picture: kym clayton
On Saturday, Malcolm de Vos and David Frayne’s goals came a little too late against the Pinelands third team whose three goals in the first half paved the way for a 3-2 win at the Settlers High School in Bellville.
Chairwoman at the club, Kym Clayton said it was an action-packed game, however, not having a field to practice on remains a struggle.
She said although Pinelands scored their three goals in the first half, Durbanville dominated the second half, but it was a little too late to score the required goals.
“We dominated the second half and scored our two goals. This is the second round against Pinelands, the first time we played to a 3-4 loss. It’s the second round of fixtures in the league,” she said.
Clayton said they are in talks to get a proper playing turf for the club, which has been in existence since 1966 and has won many league titles including the Men’s Grand Challenge in 1982.
“This has become a major problem as the only fields available are at local schools or at Hartleyvale in Observatory.
“Many of the school fields do not have sufficient lighting for practices or local residents are against outside usage of the fields.
“The demand for school hockey is massive in the Western Cape and many of the learners are travelling to the southern suburbs to further their hockey careers as currently the local clubs cannot offer them the necessary facilities to compete at a high level,” she said.
Clayton said despite the results of the league at the moment, they are going out there to have fun and enjoy the game.
“Six years ago Milnerton were in the same position as Durbanville with no playing field, however, today they are number one on the log,” she said.
Clayton said there is a dire need for an artificial playing surface to be built in Durbanville.
This will ensure the longevity of hockey clubs and hockey in the northern suburbs.
“The club currently has a very strong junior development programme, however, without being able to provide the correct playing surface for the youngsters to practice and play on, the successes the club has built up will be for nought,” she said.
Clayton said they are currently in negotiations with the local government to secure land for an Astro facility, which will “ultimately provide a much needed boost for the sport in the area.”
“Once the land has been secured a fundraising campaign will be launched and all interested parties are welcome to contact the club for ways of becoming involved,” she said.
To get in touch with Kym Clayton, contact kym@kymclayton.co.za or chairman@durbanvillehockey.co.za