Burton HC is going through rough times in Midlands hockey, and the club’s long history is helping it to survive. The club started in 1899, which is the same year as the famous FC Barcelona, showing that they are very rich in history.
But recent returns have detracted from Burton’s ability to keep the morale of its community and momentum rolling, as has always been the case for the club. The first, second and third teams competed this past season, but all won no contests.
But football wasn’t the only area being affected by the lack of success. The atmosphere at the social gathering was lifeless, and the camaraderie once fledgling to bring players together seemed to be waning.
The last tough campaign wasn’t in the spirit that Burton has been used to in the years before the pandemic. A few years later, second-team captain Ben Meir helped spearhead a simple initiative that was very effective in promoting team unity by having the players take turns in cooking some team tea for the match.
What was started as a collaboration soon turned into a friendly competition. Each player tried to make a more and more elaborate meal, and this tradition eventually grew into something much more than anyone had envisioned.
“It was a lot of competition, and we’d been feeding for 3 courses by the time the evening was over,” Meir quipped.
The memories are not just fun anecdotes Burton can tell; they are meaningful. They represent the great social bond that can keep a club alive during tough times of sport.
As the old club prepares for the future, creating that ‘feel good’ factor is as relevant as stepping up performance. As the club looks forward to the future with over 120 years of history behind it, Burton is heads down to maintain its identity and is hoping to find a way forward.
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