Players representing Canterbury Hockey Club rolled back the years on their way to winning a national cup competition.

Canterbury men’s over-50s Veterans team beat Reading Redsox 2-1 in the Final of the England Hockey National Masters Championships.

Defending champions Reading Redsox have enjoyed plenty of success in the competition but the 2023/24 campaign proved to be Canterbury’s season.

Canterbury team manager Les Gurubatham said: “The last time we won it was in 2013 - but we have been in it every year since.

“I took over the team four years ago and gradually, over the past four years, we have been building the team. This year was our year.

“We played six rounds. You start off in your area, so we played Herne Bay in the First Round. Then, we played Sevenoaks and then Marden.

“After that, we played Tulse Hill, Old Georgians and Stourport and then met Reading in the Final.”

The competition is split into two tiers after the First Round.

“Everybody that wants to take part in the competition has to enter it at tier one - the First Round,” added Gurubatham.

“The losers in the First Round, they get a second chance by going into the Plate - which is the tier two competition - and, if you get through round one, you’re in tier one all the way.”

The Final was played at Lee Valley this month as nine-goal top scorer Nick Hopkin bagged a brace in a man-of-the-match display.

Gurubatham, who saw goalkeeper Simon Triggs named player-of-the-season, said: “It’s a special place to be able to play at - let alone to win something there.”

He also told how over-50s hockey had helped reconnect players who had once played first-team hockey together decades ago.

“After 20-odd years, they have come back together again,” noted Gurubatham. “It does
bring guys back together after many years.

“That’s one of the attractions of Masters Hockey.”

Arguably, Canterbury over-50s’ toughest test on their way to victory came in the Quarter-Final in February as a depleted squad visited Old Georgians Phoenix and edged through 3-1 on penalty strokes.

With the feel-good factor firmly back, Gurubatham sees no reason why Canterbury cannot back up their triumph in the years to come.

“They cannot wait for next season to start,” he said.

“They’re really enjoying playing together again, which is great to see.

“Hopefully, we can retain the cup.”

While the side were representing Canterbury, players from nearby clubs in Kent, whose teams don’t have enough players to make an over-50s side, linked-up with them as ‘guest’ players.

They included Ashford duo Kevin Miller and Paul Congerton, Tunbridge Wells’ David Judge, Nick Barton of Herne Bay, Hopkin of Folkestone, and Gore Court’s Paul Surridge.

Canterbury over-50s men’s side support mental health charity, YoungMinds.

Squad: Nick Hopkin, David Judge, Mark Hollingworth, Steve Laslett (c), Barry Thomas, David Sharpe, Paul Sharratt, Andy Ericson, Paul Congerton, Simon Triggs, Jon Gurney, Stuart Forbes, Andrew Goodenough, Nick Barton, Kevin Miller, Nick Scott-Kilvert, Paul Surridge, Peitro Atala.