It’s not very often that any team can say that you secured promotion without getting a stick out your bag, however this weekend was an exception.

Ross Men’s 1st were all looking forward to travelling to bottom-of-the-table Brecon, in a must win game to push them ever closer to that vital promotion slot.

All was going to plan; the group met at 11am at the local meeting point, when El Capitan, Tom Walton received a call to inform him that Brecon only had five players available. With the minimum amount of players being seven to play a game safely, and Brecon only having five players to field, they were forced to forfeit the game.

The game won’t be able to be replayed, due to league rules and therefore Ross secured a 0 – 5 win and three points.

Ross had to wait until 5pm to find out the news that they had all been waiting for – that Wotton Hockey Club managed to secure a 3-2 win against Cleevillians, meaning that Cleevillians can no longer catch Ross for the promotion spot.

The biggest game however happens this weekend, when league leaders Cheltenham B come to Ross’s home ground, where Ross remain undefeated. Cheltenham are exactly three points clear of Ross, and both teams have the exact same goal difference, meaning that if Ross win the game, they’ll become the champions.

No matter what happens on Saturday, Ross will be coming out with their heads held high, in what can only be described as the best season Ross-on-Wye Hockey Club has had for a number of years.

If anyone is free at 2pm on Saturday, March 12th, they would be very welcome at Monmouth School Sports Club to cheer on the boys in black.