Wotton under Edge Hockey Club recently secured their first ever national title with their Boys u16s team crowned National Indoor champions in the England Hockey Super 6s Finals held at Nottingham University.
Wotton were the West’s representatives in the tournament having emerged victorious in County & Regional rounds before Christmas, defeating Cheltenham HC & Clifton Robinsons HC along the way.
An opening 5-2 win over Brooklands of Manchester was followed by close defeat to Teddington HC. After a tense pool stage, with all eight teams still in the hunt in the final round of games, Wotton needed at least a point in their final game in Pool B to qualify for the semi-finals; they achieved this with a 2-2 draw versus Repton.
A place in the final was secured with an outstanding 6-3 win in the semis over highly favoured Trojans HC of Southampton. Wotton were outstanding in this game, shocking the South Coast team by being 4-1 up at half time; and the goals were shared amongst the squad with Day (x2), Edwards, Brewer, Bray & Pullin all on the scoresheet.
Facing Wotton in the final were Guildford HC – a club with a long and proud history and numerous national honours. The game itself was tense affair with Wotton leading 2-1 before Guildford HC managed to equalise with 7 seconds left on the clock. This meant a penalty shootout would decide the winner; but after 5 efforts the score remained 0-0 – a great effort by Alfie Kirby in the Wotton goal. Up stepped Charlie Emms to take the last shuffle, from which he managed to turn and slip his shot under the advancing Guildford ‘keeper to secure the win – and the title of National Indoor Champions! Cue wild celebrations by the whole squad and Wotton’s large and vocal band of travelling support.
Isaac Edwards and Charlie Day were joint second in the leading goal scorers’ chart at the event with six each. 
On the same weekend, our u18s Boys finished a highly creditable fifth place in their equivalent competition. An amazing double for our boys being both u16 & u18 West representatives at these National finals.
And it doesn’t stop there for the club’s youth section; the Boys u16s team are also through to the last sixteen of the equivalent outdoor competition, while the Girls u16s team are in the quarter finals of the Tier 2 Plate competition, facing Richmond HC away at the end of the month.
Follow the club’s fortunes via www.wottonhockeyclub.org or via the usual social media outlets @wottonhockey