This meant that in the concluding match the RAF needed to win; the RN could either draw or win to take the Indian Air Force Trophy.

Quicker into their stride than the Navy, the RAF put away a well-worked short corner with SAC Dowers getting on the end of a fi ve-man switch in the fi fth minute. A 25-minute struggle for supremacy ensued when SAC Richie Corbett (RAF Scampton) for the RAF and Moore for the Navy received warnings for near-the-mark tackles. The fi rst RN striker again was Cpl Nicoll to

level at 1-1 late on to conclude the fi rst half. There then followed a pulsating seven-goal second half that had to be seen to be believed. First Dowers again converted a penalty

corner in the 43rd minute for 2-1. The RAF’s Cpl Danny Wallis was sent off in the 43rd minute and the Navy then went close: a great save by RAF keeper Sgt Suneil Raval kept the RN out.

The ten men of the RAF were matched by the ten-man Navy as Scottish international Mne Al Gouick (45 Cdo) ‘converted’ his 44th- minute green card into a sin-binned yellow. This time Fg Off Burden converted the penalty corner for 3-1. The Navy had cause from the Indoor Inter

Services to remember SAC Corbett who now, with an open-play goal in the 48th minute, cracked the Navy right down the middle for a seemingly unassailable 4-1 RAF lead. Senior RN Offi cers were seen to frown and admirals to search for explanations; senior Royal Air Force offi cers were seen to be looking gleeful and air marshals to be pleased... Navy hearts were in Navy mouths for a couple of minutes but by sheer unadulterated grit, Lt Adam Duke positively buried a 51st- minute penalty corner. His shot, drag-fl icked, devastatingly-hard,

fi zzed and snarled its way around the roof of RAF net for a few seconds; the 4-2 scoreline lifted Navy hearts a little. Dare one hope for a comeback?

The ensuing six or seven minutes’ play were end-to-end stuff with fi rst the RAF then Navy morale lifted as adrenaline fuelled some of the most technically-perfect passages of play ever seen in an Inter Services match. It was the Navy’s star man Mark Stanton who put away another ferocious short corner on 57 minutes, making it now only 4-3 to the RAF.

Unbelievably one minute later the same

player took on the keeper and forced the ball into the net for 4-4 and his fi fth goal of the tournament.

Senior RAF offi cers were now seen to purse lips and air marshals to bristle. Senior RN offi cers were again seen to smile; the Navy went wild, the RAF went quiet With 12 minutes to go, the Navy needed to continue to attack, to play the game in the RAF half. Surely in this second match of the day, these RAF chaps must soon run out of legs. The RAF Coach Ian Jennings, former star of

Army and England wasn’t worried – he’d been there before. The vastly experienced RN coach Steve Lemon had also been there before. The vast, bi-partisan crowd was confi dent

that each coach would get the best from his team. As the seconds ticked away and Navy hearts were praying for the fi nal whistle. Ten minutes to go 4-4, an Inter Service win for the Navy. Two minutes to go, 4-4. Thirty seconds to go 4-4. Ten seconds to go, an over- hit cross from an RAF player unexpectedly came off the RN post directly into the path of Sgt Jon Pell-Reynolds (RAF Boulmer) who put it away for a 5-4 RAF victory. There was barely time for a re-start. Was there ever such a match?

Goldsbury’s golden goal sinks Heron

THE Navy Cup fi nal took place at Victory Stadium, Portsmouth with HMS Heron and 45 Cdo RM facing each other after beating HMS Illustrious and CTC RM in their respective semi-fi nals. Conditions were perfect at

Burnaby Road, with the sun shining. Despite rain earlier in the week, the pitch was in magnifi cent shape.

The game started brightly with

both teams favouring a traditional 4-4-2 formation. 45 Cdo’s pace threatened early on in the contest with both Mne Husbands and Courtney looking to test the opposition back four when they received the ball to feet.

Heron looked to get the ball

forward early to AET Musumeci and then support from midfi eld. Both 45 Cdo central defenders, Sgts Nicholson and Lockhart, appeared comfortable with the ball, although the aerial presence of AET Ardley caused the Royals some problems during set pieces. Mid-way through the fi rst period, 45 Cdo looked to be edging

Onside with Lt Cdr Neil Horwood, RNFA

ahead in terms of possession and pressure, but against the run of play Heron took the lead through a goal from AET Paterson. The opposition were quick to respond with a leveller from Husbands, who then went on to provide the assist for Courtney; he slotted home from 12 yards as the airmen struggled to deal with the pace of Husbands down the right- hand channel. 45 Cdo went into the break 2-1 up. The second half saw an early change for 45 Cdo with Mne Goldsbury replacing Husbands who retired with a hamstring strain. Heron took full advantage of the change of personnel and went on to enjoy their best period of the game.

Royals to sit deeper than they would have liked;

Sustained pressure forced the they rarely

tested AET Emmerson in the Heron goal.

eventually when Lt Sharrot, who had recently come off the bench for Heron adding a new dimension to the attack, headed in from close range to even the scores late in the game and force extra time. With fresh legs being introduced by both teams, the game became stretched in extra time, although neither side could take advantage. The fi rst period ended with the scores remaining even. Heron continued to push further up the fi eld of play in their search for a winner but eventually were caught outnumbered in their own defensive third,

Goldsbury to bundle the ball home to give 45 Cdo the lead again. Heron refused to lie down and concede defeat and continued to

allowing Mne The hard work paid off

press the opposition with AET Musumeci charging down fi eld in the fi nal minute of the match, outpacing the 45 Cdo defender only for Cpl Murphy,

the 45

keeper, to block the shot and wrap up the victory. There were some strong individual performances on both sides, with both AET Paterson and Mne Petch, his opposite number in the middle of the fi eld having good games.

Both team captains had strong games and led by example, but the man of the match award went to Mne Courtney for an accomplished performance throughout the entire 120 minutes.

Meanwhile in Faslane, the

football teams of HMS Sutherland and HMS Cornwall took the opportunity whilst alongside ahead of Joint Warrior to compete in a friendly fi xture. In unusually fi ne conditions, both sides played some good football and were keen to win. In the end, a strong Sutherland team dominated the match running out deserving 10-3 winners.

● The ‘golden stick’ of the tournament, PO(AET) Mark Stanton (Naval Strike Wing) lines up another strike at the RAF net

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