It has always been important to Oxhey Jets to observe Remembrance Day and to support the military. Even looking back to our first year in 1972/3 the organised trips for our young U-12’s team included Portsmouth Navy Day, the Military Pageant at Wembley and the Royal tournament at Earls Court.
A number of Jets people have served in the military including Steve Stone (who served in the Falklands during the War), Roger Jashek, Ian Gillimore, and Tom Lake who was killed in action in Afghanistan November 2011.
John Elliott wrote “We have always honoured Remembrance Day. It started with a minute’s silence before games and making sure players had poppies on their shirts. Then we lost one of our own in Tom Lake and it became instantly very personal to us all.”
It was Tom’s death that led us to want to do even more for Remembrance Day, to preserve his memory as well as all those who have given their lives for our country. We have been honoured to be able to play teams from the Army and Navy in special remembrance matches in recent years, and the response from the South Oxhey community and beyond has been amazing, with large attendances at the ground, the full support and involvement of the Oxhey Jets youth teams, and Jets becoming the biggest Poppy Appeal fundraiser in the area.
2017 – 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment
In 2017 we had the opportunity to play against Tom Lake’s battalion, the 1st Battalion of The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment.
John Elliott wrote: –
“For us this is a Saturday that Remembrance Day has fallen on and this is probably the one chance we have to show our respect to the troops as a whole and our fallen player.The Tigers are coming from their base in Germany and importantly Tom’s mum will be there to meet the players.
There are a number of players who served with Tom and the captain was his Sergeant Major, so it will be a very, very personal day for both sides.
I think it will be very emotional on the day, but it will also be a big chance to raise money for the British Legion, with every penny going towards the cause.”
It is also now 10 years since Pte Tom Lake, a former Oxhey Jet, was killed in action in Afghanistan. The Parish
The original programme can be seen here
2017-Remembrance Match Programme: Oxhey Jets vs 1PWRR
or, alternatively, with a page turning view here (click image)
Our Match Report and Photos: –
A Day to Remember
Jets kindly were allowed by the Spartan South Midlands league a day off to play a hugely significant fixture to honour one of their fallen.
With Remembrance Day 11/11 falling on a Saturday Jets had the longshot idea to honour Tom in a one-off fixture against his Regiment, 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales (1PWRR) in a match of honour for “our Tom”. The winner of this match is the Royal British Legion Poppy appeal who were to receive all the proceeds from the game.
One big problem, the regiment is based in Paderborn Germany. 1PWRR ‘Tigers’, though, are the holders of the British Forces German Cup and were well up for the game and Tom’s former Sgt Major, now Captain Lee Gidalla took up the case from the Army side and made it happen.
We were also delighted that Tom’s mum Carol would be the guest of honour for this special occasion.
The bold front line battle-ready soldiers offered to drive over to play us, so it’s game on so let’s plan something special, and this it turned out to be.
Suddenly things started to come together, the match sponsored by Mark Aston (Aston roofing) was becoming a local spectacle to do South Oxhey and Oxhey Jets proud.
Pre-Match Remembrance
Team Captains lay their wreaths
We were honoured that Regina Pendleton, a top RAF piper who has piped at the Edinburgh Tattoo and for HM Queen, volunteered to pipe for us. She was joined by a drummer, and a trumpeter and the three were immaculate with many adults in the big crowd admitting to being “moved to tears” by the musical tributes.
Jets wanted the Youth of the club heavily involved in the occasion, and they provided an immaculate honour guard, smart in their kit and poppies and prompted an army player to say “they made me feel like a Premiership footballer.”
The pipes and drums played the teams onto the pitch, led by a Royal Marines veteran and huge football administrator Fred Weaving, but now honoured to be escorted by Standard bearers from the Royal British legion and the Royal Navy, and officials from the Police and the Herts FA.
Toms mother Carol laid the first tribute to her son, followed by the referee, then the representatives of the Police and the Herts FA. Now came the team captains with their wreaths, and it must be remembered that many 1PWRR players were with Tom when he was lost in action.
The young Jets, guided by Jets “elder statesman on the team” Luke Lloyd laid their wreaths and posey while Tom’s best mate at Jets had his wreath, sent from his home in the USA, laid by Luke.
The final tribute not to a soldier but a player, teenager and Jets lad, a simple blue and white tribute with “Our Tom.”
The trumpet sounded the last post to total silence and remained so until reveille, then almost coincidentally the Army Helicopter passed over the ground (or was it !!).
Carol met the teams and representatives and was escorted off to her seat in the stand. Jets set a new gate record of over 300, and they were treated to quite a match. The result was for pride only, but in an open attacking display they both went for it, and the Army Keeper was one brilliant last line of defence with just one Jet goal between them at the break. Jets 1 1PWRR 0
Fantastic pipes and drum music entertained the considerable crowd until battle recommenced.
Match Action
Carol met the teams and representatives and was escorted off to her seat in the stand. Jets set a new gate record of over 300, and they were treated to quite a match. The result was for pride only, but in an open attacking display they both went for it, and the Army Keeper was one brilliant last line of defence with just one Jet goal between them at the break. Jets 1 1PWRR 0
Fantastic pipes and drum music entertained the considerable crowd until battle recommenced.
Jets ran out a strong 6-1 gap as I suspect the England v Germany match and the long drive took its toll on our visitors, but it must be said that Jets, boosted by the large crowd, put on probably their best display of the season, they played some stuff.
Post Match
Post-match the friendship and respects both ways was clear, and it was moving to see South Oxheys parents and supporters and people who had just called in to watch sending jugs of beer in for our military friends.
Jets presented Carol and Captain Lee Gidalla with a special commemorative plaque of the match. Garry Starr on behalf of the officials gave a fully signed match shirt signed by everyone involved on the day to Carol to keep in a moving moment.
The beers and Jauga flowed, and new friends were made for sure, and an invite to Germany end of season or pre-season tabled. Then these brave young men set off for a night in barracks before heading back and retaking post ready to go on instant fast response to face whatever is called for Queen and Country. A very sobering thought as the reason we were here today proved.
We cannot thank 1PWRR enough for making this possible and to everybody who supported and raised what is at least fifteen hundred pounds (sorry final total not known as we will collect until after 20/11 dear Toms anniversary).
I’d like to close on a positive note. The youth were fantastic and massive on the day. Smart, respectable and now a whole new younger generation will respect and honour Remembrance Day, the poppy AND “our Tom.”
Thank you to the Police who brought a collection, the referees who dropped donations in on the way to other games and to the clubs and opposition managers who donated and to all the businesses who supported the event. Football truly shone today to recognise our heroes, the real heroes who keep us safe as much as they can.
The last word must be about Tom, that lovely bubbly lad who paid the highest price, RIP Tom you will never be forgotten.
Full galleries of photos from this 2017 Remembrance Day Match can be viewed here.
2018 – RAF 100
One year later, and it was appropriate to play the RAF in what was their 100th anniversary.
The Watford Observer, as usual, provided strong, supportive coverage of the day and their write up of the game featured John Elliott’s views of the event.
Squadron Leader Bowden lays the wreath for the RAF fallen.
Oxhey Jets general manager John Elliott was taken aback by the community spirit shown during the club’s Remembrance Day match against the RAF on Saturday.
Despite the game, which saw Jets keep up their annual tradition of raising money for the Royal British Legion, taking place in foul conditions, a record crowd of 396 people turned out and raised £2,100.
For Elliott, the show of support for a cause he holds close to his heart was moving and he was full of praise for those who turned out.
“The RAF were over the moon with how it was handled and everything was done to the book with the ceremony and piper before the game. The effort from people around the area to come out was brilliant and to break our record attendance in what was a monsoon was fantastic.
To raise £2,100 is just a remarkable effort. It proves that it is worth it and personally I am a massive believer in remembrance.”
Saturday’s game, which ended in a 2-1 win for Jets, saw the club become part of the RAF 100’s remembrance celebrations.
Jets have worked closely with the RAF over the past few years and Elliott was proud to be included in the day.
“In the last couple of years we have been very close to the Royal Airforce and, so to be invited by the RAF 100 anyway was fantastic. That was a real honour in itself. When you think they played the New Zealand Defence Force, a team coming across the world, and then on Saturday they are playing us. That is how big it is.”
The subject of remembrance is one which of course hits home for Jets after the death of their former player Tom Lake. Tom lost his life while serving in Afghanistan and Jets have always used Remembrance weekend as a chance to pay tribute to his life.
Saturday’s game was no different and Tom was once again at the centre of the ceremony put on before kick-off, with his friend Lisa Hodges laying a special white and blue wreath.
Elliott says remembering both Tom the player and person every year is an important part of the year for everyone associated with Oxhey Jets. “Tom’s situation is massive to us and always will be. Not one of the current first-team players knew Tom, but so many of them were asking about him. The next generation got a chance to know about who he was and what his personality was and that is so important.
The final wreath which goes down is a blue and white one which says Our Tom on it. His mum thinks the world of that and the fact that Jets always separate Tom the soldier and Tom the player. It is our way of saying that is the Tom we remember here at Oxhey Jets.”
Union colour bearer doesn’t flinch depite the deluge.
The original programme can be seen here
2018-Remembrance Match Programme: Oxhey Jets vs RAF100
or, alternatively, with a page turning view here (click image)
RAF 100 line-up
Flag and wreaths
Full galleries of photos and match report from this 2018 Remembrance Day Match can be viewed here
2019 – RAF Icarus
The original programme can be seen here
2019-Remembrance Match Programme: Oxhey Jets vs RAF Icarus
or, alternatively, with a page turning view here (click image)
Another Wet Saturday, Another Memorable Remembrance!
It was a victory for remembrance as much as Jets on another monsoon Saturday, a bad habit that for the second year running the big match was in danger of being ruined by the weather, and again we woke the day after to blue skies.
The show must go on was the fantastic response by many, and again a new ground record of 399 was recorded, an attendance record by just three but a record all the same.
Parts of the day were lost to the weather. Still, the pre-match respects went ahead, the kids were the real stars, immaculately dressed in their teams’ kits, despite the bad weather, and all in their poppies.
The RAF, as immaculate as ever, honouring their event in no1s with the medals a stark reminder to us that these brave lads are more than a football team, they risk their lives for our freedom more than the general public will ever know.
The superb match officials all giving their time free and what a performance and example referee Ryan Morris was, all the way from Northumberland to become the first official ever from the services to be given the match and what an excellent match he had.
The Jets, ready to honour the Remembrance, rose again to the occasion, both on and off the pitch.
Respects over, on to the match itself, which is no friendly its pride (just as Tom Lake, who Jets do this event to honour, whose PWRR regiment motto “fierce pride”, reflects how the game is played.
The first half was very much RAF Icarus on top, and it was no surprise when a bullet header gave them the much-deserved lead.
Jets stayed in the match, and that was probably the RAF’s mistake that they did not set Jets a harder comeback target while they had the upper hand.
Top scorer Reece Cameron levelled, and Jamie Speer pounced to edge Jets a little fortunately in front at the break.
Jets are a good side this season and upped their game second half, after quite a roasting from the manager. Two excellent goals from Andre Lopes and a penalty from Reece Cameron took Jets away from the visitors, and an individual goal from new signing Louis Bircham wrapped up the scoreline that flattered Jets overall on the 90mins. The RAF didn’t destroy their targets while they were flying. ?
Man of the match honours went to Scotty Bonner for the Jets and Fg Off Dylan Kay for Icarus.
The real winners were the Royal British Legion who will gain approx £2k thanks to everyone who braved the weather and donated.
Many thanks to our Friends, Partners, and opponents from Wing Commander John Hetherington, RAF Icarus we are proud of our association with these brave lads who are a respectable example to us all.
2021 – Coldstream Guards
Covid restrictions meant that no showcase match could be played in 2020, although a remembrance day silence and a memorial to Tom Lake was still held by Jets.
Then, however, in 2021, with Covid restrictions lifted, Jets had the honour of hosting the Coldstream Guards.
John Elliott wrote:
“I don’t think some people realise it, but that’s really awesome because those boys are hard to get. The drummers are quite priceless to them and obviously on poppy weekend they are much sought after. It had to go to a one star general to get signed off. He (Sgt Backhouse) has literally jumped through hoops.
I’ve said this before, but I don’t know how we can follow this. What can you do that’s actually bigger than getting the Queen’s guards down here?”
The original programme can be seen here
2021-Remembrance Match Programme: Oxhey Jets vs Coldstream Guards
or, alternatively, with a page turning view here (click image)
Full Watford Observer Report on Remembrance Day at Jets
Full gallery of photos from this 2021 Remembrance Day Match can be viewed here
Looking ahead to November 2022, and the goodwill and co-operation between the Coldstream Guards and ourselves mean that we have another opportunity to host them, and the promise is that we will again add to the occasion.