b'Old Boys Swimming Club report 2024The year started with the Club now back atWe continue to play in the Midland Water Polo its home pool having returned to HandsworthLeague, Division 1. This is a tough league, Leisure Centre in September 2023. The pool hadincluding several excellent teams; we managed been closed down for 20 months for repairs toto finish sixth out of seven to avoid relegation. the roof. The effect of this was to lose instructionOur points total was the same as Camp Hill who for the non-swimmers and learners in Pool 1;finished fifth, but their head-to-head results in all but one of our polo teams and most of ourgames between our two clubs were better.BRIDGEmembership. We were in a difficult situation. In the League Knockout Cup, we lost to Oxford. For those members attending, full trainingThis is a handicap competion and although TRUSTcontinues each Friday evening. There arescores were equal at the end of the match, we sessions for swimming and water polo, withneeded to be one goal ahead to progress when those instructors still available, in order tothe handicap was calculated.SOCIETYmaintain continuity and develop the Club overWe have managed to hold practice games for future years. everyone aged 11 upwards on Fridays, and have Our finances were in a difficult position, trying totried to arrange some friendly matches out of REPORTbalance increasing costs against the fear thatseason, beating Aston and a young Boldmere raising charges too high would destabilise theteam, but losing twice to Camp Hill.current fragile membership. Luckily at the end ofThere have been no social events this year, nor 2024-25 the year we had made a small surplus. have we been able to contest for any of our club Playing actual water polo was much the brighterswimming trophies.side of the Clubs affairs. In the spring, we startedAs the end of year approached, we again faced our season by playing in the Warwickshirea period of closure as the boilers at theSince our 2024 AGM the status ofLeague; we finished third, missing a chance toLeisure Centre needed replacing.the Society can best be describedplay in the final by goal difference.as being in abeyance. The administrative impasse continues with no Committee Meetings, merely the monitoring actions ofOld Boys Football Club report 2024-25the President, Hon Secretary andWhilst the Football Club is still in existence, we did not field any teams last season. Hon Treasurer. This was primarily due to lack of volunteers to organise teams on a Saturday. I amWith the closure of the ground andled to believe that the new owners of the ground would welcome the Football Club the prior withdrawal of the Societyback and if we could get the volunteers in place, we would love to restart HGSOBFC.from its management role of the ground, there is no actual functionIan Birdfor the Society to undertake. It had been decided that it would continue as a social organisation, but insufficient support is offered forBridge Trust Old Boys Cricket Club report 2024such events as are publicised. First XI Ghalib Khan was our top scorer with 436 runs, As 2024 approached its close IThe First XI were still playing their home gamesand Shahzad Younus our top wicket taker with can inform readers that a generousat Highcroft Hospital, in the absence of our own47 wickets. Haleem Gasim and Kasim Najib, and unidentified benefactor madeground; and after being promoted for the secondboth all-rounders, contributed greatly, both with a counter-offer for the ground, toyear running, to Division 4, we were expecting tobat and ball, each scoring over 200 runs and that offered by Network Rail. Thebe heavily challenged in this exalted position. taking over 25 wickets.Trustee, who owned and held theThe season got off to a brilliant start as we wereKasim Najibground on behalf of the Old Boysunbeaten in our first 12 games, giving us a of HGS, validated this bid and, afterhealthy points lead at the top of the division. ThisSecond XInegotiations, accepted it. A sale waswas due to us having a deep batting line-up, andThe 2024 season saw us playing home made on 20th December 2024. all four of our bowlers contributed a lot of runs,matches at Spring Lane Sports Club, a rather The benefactors motive was toto ensure we posted competitive totals. unsatisfactory location due to the quantity of enable the playing of sport on theOur bowling attack was also strong, whichsprings on the ground, a high water table and ground to continue, particularlymeant we could defend even small totals onlack of drainage. The season started badly football and cricket; and Bridgecertain occasions. with the first five matches being lost to rain or Trust CC played its first matchunplayable pitches for the same reason. The back on home soil on 5th AprilTowards the latter part of the season we werequality of the pitches caused concerns from a 2025. The current situation of theunder huge pressure; we started stumbling andsafety point of view.Old Boys Football Club means itcracks were beginning to show. We lost threeThe team was always at a disadvantage with is unlikely to accept the offer ofgames in a short period of time, which meant we130 points unavailable to us because of the lost the new management towent into the last two games of the seasonmatches. We also failed to play to the expected use the site, as it isneeding to win both to secure first position. levels, never reaching the standard we should in a parlous situation,The first of these games was a titlehave attained. We were always in the lower with no current teamsdecider versus Aston Manor, who weresector of the league and were in fact relegated existing. The Swimming Club basedin second place. Luckily rain intervened,on the last day of the season by one point.at Handsworth Leisure Centre doeswith the match ending in a draw, withThere were some good achievements, however, continue, but will not be able topoints evenly divided. with Humsah Chohan, our leading batsman, the use the Club House for itsWe still had to win the last game and,highest run scorer with 235 runs at an average social side, as otherin the end, won it comfortably byof 33.57. On the bowling side, Haroon Majid was arrangements haveover 100 runs, to secure anotherour highest wicket taker with 26 wickets, for an been made for its use. title and promotion to Division 3. average of 11.85.P. M. Swann Key performances to note:Haroon Majid64'