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WHO ARE WE?
We are the cream of sporting excellence in Huntingdon, and have been since the HSA's formation in 1988. An exclusive band of 19 individuals make up the HSA membership. |
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The greatest show on earth
Match reports: session four, 2006/08;
session one, 2008/09 |
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HSA Olympians eclipse the
excitement of Beijing |
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Dave receives the HSA League trophy from Mrs B - the trophy will remain in Butler Stadium. |
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Tom and Willard play the final league game of the 2006/08 season |
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As the Beijing Olympics draw to a close, it was up to five athletes of the green beize to remind us that despite all the drama of the recent games, the Olympics still fails to hold a candle (or should that be torch?!) to the greatest event of the sporting calendar, the HSA league. Indeed, Michael Phelps would surely swap all eight of his Olympic golds for just one minute of serious matchplay in the planet�s greatest arena?
Whilst the Olympics has been crammed into two months of action, the latest HSA league has provided over two years of high drama and sporting excellence. How would the Olympians of today fare if they had to produce the goods at this level of competition over such a long time frame?
The reputation of the HSA was threatened, however, by an embarrassing equipment blunder as the athletes were taking their marks. Almost unbelievably in this age of professionalism, only one keeper could be found and Tom Porter had to hurry home to retrieve another shot stopper! In a way, however, as Tom remarked to a stunned Mrs B, it is freak occurrences like this �that make the HSA great�, giving the world�s greatest league an air of excitement due to its unpredictable nature. In a HSA meeting, anything can � and often does � happen. How would the Olypmpics cope if the officials forgot to lay out the hurdles before a final, for example? The HSA once again showed it can cope with any obstacle thrown in its path! |
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The show must go on � and what a show it is. The day�s action began with the second HSA Cup semi-final. Despite holding his own over the first half, there would be no medal for Mr B, as he let in four goals in the second half against his son Dave, who will now meet Dazza in the final in an attempt to add the cup to the league he clinched earlier this year, and seal the double. |
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Dazza was to take up the baton following this match to play the first of the two remaining fixtures left in the 2006 � 2008 league season. A win against Willard would guarantee him the runners-up position, and he went onto the offensive immediately, launching a first half onslaught on Willard�s goal that yielded shot after shot, but amazingly no goal � credit to the defence that no clear shot was allowed, countless block flick forcing Dazza to attempt to deflect the ball off the last defender, something he attempted, but often forcing a corner rather than a goal, as Willard�s defence ensured that like a champion pole vaulter, shot after shot sailed over the bar. The second half proved to be far more even in terms of possession and attacks, but it was far more fruitful for Dazza, yielding a harvest of clearer opportunities from which he took the lead on 13 minutes and extended it to 2-0 a few minutes later. The second goal was the best of the brace, a great chip from an acute angle with the man a good couple of inches fom the ball. That the shot came in with power was surprise enough, that it was also chipped into the roof of the net brought a nod of respect from the opposition. The win saw Dazza win in a photo finish with Willard for second place � his one point advantage giving him a silver medal. Willard also made the podium to finish third with his best points total yet. |
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Dazza overcame Willard to clinch second spot. |
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That set Dazza up nicely for his HSA Cup final with his brother, but unfortunately the match had to be postponed as he was called away due to family commitments. The final will be an eagerly anticipated match as he defends his title and tries to prevent his brother winning the double.
One match remained in the 2006 - 08 league season � a Porter derby. Although all the final positions were already decided, family pride meant that this was far from an end-of-season dead rubber. As often happens in this fixture, it was a pretty cagey affair. Tom was hoping to continue the form shown in the previous HSA session where he drew with one Butler boy and narrowly lost to the other, but his defence and specifically his keeper let him down on this occasion as he repeatedly charged out of his goal with a recklessness that even that old exponent of goalkeeping bravado, the Colombian Rene Higuita would not have dared. Each half saw him give his younger brother golden chances to score into an empty net and he took full advantage to score in each half and finish the season on a high with a 2 � 0 win. |
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Tom hides his head in shame after a goalkeeping blunder lets his brother Willard in to score the first goal in a 2 - 0 win. |
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| Despite one match remaining in the 2006-08 season, the HSA, as always, refused to stand still and the torch was passed immediately on, for the new season, which began with new champion Dave taking on Willard in his third match on the trot. His hopes were to be crushed however as his opponent was out of the blocks faster than Usain Bolt to rattle in four goals in the first five minutes. Although the match was pretty even after that, each player scoring a goal each, the first half display killed the game and saw David off to a flying start in his defence of the HSA league. |
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The following match was a tight affair as Tom looked to repeat his success against Dave last time round, when the match ended in a goalless draw. Dave got his nose infront midway through the first half but it was not until the second goal went in on 17 minutes that he put the result beyond doubt. At 1 � 0, and with Tom getting into some good positions, an equaliser was still a possibility.
This encounter was to be the last of the day�s events and saw Dave setting the pace in this season�s title race, but as we all know from last season�s two-year-long league the HSA is a marathon � not a sprint. |
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Videos from this session |
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