LX  v  Ipswich 
at Ipswich on Sunday 5th August

It was the hottest day of the year and 1.00 was probably the hottest time of the day. After enjoying the usual warm welcome from John Gordon in the cool of the air-conditioned clubhouse, LX found the outdoor conditions rather more testing. Luckily the teams had been supposedly levelled by giving LX three younger members of the Ipswich side and letting them have Messrs Gill, Vogt, French and Jones (Tony variety). It would be fair and appropriate to say that the first half was hotly contested and had either Adrian Stephenson or Brian Woolcott got a touch to one particular strike into the circle LX might well have gone ahead. As it was the score remained 0-0 at half time.

Eventually it needed an LX combination for Ipswich to break through LX’s imported Ipswich back line. A sweeping pass upfield from Rainer Vogt found John French running into acres of space. He moved the ball into the circle before laying it off for Ipswich’s Peter Glading to lift into the hitherto impregnable goal of Nigel Dixon. Despite good midfield carrying by Gerald Wilkinson, Mike Surridge and Norman Ballard and staunch support from the the rotating wingers, Geoff Morley, Brian Woolcott and Tony Williams, Adrian Stephenson failed to breach the solid Ipswich defence and as legs wearied and bodies drained of fluids Ipswich picked up a second goal from John Hauxwell and the game ended in a 2-0 win for Ipswich.

John Gordon’s 78th birthday was duly celebrated in the clubhouse afterwards and, as the oldest member of the current Senior Grand Masters squad, he was encouraged to continue to set an example to his juniors when he qualifies for the England Over 80s.

Team: Nigel Dixon, Rob Gaffer (guest), Mark Ringrose (guest), Andy Cutting (guest), David Wright, Mike Surridge, Tony Williams, Gerald Wilkinson, Adrian Stephenson, Norman Ballard, Geoff Morley, Brian Woolcott. Loaned to Ipswich: John French, David Gill, Rainer Vogt, Tony Jones.