Firebrands Position Predictor
Do you want to win £200.00?
Do you think you know where each team will finish in their league this season?
Do you want Firebrands HCs 70th season to be a brilliant one?
If you answered yes to any of those then this is the game for you!
Steps
1)Read through the information on each team.
2)Make informed estimates about where each team will finish in the 2016-17 season.
3)Guess what game (out of 222) our 70th win of the 2016-17 season will be on.
4)Fill out your Place Predictor form (last page of this doc) and return it to us either by email or handing it to us at training etc
5)Pay the £10 entry fee by 30/09/2016. Please note to put the reference of ‘Predictor [your name]’ to make sure we know where the money is coming from.
6)Make sure to remember your estimates so you can support the teams who you need to win etc!
7)Anybody can play this, as you don’t have to be a FHC member to guess! So please tell your family and friends to paly and pass this on!
Rules
1)All entries must be submitted & the £10 fee paid by the 30th September. Please note, there will have been a few games played by this point! If fees have not been paid by this date your entry will be disqualified.
2)We must have a name & email (or mobile number) on the form for the entry to count.
3)To win £200.00 all position predictions must be correct along with the 70th win being correct. In the scenario of nobody getting all estimates correctly, the person with the closest estimates will win £150.00.
4)If there are two winners the £200.00 will be split between them evenly.
5)Prizemoney will be given once the leagues have all finished, even if you have won before this.
6)Once entered, you can’t make any changes mid-season.
Team: Men’s 1st XICaptain: Andy Fry
League: West Premiership
2015-16 Position: 4th with 35 points & +9GD.
Pundits Overview: After a dip in performance towards the end of the season the 1st XI dropped down from 2ndto 4th where they ended the season. With 4th place being a good base to build on and confirmation of Rich Bendry taking over all coaching, a return to National League is the aim. The 1st XI had a fantastic conversion rate from short corners but struggled to start their open play goal tally, missing penalty strokes & a clinical touch in some games. Possession and going forward comes naturally to this squad & when it clicks for them, it’s impossible to defend. Is it their year?
Pundits Player to Watch: Michael Blair
Pundits Prediction: 1st / Team: Men’s 2nd XI
Captain:Andrew Krebs
League: Conference North
2015-16 Position: 5th with 38 points & +10GD.
Pundits Overview: Unfortunately the 2nd XI availability in the middle of the season hindered their chances of promotion to the Championship. The mid-season crisis left them needing to win their last 6 games & results to fall in favour of them however being 3 positions away from promotion seems harsh. The 2nd XI had the second fewest goals conceded with 32 goals conceded in 22 games but scoring goals was the issue! They only netted the ball on 42 occasions, this put them 10th in the league for goals scored. Can they learn their lesson and gain promotion?
Pundits Player To Watch: Richard Brand
Pundits Prediction: 2nd
Team: Men’s 3rd XI
Captain: Jon Bessant
League: Central 1
2015-16 Position: 4th with 42 points & +8GD.
Pundits Overview: A melting-pot of hockey players forms this squad, ranging from double Olympians to future 1st teamers, with a fantastic team spirit & some illustrious fines items this squad puts in 100% on and off the pitch. Finishing the season in the top 4 was a good reward for the hard work put in. Consistency is the key if they’re going for promotion, a chunk of away games sadly being lost to opposition who were well beaten at home let the 3rd XI down. Being the 5th highest 3rd team in West Hockey they’re already doing the club proud. Can they do even more?
Pundits Player To Watch: Jamie Cranfield
Pundits Prediction: 3rd / Team: Men’s 4th XI
Captain: Matt Body
League: West Central 1
2015-16 Position:8th with 19 points & -27GD.
Pundits Overview:When the 4th XI won, they won in style. Their top win being 8-0! But this form was not continued across all games, some losses came as heavily as the wins. With the second half of the season being better than the first, the 4th XI have set the standard for how the new season should be going. With an experienced midfield the 4th XI have a core to build on but at times this team may lack the clinical strike that other teams have. If goal scoring can be improved upon who knows what doors might open! Perhaps a steadier season in the middle of the table?
Pundits Player To Watch:Matt Body
Pundits Prediction: 6th
Team: Men’s 5th XI
Captain:Harvey Henson
League: West Central 2
2015-16 Position:11th with 17 points & -34GD.
Pundits Overview:In a bizarre season our 5th XI managed to finish lower than our 6th XI! Only winning 4 times at home, with 2 home draws and 5 losses cost the 5th XI vital points. If they can make Failand a fortress and turn losses into draws & draws into wins they could be in with a chance of a finish in the top half of the table. Away from home the 5th XI showed spirit but failed to take charge of games. Finishing above the 6th XI is the aim this season. Can the 5th XI push on an get in the top 6?
Pundits Player To Watch: Ian Richley
Pundits Prediction: 5th / Team: Men’s 6th XI
Captain:Simon Kinnersley
League: West Central 2
2015-16 Position:5th with 41 points & +27GD.
Pundits Overview:Amazingly the 6th XI finished well above the 5th XI. Only losing twice at home, scoring 47 and conceding 14, gave the 6th XI the base they needed to finish a few places from promotion. Unfortunately the away games weren’t quite as pleasing, with only 4 wins. If the 6th XI can ensure that the miles don’t get to them on away journeys the team will have a great chance at promotion providing the inter-club rivals, the 5th XI, don’t swap squads! Was last season a fluke or are the 6th XI destined for the next league?
Pundits Player To Watch:Jeremy Board
Pundits Prediction: 6th
Team: Men’s Flames (7th XI)
Captain:Dave Ward & Simon Jackson
League: West Central 3
Pundits Overview: A completely new Firebrands team starting from the bottom league! The Flames (7th XI) will be formed from our talented academy with experienced heads to lead them down the correct hockey path. Promotion & title hopes being set aside to focus on the tactics, style of play & individual skills the academy players will need to learn so they can all step up to our 1st XI when the time is right. A wonderful idea to grace West Central 3 with. Will it work?
Pundits Players To Watch: Academy Players!
Pundits Prediction: 6th / Last year Firebrands won 88 out of 200 games.
Where do you think our teams will come?
Is it our year?
Is relegation on the cards?
You be the judge!
Team: Women’s 1st XI
Captain: Frankie Mayes
League: National West
2015-16 Position: 9th with 14 points & -21GD.
Pundits Overview: Last season saw the 1st XI lose by one goal on several occasions in hard fought and tense matches, despite great team performances. At times it felt like things just weren’t going the 1st XI’s way however with Tam Pascoe announced as the new coach this is sure to be the start of new era for our Women’s 1st XI in the National League. When needed the team dug deep and battled through the play-offs to keep their national league status, showing the talent and style of play Firebrands are known for. After finishing 9th, avoiding relegation & play-offs is the aim. Is the top half of the table a possibility?
Pundits Player To Watch:Frankie Mayes
Pundits Prediction: 7th / Team: Women’s 2nd XI
Captain:Mary Anne Venables
League: Premier 2A
2015-16 Position: 6th with 23 points & -14GD.
Pundits Overview:The Women’s 2nd XI were unfortunately burdened with a new league, which meant a lot of mileage for all but one away game. This proved to be a challenge as away form was hard to come by, with 6 away losses from 9 games. At home they were strong with 5 wins and 1 draw, showing to the league the true standard of our 2nd XI. Thankfully this year the 2nd XI are back in Prem 2A, meaning that away games are 1100 miles less than last season. Yes, 1100 miles less!! With no daunting journeys and an impressive home record. Could this season be something special if the home form is duplicated in away games?
Pundits Player To Watch:Susie Roscoe
Pundits Prediction: 5th
Team: Women’s 3rd XI
Captain:Merryn Chambers & Alice Oswald
League: Central
2015-16 Position:4th with 32 points & +5GD.
Pundits Overview: A slow-ish start to the season with 3 draws in the first 4 games meant the 3rd XI had some catching up to do! However with only one loss in 2015 and a tremendous start to 2016 the squad was back where they belong. With the last three games being vital to the 3rd XI season and them not going the way we’d all like, they ended up 4th in the league with impressively only 4 losses. With most games having only one goal as the difference the can the 3rd XI start to push on this season and get some comfortable wins? If so promotion is the aim!
Pundits Player To Watch:Susie Ramsay
Pundits Prediction: 3rd / Team:Women’s 4th XI
Captain:Laura Dunkerley
League: Brunel 2
2015-16 Position: 4th with 27 points & +14GD.
Pundits Overview:There were some heavy wins against the lower half of the table, showing off the immense class and skill of the 4th XI. Not being able to get a point (from the 18 on offer) against the top three teams cost them a shot at promotion though. Going forward isn’t an issue, with the 4th XI only failing to score in 3 games. However keeping the top teams at bay would see the 4th XI go up a league! Can a ruthless streak be found to beat the favourites? Or will it be another near miss?
Pundits Player To Watch:Mandy Meier
Pundits Prediction: 2nd
PredictionsPlease email this form to
Name: ______
Email: ______
(Please put your mobile number if you do not have an email address)
Team / League / Positions / PredictionWomen’s 1st XI / National League West / 1st – 10th
Women’s 2nd XI / Premier 2B / 1st – 10th
Women’s 3rd XI / Central / 1st – 10th
Women’s 4th XI / Brunel 2 / 1st – 10th
Men’s 1st XI / Premiership / 1st – 12th
Men’s 2nd XI / Conference North / 1st – 12th
Men’s 3rd XI / Central 1 / 1st – 12th
Men’s 4th XI / West Central 1 / 1st – 12th
Men’s 5th XI / West Central 2 / 1st – 12th
Men’s 6th XI / West Central 2 / 1st – 12th
Men’s 7th XI / West Central 3 / 1st – 11th
70th Win / ALL Fixtures / 70 – 222 / Game Number:
Please circle or underline the method you have chosen to pay us with.
Payment Method:Bank Transfer Cash Cheque
Our bank details are;
Account Name:Firebrands Hockey Club
Bank:LloydsTSB,Whiteladies Road, Bristol
Sortcode: 30-90-54
A/C Number: 01241953
Reference:Predictor [your name]