MTAG Issue 16

Note from the Editor
Hello and welcome to More Than
A Game Magazine Issue 16! We
have another action packed issue
for you this month, including an
interview with GB and Wimbledon
star Michael Hoare. Michael was
named man of the match in
Wimbledon’s Playoff win at the
Lee Valley earlier this month, in
back to back Playoff wins!
We also catch up with Eric from
the World Club Basketball
Tournament down in Sussex. Eric
has been working very hard to get
more and more teams signed up
to play in the growing tournament.
We also look at the biggest
stories from the Premier League
from a disaster for Villa and a
stormer from Leicester!
Thanks for reading and
supporting More Than A Game
Magazine. We have had several
thousand reads now and hope
you enjoy the articles as much
as we enjoy writing them!
Charlie Rowe
Editor

In this issue…
The World Club
Basketball Tournament -
We spoke with Eric
Douglin, who organises
the World Club Basketball
Tournament. We look at
how the tournament has
progressed and what the
next tournament has in
store!
The MTAG Match focus –
A new instalment to More
Than A Game, we
attended the Women’s
Investec Vase final
Amersham and Chalfont
took on Formby.

Michael Hoare – GB
International and
Wimbledon Hockey Star
talks to More Than A
Game Magazine!
We spoke with Michael
about Wimbledon's
fantastic back to back
playoff win as well as the
upcoming GB encounters!
What have we learnt this
Premier League season?
We look back at the
biggest stories
surrounding the Premier
League this season!

The First 4 shots –
By Leon Jennings.
Our resident Tennis
contributor writes an
article about the first 4
shots!
Check out more of our
issues at
www.morethanagame
magazine.co.uk and
make sure you follow
us on Twitter
@morethanamag15

The World Club Basketball
Tournament – Preparing for more
Basketball…
More Than A Game Magazine
spoke with Eric Douglin, the
organiser of the World Club
Tournament down in Sussex. The
tournament is progressing year
on year and has attracted players
from all over the world.
After the success of events, what
can we expect from the next
tournament?
This season’s tournament will be
bigger than last year with an
increase in the number of teams
competing. I have had more
enquiries from teams to enter
following last season’s success,
as teams have recognised this is
a prestigious tournament to be
apart of.
You have made some great
contacts from all over the world.
How key is it to get the likes of
USA Select over here to play?
It’s key for an organisation like
USA Select to play in the
tournament as it great for the
event and British basketball to
have players of their calibre
competing in the UK. Some of
these USA Select players have
just completed their seasons in
the NCCA and some of them will
be playing professionally around
the world shortly. The WCBT
2016 will also see the return of
Lake Michigan Admirals and new
team U- Hoops USA

equesting a place in the
tournament. U-Hoops have just
completed a tour to Mexico and
are planning a tour to China, so to
have them recognise the WCBT
in England is an achievement in
itself.
For you, how has the tournament
progressed since you first started
it?
The tournament has progressed
since last year as now we have
an event to market and promote
which enables us show the
basketball community how
successful the last event was.
Previously we only had a concept
and an idea but nothing to show
for it, which proved difficult when
trying to attract sponsors and
teams.
We had a video of the
tournament made by
HoopAsylum and coverage from
outlets like your magazine More
Than A Game, and other media
outlets, provided us with the
opportunity to syndicate the
tournament worldwide.
Due to the success of the
WCBT2015 I have been able to
network with other
establishments worldwide and I
have recently been appointed as
Head of British Operations, at
New Vision Sports in USA. New
Vision provide camps in the USA
for youths across the world and I
am working with them to provide
English basketball players with
the opportunity to take part in
their excellent camps and
improve their game..

The MTAG Match focus…
The More Than A Game
Magazine match focus this issue
is the Investec Women’s Vase
final at the Lee Valley on 30 th
April. The final was between
Amersham and Chalfont and
Formby.
Amersham and Chalfont were
looking to put last years final loss
behind them, while Formby
stormed into the final with a 7-1
semi-final win against West
Bridgford.
It was Formby that started the
stronger, and scored on the 19 th
minute via a Alexandra Vine
drive from a penalty corner.
Amersham and Chalfont
improved in the 2 nd half, Katy
Shanks impressed with some
great build up play. Chances
were created, however it just
wasn’t happening for the side
from Buckinghamshire.
Formby were putting up quite the
fight defensively, however Alice
Keddy kept calm with a fine finish
after some great build up play on
the 54 th minute. The wind was
really behind Amersham and
Chalfont after the equaliser, and it
was captain Lissy Humpries that
scored the winner after a cool
finish from a penalty corner.
Formby did pile on the pressure,
however it wasn’t to be their day.
Amersham and Chalfont saw the
game out and were crowned 2016
Women’s Investec Vase winners.
We caught up with Amersham
and Chalfonts head coach Shay
O’Connell after the win.

Fantastic win for you today, how
are you feeling?
I am just so delighted for the
girls, they have put so much into
the season. After the heartache
of last seasons final loss, they
got something from it. It was also
tough losing the league and
finishing 2 nd from about 4 points
and we scored more goals than
anybody else. We have worked
so hard, with the numbers that
have turned up at training along
with the commitment and the
sacrifices throughout the whole
season. I am just so pleased
they have got something out of it
here.
After going a goal down, was you
thinking back to last years final a
little bit?
It makes it that little bit sweeter
coming from behind and after
last year. We said at half time,
we knew we could do it we just
had to improve how we were
playing. We had created a few
chances, and we knew if we kept
going we could score goals.
When we got the second one,
we had a burst of energy to keep
the lead. I don’t know if we
could have kept going for that
much longer.
How's the preparation gone,
being the regular season
finished a few weeks back?
It has gone fairly well, most
people have managed to keep
themselves free for training and
a certain level of fitness. We
have had a couple of training
games, we played Epsom who
were here in the over 25s
trophy. We also played
Staines, who were in a higher
league so it has been great
preparation.
Playing here at the Lee Valley
must be a special experience?

Of course, it is incredible. To
bring this amount of fans too is
fantastic. In fairness both sides
had a great following, for Formby
to bring as many as they did
from Merseyside is brilliant. I
think it has been the best
atmosphere so far today!
We spoke with Captain Lissy
Humphris, who scored the
winning goal was lost for words
after the final win…
I am lost for words really, it
hasn’t really sunk in yet. We
worked so hard for this result,
and we made it hard work to
start off but we deserved it in the
end. Everyone is buzzing, but
like I said it still hasn’t sunk in.
we won 10 – 0 and the semi-final
we won 6 – 0, so we needed
some tough preparation games.
We have been training hard and
the work rate has been really
good so it has finally paid off.
How was it playing here at the
Lee Valley?
It was amazing, as well as the
fans! They really kept us going
throughout. Felt like the
waterbased slowed us down a
bit, but the crowd just made the
atmosphere amazing. I am so
proud of the girls, we worked
hard all season so great to win.
How’s the preparation gone
leading up to the final?
Preparation has gone really well.
We have been training and
playing teams that are a lot
higher than us and even drawing
or losing by a few points. That
was key as the quarter finals

We also spoke with Zoe Fanhmy
after the game.
How are you feeling after that
win?
It has been amazing to play
here. It is one of those pitches
that has so much history from
2012, to be able to kid of relive
that is a dream come true.
Buzzing, absolutely buzzing. I
am elated for the girls for this
win, especially after a successful
and unsuccessful season when
we came second.
After being 1 – 0 down, you
showed great character, how
was you feeling?
It was definitely tense in the first
half, the whole team were on
edge. Formby really came at us
with their A game, and credit to
them they gave us a great battle.
After half time team talk,
everyone got going and showed
what we could do. The second
half, we played amazing!
Must be fantastic playing here at
the Lee Valley in front of your
travelling fans?
The More Than A Game
Magazine game focus will be
back next month when we pick a
random match to cover! Email
C.Rowe@morethanagamemaga
zine.co.uk if you want to suggest
your teams game!

Check out editor Charlie Rowe on the ELR sport show every Thursday
from 7pm at www.eastlondonradion.co.uk . Charlie is a panellist with
Steven Porter hosting the show.
19

Interview with GB and
Wimbledon star Michael
Hoare
More Than A Game Magazine
caught up with GB international,
and recent Playoff champion with
Wimbledon Michael Hoare.
Congratulations on winning back
to back Playoff Championships.
How was the build up to that
huge semi-final against
Holcombe?
Thanks very much. The build up
to that game was no different to
the year before to be honest. At
Wimbledon we always try to
peak in our training for the end of
the season and with the Euro
Hockey League two weeks prior
to the Championship Finals. It
was perfect preparation to make
sure we hit the ground running
against Holcombe.
You were awarded the man of
the match award for the final,
how fired up was you
for that match?
Yeah I was delighted to win man
of the match, but it could have
gone to a number of players from
both sides to be honest. I was
really desperate to win the
league championship again. It
means a lot to me personally and
to the Wimbledon Club as a
whole and it's great to repay their

amazing support again this year.
Holcombe have obviously gained
a lot of attention in the last
couple of years, what is it like
playing against them?
They gained a lot of attention
and with the sport continually
growing with International events
and media coverage it's a really
exciting time for the sport. For
me it's just like any other day at
Bisham Abbey training with the
GB squad. It's extremely
competitive a good standard of
hockey and everyone wants to
win. Then once the game is over
we go back to focussing on
achieving our goals together this
summer.
Some big GB games coming up
in the coming months, do you
enjoy switching from club
Hockey to International Hockey?
I'm actually playing later on this
afternoon against Germany. I
can't wait to put the Great Britain
shirt back on again and get
ready for what will hopefully be
an exciting summer of hockey.
Naturally next season for
Wimbledon you will be looking to
make it a hat trick
of Championships, do you have
any other aims?
Wimbledon will definitely be
looking to retain the league title
again, in what should be another
exciting league season. It's a
very ambitious club and we will
sit down together to discuss our
aims for next season soon. I'm
sure it will involve trying to make
the final 4 of the Euro Hockey
League after getting the clubs
first experience in the
competition this year.
Yes, I love playing for my country
and I'm extremely lucky to have
the opportunity to do so.

Big weekend for your former club
Fornby, what is your favourite
memory of
playing up there?
My favourite memories with
Formby are growing up in an
amazing village to play sport as
a child. I used to arrive at
Formby Hockey Club having
played football or tennis in the
morning at about midday watch
every game whilst knocking a
ball around with my mates in the
team on the side of the pitch
waiting for our game at 4pm.
Then I'd hang around at the club
playing on the cricket or hockey
pitch until it was too late an I
wanted my tea. I'd run round the
corner back to my parents
house, looking forward to doing it
all again the following Saturday.
It is a big weekend for a few of
my former clubs this weekend. I
played at Formby for 10 years as
a junior until I went to university, I
then joined Bowdon for about 6
years and Beeston for a season
before I moved down south to join
the centralised programme. I owe
a lot to all of those clubs as well
as Wimbledon for my
development as a hockey player
and giving me the opportunity to
play international hockey.
Check out the upcoming England
Hockey events at the website
www.englandhockey.co.uk

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What have we learnt this
season…
We are approaching the final few
games of a whirlwind Premier
League season. The League has
certainly lived up to the ‘most
entertaining league’ tag that so
many have put in the Premier
League. We look at some of the
biggest stories from throughout
the season.
Leicester City- From the
brink of relegation to
sitting pretty at the top in
less than a year
I think even Hollywood writers
would struggle to come up with
this story. Currently leading the
way in the Premier League with
only a few games left; Leicester
City have shocked the world with
breath taking performances
which has catapulted them to the
top of the table.
Filled with former lower league
players and players deemed not
good enough at other clubs;
Leicester’s season is something
made out of dreams. If they do
manage to win the league; it will
be the first time in over 20 years
that rather Arsenal, Manchester
United, Manchester City or
Chelsea have lifted the trophy.
The story has captured the heart
of most Football fans, with the
majority willing the East Midlands
club on to take the crown. With
the likes of Jamie Vardy; a player
who was playing in the
conference a few years ago
scoring goals for fun along with
the likes of Maherez, Kante and
Morgan creating a solid core it
would take a brave man to bet
against them now!

Chelsea’s collapse –
Mourinho leaves as
Chelsea free fall down the
table
Spurs coming out of the
shadows
Everything seemed in place for
Chelsea in August for the new
Premier League season. After
winning the league last season,
Mourinho had his feet
comfortably under the table in
west London. There has been
drama since day one this season
at Stamford Bridge. This includes
a public bust up between
Mourinho and the team doctor
after he objected to them treating
Eden Hazard, to Eden Hazard
going from the player of the
season to a player with one goal
in 32 matches to Diego Costa
seemingly being more interested
in winding up centre halves than
actually scoring goals. It has
been quite the fall from grace,
with Mourinho being relieved of
his duties before Christmas. With
the season coming to an end,
and with nothing to play for in
terms of silverware you sense
the club will be looking forward to
‘writing this one off’ come May.
After a stop start season last
year, you sensed Tottenham
were putting together the pieces
to an exciting puzzle. Led by
Argentine Pochettino, the North
London club find themselves 2 nd
in the league and with an array
of exciting English players (
ironic isn’t it??). With Harry Kane
proving ‘one season wonder’
doubters horrifically wrong; and
Deli Ali taking to Premier League
Football from League One like a
duck to water, Spurs have
bedazzled Football fans all
season. Currently the only really
in the title race with Leicester
now, the side have progressed
tremendously. With now at least
4 players a shoo in the England
team come June, surely they will
be title contenders next season.

Aston Villa in free fall as
they exit the Premier
League for the first time in
its existence
Villa were 1 of only 5 clubs have
competed in every Premier
League season since its creation
in 1992. It has been a rocky
couple of years for the midlands
club and this year it has finally
caught up with them as they were
officially relegated from the
Premier League. The signs have
been there all season; from
disinterested players to laughing
gas scandals to an owner
reportedly losing £70,000.00 PER
DAY since owning the club.
On the pitch has been even
worse at times, with just 16 points
on the board and a -44 goals
difference it has been a tough
season to take for fans. With the
Championship proving to be a
tricky task to get out of, it could
be a long road for Aston Villa.
Jack Grealish has failed to
continue his impressive form last
season

THE FIRST 4 SHOTS
by Leon Jennings
Craig O'Shannessy​ of Brain
Game Tennis​ , who is the lead
analyst for the Australian Open​,
Wimbledon​, the ATP World Tour
Finals​, the ATP Tour and
WTA Tennis has seen his
statistics challenge the paradigms
of tennis we've held
for many years. If I were to ask
you whether you thought the
majority of points contained more
of less than 4 shots at the
Australian Open earlier this year,
I'm sure the majority of you would
guess more. In actual fact, 70%
of rallies the men's side and 66%
on the ladies side were 0-4 shots.
With 20% on the men's and 23%
on the ladies 5-8 shots and only
10% and 11% 9 shots or more.
In an era where it appears that
Novak Djokovic​ and Andy Murray​
get every ball back and the points
are going on longer and longer, in
actual fact, most points are over
before the 5th shot. Short points
are dominating the game.
In every point, your serve and
following shot or your return and
following shot are absolutely vital.
Interestingly, you may think that
'The First 4 Shots' wouldn't apply
on the
slower clay courts. Particularly
when Rafa Nadal​ is involved as
you think
of him as a player who loves to
grind out the points, plays metres
behind the
baseline and is in his element the
longer each rally goes on for. In
actual
fact, even Nadal on the slow
courts at Monte Carlo finished his
match where
he beat Britain's Aljaz Baden 6-3
6-3 with exactly 50% of his points
lasting 0-4 shots. With 36% 5-8
shots and only 14% 9 or more.

A favourite tactic for Nadal is to
look to hit a big winning forehand
with His second shot following
his serve. In 30 recorded
matches, he followed his serve
with a forehand 79% of the time.
When he beat Stan Wawrinka​ in
London last November, he was
at 89% for the match. Which is
crazy. And when that forehand is
flying, it makes it ever so difficult
for his opponent.
If Nadal was at 50%, you would
expect Roger Federer​ to have a
higher percentage. And you'd be
right. In the first three games of
Federer's 6-2 6-4 win over
Roberto Bautista Agut, 70% of
the points were 0-4 shots with
12% 5-8 and 18% 9 plus.
Remember, this is still on the
slowest surface on the tour
where you presume points go on
and on. And the stats were
consistent for both the men and
Ladies all the way through this
year's Australian Open and the
previous year's.
With it being the slowest surface,
obviously the percentage of
points lasting under 5 shots will
generally be lower than on the
hard courts of down under but as
can be seen in the Nadal and
Federer stats, players are still
looking to finish the point quickly.
And even in the points that last
longer than 4 shots, the first 4
shots of the point will more often
than not determine the
outcome of the point.
With this aggressive style of play
needed in matches, it goes
without saying that you need to
practice this way too. Practice
has generally always been a
case of rallying for as long as
possible. After all, the general
premise of the game is to hit the
ball over the net and in the court
one more time than your
opponent.

Obviously this is still something
that needs to be worked on, it is
the solid foundation of the game.
But you need to practice like you
play and all the stats are
showing that that needs to be
aggressive, looking to finish the
point with your first or second
shot. That doesn’t necessarily
mean hitting a winner with the
serve or return, it is often a case
of setting up a winner with the
serve or return.
Regular contributor Leon
Jennings has started a UFC
Vlog which can be seen here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=AxnTZTX7uuE
Particularly the return where the
emphasis, should be on hitting
great depth. Craig's stats are
fascinating and I urge anyone
who is looking for a competitive
edge or even if you're just
passionate about the game, to
check out his Brain Game Tennis
website and sign up for his
emails.
You can follow Leon on Twitter
@Leon1stService