Hockeygate: Sheffield and Durham Compete for “Most Childish Club” Award

Last week’s 4-0 victory for Durham “2nd XI” over Sheffield’s 1st team has become a little too much for both teams.

complaint durham hockey letter match report sheffield sport student

A 4-0 defeat for the Sheffield men’s hockey 1’s team away to Durham 2’s was embarrassing enough on the face of it.

But rather than focus on Sheffield’s shortcomings, the traditional post-game match report instead attacked Durham’s team selection, accusing them of fielding 8 1st XI players in the BUCS game on 16th October.

The – admittedly humourous – report  labelled it “an embarrassingly un-sporting [sic] act.”

Sheffield have been silenced. Photo: SUMHC.

Continuing in its usual tongue-in-cheek fashion, it saved greater vitriol for Durham’s failure to compete in a boat race – of the alcoholic variety – or even sell pints of beer at their sports centre.

The match report has subsequently been removed from SUMHC’s website. Fortunately, you can still read it in full here.

Given the opportunity to be the more mature club, Durham have instead resorted to reporting the matter to Sport Sheffield, the referees association and the league.

All together now. Photo: SUMHC.

A statement on SUMHC’s website has apologised for the match report. It reads:

“Our sincerest apologies to anyone who was offended by the match report, it was never our intention and won’t happen again. SUMH”

One hockey club member has described the team as “pretty rattled” by last week’s events.