Sporting Hinton Football Club have today announced that the club have agreed to part company with defender David Ball, who has struggled to stay committed to the club due to commitments outside of football.

Ball has only managed a handful of appearances since joining in November and has not been involved in any matchday squads since the turn of the year. With his departure the number 15 squad number becomes available and will be taken by Stephen Hopkins, who vacates number 23.

Everyone at the club wishes David all the best for the future.

Sporting Hinton Football Club have today received confirmation from Cambridgeshire FA that Philip Hampshire will be the match officials for this Sundays Don Page Cup semi-final against Edward Jolly Boys at Comberton Village College.

The match referee will be Mr Philip Hampshire who is a level 6 county referee; his assistants have yet to be assigned by the Association.

Mr Hampshire was in action last Sunday when he also acted as match official at our Fen Regis Cambridgeshire FA Millennium Cup semi-final against Edward Jolly Boys at Guilden Morden Recreation Ground, the game saw Hinton through to our first ever cup final appearance thanks to a 3-1 win.

With the euphoria surrounding last Sunday’s progression to the final of the Fen Regis Cambridgeshire FA Millennium Cup put to one side Sporting Hinton go into stage two of the potential treble this season with a semi-final clash in the Don Page Cup against VB Trophies Cambridge Sunday Football League Division 3C side Newmarket Cherry Tree at Comberton Village College. Last Sunday’s Fen Regis Cambridgeshire FA Millennium Cup semi-final 3-1 win against the Edward Jolly Boys, thanks to goals from Luke Brent-Savage, Simon Pollard and Clive Edwards will be a distant memory when the players take to the field.

The two sides have met twice before, last season when both sides were competing in the VB Trophies Cambridge Sunday Football League Division 4. A 3-1 win for Sporting Hinton was recorded in the away fixture at George Lampton Playing Fields when a brace from Luke Brent-Savage and a solitary striker from ex-Hinton favourite Sergio Gonzalez ensured victory. The return at Comberton Village College in April saw Hinton score three goals without reply, goalscorers on the day Luke Brent-Savage, Clive Edwards and captain Graeme Gilkison.

Cherry Tree are enjoying a successful season in the VB Trophies Cambridge Sunday Football League Division 3B and find themselves top of the table with a four point lead on second placed Waggon & Horses, the Waggon do however have two games in hand. From thirteen games this season they have won ten, drawn one and lost two. Their wins have come against Teversham (6-1), the Plough (5-0 & 3-0), Sawston Athletic (5-0 & 5-0), Prince of Wales Newmarket (3-1), Lakenheath Eagles (7-1), Sawston Villa (4-1), the Fox Burwell (3-2) as well as an awarded three points against the Fox Burwell. They have drawn 0-0 with the Waggon & Horses whilst defeats have come against Teversham (0-2) and the Waggon & Horses (1-4). In thirteen games they have scored 42 goals and conceded just 12.

Their involvement in other cups has been less impressive with first round defeats in both the Whitelamp League Cup, at home to Brinkley Red Lion (1-3) and Real BSE in the Suffolk FA Sunday Trophy (2-4) also at home.

Both sides have had impressive runs to the semi-final stage of the competition, where the winners will face either the winners of the Shelford Falcons Reserves v Shelford & Stapleford Strikers quarter-final tie (due to be played this Sunday as well) or Oakington Vikings, in the Final on April 11th at the home of Newmarket Town Football Club, Cricket Field Road.

The Cherry Tree faced Meldreth United in round one and progressed thanks to a 8-2 home win, in round two they disposed of Sandon winning 6-3 away from home to set up a quarter-final tie against Sawston Villa where a 2-1 win at George Lampton Playing Fields was enough to set them up for Sundays tie with Hinton. Our path has been slightly less simple, a round one bye was awarded due to Bar Hill “A” folding before the competition started, in round two a 5-0 win against the Dobblers at Coldham’s Common set up a quarter-final against the Cherry Tree’s rivals Prince of Wales Newmarket, following a 3-3 draw penalties were needed to get through and in particular an Edmund Herring penalty save.

The match this Sunday will take place at Comberton Village College, kick-off at 10:30hrs, the players will all be meeting at 09:00hrs at the venue. 

The full 16-man squad is listed below:

1. Massimo Ciampa 2. Peter Goodwin 3. Ollie Claxton 5. Simon Pollard 6. Graeme Gilkison (capt) 7. Vito D’Ambrosio 9. Luke Brent-Savage 10. Clive Edwards 11. Grzegorz Zabdyr 12. Andy Bailey 13. Edmund Herring 16. Michael McCullough 17. Ashley Hovells 18. David Hetherington 20. Tom Barker 23. Stephen Hopkins

The following players are on standby for possible withdrawal:

15. David Ball 19. Dan Biggs 25. Delyan Daskalov

The only changes to last Sunday’s squad who faced the Edward Jolly Boys is the inclusion of Stephen Hopkins, ruled out last week due to a groin injury, he replaces David Ball. Jens Henniker Heaton is unavailable for the tie so is replaced by the returning David Hetherington.

Haden Sims (broken leg) is suffering with injury and Mike Miller is also unavailable. Once again Hinton new-boy Mayeul Boy will not feature as he has not played enough competitive fixtures for the club to make him eligible for the competition at this stage.

The annual Ridgeons Shield game between the VB Trophies Cambridge Sunday Football League and the Tucker Gardner Sunday Alliance League due to take place this Wednesday at Soham Town Rangers Football Club has been postponed due to a Soham Town Rangers league match taking place on the same night.

A new date for the fixture, in which Sporting Hinton will be well represented by Vito D’Ambrosio and Luke Brent-Savage, has yet to be confirmed. Any further news will be announced on www.sportinghinton.co.uk when it is received.

Sporting Hinton Football Club have confirmed that due to our involvement in the Fen Regis Cambridgeshire FA Millennium Cup Final on Sunday 25th April our league home fixture against Gransden Sunday due to take place on the same day has been re-arranged.

The match will now take place on Wednesday 28th April at Comberton Village College, kick-off at 19:00hrs.

Sunday 7th March will live long in the history of players and fans alike of Sporting Hinton Football Club with the club securing a first ever cup final appearance thanks to today’s 3-1 win in the semi-final of the Fen Regis Cambridgeshire FA Millennium Cup against the Edward Jolly Boys, goals from Luke Brent-Savage, Simon Pollard and Clive Edwards ensured a final appearance on Sunday 25th April at Soham Town Rangers FC.

With the weather giving the VB Trophies Cambridgeshire Sunday Football League programme a break for once 28 games were played and turning to league action in the VB Trophies Cambridge Sunday Football League Division 3B, where Sporting Hinton still sit on top, the following fixtures took place:

There was one Whitelamp League Cup tie where Shelford Falcons progressed to the semi-final stage thanks to a 3-1 home win against fellow Senior Division side Ashwell. In the Royston Scaffolding Cup Girton Eagles and Gamlingay United Sunday progressed to the semi-final stage thanks to wins against Fulbourn Sports Sunday and Fulbourn Rovers respectively.

Back to league action and there were two Senior Division fixtures, Bar Hill beat Magpies 2001 3-1 at home whilst Coton and Barnwell Rangers played out a high scoring affair at Coton Recreation Ground, the home team coming out 7-4 winners.

In Division 1A Alma thrashed Fen Ditton 8-3 at home, Bottisham Sunday secured three points at home to Exning United thanks to a 3-1 win, Milton Sunday made short work of Newnham Rangers winning 4-1 at Milton Recreation Ground and Over Crusaders beat Bar Hill Reserves 7-5 at home.

In Division 1B Fowlmere Metals continued their impressive form with a 6-0 home win against Drayton Lions, Sawston Keys Reserves hit six as well in 6-1 home win against Ashwell Reserves, whilst Cambridge Cosmos suffered a heavy defeat at Sawston Wanderers losing out 7-1.

In Division 2A Exning United and Chippenham played out a close game at Lacey Lane with the home side winning 2-1, Newmarket Town Sunday impressed in a 9-3 demolition of Studlands Park and Witchford Raiders picked up three vital points at home to Phoenix thanks to a 2-0 win. In Division 2B Cambridge Fire & Rescue beat the Flying Pig 2-1 whilst Linton Aztecs picked up three away points at Y.M.C.A. Cambridge thanks to a 1-0 win.

In Division 3A Walpole Warriors Sports travelled to Cottenham Village College to take on Alma Reserves and returned with a 5-3 win whilst Cherry Hinton Lions beat Ely Crusaders Sunday 6-0 at home.

Finally in Division 3C both first placed Sawston Villa and second placed Newmarket Cherry Tree, our opponents in next weeks Don Page Cup semi-final, picked up three points away from home at Lakenheath Eagles, 5-1,  and the Plough, 3-0, respectively. The other fixture in this division saw Waggon & Horses win 4-0 at home to Teversham. 

Sporting Hinton Football Club have today received confirmation from Cambridgeshire FA that Philip Hampshire will be the match officials for this Sundays Fen Regis Cambridgeshire FA Millennium Cup semi-final against Edward Jolly Boys at Guilden Morden Recreation Ground.

The match referee will be Mr Philip Hampshire (level 6 county referee), he will be assisted by Mr James Garrett (level 5 senior county referee) and Mr John Marasca (level 6 county referee).

None of the match officials have ever acted as a match official for a competitive Sporting Hinton fixture before.