Report courtesy of Anthony Matthews, Watford Observer. Full Observer report can be found at https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/leisure/25593146.oxhey-jets-remembrance-game-honours-tom-lake-tom-sawyer/
A record attendance of 521 turned out on Saturday as Oxhey Jets faced the Royal Marines FA in the Combined Counties League club’s annual Remembrance match which has raised a minimum of £2,000 for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
The game has always been staged in tribute to former Jets player Private Tom Lake, from Northwood, who was killed while serving with the 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales Regiment, in Afghanistan in November 2011.
For the second year, the fixture also honoured fallen Watford serviceman Captain Tom Sawyer, of 29 Commando, who died in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in January 2009.
Capt. Sawyer’s parents, Sue and Martyn, again joined Carol Lake, Pte. Lake’s mother, in laying the first wreaths in memory of their sons during a moving act of Remembrance and were applauded as they left the Boundary Stadium pitch.
Although the occasion is not about the result, this was the most competitive Remembrance fixture so far – and it ended in a first defeat for the Jets as their opponents triumphed 4-3.
But it was what happened afterwards and the way the Marines embraced their visit that particularly impressed Jets founder and general manager John Elliott.
“They were fantastic,” he said, “Everything about them was good, friendly and how they mixed.
“When they shook hands at the end of the game they gave every one of our players a coin with the Royal Marines logo on.
“It was a lovely gesture and the boys were over the moon with it.
“In fact, our boys are asking me to have them back next year because they were so good and such a good side.”
The Marines’ involvement came through one of their players, Stuart Morgan, who manged the Royal Navy Under-23 team Jets faced in last year’s fixture.
“They reached out and we were humbled with the invite and happy to take them up on the challenge,” said Major Lee Douglas.
“It’s important to take a step back from the football and remember the purpose of the two teams coming together and that’s to acknowledge and pay tribute to the individuals that have made that ultimate sacrifice.”
ohn told the Watford Observer last week that he hoped to beat last year’s attendance of 515 for the fixture.
“I thought it was great and it shows people how it is getting bigger and bigger,” he said of surpassing that figure by six. “That’s probably the thing that pleased me most all day.”
Spectators were again entertained by the Royal Navy Volunteer Band from Northwood Headquarters, before piper Colin MacDougal led the official party onto the pitch.
Another stalwart of the fixture, master of ceremonies Paul Mimpress, again led the act of Remembrance, but for the first time a guard of honour was provided by local scout groups.
South West Hertfordshire MP Gagan Mohindra, Three Rivers District Council leader Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst and chair Cllr Stephen King joined other elected representatives, the police, football association and league representatives, the match officials, team management and captains and players from Oxhey Jets Youth in also laying wreaths prior to the playing of the Last Post and a two minutes’ silence.
After the Colours and guests had left the pitch, the Garry Beadle Memorial Cup, named after the Jets player who died in 2019, was paraded and entrusted to the Royal Marines in recognition of their involvement in the occasion.
TWO SEPARATE GALLERIES BELOW – ONE FOR THE PRE-MATCH CEREMONY AND ON FOR THE MATCH AND POST-MATCH PRESENTATIONS.
PRE-MATCH CEREMONY PHOTO GALLERY
MATCH PHOTO GALLERY
