On Saturday 18th June,
Dr. Andy Theobald (Chair of Ashendon Playing Fields) told the fine gathering of
villagers, friends and honoured guests how our Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) came
to be. He thanked the team who made this ambitious project happen and the
organisations whose grant funding and donations made it possible. Then Ray
Lloyd, a ‘make things happen’ man of this parish, cut the ribbon, unveiled a
plaque and declared our MUGA officially open.
We followed with an
energetic afternoon of netball and football, open to anyone willing to give it
a try.
Players from two local
sports clubs came along to help make our afternoon a truly sporting occasion:
our resident Ludgersall United Football Club and the Thame based Kites Netball
Club.
 |
| Ludgersall United vs. Ashendon |
 |
| Kites Netball Club |
The afternoon began with a demonstration of each sport followed by a netball tournament, with football fun intervals. Six five-a-side teams competed in the tournament, made up of netballers, footballers, adults and children – over 40 people taking part through the afternoon. It was an afternoon of hilarity, camaraderie, compliance with the rules and a discovery that Ashendon has great potential to field outstanding sports people.
I am not sure who won! This
is how the teams looked at the end of the afternoon (quite different from how
they looked at the start) and I think the score board concludes that Ashendon
won the day!
I think we will be playing
much more netball, as well as football, in Ashendon from here on. Oh, and the
MUGA provides for many more sports and games to be played at any time and we
look forward to much more community spirited fun in future.
