COWHC Men's 2s vs Purley Walcountians Men's 2s - 27th Jan 2017

Lonely Planet - hockey edition

Purley & Old Walcountians 2*s
( Best: COWs HC - 4*s)

Local area:
Not all it’s cracked up to be, Purley showcases a strong pitch in a good (if swampy) location. Excellent views of the city can often be obscured by rainstorms (as we experienced) which feel colder than at other south London venues.
Local amenities are limited to food and drink so pack carefully & do not forget key items (eg socks) as you will be unable to source replacements on arrival.

Pitch conditions:
The Purley pitch is a special AstroTurf variety which plays very well across the majority of the surface. It’s signature feature is it’s select depressions which cannot be seen easily. They must, exist, however, as there is no other explanation for Jaideep missing the ball 2 yards from goal or Joe striking well wide twice (and a little high on one occasion) under no pressure.

Local hockey:
Strong hockey culture with multiple age groups & a high individual skill level. Vulnerable to strong transfers, deliberate dummies (Tom Dawes) & the rare Irish dribbling/stepover technique. Our field reporters Joe & Jay found their goalkeeping particularly susceptible to “absolute worldies” rifled in from top D or half volleys into the roof of the net.

Documentation:
A travel visa may be required to visit Purley. American citizenship does not extend to this locale and our new writer Jaideep discovered that his green card actually resulted in a temporary travel ban.

Testimonials:

Ollie, 24 “enjoyed my stay immensely - won top honours there!!”

Kailash, 83 “great location to practice your flicks. I scored 2!!”

Alex, 23 “Terrible trip. My party were very mean to me & no one believed that I missed the ball deliberately. Did not enjoy the surface & blame it for that ‘arial’ “

Steve, 29 “2 assists for us and almost 1 for them. 7/10”