The Scimitar 12 Dec 2019

A bright and sunshine good day to you all….

After a solid week of overcast and rainy weather…and at times it was decidedly chilly ….it was an absolute pleasure to awake this morning to misty skies with the prospect of a bright sunny day today….and today a little earlier than is usually the case, by 8’o’clock we were greeted by the fiery ball in the sky that I am sure is the life blood of most Saffas….I for one, would battle to live in places that do not see the sun too often….I think a little piece of me dies every consecutive day that I wake up without my beloved sun….but the rain was urgently required and has definitely has made everything grow a little quicker…..and everything is now beautiful and green….that said…today I heard all the lawn mowers, bush wackers and edge trimmers busy with their sounds of summer….trying to remove or contain the healthy growth that has arrived…it definitely looks like summer rains and the natural growth that follows, have arrived in force….

With little or no sport played over the last there is nothing to report….but Richards Run through the great “pop up” pubs on the fairways, rough and greens of the Country will still go ahead….all the best to those who are entering…may it be a memorable and super event….

Last Friday our entertainment were old favourites….as the Zimmer Twinz and their guest singer Eileen, really raised the bar, which was thoroughly enjoyed by our Friday night faithful…as new songs and melodies filled the air…well done on a super evening….this week we have Omega gracing the North with the final appearance for the year….so please be sure to include your dancing shoes when you come to the North….as we welcome the long weekend in style….

Another Friday has passed without the Joker being found….Vince Marvel having the good fortune of being drawn for a second time in this the eighth draw…..and with the holidays on our doorstep…he was hoping this his Christmas presents wallet would be filled with a cash from the Joker draw….but as the 30^th card was turned over…..to his disappointment, the king of Spades made his appearance…amidst a  roar of approval from the ecstatic crowd….that also means that with one less card available ,  the Jackpot increases…and creeps ever closer to the R110k level….settling after the draw this week at R109029…and as we approach  the final Joker draw of 2019….make sure that you are here to try your luck….to fill your Christmas stocking….or to assist on the long month of January that always follows a wonderful festive season…..and for only R5, you could have over R100 thousand rand in your  account early next week….come and join us as we see in the holidays in true Northerns style….with a great band….ice cold beer and drinks….wonderful pizza and other culinary delights…and of course share company with some our legendary Members….. I hope to see you all there….

Our renovations are nearing completion and should be ready for business from the first week in January….the stacker door for the new committee room went in early this week…this is one room that has been sorely missed over the last six weeks….and will be put to extensive use when it is ready…. another addition that you will notice toward the end of the week is a Jungle Gym for our youngsters to keep busy and play while Mom and Dad whet their whistles in the Beer garden….we will monitor the success of this area and place additional items here in the future as need arises….we believe that this has been lacking for a while and are really happy that it has finally become a reality….

As this is my last message to you of 2019….I wish each and every one of you a Christmas and festive season that is filled with joy and happiness….and may the new year be your most prosperous ever….

This year for the first time in many years I will be spending Christmas far away from home, with my daughter and new grandson whim I cannot wait to meet….for all our Members and readers that are going to be away from home….may you have safe travels to and from your special destination….and may the weather be exactly what you are wishing for…

To any others that are staying…please remember that the Scimitar and beer garden will be open almost every day until January 6, when we officially reopen… the three days that we are closed are 25^th and 26^th of December and New Years Day 1^st of January…we will be open for all other days….with operating hours being 10h00 to 20h00 daily….

Don’t forget to let me know by email if you have anything you would like to bring to my attention….please send it to rod.scheepers@gmail.com…

To everyone…Cheers and Merry, merry Christmas

Rod

The Scimitar 5 Dec 2019

A very good morning to you all….

As we approach the “happy” time of the year for most….kids are ecstatic that school has broken up…and now they can frolic in the pool or laze in the lounge….parents are waiting for the day that their break also begins…whether they are travelling or staying home…the expectation of “time off” is always a catalyst to get the adrenalin pumping….I really enjoy this time of the year….while some people are frantically trying to get everything done before the deadline day…. others are coasting their way through to the allotted time….whichever category you fall into, I hope that your December is one of the joyous and merry times that it is meant to be…..

With most of our year behind us, we only really have the final games of the year left for the tennis, baseball and cricket sections…and with the last few days approaching of Athletics “10 in 10” (where these mad people complete 10 kilometre runs for 10 days in a row)…I heard from one of the contestants that it has been really difficult to motivate after the first day or two….so there could be some serious drinking penalties for those who have written in and not completed the tasks at hand….

BNAC’s Junior Section receiving sponsorship from Nike- South Africa. Thank you Nike for your support in our Development in the running of Track, Field and Cross Country Codes.

The final thrust for the year on the Athletics front is Richards Pub run….which has changed a little over the years….but has now settled itself at the Benoni Country Club…with all competitors running inside the grounds of the golf course and are not subjected to the madness on our roads….last year this was a lovely event….so please join the runners/walkers on Wednesday 11th….from 17h30……..I may just have to dust off my “takkies” and see if I can pace myself through this event….I may have to start a little earlier than everyone to ensure that I finish on time…..so hopefully I will see you there….it will be a blast..

I was able to join the social section at their annual fund raiser…the golf day with a difference at the Police Mashee Course near the North…. Always a fun day with an American Scramble as the format of play…..it allows players like me to be able to participate and feel as though they are contributing (even though it was probably only a few putts)…and there was plenty of laughter and camaraderie on the course…not just in our four-ball….but I heard the laughter resounding around each of the sets of players that we passed along the way…….and despite playing for the best part of 5 hours on the day….I can’t remember who the winners were…personally I think we were all winners to have braved getting up at the crack of dawn to “jaag” a little white ball around the course brandishing a bag full of steel weapons with an odd shapes ….but I am certain that everyone had a great day as I did…..well done to Mark and his team on another wonderful and successful golf day….

I am pleased to announce that our cricketers were able to break their losing streak on Sunday, coming home with a four wicket win in the local derby against Actonville Spurs (on a traditionally difficulty “Lords” track)…..and with Kurt winning the toss…he decided not to listen to WG and asked the opposition to bat…..but having Lance in top form, our opposition were in immediate trouble at 19/3….a position from which they were never able to fully recover…and lost wickets regularly to post a total of 136 after 41 overs….with our very fragile history on chasing in the last few weeks, it would be an uphill task….and we didn’t set the world alight in the run chase….with our top score coming from our number 7 Leonard who notched up a brisk 32 off only 24 balls….to get us passed the target for the loss of 6 wickets….I am sure that everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief to be able to come back to the club with a win under their belts….And with a bit of a break in the fixtures now….it means that all the players can have a breather and get adjusted and ready for the 2^nd half of the season in the new year…..

At the start to our weekend….we had Black and Blue as our entertainment…..and as always their performance was impeccable….some fantastic covers had the crowd baying for more as the evening ended too quickly…this week we welcome back some of our old campaigners…the Zimmer Twinz, who now appear to have become a Twio, as Eileen makes more appearances as a permanent rather than a guest…this welcome addition has allowed a greater range of music played….please come along and enjoy the evening with us…

Our Joker draw was given a further week without the Joker as Richard MacKinnen had his first chance at doing the selection….and despite the beginners luck of being chosen out of the beeeg black box…..he was only able to choose the nine of Clubs from the face down cards…..another week of reprieve for those wishing it was their chance at finding the Joker…. with the Jackpot jumping up a little more this week we can expect more people coming to try their luck as we have R105645 up for grabs….please be here before 19h15 on Friday to buy your tickets and then stay for the 19h30 draw as we seek our another person to try their luck at finding the elusive joker….

The wonderful rain has brought a little welcome relief from the oppressive heat that we were experiencing for the last few weeks… that does not auger well for our sports people over this weekend…let us be hopeful that the weather breaks in order to allow everyone to play their game…..   

We have had a fairly busy time over the past few weeks…and that has allowed the building contractors some time to get stuck into the renovations…which are now coming along very nicely and I cannot believe how large the Ladies bar appears already…this is going to make a fantastic change to this area….it is no longer going to be a bar of two areas….and I think in winter that this could possibly be the bar of choice, with the welcome fire now having access all around it…I am really looking forward to the finished product…I can’t wait….in addition the committee room and storage areas are also nearing completion….I know that my staff are really happy about the improved access and capacity of the store rooms…and I know that there will be plenty of interest and bookings for the new and upgraded committee room that is starting to look really awesome…..

Please remember to let me know by email if you have any good or bad news to bring to my attention….please send it to rod.scheepers@gmail.com…

Have a super weekend Rod

The Scimitar 28 Nov 2019

Good day to you all from a hot and humid North

The ToyRun has come and gone….and another amazing day of fun and fellowship was definitely enjoyed by all….and as with all huge events….the day had its own fair share of surprises and hiccoughs….but all of these were dealt with in the normal professional manner by the people in charge…I saw piles of smiles amongst our Members who manfully (and womanfully) stuck to their task at hand of serving refreshments to thousands upon thousands of bikers, their families, friends and all the spectators that had just come along to experience the feel and spirit of the day…..one of the highlights for me as always was the mass ride past….which carries on for the best part of an hour….with some bikes purring past….others being wound up to the limit of their capabilities….in a cacophony of sound…buzzing, whirring, growling, screaming and whining were some of the sounds that I experienced…. bikes of all shapes and sizes..(with their owners which could be described in a similar fashion) arriving from all the corners of Gauteng (and some from further afield as I met friends and people  from Mpumulanga and the Free State too) who said that they could not wait to join this epic journey…..at the end of the day it is all about the collection of toys for those less fortunate than ourselves…one committed young lady personally brought over a thousand toys in a phenomenal selfless act….and I witnessed mountains of toys being collected and it was such a heart warming and satisfying day….another of those that I was able to experience with new friends and colleagues…..my gracious thanks to the unsung heroes of the day…to Peter Beart and all the organisers from the ToyRun…..well done on another stupendous day….to our President, Doctor Craig Wittstock….who amazed me with the ease that he works tirelessly and everyone is always met with a smile and positive attitude…to my staff team, without whom I would be seriously hamstrung…thank you Shepherd and your team, you are really our Club’s greatest undervalued asset….to the Members who gave up their Sunday to be Bar people….a massive thank you (but I am sure that everyone of you enjoyed your day thoroughly)……to the artists and exhibitors for keeping all the crowds busy being entertained, amused and fed during the day…..my final thanks to Glenda….who counted and rechecked every single note and coin that was collected on the day…and was still able to (like Craig) keep smiling all day….another ToyRun is over…but I can’t wait for the next one….see you next year…..

 Cricket was our only major sport played at the North on Sunday….and I think they should have rather come along to the ToyRun…..in a dreadfully disappointing display they lost to United in a low scoring match, that I feel that we threw away rather than United winning…..I will quickly sum up the lowlights of the day…..after winning the toss and inserting United to bat we had them reeling on 65/6 before allowing their number 8 smash 85 off 82 (being dropped three times, the first time while he only had 5) which resulted in United scoring 166….which should really have been a doddle for us to chase…and with Vaughan and Riaan going along merrily on at 86/1, we appeared to be well on track…..before the wheels fell off completely and we limped out way to 160 all out…I will leave it at that…I have heard opinions from a myriad of different people…. but suffice it to say that coach Nic was livid at the poor display on the day where it was easier to win than to lose…this week the boys need to dust themselves off and cross the N12 to the other side of Benoni to face Spurs at Actonville…..which is always a most difficult opposition on their home turf….so good luck to the boys….we know it will be a tough day to come home with the spoils….but I have full confidence that we have the talent and attitude to overcome this little crisis that we have created….

Our Friday night had a new group to entertain us as Plus 2 arrived with a bang…and proved to be very popular with the patrons in the Scimitar…as they laughed, sang and danced the night away…this week we welcome back another fantastic group as Black and Blue are back…..we have only had compliments about this super bunch as they play covers from the 70’s and 80’s up to the present….their vocalist has an amazing voice and she is backed up by a crew of extremely talented musicians…. hopefully I will see you all there to experience the vibe….

Friday nights Joker draw had another “newbie” in front of the cabinet as Clint Strydom had his name extracted from the beeeeg black box…..and tall Tim had to stoop through a few doorways as he was drinking in the Scimitar bar this week…. he smiled for the camera and then set his sights on the as he made his choice…and waited for Glenda to show us what card has been hiding for the last 27 weeks….and to Clint’s disappointment…it was not the Joker….but the eight of spades…..with his misfortune, Clint has allowed the “pot” to increase to R102915 for this week….so be sure to come along to try your luck this Friday….for only a R5 ticket you could be making your choice at the joker cabinet….

The renovations are well underway…and I must say that I am getting very excited…as the “dividing” wall in the ladies bar has disappeared…it has already transformed the space and the area looks twice as big as it was before…..I must say that I was a little nostalgic…as the last window that was left in the main bar was removed…I still remember those windows from the original Clubhouse….and to see it disappear was a sad but happy occasion all at the same time….to think of all the memories that window could have shared is a little thought provoking (and may remind us of names like Goose, Doc, Jigger, Skin, Bringee, Joao, Gatoo, Spyker and Shambok to name a few)….but progress is inevitable, a fond farewell to the old window…and the new bar is going to add massive value to the Club and its Members….a little sneak peek at the proposed committee room also shows the commitment of the Club to the quiet sanctuary necessary to conduct the important tasks of deciding the future of our Club by the various elected committees…..we will also be turning our attention to the Hall in the New year as we want upgrade this area to be an inviting and exciting place to host functions and events….watch this space for more details…  

Have a super week….I hope to see you all soon to enjoy a beer together….

Take care…Rod

Come and join in with BNAC’s very own Richard’s Annual Pub Run at Benoni Country Club – Tuesday 10th December at 17h45. We look forward to seeing you on the course

BNFC u-13s win league
The team took the league title with an impressive 60 points, only dropping six points during their time competing.
Left, back: Munashe Mukandi, Philile Myemane, Ndumiso Skhosana, Cebo Yekelo, Joshua Tabane, Chris Mhlanga and Siphesihle Bambisa. Left, front: Anesu Nkabinde, Jaymee Jones, Jethrow van Heerden, team manager Earle Jones, Ofentse Motshoari, coach Joseph Lukele, Lucky Nkosi, Thandolwethu Ncobo and Uviwe Sukazi.

Benoni Northerns advance to the Gold Cup
This is a massive achievement for Benoni Northerns Rugby as they have never been selected to take part before. The players are excited (and tired) after their third training session in preparation for next year.

 

The Scimitar 14 Nov 2019

Morning from a wonderfully wet and green Benoni Northerns….

Some most welcome rain has fallen over the last few days, giving a new look and feel to our surroundings…..all the plants that we have been diligently watering over the last three or so months….now look like completely different plants complete….it is amazing how the plants react to natures blessing, rain, which is of course filled with nitrates and nutrients….and suddenly there are new leaves…..shoots that have suddenly appeared..and of course the dreaded weeds have also already raised their heads…..I have a patch of ground that has been earmarked for a veggie patch…but now looks like a sown flower bed….which of course I know have been none of my doing….so the weekend has a new task entered on my “TO DO LIST” and weeding the veggie patch has been added…

In the interim, the William Webb Ellis trophy has done its rounds throughout South Africa with some of the selfish residents of some areas demanding more preferential treatment than others….while some were entertained to Faf’s extraordinary “speedo”…I honestly think that Faf is the new “super hero” of the Boks….and it really has very little to do with his playing prowess….but more to do with his multi colored costume rather that has caused quite a furore….. I think the pics that summed up the euphoria of the World Cup for me were two….and both of Faf……one shaking Prince Harry’s hand….the the other supping form the Golden Chalice…… and him wearing the South African flag cozzie…that I am sure will now be in massive demand….as girl friends, wives and partners clamor in a frenzy to emulate our superb little blonde fox terrier…..the hubbub around the World Cup has slowed down a little…but most conversations still include a smattering of RWC mentions and smiles…. I was viewing the CCTV footage of the Club on the RWC final day….and what a heart warming vision it was, to watch the crowd watching the final in the final 15 minutes as the Boks scored their two tries….I think it will make for some classic memories in the years to come…..

The cricket boys had a busy weekend…with the playoffs for the T20 competition being held on Saturday….but we did not have our best of days as we went to down to the eventual winners Kempton Park in the morning semi final….so it was left to the boys to redeem themselves on Sunday in their Premier League match against Tembisa….and with quite a bit of rain around on Saturday…..the overhead and now damp underfoot conditions were going to be difficult….and it was back to winning ways as Kurt conveniently lost the toss and we were inserted to bat….and scoring at around 5 to the over landed up with 244/9 in our allotted overs….our star performer came in at number 7….Kundai Matigimu scored 60 at almost 100% strike rate, his knock being off 66 balls…there were some contributions by half our batters…..one in the 40’s, two in the 30’s and a couple of others that got into double figures but were unable to kick on and make it into a sizeable contribution….Tembisa started off pretty well….with one of their openers scoring 75……and reached 106/2….but then quickly lost their way….as Lance 4/29 and Leonard 3/22 maintained the pressure…..eventually squeezing the opposition out for 165 in the 43^rd over…..this week we meet a difficult opposition Alberton, at home….this should be a cracker of a match…so please come down to watch this clash….it should be a very tense day……

Saturday was the showcase of Benoni Northern’s talent…as we hosted the Sports Person of the Year (SPOTY) dinner….where special Members are rewarded with prestigious awards and where all our top achievers in the sub sections vie for the accolade as being selected as Benoni Northern’s top achiever and be presented with the coveted SPOTY trophy…first one up was Shawn Schwartz, who was awarded life Membership to the Club in recognition of his contributions more specifically to the baseball section…

next was Mark Hardman who was named a Clubman of the Year….and despite the calls from the gallery that it was for maintaining Northern’s bars healthy “liquidity”…his award was actually in recognition of the massive contribution to the Club that Mark has made over the last 44 years that he has been a Member, in varying roles and responsibilities that he was sometimes elected into, sometimes volunteered….and many times accepted, as no-one else would put up their hand to get the job done …

and then back to the sporting contest on the night….competition as always was extremely fierce in both the Junior and senior categories…and this year was no exception…..

and from a very talented bunch of talented sports people the following emerged as the winners….in the junior category, Nicholas de Ascensao, who hails from a baseball background..and has represented Gauteng and South Africa in the U15 age group….the highlight whilst playing for SA, was to participate in his age group World Cup in Panama….

in the senior category, the honors went to Jasper (Jazz) van Rensburg….who has excelled at 10km, duathlon and triathlon disciplines….and it is in the duathlon SA champs that Jazz really made his name known, as he swept to win not only the SA title but also the African Championship…..

we are truly honored to have them as Northern’s Members and these two gentlemen are worthy winners of our prestigious title of Sports Person of the Year title…..well done to all the winners on the night….and of course to Glenda for the tireless effort she always puts in to make this evening the resounding success that it always is….

With our Fridays now starting to heat up in the search for the Jester, we had another newbie out the beeeeeg black box as Naomi Wagenaar had her ticket drawn, and after a quick glimpse, she made her selection in the middle of the top row….. She definitely held her breath as Glenda took her time in flipping over the card…..to show us all the Jack of Diamonds!! And with that we are at the half way stage….we have 26 cards face up and 27 face down…..whilst after this week those numbers will swap around….Half way means that more interest is being shown as the numbers start to climb….and we are just short of a magical six figure Jackpot……the value available this week for a winner this is R97740….so wear your lucky shoes and pants and pop in to see if you can be our next big winner….

Last week we had the wonderful sounds of Eben to sit and enjoy…this week…Ryno will be back to blast his way back into the club…please join us as Alan sings and dances when Lighting Crashes….should be another epic evening at the North…..

That is all from me for this week….and I leave you with one request…..I have seen that more and more dogs are being brought onto the premises….could I please request that all Members please do NOT bring their pets to the Club…..it is prohibited by the Ekurhuleni bye-laws and in addition we have feral cats that are resident at the Club…and could result in the animals getting Parvo Virus, which is really nasty for any dog to survive….one final time….you would not take your animals to the Wanderers or Ellis Park….please leave your animals at home….thank you..

Have a great week … Rod

The Scimitar 7 Nov 2019

A World Championship good morning to you all…..

I think the subject and thoughts that have been on the lips and minds of most South Africans since early last week, which was compounded and reached a crescendo on Saturday afternoon with ecstatic joy, as Cheslin Colbe waltzed his way past a bewildered captain Owen Farrell and 4 of his tiring team mates, sealing the fate of the English to be the also-rans against the Boks for the second time in a final…. was the Rugby World Cup final and all the possible outcomes….for all South Africans it was an optimistic (at best) chance of winning….after the demolition of the AB’s by the English, it seemed that it was going to be one way traffic, as the Boks had done nothing spectacular in the tournament thus far, or out of the ordinary to make the punters give the Boks anything but an outside chance of lifting the Webb Ellis trophy for a third time….but most of those people forgot about some of SA’s x-factors, the 12 year rule, the winners of the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Championship (tri-nations), the Free State being Currie Cup Champions for the year and the shrewd tactical genius of Rassie….

However, since the completion of the final, the subject has been expanded on, and is almost on the lips of everybody, whether they were rugby supporters or not, of the magnificent day in our history, not just sporting history, but to me a red letter day in the history of the rainbow nation….as a sport once again unites and unifies all South Africans into a positive mind set and mood…..we have had the theories, opinions and conversations of excited….no jubilant….Springbok supporters….there is no holding back of the vibrant feeling existing right at the moment…..I am sure that there are enough varying points of view, that we have all heard….but suffice it for me to say, that I was most impressed with our scrum and the scrummaging techniques that were employed and put the English completely on the back foot for most of the match….I was in our Hall with the big screen and the sound system “booming out” the National Anthems….and with the amount of “gees” that was displayed at this point was absolutely hair raising….goose flesh stuff…..and I immediately felt a rising of hope as we all belted out the Anthem at the top of our voices….standing proudly, with our hands on our hearts…as if it was us going into battle for the next 80 minutes ourselves…..and within only 2 and a half minutes of the start, that feeling started to gain root, the English were starting to look at each other with that “mayor of Hiroshima” look on their faces…..and it didn’t really get any better…the Springboks ground the English scrum into the ground….our fly-half kept on slotting the penalties that were being created from the destroyed opposition scrum….and with this superiority, the English roses, began to wilt….petal by petal…until the final 15 minutes when the Boks ran in their first ever tries in a World Cup final….and it was possibly fitting that they were run in by the vastly improved left wing Makazole Mapimmpi, who combined well with our outside centre, Lukhanyo Am, to produce a thrilling try in the left corner that had all of the supporters jumping with absolute joy….the other came from the most impressive right wing, Cheslin mentioned earlier….and if the scenes at the North were anything to go by….there were high fives and hugs….back slapping and screaming….smiles and sighs simultaneously…it was obvious that copious volumes of alcohol were going to be consumed as the celebrations carried on….and on….and on…..and on……

Will we ever come down from the current euphoric high…..only time will tell….but I as one, certainly hope not….

If anyone wasn’t at the Glow Run last week…you missed out…whilst there were plenty of contenders in the 10 and 15k races….I like to think that the true spirit of this race is shown in the 5k version….I was able to find plenty of smiles and laughter…as people of all shapes and sizes participated….mother and fathers pushing prams, grannies and grandpa’s holding hands as they completed the event, young families and friends shouting with glee as they went along their way….and all the way along there was happy chatting, the exchanging of pleasantries, giggling and an fantastic atmosphere that brings me back year after year…..and I even get a medal for competing in another epic event…well done to the Athletics section on a superb race….I will be back next year, as I am sure a lot of satisfied competitors will be….

In the only Premier League sport played over the weekend, in which one of our representative sides participated….our cricketers were humbled by Bedfordview on Sunday….showing us that they are really serious about playing this year….having  beaten Kempton last week and winning their other two matches, the boys from Bedfordview were on a high when asked to bat after losing the toss…and with a really solid 4^th wicket partnership of 126, they ended up being dismissed in the penultimate over for 243….with Stef taking 3/25 and Leonard 3/45 being our most successful bowlers…the Northerns reply started off well enough with the opening pair adding 46…..but unfortunately our highest score in our reply was Rian’s 32….we were never in the running as wickets fell to regularly and far too cheaply…eventually being dismissed for 191 to record a defeat by 52 runs…..quite a wake-up call for our boys….so we will need to get back to our basics….practice and look at our application if we are wanting to be the champions again this year….this week we take on Tembisa at Willowmoore Park…..with the first ball to be bowled at 10h00….

On Saturday we had the hockey players at the 5’s trying to bench during the matches for the RWC final….and after the final it was a even a little more difficult to get back and play…but Sunday saw a full set of fixtures…with some of the players suffering from Saturday’s over indulgence…but still being there and available for their matches…with more following this week as another full set of fixtures looms…..

This weekend we have our Sports Person of the Year awards….and this has always been a wonderful glittering event….where the achievers from each sub section will be celebrated, to eventually crown the winner at the end of the evening, in both the junior and senior categories….good luck to all the contenders…..

Rugby has started their pre season practices…so if there are any prospective rugger buggers that are ready and willing to join us in our quest to win our way back to being one of the major forces in Valke rugby, please come along on Thursday evenings and assist us in this massive goal….

Our Joker draw had an old campaigner back at the spot in front of the Joker cabinet….as Arthur Jones had his name drawn from the beeeeg black box….and his selection was down in the bottom left corner….one space up and one space right….but to his dismay….when Glenda flipped his choice over it was the seven of hearts….and amidst the groan, Arthur maintained his smile and said…”next time”….so the pot grows to R94938 for this week…as we have another great start to the weekend with entertainment, joker draw, members draw and a raffle that always brings a winner to the Main bar to collect their prize…

Our entertainment, Cedz and Tryst were at their brilliant best and it must be remembered that they will see us as the opening act to the ToyRun in three weeks time….so we will see you then Cedz…

this Friday we welcome back Eben…..he is a spectacularly talented fellow….please pop down to come and witness the wizardry of this musician….

Hope you guys are still celebrating the World Cup win….hopefully I will see you in the pub as we enjoy a tipple or two…

See you soon    Rod

Moetlo Sefoka Junior Member from BNAC competed in the Central Gauteng Athletics Champs held in Ruimsig this past weekend. He obtained a Gold Medal for 1.50m in the High Jump – u11 age group. Well done Moetlo a rising champ in the cards.

The Scimitar 31 Oct 2019

A warm good day to all our readers….

Well well well……my predictions have never been one of the things to be counted on…..but for once I would like to remind everyone of my some comments in my opening salvo to the newsletter of September 17, 2019…..to quote…

“….we do have a few factors that are pointing in our favour this year….one of course, is our own self imposed 12 year rule….we won in 1995….with our next success coming in 2007…..and as we approach 2019, we realise that the 12 year rule is lurking….additionally we have won the Rugby Championship (old Tri-nations) and this augers well….”

And as we approach Saturday, we have the same opponents as we did in 2007…..we were dogged and very workmanlike in our win over Wales in the semi final….definitely not pretty or enterprising rugby….but we were able come out on top of a very nail biting match….I am sure that the whole of South Africa breathed a collective sigh of relief on Sunday when the final whistle blew…..but now we face the might of England, who were most impressive against a shell shocked and shattered AB team….one of the jokes that did the rounds after that particular match….was that the Kiwis lost everything, scrums, mauls, line outs, the loose battles, tackles…….they even lost their own Haka…..I must say it was the poorest New Zealand I have seen in many a year….but to take nothing away from the English who were brilliant on the day…we are in for a cracker of a match….

Please don’t forget that we will be showing both the 3^rd place play off on Friday and the final on Saturday on the big screen (that we are showing in the Hall)….all our drinks specials will be running for the duration of the matches….so brandy, rum, beer quarts and shooters will be at additional discounted rates….and of course if the Springboks are world champions….perhaps the specials may run into some significant overtime…..which I am sure will be well received…..the spirit at the last match at the North was absolutely sensational….so I expect this weekend to be even more compelling and riveting….I will see you there…and as another little bit of titbit and assistance…there will be a jumping castle, water slide and Gladiator inflatable for the younger set to challenge their skills and keep them busy while the Mom’s and Dad’s have their time cut out watching the Boks….

Our cricketers had Sunday off last weekend…but are back in the swing this Sunday as the Premier side lock horns with Bedfordview away….first ball will be bowled at 10am…..

Our hockey 5’s is really proving to be a hit with everyone…..juniors playing on Saturdays… the seniors filling the Sunday slots and landing up in and around the beer garden after their strenuous exercise exploits ….this is really a fast paced and extraordinary game that really has to be watched to really understand its intricacies and complexities…..but it is piles of fun….so if you have some spare time come down to the Astro to watch over the weekend.

This weekend our Baseballers play host to their annual T-ball competition….so expect a throng of players and parents at the baseball club on Saturday….it should be a marvellous day….

Our summer soccer is also in full swing….with our Vets teams actively involved every Wednesday night and the Ladies side playing on Fridays….please keep an eye in the newsletter or our Facebook page for more details of these matches…

Last Friday the Athletics sub section had their annual golf day at the Country Club….and I was one of the fortunate few to be present…..when I came back to Benoni about 10 years ago….a good mate of mine from the past, Bogroll (many will remember this distinctive name) conned, coerced and forced me kicking and screaming to coach cricket at the North (which of course I did with pleasure and really enoyed)….our lot being the coaching a bunch of extremely talented young under 8 cricketers…I won’t bore you with all the details of the individuals involved….but one of them was Bogroll and Jenny’s son, Warwick….I have watched with interest this young man’s progress over the years….and at the golf day, it was my chance to force, con and coerce Warwick to be part of my four-ball….and what a privilege it turned out to be!! I really hope that you fulfil all your promise and talent in the future, Warwick, as you go to the States to further your studies and career…but back to the golf….despite all the talent shown by our playing partners, they were only able to pull Rodney and myself out of the depths of playing the  longest day to not having our names mentioned in this non-prestigious position….congrats to all the winners on the day…and a huge well done to the organisers and players on a fantastic day….there was also a massive function after the golf, where one of our most recognisable members…Michael Velliotes, was going to lose his ginger beard….and with the assistance of some very generous benefactors….around R26000 was raised to see Mike clean shaven again after 5 years in hiding….thank you to Mike and his dad, who was included in the deal at the last minute for their great idea and concept of losing their fuzzy facial hair as a fund-raiser ….a really fun evening was had by all as the excitement welled at the prospect of being the actual person to complete the deed of making the ginger ninja transform back into a joyous and  naughty little pixie….

Our entertainers last week were the ever gold 5 piece band called Omega…..that kept everyone on the dance floor for the night…they are always a popular favourite with the Northerns faithful…this week we welcome Cedz and Tryst back….so get yourselves ready for a great evening of solid rock music from this talented bunch of musicians….

Our Friday night last week was a little less well attended due to the Athletics golf day and the prospect of seeing a clean shaven Vellies again…..but there was still plenty of interest as we move closer to the half way mark….and this week we had another “first timer” at the cabinet, as Stephen Fellows had his name extracted from the beeeg black box…..and seemed fairly confident with his choice being in the top left corner (but one)…and as Glenda revealed the card, his disappointed was evident when he saw that it wasn’t the Joker!…but the King of Diamonds is now in the cabinet…the rest of the crowd were very happy that the Jackpot was still alive, ready and waiting for them next week…..24 cards are now face up…and the ‘pot” has risen to R92229 for this week….please join in with the fun this week…and try your luck at finding the Jester….you could be our next big winner!!

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Laurence Brown  – Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Stephen Fellows (Guest) drew the King of Diamonds. Joker Draw a turnover at R 92 229.00 for Friday 01st November.

Saturday 02nd November @ 11h00 a.m.
For the KIDDIES weekend of (Friday – Sunday) – Waterslide and 8m long Gladiator Circuit available, so will be children friendly . We will see you all !!!

Velly’ nice my mate! Winning bidder Clayton Wiesner and a clean shaven Michael Veliotes. Benoni Northerns Sports Club. This initiative garnered a healthy R26 000.00 for BNAC’s Development Runners.

The Annual Glow Run was once again a tremendous success. Thanks to all that participated in this incredible event. We shall meet again next year

The Scimitar 23 Oct 2019

Good morning to all……

The RWC advances into the next round, amidst a little bit of controversy…..and now the semi’s are upon us….and although pretty predictable, apart from the France / Wales game….which produced some really great rugger….the Saturday matches were pretty one sided….the AB’s and the English winning by significant margins to progress….but that sets up one of most interesting clashes that we will see at this World Cup thus far….. the winner of this match is going to very difficult to beat in the final….but that said…we still have the Boks in the other half of the draw….and although we stuttered through the first half….we eventually ran out easy 26-3 winners….doing something that no-one else has been able to do in this world cup, in beating the Japanese….the Irish, who were on the crest of the world rankings at the start of the World Cup….were unexpectedly humbled in their first showing…and Japan definitely gave us lots of food for thought in the first half, with us being so far behind on the possession stakes….but of course our scrum-half did ensure that our possession was effectively given away, every time that he touched the ball….but in the second half, the power of scrum eventually came through as we scored a magnificent 45 metre rolling maul (another procedure that I have not witnessed before)…which culminated in allowing our diminutive kicking scrum-half in to score himself a try….in the other quarter final in our section…there was only one side in the contest…with the Welsh appearing content to make their plane flight home that night….until some 55^th minute madness by a French lock….who was red-carded for some silly dangerous play…and slowly the tide turned….and as manfully the French played….it was like an inexorable wheel rolling down the hill that the Welsh were going to wear down the French resistance….eventually just doing enough to beat the French 20-18. And an amazing turn around…which no-one could have forecast even a half an hour before the end of the match….

This weekend we will be showing both of the matches live at the North….one on Saturday and the other on Sunday….please do not be late…as last week seats and places was limited fairly early….we will still have the liquor specials that we had last weekend….so beer, brandy and rum will be discounted for the duration of the match…..and for those who love to have a little shooter or two while watching sport….there will be a tequila and Jagermeister special…..buy a tray of 12 of these popular Mexican and German tit-bits for only R170…..a real example of the “more you drink….the more you save” slogan, which was extremely popular in my youth at the North…..so my thanks to Simba Sosatie who used to run around the Club in those days with his party hat….maybe this weekend, he will make his appearance again…..I can but hope…and hope that it augers well for the smooth progression of the Boks in their quest to becoming World Champions once again….

Our Premier cricket side made their first appearance at the North on Sunday, when they hosted Duduza….and with Kurt losing the toss (again!!), we were asked to bat…we scored steadily with almost everyone chipping in, Musa Twala and Leonard Killeen notching up half centuries in the process…. ending up on 297/7 after our 50 overs…..there was a bit of a break in the innings when a local swarm of bees decided to find a home in the water tap box at the edge of the pitch…forcing an early lunch to be taken, as our friend and bee keeper Peter Beart was called on to remove the buzzing visitors for us….and the match continued after lunch without further incident…..the opposition began a very solid chase and only after a half century opening stand did we eventually make any inroads….but after that their wickets fell at fairly regular intervals…to Duduza eventually landing up with 172 after slightly over 40 overs….handing us the win by 125 runs on the day…well done to the lads….a winning start to the season for us, with two out of two….but this weekend we have a bye allocated…so time for everyone to have a restful weekend off to get ready for battle the next weekend…..

This year we had our first season of junior rugby….and despite some trying conditions….these little fellows acquitted themselves admirably….we had 6 teams competing in the finals for this year….with two of those sides being crowned champions…..our under 8 team and the under 11a (red) side winning their respective finals….a special congratulations to the players and coaches..super stuff….of our other sides that competed on the day the under 9a side lost in the final to collect a silver medal, while the U9b side lost in the semi, but won the play-off for bronze….the other two sides, U10b and U11a (white) ended the season in fourth place…. my congratulations to all these young men and their coaching staff….well done on a great set of results….you have placed the bar very high in our first season at junior level… remember that we will now want you to strive to improve on this next year….also a hearty congratulations to Jaco and his team on a super season….well done….

Our Friday night search for our Jester continued…as we had another “first-timer” in front of the cabinet….Ethan had his name drawn….and to some jubilant cries of encouragement from his mates….he looked to the bottom right of the board for his selection….and once it was revealed, it showed us the six of clubs…..we are really getting to an interesting time of the draw……as we are now 23 cards into this particular draw…almost halfway….and we are currently at a Jackpot of R90237……starting to become a sizeable value to put into your pocket for a R5 investment…..and we have the ever popular 5 piece band Omega to get your month end weekend off to a mellow and relaxed start…

Last weekend our entertainment were the duo of Richard and Nakita….who also proved that they know really how to get the party going….keeping everyone singing and dancing in the patio under the tent into the wee hours…..thanks to them…I saw a few Members with pounding heads the next day…..but with a massive grin on their faces like the cat that has just had the cream….saying it was a helluva night….when are they coming back again….and be sure that we will them back soon and we will give everyone enough notice….

Please do not forget our Rowlin Glow Run on next Wednesday….this is always a most festive event….and one of those must attend festive occasions….so please be sure to get you running gear on….and find all your glow sticks, luminous clothing and crazy costumes and wigs….as everyone jumps in and enters into the festive feeling created on the night….to make their way around the course….and onto the finishing line for their own medal….to be proudly displayed…..

That is it for this week….hopefully I will get to see you for the RWC matches…or on Friday at draw time….or maybe just at the Glow Run next Wednesday…have a great week otherwise….take care

Regards Rod

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Laurence Brown  – Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Ethan ( Football ) drew the Six of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at
R90 237.00 for Friday 25th October. Be present to win!!

“At The North” – R.W.C Specials – Duration of the Games:
All Beer Quarts – R 25.00 each
1 x Dble Brandy/Rum & Coke – R 30.00
2 x Dble Brandy/Rum & Coke – R 50.00
1 x Tray (12) Tequila/Jagermeister – R 170.00

Reminder – Online Entries are open
https://www.entrytime.com/event-details/?EventId=6077

Please bring along the whole family for our fun filled event

Our Bridge Section will be entering a Team namely Bridie Bullen-Smith, Paul van der Wal, Bill Willis and Clyde Mallinson representing Benoni Northerns in the upcoming Nationals. This team recently won the Gauteng Clubs Team 4 Tournament. We wish you all the best of luck

Awesome 10 wicket win by Benoni Northerns Women’s Cricket against a very much developing Wattville cricket Team. Well Done Ladies! Madison Landsman taking 4 wickets for 0 runs!!! And a quickfire 24 off 9 to finish the game!

Week 2 saw a host of exciting tennis matches at Benoni Northerns – including the Premier Division match between Levey & Masakane!

The Scimitar 17 Oct 2019

A special and warm good day to everyone….

So as the RWC 2019 enters the business section of the competition….and we have some interesting developments…..the first Asian side to ever compete in a RWC as Japan qualify for the knock outs….and that as the winner of their pool section….which means that the Boks and the Japs will renew their rivalry at World Cup level, four years after that fateful meeting where we lost 32-34 to them in 2015…Sunday will be our crunch day, where one of those two sides will proceed to the semis to meet the winners of the France / Wales clash…. and the other quarters see some epic clashes too…..as the AB’s unexpectedly play the Irish and the English meet the Aussies in a clash that I am sure will renew a few passionate battles….definitely a mouth watering set of games await us this weekend….I won’t even  be bothering to enter a set of predictions….so as not place a curse on any of the sides….I will enter a set of predictions in the safe for Glenda to open after the weekend to see how far out I could possibly be…..

Please don’t forget that we will be showing all the RWC quarter finals live and that we are expanding the liquor specials for the quarters….please keep an eye on our social media platforms…..they will be advertised there….and for the beer drinkers….I will be making sure that you are catered for as well…..

Our weekend started in the quest for our hidden Jester in the cabinet….and this week the lucky name out the beeeeg black box was our caterer, Marge Mellis!!…after the formalities were completed of a happy snap for posterity, she made her selection…directly at her eye level….and after indicating three rows up on the extreme left….Glenda flipped the card over to reflect the six of spades….another rollover week…which means that our Jackpot in search of our Jester has risen to R87939…. definitely worth popping past the North on Friday to start your weekend in a very relaxed and festive atmosphere…..our musicians this week will be the Richard and Nikita, who proved to be very popular with the crowd in the tent last time….bring your dancing shoes and come along to party your way into the weekend….

Our Cricketers started with their first match of the season and had a very successful return….rolling over Kwa Thema for 100 in just under 30 overs…..and then took just over 15 overs to knock off the necessary total for the loss of a solitary wicket….well done to Kurt and the boys for a solid start to the season in their quest to retain the Premier League trophy….this week they are at home to CBCOB who have always proved to be a tough nut to crack….so good luck boys….first ball to be bowled at 10h00….

It is wonderful to see all our juniors scurrying around the Club in their white attire…. in their quest to become the new Jacques Kallis and Kagiso Rabada of the future.. after our poor showing in the sub-continent, all South Africans are wanting some new talent to appear miraculously on the horizon…as things are looking pretty bleak there….if I were in that side as a top order batter…I would suggest to the management, that the batting order get swapped around…as it appears that things get a little easier once the ball loses its shine and is a bit softer…as our batters at the lower end seem to have outscored the top order in at least three of the four innings’ we have played thus far…..

I have watched with interest that the interest in “T”ball is massive and looks like it is on the increase….I saw the car parks at baseball were filled to capacity on Tuesday afternoon…it is fantastic to see that sport is being so actively promoted by the schools in Ekurhuleni…well done to the organisers and to everyone actively promoting this sport….long may it continue…

Hockey 5’s also started up last weekend…and it looked like everyone had an absolute blast….I saw that the astro was filled and the venue looked extremely busy for the entire weekend…well done Shaun on a great start to the season….if anyone is interested in playing 5’s please contact Shaun Taylor…I am sure that there will always be available spots for all enthusiastic new players….

Please do not forget the Glow Run on Wednesday October 30, it is always a fantastic and festive evening and fun for the whole family…. glow sticks, weird costumes, a myriad of colours, crazy wigs…and the brilliant smiling faces as all the participants compete in their allotted 5, 10 or 15 kilometre races….with a medal and sense of achievement for everybody who completes the race…..make sure to keep the date in your diary for a fantastic evening with us….

Please take care this week…as we are expecting a heat wave over the weekend….everyone must please remember to apply loads of sun screen if you are outside…it looks like we are going to cook for a while….a really good suggestion? Come to the Club and enjoy a frosty or 6 in the cool sanctity of one of our bars and watch the cricket on our fields….or watch the RWC and enjoy the specials….

Hopefully I will see you over weekend….have fun…

Cheers  Rod

 PS….remember that if you have any anything that is bugging you, or you think you have an idea that you think may transform the Club….please don’t forget to send me an email on rod.scheepers@gmail.com containing your concerns or proposals……

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Laurence Brown  – Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Marge Mellis (Kitchen) drew the Six of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R 87 939.00 for Friday 18th October. Be present to win!!

Beer Garden and Scimitar Bar open from 12h00.  Order delicious Pizza or a Pub Lunch while enjoying your cold frosty.

Plus all beer quarts @ R25.00 each duration of the games

BNAC’s Bright achieved 2nd place in the Jacaranda City Challenge Half Marathon in a time of 1h10. Well done we are proud of you!!

Reminder – Online Entries are open
https://www.entrytime.com/event-details/?EventId=6077

Please bring along the whole family for our fun filled event

Kwa Thema vs Benoni Northerns Premier League Cricket Captains. Kwa Thema 100 all out in 29.5 overs. Benoni Northerns 102 for 1 in 15.4 overs.Very good discipline guy’s thank you and keep it up

Eagles Super 5 Season kicked off yesterday without the junior sides of U13 and U17. There was great skill shown and we look forward to having a great season.

Saturday 12th October Benoni Northerns had 6 teams involved in the finals. For the first year of Junior Rugby at Northerns the boys did great. The u8s won the u9c League after just fighting for a spot just to make the finals. U8s made history winning the 1st cup for Junior Rugby for Northerns and winning the 1st u9c League at the Valke Juniors.
U9a won their Semis but unfortunately losing in the final and gaining Silver. U9b lost their semis but won their game playing for 3rd place and walking away with Bronze.
U11 League had two teams in the finals. The white team lost in the Semis. The Red Team won their League. Winning the finals on the last play of the game. Could have gone any way but the boys showed their worth.
We are so proud of all the boys and all the teams.
Under 8- gold
Under 9b- bronze
Under 9 a- silver
Under 10b- fourth place
Under 11a white- fourth place
Under 11a red- gold

The Scimitar 9 Oct 2019

A summery (and Manny….no not summary…..summery….a new Rod word) and fresh good morning to all….

The weather has been amazing the last little while and I hope that everyone has been able to get out and enjoy it….it is the weather to be exercising or soaking up the sun….or even just enjoying a braai with friends….this is what makes South Africa so amazing…. the wind has lost it “bite” in the last few days and I am loving it….

We are still in the throes of the final world cup play-off matches, with almost everyone left with only a solitary match to decide their fate….And albeit I have said that Japan have been the David of the tournament….it should not be forgotten that these men in fact won the same number of matches in the pools as the Boks and Scotland in their group in the 2015 RWC….and only missed out on points difference….getting a hiding from Scotland to seal their fate at not making the quarter finals….but with Japan are quite comfortable at the top of their table in 2019 RWC…they are just needing to play Scotland in their last pool match to decide whether they head their group or end up second….I believe their fate should be pretty well decided after that….if they win against the Scots, they play the Boks, if they lose…they play the All Blacks….pretty much a double edged sword for them…..but I don’t think the prospect of playing either of those sides actually concerns either the coaching staff or players….they are so used to punching above their fighting weight in any event…..but I really believe that a ranking of number 8 in the world, flatters them slightly…. but that is merely my opinion…. and I will be argued with and kicked in the butt that my predictions were so wrong…..I can honestly say that I have a 100 % prediction record…..my track record speaks for itself….I have been incorrect of every single one of my predictions in the past…..I am pretty confident that my hit record will not improve after the conclusion of this world tournament…..

Our cricketers had a bad few sessions in the first test…..but performed a lot better than I expected….albeit losing by a very large margin, they were in the game up until the end of the 4^th day….when it looked like the Indians imported a new pitch for the first session on the last day…..in which when we lost 7 wickets in that session and decided the fate of the Proteas…..that said….hopefully the young squad has learned something….otherwise I may be tempted to haul my whites and kit out of mothballs and officially announce my availability for selection on the touring squad of supporters….

Sunday was a really busy day at the North with all the local soccer Cup finals being hosted on the main fields in front of the Club house….. there were buckets of excitement and nervous energy available on the day….all the young players thinking they were the George Best’s and Diego Maradonna’s…(Oh hold on…I’m giving away my age)……maybe Messi and Ronaldo’s of the future….there were some moments of brilliance and some of absolute despair….as the fortunes of the day ebbed and flowed….some teams will even claim they were robbed!! Others will say that they received their just reward…..as for the rest? They will claim that they were the better side of the day or that they were beaten by the better side…out of our three sides in the finals…..only our under 9 side lost 3-2 after extra time in their match, despite playing some brilliant football…well done to the coaches Warren and Mark and all the players…. our U6 side were truly awesome and comfortably won 5-0, hearty congratulations to the coaches, Lionel, Ryan, Juan and all their glorious warriors on the super win…. and our last side on the finals were our U13’s…with coach Justin at the helm….and in a tense and nail biting match….we were able to prevail and run out 2-1 winners….I am sure it will be a day in the lives of all these young men that they will not forget in a while….well done to the Easterns LFA for a well organised and enjoyable day….

Our Friday night brought us another First timer night at the Joker draw….as Mike Webb had his name selected at Joker draw time…..and he was really excited at being drawn….but appeared quite calm and composed when confronted with the complexity and size of the Joker cabinet….and after having his winners photo taken….was quietly confident pointing out his selection….one card to the left of centre….but that proved that his luck was as good as the previous 20 candidates….as the nine of spades was flipped….and amidst the roars of approval and sighs of relief from the crowd….everyone realised that the Joker draw was still a possibility for them next week…..the Jackpot swells and climbs to R85857….32 cards left and it is beginning to get interesting…..make every effort to be here this Friday….another exciting night awaits….

Last week we had a Karaoke evening….and everyone present seemed to enjoy themselves….thanks to Shaz for another lovely night….this week we welcome back Coyote….Billy and Martin back at the North to entertain us…welcome back boys….

Our softball and baseball fields were also extremely busy last weekend….hosting a softball tournament and the start of the junior Baseball leagues….lovely to see the fields full and the parking areas overflowing….all the best to Shaun and his crew for a cracking season ahead….

Last weekend also was the official start of cricket…..as both Juniors and Seniors indicated their return to the fields….still one of my favourite sights at Northerns….watching the U8’s in the top field under lights on a Friday…..their excitement and enthusiasm can be felt as you drive into the Club….please keep up that same intensity for your entire career boys….

All from me for this week… have a super weekend…I hear that the possibility for rain is pretty good later in the week….and as much as it may upset the Cricketers….we need the rain….and hopefully doesn’t affect any of the matches over the weekend…

Have a super sporting week….I hope to see you all soon

Regards  Rod

PS….if you have any suggestions or moans….please don’t forget to send an email to me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com about your concerns or proposals……

CLUB BAKKIE : SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT

Over the past few years, it has become more apparent that our Club requires a light delivery vehicle to enable the Club to operate more efficiently by completing important tasks in and around our Club. Some examples where this would be utilised are:

1. As the municipality is providing less and less service delivery assistance on our fields and surrounding areas, not to mention the almost non-existent maintenance to the infrastructure in and around the club of buildings, roads and parking maintenance, requires that more of this responsibility falls into the lap of the Club.
2. The municipal refuse removal, once provided as part of the all in service, and has been totally withdrawn, leaving the club with the duty of having to make plans to remove waste, rubble and garden refuse, from our Club.
3. Our major suppliers face their own logistical nightmares of providing the full supply and delivery system of the past and have become a little unreliable when it comes to delivering all their products requested timeously. This has resulted in last minute management techniques of having to continuously “beg, steal or borrow” vehicles or LDV’s to drive to places like major distribution hubs, to ensure uninterrupted supply of products to our Members.

With our large infrastructure of Members, we were wondering whether there were any Members, or their contacts, that could assist us in procuring of this LDV for Club usage…. This could take the form of a back to a back advertising agreement (whether it be prominent local signage, weekly adverts in our newsletter or eye catching signage on the side of the vehicle etc), a significant discounts, donations or even a gift.

If you are that person, or if you know of such a person, please contact Rod Scheepers, our Club GM, or send him the details of the contact whom could be of assistance, who will then get the process rolling.

Yours in Sport,  Lockey

Laurence Brown

Chairman – Benoni Northern Sports Club

Mike Webb (Guest) drew the Nine of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R85 857.00 for Friday 11th October. Be present to win!!

Live Entertainment from 18h30 – Friday 11th October 2019

Reminder – Online Entries are open
https://www.entrytime.com/event-details/?EventId=6077

Please bring along the whole family for our fun filled event

Congratulations to Mike Serfontein in being awarded the Best Batter – Major A and voted as Senior Baseball Sportsman of the Year 2019.    Well done !! 

Start of the new season with the T20 Tournament.  Benoni Northerns vs Actonville Premier League. Actonville 104 for 9 in 20 overs, Benoni Northerns 107 for 6 in 17 overs. Very good discipline and a pleasant game

There was plenty of dissapointment when the U8 Impala match was cancelled, but true Benoni Northerns style we managed to orrganise a game. It was a good morning out on the cricket field for the boys, giving them the feel of fielding for 20 overs before the season officially starts next week.

The Junior Football Cup Final Tournament was held last Sundayat Northern Areas. Great Day had by all Teams and a fantastic ending to a memorable 2019 Season.

Benoni Northern’s u8 League 1 hosted their Annual friendly against Old Ben’s. An enjoyable game was had by both Teams. Well done boys.

The Scimitar 3 Oct 2019

A warm welcome and good morning to everyone

The Rugby World Cup is proving to be another interesting tournament….South Africa did what was necessary with the “second stringers” to account for our neighbours Namibia…in fairly convincing fashion…57-3…with too many headaches and concerns….and with only one serious injury thus far to our Bok group, we can hopefully keep it that way to keep our best possible team available at all times….but there was one major upset…. in the form of “David” once again doing their “Goliath” trick….this time “Goliath” took the guise of Ireland….and I think that the Boks and their supporters breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t us this time….I am not sure if Ireland underestimated their minnow opponents….or were a little complacent….but Japan have proved over the last few years that they are serious about rugby as a sport in their country and culture…..I remember in the ’95 RWC when Japan faced the All Blacks and were humbled to the largest loss ever in RWC history 145-3….so it took 20 years from them losing in that embarrassing manner, to recording arguably the largest upset in RWC history when they defeated the Boks in 2015….and to prove that this was no “fluke” in 2015…they have now shown  that the might of Japan should not be underestimated…..and any this side will do so at their own peril in the future….well done Japan and all the best for the rest of the show piece….you have done a great job at hosting this amazing tournament….you have the vociferous support of your home crowds…and you have definitely stepped up your playing levels….a most encouraging sign for world rugby…the Boks play on Friday at 11h45 against Italy and on Tuesday against Canada at 12h15…..both of these matches will be shown “LIVE” at the North…so please come along to support….all other RWC matches (from 9.30ish in the morning) will be shown live….so please pop along….the bar will be open and we will continue to offer the brandy special for the duration of the matches….keep your eye out for other specials that may occur as we follow our progress through the RWC….

Another of our national sides is also in Asia at the moment….with the Proteas taking on the Indians in their own backyard…. with the cricket test series starting on Wednesday (which may already be in progress by the time you read this message)…I think the new Proteas in the squad are in for a massive surprise….I hope we are able to acquit ourselves well against this quality side in their own territory…..a massive learning curve awaits….we did perform admirably in the T20 series, ending up 1-1…after being fairly comprehensively beaten in the first match…having the second rained out….the third was a complete turn-around, this time India suffering a humiliating defeat….well done to the boys on this excellent result….may we take this positive intent through into the Test series….

Our weekend was a busy affair…with Club Cricket, another festive Friday to start off the weekend, Bok rugby and the RWC, the Apricot Tree Spring Festival…and then of course general weekend Club shenanigans….so let me begin with our Club sport…

Our Senior Soccer has officially ended….with the Vets and Ladies summer league starting under lights from Friday…and the Juniors finish off all their Cup Finals at the North on Sunday…with both senior and junior prize giving coming up…it is almost time to officially honour their achievers and stars of the season….and give them a while to enjoy their R&R…..have a blast guys…

Our senior rugby players are busy with 7’s and 10’s tournaments, while the Juniors are playing in their finals matches of the season…with 5 age group teams making these play offs for our Northerns Juniors…a most satisfying result for our first year at this most competitive level…well done to the Junior Chairman, Jaco and his team of ever ready assistants in keeping the Northerns flag flying high throughout the season…

Our hockey players are taking their well earned rest, with Hockey 5’s starting in Mid October to keep them all out of mischief in the summer break…

The Spring fest…hosted by the Apricot Tree school…was held at the Main baseball diamond and featured super food and art stalls and some fantastic artists….Reborne (who were my favourite) and Nick Rush amongst others….it really was a super day…although not as well supported as I would have liked…with the rest of Benoni “powerless” thanks to the third consecutive Saturday of light cuts….the Rugby was still able to be shown on the big screen on the stage… thanks to the generators that they had the insight of bringing on for the day….the students from the school performed on stage prior to the rugby….and in a heart wrenching performance these young people stole everyone’s hearts as they danced and performed for the audience…..finally bringing the house down with their version of the National Anthem…I don’t think there were too many dry eyes in the arena after this….our grateful thanks to the sterling efforts of the teachers, parents and helpers in assisting these you people in their challenges in life…all in all a great day for the school….hopefully they made some good money in celebration of their 10^th anniversary….

Our Joker draw this week had another “newbie” in front of the cabinet to do the selecting… as Mike Nagel was the fortunate Member to have his name drawn from the beeeeeg black box and his choice went to the left…. one below centre on the left and pulled the Queen of Clubs out of hiding….his misfortune means that the Jackpot grows up to R83502…which will be up for grabs this week….please come and try your luck….at only R5 a ticket….you could be our next big winner….

And after a really super evening of music last week from Blak n Blu…we are going back to our home grown Northerns talent this week….we are having Shaz and his Karaoke set up back at the North….everyone must get their vocal chords oiled and ready ourselves for us to have some real talent to emerge…

Our pizza kitchen has already been open for 2 months…and is consistently producing some fantastic aromas and tastes…I can personally vouch for some really scrumptious pizzas….please come down to the North and try them…..

 That is all from my side of the desk for this week…Take care….Rod

Mike Nagel (Guest) drew the Queen of Clubs – Joker Draw a turnover at R83 502.00 for Friday 04th October. Be present to win!!

The Scimitar 19 Sep 2019

Morning to all our readers……

The Rugby World Cup is upon us….and in a first for the rugby officiado’s, it has been allocated to a lesser known rugby “giant”….and all the participating teams are either already in the land of the rising sun…or are at their training camps to prepare themselves for the showdown that produces a world champion every four years….I can quite distinctly remember four years ago, the North was hosting a hockey reunion to welcome the Astro on our property…..and we took two hours off the frantic matters of hockey playing, catch ups and enjoying a quiet beer or two, to watch our opening match in the 2015 RWC…..and we watched in horror as the Boks were humbled by new little “giants” in world rugby….I remember the disbelief in everyone’s eyes as our heroes fell from the pedestal they had elevated themselves to…to remind us that we are not bigger than the game….and this was surely the biggest upset in World Cup history….admittedly it was a woeful performance by the Boks and may it never, and may I repeat NEVER, be repeated again…..I must be honest that I think that our Boks have come a long way since that fateful day in September 2015….but as we now face our biggest hurdle since the 2015 show piece….we do have a few factors that are pointing in our favour this year….one of course, is our own self imposed 12 year rule….we won in 1995….with our next success coming in 2007…..and as we approach 2019, we realise that the 12 year rule is lurking….additionally we have won the Rugby Championship (old Tri-nations) and this augers well….we have played some pretty good rugger this year and after beating the All Blacks in Kiwi last year….we proved that it was not a flash in the pan…playing out to a draw in the latest encounter…..in a match which appeared to be dogged by some indifferent refereeing decisions…but let me not complain….because somehow the name Bryce Lawrence keeps on cropping up in my mind…..so let me not get onto that subject…this letter may end up being four or five pages of negative drivel…..onwards and upwards…

Could everyone please note that the Club will be open for all the later matches in the 2019 RWC….(we unfortunately will not be open for the “early”  matches around 06h00 SAST) but all the 09h00 and 11h30 matches  will be catered for….we will also be running a special for the duration of the matches…..at R30 for a double brandy and coke…and if you bring a mate R50 for two of these specials….I have to go back to an old saying at the North in the 80’s…..

”at that price, the more you drink….the more you save”….so come along and save plenty for the duration of the games shown at the North, for the entire Rugby World Cup…hopefully we will see you there…..could the staff please take note that this special does NOT apply to neither Brent nor Kelvin!!

We had another roll over on the Joker draw last week, with Dean Johnson having his name drawn for the first time…..and his search and selection found the four of hearts…which results in the jump in the Jackpot to R79146……we are starting to attract a nice gathering of friends on a Friday night at the draw..come along this week to try your luck…..it may be your chance to shine….

Friday night saw the return of Freedom Unfound…and a super evening of foot stomping and hand clapping music was enjoyed by all….Ryno and his boys really put on a good show….well done to all…and thank you for celebrating Ryno’s birthday in style….This week we host the Zimmer Twinz and Eileen, who have also proved to be very popular with our Northerns faithful….so if you haven’t been along before…please come and start your weekend off on the right foot….

Our winter sports are winding down at the moment…and it felt quite empty without our usual fare of footballers on a Saturday….but the hockey prize giving definitely brought some pizzazz to the Club….with dress up….fancy hats….and hordes of over exuberant hockey players, “blink” after having one or two at and after their traditional matches that always precede the ceremony…..congratulations to all the achievers…my thanks to all the wonderful clowns and friends that make the game of hockey so festive for me….I will be back next year….but it looks like I will have to work a little harder next year for some recognition…. snigger snigger….nudge nudge wink wink….say no more!!

With the winter boys taking a back seat now…..the summer fellows were very quick to jump onto the band wagon…..and with the ‘vaal’ colours on the grounds turning with shades of green…the white clothes were immediately on show….and the sweet click of leather on the willow will be the prevalent sound over the next six months….good luck for the season boys…let’s get some rain that we can have the beautiful green fields that accompany the red ball game….

In a final word on the winter sports…I have heard that the Eastern Gauteng Colts soccer side that boast 10 representatives from the North in their ranks had a really good weekend in Florida, where they contested the Final against Cosmo City LFA team and were successful in their efforts…winning the tournament….a super effort from the Easterns Colts who were one of two age related Easterns sides to win the trophy on the day…

The Athletics section will be holding their Annual green number function next Wednesday…to honour the stalwarts who have complete 10 completed Comrades Marathons….and for some really resilient Members, who will be celebrating their “double-green”…which a phenomenal achievement on its own….may all the athletes go and join to acknowledge the tenacity and endurance of these amazing sports people….

With the RWC upon us…..my blood is green….GO BOKKE

Have a super week…hopefully I will see you all at the Rugby over the weekend…..and if at none of the others, definitely at the All Black game on Saturday at around midday…

Keep well Rod

Dean Johnson (Guest) drew the Four of Hearts – Joker Draw a turnover at R79 146.00 for Friday 20th September. Be present to win!!

Beer Garden and Scimitar Bar open from 12h00 serving Pub Lunches and delicious Pizza

Well done to all BNAC Podium finishers at the Significance Run held on 14th September

25th – 28th September @ Northern Areas “A”, “B” and “C” Fields from 08h00 to 17h30 daily

BNHC had a fantastic prize-giving this past Saturday and are so proud to be part of the best Sports Club on the East Rand. Well done to all our winners and here’s to a bigger and better 2020
Full list of winners below:
*Team of the Year: Evolve (trophy donated by Brandon Halkett)
*Spirit Trophy of the Year: Chirpettes
*Sportswoman of the Year: Aimee Dixon-Cronje, Chirpettes (trophy donated by Benoni Hockey Club)
*Sportsman of the Year: Cody Vorster, Men’s First Side & Evolve (trophy donated by Bob Tyler)
*Clubwoman of the Year: Kerryn King & Amber Willis, YaYa’s (trophy donated by Lyn Liebich)
*Clubman of the Year: Colin Merifield, Men’s First Side & Evolve (trophy donated by Standard Brass)
*Most Dedicated Player: Heather Turnbull, YaYa’s (Chairman’s Award)
*Most Valued Player: Dale Griffiths, Men’s First Side & Hangovers
*Captain of the Year: Derek Merifield, Evolve
*Most Promising Junior Boy: Matt Chaplain, Men’s First Side
*Most Enthusiastic Lady: Michel Van Biljon, Eagles (trophy donated by Image Boutique)
*Most Enthusiastic Man: Dudley Hickman, Kittens (trophy donated by His Image)
*Most Improved Player Lady: Kayleigh Morgan-Evens, YaYa’s (trophy donated by Gillette)
*Most Improved Player Man: Ozzie Teixeira, Mammoths (trophy donated by Alan Castleman)
*Most Promising Player Lady: Meeghan Cordier, Fossils (trophy donated by Vanessa Halkett)
*Most Promising Player Man: Damien Hugo, Colts (trophy donated by Trevor Hoole)
*u/21 Player of the Year Lady: Abbeygail Cordier, Fossils (trophy donated by Lorna Brown)
*u/21 Player of the Year Man: Kyle Du Preez, Men’s First Side (Memorial Trophy)
*Most Consistent School Girl: Michelle Slogrove, Harambee Stars (trophy donated by Barry Kelvie)

The Scimitar 11 Sep 2019

Morning to all our readers……

I hope that Spring is treating you all well…..I have seen that there are blossoms are all over….and new leaves on the trees…the grass is starting to change colours from faded yellow….to include a sprinkling of green…the brilliant green around the cricket pitches has been massive contrast for the last little while….but this now starting to blend in a little easier on the eye now….and with cricket trials now done and dusted…it means that summer is definitely on the way…

Our soccer boys had their final matches of the year….the reserve side playing against a very powerful Luso outfit at Corinthians on Saturday….but by the half time break…we were leading 1-0….and things were looking good…we were playing some super football…and everyone was starting to believe in the impossible….but the experience of the opposition came through and they equalised and then went 2-1 ahead….but to our young guns credit….thy never gave up and almost equalised with a minute to go which would have led to an interesting extra time play off…..with the young legs in our line-up starting to take their toll on the more qualified yet tiring limbs of the opposition…..but the opportunity was lost and we had to be happy with a runners up medal…the second of the season as these young men had finished second in the league as well…..but on reflection, the team had been brilliant throughout the season and with 10 of the players boast an average age of only 19….all is set up for next year….these young men have gained some valuable experience in the senior leagues and will represent the future of our club…. Our most successful team in recent Cup history is definitely our 5^th side…..who were playing in their 5^th final in a row….and after winning the three of the previous four….high expectations had been generated that they could repeat the feat once again and make it four out of five…. And in a very pressurised game, the result at full time was all square….which meant an additional half hour… but our boys came good….scoring the winner and taking the cup home with a 2-1 win…..well done guys….we are extremely proud of you…

All the hockey girls had their last event of the year…with their annual “mash-up” tournament…where all the girls from different teams are mixed and matched and put into different sides for the day….from all the shrieks of laughter, it seems like a barrel of fun was enjoyed by all…a super day out….the boys also had their last matches of the season with the Crutch tournament in Boksburg on Sunday….and another day of fun and festivities was enjoyed by everyone…definitely a great day of hockey and laughter was enjoyed by all….and with Evolve being awarded the “Crutch” after the completion of the day, means that next year we are back at the North for this annual day…..I am looking forward to it already….

Friday saw a change in the weather which wasn’t good news for the organisers of the “Glimlag Fees” as we all know what our Members of the North do when the weather changes for the worse….they stay away in their droves….but they still made an effort to get to the Joker draw on Friday night…..and we had a super evening with Karaoke with Graham Havenga having his name pulled from the beeeeg  black box….as the candidate to find the Joker for this week…..but again his luck was the same as all the others preceding him…and he was able to find the ten of hearts, which was in the middle row on the extreme right…. Better luck next time Harv’s…. but his misfortune means that the Jackpot climbs again….and now it is sitting at R77031 for someone this week….so with almost a third of the board face up……we now have 36 cards still face down….and a heeeeuge jackpot available for the lucky person to locate the Joker… pop along this week and you could be our next big winner….

Last week we had our usual fare of Karaoke kings (and queens) keeping our patrons in the Scimitar and beer garden amused and entertained….it is always a lot of fun and the evening is always enjoyed by all…this week we see the return of Freedom Unfound…Ryno brings his crew from the North of Joburg to the proper North for us to enjoy….so please pop along and listen to this talented bunch of musicians….Alan will love to have them back to play his favourite “Lightning crashes” and a bunch of others that have the crowds dancing and jiving to the beat and singing along at the top of their voices…..just a quick reminder that it is Ryno’s birthday on Saturday….so I am sure offering him a tequila or two will be in order to assist with his celebrations…..

Last weekend we hosted the Afrikaans music festival (the Glimlag Fees) and with lots of food and craft stalls….a massive beer tent and a stage and sound system (that “skrikked vir niks”)…promised to be a wonderful weekend of music and celebration….unfortunately the weather did not play the game….with some rain on Friday and a decidedly fresh wind present for the rest of the weekend…..  the East Rand patrons did not come out in the numbers expected to make the show a success from a financial view point…..but the rest of the event was most professional….for which I thank Ettienne and Danie…we listened to some artistes that I haven’t heard of before…and it was most refreshing….there were some detractors (there always will be) but when viewed in context of the whole event, I believe it was a great success…we have learned some valuable lessons that we will apply in the future to ensure that everyone is accommodated more adequately…..the organisers have asked that it become an annual event…..we will see if we can make the necessary arrangements to satisfy everyone….

Next week we have the start of the Rugby World Cup…and we will have some specials to accompany the Springbok and all other games….so keep watching the social media platforms and the Scimitar newsletter which will advertise these promotions….go Bokke!!

If you have any queries or complaints about the Club, please do not hesitate to contact me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com that I can be made aware of them….

Take care…look after yourselves….have a super week…..Rod

Graham Havenga (Social) drew the Ten of Hearts – Joker Draw a turnover at R77 051.00 for Friday 13th September. Lucky for some so be present to win!!

Ryno “Freedon Unfound” will be entertaining us o Friday 13th September from 18h30

BNAC had a good day at the Fred Morrison, Germiston Callies Harriers 21km with their very own Lucky finishing 1st and Bright 3rd.  Great work Guys super proud of you.

Congratulations to Kirsty Roux on placing third at the Wildseries Mont-Aux-Sorces challenge! Beste de Lange was 4th in Central Gauteng and 42nd overall in the under 9 age group at the SA cross country champs. Jazz van Rensburg finished the half Ironman World Champs, in Nice, in a storming 5:07!

Super proud of these Benoni Northern’s Footballers, 2nd in Reserve Super League and Cup Finalists, lost to a quality & experienced Luso team 2-1 in yesterday’’s Cup Final. The future looks promising with a majority of squad being so young. Ten players in squad with an average age of 19. Well done Lads…. . Enrique Juanas-Uriol (Coach)

The Scimitar 5 Sep 2019

From a breezy North….I bid you all warm greetings….

If anyone took the time to get out to the “BIG DAY OUT” last Saturday…they will agree that Mango Groove definitely still have “IT”…..they have been a wonderful group since the late eighties…and are one of the few groups that sounds precisely the same live as they do on recordings….the backup singers were at their lyrical best….whilst Claire Johnstone has lost none of her pizzazz and flair…..and all the instrumentalist were absolutely brilliant….I think that everyone gave a collective groan when they announced that they were about to play their last song….I thoroughly enjoyed my big day out and hope that we able to repeat it really soon….

And that may be a little sooner than we all think….as this weekend we are hosting the Smile Festival….a tribute to Afrikaans artists and their work….and with merry goo rounds for the kids it promises to be a fantastic weekend of entertainment for all…please join us…

Our soccer boys finished off their season in style both sides scoring massive wins against Germiston….the second side recording their largest win of the season 8-1….cementing their second spot in the league……one position lower than last year….but a huge change around in personnel and a significant reduction in the average age of the players in the current season, means a satisfactory return for our reserve side….and a fitting end to the season for the young legs giving our side more speed and efficiency for the whole match….the first side managed to arrive with four players short and had to use the younger men that had already played a full match before….but despite the weary legs, the youngsters were able to score all the first side goals….with another goal glut as we ran out easy 6-1 winners in the super league encounter…and this impressive end, meant that landed up in position  7 in the final standings…looking back on the season…I think it could be fair to say that the amount of draws during the season….cost us in the long run…reserves has 7 draws….while the first side had 9 of the level up matches…it looks that our BMT has let us down over the season…if we had possibly scored an extra goal in half of those drawn matches would have had us climbing up the ladder and competing for league honours by both sides…..the reserve side is competing this weekend in the cup final against Luso at Olympia….good luck boys…play your best….that is all we can ask….

The hockey seasons also ended last weekend with the ladies and gents both finishing off their respective leagues…and then this weekend end off with their fun events…the ladies will have their mash-up at the Easterns Astro while the men finish off at St Doms with their Crutch tournament….should be a great weekend of fun to enjoy…..

All is quiet on the rugby front…with their fun for the future being the sevens season that should be starting fairly soon….keep your eye on the Scimitar for news on the relevant dates…..

The cricketers held their trials last weekend and it looked like a pretty good turnout…..soon we will be listening to the crack of leather on willow and we can sip drinks under an umbrella in the bright summer sunshine….

The joker draw had a return of Paul Walton to the selection position as Lockey had his chance to scramble a name from the beeeg black box last week…. Paul’s return to the limelight, did not indicate a change in his fortune….as he found where the queen of hearts showed her face for the first time at this draw…..so another climb in the jackpot means there are some more reasons to come and join us this week at the draw to try your luck….our prize money this week is up to R75068…come along this week to join us bringing in the weekend in a relaxed manner….

We are back with Karaoke this week…so all our aspirant pop stars may come and join us as we make some noise in the Scimitar on Friday night….

Really a short rendition this week as we start the change of seasons….hope to see you all at the “Smile Festival” this weekend…. see you all soon….Rod

Paul Walton (Social) keeps on trying his luck but alas drew the Queen of Hearts – Joker Draw a turnover at R75 068.00 for Friday 06th September. Be present to win!!

  On Friday 06th September from 18h30

Benoni Northerns Athletic Club’s Time Trial started last Tuesday! 17:45 Wilge Road, Farrarmere. You can run 4km/8km.

Eagles Super 5’s Hockey Registrations are now open get your teams in to avoid disappointment Contact Shaun Taylor – shauntaylor@absamail.co.za

Congratulations to Benoni Northerns “Evolve” Team for winning the EGHA Mens Hockey “A” League

The Scimitar 29 Aug 2019

A super good morning to all from the Ice box at the North….

Outside our office, my view is altering….daily…the oak avenue that fringes the road to the tennis club….now not only possesses stark and angular branches….but they are now filled with a green fuzz of spring leaf growth…which means that spring is “a-sprunging”….happiness for me…as I am sure you all realise by this time….that the cold winter weather is not my favourite time of the year… but now that Spring is on its way…I feel a little better already….

Let me start off by issuing a humble apology to Gavin (Shifty) Oosthuizen who has also made the over 40 Masters side to represent SA at the World Cup in Cape Town……I mentioned his two Club mates Dale Griffiths and Colin Merrifield in my message two weeks ago…on our return from the annual Masters outing in Johannesburg….my research into the matter was obviously found wonting….for which I sincerely apologise….I thought that my sources had the correct credentials….but on further investigation, it has emerged that my inside information guy turned out to be a well dressed rogue, who was only posing as a gentleman of superior knowledge and was a real imposter….so the North officially has three representatives in the National side at hockey….a first for our Hockey Club…..awesome news and very well done to each and every one of you…..

Friday night was a real party with our new duo of Nikkita and Richard keeping the faithful here into the wee hours….I did check on the late night footage….and it proved that the Hadida and Ferret are able to co-habit and even dance with each other!!!! Clips of this exclusive footage will be on sale at our offices…the proceeds being used to bolster the Rod and Glenda benevolent fund…..any contributions will be willingly accepted and are most welcome….this week we welcome back Omega and their five piece band to maintain the excellent quality of entertainment at the North…these guys have proved to be a hit each time they have performed at the North….so please come along to listen to these talented musicians….

Our Joker draw this week saw the return of Cheryl Bartie, as her ticket was again drawn from the beeeeg black box….but she was unable to match her good fortune at selecting the possible joker….and only succeeded in finding the ten of Clubs….so with another roll over… we move the jackpot up to R73 148….and with a great band playing…please come and try your luck at the joker draw and listen to some super tunes….a wonderful way to start your weekend…..

Our Soccer boys were on song on Saturday and with both sides being successful meant that for the first time in quite a while, we brought home 6 points to the Club…..well done boys….the footballing skills of our opposition does not justify their lowly position in the league table…..and albeit the scores do not reflect it, the opposition were in the match until the latter stages of each game….creating opportunities throughout the contest…..the reserves coming out 3-0 on top, whilst the first side also had a three goal cushion, showing a 6-3 result…..both of the sides had mid week games against Alberton away…..which is always a difficult opposition on an unpredictable pitch….usually very bumpy…..but the results were not available before this message was sent for publishing……if they were positive results, you will be sure to hear about it next week….otherwise I may just sweep it under the carpet very quickly and quietly…..this week we take on Germiston City away….in one of the last games of the season…..please go along to watch the matches…they will be most appreciative of all the support that they can muster….

The rugger buggers are now in a period of rest…before they start their 7’s season…. keep an eye on the Scimitar and our Facebook pages for more information on this exciting sport….

The hockey season is drawing to a close….and last weekend we finished off the Juniors season with their prize giving after playing their annual matches against the parents….I saw a lot of smiles from the kids and hobbling parents, sporting injuries (sore hamstrings, bad backs and dodgy knees being the most common excuses) but all parents were unanimous in their heaping of praise on the coaches and juniors that had another fantastic and most successful season….well done to all concerned…..

Senior hockey is also about to wrap up the season….so expect some great celebrations and happiness around the astro and club in the next few weekends….

This week we see the Mango Groove concert at the club…and this should be a day to remember….it is many years since I last saw MG….and that was most memorable…I’m sure it will be again…..I will be there.. I hope you will too….

Also next week we have another fantastic event as we host the Afrikaans Smile music festival (as Glenda says Glim-lag fees) with a real English accent…..this should also be a spectacular weekend of entertainment…. please diarise it….

Short and sweet (using a Leon Schuster movie title) for this week…. hope to see you all out and about at the North….

Enjoy you week….if you have any complaints or compliments about the North, please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com….

Have fun….Rod

Benoni! Are you ready for a BIG Day Out!
We have invited *Mango Groove* to join us in a celebration of all things East Rand! Bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make it a day to remember! There will be delightful drinks, awesome food and fantastic entertainment all day long! Kids under 14 are FREE, accompanied by an adult. No entry to 15-17 years olds: Alcohol will be served at this event and unfortunately the organisers cannot risk under age drinking at the event.
Benoni Beer & Gin Fest sold OUT so get your tickets early!
Online Tickets:
https://www.howler.co.za/bigdayout
– Limited early bird tickets available at R120 a ticket (plus R6 booking fee).
– Normal entry: R140 (plus R6 booking fee).
– At the door: R160

Cheryl Bartie (Social) drew the 10 of Clubs – Joker Draw a turnover at R73 148.00 for Friday 30th August. Be present to win!!

Senior Mens and Womens Cricket trials 2019
Saturday, 31 August 2019
10h00 to 13h00 – Women and Colts
14h00 to 16h30 – Senior Men
Important information:
Registration on the website (www.bncricket.co.za) before trials. Bring your own cricket balls. Please ensure that you wear normal practice kit (black/white pants, white shirt) and no colored clothing will be permitted.

Eagles Super 5’s Hockey Registrations are now open get your teams in to avoid disappointment Contact Shaun Taylor – shauntaylor@absamail.co.za

The Scimitar 22 Aug 2019

Warm greetings from the North

Another stunning day has dawn on the Highveld in Gauteng…..and our Indian summer continues….Mother Nature did strike back for a little while and sent in some cool breezes to remind us that it is only August…..but the traditional August winds have not arrived as yet….and as my farmer mates from Newcastle would react…..they would look into the distance and look concerned and wise…and say….we need the winds for the September rain and that may mean poor crops…..so please let the wind blow….so that the rains may be wide and plentiful…..I have noticed that my car is really dirty and dustier than normal so I really want the wind to settle the dust and get everything to start growing again…..my trees at home have had their blossoms and there are now their brilliant green leaves are awaiting the rain to allow the fruit bearing procedure to work in earnest…..this is my first year in my new home, so I have a new crop of fruit and nuts awaiting me….I can’t wait….

Friday night was a most festive affair with Billy and Martin providing the entertainment….and the crowd enjoyed singing along and dancing both in the Scimitar and in the Beer Garden….and we had a really great evening….this week we have a new duo to grace the North….on this side of the great divide….as Nikita and Richard will be appearing in the Scimitar to entertain us this week….they come highly recommended…so please come and enjoy your start to the weekend at Northerns….

Just before I get into the Joker draw results for last week…..in compliance with the published terms and conditions of the Joker draw, could I ask that everyone ensures that the Joker draw tickets that are completed by the individual themselves, must please contain their own name or if it is a partnership, to contain one or two identifiable names…..or a unique nickname that the person is generally known by….. not a combined name that could relate to any group or team at the Club…..this will avoid any confusion at draw time….

At the Joker draw last week, after an initial false start….Martin Iske had his name pulled from the beeeeeg black box again….and his luck at being drawn again, did not improve his ability at finding the elusive Joker…and his choice on the right just above the centre line….proved to be the Ace of Hearts….amid roars of approval from the waiting and expectant crowd…..the Jackpot now climbs into the 70’s…..and settles at R71 144….so it is ready and waiting for you to come and collect your money this Friday….at only R5 a ticket you could win the Jackpot…please pop along to try your luck…we would love to have you with us…..

Saturday saw our Rugger buggers hosting the junior ladies 7’s tournament…..and according to their spokesmen…it was a roaring success…..loads of great rugby played…plenty of excitement….and even though the beer garden was not as frequently used…as all the players were school children…..Lourens and his crew kept the consumption levels up by trying to beat the previous weekend record for brandy sales…..and I think they came pretty close in achieving their target….well done on a super weekend of rugby guys….

The soccer boys had weekend matches away at Randburg…..against a traditionally strong opposition…that have been a quality side for many years…..and in a complete turnaround we were able to bring home four points….a rare feat by any of the Super League sides…..  the second side were at their quality best and scored some fantastic goals and were able to return with three points and savoring a 4-1 win…..the first side were the better side throughout the encounter…having Randburg on the back foot with quality passing, possession and positioning….. but poor finishing allowed the opposition to keep a share of the spoils at the end of the day with 1-1 being the final result… this week the first side play Olympia in a cup match in mid-week….while the reserves have to replay the Sporting fixture in a travesty of justice ruled on by the disciplinary committee…also in a mid-week clash…..both sides are back at the North this weekend against Zwide and hopefully can use the crowd and local conditions to bag a full house of points….good luck to both sides….

Hockey was back in full force on the weekend and it was marvelous to see the beer garden full of sides on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning….as we run into the end of the season….things are starting to hot up as the teams vie for the top spot…whilst at the bottom, all the stragglers are making sure that they do not end up with the wooden spoon….

The caravan, which is our mobile bar and is to be known as “The Coach”, will soon be making its presence felt at the Astro where it will be deployed on the weekends to sooth the parched throats in the area….please be on the lookout for our new addition….

Also diarise our two big events in the next two week…..Mango Groove are appearing at the North next Saturday (31^st) in the “Big day out”…. and then the week after that on the 7^th and 8^th we will have the Smile Festival (Glimlag Fees) for a weekend of Afrikaans music, which is going to be a first for us at the North….and hopefully the start of a long relationship…the organisers are very excited about the event…and it looks like they will attract some bumper crowds….both of these should be epic….please join us…

I hope you all have a fantastic week….Take care…Rod

Benoni! Are you ready for a BIG Day Out!
We have invited *Mango Groove* to join us in a celebration of all things East Rand! Bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make it a day to remember! There will be delightful drinks, awesome food and fantastic entertainment all day long! Kids under 14 are FREE, accompanied by an adult. No entry to 15-17 years olds: Alcohol will be served at this event and unfortunately the organisers cannot risk under age drinking at the event.
Benoni Beer & Gin Fest sold OUT so get your tickets early!
Online Tickets:
https://www.howler.co.za/bigdayout
– Limited early bird tickets available at R120 a ticket (plus R6 booking fee).
– Normal entry: R140 (plus R6 booking fee).
– At the door: R160

Martin Iske (Social) drew the Ace of Hearts – Joker Draw a turnover at R71 144.00 for Friday 23rd August. Be present to win!!

The Scimitar 14 Aug 2019

Warm greetings to everybody…..

This past weekend I was able to experience the highs and lows, exhilaration and despair of Masters Hockey…..a special place, where the mind says that you can do what you did in your twenties….whilst the body shouts back and replies….”that was more than thirty years ago!! Never!! Slow down!!” Every year at around this time…a flock of ageing party lovers and rockers….cunningly disguise themselves as Hockey players….and descend on a pre-determined city to paint the town red and convince everyone around that hockey is one of the best sports and past times to follow and play…whilst attempting to party the entire weekend away….interrupted during the day by the obligatory two games of hockey….to confirm that there was actually a sporting purpose for actually going on tour….and judging by the looks of the participants on early Sunday morning…it was a roaring success….and this is not like a woman’s pregnancy….we do not say shortly thereafter…..Never again…..we immediately shout and scream….”I can’t wait for the next one”……so using the first line of the John Denver Classic ….all my bags are packed I’m ready to go…and everyone can’t wait for the next one….

And in some exciting news, our provincial Premier men’s team, the Colts, showed a dramatic improvement over 2018, where they finished in last place in Durban…..the boys displaying improved commitment and tenacity in proudly pulling a bronze medal over their heads this year….so wonderful news for our province in the very competitive Colts league….and for two of a multitude of Benoni Northerns representatives in this team, two of our Members have been selected for the national over 40 Masters side that will be playing next year in Cape Town in the World Cup….some huge congratulations and laurels for Dale Griffiths and Colin Merrifield…..absolutely brilliant guys…. May it be a wonderful and memorable tour for you both….

We had a change of nights for the Joker draw nights to cater for the long weekend….so last Thursday was turned into an “honorary Friday” and meant another party night at the North…and this week we had another “newbie” to take their place at the Joker cabinet….as Gary Brown had his name up in lights and didn’t ponder for too long in front of the card display….before indicating his choice in the top right corner….and to the joyous scream of the crowd….the Ace of Spades was revealed….with Gary’s luck drained we have another roll over and now with the Jackpot up to R69389…..ready and waiting for you this week….please come along on Friday when we have another chance at finding our next big winner….R5 is all it takes for you take part….but the more tickets you take the greater your chance of being selected…..

Last week we had the Zimmer Twinz back….and although it was a smaller crowd than usual with all the Masters hockey players away on tour…it was still a great evening of entertainment…..and especially as there wasn’t any wind blowing….both Uku and Peter were able to maintain their stance and keep the wolves at bay…..well done guys…..this week we welcome back two old friends as Coyote make their appearance again at the North…Billy and Martin were some of the first musicians to appear at the North….so come along to see why they have been so popular over the years….

After having some amazing weather for the last little while…..wasn’t it just going to be Murphy’s law that the weather would turn nasty on Saturday for our Junior Rugby day…..a cold windy and overcast day dawned…..and proved to be a massive dampener on the day….everyone stayed in their cars watching the action….and despite there being some amazing rugby played….the crowds that were expected did not materialise…. a huge pity for the organisers as they had put in significant efforts to make the day a success… I do however have it on very good authority that Lourens and his committee of volunteers did still try to consume the entire stock of brandy that was meant to refresh 2000 visitors….and only manfully gave up the cause as lost eventually….late into the night…..but as a fillip….Valke have granted our Club the Girls 7’s festival this weekend to be run over Saturday and Sunday…..so there should be a festival of sport on the rugby fields (or cricket B field for those not in the know) please go along there to witness the strength of our local schools and club strength…..should be a festival of rugby to remember….and Lourens can try to complete his personal crusade to deplete the brandy stock…..

This Sunday we will also see a festival of Baseball, with games on all day at our grounds…..please pop down to join in and watch this feast of sport…..

Our Soccer boys will be travelling to Randburg after a short break…..we hope that they will utilise the rest period allowed, to come home with all the points as we start to reach the climax of the season….good luck chaps….

Hockey will return this weekend at the Astro with ladies playing on Saturday afternoon and the guys making their appearance on Sunday as usual….

I am afraid that is all from me for this week….I hope you all enjoyed the weekend off…and are all back in the swing of things with a 5 day week…..I am sure that hockey players could have done with a three day week to rest their weary bones….but no rest for the wicked….so noses to the grindstone and shoulders to the wheel….

Have a super week everyone…..if there is anything specific you would me to pay attention to…please do not hesitate to email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers….see you all soon…Rod

Benoni! Are you ready for a BIG Day Out!
We have invited *Mango Groove* to join us in a celebration of all things East Rand! Bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make it a day to remember! There will be delightful drinks, awesome food and fantastic entertainment all day long! Kids under 14 are FREE, accompanied by an adult. No entry to 15-17 years olds: Alcohol will be served at this event and unfortunately the organisers cannot risk under age drinking at the event.
Benoni Beer & Gin Fest sold OUT so get your tickets early!
Online Tickets:
https://www.howler.co.za/bigdayout
– Limited early bird tickets available at R120 a ticket (plus R6 booking fee).
– Normal entry: R140 (plus R6 booking fee).
– At the door: R160

Gary Brown (Social) drew the Ace of Spades – Joker Draw a turnover at R69 389.00 for Friday 16th August. Be present to win!!

At “The North” FRIDAY 16TH AUGUST : The Beer Garden and Scimitar Bar are open from 12h00 serving Pub Lunches and delicious Pizza.

Meet the u18 South African Baseball Team traveling to South Korea for the World Cup at the end of August. Each and every player is exceptionally talented and will undoubtedly make us and South Africa proud

Indians Baseball club will be hosting some great baseball this weekend.

 

Major A Chippewa vs Giants starts at 13h00, this game will be played on the Main Diamond at 13h00
2 top teams against each other.
Definitely not to be missed.

CNN will be at the fields interviewing our very own Rowan Ebersohn, he, along side other players from around the country will be playing in the Olympic Qualifiers in Italy
CNN will be following the SA team in Italy covering the games.

Major B Wichita vs Sioux, home club derby.
2 of the top sides in the league play off to determine league winners.
First pitch starts at 09h30 on the Main Diamond.

Major B, visitors Midgets vs Mets play at 13h00 on B Diamond

Our Senior Reserves team, Mochicans are in the Round Robin play off for the cup.
They play Titans at 10h00 on the B Diamond.

The SA18 team will too be showing what they all about as they step up to the plate against Mets.
Game starts at 10:00 on the F Diamond.

Baseball Sunday 18 August, is the day to come support our local teams.

Great Food and Refreshments will be on sale.

The Scimitar 7 Aug 2019

A splendid morning greeting to everybody….

We are currently experiencing a fantastic Indian summer….and I think that my body is not sure what to do….when I peep out of the window in the morning the weather and view appear to be the same as last week….but the temperature differential must be all of 10 degrees during the day….from a vest, long sleeved shirt, body warmer, scarf or buff and a warm jacket….to a golf shirt and body warmer in the matter of a few days…and even shorts were on display after hockey on Sunday…long may it continue….but I am sure that Mother Nature will be back to show us who the real boss is soon….to just remind us that it is still winter and don’t put away the winter woollies just yet….the forecast doesn’t look too bad….with only  a little inclement weather for Saturday but still not anything icy….so let us enjoy the fruits of warm winter for a little longer….

I had a great Saturday with our hockey committee hosting all the hockey juniors (and their excited parents and supporters) from the province for their annual festival….and what a day it was…excellent weather …a great turn out….some super hockey and piles of fun for participants and spectators alike…at this point I think we need to remember the efforts of all the coaches (and of course particularly ours)….these stalwarts give up their time and efforts to improve the game of hockey and provide a future for the sport….a massive thank you to these special people from the parents, committee and of course from myself on behalf of the North….your contribution is highly valued and appreciated… I also think that congratulations are in order to Shaun Taylor and his ever enthusiastic bunch of parents and volunteers, who sold plenty of tickets, produced masses of wors and bacon rolls, piles of hamburgers and buckets of cool drinks…they were always on hand to assist with directions to the nearest restroom, or clarification of field allocations…..I only saw one casualty on the day and that was not as a result of any of the sport being played….but rather to the endless supply of Hansa that Shepherd and his merry crew were able to supply to the crew of chefs….

This coming weekend is the turn of our older generation on the hockey fields as they take their annual trek…this year the travel time is reduced, as the tournament is in Johannesburg…..but it could be light years away as far as the participants are concerned….as they start to get into the “zone” for the weekend…I am sure that some of our readers will remember the festival that was held in Benoni two years ago….and this will prove to be another memorable weekend….good luck to our members of the North, who will be representing Eastern Gauteng and of course….best wishes to the EG sides for the weekend….we hope that your efforts on the field will match your exploits and antics off it….

Our Soccer boys had the weekend off as Boksburg have pulled out of the league….and this weekend we have the weekend off as the semi’s in the              Cup are being played and we have a bye…through to the finals….

The senior rugger buggers had their last matches of the season….with the second side losing in the final by a solitary point…while the U21’s were undoubtedly our stars…over turning a half-time deficit 17-5 to run our eventual winners 26-17 which took a great amount of determination and will power….well done boys…..Merlin Cup Valke Champions for 2019….we are very proud of you….with the seniors season now a thing of the past…the Junior section is now firmly in the sights…as it is our opportunity to host the Junior Rugby Festival this weekend….as we are expect players from 12 different towns in the Valke region…so we can expect anything between 1500-2000 players excluding their travelling band of fans that each of the these special little players attract….so please come along to the North on Saturday (JB Hall side) to see an extravaganza of brilliant junior rugger….

Our pizza kitchen opening was officially opened last Wednesday….and I can personally vouch that the pizza’s are amazing….if you haven’t already tried them…please do so…they are definitely worthwhile….

Friday night brought another “newbie” to the Joker cabinet…as Barry had his name selected from the beeeeeg black box….and in a late shuffle of presenters….John Ansell (Club Treasurer and Athletics Chairman) stood in the limelight to turn over the card that was picked….and Barry pondered about his choice for a while after his photograph…and eventually settled for the middle of the board…and his card ended up with the two of spades being turned over…. Another roll over and this week the Jackpot is up to R68219…and this week…because of the public holiday on Friday…we have moved the Joker and band to the Thursday 8^th….so please note it in your diary…that we are having the Zimmer Twinz playing in the Scimitar on Thursday….and the Joker draw at 19h30..

A shorter version this week, hope I have covered all the bases…..have a super long weekend….take care and enjoy it…

If you have any matter that you like to bring to my attention….or if you have a suggestion…please do not hesitate to drop me an email on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Rod

Benoni! Are you ready for a BIG Day Out!
We have invited *Mango Groove* to join us in a celebration of all things East Rand! Bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make it a day to remember! There will be delightful drinks, awesome food and fantastic entertainment all day long! Kids under 14 are FREE, accompanied by an adult. No entry to 15-17 years olds: Alcohol will be served at this event and unfortunately the organisers cannot risk under age drinking at the event.
Benoni Beer & Gin Fest sold OUT so get your tickets early!
Online Tickets:
https://www.howler.co.za/bigdayout
– Limited early bird tickets available at R120 a ticket (plus R6 booking fee).
– Normal entry: R140 (plus R6 booking fee).
– At the door: R160

Barry Smith-Hardy (Football ) drew the Two of Spades – Joker Draw a turnover at R68 219.00 for Thursday 08th August.

At “The North” THURSDAY 08TH AUGUST : The Beer Garden and Scimitar Bar are open from 12h00 serving Pub Lunches and delicious Pizza.

Thanks for all the memories Taiwan. Baseball u12 Squad

Junior Hockey Season done and dusted for the year . All the players made us so proud and ending it all by playing their last games on home turf. See you all next Year. Well done to all the Coaches for the time and effort they affirded in making this Season a memorable one

The Scimitar 1 Aug 2019

Hi there everyone…..

Anyone who was at or near the North on Saturday was treated to the best of South Africa’s Scottish Pipe Bands….what a day it was….throngs of people milling around….highland dancers….bagpipes galore, with a rat-a-tat-tat of the snare drums…accompanied by the boom of the tenor and bass drums was present, in varying degrees of volume throughout the day…there were all sorts of treats and nibbles to satisfy the hungriest of tummies…and of course the beer tent was busy….not to mention our bars too….and here I must thank our staff for being absolute stalwarts on the day….the crowd seemed to arrive en masse from the start up (which coincided with the Springbok rugby) through to well after dark…and our staff were there to serve and assist any and all patrons…I received many compliments on our fields, facilities and especially our staff….so I was a really proud Member of Benoni Northerns at the excellent exposure we gained from the day….that we had stood up to the scrutiny and came out with flying colours, is an extremely prestigious accolade that we were able to earn….well done and very big to everyone that contributed to make the day and event the success that it was….

Earlier on Saturday….we saw the resurgence of the Boks in a match against the All Blacks….which on reflection the Boks were a trifle unlucky to only scramble a draw by scoring a converted try in the last action of the match….as minutes earlier the AB’s had converted a penalty, which after some intensive video analysis, reflected that the referee had in fact made the incorrect decision due to an earlier infringement….I don’t want to say that we should have continual TMO (third match official) reviews…..but I think that the TMO should have an inter-active interest in the match, giving the on field referee advice on some of the critical incorrect decisions made….I am sure that there will still be a whole debate on the matter….but I must be honest that the Boks impressed me with their first half performance and their tenacity at not giving up until the last minute…well done lads….this bodes well for the way forwards and the up-coming World Cup, where their opening match is against the self same All Blacks….I’m looking forward to that….

This weekend is our annual junior hockey festival at the North….so please expect to have almost a thousand little boys and girls running around with hockey sticks…being encouraged and spurred on by parents, siblings, grandparents and friends…I expect the Club to be a hive of activity from early on Saturday….so please be aware that congestion could be quite hectic up until about 14h00….so if you are wanting adequate parking, please be here early….I am sure it is going to be another bumper day of festival hockey….

Our Northerns rugby boys are on show this weekend…the Under 21’s and the second side in the finals of their respective leagues…..all the best boys….I hope that you are able to emulate the form that you have displayed over the entire season….Next Saturday the Juniors will be hosting their Annual Rugby day….where we host 12 towns with 10 – 15 rugby sides from each…so we can be expecting anything between 1500 to 2000 rugby players and all their support structures….so please be aware that the traffic could also be a little hectic on the 10^th….similar to the problems that are going to encounter this weekend….

With the pipe band competition, the Soccer guys were relegated to playing across the road to play Sporting….the reserves were having a really difficult match…where their opposition were eventually diminished to only 8 players after some serious ill-discipline….before their Coach invaded the pitch complaining to the referee….at which point the referee decided to abandon the fixture…Sporting were leading at the time 2-1….but there was an expected penalty about to be awarded, as the last dismissal of a player was the opposition goal keeper….before the abandonment…..It is a pity that this is going to have to go to disciplinary to land up with the eventual final result….the first side was seriously depleted of senior players and although the players tried manfully, the opposition was just too strong and we came out on the wrong side of a 4-1 loss….

Friday night proved to be a most festive affair… Black and Blue providing our musical entertainment….Andres and the trio of musicians, again proved why they are so popular and had the crowd singing along and baying for more at the end of the evening….this week we bring back Eben, who will supply his own version of many favourite tunes….

A previous winner of the Joker draw Rika Lourens, had her name pulled out of the beeeeeg black box at Joker draw time….but her luck this time was not as good as her previous attempt…as her selection proved to be the 5 of spades….another roll over…and the Jackpot increases to R66 869… we will have another name pulled out this week to see if we can create another big winner….make sure that you buy a ticket to ensure that it could be your name called this week….

That’s it for today….hope to see you soon…maybe at the Junior tournament on Saturday….or even in front of the Joker cabinet on Friday….

If you feel that we need to improve or change things at the Club…please feel free to email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Take care  Rod

Benoni! Are you ready for a BIG Day Out!
We have invited *Mango Groove* to join us in a celebration of all things East Rand! Bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make it a day to remember! There will be delightful drinks, awesome food and fantastic entertainment all day long! Kids under 14 are FREE, accompanied by an adult. No entry to 15-17 years olds: Alcohol will be served at this event and unfortunately the organisers cannot risk under age drinking at the event.
Benoni Beer & Gin Fest sold OUT so get your tickets early!
Online Tickets:
https://www.howler.co.za/bigdayout
– Limited early bird tickets available at R120 a ticket (plus R6 booking fee).
– Normal entry: R140 (plus R6 booking fee).
– At the door: R160

Rika Lourens (Guest) drew the Five of Spades – Joker Draw a turnover at R66 869.00 for Friday 02nd August. Be present to win!!

“Eben” playing on Friday from 18h30

Baseball u12 World Cup – Australia, Czech Republic, Fiji, Italy, South Africa and USA will all continue to compete in the 7th-12th Place Round.

Benoni Northern Junior Hockey Tournament to be held at Northern Areas on Saturday 03rd August 2019

Welcome to our new ladies at our Eastern Gauteng Masters Hockey Capping Ceremony … . Looking forward to an awesome tournament with you ladies……Chantal Cordier

Another 1st Team Milestone |
The club’s most famous ginger added his name to a prestigious club within the 1st team ranks. Michael Veliotes becomes only the 5th player to reach 200 caps and goes on to join Dale Griffiths, Colin Merifield, Peter Tucker and Chris Tucker as most played for 1st team hockey.

Its been a long wait but finally the lights are up and the Seniors had the 1st run on the practice fields. Its not daylight but we have some of the best practice lights in the region.  Thank you to all who made this possible. The Juniors that have come over, Benoni Northern’ s Main Club Committee supporting us, Senior and Junior Coaches giving up their free time to help, Football letting us use their fields and every single person who made this possible thank you because it would not have happened without you.  Special thanks to our Rugby Chairman Lourens Smit who gave up a lot of his time to make this happen and his hard work is appreciated. Benoni Northern’s Rugby will just grow stronger and stronger.

The 1st of many – Benoni Northern Junior Rugby Tournament to be held at Northern Areas on Saturday 10th August 2019.

The Scimitar 25 Jul 2019

Hello everyone…

We have had some real winter weather in the last week…I trust that everyone was well wrapped up against that bitingly cold wind that seems to arrive every time there is a cold front….

Our national netball ladies acquitted themselves quite admirably at the World Cup….I think we were extremely unfortunate to land up playing England in front of their partisan crowd….their girls definitely lifted their games against us….but we fared better than we have in many a year….at the North we have also already had some queries about Netball….I am sure that pretty soon we could have ourselves a new sub section….I am holding my thumbs….

With the onset of winter our crowds on Fridays have been a little disappointing…so I am really hoping for some warmer Friday nights that the Members of the North start coming out in their numbers again to experience the Friday fare that we offer….last Friday, Tryst were back in the Scimitar and again rocked everyone’s socks off….thanks to Cedz for a super evening…..the Joker draw produced another “newbie” as Ross Pawlett bounced up to take his place at the Cabinet and in the quest of finding  the Joker…..his luck was no different to anyone else in the preceding weeks as he drew the 4 of spades…another roll over and the pot increases to R64466…with the month end up this month we are expecting really nice crowd to join us in the quest of finding the Joker…we also have the very popular Black and Blue providing our musical  entertainment… please come along to see if you could be the next lucky person to be drawn to look for the Joker and win the Joker Jackpot….and enjoy the evening with us…

Our Soccer boys again had a double header and with two difficult sets of opposition, we knew that our squads would be hard pressed to come through injury free and with positive results too…playing against Linhill Celtic on Saturday and Luso on Tuesday evening meant that a difficult prospect awaited…the reserve side were cruising at 3-1 against a very competitive Linhill side…before conceding two late goals to have to settle for a share of the spoils on the day…whilst on Tuesday night…it was completely different as the reserves faced a most experienced Luso and had to come back from behind twice…and from the last kick of the match we were able to share the spoils  this time 2-2….so no losses for the reserves…but also no win!! The first side were definitely the better of the two sides on Saturday against Linhill and despite having to come back from being behind on two occasions…were able to eke out a late winner and took the match 3-2…a great result for the boys….in the Tuesday evening fixture….Luso showed why they have been such a highly thought of outfit….leaving us facing a deficit of 2-0 at the break after some poor defending… but with all credit to the boys…after an obvious tongue lashing at half time from the coach…we came out guns blazing and took control of the match and were able to cancel their lead and walked away with a creditable 2-2 draw… so after a hectic last 10 days there will be no respite, as the boys are hosting Sporting this weekend…in a match that has been moved to the ‘C’ field to accommodate the pipe band gathering on the main fields on Saturday….

The rugger buggers were in their first semi final for quite a few years….and while the under 21’s maintained their excellent performance of the season…the first side appeared to be a little blinded by the lights and couldn’t produce the same unbeaten home performance…..that means that our second side and under 21’s will be contesting in the finals next weekend, while the firsts will have learned from the play-off experience…and this will hold them in good stead in the future… in Saturdays matches the under 21’s won by the proverbial mile…but the firsts found that Sasolburg were going to be a very different prospect in this particular match…..we were under the cosh for most of the match and with indiscipline causing us to play with 14 players for a portion of the match…it was always going to be an uphill struggle….at the end of the match Sasol ran out 20-12 winners…but a healthy congratulations to our side for playing some magnificent rugby throughout the season…allowing us to host a semi-final and for creating a fantastic vibe within the Rugby club…well done to all concerned.

On a more technical point…more laurels for the rugby committee…this week saw the big switch on of the lights on our Rugby fields….a massive well done to Lourens for his tireless efforts in this saga….he has remained resolute that he will get lights for his junior rugby players and on Monday night it all became a reality….I must say a huge thank you to a bull of a man….it has been a privilege and pleasure to work with you….and I am very proud and honoured to have you as part of my Club…thank you Lourens….

Our pizza kitchen has started with some prototypes…and by all accounts it is a massive success…with plenty of lip smacking and finger licking experiences….please come and taste their wares and join us in the official opening on Wednesday 31^st ….remember that you can still take part in the naming of the venue…see elsewhere in the Scimitar newsletter for more details….

That is all I have for today….I wish you well…stay warm

Regards

Rod

PS….if you have any suggestions or feel that we need to improve on anything or any aspect at the Club…please feel free to email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Benoni Northerns Naming Competition!

Something exciting and new is happening at Northerns and we want your help! Beady eyed members may have noticed a wee bit of construction going on in the Beer Garden lately, and come 01 July 2019, we will have a new pizza and coffee cafe up and running to serve our members as well as a new mobile drinks bar in the form of the caravan to alleviate some of the bar traffic.   We are running a competition to choose the names of both the pizza/ coffee cafe and the mobile drinks bar. The winners will each be awarded a R250 Benoni Northerns voucher! You can enter as many times as you like! Winning names will be chosen by the committee and will be contacted directly!

Benoni! Are you ready for a BIG Day Out!
We have invited *Mango Groove* to join us in a celebration of all things East Rand! Bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make it a day to remember! There will be delightful drinks, awesome food and fantastic entertainment all day long! Kids under 14 are FREE, accompanied by an adult. No entry to 15-17 years olds: Alcohol will be served at this event and unfortunately the organisers cannot risk under age drinking at the event.
Benoni Beer & Gin Fest sold OUT so get your tickets early!
Online Tickets:
https://www.howler.co.za/bigdayout
– Limited early bird tickets available at R120 a ticket (plus R6 booking fee).
– Normal entry: R140 (plus R6 booking fee).
– At the door: R160

Ross Pawlett (Hockey ) drew the Four of Spades – Joker Draw a turnover at R64 466.00 for Friday 26th July. Be present to win!!

The Scimitar 18 Jul 2019

 

Warm greeting to all……
What a finish to the Cricket World Cup….and whilst we experienced some thrilling matches throughout the 6 week
spectacle…the best nail biter was kept to the very end….to have two teams tie in a World Cup final is absolutely crazy….after
really allowing England through the back door with the additional 4 runs of Ben Stokes’ bat in that frantic last over….from a
crazy rule that no-one really likes anyway…..and then not to be outdone…the “super over” that ICC had brought in to ensure
there would be a winner….also ends in a tie……so there really wasn’t a winner….but due to the number of boundaries scored
in the final….the Cup was awarded to England….which could have been a travesty of justice in the view of the Kiwi’s…as the
English lost more wickets and had that stroke of fortune of four additional runs….. but the rules were clear before the time…
and by the same stroke of luck that struck South Africa in 2003…..one run short made all the difference…..
And whilst our soccer [players could not advance any further in the AFCON competition, we have our girls playing Netball and
are acquitting themselves admirably…reaching their first World Cup semi final since 1995….I can see that there will be an
upsurge in the interests and level of participation in this sporting code in SA in the near future….so maybe there will be
enough interest for us to start a new sporting section at the North? Time will tell…
Friday saw the return of Ryno and Freedom Unfound….and what a performance they put up for us….they were at their usual
level best and the whole of the Scimitar were baying for more….personally, Ican’t wait for their next visit…. this week we
welcome back Tryst….with their great rocking music….so if you want to enjoy some great rock….join us this Friday….
The Joker draw this week had Paul Walton once again in front of the cabinet…and his luck at trying to find the Joker hasn’t
improved at all….as this time he turned over the seven of Diamonds….so the jackpot climbs again, leaving R62963 up for
grabs this week….come aling this week to try your luck…at only R5 a ticket….you can afford to take a few more tickets to
improve your chances at finding the Joker….
Our Soccer boys had a double header this week… last Saturday playing against Kempton….both sides had very depleted
squads with injury and unavailability…and we landed up with only 20 players available to man up for the two teams….the
reserves began their match a little sloppily….being down by the odd goal at the break of the half…..and in what could only be
construed as a “tongue lashing” the boys reacted positively and produced a great second stanza with all guns blazing, they
were able to bag the two goals to emerge as victors….the first team only had 9 players and had to fill in with players that had
already played a full match…..and played brilliant football for 75% of the match being 2-0 up at that stage….but as the
players began to tire….they conceded a “silly” goal….and then a disaster in what appears to be the norm against us of
late…the opposition were awarded a very dubious penalty…allowing them to draw level and producing our 7 th draw of the
season….and definitely not a true reflection on the match on the day…..
In a catch up game, we played Olympia…and the reserves were in devastating form…being three goals up in the first 5
minutes….a position that the opposition never recovered from…..with the match ending in a 6-0 rout for the reserves…..the
first side, although dominating proceedings on the night….just could not finish off an opposition that defended with
passion…and had to rely on the break-away for any sort of attack….and it was precisely one of these breaks that the
opposition made us pay…. scoring a great goal….and allowing them to take away the full three points….leaving us to rue all
of our missed opportunities…..this week we face Linhill Celtic at home with the reserves starting at 13h45 and the Super
League side kicking off at 15h30…
The rugby boys also had their last match before getting involved in the play offs this weekend…..And in the perfect setup for
this weekend….both the under 21’s and the 1 st ’s with an emphatic 57-17, were victorious over their Meyerton opposition….
this week is semi final play off day…the under 21’s clash with Nigel at 13h15…while the first team take on Sasolburg at
15h30….if you aren’t a soccer follower…maybe you would like to come down to support the rugger buggers….good luck to
both our sides….
The Rugby boys have also had some fantastic news this week as they were given the “go-ahead” for the flood lights of the
rugby fields…. this has thus been week there has been much activity…in the purchasing of lights and cables…hiring of trench
diggers…and the laying of the cable in expectation of the big “switch-on”…well done to Lourens and his team, who have
worked tirelessly in making their dream of lights a reality…well done guys…this will be a great asset to the Club this year and
for many years to come….ensuring the success of our Club by allowing more efficient use of our fields after dark too now…..
The first of our big events is edging ever closer….and next weekend we host the SA Pipe Band competition…this promises to
be a marvellous day and will be the first collaboration with Benoni High School…in hopefully the first of many….diarise the
date….July 27 at the Benoni Northerns…this will kick start a busy period at the Club….being followed up by the hosting of the
Gauteng Junior Hockey Tournament on August 3, where we showcase all the junior talent in the province at our fields…while
the next weekend will be a first for the North… we will welcome the Valke Junior Rugby players playing in our first Junior
Rugby festival….this promises to be a great day all the junior talents on display in a day of superb sporting fun…..
We are hoping to fire up the Pizza oven in the next week and have the first prototypes running off the production line in
expectation of our official opening on July 31…..I personally can’t wait…I am certain that this is going to be a major asset and
draw card at the club…. Don’t forget to participate in the naming game if you haven’t already done so…..
Please let me know if you have any complaints or compliments about the North….email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com
Cheers Rod

Benoni Northerns Naming Competition!

Something exciting and new is happening at Northerns and we want your help! Beady eyed members may have noticed a wee bit of construction going on in the Beer Garden lately, and come 01 July 2019, we will have a new pizza and coffee cafe up and running to serve our members as well as a new mobile drinks bar in the form of the caravan to alleviate some of the bar traffic.   We are running a competition to choose the names of both the pizza/ coffee cafe and the mobile drinks bar. Submit your entries by clicking the link! The winners will each be awarded a R250 Benoni Northerns voucher! You can enter as many times as you like! Winning names will be chosen by the committee and will be contacted directly!

Benoni! Are you ready for a BIG Day Out!
We have invited *Mango Groove* to join us in a celebration of all things East Rand! Bring your friends, bring your family and let’s make it a day to remember! There will be delightful drinks, awesome food and fantastic entertainment all day long! Kids under 14 are FREE, accompanied by an adult. No entry to 15-17 years olds: Alcohol will be served at this event and unfortunately the organisers cannot risk under age drinking at the event.
Benoni Beer & Gin Fest sold OUT so get your tickets early!
Online Tickets:
https://www.howler.co.za/bigdayout
– Limited early bird tickets available at R120 a ticket (plus R6 booking fee).
– Normal entry: R140 (plus R6 booking fee).
– At the door: R160

Paul Walton (Social) drew the Seven of Diamonds – Joker Draw a turnover at R62 963.00 for Friday 19th July. Be present to win!!

“Cedz Tryst” playing on Friday from 18h30

BNAC Nelson Mandela Day Blanket Run 2019.  To participate bring a blanket/s and or clothes you longer wear to be donated to various charities in Benoni. The plan is to run non-stop for 67 minutes on a set route. Route will be +- 2.5km. Teams will be made up of 5 people, to be made up as you arrive, please get there early. Runners are to complete as many laps as possible in 67 minutes. Winning team will comprise of total distance run between the 5 runners in 67 minutes. Great fun whilst supporting a good cause. Come and join.

David Fink became the 1st Player to reach 100 goals for Benoni Northerns’ 1st team on Thursday last week, as the side enforced an emphatic 3-1 win against Beaulieu B.  Congratulations to Dave on an incredible achievement in his hockey career.

    Perry Todd and David De Freitas at the finish of the Washie 100 Miler Ultra Marathon that took place on Friday, July 12, 2019 – Saturday, July 13, 2019. Less than 100 participants took on the challenge this year. David finished 6th in 18.27 and Perry finished 30th in 21.53. Hopefully more Northerns will join next year

Steven Msimango made it to the podium at the Pirates Cool Ideas 10km on 14 July 2019. Our red and yellow ‘rose amongst the thorns’ taking part in this walking race league

 

The Scimitar 11 Jul 2019

A good morning to all……

So we see the end of our efforts in the Cricket world Cup with a win against Australia of all teams…..and while all this was concluding on the muddy island…on the African continent, near the historical pyramids, the host nation (and one of the tournament favourites), were coming to grips with being dumped put of AFCON 2019 by Bafana…..I must be honest, that given our current form and past history, I was not holding out much hope for the national soccer stars….but they definitely proved me wrong…and I am sure there were plenty of people that woke up to a surprise on Sunday that we were in the Quarter Finals of AFCON 2019…..our next opponents are Nigeria (who are always a perennial African soccer giant….but are currently not riding on the crest of wave on the form front), but will always be difficult opponents….they do appear to be vulnerable….so we could have our first appearance in the semi finals of this event since 2000…… A quick summary for those with short, or possibly a very long, memory (in 1996 winners, 1998 silver medalists, 2000 bronze medalists) ….good luck to Bafana Bafana for the match on Wednesday night…by the time you read this you will probably know the result…hopefully we will have qualified for the semi’s…..(even if they haven’t…it was the first time since 2000 that we have qualified for the knockout stages….so well done to the boys for getting this far)

Onto our Friday evening at the North….we had a Karaoke evening and although we didn’t unearth any new talent….it looked like the crowd had a lot of fun, with some good, some average and some not so average performances…well done to all the contributors…..Earlier in the evening we had another “newbie” to the Joker cabinet, as Greg Dawson was the lucky fella to show us his skill at tracing the whereabouts of the Joker…..but his skill proved to be as good as all the other contestants….as he was able to select the Ace of Diamonds…..giving another roll over and bumping up the next Joker Jackpot value to R61364…..try your luck this week at the Joker draw and see if you can be our winner…We welcome back Ryno and Freedom Unfound this week…so Alan will get excited to know that Lighting Crashes will be on the playlist again this week for him….

Last weekend our Soccer boys went to the SAB play-offs….but found that life of higher league football is a lot tougher than in our super league…..with interesting decisions from the officials and questionable antics from the opposition…unfortunately we went down 4-2 in both of the matches….but according to players, coaches and administrative spokesmen…it was a worthwhile exercise and was a great learning experience for all concerned…..

Our first side also played in a Cup match played on Tuesday evening against the very strong and competitive Randburg side…..and with a seriously depleted squad after a rigorous weekend behind then, we competed in a wonderfully competitive match…and were able to emerge with 3-2 win…this is a fantastic result for our boys who now progress to the semi’s in the Cup…. and with Sporting giving our reserves a walkover…both of our sides have progressed to the semi’s….something that both sides together haven’t enjoyed too often in recent history….so well done to both sides….two more wins on the competition and you will be able to hold the Cup aloft….

Our Rugby players are back in action this weekend and are hosting Meyerton on Saturday….please go along to support them…and next week is their semi final…..so their final practice on the playing field to sharpen their skills for the final run in on the season……good luck boys…..hope it goes well….

Our hockey seasons are still in full swing…with Ladies and Gents leagues on Saturdays and Sundays respectively…expect a full beer garden with hockey players trying to drown their sorrows or celebrate their success….sometimes there is a very fine line in identifying the difference…. (but I am not going to bother even trying to analyse it…I have been playing hockey for almost forty years and haven’t really worried about it before…)

Our Pizza kitchen is nearing completion and the oven is now in the 14day curing progress…so we may see our first pizza’s rolling off the production line shortly….don’t forget to have your say in the naming process of our own “Pizza Hut”…there are on line entries and they can also be filled out an dropped into the box in the Main Bar….. details are contained elsewhere in the newsletter…. everyone must also have seen the “red devil” caravan which will be used as our Mobile bar in the future and will make its debut at the rugby this weekend…..and is also looking for a name….so have your say in this one….we have had some really interesting proposals thus far….it will be interesting to see what the committee finally decide on….

Additionally, we are gearing up for some events in the near future…here are those for the immediate future….so get ready for the SA Pipe Band competition on July 27…our Junior hockey festival on Saturday August 3…..and groove along with Mango Groove on August 31….please diarise these dates…I am sure they will be worthwhile and bags of fun…

A very short and quick message for this week… quite bit shorter than usual…keep warm…but the weathermen do forecast some warmer weather later in the week….yay….

Please let me know if you have any complaints or compliments about the North….email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers

Rod

Benoni Northerns Naming Competition!

Something exciting and new is happening at Northerns and we want your help! Beady eyed members may have noticed a wee bit of construction going on in the Beer Garden lately, and come 01 July 2019, we will have a new pizza and coffee cafe up and running to serve our members as well as a new mobile drinks bar in the form of the caravan to alleviate some of the bar traffic.   We are running a competition to choose the names of both the pizza/ coffee cafe and the mobile drinks bar. Submit your entries by clicking the link! The winners will each be awarded a R250 Benoni Northerns voucher! You can enter as many times as you like! Winning names will be chosen by the committee and will be contacted directly!

The Green LIVE is excited to announce; Benoni’s BIG Day Out with Mango Groove! *Tickets are available from Benoni Northerns office for R140*. Alternatively you can purchase online tickets from www.howler.co.za/bigdayout. (No 15-17 year olds allowed access due to alcohol being served). More info and support acts: https://www.facebook.com/events/1284070921756387/ 

Greg Dawson (Athletics) drew the Ace of Diamonds – Joker Draw a turnover at R61 364.00 for Friday 12th July. Be present to win!!

“Freedom Unfound” playing on Friday from 18h30

The start of the Benoni Northern Rugby Club’s Junior League games are around the corner. There is still time to register your children to join East Rand’s strongest Sports Club. U6 to U13 kick off on the 13 July and U14 to U18 kick off on the 24th August. – contact Jaco Havenga – havenga_j@yahoo.com

The Scimitar 4 Jul 2019

Well well well….Good morning from a freezing and frosty North…

The wind on the 1^st of the month indicated the start of official winter….from Sunday to Monday night must have had a differential of 10 or more degrees….from having a fairly relaxed and comfortable winter to two pairs of socks….and having all our winter woollies hauled out…beanies and balaclavas….gloves and mittens….scarves and buffs…..jackets and jerseys….I think every bit of warm clothing available clothing that we have available is now out…and worn all at the same time if possible….all sorts of combustible materials have been sought out….gas, paraffin, wood coal and anthracite were hastily procured as the winter chill extended her icy fingers around Gauteng….and I heard that another cold front is approaching the Cape…so we may have to batten down the hatches for a while, before we are able to venture our tootsies out to “test the water” again….so to both of our readers (my wife and Archie who is actually far away in Perth, so he won’t need to listen anyway)…keep warm!!

Our rugby players are still on a bit of a vacation (I think the reason on the fixtures was stated as SASSA week)…..so with the Craven and Varsity weeks busy, means that our players are afforded some time off…only next weekend do they continue with their matches…another opportunity to hone the skills and work on the tactics…before the last push toward the final matches of the league and then the prospect of play-offs….which are always a daunting prospect…as the underdog stands the chance of an upset in those matches…..

The soccer boys went on the road to the South and took on Robertsham…which is always a difficult prospect at their home enclave…..and the Reserves found out how hard the going is…as they had to overcome the tough opposition…and the officials too as we clawed back from one down at half time…to only concede what appeared to be a blatantly off-side goal with only 10 minutes remaining…to their credit, our boys got themselves off the canvas and rallied to score with only a few minutes to go and return home with a share of the spoils…..the first side were clearly the better side on the day and deservedly went into the break 1 goal to the good….this was a most physical encounter, with the officials appearing to allow the home side to get away with some really dangerous, rough and illegal tackles…despite a non-existent hand ball, Robertsham were awarded a penalty which they calmly slotted and everything was level again….. we were also awarded a spot kick for a horrible tackle on one of our strikers, which their goalkeeper was unfortunately able to save….and in proving that football is a cruel game….their forwards pounced on their only available opportunity shortly thereafter and emerged as 2-1 victors….this week our boys have a break in league activities…as we contest  in the Super League play offs…….good luck to the boys….hopefully we will emerge as winners of this mini tournament, which will make us as semi finalists in September to qualify for entry into the prestigious  and competitive Castle League….I, along with all of our Members, wish Jannie and his charges the best of luck in their quest to elevate the standard of soccer at the Club and in the region….

Our Joker draw had a “newbie” selected from the beeeg black box this week…as Jim Nielsen (who’s wife has been called a couple of times before) was the lucky fella this week to stand next to the Joker cabinet and have the big guess…but he was quite confident that his selection was solid as he pointed to the bottom right hand area….. yellow drawing pin!! He exclaimed…a good selection for the expectant crowd….but not Jim, as the nine of Diamonds was revealed…another carry over for the crowd this week…and almost R60000 up for grabs….after the money was counted, it revealed that the jackpot had escalated to R59798…. our band last week was the ever popular 5 piece band Omega…who kept the crowd well entertained with their cover of hits old and new…another super week….I am awaiting confirmation of the band for this week…as our original artist has asked to be excused due to an urgent fund raiser…. keep up with our Facebook page as any changes and new alterations will be advertised there first…..

We also celebrated the conclusion of our 100 club draw…and all 5 winners of the R5000 prize money must have been most chuffed….two of the winners only purchasing tickets on the night…whilst the other tickets were split between one hockey and two bridge members…well done to all the winners…who had their winnings transferred to their respective bank accounts on Monday….we have learned a few lessons from this draw, which we will put to good use in forthcoming draws that are similar…

One of our hockey stalwarts, Colin Merrifield…celebrated his 300^th match for the first side….congratulations Colin…that is an amazing achievement and you are only the second player with this achievement, after Dale Griffiths went past this milestone late last year……Colin began his hockey at the North when hewas just 6….33 years later, he is still pulling the beloved red, white and gold over his head on a regular basis….a tribute to our “mini-hockey” programme and proving that hockey players don’t get old….their balls just get a little “dimpled”….

The Cricket World Cup has been relegated to my last thoughts of the day…as we are simply an “also ran”…a similar title earned by our national Ladies soccer team in their World Cup….Bafana however have surprised and astounded me (and I am sure a few others too) by qualifying for the knock out stages of AFCON 2019….our opponents look like they will be Egypt (who are the hosts) so I think a really difficult match to plan for….particularly as I watched the Morocco match and think our coach was looking for a draw…as he “parked the bus” and defended heroically….(I don’t seem to remember a single shot at the opposition goal)….I truly hope that some different tactics will be employed in the next match… good luck to them…

I am sure that everyone has caught a glimpse of the advanced stage of the renovations for the Pizza shop…and the arrival of the Mobile bar caravan…. don’t forget the naming competition for both of these…details are contained elsewhere in this newsletter…both of these will officially be launched soon….

That’s all for this week… keep warm…. take care and hopefully I will catch up with you all soon..

Take Care…Rod

Benoni Northerns Naming Competition!

Something exciting and new is happening at Northerns and we want your help! Beady eyed members may have noticed a wee bit of construction going on in the Beer Garden lately, and come 01 July 2019, we will have a new pizza and coffee cafe up and running to serve our members as well as a new mobile drinks bar in the form of the caravan to alleviate some of the bar traffic.   We are running a competition to choose the names of both the pizza/ coffee cafe and the mobile drinks bar. Submit your entries by clicking the link! The winners will each be awarded a R250 Benoni Northerns voucher! You can enter as many times as you like! Winning names will be chosen by the committee and will be contacted directly!

ENTER HERE

Jim Neilsen (Social) drew the Nine of Diamonds – Joker Draw a turnover at R59 798.00 for Friday 05th July. Be present to win!!

Live Music every Friday from 18h30

A massive congratulations to BNAC’s Jazz van Rensburg who was crowned South African Champion at the weekend’s Duathlon Championships in Cape Town! A massive achievement!

We wish our Benoni Northerns 1st Football team the best of luck for this weekend’s SAFA Ekurhuleni Super League Playoffs 2018 / 2019. Our team was selected as this Year’s Eastern Local Football Association Representatives in the Playoffs. Should our Team make the final, our Club will be awarded SAB status and qualify for the most prestigious & competitive Castle League 2019/2020. A grand totalof 14 teams (mostly respective LFA winners) are taking part in the playoffs. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for this weekend’s Group Fixtures to be played at the Kwathema Stadium.

Date – Saturday 6th July 2019
Venue – Kwathema Stadium.
Opponents – Golden Boys FC. Kickoff Time – 11:00am.

Date – Sunday 7th July 2019
Venue – Kwathema Stadium. Opponents – Pule FC.
Kickoff Time – 11:00am.

Should we win our Group, we will play the Semis and Final on Saturday the 13 September at Tsakane Stadium.

Colin Merifield became the 2nd Benoni Northerns’ Hockey player to achieve 300 caps for the 1st team last Sunday. Colin has been playing Hockey for Benoni Northerns since he was 6 years old and 33 years later is still putting on the red, white and gold jersey for the Benoni Northerns’ 1st team. He has been an outstanding asset with incredible commitment and determination and has scored 19 goals in his 19 years playing in the 1st team as a defender. We would like to congratulate Colin on achieving the phenomenal milestone

The start of the Benoni Northern Rugby Club’s Junior League games are around the corner. There is still time to register your children to join East Rand’s strongest Sports Club. U6 to U13 kick off on the 13 July and U14 to U18 kick off on the 24th August. – contact Jaco Havenga – havenga_j@yahoo.com

 

The Scimitar 26 Jun 2019

Good morning to you all from the “ice box”

Another week of the Cricket World Cup has passed and South Africa have only succeeded in ensuring that they have progressed no further in the league and are now firmly placed near the base of the log….no more said…..

And with the soccer AFCON starting recently….I was hoping that possibly our soccer prima donnas may be able to pull a rabbit out of the hat and start with a win….I think the cricketers have influenced their mind set and the loss to the Ivory Coast has meant that we have a mountain to climb in order to get make it to the qualifying stages….let us hope that the Springboks have a better showing a little later in the year….but after the cricketers, ladies at the soccer world cup and the boys now at AFCON….allowing that if the Boks were able win a couple of matches…. they will be significantly  better off than all the others put together at this stage….seriously disappointing for myself and our sport mad and proud nation….I hope that we are able to address the fundamental problems and institute the necessary corrective measures…..should I hold my breath?…I will leave it for each individual reading this esteemed manual to decide….

Our Runners held their “Aches and Pains” party last Saturday at the Club…and as one of the chosen few mentioned to me….things got a little blurry towards the end of the evening….and my staff were able to confirm that bribery and corruption were indeed part of the deal as no names were revealed as being the masters of the plan to undermine the sobriety of an entire crew of attendees at the function…..a reliable source of mine did however reveal that evening was a roaring success and was filled with laughter and heckling with all the achievers and finishers being applauded and lauded…..well done on the completion of the epic race to all our runners and their support base…

Our rugger buggers had an astounding weekend…their first win over their arch rivals Nigel after many years of trying…thereby, ensuring their place in the play-offs is ensured…and barring some really crazy results, we should face Nigel in the final…admittedly probably at their home, which has proved to be a fortress in recent history…..but let that not detract from our boys weekend of success….the U21’s has an absolute runaway victory…with what resembles a cricket score 102-0 …. whilst the second side battled against some quality play going down 12-40….the first team had a nail biting affair….play moving from one side to the other….each side turning defence into attack and vice versa….with our boys eventually running our 30-22 winners….impeccable reports  have stated that rugby celebrations were combined with the runners at the aches and pains party and were still seen revelling until almost sunrise on Sunday morning….well done boys…that is an amazing result and you deserved to celebrate this auspicious occasion…now that our boys have a couple of weeks off before the last round of fixtures where we will host Meyerton….we will need to work on tactics to overcome Meyerton to ready us for our play offs….let’s give our best for the last four weeks of hectic activity…

Our soccer boys had a the disappointment of having their match postponed for the weekend…their opposition being involved in a play-off and requesting another convenient to be agreed on to complete the clash….this week we take a trip to the south of Egoli to face Robertsham… a really tough prospect for both of our teams….the opposition hold the top position in the league before the matches begin…..so good luck fellows…give of your best and cause an upset…let us literally  set the cat amongst the pigeons….

With all of the electrical problems throughout our area last week…we landed up with some Club headaches and had no electricity for extended periods….but these appear to have now being resolved…and we were eventually able to have our Joker draw and the “vrot kol” continued to reign in the selection process…. after Aliaster’s ticket being chosen last week…it moved three places to the right this week and Martin Iske had his ticket in the frame last Friday….and appeared quite relaxed and prepared as he approached the “spotlight”…after having posed his way through the happy snaps…..he confidently pointed to the card in the bottom left hand corner…and as Glenda slowly turned it over to reveal the Ace of Clubs, he smiled and said “next time”….this means another roll over and the pot moves up to R57989…..with month end this week..we are expecting a bumper crowd to arrive and we have our entertainers as Omega…a most popular 5 piece band that will be serenading the night away for us….we will also be having a promotion on Moonshine (a new shooter with a classic bootlegger background)….join us for a great start to this month end weekend….

After the Joker draw we have another draw in the guise of our 100 club….there will be 5 prizes of R5000 each available…tickets are still available and you may purchase these until the draw which will commence at 20h00 sharp…..so join us in what promises to an evening of festivity and celebration….hopefully I will see you there…..

Local hockey will be contested again this weekend…with the ladies and men swopping around….men completing their fixtures on Saturday, while the girls will be completing their matches on Sunday….but with this “turn around” party, I am sure there will still be a common thread….huge laughter and plenty of shrieks of mirth on both days….lots of fun everyone…..

The Pizza take away operation has been postponed by a couple of weeks as the curing process for the oven takes a little longer than we originally expected……so the naming process and prizes have also been delayed…. please chat to Kerryn King (or any of the executive committee…or even refer to our social media platforms too) regarding how to enter this competition and any other events and competitions that may be “on-the-go” at any point in time…

Lourens has assured us that the Caravan is almost ready to launch into “active service”….so keep a lookout for the “dop-trok” (for sake of a better name at the moment)…

That is about it for this week….hope you are all keeping warm and are joining us at the North for a “tipple or two”…Hope fully I will see you soon…Warm regards     Rod

Benoni Northerns Naming Competition!

Something exciting and new is happening at Northerns and we want your help! Beady eyed members may have noticed a wee bit of construction going on in the Beer Garden lately, and come 01 July 2019, we will have a new pizza and coffee cafe up and running to serve our members as well as a new mobile drinks bar in the form of the caravan to alleviate some of the bar traffic.

We are running a competition to choose the names of both the pizza/ coffee cafe and the mobile drinks bar. Submit your entries by clicking the link! The winners will each be awarded a R250 Benoni Northerns voucher! You can enter as many times as you like! Winning names will be chosen by the committee and will be contacted directly!

ENTER HERE

Martin Iske (Social) another Member that once again missed out on the Joker Card and drew the Ace of Clubs – Joker Draw a turnover at R57 989.00 for Friday 23th June in conjunction the the R100 Draw. Be present to win both !!

DOUBLE WHAMMY AT “THE NORTH”

Friday 28th July * R100 Club Draw (drawn after the Joker Draw) – 5 x tickets will be drawn and the lucky participants will win R5 000.00 each. Hopefully you have purchased your ticket!!

        

Congratulations to our very own Kian Schwartz, Corbin Greenslade and Alex Levkov on being selected for the National Baseball U18 side that will be competing at the U18 Baseball World Cup in Korea later this year. We are extremely proud of you boys

Easterns Cricket Awards

Awards won by Benoni Northerns Cricket Club:

• Premier league winners
• Premier reserve league winners
• Women’s league winners
• Saturday 3rd league winners
• Saturday 4th league winners – Legends
• Men’s franchise winners – Samurai
• Women’s franchise winners – Samurai

Well done to individual award winners:

• Aron Visser
• Lance Humphrey
• WP Myburgh
• Sian Dippenaar
• Caitlin Eaton
• Simone van Dalen

Well done Aron! Congratulations on your awards Multiply Titans Academy selection , Easterns Academy Top Batsman and Easterns Senior Provincial best Newcomer of the year 2018/2019. We are super proud of you. Keep working hard. Onwards and upwards.

Congratulations Benoni Northerns cricket club for a fantastic season all round ladies and gents! Cleaned up the trophy collection!

   Junior Football Cup Games results over the weekend: BNFC u6(b) lost to Alberton 4-0; BNFC u8(1) beat Boksburg 3-2

    

 The start of the Benoni Northern Rugby Club’s Junior League games are around the corner. There is still time to register your children to join East Rand’s strongest Sports Club. U6 to U13 kick off on the 13 July and U14 to U18 kick off on the 24th August. – contact Jaco Havenga – havenga_j@yahoo.com

    

The Scimitar 6 Jun 2019

  

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Good morning to you all….

Well!!! Cricket World Cup 2019 is unique for me…after only one game, I lost a lot interest in the event….and after only 4 days…I lost complete interest in the outcome of this said trophy….that said….it has nothing to do with any of the other 9 sides…well done to England and Bangladesh…they were better than us in every single aspect of the matches concerned….our national team, once again, flattered to deceive….they exuded a quiet confidence prior to the first ball being bowled…and I was drawn into this web of confidence and expected a positive performance in the opening fixture….only to be deflated by the poor application and mind set by our national team….and then to be followed up by what appeared to be arrogance in putting the opposition to bat in the second match again…expecting to blow the minnows out with a supposed bunch of quick bowlers, who turned out to only be damp little squibs….the asking to opposition to bat, always reminds of the old WG Grace urban legend story…..where on winning the toss, he said he would always choose to bat first….if however, he had any doubt, he would glance at the pitch and then announce that he would bat….and if any further doubt ensued….he would consult with his vice captain….and despite whatever advice he would give, WG would over-ride it and choose to bat anyway…. I suppose that SA will win the next toss and decide to bat…and then the batsmen won’t know what to do anyway….let us see…I will not be wasting my time on watching too much of our matches…but there are some juicy prospects with the Windies looking like a very polished team and would be my side bet as possible World cup Champions….

Our Soccer boys had a reasonable day at home when they hosted Alberton….both of these sides were one point ahead of us on the league table….so it was going to be a very tight afternoon for both match…neither side wanting to give away any points to the opposition… the reserve match was definitely not our boys best…with their opponents coming through in waves, but their finishing let them down significantly…and with 10 minutes to go, we were surprisingly still on level terms and were awarded a penalty for an infringement, which was calmly converted to take the spoils for the day….definitely not a fair reflection of the possession and territory statistics….but a win that the coach and players are willingly accepting and moving forward….and with the top team, Robertsham also faltering, we find ourselves level at the top of the league on points….our goal difference pushing into second place….there is currently a three way tie at the top, Alberton now giving up their second spot to now be fourth, 2 points off the pace…..in the Super League match, our side acquitted themselves really well….controlling the match for long periods…only to be disappointed by some below average finishing..we went ahead early…only to concede what was considered a “soft” penalty…and land up with shared spoils…. we start the second round of league fixtures in sixth place 8 points off the pace, but only 3 points separating positions 4 to 7…and only one point separating the top 3…quite a congested top half of the league….let us see what the second round produces….we start with a return match against Musa United at home this weekend….good luck to the boys….lets have the full 6 points available brought home after the matches….

Our rugger buggers have had a tough little period of playing away from home…and have found things a lot tougher than being in front of our home crowd….last weekend in our match against VUT, we came out on the wrong side of the 24-28 scoreline….but we are still maintaining 2^nd place on the log despite the adverse game results of the last couple of weeks….this week we travel to Kempton Park…good luck chaps…let us get that much needed win to get our season back on track…..

After many hours of training and commitment….many miles of running….assistance from friends, family and loved ones…the day is approaching for the big “C”….Sunday will be D-Day for more than 20 000 runners to see if they can complete the world’s most famous ultra marathon, the Comrades….they will start the trek at 05h30 in Durban to end in Pietermaritzburg almost 90 kilometres away….with rewards for completion being the following…..Gold Medals (Ladies and Men – first 10 finishers) Wally Hayward Medals (men only – 11^th place to sub 6 hours) Silver Medals (men only 6.01 to under seven and a half hours) Isavel Roche Kelly Medals (Ladies only 11^th place to 7 and a half hours) Bill Rowan Medals (all runners 7:30.01 to nine hours) Robert Mtshali Medals (9:00.01 to ten hours) Bronze Medals (10:00.01 to eleven hours) and finally Vic Clapham Medals, which are copper (11:00.01 to twelve hours)…. good luck to all our Club Members and representatives…may your legs be swift and your head and heart strong….I know that there is a large back up crew that will be assisting all the runners…all the best to you all…. travel safe…and come back with your precious medals in your pocket and all your goals achieved……

I received a lot of compliments and positive feedback from our Members for the Friday night in relation to the entertainment…which was the band called Black and Blue….I must say that I enjoy this band thoroughly…they play a variety of music…and are most professional…next time they are here, please make sure that you make a turn….this week we are on the lookout for talent again…as Karaoke returns….let us see if we can unearth some new talent that we can enter into the Voice or SA has talent…please warm up and lubricate your vocal chords and join us on Friday from about 18h30 ish….

The Joker remains elusive after week 3 and with one of our running members Richard Pretorius being the lucky one selected this week, he decided to choose the last card available in the bottom right corner, showing us that the 2 of Diamonds has now been revealed….and despite there being a fairly small crowd, the pot has increased this week to R53870…..a significant sum of money in most individuals eyes….please come along this week to try your luck at finding the Joker for us….

If you believe that there is something you would like to bring to my attention, please do not hesitate to email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Have a super week….keep warm and take care…

Cheers   Rod

 

Benoni Northerns Naming Competition!

Something exciting and new is happening at Northerns and we want your help! Beady eyed members may have noticed a wee bit of construction going on in the Beer Garden lately, and come 01 July 2019, we will have a new pizza and coffee cafe up and running to serve our members as well as a new mobile drinks bar in the form of the caravan to alleviate some of the bar traffic.

We are running a competition to choose the names of both the pizza/ coffee cafe and the mobile drinks bar. Submit your entries by clicking the link! The winners will each be awarded a R250 Benoni Northerns voucher! You can enter as many times as you like! Winning names will be chosen by the committee and will be contacted directly!

ENTER HERE

     

Richard Pretorius (Athletics) drew the Two of Diamonds – Joker Draw a turnover at R53 879.00 for Friday 07th June. Be present to win it!!

To be drawn on Friday 28th June at 19h45 after the Joker Draw on the night

 

Baseball news from last weekend:
Benoni Indians were at it again, having great games.
The 3 sides that played on Sunday we there to do some damage:
Major A: Chippewa beat Alex – 20-3
Major B: Wichita beat Badgers – 28-0
(Rookie: Clayton Lown was outstanding with the bat, as he hit his 1st home run. What an achievement as a Rookie player.
Welcome to the side, kakaaw…)
Sioux beat Midgets: 16-7. Keep up the tempo Guys, proud of you – Shaun Deyzel,

    

 

 

 

 

The Scimitar 30 May 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A bright and fresh good day to you all

They say the weather is about to change to a winter scenario…so brace yourselves for the chill about to hit the North…and with the Cricket World Cup about to be bowled, it seems a little ironic that our summer sport will be played while we are in the throes of winter….but I am sure that we will acquit ourselves admirably in the tournament…who knows…perhaps this is the year…..I have been a staunch supporter of the cricketers for the last 7 WC’s….this time I am going with the flow…I don’t expect us to win (as I have always had this very firmly in my head on each of the previous attempts)….but all I ask is that we do and give of our best….we know that all the cricketers selected have the ability…some may not be in the best of form…or in the best physical condition…but I am prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt and give them my 100% support….. all the best to the Proteas for the duration of the World Cup….keep an eye on our social media platforms for special opening times to coincide with the SA matches….and possibly some of the juicy encounters that will be played over the duration of the World Cup….

With Friday night weather not playing the game with us last Friday night…some rain and cooler weather arriving in the late afternoon…meant that we knew our attendance was going to be adversely affected for the Joker draw….that made all the people who did take the time to battle the elements a little happier that their chances were enhanced by the lower numbers….and this week the chance of choosing the card fell with the “legal-eagle” of our Executive at the Club, Alan Knight, who’s name was pulled from the beeeeg black box…and with 52 cards to choose from….Alan decided to go right next to last weeks card selection….and showed us that the six of hearts had given up its hiding place…so this week R52613 is up for grabs and there are 51 cards to select from….tickets on sale on Friday in the hall from around 17h00….with last sales at 19h20 and the draw taking place at 19h30…..

Our entertainment this week is an amazing band called Black and Blue and after two previous appearances have built up a solid support base already…this week we have their full compliment of members, so a four piece band awaits to perform for us…so please come along to listen to them….you will not be disappointed….

Our soccer boys hosted Germiston over the weekend…and this resulted in two excellent matches that were marvellous to watch….not necessarily resulting in receiving all the points we were wanting…..but soccer was definitely the winner…. the reserves, who had their ranks depleted by the winter blues of sicknesses and injuries….produced a workmanlike performance, being kept at bay by spirited opposition in the first half…but as soon as they leaked a goal or two, we took control and landed up winning easily 5-1….this week we play Alberton and if we win that game we will move into 2^nd place on the log…so a massive match for our youngsters….our first side, in one of the more exciting matches this year, could not display the same dominance over their opposition as the reserves did….and had to show tenacity and reliance to come back twice from being behind….ending up with a 2-2 draw…scoring the final goal to equalise happening with seconds remaining before the officials indicated the end of proceedings with the blowing of the final whistle….much to the relief of fans, spectators, players and coaching staff at the North….in their match this weekend, the first side will leapfrog their opposition into 5^th place if they are able to beat Alberton….please pop along to watch…it should be a feast of great football….

We saw the start of the Junior rugby practice this week….and from all reports…a great start to Junior rugger at the North….I saw that there were lots of enthusiastic players running around…with even more interested parents and families showing their support for their little charges….

This weekend we should have a crackerjack of a “Gin and Beer Fest” at the North on Saturday….with  a massive variety to eat and drink and one of the headline artists being Matthew Mole, who is a multi talented musician…and I’m sure that he on his own will be a massive drawcard….so expect a huge crowd of people to support this event…

We will have Hockey at the Astro and Soccer on the Main field….so expect a buzzing Club house on Saturday….. and with mens hockey back here on Sunday….our staff may be run a little ragged…..but I can hear Shepherd say….”we are ready!!”

Our thanks to all who were present at the AGM and gave the committee their vote of confidence for the next year….an exciting year awaits us….with some new events…and with our newest addition being the pizza shop that will be completed soon….I’m certain we will see a lot of hungry bellies that will be filled by this attraction…..

The 100 Club draw has not been as welcomed and accepted by our Members as well as we had hoped….and we will be holding the draws on June 28 for the prizes….the complete proceeds of this draw were to be used for much needed liquidity required by the Club without placing the onus for this on all the Members by a way of a special levy….so the Executive committee will come up with some innovative ways to improve our liquidity….please grab yourself a ticket… the odds will be massively improved, as we are standing by our promise of there being 5 prizes of R5000 each…..so buy yourself a ticket and try to sell to someone else to also give them a great chance to win some money….

That is it for this week…..again a little less than usual….my journalists out in the field, were MIA this week…hopefully they will be back at their posts in the coming weeks…if there is something you would like to draw my attention to….please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Wrap up warmly……

Take care

Rod

 

Alan Knight (Social) drew the Six of Hearts – Joker Draw a turnover at R52 613.00 for Friday 31st May. Be present to win it!!

     

Benoni Northerns CHOC’ers ready for Comrades Marathon 2019 – CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation SA – Benoni Northerns Athletics “The Cows’

Benoni Northerns – Indians Wichita Baseball Team, Major B League having a great start to their 2019 Season
Front, left to right:  Jaques Groenewald, Dean De Beer, Michael Reichert, Chris Steyn, Warren Deyzel, Shaun Deyzel.
Back, left to right:   Sheldon Van As, Anthony Cogill, Justin Kloppers, Tyrone Cogill, Alex Howden, Clayton Louw, Jason Keen.
Absent: Ross Churchill, Warren Bedser, Sivan Schafer

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP 2019 FIXTURES

30-May Thursday 11:30 AM England The Oval, London

02-Jun Sunday 11:30 AM Bangladesh The Oval, London

05-Jun Wednesday 11:30 AM India Hampshire Bowl

10-Jun Monday 11:30 AM West Indies Hampshire Bowl

15-Jun Saturday 02:30 PM Afghanistan Wales Stadium Cardiff

19-Jun Wednesday 11:30 AM New Zealand Edgbaston, Birmingham

23-Jun Sunday 11:30 AM Pakistan Lords, London

28-Jun Friday 11:30 AM Sri Lanka Chester-le-Street, Durham

06-Jul Saturday 02:30 PM Australia Edgbaston, Birmingham

     

The Scimitar 22 May 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER 

A bright and fresh good day to you all

After having a little cold snap earlier in the year….we are now being blessed and are experiencing a bit of an Indian summer weather at the moment….shorts and tee’s seem to be the order of the day whilst you are outside and enjoying the sunshine….but you are still needing a bit of a light sweater to be donned when the sun makes its move from west back to the east…..that said, there are still two Eskimo’s at the North dressed up for the ravages of winter…as Glenda and I prepare to do battle with our “ice-box” office for the remainder of the cooler months….

With our previous joker draw now won and a thing of the past…the attendance and vibe at the Club was decidedly a different proposition in comparison to just one week ago….and all the Members voiced their opinion and happiness as to not having to stand in queues to wait for drinks…they were able to find seating easily…and there was no need for using your elbows in trying to move around at the North….but with the Joker cabinet looking very different proposition, having a new pack of 53 cards face down…the person drawn from the beeeeeg black box was facing a daunting prospect…..when the allotted time arrived, I had to scratch around in the box, which was considerably lighter than last week….and after rummaging around inside for a while, I came out with Dennis Walton’s name, who is one of our loyal Social members…..he immediately made his choice and went for a card in the middle of the board, only to reveal the six of diamonds…..and so we start the process all over again….one card gone, a new week into draw number 8….there are 52 cards left and R51 524 in the “pot” available for next week….tickets are still sold in the Hall on Friday afternoons /evening up until 19h20 with the draw at 19h30…..your chances of being drawn these days is significantly increased with the lesser crowd…but then the chances of finding the joker are lessened with so many cards still available…..but you will at least have had a chance….so Jason, now is your chance of having your name called….buy a few more tickets this week…and R51 and a half k is nothing to be sneezed at….and I am sure that most people will be most chuffed at that amount being transferred into their account by next Tuesday…..so come along and try your luck…..

Last week our entertainment was one of the bands that have been with us since we started offering music at the North…and Coyote produced the goods once again…thanks to Billy and Martin for another great evening….Our muso for this week is Richard Thompson, who graced our Club toward the end of last year and is a most accomplished musician….come through and listen to his undoubted talent in the Scimitar from about 18h30….

Our Soccer players were on top form last weekend and both sides demolished their opposition Zwide…..the reserves white washing the opposition 4-0, whilst the premier side had their scoring boots on running riot with a 7-1 scoreline….the reserves are only three points off the top spot whilst in fourth place in the league….the first side currently occupy the 5^th place only 5 points off the pace..so we have a fairly congested league table at the top…we definitely need our cream to rise to the top……so a solid start to the season for the Club….and with the brand of football being played by our boys….it augers well for the remainder of the season…..this week we are hosting Germiston at home….and albeit that they are languishing in the lower portion of the league….we would be silly to be complacent and under estimate their ability and relax…..so let us keep up our current great momentum and bring back all the points…..

The rugger buggers were back on song this weekend again…after a disappointing day the week before at Nigel….we bounced back with all the sides recording wins over the weekend…..well done all the ladies, who were also victorious this weekend, recording a solid 32-17 win against VUT…..in Meyerton, the U21’s had a runaway win 47-7…whilst the reserves had a bit of a nail biter….eventually running out 14-12 to the good…..whilst in a very high scoring match the firsts were got themselves back on the winning trail, eclipsing Meyerton 57-35…..so a great day and set of results from our teams….super stuff guys….this weekend we travel to Sasolburg…best of luck to all of our teams there….. all we can ever ask, is for you to play and give your best….

In a first for Benoni Northerns, we are also proud to announce that four of our lady rugby players have been selected to represent Valke at provincial level….Congratulations to Helena Yssel, Stompi Lowane, Rooies van Rooyen and Lettie Nkosi…..there are also some others that are on the fringes and have been earmarked as future stars, who will surely be playing at this level pretty soon…so please keep up the great work Ladies….we have really seen an upsurge in Ladies sport at national and provincial levels…and now that we are showing such intense interest at the North, it is fantastic that we are experiencing massive growth in this area….long may this continue…..

Our runners are starting the “slide” into the big one…I trust that you are all steering clear of the colds, flu and other bugs hanging around in the air and that preparation is all on track…..with less than three weeks to go, the excitement is building to Comrades 2019…..

The Club AGM will be held in the Hall on Thursday May 23, please make your presence felt by attending and having your say in the running of the Club….we will be kicking off at 19h15, join us in ensuring the future success of our Club…

That is it for this week…..a little shorter than normal….but if you believe that there are things that we are doing right or wrong that you would like to bring to my attention….please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Have a super week….hopefully I will bump into you around the North soon….

Cheers

Rod

 

A.G.M. POSTPONEMENT NOTICE

IN TERMS OF THE CONSTITUTION IT IS OUR INTENTION TO POSTPONE THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF BENONI NORTHERN AREAS SPORTS CLUB TO THURSDAY 23^rd MAY 2019 AT 19H15 IN BENONI NORTHERN AREAS CLUB HALL 

Dennis Walton (Social) drew the Six of Diamonds – Joker Draw a turnover at R51 524.00 for Friday 24th May. Be present to win it!!

     

“Richard Thompson” will be entertaining us on Friday 24th.

Walkers Time trial results for Tuesday 21 May 2019:  Anne Reynolds – 33:19; Men 4km: Jazz van Rensburg – 14:48; Rob Hardy – 15:00; Dan Mokoena – 17:05; Joshua Pinkerton – 17:52.  Men 8km: Bright Mikolongwe – 25:57; Stephen Caelers – 28:10; Justin Brown – 31:24; Shawn Wessels – 33:26; Mpho Pilusa – 33:26.  Women 4km: Nina McGhee – 19:12; Jenny Ingram – 19:45; Sasha Reyneke – 20:04; Junior 4km: Samantha Reyneke – 19:23; Jordyn Reyneke – 20:06; Kaitlyn Mackay – 23:20

BNAC’s last Bedfordview run for Comrades 2019! Circle Bakery always has the goods.

 

          

Another funfilled junior hockey tournament. Our u/7’s were superstars

Congratulations to the Benoni Northerns Rugby Ladies whom Valke have selected to be part of their Ladies Squad:  Helena Yssel: Stompi Lowane; Rooies Van Rooyen; Lettie Nkosi; Also to our own that will join the Training Squad:
Maria Ntobo; Amanda Beytell; Zettie Janse Van Rensburg; Sous Van Den Berg (Team Manager); I am proud of each and every player and you all are awesome. Congratulations – Jaco Havenga

 

8th May Benoni Northerns had a good round of results winning all their games. The guys played away at Meyerton and the girls played away againts Vut and also formed part of the Valke trails.  The under 21s stays unbeaten this season winning all their games in the first leg of the Merlin league. The game was blown short due to a unfortunate big brawl that broke out but won the game 7-47.  The second team had a close one but won 12-14 and only losing to Nigel in the first leg. The flagship first team put up a big score against Meyerton and was a team with alot of changes due to injuries but each player stepped up their game. The end result was 35- 57 . All the teams well on their way to play semi finals at the end with the great first round results.  Last but definitely not least the senior ladies team won their game 32-17 . The game also formed part of the trails for Valke team and 9 of the players are in the training squad.  Well done Benoni Northerns

 

     

The Scimitar 16 May 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER 

A fresh and fine good morning to everyone

Another week has passed and we have left all the four day weeks behind…..I must say as nice as it is…it throws planning, continuity and habits out completely….a day off is always a welcome break….but the work load at work which we have squeezed into  a five day week for the last nine months….now have to be tweaked even further and now be completed in four days for four weeks in a row…this week feels a little crazy…as there appears to be a whole bunch more time available… but I am sure that I really won’t find any extra time to do all the tasks that I have been putting off….ah well….back to the textbooks on effective time management that I have obviously left unread for far too long….

I have been able to experience the energy and contagious excitement generated by our junior sports people…I was in the middle of the junior soccer across the road recently….and it is a joy to behold the enthusiasm displayed by these young superstars….I felt completely enthused after being part of this magic carpet ride for the morning….our hockey players show similar style and dedication in their task of practicing their skills and tactics on a regular basis, to put on show at their regular tournaments…. my gracious thanks to all the coaches who take the time out to teach these young humans the skills and behaviour necessary to ensure the success of our Club in the future….our junior Rugby players will soon be joining our winter sports festival and I am sure that committee has carefully appointed the appropriate curators to guide these young minds on the finer details and tricks necessary in the game of sport and of course, of life…..

After 46 weeks…we finally found someone who was able to uncover the hiding place of the Joker…..Adele Steyn was able to show us how it was done….the very first card on show….in the top left corner…..and she was able to walk away as our third largest Joker Draw winner…..the crowd, whilst showing their support for the popular winner….were all a little disappointed that the pot should maybe have grown a little bigger and kept their interest for another week and the fiesta could continue…..but that said we will maintain our start up jackpot at R50 000…..so we have a new set of cards up on display…..and the choice of all 53 are now face down…. join us this week to witness the start up of Joker draw 8….. ticket sales will continue until 19h20….with the draw taking place at 19h30…. this week our music accompaniment will be Coyote…..one of the bands that have remained loyal…and have been round with us since we started providing Friday night entertainment….so we welcome back Billy and Martin to the North to keep our feet tapping and hands clapping to super tunes…..come along to start your weekend in the relaxed and positive way of the North…..

Our rugby boys have been riding the crest of a wave but came down to earth this week…as we travelled to table topping Nigel…whilst the girls and U21’s recorded impressive wins….our second side slipped to their first loss of the season 22-29…..whilst some ill discipline cost the first side as they had to play a lot of the match with only 14 players…..but even so the league leaders did not run away with it…..with us being on the losing side 12-26….we remained competitive throughout the match, despite being a player short…leaving our boys with some food for thought on their behaviour…..this week we host Meyerton at the North…so hopefully we will return to winning ways with our top teams…good luck….

Our soccer teams hosted Randburg, which have always been a quality unit…and with opposition having all Castle and Vodacom league players available for selection, it was going to be a tough ask to come out with ay positive results….but the reserves definitely hauled out all the stops with a fantastic 4-3 win….despite still being behind 3-2 with less than 10 minutes to play….our young players showed lots of heart to first equalise and then score in the final throues to grab a last gasp victory…. despite having an average age of under 20, this side is showing a lot of character in attitude and skill…well done fellows…..the first side opposition was arguably one of the strongest we have played this season and we took an early lead…only to concede the equaliser just before the break…..midway through the second half we slipped behind, but showed tenacity and replied soon after to level the scores….for the rest of the match, we were all over the opposition….and it appeared that referee blew the game early (consensus claimed there was still 4 minutes left) and the partisan crowd definitely believed that with the extra time left, would have resulted in another goal and victory for the Northerns faithful…..this week we travel to take on Zwide…who have proved to be an unpredictable opposition….so we need to keep our wits about us…. those teams always seem to lift their game when they play better opposition…..so don’t be complacent boys…..do your best and bring back a full set of points…..

Our athletes took on their annual Riaan’s run…which is a 60 km training run, as a build up for the Comrades…by all accounts it appeared to be a good day…as they all sat down to lunch and a few early, a few mid and a lot more late afternoon refreshments….good luck to all of our runners as the countdown now begins in earnest….and as part of this, all kissing and hugging is banned for them as the germ and bugs season starts…as none of the runners want that to sap more of their energy before the big race….. take it easy and take care to all our Comrades hopefuls…..

We were expecting to have our AGM this week, but we are awaiting the final accounts so have postponed the event for a week, as per our constitution….so please diarise 23^rd of May as the new date for the AGM.

Please remember to send any compliments or complaints to my email rod.scheepers@gmail.com…

Hope to see you all soon – Have a super week…take care..Rod

 

     

A.G.M. POSTPONEMENT NOTICE

IN TERMS OF THE CONSTITUTION IT IS OUR INTENTION TO POSTPONE THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF BENONI NORTHERN AREAS SPORTS CLUB TO THURSDAY 23^rd MAY 2019 AT 19H15 IN BENONI NORTHERN AREAS CLUB HALL 

 

JOKER DRAW WON!! Congrats to our very own Member Adele Steyn in drawing the long awaited card. JOKER DRAW to start afresh at R50 000.00 from Friday 17th May.

“Coyote” will be entertaining us on Friday 17th.

      

BNAC’s Annual Riaan’s Run hosted at The North last Saturday always has great support.

      

Football Results: Benoni Northerns Reserves 4 Randburg 3. Benoni Northerns 1sts 2 Randburg 2. Great games played by all 

 

Our U15 girls took to the field for there first league game. Looking stunning in our new kit. What a great start to the season with a 3-0 win against Tigers. It is going to be a good season with such passion and commitment that each and every player showed. They played like absolute stars. Proud Coach- Shaun Taylor

Over the weekend Benoni had some good results and some close losses. Ladies had their first win of their league against Heidelberg with a score of 41-7.  U21s won their game by a big margin as well playing away against Nigel. Score for U21s was 66-10. 2nd team had a close game but recorded their first loss for the league losing 22-29 against Nigel.  1st team also recorded their first loss against table topping Nigel that was in front with points difference on the log before kick off. Unfortunately due to foul play from Benoni they lost a player early in the game with a red card and played with 14 men.  Scores where locked at 0-0 until the dying minutes of the 1st half when Nigel scored a try under the uprights. Benoni was in the game until the end but again at the dying minutes of the 2nd half Nigel scored and took the game away.  

 

 

The Scimitar 8 May 2019

 

BNSC NEWSLETTER 

A fine good morning to all

A week has passed and already the throes of winter are upon us….just last week I was mentioning the wonderful array of colours that cascaded through the trees…but this has now been reduced to only browns and the stark and angular traces of the branches are now apparent….as most of the leaves have fluttered to their final resting place….I have watched the Council and Club employees sweeping and blowing these leaves into orderly piles, bagging and in some cases burning them (and despite all of our cries to refrain from this practice, our requests have fallen on deaf ears….and the practice continues!!)…..but all this means that our winter sports are in full swing…and after some great results….it has been a weekend of celebration….

Let me start with rugby…as the rugger buggers have really put their shoulders to the wheel….in both the administrative and playing capacities…and the massive news is that we have registered our Junior Club with the Valke and had our first player registration day on Monday night and have experienced a fantastic response….and expect an even better one next Monday when the second registration takes place…good luck on your journey at the North to the new youngsters…I trust that you will be most successful and very happy in your new home….on the senior front…we hosted our third round of matches in a row on the fields at the North….as the opposition grounds were not ready for them….and another relatively successful day was enjoyed by the Club…the ladies went down narrowly 17-14 to VUT with the opposition scoring in the last minutes of the match, to ensure that our Ladies would not take home the honours….the second side had a convincing 63-10 win…..whilst the first team match was pretty close in the first half….but our boys ran rampant in the second half and ran away with a 62-18 victory….well done to all of our players….this week will be the Litmus test as we travel to Nigel to take on the side that we have battled to beat in many a season…..good luck to all, lets give them horns this week and something to think about….

Soccer also returned to winning ways with both the reserves and first sides registering wins on the day….the second side had a hard fought 2-1 victory….after being down at half time, showed a lot of fight and determination in registering their win….the first side played a very average Boksburg side and ran out easy 8-2 winners….they were superior in all departments and scored some magnificent goals throughout the afternoon to put the opposition under pressure…congratulations to the boys…lovely to have both of our sides bringing home three points…..this week we host Randburg at home….our opposition has traditionally been one of the quality sides in this league….so please come along an support…..it should be a fantastic afternoon of entertainment….

Our hockey boys were not as successful….going down to the odd goal against UJ ‘B’….but all reports were that it was a superb game…bad luck boys….all we can ask is that you do your best….the hockey girls will be playing on Saturday and should bring some laughter and jolliness to the beer garden….but the hockey boys have a bye in order to shine their marbles with their partners on the occasion of Mothers Day….may I take this opportunity to honour all the Lady’s in our Club and those that we know, who are fortunate enough to be called Mom…..may your loved ones spoil you and make you feel especially wonderful this Sunday…..all the best from myself, the management and staff at the North….thank you for your contribution in making the North a great place to be…..

Our runners took to their last official run before the Comrades…and were off to Boksburg for the Colgate 32…and in the true Northerns style and spirit…they all wait just before the finish and all our runners end the race together in a massive bus…I have had a look at the video and it really is goose-bump stuff…it must have been amazing to be part of this finish..it shows the Northerns spirit and style that they do things with….this weekend will be Riaan’s run (named after one of the founders of the athletic Club) and all our runners complete a 60 km run in preparation for the big haul in just over a months time….good luck to everyone..I hope it will be a fantastic day out for all….

Last Friday night entertainment was a bit of a last minute hook up…as my arranged soloist had laryngitis….and I had to cajole and plead with Ryno to come out to the East Rand to help us out at a moment’s notice….thanks to Freedom Unfound for filling the gap at the eleventh hour….it is greatly appreciated and I owe you one or two for that….this week?? Well, well…..look what the wind blew in…the Zimmer Twinz and their new vocalist will be performing in the Scimitar from 6.30ish….a firm favourite with the crowd…..I’m sure that Uku will be there to assist Peter to check that the winds of change don’t blow on the night….be there to experience this great trio….

The Joker draw is now attracting some serious interest and there was quite a crowd on Friday to try their luck at looking for the elusive card that everyone wants…..well the beeeeeg black box was really full and it needed my two hands to swirl the tickets around a little more…..and the lucky ticket that was drawn turned out to be someone who has already has his name drawn twice before in this draw….Aliaster Hamilton….he knows the drill so he walked up and after flashing his teeth to Enrique for the obligatory pic…he pointed to his choice….there were a few groans in the crowd…as obviously Ali had pointed to their selection if they were drawn…..the card was slowly revealed….to show us the Jack of hearts…..ecstatic response from the crowd…the Joker was still hiding and we all have a chance, (well maybe not me!!) at winning it next week…..Jackpot increases to close on the R200k level……and with seven cards left and R198 062 available…I’m sure we will have a full house this week….we will also have a Long Tom beer bar in the Beer Garden to make sure you don’t have to wait too long for your favourite tipple….and there is also have a promotion running…look out for the promotional girls and their wares that they have available….come early to get your tickets….I’m sure it will be a standing room only evening….

Please send any kudos or complaints to rod.scheepers@gmail.com…your feelings and sentiments are greatly appreciated…

Hope you all have an amazing week…I’m always around….please pop in to see me… cheers Rod

           

 Aliaster Hamilton (Social) drew the Jack of Hearts – Joker Draw a turnover at R198 062.00 for Friday 10th May. Be present to win it!!  “Zimmer Twinz” will a little help from Elieen will be entertaining us.

At a planning meeting, attended by all Sub Club Chairmen plus invited additional Sub Club Committee Members, held in 2018, it was agreed that we hold a R100 a ticket fund-raising drive to raise funds for fields and building maintenance.  This initiative is being driven by Mark Hardman and your Sub Club Chairmen were all issued with books of tickets in 2018.  We are currently faced with a repair bill of R45,000 for the big ride-on mower and a lessor amount of R15,000 for the smaller, older one that we use. Without these two machines, we will be unable to keep the grounds in the superb condition that they are currently in. Needless to say, we are receiving less and less support from Ekurhuleni and we can only assume that this will reduce further. Some of the other sporting facilities in Ekurhuleni bear testimony to this.  Your urgent support in this venture is therefore requested.  Your sub club chairman has the tickets – please ask him/her for them as we are planning to hold the first of 5 draws in May this year.  Your support is and will be appreciated.  Kindest regards,  Laurence (Lockey) Brown – Benoni Northern Sports Club Chairman

COLGATE ROAD RACE 2019: 15km, 32km, and 6km Fun Run 5 May 2019 Boksburg City Stadium.

  

Senior Winter Baseball officially starts this weekend, DATE : 12 May 2019 VENUE: Benoni Indians Baseball fields. Fixtures Our Major A side has a bye;  Major B  Wichita vs Red Sox;  Sioux vs Randburg Mets; Senior Reserves Mohicans vs Panthers.  We wish all of our coaches, scorers, umpires and player’s a successful season.

   

Well done to all our men and woman cricket players. Thank you to all our Coaches, managers, captains, staff and the committee for all your support and dedication.

Superleague Footballers had cracker games last Staurday: the results says it all : 
Boksburg reserves 1 – Benoni Northerns 2; Boksburg 1sts 2 – Benoni Northerns 8.  Well done Lads keep it up!!

 

BNFC u7 League 4 had a great game over the weekend and beat Sporting FC 2-1

  

First junior hockey tournament of the season for most age groups.  Well Done. Here is to a awesome season.

  

Benoni Northerns Rugby had another round against Kempton over the weekend and the senior Ladies had a close game against VUT.  First up was Benoni Northerns ladies against VUT. Vut scored in the last seconds of the game and won 14-17. Second game of the day was Benoni Northerns second team and the won 63- 10 . One way traffic all the way with Benoni scoring alot of long range tries.  Last game of the day was Benoni Northerns first team against Kempton 1. First half the game was very close but the second Benoni showed their worth and ran up the points and won 62-18.  This coming Saturday Benoni Northerns will play away against Nigel.

The Scimitar 2 May 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER 

A fresh good morning to everyone…

We have definitely reached the change of season….our office which is a sauna in the warmer periods….has slowly evolved into a deep freeze….and Glenda and I look like two Eskimo’s when we dress for work….but the scenery outside makes the approaching winter a little more bearable…I have lived with pin-oak trees as part of my life for well nigh on 60 years….as a kid having to sweep up leaves as nauseam, there always seemed to be an endless supply of dead leaves from the trees in our street, one of the chores I used to hate with a passion….but the amazing hue of colours that they possess, while these dead and dying leaves are still high above their dying final carpet, always amazed me…..from gorgeous greens, through faded yellows, burnished oranges, deep reds to finally become a drab and dead brown…opens a page in a chapter of natures beauty that is difficult to match….very soon the stark and awkwardness of the trees branches without leaves will soon be displayed…and the mercury in the thermometer will drop to its lower regions before we start to see the stirrings of spring again….

There were also a kaleidoscope of new and different colours at the North on Sunday…when the Robor Marathon was again hosted…..the sponsor erected a most impressive start gantry…with massive structures at the Club’s main entrance around our two palms (which also received a well needed a haircut at the same time…thank you to Perry and his team for their kind assistance)…..there was also more scaffolding erected at the finish line and for the prize giving stage….they were certainly most impressive…but were suitably matched by the organisational skills of our athletics team….headed up Julie (with Jan moving sideways diplomatically and only jumping in when it was specifically necessary) and her crew of able volunteers……at the end of the day…it was a resounding success….everything going off smoothly (apart from a Coke truck deciding that the hockey field was the new Monster Jam course)….runners, officials and spectators alike all agreed that it was a fantastic day….I have an email dedicated to any and all Club reviews received…and I can tell you that it sounded like a morse code message being received the whole day on Sunday…and a majority of the star ratings were 5’s….. so thank you to all….two days after the race and there are very few traces of a major marathon being held at our venue….congratulations to everyone….

Our soccer boys did not have the most successful of weekends….with the reserves having to settle with a 1-1 draw….whilst the first side came back on the wrong side of a seven goal thriller….which means that the reserves are currently lying in 5^th out of 14 and the firsts 6^th out the 14…..this week the boys are up in an East Rand derby…playing against Boksburg at the North….reserves kicking off at 13h45…while the firsts will follow them at 15h30…..

The rubgy boys kept up the momentum from the start to the season….and were able to have a clean sweep in the boys matches…while the girls suffered a disappointing loss in their first official match at the North…bad luck girls…all reports received are positive though…which does auger well for the future….the under 21’s had a convincing win, the second side a walk over….but in the firsts it was definitely a hard fought affair…..with a very mobile opposition, who threw everything into attack at every opportunity…..we were able to withstand masses of pressure in the last quarter to emerge as 36-29 winners…..a wonderful start to the season for our rugger buggers….I was part of the excited crowd watching the heart stopping last 15 minutes…the adrenalin was pumping at high speed…..very well done….a bunch of tired but very proud boys trudged off the field afterwards….this week we should have been on the road to travel to Kempton…but their grounds aren’t ready yet….so another home match for us….all the best boys….let’s keep the momentum going by starting on the front foot and moving forwards…..all spectators get along to support the chaps in the quest to keep this perfect start going…

The hockey girls and boys were a little lost with the limited parking and no games at the Astro on Sunday….but I did see a few of the sides persevering and landing up in the beer garden amongst all the runners and officials from the Marathon machine….. but this week, we are back in full swing…and expect a full house of hockey players present on the weekend….

Our Joker draw is starting to attract some serious attention…..and there was a pulsating crowd at the draw on Friday…with only 10 cards left and the prospect of close on R180k available for finding the Joker….ticket sales were clicking over at quite a rate….and when 19h30 arrived there was a sizeable crowd squeezing into the Main Bar…all craning their necks to get their chance to see what was happening and hoping that it was their chance to find the Joker…..and this week I had another newcomer to the Joker cabinet…. Alec Austen had his name emerge from the beeeeeg black box….and despite all the advice given by the expectant crowd…he was pretty confident that he had made an accurate selection…..and as the card was turned….ecstatic applause erupted…which meant that the Joker remained face down for another week….Alec had made his selection second down and second across from the top left corner….and the Queen of Diamonds made her appearance… more singing, shouting and applause continued until finally it died down enough for me to announce that this week with only 9 cards left to choose from…we have R188 735 available this week…..a big jump in the jackpot…. and we can expect a significant number of new people at the draw this week…so remember to get here early…it could be busy…we will have a satellite beer bar open to try to take some pressure off the main watering holes… come along and enjoy the start of the weekend with as at the North…and possibly go home with a significant windfall in your bank account….

On Friday our entertainment is provided by the very accomplished musician Eben playing in the Scimitar….please come along and listen to him… he will get your feet a tapping and you to sing along with some his popular cover classics….

Have a super week….hope to see you all soon… cheers Rod

rod.scheepers@gmail.com for any information you may like me to know about…whether they are good or bad vibes…Ta

 

Alec Austen (Athletics) drew the Queen of Diamonds – Joker Draw a turnover at R188 735.00 for Friday 03rd May

 

Eben will be entertaining us on Friday 03rd May from 18h30

At a planning meeting, attended by all Sub Club Chairmen plus invited additional Sub Club Committee Members, held in 2018, it was agreed that we hold a R100 a ticket fund-raising drive to raise funds for fields and building maintenance.  This initiative is being driven by Mark Hardman and your Sub Club Chairmen were all issued with books of tickets in 2018.  We are currently faced with a repair bill of R45,000 for the big ride-on mower and a lessor amount of R15,000 for the smaller, older one that we use. Without these two machines, we will be unable to keep the grounds in the superb condition that they are currently in. Needless to say, we are receiving less and less support from Ekurhuleni and we can only assume that this will reduce further. Some of the other sporting facilities in Ekurhuleni bear testimony to this.  Your urgent support in this venture is therefore requested.  Your sub club chairman has the tickets – please ask him/her for them as we are planning to hold the first of 5 draws in May this year.  Your support is and will be appreciated.  Kindest regards,  Laurence (Lockey) Brown – Benoni Northern Sports Club Chairman

---

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to our athletes, sponsors, spectators, helpers & members. We had a phenomenal race day!We would like to hear from our athletes. What did you feel was good about the Robor Scaffolding Marathon 2019? What did you feel was better than before? AND What do you feel was the best part of today?

If you completed the race and can’t find your results on www.raceresults.co.za – please send your query to Margaret@raceresults.co.za

Wally Hayward Half Marathon done and dusted in time of 1:11:05 achieving position 5. “It is my dream to finish in top 5 of all the races I do” – Bright .

   

Benoni Northerns Junior Cricket Awards. Well done to all our boys and girls. A BIG thank you to our special guest Malusi Siboto from the Lions for joining us on this special day. We would also like to thank our Junior Club Chairman, Jason Clark. Thank you Jason for all your hard work and dedication the past six years. Your time and efforts are truly appreciated.

   

 

Saturday 27 April Benoni Northerns had 3 games . First up was the under 21s that smashed the opposition under 21s VUT 57-3 . VUT don’t have a second team so the ladies team played in their time slot against Boksburg but unfortunately lost 0-20 The first team had a hard game but won the game 36-29 . First team and under 21s won both first two games of the league and are looking good. Second team got the points so they also have two games in the bag and no loses.

Benoni Notherns are very proud to announce that junior rugby will be starting this year at the club and will be the exclusive junior club in Benoni. Registrations for juniors will be 6 and 13 May in the hall at the main club from 19:00 in the evening.  Please bring copy of medical aid card,copy of ID for principal member of medical aid and unabridged birth certificate of player. Photos will be taken at club.  Clubfees for the season per household: R350 for 1 player ; R650 for 2 players ; R900 for 3 players.  1 Brodigan street ,Northmead , Benoni Contact Jaco Havenga on havenga_ j@ yahoo.com

     

The Scimitar 25 Apr 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER 

A wet and wonderful good morning to you all

I am going to give away my age and mention that there was a group by the name of Gentle People in the 70’s who sang a song “Rain, Rain, Rain” and that aptly describes the Easter weekend for me… in my wisdom I decided that I would complete my epic house move on the Easter weekend…a decision that I now rue…as I was a drowned rat by the end of the weekend..but it seems like we have only caught a light edge of the major storms…with portions of Southern Natal being completely ravaged….my thoughts and prayers go out to all on the tragic loss of life and property that has been experienced….but to end off my weekend…I landed up with a flat wheel in the pouring rain on a busy road in rush hour traffic on Tuesday morning….so that pretty well summed up my weekend of fun…

Our sport at the Club was limited to the hockey from the St Dunstans festival…which was great to see and have some really good hockey…and surprisingly, a little average and below standards displayed at times too….but at the end of the day…the participants and spectators appeared to have a fantastic weekend of fun….

Other than the hockey and the festival and beer tent around the corner at the school…sport was limited to television and one other event that attracted a fair number of our Members…which was shrouded by a late route change to accommodate possible security concerns regarding possible disruptions to the race….that said, I don’t think that any of these circumstances would have changed our Members mass movement to the Cape for the OMTOM….which this year celebrated its 50^th running….and by all accounts that I have read and seen…it was a fantastic day…even with the rain, wind, route change and any of the other factors and circumstances that surrounded the race….and with plenty of our Members participating…all my local social media was filled with happy pictures of finishing and piles of celebratory drinks amber liquid and the consequent antics that always follow….well done to all of our runners down there….I was very chuffed to see the Northerns colours so proudly displayed….super event…

For the runners at home…there was also a weekend of frantic and fierce activity…in expectation of the Comarades in about six weeks time…and there were also plenty of smiles after the completion of their 90km of training over the weekend….I think there were tired legs for all of our runners…hopefully this will prepare you really well for the big one….

Our official Friday night…was moved to Thursday night to accommodate the long weekend….we had Ryno and his rearranged band entertaining us…and I enjoyed another great evening at the North….thank you to Freedom Unfound for keeping me thoroughly entertained throughout….

In the Main Bar at 7.30…tensions were climbing…ten cards left…over R170k in the pot…and with the crowd being a little smaller than usual because of the long weekend…the chances of being drawn were obviously improved…so there was a fair bit of excitement being generated by the time arrived for the name to be drawn from the beeeg black box….and for the second week in a row….a Joker first timer….Gino Pinto was announced as the name selected…and wended his way from outside….with most of the crowd shouting “redraw” they didn’t notice that Gino had snuck his way forward beneath the interests of the attentive eyes…. and was already standing next to Glenda and myself….I could see in his face that he definitely didn’t expect to be drawn…as standing now in front of the Joker cabinet, was a lot more of daunting task than it appeared to seeing it from the distance of the other side of the bar…..suddenly those 10 cards were not as few as they looked as first glance…and he eventually settled on a choice…tentatively pointing at his selection (just below centre and slightly to the left)…and he joined the waiting crowd….in holding his breath….Glenda definitely made the poor man sweat a little more as she seemed to delay the turning over of the card….eventually, after what seemed like a lifetime wait…the ten of clubs was revealed…amid instantaneous applause…cheering and jeering….and then the inevitable singing from the soccer boys of “cheerio, cheerio, cheerio” to the unlucky participant….so we now go into week 45 of the current draw….9 cards remain and R179 021 is available to the winner this week….

SO this could be your week…please come and celebrate the Robor Marathon weekend with us…we have Cedz and Tryst to rock us into the weekend…another of the bands that has joined the Northerns “please come again” list….they really play some magic music…..and with the joker jackpot close to R180k (if the weather plays the game) we should expect a bumper crowd….

As I said a little earlier..it is the Robor Marathon at the club this Sunday…so expect to see plenty of runners in the area of the Club with throngs of motor vehicles, marshalls, traffic police and spectators….if you are planning to drive around on the day…please remember to plan your trip and possibly expect some delays….

There is a return for all of our teams to sport this weekend…

Soccer – playing Sporting away

Rugby – playing VUT at home on Saturday afternoon on the rugby fields (JB Hall side)

Hockey – Ladies (Saturday) and Men (Sunday) are playing but no matches scheduled for the Astro at Northerns

Baseball – all playing in Boksburg in a huge tournament where a whole bunch of our Northerns talent will be on show over the weekend.. (this should really be worth a visit if you are a baseball fan)

Good luck to all our teams and Members playing…best of luck in your endeavours…

To all of our runners who’s running talent is to be firmly hidden away this Sunday….under the clothing disguises of Marshalls, officials, drivers, flag wavers and traffic controllers…all the best…have a great relaxing day…watching all the other masses of runners enjoying your race….(don’t drink too much!! I know I said it last year and it didn’t help either!!)

For a weekend of very little activity on the sporting front ….I was able to “babble” quite a bit (which is what one of my mates describes this weekly effort as)…but maybe he is correct….I talk too much…or is it write too much…..okay okay…I’ll stop now…

Have a great week….see you all soon… cheers Rod

rod.scheepers@gmail.com for any feedback…negative or positive…thank you

     

Gino Pinto (Guest) drew the Ten of Clubs- Joker Draw a turnover at R179 021.00 for Friday 26th April. Be present to win it!! 

     

Cedz Tryst will be entertaining us on Friday 26th April from 18h30

At a planning meeting, attended by all Sub Club Chairmen plus invited additional Sub Club Committee Members, held in 2018, it was agreed that we hold a R100 a ticket fund-raising drive to raise funds for fields and building maintenance.  This initiative is being driven by Mark Hardman and your Sub Club Chairmen were all issued with books of tickets in 2018.  We are currently faced with a repair bill of R45,000 for the big ride-on mower and a lessor amount of R15,000 for the smaller, older one that we use. Without these two machines, we will be unable to keep the grounds in the superb condition that they are currently in. Needless to say, we are receiving less and less support from Ekurhuleni and we can only assume that this will reduce further. Some of the other sporting facilities in Ekurhuleni bear testimony to this.  Your urgent support in this venture is therefore requested.  Your sub club chairman has the tickets – please ask him/her for them as we are planning to hold the first of 5 draws in May this year.  Your support is and will be appreciated.  Kindest regards,  Laurence (Lockey) Brown – Benoni Northern Sports Club Chairman

 

BNBC Senior Players that have proved there worth and have been selected to represent South Africa in the Continental African Championships and the African Olympic Qualifiers:Tyler Croft, Rowan Ebersohn and Damon King. 
The BNBC Juniors have been selected to play for South Africa in Taiwan in July/August: Luke Emmett, Connor Steyn and Liam Pieterse.⚾️
Congratulations to all those selected, we will be behind you every step of the way. Remember, hit hard, run hard and turn left. 
Yours in Baseball – Shaun Deyzel, Benoni Northerns Indians Ball Club

Take note of affected roads for the Robor Scaffolding Marathon routes this Sunday

The Scimitar 17 Apr 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER 

Good morning to everyone

Up front….my apologies to everyone for the late submission from me and hence the late arrival of your favourite journal…filled with snippets of worthless information…much used cliches…and your usual helping of sarcastic wit, making it the first item to hit your computers trash with the speed of lightning….

Here goes…with the rain last week we had the hand in hand partner arrive shortly thereafter…the cooler weather…I have felt that this week…and I see all the runners and walkers that I pass in the gloomy pre-dawn attack….are all a little more warmly attired than last week…scarves, long sleeved vests and winter mittens are now a more regular occurrence than before…and I do not think it will be any warmer on those early mornings from now until the arrival of Spring….I now have seen our faithful leader Lockey and his companion Cedric each and every morning…but it is only once we pass each other and recognise each other by their voices that the hasty warm morning greetings follow…

Our runners have acquitted themselves with honour at both “om die dam” with a lot of runners completing their first ultra marathon….and then a huge round of applause and congratulations to all of our competitors at the Iron Man….I watched the video that Marc Daniel edited and produced…I got goose flesh watching the familiar faces from the North competing and completing this gruelling event….a massive rush for me….how wonderful the feeling must be for these incredible athletes….

Our Rugby players have started their third season at the North…and last weekend started off with a bang…their committee and back room boys had been very active and positive in their approach to the season…and it paid off huge dividends….with all three sides registering victories in the first league match of the season against Sasolburg…our U21’s…after conceding the first try of the day…ran out 27-18 winners….. the second side match followed and in similar fashion, allowed the opposition to score the first try of the game….but also worked a bit of magic and ran in with a convincing 17-7 result….the first side has not beaten their opposition in 8 years…..but our boys decided to completely turn the tables and it was really one way traffic as only one unconverted try was conceded….whilst racking up a half century of points….a fantastic day for our rugger buggers…. accolades must go to Lourens, Jaco and their committee and professional coaching staff…a wonderful day for Northerns rugby….long may it continue….

Our soccer boys had a day of mixed results….with the reserves going down 2-1 in a controversial loss, where there have been some objections raised about the standard of the refereeing…their coach is however happy that harsh lessons have been learned, which will hold them in good stead in the future….as an official complaint has been laid, I will not further comment and rather leave it to the authorities to settle and sort it out….The first side really kicked into gear this week and ran out with a solid 4-0 win…well done guys….no football fixtures this weekend due to the long weekend

The hockey season is in full swing for both the men and ladies leagues…it is wonderful to see so many players in the beer garden after the matches in true hockey player’s style enjoying recollecting the highs and lows of the matches over a beer with fellow mates and opposition alike… Our first and second sides both suffered losses this week….2^nd’s going down 6-1 to Crusaders…while the 1^st’s went down 2-1 to MCC…

There will be some great schools hockey on show at our Astro and at St Dunstans…as they host their Easter festival again this weekend…allied to the great hockey, rugby and netball will be played at the school too…whilst I am sure that the beer garden will hold its own special appeal to most of the spectators…join us there for a weekend of fun….

Friday night saw another new name emerge from the beeeeg black box….Mandy Cameron was selected this week….and her luck at being selected, unfortunately ended there…as her pick, when flipped over was the nine of diamonds….diamonds are supposed to be a girls best friend…..but not this time…so another card gone…we now only have 10 cards left….and Jackpot jumps up to R173 237…..we have the Easter weekend upon is….so due to this…we will have the joker draw a day early in an attempt to get everyone out on Thursday 18….a marvellous thought after a good party night at the North….we can sleep in…as Friday will only just have started when we wake ….great aspect….

Ryno and Freedom Unfound are back in the entertainment slot this week….I will guarantee that they won’t disappoint….Alan will fervently await their version of Lightning Crashes….and all of us will listen for Hotel California and some other great covers….

I saw that our one Toro mower returned to the fold this morning…after spending some time on the surgeon’s operating table…and will be back to full operation within a week…Brian said he needs some time to return all this missing parts and to just get everything back in perfect running order…really nice to have our mower team back to full strength again…

I wish everyone a peaceful and joyous long weekend….for those travelling, please drive carefully and look after yourselves…to those staying at home, have a blast wherever and whatever you find yourself doing….if you are at St Dunstans at all…I will probably see you there…

If there is anything that you believe needs my attention….please let me know by sending an mail to rod.scheepers@gmail.com ….That’s all for today…..hope you all have a awesome weekend and hopefully I will see you all soon at SDC…. Have a blast……Rod

Mandy Cameron (Guest) drew the Nine of Diamonds – Joker Draw a turnover at R173 237.00 for Thursday 18th April. 

At a planning meeting, attended by all Sub Club Chairmen plus invited additional Sub Club Committee Members, held in 2018, it was agreed that we hold a R100 a ticket fund-raising drive to raise funds for fields and building maintenance.  This initiative is being driven by Mark Hardman and your Sub Club Chairmen were all issued with books of tickets in 2018.  We are currently faced with a repair bill of R45,000 for the big ride-on mower and a lessor amount of R15,000 for the smaller, older one that we use. Without these two machines, we will be unable to keep the grounds in the superb condition that they are currently in. Needless to say, we are receiving less and less support from Ekurhuleni and we can only assume that this will reduce further. Some of the other sporting facilities in Ekurhuleni bear testimony to this.  Your urgent support in this venture is therefore requested.  Your sub club chairman has the tickets – please ask him/her for them as we are planning to hold the first of 5 draws in May this year.  Your support is and will be appreciated.  Kindest regards,  Laurence (Lockey) Brown – Benoni Northern Sports Club Chairman

 

Easterns T20 Battle of the Rose’s 2019 champions. Congratulations and well done Samurai – Benoni Northerns. Awesome final and a super over to clinch the win.  hank you and well.done coach Nicolaos Moragemos and manager Twayne Stewart all your efforts with these gents.  Congratulations to the ladies Samurai team as well for winning their title.   Double win for Benoni Northern’s Samurai!

  

Benoni Northerns Rugby had a very good start to the season against Sasolburg, having a clean sweep in winning all their games.  Big thanks for the support on the day. See you on the 27th when they take on VUT at our home grounds.

 

The Scimitar 10 Apr 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER 

Hi there everyone……A bumper rainy last few days…with an abundance of wet weather…meaning that all of our fields are wet underfoot and all the players on our grass fields will be happy…fewer bouts of grass burns and less stud pressure for the next little while…and the grass will remain green and lush for a little longer….and all the water will contribute to better longevity of our fields during the cooler months from the improved grass covering…..

On Friday we has some serious thunderstorms during the course of the day…and I was a little concerned that the wet weather may affect our attendances over the weekend….I needn’t have been concerned…as everyone came out in their numbers….Friday night for the draw…Saturday for the junior soccer and hockey…followed by senior soccer and ladies hockey in the afternoon….whilst on Sunday the senior men’s hockey returned to the North…and we also had some more junior soccer to enjoy too….

Friday saw the return of the Wilsons….a most popular father and son duo, who are a bit like the “Stars on 45” of the eighties with their constant flow of music….it always keeps the crowds entertained and dancing….and as the excitement started to build up to the Joker draw time….but first we had the Members draw…which this week stood at R4800…and we finally had a winner present with us….and it was none other than the last “big” winner of our Joker draw….(which at that time stood at over R330k)….Delyse Jones…..well done to you Delyse…there have not been too many nights that you and your husband Arthur have not been absent….so perseverance has definitely paid off in your case…..congratulations….. and then off we went into the Joker draw….every week I have a few of the loyal Members who remind me that their name hasn’t been called before (or not in a very long time)…and this week was no exception to the rule….as Dave MacVay was one of those who mentioned to me that his name has never been called…and as he and his good wife Michelle had become parents again during the week, he could now do with the cash more than ever…..and the beeeeeeeg black box produced another surprise name….. and Dave had his name selected….and he literally skipped and jumped in to take his place in front of the Joker cabinet….he was jumping up and down and so excited that he couldn’t wait for his picture to be taken….as he definitely knew where his selection was going to be….so after all the formalities were complete by the cameraman…Dave indicated his selection….and awaited his fate…..I slowly turned the card over and revealed it to the crowd…..raucous applause from the crowd meant that Dave had not found the Joker….but had uncovered the King of spades…and with eleven cards remaining….we have the Jackpot up to R166949…..so with the soccer boys leading in song of “cheerio, cheerio…” Dave went back to contemplate his selection and the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief…as it means that their chances are still alive for next week….chances of finding the Joker are improving each week….but as the “pot” increases….so do the numbers of people attending….remember to improve your chances and spend a few extra rand when you purchase some more tickets…be there on Friday to win it…Friday we will again be trying to unearth some new singing talent at the North…as we hold a Karaoke evening…. bring your best singing voice and any talented friends along to enjoy an evening of fun and laughter….

Saturday saw our soccer boys back at the North…hosting Kempton Park, who over the last few years have proved to be most worthy opponents and has resulted a great tussle between these two East Rand sides….the reserve side, showed their class and talent and fits and starts…but this enough to completely outclass their opposition and demolish them with 4-0 drubbing…well done fellows….this has moved them into tied second place on the log….and this week will be facing the side that are a point behind them…this should be another quality match….the first side were made to show some character…after slipping behind to an early goal…but showed great resilience in coming from behind to end up victors by two goals to one….both of our sides revelled in being able to play in front of their home fans and wish to thank all the support…it is truly appreciated….this week we travel to Moffatt Park to play Linhil Celtic and this side has improved over the last few years….so expect another closely fought battle….

The hockey girls started their leagues last weekend…and the beer garden was full of hockey antics of fines, singing and headgear of varying types and shapes…particularly in the Moms (FTC’s) and their daughters (Ya-ya’s) having to share the spoils in this particular match…lovely to have you back girls….hope to see a lot more of you in the future….the men made their appearance at the North outside the Scimitar the next morning…and they also brought their own style and panache with also lots of sing-songs and party tricks that have become synonymous with the game of hockey…..our first mens side also made their appearance, with a late Saturday change of fixture…and we were able to host CBCOB from Boksburg at the Astro…and it proved to be a game of end to end action…Peter Wertz opening the scoring for us….only to surrender the lead to a well taken CBCOB goal…..and despite opportunities at both ends….and these proved to be the only goals in this match…ending in a 1-1 deadlock…well done to both sides for some really quality hockey….

Our athletes are all busy with their training for the Comrades…whilst the organisers of our Marathon are hard at work….and soon we will see all the road markings along the route being “freshened up” in anticipation of the hordes of runners that arrive to compete in our “Robor Marathon”….which this year will be run on April 28….so please keep this in your diary…as there will obviously be some road closures, detours and diversions in and around the Club on that day…

Rugby this week makes its return to the North on Saturday as we host Sasolburg in the first league matches for the season…..please pop along to come and support our sides as we want to start off on a positive note….

If there is anything that you believe needs my attention….please let me know by sending an mail to rod.scheepers@gmail.com ….That’s all I have for today…..hope you all have a super week and hopefully I will see you all soon…. Kind regards……Rod

 

Dave MacVay (Cricket) drew the King of Spades – Joker Draw a turnover at R166 949.00 for Friday 12th 

     

At “The North – Friday 12th April 18h30. Come and join and show your talent

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS :  R100 FUND RAISING RAFFLE

At a planning meeting, attended by all Sub Club Chairmen plus invited additional Sub Club Committee Members, held in 2018, it was agreed that we hold a R100 a ticket fund-raising drive to raise funds for fields and building maintenance.  This initiative is being driven by Mark Hardman and your Sub Club Chairmen were all issued with books of tickets in 2018.  We are currently faced with a repair bill of R45,000 for the big ride-on mower and a lessor amount of R15,000 for the smaller, older one that we use. Without these two machines, we will be unable to keep the grounds in the superb condition that they are currently in. Needless to say, we are receiving less and less support from Ekurhuleni and we can only assume that this will reduce further. Some of the other sporting facilities in Ekurhuleni bear testimony to this.  Your urgent support in this venture is therefore requested.  Your sub club chairman has the tickets – please ask him/her for them as we are planning to hold the first of 5 draws in May this year.  Your support is and will be appreciated.  Kindest regards,  Laurence (Lockey) Brown – Benoni Northern Sports Club Chairman

  

BNAC’s very own Bright Mikolongwe ran his first 32 kms at the “Alan Robb” this weekend in time of 1:50:09.achieving 1st position. We are all so proud of you !! Well done.

     Irene Ultra Marathon – Handy Dumaver, Tyron Millar and Mpho Pilusa – 48km in under 5 hours. Great work Guys.

          

BNFC 2019 Junior League had their 1st games of the Season last weekend. u8 and u6(2) Leagues proudly displaying their skills 

        

BNCC’s Samurai Ladies are performing well in the Battle of the Roses T20 Tournament with winning all their three games. They will be playing in the 2nd Round Robin this coming weekend’s final on Willowmoore Park’s Main Oval at 3pm on Sunday. Good luck ladies.

First league game this Saturday!!!  Under 21 13:15 kick off, Second team 14:40 kick off, First team 16:00.  Come support the boys…. 

      

The Scimitar 3 Apr 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER   

A very good morning to you all

A grey and overcast morning greets me from the North…with the signs of Autumn fast approaching….as the leaves on the Pin Oaks begin to quickly alter their hues from brilliant green….to faded yellow…burnished oranges and deep red…finally ending with a crinkly brown dead leaf that bears no resemblance to its lively summer self….and whilst it makes me sad to see the ending of summer…..it marks one of the positives for all of the Members that play winter sports….we are about to kick off…rugby, baseball, hockey and soccer players now emerge from their summer siesta….and eagerly await their season to begin….

Friday was a great festive affair again…with a super band Black and Blue entertaining us…their second visit to the Club has produced more followers than before and they are proving to be most popular…whilst they were serenading us….people were buying their Joker draw tickets and a feeding frenzy is beginning as the Jackpot is over R150k now….and this week Jane Nielsen had a second chance for this draw…as her name was selected from the beeeeg black box….and it was now “old hat” for her….she calmly smiled for camera and had her photo taken….and then immediately pointed out the card of her choice (top row, last available card on the right)…..which, to her disappointment, turned out to be the ten of diamonds….amid tumultuous applause and singing “Cheerio” from the Soccer boys (who seem to have returned to their usual of table, after a bit of a sabbatical)….so the Jackpot lives on for another week….and we have only 12 cards left to choose from…..and the jackpot jumps another notch….this time settling at R161495…this week we welcome the father and son duo of the “Wilsons” who play non stop…and keep the feet tapping and on the dance floor…..

Our soccer boys visited the Italian Club in Bedfordview last weekend and with another set of matches where feeling was we should have come home with the full 6 points…but we only landed up bringing back 4…..the reserves had a cracker of a match with amazing goals from the young strikers and some impressive skills from everyone else resulted in us running out 5-1 easy victors in this match….our first side looked they had an early plane to catch and played some superb football in the first half to run into an quick 2-0 lead….however some sloppy defending, missing our chances and allowing some indifferent decisions to rattle us, we let the opposition in on a couple of occasions to level the scores and had to be satisfied with a share of the spoils and a point for the afternoons efforts….this week we take on Kempton in what promises to be a crackerjack of a match….reserves kick off at 13h45 with the super league starting at 15h30…

With the men’s hockey first side match being postponed, the mantle of the top side playing fell on the shoulders of our second side…..and with the opportunity to play as close to home as they ever have, the match was on the Easterns Astro at Northerns against Bedfordview….and for the second time in 24 hours, we shared point with our opponents from the Gilloolys interchange vicinity….with a 1-1 draw….fixtures for this week have not been finalised….and as the first team match is against CBC Boksburg, we are hoping that the match is to be moved to the East Rand….please keep an eye on our social media platforms, to see if we have been able to swing the vote for the match to be hosted locally…. this weekend also sees the start of the local Easterns leagues….so with the Ladies hitting off on Saturday afternoon and the Men up early on Sunday morning…it promises to be the start of another busy and successful season….Expect to see masses of hockey players, partying, fining, dancing and drinking in our beer garden from this weekend for another six or so months….

Congratulations to two of our young Baseballers, Luke Emmet and Conner Steyn, who have been included in the U12 national squad to go to Taiwan for the Baseball World Cup…well done young men… we are extremely proud of you and your achievements….

Another accolade that our Juniors have brought back to the North recently…the U17 Super League Soccer side, brought back the trophy from the BCC pre-season Tournament….super stuff fellows….let’s hope you continue in that vein for the rest of the year….

With the end of the school holidays…. expect an influx of youngsters at the Club….particularly on Saturday mornings with Hockey practice and Soccer matches…there is always much excitement generated by these future leaders at the North…

If there is anything you would like to bring to my attention….please send me a mail to rod.scheepers@gmail.com ….

That’s all have for today…..have a great week.

See you all soon…  Rod

Jane Neilsen (Athletics) drew the Ten of Diamonds. Joker Draw a turnover at R161495.00 for Friday 05th April. Be present to win it!!

 

Leon & Stuart Wilson will be entertaining us from 18h30 on Friday 05th April 2019.

 

Well done to two of our BNAC Junior members who participated in the South African Biathlon Championships in Port Elizabeth over the weekend 

     

Congratulations to the following Benoni Northerns Indian Baseball Players: Luke Emmet and Connor Steyn on making the u12 South African squad to compete in the u12 Baseball World Cup Tournament in Taiwan. We wish them good luck

Battle of the Roses is an Easterns Cricket Union Club Franchise T20 Tournament to be held at Willowmore Park: 6/7 and 13/14 April; 1st ball bowled at 09h00. This tournament is comprised of 8 Club Franchises; Rising Stars, BN Freight Bombers, Wildfire, Samurai, Calypso Brothers, Legends, Sluggers and Jets. Come and have some fun in the Sun whilst supporting your Team !!

About the www.BNFC.co.za website:

---

This website was created in order to provide a centralised platform for BNFC related administative issues and general information. On this website you shall be able to do the following:

• Event dates – lookahead;  Online registration renewal;  Order customised football clothing and equipment;  Rules, regulations and general information downloads;  Contact list for coaches

 

Referees from across the Continent attended last week’s Practical VAR Workshop which was held at Benoni Northern Sports Club 

     

Registrations and Pre-screening for Juniors will take place on Monday 6th May at Benoni Northerns Sports Club, 1 Brodigan Street, Rynfield . Unfortunately there will be no clinic held over the school holidays. Benoni Northerns are excited to welcome Junior Rugby.

 

The Scimitar 27 Mar 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Morning to all

In a first for the Club, we have been hosting a CAF soccer workshop for referees regarding the Video assistance in matches in the future…towers of scaffolding, masses of cameras, hordes of officials, teams of players, a bevy of pressmen and a handful of technical boffins descended on the North….I was able to spend short periods watching the “circus” of learning and I must say that “professional”  soccer is certainly a lot different from the amateur matches I used to play and compete in many years ago….sometimes I need to question whether the enjoyment that we used to participate for and in at that time, is still the same as these days……but it was lovely to host this important workshop…and we have had some really positive feedback about the quality of our fields and facilities…and the possibility of our hosting similar programmes in the future is very real…….so we look forward to having similar arrangements in the future…well done to Rodney and his team for bringing this to the Club and gaining us the exposure we have been able to enjoy….

Our cricketers unfortunately bowed out of representing the Titans at the Club Championships, after losing to a very powerful Tukkies unit last weekend….. bad luck to Nick, Kurt and all the fellows that represented us with such honour and pride this season…thanks for all the entertainment provided….hopefully next year will be our year….

Soccer was back at the North for the first time last weekend….and we were able to have a weekend of no losses to the ever powerful and competitive Robertsham club….the reserves played most impressively against the best opposition they have encountered this season….and then grabbed their opportunities and scored two superb goals whilst defending like Trojans to run out with a victory on the day….the first side controlled their match and had the upper hand for the majority of the time….but were unable to convert their possession and territorial advantage into a positive result…and had to be satisfied with a goalless draw….this week we move our sights onto Olympia at the Italian Club in Bedfordview…

The rugby boys had quieter weekend than normal….with only two matches, both against Springs….and whilst the under 21’s suffered a 10 point loss, the first side dominated and ran our easy 29-10 winners… this weekend the players have earned a well needed rest….so no matches up for them…..enjoy the break boys….

Some really good hockey is expected up on the Astro this Sunday…. our Second side taking on Bedforview A at 09h45…and I am sure that they would appreciate any support they are able to muster…..there are four matches from the Southern Gauteng league that have been allocated for the day…. any hockey lovers should be in their element being able to watch a really good standard of league hockey on show this weekend….

Our baseballers were off to nationals in PE this past week….so all was quiet on the Northerns front…I am sure that I will receive positive report backs which I will include next week…

The joker again has remained elusive….and this week another “first-timer” proved that beginners luck was going to play no part in revealing the joker…..Elizebe Pool selecting the six of clubs from the top row….. R155477 is the new jackpot figure for this week….. with only thirteen face down cards left to select from……things are getting interesting….please be sure to give yourself the opportunity to be our next big jackpot winner….at only R5 a ticket…we must all fancy our chances of making the correct selection…this week the entertainment is making their second appearance at the North… after a really super first showing a couple of months ago….Black and Blue make their return to show case their skills….  be sure to be here to experience their magic…

If I could please request all Members to push the sales of the 100 club tickets…..we have had some serious mechanical issues with both of our mowers…and these need to be repaired in order to keep our fields in the magnificent condition we been able to maintain….there are all sorts of expenses that crop up in a Club of our size…and we are constantly under pressure to find alternate ways to finance the expenses….so the 100 Club sales will be used to plug any holes in the “dyke” that may occur, instead of asking the little Dutch boy for his finger to assist….

And speaking of method of financing at our Club….I would just like to remind Members about the some rules and regulations regarding our liquor licence, which is the major lifeblood on an ongoing basis…there are two practices that need to be policed and vigilance maintained to ensure that our licence is not ever placed in jeopardy….the first is underage drinking, which will all remain a perennial problem….if we as Members suspect that someone is underage….please courteously enquire for proof of their age….we don’t always wait for a committee member or a member of staff to have to do the task…all assistance in this matter will be greatly appreciated…. the other is the monitoring of “cooler-boxes” brought onto our premises….in terms of our licence, no liquor may be brought onto our grounds, that have not been sold by the us as the licencee…..so again, if we see this happening, please approach the offenders and inform them of the laws….do not ever enter into a conflict situation…rather walk away then…and inform a member of staff….who will then make the necessary authority aware of the problem and it can then be addressed… my thanks for your co-operation and assistance in this sensitive issue….

If there is anything you would like to bring to my attention….please send me a mail to rod.scheepers@gmail….

That’s all for this week…..take care and have a great week.

See you all soon….cheers

Rod

     

Elizbe Pool (Guest) drew the Six of Clubs . Joker Draw a turnover at R155477.00 for Friday 29th March. Be present to win it!!

     

 

Battle of the Roses is an Easterns Cricket Union Club Franchise T20 Tournament to be held at Willowmore Park: 6/7 and 13/14 April; 1st ball bowled at 09h00. This tournament is comprised of 8 Club Franchises; Rising Stars, BN Freight Bombers, Wildfire, Samurai, Calypso Brothers, Legends, Sluggers and Jets. Come and have some fun in the Sun whilst supporting your Team !!

Benoni Northerns Legend’s Cricket Side, League Champions 2018/2019 – 02nd year running.

About the www.BNFC.co.za website:

---

This website was created in order to provide a centralised platform for BNFC related administative issues and general information. On this website you shall be able to do the following:

• Event dates – lookahead;  Online registration renewal;  Order customised football clothing and equipment;  Rules, regulations and general information downloads;  Contact list for coaches;

 

  

Referees participating in the @caf_online VAR Workshop currently taking place in Kempton Park, Gauteng, are proud to announce that their practical sessions will be held at the Benoni Northerns Sports grounds this week. 

Into the swing of things with our U5 and U7 training on Saturday mornings. Kids and coaches keen to get the season started

Registrations and Pre-screening for Juniors will take place on Monday 6th May at Benoni Northerns Sports Club, 1 Brodigan Street, Rynfield . Unfortunately there will be no clinic held over the school holidays. Benoni Northerns are excited to welcome Junior Rugby.

 

The Scimitar 19 Mar 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A fine morning to you all…

It has been a week of highs and lows…and on reflection, I’m not sure that all the highs will make up for the low….so let me start off with the low and build from there….

It is with sadness that I inform you that our Baseball and cricket sub-sections lost one of their up and coming stars of the future last week….Jamie Ludick, who was only 18 years of age…passed away after hitting his head in a Baseball match at the North last week against the concrete wall on the edge of the field….and after not feeling well the following day and reporting into a hospital in Springs where he fell into a coma…was then air-lifted and transferred to the Joburg Gen, where he did not recover during an operation on Tuesday evening…It is a massive shock to family, friends, fellow players and administrators alike… Our sincere condolences and deepest sympathy to his family and loved ones on behalf of all of us her at the North…a memorial service will be held in his honour on Wednesday (20^th) at 10h00 in the Main Hall…with the unveiling of a plaque and his number at the Baseball Club shortly thereafter….

After a couple of weeks off on a Friday, I was back behind the mike at the draw this week and with the Joker draw now starting to climb to a sizeable value…we had a bumper turnout of people…and the beeeeg black box produced another “newbie”…. Norman Hunter had his moment to ponder the whereabouts of the Joker in front of the Joker cabinet…and despite all the jibes and chirping appeared quite calm and relaxed as he indicated his selection….which, when Glenda turned it over, proved to the two of clubs….so we have another roll over and the “pot” jumps over the 150k mark and settles at R151 538….we are now starting to talk some serious tin here…..definitely worth the effort to come through to the Club on Friday for a bit of a flutter….and with it being a long weekend and the school holidays….it will be a good excuse to take the kids out (there will be a jumping castle for them to expend some of their energy…) while Eben will be providing the entertainment for us….this talented muso has become a firm favourite with the Northerns faithful and I am sure that he will not disappoint….

Also remember that with Thursday being a holiday….we are making Wednesday into a “mini-weekend” and will have Karaoke in the Scimitar…could you all please oil your vocal chords…practice all your scales up and down at home….and showcase your talent at the North….I have it on good authority that Simon Cowell (of Idols fame) who is always on the lookout for new talent will definitely not be here at all…..and we will be starting from about 18h30…..

The cricketers were finally able to shake off some of the cobwebs that they have created over the last three weeks and were in a tenacious mood on Saturday when they met their arch rivals Kempton Park in the “do or die” play off to face Alberton in the finals on Sunday…. it was a little disappointing to see that the administrators decided to allow the show piece of their Club cricket in Easterns…relegated to the back field…as a Titans match is to played on the main oval…but be that as it may, Kurt won the toss and send Kempton in to bat…wickets fell at regular intervals with Kempton being reduced to 48/5 before their the talented Johan Fourie strode out to the middle and was the only player to show any resilience to the rampant Northerns attack….and accumulated and then smashed a bit too, finally scoring 72 off 97 balls…before thiry innings closed on 166 after 46.4 overs…the second highest score in their innings was Mr Extras who contributed 24 runs to the total…a miserable 11 wides were conceded and we were hoping that this bit of ill-discipline would not come to bite us….Phumelelo taking 4 for 28 in his 10 overs whilst Kundai took 3 /33 off 8,4 overs were our destroyers in chief in keeping the Kempton score down….our innings was cruising along quite nicely at 103/2…when the irrepressible Johan Fourie struck a double blow and suddenly we were 103/4 in the space of two balls….once the Kempton bowlers sensed that there was a vulnerability and a fragility that had crept into the Northerns batsmen minds..and then kept pressing and pressurising…and soon we were 113/6 and then 135/8….still needing 32 to win and now only 2 wickets remaining ….now with WP and Stef at the crease with a fairly sizeable task to complete…. but these two batted industriously and at times flamboyantly….to get within 9 of the target before Stef succumbed for  15 off 15 balls…and on strode our last hope…Phumlelo to try to assist WP to the target….the overs were also building up and when the last over started we were 161/9….. 6 runs remaining….the first ball proved to be a dot and meant the pressure was really on….second ball resulted a single as did the third….so 4 runs off three balls….I’m sure all the Northerns faithful chewed their nails down to the quick as the last three balls commenced….another single off the fourth and fifth meant that we needed to score two off the last ball of the match….WP was facing and I cannot imagine what was going through his mind….but he manfully stood up to the pressure and was able to secure a boundary off the final ball of the match…amidst much joy and celebration from his team mates and supporters alike…a magnificent victory…but now the job was only half done…as now we would have to face Alberton at the same venue the next day…Sunday…

Sunday dawned a beautiful day…and our boys had to put the euphoria of downing their old nemesis behind them and take on Alberton in the final…a side that had comprehensively beaten them a mere two weeks previously…and while Kurt once again won the toss he promptly asked the opposition to bat on a tricky surface….and the decision paid dividends almost immediately….with Alberton never really dominated the Northerns attack…..eventually being bundled out for 154 after just over 35 overs…. WP Myburgh this time showed his prowess with the ball…claiming 4 scalps at a cost of 32 in 7.4 overs….we had chased a similar total the day before…was it to be a similar result….but this time our top order came to the party to make it a little simpler for all…the lowest score in the top three being a brisk 36 off 33 by Vaughan….and by the time we lost our second wicket, we already had taken the heart out of the Alberton attack and were only 24 runs short of ultimate target….and we sailed past their total with the first ball of the 32^nd over….the mainstay of our innings was a patient 45 off 77 ball by Musa Twala…while Renier had weighed in an invaluable 48 off 53 to swing the scales in the favour of the North….absolutely amazing result…which means that we started the season with winning a trophy in Polokwane and ending it with another trophy…this time the ultimate that all Premier sides dream of at the home of Easterns Cricket…so well done to Nick, Kurt and all the boys….now the massive test awaits…. Club Champs in the next month or so…I will try to keep everyone up to speed on fixtures and timing….watch this space for further details….

Sunday saw the playing of all the baseball finals at the North…and again congratulations to Shaun and his team of ever willing volunteers…it was a fantastic day that was enjoyed by all…players and spectators alike….baseball is alive and well at the North…..that is super to see…

The rugby boys only had one match over the weekend, where their U21’s took on a Boksburg side that are in a league higher than us….and this time it was our opposition that had to sit up and take note of how well our boys have prepared and played….and we ran  out deserved 60-26 winners…. a great achievement boys….we are truly proud of you..

On the Junior front…..our two summer sports. Baseball and Cricket, recently held their prize giving…to honour the achievements and all the talent that we possess at the Club…and both Chairmen report that they enjoyed exceptionally successful seasons….well done to the Coaches and administrators who give up their time and knowledge to allow our youth to experience and enjoy the sport we all love so dearly…. Our winter sports are kicking into gear and will soon be running at full speed….with the soccer fields being the proverbial “hive of activity” on week nights…with the hockey players taking over the Club and playing fields on a Saturday morning…it is most heart warming to see the enthusiasm and commitment from all the parties concerned….well done!!

Our athletes took the trek to the Magaliesberg to compete in the “om die Dam” event…and from all the photographs and report backs…it proved to be a great day…congratulations to all those who completed this tough race and were rewarded with medals and their ever important times….those who did decide to stay home were put through some gruelling hill work…but I also saw many determined smiles after the practice, which meant that some valuable lessons were learned..please don’t forget the fun run at Northerns on Thursday morning…all proceeds in aid of spaying of dogs..

The soccer boys had proved that their trip to Luso was not a profitable one…as both side lost by the odd goal…..with both coaches bemoaning the fact that their sides threw away quite a few precious opportunities to score and seal the win….finally allowing the opposition in (in both cases) in the latter stages of the match to steal the wins….this week is to be our first home game of the season…a really tough encounter against Robertsham….so please feel free to come and support the boys showing us their talent and skills…kick-off is at 13h45 and 15h30 for the reserves and first side respectively…

My apologies for over running my allotted space this week…but there proved to be quite a bit to share with you on only some of the activities at the North in the last week… if there is anything you believe is noteworthy or needs to be brought to my attention…please do not hesitate to send me an email to rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Have a great week….if you are going on holiday…please drive carefully…we will see you on the other side of the autumn break… take care…cheers

Rod

Norman Hunter (Guest) drew the Two of Clubs . Joker Draw a turnover at R151 538.00 for Friday 22nd March. Be present to win it!!

 

At “The North” – Karaoke – Wednesday 20th March at 18h30. Come and join and show your talent 

“EBEN” entertaining us from 18h30 on Friday 22nd March 

 

BNCC Premier League Champions! Well done men! 5/9 Leagues won in Senior Cricket this Season. History made!

About the www.BNFC.co.za website:

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This website was created in order to provide a centralised platform for BNFC related administative issues and general information. On this website you shall be able to do the following:

• Event dates – lookahead;  Online registration renewal;  Order customised football clothing and equipment;  Rules, regulations and general information downloads;  Contact list for coaches;

Registrations and Pre-screening for Juniors will take place on Monday 6th May at Benoni Northerns Sports Club, 1 Brodigan Street, Rynfield . Unfortunately there will be no clinic held over the school holidays. Benoni Northerns are excited to welcome Junior Rugby

 

 

The Scimitar 6 Mar 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Good morning from our industrious office at the North

The last week has been a little crazy here with year end and the implementation of the membership cards and putting the dual price lists into effect…..and as always there have been some hiccoughs…..but not enough for me to lose my hair completely (admittedly the barber at the “shavathon” on Saturday didn’t have too much work to do as he shaved my head) and we appear to have got through the weekend fairly well…with plenty of members in possession of their new cards….none of our Barmen were assaulted as a result of the higher pricing…we have had an influx of new membership applications….so I am fairly confident that the new system will be of a great advantage to us currently and in the future….

Could all Members please take note that within a week our “Lightening threat” siren will be in operation….we have had some fairly hectic and crazy electric storms in the recent past…and would like to protect anyone playing sport on our fields from the perils associated with this form of storm…..if you are in the region of the North and see anyone playing on our fields…please exercise your civic duty and chase them off in the interests of their own safety….we have seen a growing list of fatalities recently…we do not want to add to these shocking statistics….

For the first time, in many months I was unable to attend our Friday night festivities…but I had some very able and willing Members to report back on any shenanigans that occurred….our popular band, Coyote played their hearts out in the Scimitar bar….keeping the feet tapping, hands clapping and people dancing and singing along for the evening….a great evening of entertainment enjoyed by all….and although it is a tough act to follow, this week we will host the 5 piece band Omega….who always have the crowd on their feet…so please join us for some Friday Fun this week….

The Joker draw this week has a new contestant for this particular draw….but he has been up in this “hot-seat” before…and is also a very familiar face at the North….Ralph Cook was the lucky person to the drawn…and despite the Chairman’ antics, he settled down to make his selection…in the bottom left corner…and when turned, it wasn’t the joker, but the four of hearts….amid the noise that broke out…singing…chanting…clapping…laughing…Lockey trying to keep control and announce that the Jackpot had increased to R140567 and that there now were only 16 cards which are still face down…so please join us this week to see if you could be our newest winner of the Joker Jackpot…ticket sales begin at about 17h00 and continue through to 19h20….with the draw taking place at 19h30….

We had mixed results from our subsections over the weekend…so let me start with Baseball…who were surprised at the last minute late on Friday evening, to be told that they were hosting 14 Softball matches on Saturday…and a roaring success it was….with plenty of positive response to the quality of our playing fields which was overwhelming…so we can expect to be hosting more events of this type in the future…well done to Shaun and his team on a job well done….

Rugby participated in the Brakpan rugby day and had a really good day with three of our teams playing…. the Ladies side had their first run and ended the match with a 14-14 draw against Jaguars…a lovely start for the girls and a great stepping stone to start the season…the U21’s overpowered the Daveyton side in a complete mismatch 69-0….while the first side played Kempton and really impressed in the first half but allowed the opposition back in the second half to win 28-17… this week the teams head off to Nigel for the day….good luck to all of our teams….

Our soccer sides travelled to Alberton to play a new side in the league, Musa United….to be greeted that their fields were already being used by an U19 development match, so the reserves could not take the field at the allotted time…which resulted in a 2-0 walkover for our boys…not the ideal preparation for a difficult couple of weeks that awaits our lads….but be that as it may…the first side overcame the difficult and bumpy conditions to dominate the match but only landing up with a 1-0 win….that said, it is always good to start with both sides taking the three points…..this weekend we make the little trip down the road to Currin Park where we take on Old Bens in the traditional Benoni Derby…. so we will be looking for your presence in a show of massive support on the day…. enjoy the match boys…bring back the points for us….

Our Cricketers disappointed on the weekend….losing to Alberton by 5 wickets in what must be surely our poorest performance to date…. I am not going to elaborate on this performance as I believe that this was the exception rather than the rule…this week our fellows travel to Actonville to take on Spurs…whilst we are on top of the league….we still need a comprehensive victory to remain in that position…so to Kurt and his charges….forget last week and let us get this whole thing back on track…. give it horns….

I see that our athletes are all over the country completing Marathons and Iron Men contests in their quest to the completion of another Comrades finish in June…keep the wonderful spirit going guys…I see the car park is already filling up in the early mornings as well as being really busy at the Club run on a Wednesday evening…. nice to see the Members showing their commitment to the cause….well done guys…

That is it from me for this today….hope your week is a spectacular as well as memorable….enjoy it…. if you have any groan or applause you would like to announce…please do so to my email rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers   Rod

          

Ralph Cook (Social) drew the Four of Hearts. Joker Draw a turnover at R140 567.00 for Friday 08th March. Be present to win it!!

“Omega” entertaining us from 18h30 – Friday 08th March

 

Well done to Zwelakhe Mkorwana who placed 3rd in the Cape Gate Vaal Marathon 2019. Lucky we are so proud to have you as one of our newest members! Here is to an amazing season on the road!

    

AND THEY HAVE DONE IT!!! BNCC Womens League – Champions 2018/2019 Season

The start of many funfilled weekends and memories with the Mini Hockey Season

   

The Scimitar 27 Feb 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Hi there to everyone…..

An exciting week awaits us…as we head towards our financial year end and the implementation of the new Membership cards….with the arrival of the new month…we will have new price lists…. one for Members and one for non-Members, guests and visitors…..our Membership cards will be issued once a Members subs are paid…and the purpose of the new cards has some great benefits to the Members, the Club and Management alike….for the Members it will ensure that you will be paying a competitive and discounted rate as a Member and enjoying promotions at various times….as a Club it will define our crossing of the Rubicon into the technology race, whilst additionally allowing the payments of subscriptions to be accounted for more efficiently…..and for the Management of Club it will ensure a more complete Membership list and an improved communication tool for the future…

If I could ask you to please allow a little leeway in the first few days of the implementation….we have tried to define of all the avenues of deviation with the necessary and applicable problem solving…but I am sure that despite all our efforts, there will be some teething problems that will occur…and it may just be you that will be inconvenienced while we attend to the problem…so I ask for your tolerance and patience if it does occur….

Our Soccer players had a friendly match against Benfica on Saturday….with the second side running out 4-2 winners….having an excellent first half, being 4-0 up at the break…but a poor second half allowed the opposition back into the contest…. The first side was the exact opposite of the reserve encounter….being 1-0 down at half-time….but the strikers produced a sterling effort in the second period….bagging 5 unanswered goals in the second stanza….to run out easy 5-1 winners….a lot of valuable lessons have been learned over the last four matches…and will serve as a solid foundation for the season which kicks off on Saturday….our teams travel to Musa United (a new side in the Super League) to test their skills….good luck boys…let us have the best possible start to the season by bringing home full points from our top teams to start us off on the right foot…

The Rugby boys had their outing at the Springs tournament, with the U21’s having a most successful day registering a 7-5 win….with Patrick Mack being named as player of the match in this fiercely fought encounter…the seconds had the disappointment of having their opposition not arriving for their match….so that meant that the spotlight fell onto the firsts…but they had a disappointing day…with Ellisras proving far too good for us on the day….running out comprehensive 36-5 winners…this weekend all out sides are off to Brakpan…I hope we will be implementing the lessons learned from the first two matches to good effect….

Friday saw a great rocking evening of music with Cedz and Tryst playing some awesome classics, with some brilliant guitar solos….which had the crowd baying for more….so of course that means that another appointment with these talented musicians is guaranteed……this week we have Billy and Martin who team up to play as Coyote at the North….it has been awhile since there last appearance…so please welcome them back with a great crowd to listen to them play….

Our selection of the Joker draw candidate this week landed up with one of the faithful…someone who at times has been added into the fixed asset register….Brad Knight….and despite complaining of a dreadful gout attack, was able to shuffle through from his “spot” in the corner of the  Scimitar and took his place at the cabinet….only to reveal his choice as the King of Diamonds…..with another toll over, the Jackpot now climbs up to R136127…so join us this week as you could be the next person selected to show us where the Joker is….ticket sales start at 17h00, with last sales at 19h20 and the draw commencing at 19h30….tickets are only R5…but you can purchase many as you wish to improve your chances of being selected….

Our runners are gearing up and starting the slow build up process to the Comrades in June…and last weekend was the DisChem Marathon….I did hear few complaints that it was a Club hills practice session on Saturday….so that took its toll on the runners at the Marathon on Sunday….but quite a few of our participants have said that the Comrades is not a “walk in the park”…so the Contestants better start getting used to not everything being “too easy”….. all the best to our runners…may your legs and feet be swift and your mind and heart be strong….

The hockey 5’s came to an end last Sunday…and may I wish all the Winners a congratulations….I watched some of the matches in this exciting brand of hockey…and it really is “fast and furious”….I am sure that all the participants enjoyed their time out there…but now it is time to start preparing for the 11 players games…that should he hitting off in early April….so start getting yourselves fit and ready for another competitive season….

Our cricketers visit to Barnard Stadium was not one of those to be remembered….let me suffice to say that we lost by 5 wickets…. but still top the league…and if we win out remain two matches….will definitely still end the season as League Champions…..if we can do that there is not much else we could ask for…..this week we play Alberton (who are currently in 2^nd place at home with the first ball being bowled at 10h00 on Sunday morning.

Next Saturday marks the registration of both Junior Soccer and Junior Hockey players…so please bear in mind of you are at the Club on Saturday morning…to please be aware that there will be piles of excited kids running around…if you could exercise caution in the car park and surrounds….as I am sure that with all the joy and excitement overflowing…. there could be some errors of judgement exercise when these junior members walk into high traffic areas….

I wish you all well for this week as we approach the end of February already….if you believe that there is something happening to the Club that is possibly not to your liking….or if there is something that you particularly like….please email me at rod.scheepers@gmail.com…. Thank you

Cheers Rod

 

Brad Knight (Social) drew the King of Diamonds. Joker Draw a turnover at R136127.00 for Friday 01st March. Be present to win it!!

“Coyote” entertaining us from 18h30 – Friday 01st March

BOBBY TALJAARD – 29.07.1982 – 26.02.2019.  We wish to express our heartfelt sympathy to Bobster’s family and friends and give tribute to a valued Friend and Sportsman on and off the field. Bobby will be sorely missed in the Benoni Northern Sports Club fraternity.  R.I.P and may you have a safe journey. Xxx

 

 

eloittes Marathon done, with the heat it was a challenging race but accomplished, BNAC’s Bright finished the Deloitte challenge half Marathon in a time of 1:13:37 Position 5. Well done !!

Senior Cricket Fixtures – 02nd – 03rd February
Saturday 02nd March
* 13h15: BNCC 1sts vs Boksburg away @ PG Park
* 13h15: Ladies vs Tsakane @ Home “C” Field
Sunday 03rd March
* 10h00: Premier vs Alberton @ Home “A” Field
* 10h00: Prem Res. vs CBC Old Boys away @ CBC

  

   

 

 

The Scimitar 19 Feb 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Good morning to all

I start our newsletter with some concern and trepidation….we had an unfortunate experience in front of the Club early on Monday morning….. where there was a hit and run on a pedestrian crossing Brodigan Street….as a Club we have actively been involved with road safety issues regarding this street for many years, which have, although listened to and acknowledged by the authorities that be, have not resulted in any positive results in improving the safety aspects for Club Members and members of the public leaving and entering the Club, whether it be on foot or on wheels of one sort or another….we have been told that there could be a traffic circle with the associated calming measures at the entrance to reduce the passing vehicles and allow the traffic to flow more freely….but nothing more has happened on the matter….one of our major concerns is that it may take a fatality for the authorities to eventually take note and be prompted into action….could I please request that anyone that has the occasion to have to walk across Brodigan Street….to please be mindful of the fact the motorists do not pay heed to the “Zebra Crossing”….take extra care if you happen to have to cross this busy street….please exercise all your road safety lessons of looking right, left and right again….do it again to just check again and then proceed across swiftly….. enough bad news and life lessons for now, but please be vigilant and keep an eye out when you do see people crossing there…. thanking you…

With all the rain at the end of last week….we experienced a major shut down of all the cricket matches from the water logged grounds and wet pitches…despite all the super human efforts by the ground staff and the cricket fields committee…..Mother Nature had the final say and even our Premier side match had to be called off early on Sunday morning…. so shared points for the entire league…means that we are still on top of the league with 3 games remaining in the league, we are still on top…but this week will go a long way to sorting out any aspirations that the top teams may have….as we travel to Barnard Stadium to take on our arch rivals Kempton Park on their home turf….I am sure that our boys will appreciate all the support they can muster on Sunday….first ball will be bowled at 10h00…..please join us to witness a great contest….

On the entertainment front, Friday saw the return of the Zimmer Twinz with their amazing lady vocalist who’s voice bears a striking resemblance to Stevie Nicks (of Fleetwood Mac fame)….her spectaular voice has a phenomenal range and they were able to keep the Northerns faithful on the edge of their seats pretty well mesmerised…thanks for a great evening….we will definitely see you again soon…..this week we are catering for the rock faithful…as we have Cedz and Tryst….who will perform hits from the 70’s up to current….look forward to some great guitar solos from Cedz as he show cases his rare and unique talent for us….

Our Joker draw seems to have decided that the regular Soccer Members are to be rewarded currently….as we had a Soccer boy drawn from the beeeeg black box last week…… Chad Bergstrom is another who has always taken tickets in the draw and mentioned quietly in my ear fairly often, that he has never been selected before…..so when he heard his name, the look of surprise across his face was a picture to behold…..and the moment turned out too much for him and he was unable to find the joker…but did uncover the hiding place of the Queen of Spades which was one row from the top in the middle….so…now we are down to only 18 cards face down…..35 weeks into the competition and prize money this week of R131093…..please come along down this week and start your weekend with a relaxed refreshment with friends, whilst listening to some great music and then have a little flutter at only R5 a ticket and you could walk out over R130k richer….

With the rain playing havoc with the white flannelled game…it was left to our footballers to maintain our name on high at the North…. and they did not disappoint…the second side had a very convincing 5-1 victory over Alberton to start off proceedings…the Top 8 has proved to be most beneficial for our sides in the build up to the season as the youngsters in this side have grown accustomed to the more physical aspects, intensity and speed displayed in the league….credit must be given to the senior and experienced players who have imparted their knowledge to the “newbies” and made them more comfortable in the transition from junior to senior level…. the first side had a fantastic first half, with Coach Jannie’s playing system starting to yield dividends, with the players understanding what is required of them on both the physical and tactical demands required…..a most satisfactory 3-1 win a result of dedicated work from both the coaching and playing staff……well done to both sides….those are the sort of results we like with both our top two sides bring home all the points…well done…this week, we will be hosting Benfica in our last friendly of the season as the league kicks off in the first weekend in March….

For all the interested parties in Junior Football, please remember that the Junior Football registration commences this Saturday at 08h00….there is always lots of interest and support for Junior Soccer, so expect to see plenty of noisy and excited little players milling around the Club this Saturday, accompanied by their flustered parents as they attempt to control their offspring (which is usually an impossible task!!)

Rugby kicked off their year at a pre-season tournament….allowing our under 21’s, reserves and firsts to play their first matches of the year…with the U21’s playing a strong Brakpan team and came out with a 15-0 loss…but the coaches are really happy with the team and tactics which shows definite promise for the season…..the second team played Delmas, but the opposition dominated the match and ran out 15-5 winners….coaching staff felt our team didn’t capitalise on all of our opportunities…but if we are able to push through our team is also looking good for the year….the first side presented their skills in an encounter against Brakpan seconds and were able to register a victory of 19-5….always great to start the season with a win….so we are on our way…..reports back from management were that they are confident of a great season for this season…please join them as they travel to the Springs rugby day this weekend…..and remember that practices are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Club starting from 18h00…..

Please don’t forget that Main Club subs fall due by the 28^th February…and with the new card system being tested and implemented over the next week….we are most excited as we open a new chapter in the Club’s history….

Still a busy week despite the rain putting a dampener on the cricket boys weekend….I’m looking forward to an amazing week, hope you are too…if you think there is anything (however trivial) that you believe needs to be addressed,  please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com and let me know your concerns…..

Regards and cheers

Rod

  

  

Chad Bergstrom (Football/Baseball) drew the Queen of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R131093.00 for Friday 22nd February. Be present to win it!!

“Cedz Tryst” entertaining us from 18h30 – Friday 22nd February

    

Benoni Northerns Indians Baseball Star: Rowan Ebersohn’s excellent displays for the South African Senior National Team during last year’s seven-game home series against France, earned him some admirers in that country. Rowan was a standout figure for South Africa in their 5-2 series victory over France where he proved himself as the Most Valuable Player for the South African team. He hit the most home runs in the French Series and hit the most RBIs (runs batted in). Ebersohn (who was previously contracted to the Minnesota Twins) will play abroad again after being offered a six-month contract as an overseas player with French top-tier team – “The Rouen Huskies”.

        

 

     

 

16 February Benoni Northens played their first warmup games of the season. First up was the under 21s againts Brakpan under 21s that players in a league higher than Benoni. Unfortunately Benoni lost 15-0 but we expect our under 21s will do great in the league.  Our first team played against Brakpan 2 and won 19-5. Benoni opened the scores with a try early on and dominated the first half. Second half the rain came pourning down and was a more evenly matched second half.  Our second team played in the main game of the day againts Delmas. Delmas dominated the game from early on and won 15- 5 in the end. Benoni was in the game but didnt capitalized on all the opportunities.  We as the flagship rugby club of Benoni expect to have a great season with all our teams and need the support of our fans. Join us next week Saturday when we will take part at the springs rugby day.

The Scimitar 13 Feb 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A very good day to everyone

It has been superb to watch the transformation of our fields over the last few weeks…..the rain has disrupted some of our events and sporting matches….but our grounds took a lot of pressure during the heat wave that we experienced late last year and early this year….and now Mother Nature has in her own way remedied the ills of the heat wave with some wonderful rain…to soak and cool down the earth…and of course provide the necessary nourishment to promote and foster growth….so the greens of summer are most prevalent again on our fields at the moment….and it has provided Brian and his team with plenty of work cutting and mowing the extraordinary growth we are experiencing at present…..even some damage caused an over enthusiastic operator and poorly aligned mower has not proved as disastrous as it originally appeared…and should be sorted out in a hurry now….

On Friday night, Freedom Unfound proved why they have become so popular with the Northerns faithful….as they played a succession of marvellous music for the duration of the evening…thanks to Ryno and his new Bassist and Rob on the drums for producing such an entertaining evening…we welcome back the Zimmer Twinz this week, who have grabbed at the opportunity to diversify in their last few appearances and have included a lady vocalist…which has increased the variety of music that they produce…hopefully this Friday will continue in this vein and include some new unchartered territory again…join us on Friday to find out…

Our Joker candidate this week was a “newbie” with Terry Alexiou having his name pulled from the beeeeeg black box…and after his initial shock at being selected appeared most relaxed and quickly selected jest to the left of “slap-bang” in the middle of the board…..to reveal the 5 of diamonds…. and this week, as per normal, there was a massive roar from the crowd….singing, clapping and jeering all instantaneously broke out….once again the Joker draw lives for another week…and now the jackpot is starting to gain momentum….R126362 is available for this Friday….a sizeable sum to have deposited into your bank account on Tuesday morning….and all that for a R5 wager…..tickets are on sale in the Hall from 16h30 to about 19h20….and the draw take place at 19h30 in the Main Bar….try your luck this week…you never know…it may just be your opportunity to find the Joker!!

Our Soccer players went to visit the super league winners from last year Luso in the Top 8 competition…and this is always a difficult encounter…..there are a few grounds that are really difficult to take any points away from the hosts…and this is one of them… our second side started off brightly enough, racing into a 2-0 lead and then seemed to counter punch from there….they absorbed loads of pressure from an extremely experienced Luso side….and rode their luck to out on top of a magnificent 3-2 win…well done boys….that is really a top notch effort…..our first side were not as fortunate, coming out on the wrong side of a three goal thriller….some pundits would call us unlucky…but coach Jannie came home with a lot positives…after blooding some new young talent….including 18 year old Dan Crawshaw….not the result we would have preferred….but with a long arduous season still ahead of us….we will build in the positives….this week both our sides are at home to Alberton the second side kicking off at 13h45 and the first side starting at 15h30….the matches will be played on the ‘C’ field across the road…please come along and support….

Our cricketers encounter with their nemesis CBCOB, proved to be another nail biter….Kurt, once again winning the toss and asking the position to open the batting…..and they were rollicking along quite nicely at 111/3 before the machine from the North started to tighten the screws and slow the scoring rate down… to eventually bowling them out off the last scheduled ball of their innings for 192….. Stef Jordaan being our star taking 4 for 34…and Leonard Killeen chipping in with a solid performance of 3 for 26….and we began our chase of 193….it didn’t start off too well…with our “in-form” batsman Vaughn, getting a first baller….but we slowly built our way up to 83/4 when Leonard and Kurt got together….and Kurt was in a most attacking frame of mind….bludgeoning 56 off 54 before being caught out with the score on 168…. a little wobble as we lost another couple of wickets by time the score reached 175….another 18 runs and the only the tail left…..but Lance had other ideas smashing 16 off 14 to take us home by 3 wickets…. if I know coach Nick, he may have had a few heart flutters during the chase from the time that Kurt lost his wicket to the end….. but all is well that ends well….and now we breathe a little easier after another win….we are still on top of the league….but Kempton have slipped into 2^nd place above CBCOB….but with the Alberton result was still outstanding at the time of writing, that 2^nd position may not be cast in stone yet….this week we take on Boksburg at the North…with the first ball being bowled at 10h00….should be another cracker….I will be down to support….I hope you do come down too…..

Our senior Rugby trials were held on Saturday afternoon and the coaches were happy with the talent on show….but if you do know of any new players please send them down to practices on Tuesday and Thursday nights, new players are always welcome….our first encounter for the season is a trip to Delmas…. good luck chaps….

Our runners are starting to get into their preparations in earnest in the quest of their goals….and will be travelling to all corners of SA over the next few months, as they build up the mileage to strengthen their bodies and legs…..good luck to you all…I seem to be on a different route to the early morning runners, but I see that the Club run on Wednesday are really well supported….

Our Bridge Members recently had their AGM to elect a new committee for the oncoming year…..Well done to all the Committee and office bearers elected…. Brydie Bullen-Smith has been elected as Chair-Person for the year to steer Brydie into 2019.

That’s it for this week….have a fantastic week…if you believe that is any matter that needs some attention please feel free to email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com and tell me about it…..

Regards and cheers

Rod

Terry Alexiou (Guest) drew the 5 of Diamonds . Joker Draw a turnover at R126362.00 for Friday 15th February. Be present to win it!!

“Zimmer Twinz” entertaining us from 18h30 – Friday 15th February

BNAC 2019 Club Runs:
· Tuesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Tuesday 5:45pm – 4/8km Time Trial – Start/Finish on Wilge Road, Farramere
· Wednesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Wednesday 5:45pm – Start /Finish at BNAC – Currently 10-12km, increased every month building to Comrades
· Friday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Saturday 6am Hills – Start/Finish at Bedfordview Virgin Active 18km, increase from mid Feb
We have 2 different paced schools running on Tuesday & Friday mornings & 4 different paced schools on Wednesday evenings.

 

Thank you Velly.  Great Sunday fun run. Fixing the World’s problems

 

Starting the round of top 6 with an awesome win and showing!!  The ladies showed their compassion with the Hoërskool Driehoek community by wearing purple and yellow ribbons during the game, for the pupils who tragically lost their lives and those who are still recovering.
Benoni Northerns’ Ladies flying the Benoni Cricket Flag HIGH!! 🚩🏏🚩🏏🚩🏏🚩

   

Join Benoni Northens Rugby Club, “My Super Rugby Fantasy League” on @Superbru! You can find the pool here:

Superbru.com – Super Rugby Fantasy

or by downloading the Superbru app and searching for the pool with code:  armybeam

 

The Scimitar 06 Feb 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A special good day to you all

Exciting times are awaiting us as we advance the Club into the digital era….we will soon have a fully functional on-line registration system for all of our members, throughout the spectrum of sporting codes that we offer at the North….allied to that we will see the phasing out of our distinctive metal discs that used to be evidence of our Membership at this esteemed establishment…from the beginning of our new financial year (which happens to coincide with the start of the new month, March) we will be issuing a plastic, credit card look-a -like, membership card….which will in addition to stating the obvious of being a fully paid up member….entitle you to membership discounts at the bar, special offers and prices from our kitchen….and promotions that may be offered from time to time….in addition to all of this, you will be able to put money onto this card and then be able to complete your purchases at the Club by allowing the barman to scan your unique code at the Point of Sale system……these cards will be issued to all members as your subs are paid, and will be valid for the year of issue….for those technophobes who only carry their phones with them, you will be overjoyed to hear that a copy of this code will be sent to your email when the physical card is issued…and may be used in the same manner as the card…with the same results…. you will be able to check your “credit” at any point…which will be explained fully on issue….and I am sure that despite all the time, effort and hard work that has been put into this mammoth task, and all the guarantees by our suppliers that it will work effortlessly….there may be some teething problems that will occur…so I request your patience will we smooth out the hassles as and when they occur….

I am convinced that our Members believe that they will “melt” in the rain….since joining as Manager…I have not missed too many Friday nights at the North…but as soon as there appears to any likelihood of the water from the heavens….our Members seem to stay at home and do not venture their noses outside….so we had a quieter than normal crowd on Friday…but that gave those here a little better chance of being selected…that said….one of our two famous (or is it infamous) men who stands behind the camera and take the photos of the Joker Jackpot contestant every week….almost had to take a “selfie” this week…. our Football Chairman, Rodney Farrell, who had recently been complaining to me…that in the almost 5 years that the Joker draw has been at the North for….had not been called up even once….well just to show that everyone has an equal chance at being selected….it was Rodney’s chance to have his 5 minutes of fame this week….with over R118k available….and he eventually calmed himself enough, to review the available choices and selected one row up from centre…on the extreme right hand side…..the crowd eventually stilled and craned their necks to see what his choice was to be….the nine of hearts…..as normal a cacophony of applause, singing and whistling from the crowd broke out, as they realised the Joker was alive for another week…and with the Jackpot now starting to grew fairly quickly….it has now grown to R122345 and with only 20 cards still face down…..your chances improve each week of finding that elusive joker….so come along down this week and try your luck….you may just be the next winner of our Joker Jackpot…. last week we had all the aspiring Idols winners with an evening of Karaoke….while this week we have the return of Freedom Unfound….Alan Knight will be waiting for their rendition of Lightning Crashes to satisfy his craving for real Live music again…..so be sure to get into the Scimitar to rock along to this great band…

With cricket having a bit of break while they waited for the last matches to be squeezed in….and rugby only starting up with their warm up games next week….the attention focussed on the soccer boys in their first match of the season against Sporting…..and not our best results for the weekend….after the second side ruling the roost last year….this year is going to be a year of building as the players from last year move up to the first side for their opportunity…and there are a whole lot of new players being “blooded” for the future….quite a few players were given a chance to showcase their skills….and after being 2-0 up at half time allowed Sporting to hit back hard in the second half with a clinical display and we ended up on the wrong side of a 3-2 result…but for the first game of the season, a “not too bad” comment aptly summed up the day…. and with a new look 1^st side…Jannie had his work cut out to mould this unit into a purring machine…..but he has done an admirable job and the boys had a highly satisfactory report card to share the spoils and come away with a 1-1 draw….some detractors may say that there were a few opportunities missed that may have allowed us to bring home the win…all other signs were encouraging enough to have a super base to build the season from now…. this week we travel to Luso and a really tough encounter awaits us there…..so grit your teeth boys and give your all and bring back the spoils to brag about……

Our Baseballers had a massive day of action on Sunday with 16 matches being hosted on our grounds…and from the report back from the Chairman…the day was a huge success….well done to Shaun and his dedicated team of helpers….to be able to host a tournament of this size successfully was a major feather in your and the Club’s cap….. an awesome achievement…..

Our cricket boys are back on the fields this week and host CBC at the North on Sunday with the first ball being bowled at 10h00….they would love your support…so if you are looking to watch some great cricket…the North is the place to be…

Hockey 5’s has returned to the Club with a vengeance…and more of these action packed will be hosted at the Astro again on Sunday…with action hitting off early at 08h00…there are also a couple of catch up games postponed due to the lightening last Sunday….so expect a pretty full programme of hard, fast and furious hockey all day….

Speaking of Lightening….we are aware of this threat that is now starting to become an epidemic…we are currently looking at installing a siren to warn all participants at the Club of any threatening activity in the vicinity…..we will be getting a policy and procedure out to all Members as a matter of urgency over the next week to ensure the safety of all participants on our grounds in the future…

If there is anything you would like to bring to my attention that you think hasn’t been done in the past…please feel free to email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers…have a super week

Rod

                

Rodney Farrelll (Football/Main Club Exec) drew the 9 of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R122345.00 for Friday 08th February.

 “Freedom Unfound” entertaining us from 18h30 – Friday 08th February

BNAC 2019 Club Runs:
· Tuesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Tuesday 5:45pm – 4/8km Time Trial – Start/Finish on Wilge Road, Farramere
· Wednesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Wednesday 5:45pm – Start /Finish at BNAC – Currently 10-12km, increased every month building to Comrades
· Friday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Saturday 6am Hills – Start/Finish at Bedfordview Virgin Active 18km, increase from mid Feb
We have 2 different paced schools running on Tuesday & Friday mornings & 4 different paced schools on Wednesday evenings.

The Scimitar 29 Jan 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER  

Good morning to you all

We have had some fresher mornings in the last little while and I find it a little surprising to experience this sort of weather so early in the year….I could expect fresh breezes like this towards the end of March at the change of the season….but not in January already…Mother Nature is really pushing my willpower and resilience to the limits….I have been starting my morning walks a little earlier, to attempt to crack the whip on the “battle of the bulge”….and there have already been a few mornings when I have poked my nose out of the door and given second thoughts to my exercise regime with the exercise winning thus far, but it has been close…. whilst on my walk I get to encounter our ever dedicated athletes on their morning run…one of the highlights of my walk….to hear the happy banter as they approach…and then get the chirps about “one day we will make you into a runner” cause me to chuckle at the suggestion …..but the laughter and happiness that these runners enjoy is something to behold…..so thank you Jan and your crew on supplying me with a morning smile…..

From all reports our contingent of runners that competed in the Johnson Crane marathon acquitted themselves admirably and enjoyed the cooler weather that was presented by Mother Nature for the day….  I heard of some devastatingly quick time in the shorter races for some of our runners, but these were not able to be confirmed officially at the time of writing…but this bodes well for the future….good luck to all our runners in their schedule to their quest of conquering the Comrades…there will still be a few hurdles to overcome before the big day…after Sunday it looks like our athletes have raised the bar significantly…marvellous stuff….

Our cricketers had another convincing win…to maintain their position at the summit of the league and now cannot be caught… we have 49 points, 6 ahead of CBC who are on 43…..both of these sides have completed their fixtures…with Alberton in third place on 38 points with a game in hand, which is against 4^th placed Kempton…who are on 29 points….and still have another outstanding result from last weekend…if Kempton win both those remaining fixtures with a bonus point they can still end up in third place… we will have to wait until the close of play this weekend to find out who our opposition will be for the playoffs…. back to our performance for the weekend…Kurt Francis lost the toss….but I think we landed up doing what we wanted to anyway…and soon had Bedfordview in trouble…..but the real destroyer landed up being Leonard Killeen…who bowled 5.5 over had two maidens and grabbed a “fifer” for nine runs….and amazing feat….this resulted in Bedforview being rolled for 118 in just short of 38 overs…..with the target set…our batsmen climbed into their task with a vengeance…Vaughn getting back amongst the runs with a solid 47 off 59…..while we lost some wickets in the chase for quick runs…but eventually passing the total required in the 20^th over….for the loss of three wickets…to record an impressive 7 wicket bonus point win….well done boys…enjoy this weekend off before you have to head off into the play offs….you deserve the break after a most impressive run in the new year….

Preseason rugby training is going well…please join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays…. we are offering 1^st and 2^nd’s, under 21 and ladies at senior level this year….a super improvement in depth over last year…and with us also having Junior rugby at the North for the first time…it is testament that the committee and players have been hard at work getting all their structures in place….a great tribute to Lourens and his committee…..congratulations on some wonderful work….

Senior soccer begin the start off their season this weekend with the Super 8 competition kicking off… we have a home fixture against Sporting on Saturday on the “C” field….the second side kicking off at 13h45…with the firsts following at 15h30….. please come along to witness the new talent that has joined us…together with the experienced players from last year it is an exciting prospect going forwards….

The interest in the Joker draw appears to be revitalised…with crowds starting to come through again Fridays…and this weekend with over R110 thousand available, we had no exception….the beeeeeg black box produced a new name… a football member, Dean Steyn was drawn out this week….and he looked a little bewildered at the prospect….as is with most of the winners selected…..we all buy a ticket…but never really expect to be drawn…..back to Dean…after a bit of contemplation he pointed to his selection…one line above centre on the extreme left….and this produced the hiding place of the two of spades….to another set of spontaneous applause and some loud singing and chanting from the football table accompanied the card turning over….much to Dean’s disappointment…..but the crowd again showed their appreciation that there was still a chance for them to participate next week…the Joker Jackpot now rises to R118520…. and we expect another great turnout for this week….we will also be having Karaoke to entertain us….so oil your vocal chords if you think you are the next idol in waiting…we will be starting from about 18h45 with the singing….19h00 for the club and raffle draws…19h20 the last Joker tickets are sold….while at 19h30 the draw for the Joker seeker will commence…after that Karaoke will continue trying to unearth the hidden talents at the North until late…. so please come down for a great way to celebrate the start of the weekend with us….

We are in the process of updating the North into a new era of technology….so keep an eye on this space…and keep the date of March 1 in your diary…for exciting new developments…

If you have any concerns and accolades at or about the Club…please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers…take care

Rod

Dean Steyn (Football) drew the 2 of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R118 520.00 for Friday 01st February. Be present to win it!!

   

Come and show us your talent – Kareoke – 18h30 on Friday 01st February 2019

BNAC 2019 Club Runs:
· Tuesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Tuesday 5:45pm – 4/8km Time Trial – Start/Finish on Wilge Road, Farramere
· Wednesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Wednesday 5:45pm – Start /Finish at BNAC – Currently 10-12km, increased every month building to Comrades
· Friday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Saturday 6am Hills – Start/Finish at Bedfordview Virgin Active 18km, increase from mid Feb
We have 2 different paced schools running on Tuesday & Friday mornings & 4 different paced schools on Wednesday evenings.

BNAC – Johnson Crane 2019.

     

     

     

Our first warm up games for BNRC u21, 2nd and 1st teams are confirmed. We will have our first warm up 16 February at Delmas rugby day following with rugby days at Springs 23 February, Brakpan 2 March and Nigel 9 March.

If you want to play rugby this year get to practice so we can get you fit. Practice on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s 18:00 for 18:30. See you there…..

   

The Scimitar 22 Jan 19

BNSC NEWSLETTER  

A beautiful good morning from here at the North….

My view today is a perfect example of what a summers day should look like…. stunning green leafed Oak trees standing in a dwindling line down to the Tennis Club…flanked by green grassed verges…all framed by a sunshine filled blue sky… (okay, okay!!… the tarred car park doesn’t really add to the vision….but I will ignore that for the moment in order to fill my perfect picture….)

Our Friday started off as normal….juniors cricketers practicing and playing a match under lights….but a little rain put an early spanner in the works of that plan….and sent parents and kids alike under the cover of the Club house and of course the bars…where they were welcomed with open arms…..we were all sharing the Scimitar with a band debuting at the North, Black and Blue…and what a welcome addition they proved to be….a brilliant trio of musicians….with plenty of Members over the course of the evening being drawn to the Bar…like moths to a candle….to listen to this extremely easy listening bunch….so the good news is that Black and Blue will most definitely be on the recall list and will grace us all with their presence again….

As 7.30 approached …the tension began to build as the name was about to be drawn for the Joker Jackpot….and Members and their guests began to fill up the Main Bar….at the appointed time…I opened the beeeeg black box to search for a ticket that displayed the name to be looking for the Joker…and this week was a newbie….Pam Smit had a look of shock and surprise as her name was called….and then to the whoops and cheers from her table…she slowly edged forward to take her place at the cabinet….was a little flustered at having to have her photo taken before she was able to look at the cabinet…and then looked around for some assistance as to where she should point out….she eventually took the bull by the horns and indicated her selection…and Glenda slowly revealed the……..seven of hearts…..shouts of glee and some spontaneous applause from the surrounding crowd indicated their happiness at the prospect that the jackpot would still be available for them next week….and with a growing Jackpot to now reach the level of R114 494….and with 31 cards already turned face up…means that your chances of finding the Joker have improved once again…. please come and join us this week to begin your weekend on a happy and relaxed foot…it is pay day Friday…and at only R5 a ticket you can afford to improve your chances of being selected by taking a bunch of tickets….January has been a really long month….(heard a great description of the current month…..January is like 31 Mondays in a row….thought it was most apt)….so with pay day approaching it means that the end is in sight…..and we have Eben entertaining us…he is an amazing musician and returns as he extremely popular with our Members….come along and make an evening of it….

I have seen quite a lot of activity on the fields in the evenings….as pre-season begins to gain momentum and the interest is piqued at the prospect of the new teams and friends…Soccer begins their Super 8 competition early in February….so it is almost time to commence the action part of the year…Rugby has a little longer to go before their first matches kick-off….but there appears to be a good turn out and some new players joining our ranks as we head into an exciting season for our “rugga bugga’s”….keep those heads up fellows….fitness is a critical part of any sport…the fitter you are personally….the more options you offer the team and the coach….so get out there and get fit….

This week the other half of Benoni will be filled with runners….as the Johnson Marathon takes place….I wish all our athletes well, I hope that your legs are swift and your mind is strong ….this is usually a good indicator of current fitness and stamina levels….for all those not taking part…please take note of the road closures and diversions that will occur for most of Sunday morning…. please keep a those participating in your thoughts….the early weather forecast gives a cooler day….but these have been known to be fairly inaccurate in the past….

Another easy victory for our Premier cricket side on Sunday…. with the result achieved within 65 overs of the scheduled 100….Kurt Francis again had the fortune of winning the toss and send Duduza in to bat…..and albeit with some slow batting they made steady progress…but lost wickets at regular intervals to end up with a total of 140 after just short of 42 overs….three of our bowlers enjoying similar success, with Joshua, Leonard and Phumelelo sharing nine wickets between them equally….well bowled chaps….to chase the target appeared to be a bit of a breeze for our top three…an opening stand of 94 between Renier and Kyle setting a solid platform, before Kyle lost his wicket for 42 (50),  Rian then continued the onslaught….and the target was achieved in the 22^nd over…Renier achieving his half century 55(57) and Rian 32 (28)…another bonus point victory which consolidates our position at the helm of the log….one more game left for us against Bedfordview away on Sunday….. All the best boys, give your best, we really need the win this to ensure our top ranking….. we are currently six points ahead of our closest rivals, but still need the win to ensure that we are in control of our playoff place…..third placed Alberton (who are seven points behind us) still have two games to play of which one is against fourth placed Kempton….and that will clear up that portion of the playoff places….I am certain that the boys would  really love to have some support…so if you have some spare time on Sunday…please go along to watch them…it will be greatly appreciated….

If there anything that concerns you at or about the Club…please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers…take care

Rod

Pam Smit (Valued Guest) drew the 7 Hearts. Joker Draw a turnover at R114494.00 for Friday 28th January. Be present to win it!!

     

“Eben” will be entertaining us from 18h30 on Friday 25th January 2019

BNAC 2019 Club Runs:
· Tuesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Tuesday 5:45pm – 4/8km Time Trial – Start/Finish on Wilge Road, Farramere
· Wednesday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Wednesday 5:45pm – Start /Finish at BNAC – Currently 10-12km, increased every month building to Comrades
· Friday 5 – 6am – Start /Finish at BNAC
· Saturday 6am Hills – Start/Finish at Bedfordview Virgin Active 18km, increase from mid Feb
We have 2 different paced schools running on Tuesday & Friday mornings & 4 different paced schools on Wednesday evenings.

Well done to BNAC’s Dieter Stapel. 1st Master in the Springs Garbie 32km 20/01/2019 💪👏

 

Easterns Premier League Log
Pos	Team		P	BP	W	L	D	NR	TD	PEN	RR	NRR	Tot
1		Benoni Northerns CC Premier	10	8	9	1	0	0	0	0	5.49	2.25	44
2		CBC Old Boys CC Premier	10	6	8	2	0	0	0	0	4.58	1.19	38
3		Alberton CC Premier	9	5	8	1	0	0	0	0	6.24	1.92	37
4		Kempton Park CC Premier	9	5	7	2	0	0	0	4	5.11	1.67	29
5		Actonville Spurs CC Premier	10	5	5	5	0	0	0	0	4.24	0.46	25

Easterns Premier Reserve League Logs
Pos	Team		P	BP	W	L	D	NR	TD	PEN	RR	NRR	Tot
1		Benoni Northerns CC Promotion	9	8	8	1	0	0	0	0	5.67	2.06	40
2		Kempton Park CC Promotion	9	7	7	1	1	0	0	0	6.22	2.88	37
3		CBC Old Boys CC Promotion	9	5	7	2	0	0	0	0	4.84	1.61	33
4		Bedfordview CC Promotion	8	6	6	2	0	0	0	0	5.7	2.22	30
5		Alberton CC Promotion	9	3	6	3	0	0	0	0	4.57	0.25	27

 

   

 

      

BNRC’s U21 first warm up games, (02nd and 1st teams are confirmed), will be on 16th February at Delmas Rugby Day following with Rugby Days at Springs – 23 February, Brakpan – 2 March and Nigel – 9 March. If you want to play rugby this year, get to practice on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s 18:00 for 18:30. See you there.  Benoni Northerns Rugby club will enter a ladies senior team into a new league created especially for the ladies. Practice will start early February but on 31 January we will be doing prescreening from 18:00 for all the players interested in playing this year.  Womans rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. If your are interested to play you have to be 19 years and older.  Contact Jaco Havenga on 0824949604

 

Scimitar 15 Jan 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER  

A muggy good morning to all from a hot and humid office at the North

Some highlights of the week just passed….pre-season training for soccer and rugby….crushing victory for the Premier cricketers….flash floods….unexpected dam in the tent…..junior cricket about to commence…full-time mowing of the fields…training for the Comrades begins in earnest….Life Member misses his opportunity at the Joker Jackpot….

Let me start off with our weekend….it started in a brisk fashion with Adam Boyd from Boycott Ballad serenading us with his amazing renditions of popular songs and some wonderful new originals…I must say the his version of Hallelujah was epic…thanks Adam…. This week we introduce a new set of faces…their name is Black and Blue and they come highly recommended….so please come along to witness and welcome them to the North….they will be live from about 18h30 in the Scimitar or Patio (weather dependent)…

Shaun Taylor was considering himself as the luckiest man in the beer garden on Friday night….as his name was drawn in the Beer Raffle and he promptly won a case of Castle Lites…..he was still beaming from ear to ear….when to his surprise his name was the one selected from the beeeg black box for the Joker draw….. it seemed to be “old hat” for him as he has been up there in “hot seat” before…and he calmly waited for his photo to be “snapped” away…and then turned to the cabinet and quite nonchalantly pointed to his selection in the line below centre and watched in horror as Glenda revealed the Ace of Spades….so still no winner and now we are down to 22 face down cards….so the chances of revealing the joker, once again improves….and with a Jackpot now of R110 078…definitely worth a visit on Friday evening….at R5 a ticket, try your luck…it could just be your lucky day….see you there….

Some of our pre-season training has kicked off in earnest in the last little while, with rugby joining soccer with a fresh and early start…I think the coaches are wanting to make sure that their charges get rid of their festive season lethargy and are out there increasing their fitness levels….pushing their players to their limits…so don’t worry too much about bringing your playing boots…but rather some running shoes to improve your long term athletic prowess…

Speaking of athletic prowess…I see that our early morning school of runners seems to be growing…I get fortunate enough to meet them on a couple of mornings a week while they are busy building up their stamina and speed to achieve their own personal goals in the future….they are a great bunch of athletes…cheerful, happy and always with a ready chirp or comment to make you smile…thanks guys, keep it up…don’t ever lose sight of your own person targets and aims….

All the rain we have had, has resulted in our grounds staff having to put in extra effort to maintain the fields at an acceptable standard…Brian and his team have worked so hard over the last two years to get our grounds into top-class condition for which I personally thank them….most heart warming to see the fields are such getting back to their best after a really difficult set of weather patterns…heat waves interspersed with drought like conditions… followed by some devastating rain…. accompanied sometimes by hectic winds…and one of those winds made our tent billow up and one of the main tent supports fell over with nothing to support…. but some quick and efficient work by our Duty Manager and his bar staff…the inverted tent  (which by now was now a mini dam) was emptied and the pole replaced with the minimum fuss and hassle…..so a massive tank you to Shepherd and his team….you make my life a lot easier with your level of commitment and endless energy…

Our cricketers on Sunday made short work of their opposition Kwa Thema….after winning the toss, Kurt sent the opposition in to bat…and their scorecard makes for sorry reading…only 3 players making double figures…with extras having the dubious honour of being second top scorer with 13…..coupled with 5 ducks in the Kwa Thema innings…the visitors lasted for 20 overs and were bundled out for just 66, Stefano picking up 4/19 and the other three bowlers bagging two wickets each for runs that were just into the teens ….. the top order made short work of the chase…which took just under 9 overs to complete….not without a couple of early scares though….our batting hero from the first half, Vaughn failing with the bat and Rian being unable trouble the scorers…so a comprehensive 8 wicket win…with a bonus point….still on top of the league….keep it up boys…let us keep that momentum going…this week we are at home again….and are hosting Duduza…everybody please come down to show your support in our quest to top the league….first ball on Sunday will be bowled at 10am…

Junior cricket practices and matches commence this week for the second half of the season onslaught….good luck to all of our teams….I hope that you are all well rested after your summer break and are ready for the intricacies, guile and psychological warfare that is played out on the fields…

Our baseballers are also busy again… with their respective leagues in both junior and senior formats continuing this weekend…good luck chaps….have a super second half of the season….

If you have any suggestions or complaints about something at the Club…please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers…take care

Rod

Shaun Taylor (Hockey) drew the Ace of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R110078.00 for Friday 18th January.!! Be present to win it!!

Congratulations to all our BNAC Members who took part in the Dischem 21km; first for the year! Bright finished in the top 10 over all!! Here is to a successful year out on the road

 

Cricket MVPs for last weekend:  Aron Visser 93*, Andre Steyn 91, Dewald Pretorius 87, Luke Holland 80, Sian Dippenaar 78 & Joshua Thomas 9-0-37-4

   

 

 

BENONI NORTHERN’S FOOTBALL 2019 SENIOR PRE-SEASON IS NOW IN FULL SWING……..EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY EVENING AT 18:30 SHARP AND SUNDAYS AT 9:30,,,,,,,,,,BRING RUNNING SHOES AND BOOTS ⚽️

  

BNRC’s U21 first warm up games, (02nd and 1st teams are confirmed), will be on 16th February at Delmas Rugby Day following with Rugby Days at Springs – 23 February, Brakpan – 2 March and Nigel – 9 March. If you want to play rugby this year, get to practice on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s 18:00 for 18:30. See you there…..

Benoni Northerns Rugby club will enter a ladies senior team into a new league created especially for the ladies. Practice will start early February but on 31 January we will be doing prescreening from 18:00 for all the players interested in playing this year.  Womans rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. If your are interested to play you have to be 19 years and older.  Contact Jaco Havenga on 0824949604

     

The Scimitar 8 Jan 2019

BNSC NEWSLETTER  

A great good morning shout out to you all

As we begin a new year, I would like to take this opportunity…to wish all our Members and readers a happy and prosperous 2019….I hope that this is the year where your wishes come true and that it will be highly successful for us all and collectively as a Club.

We have had some really varying weather patterns…with some heat wave conditions, some chilly winds, whilst intermittently experiencing some really tropical storms as well…. I wasn’t sure if we were staying at the coast with some of the humid days that we have experienced of late….but I am still extremely happy that we are still busy with my favourite season, summer and there is still a while away before I have to haul out my winter woollies to wrap up….I trust that the summer break was enjoyed by all….whether you were lazing at home, on the beach, in the bush, on a farm, in the mountains or even some exotic destination… I hope that we are all ready to take on the challenges that await us with vigour and verve and that these are accomplished with ease.

Our last night of festivities in 2018 was a great evening….with partying, singing and dancing being the order of the evening….the 5 piece band, Omega, proved to be a popular attraction again, with plenty of people enjoying their versions of some classics and new covers that we haven’t heard before until late into the evening, despite some rain coming in trying to spoil our party, we were able to still finish the night dry with the aid of the tent over the patio…a little earlier in the evening Marco du Plessis had his name drawn out of the beeeeg black box and was standing apprehensively in front of the Joker cabinet….trying to formulate his plan and system to see if he could determine where the joker is, he was even brought a beer case to stand that we could ensure that he had a view of the entire board….but it all came to naught as his selection (which happened to be in the middle of the bottom row!!) turned out to be the ace of hearts…..with the joyous applause from the crowd indicating that everyone was most chuffed the Jackpot was still available for the new year….so this week, we will start the year with R106 280 available for the person who can show where the Joker has been hiding himself….as our entertainment for the evening we welcome back Adam from Boycott Ballad….who is always a popular maestro with his amazing voice and interesting take on favourites, giving them a quite unique feel and sound….with it being the first official Joker draw Friday of the year, we will have the jumping castle available for the kids entertainment…I’m sure there will be a few Junior cricketer’s who will test how well that works while their parents are able to enjoy a cool refreshment in the beer garden…. join us if you don’t want to miss out….

Our cricketers hosted their annual 6-a-side tournament last weekend…and what a lot of fun it turned out to be…sixes…fours…wickets galore….plenty of laughs…throw in buckets of beer…and it is the recipe for a great day of fun….thanks to Dylan and his crew for a super event…this is definitely an occasion not to be missed….diarise it already for next year….first weekend in January and already a full set of fixtures up for our cricketers….our Premier side play their first game of the year at home, when they host Kwa Thema on Sunday starting at 10….please pop down and support our boys in their quest to win the league….

The Soccer have already started their pre-season training and had a great turn out on Sunday at the first run of the season…Coach Jannie is quite excited at the numbers that have arrived and shown interest thus far….practices will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 18h30 sharp and also n a Sunday morning at 09h30….it is suggested that you include running shoes in your soccer kit bag…..I have a feeling that fitness will be concentrated on at the moment….

Hockey will continue at the end of the month with Hockey 5’s whilst I think that Rugby will be starting off with pre-season training very soon….please note that we will have a fully fledged Junior section playing Rugby out of our beloved North this year…so well done to the administrators for getting that off the drawing board and onto the playing fields…

Our Baseballers are also already busy on the diamonds practicing for the second half of the year…so good luck with all your matches too…

That’s all for this first edition of the new year….again let me wish you all the best for the oncoming year…remember that if you have any suggestions or complaints…please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Have a great week…and to all our Junior Members starting school tomorrow…good luck in your next year of studies, as all the parents collectively breathe a sigh of relief I’m sure…was it my imagination or was this holiday seriously short?

Cheers…take care

Rod

Marco du Plessis (Football/Hockey) drew the Ace of Hearts. Joker a turnover for January 11th 2019 at R106280.00. Be present to win!!

   

At “The North” – Friday January 11th 2019:  * Beer Garden open from 12h00 serving Pub Lunches.  * Adam Boyd “Boycott Ballad” will be entertaining us from 18h30. 🥪🎸

BNAC ready to go at Varsity Kudus. First race of the 2019 Season 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🦌🦌🧀🍅

     

What a successful 6 a side tournament again. The rain stayed away, and fun was had by everyone involved. Hope to see you all again next year!  Congrats to the new champions, Coachie’s All stars, ending the 3 year run of Rusty Trombones.

                                                

 

BENONI NORTHERN’S FOOTBALL 2019 PRE-SEASON IS NOW IN FULL SWING……..EVERY TUESDAY AND THURSDAY EVENING AT 18:30 SHARP AND SUNDAYS AT 9:30,,,,,,,,,,BRING RUNNING SHOES AND BOOTS ⚽️

     

The Scimitar 12 Dec 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER  

Good day to you all

Almost done an dusted….another year about to disappear…..this is always a time for reflection….what have I accomplished this year…was it what I set out to do…or is there more I still have to do….the lekker part is that every year we seem able to wipe the slate clean on December 31…and new goals and targets get set for the new year…yes of course, some of those ideas may be super optimistic…but keep the ultimate goal in sight at all times….. so as we move into the “silly season” of partying and holidaying….a balance between outstanding tasks and some relaxation….whatever it is that you (or your wife has) have chosen to complete over this period….may each of you be most successful in the targets that you (or your wife) have set…may you all be filled with the fellowship that this season should generate….and that 2019 be the most amazing year for you all… I personally am hoping that 2019 brings us all a little more cheer than 2018….may it be an amazing year of dreams fulfilled and challenges accomplished for all of our Members.

This weekend started off with the Junior cricketers having a fun evening…braai with loved ones and the jumping castle for kids to have some fun with….fortunately the weather played along and we landed up with a great turnout and a super evening….Freedom Unfound were producing some brilliant music in the Scimitar…feet were tapping and people singing along to some classics as we celebrated another awesome night at the North….everyone was still expectantly awaiting their name to be selected from the beeeeeg black box as the hour approached for the Joker draw to commence…..this week we had one of our regulars at the Club to make his debut as a Joker Jackpot candidate…..he was quite astounded at the fact that his name had finally been drawn after years and years of trying….so much so…that he looked at the contents of the cabinet he said “I think I need a beer”….and promptly ordered one…poured it…and had a large sip….before relooking at the available cards…..and then hesitantly pointed to his selection….I think his heart stopped….as the card was slowly turned over to reveal……….the seven of spades….raucous applause erupted from the gathering crowd…spontaneous singing emanated as the crowd knew there was another week for their dream to remain….and this week we have finally welcomed the six figure jackpot….R100315 is the new jackpot figure available for one person to take home with them this weekend….remember this is the last Joker draw of the year…so your last chance to get your name called out that you can find where the Joker is hiding…the odds are improving every week…there are now only 25 cards now left to select from….this week we have some superb minstrels …Omega, the five piece band that has proved to be very popular…playing some old classics, but also playing covers of some really popular and other current tunes too….I think that the evening could be most festive….join is if you can….

Tomorrow (Wednesday 12^th) Richard (the Joker draw man from last week) is hosting his annual Pub Run at the Benoni Country Club….the route covers about 6.5 k’s…. the run will start at 17h45, while the walkers will step off 15 minutes earlier at 17h30….this is a fantastic initiative and fun event, so if you are free, please come down and enjoy with us….

The Social section hosted their annual golf day, which was held at the Police Mechanical School in Northmead….and as always what a fantastic day….the action began early at 05h30 with a complementary whiskey and milk starter…. the mobile bar on the back of Mark Hardman’s bakkie was one of the most popular vehicle on the course….some wonderful golf was played….but allied to that was some real rubbish too….but what the common thread amongst all the players on the course…was that of laughter and pushing your partners to play better golf…. my thanks to the organisers for another fantastic, enjoyable and memorable day…I will be back next year….again…

We hosted our annual staff party on Monday….where we honour and thank our staff for the stirling effort that are able to maintain throughout the year….to Shepherd and his crew….my gracious thanks for all your efforts…it is greatly appreciated and valued….

As the year winds down…this Friday will be the last of our “normal” days at the Club as we know it….as on Saturday we will only have the Scimitar and beer garden open…and will work on skeleton staff…. so the Club will be open for business each day from 10h00 to 20h00…apart from the 25^th and 26^th of December and the 1^st of January…..the jumping castle will be in the beer garden…so bring the kids along to have some fun….Normal services will resume on January 7….

Not much going on with our sporting codes…but we have had a request to promote a sport that we don’t offer at Northerns….but Benoni High are now offering Water Polo…and if there are any interested players…please contact Brad Savage-Reid on 082 781 4701…..I’m sure we have a few marvellous players that would like to join them.

To all the Members and Guest who receive our Newsletter weekly….there will be a three week break…as Glenda and I take a bit of time out to recharge our batteries that we can operate and maintain our efforts for another year….to everybody out there…may you all have a marvellous festive season….may your Christmas be joyful, blessed and filled with the true spirit of Christmas….enjoy the family time…have a spectacular New Year and may it be prosperous….and I hope all your wishes come true…

If you have any suggestions or moans and groans about the Club..please email me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

In closing it is a drive carefully out there….there are a lot of drivers using the roads who normally aren’t on the road…..but now bring their cars out to travel the long distances to be with their family and friends…..so take a little extra care out there…

Take care….Rod

Richard Pretorius (Athletics) drew the 7 Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R100 315.00 for the last Joker Draw in 2018 to be drawn on Friday 14th December. Be present to win it!!

 

Another successful Benoni Northerns Xmas Golf Day was had on the 09th Dec at the Police Mechanical School with the Players teeing off at very early hours of the morning. Winners of the day were Enrique Juanas-Uriol, Victor Pinha, Emile Rademeyer and Mike McKee finishing on 33 points. Well done Guys !!

      

Omega entertaining us from 18h30.     * Beer garden open from 12h00 serving Pub Lunches🌮🥗🍻🥃🍷

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ATHLETICS

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The Scimitar 5 Dec 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER         

Hi there to everyone….

With our little heat wave that we are going through…it has been a time for cool refreshments, shade, swimming pools and shade…Andy Dudley has taken on the task of creating some shade….and has rigged up some additional shade for the beer garden for the hot months….it looks like a great initiative and will work a treat Andy…thank you….we will also be having a jumping castle in the beer garden for the entire summer break…and we plan to have a trial run this weekend to see how it goes….so please get the kids to come along to test it to see if will be a hit for the summer break….

The Christmas period is my favourite time of the year…and it is fast approaching…everyone appears more positive and happy at the prospect of vacations and spending quality time with family and loved ones….I trust that you all are in a positive frame of mind for the coming festive season….there are Christmas Carols blaring out in all the shopping malls (please no Boney M classics) there are new goodies on show, gadgets for the guys (young and old) trinkets and bling for the girls…everyone is stock piling food to feast on..drinks to improve the merry making…the wrapping  of presents to then  frantically hiding them from the kids and loved ones…it really is a satisfying time of the year….everyone seems a lot more relaxed…it is the season of giving and people are in that mood…wouldn’t it be lovely if everyone could carry on with that attitude throughout the year….to try to maintain the feeling of goodwill, our Scimitar bar will be open for the entire festive season for our Members and guests…so feel free to pop in and join us…bring the kids…the jumping castle will be up and can hopefully keep them occupied for a while too….

Our Fridays have been a little quiet…I think everyone is awaiting that the Joker Jackpot gets up into the 6 figure numbers….well we are almost there….after last week, we had a new name in the joker cabinet….Brent’s son Kelvin, who is up from PE to see his dad was the name to be drawn from the beeeeg black box….unfortunately for him, his luck at being drawn, did not continue onto the selection of the card to reveal the Joker…..and was only able to reveal the King of hearts….and this means that we edge ever closer to the 6 figures…and now sit at R97527….with no winners on either of the Members draws, means that as a member you have a chance to win almost R100000 in prizes this week….so come through…bring the children to have a jump on the castle….and listen to the sweet sounds of Freedom Unfound to sing along to….and let that end of the year feeling wrap you up too and transport you into a relaxed start of the weekend and the festive season….

The only premier side playing this weekend were the cricketers who travelled to Boksburg….and came to earth with a horrible bump….losing by 3 runs on the dreaded Duckworth Lewis method in a rain shortened fixture….we won the toss and sent the opposition in to bat…and after taking wickets at regular intervals….had them all out for 160…with Kundai bagging 4/38 and Leonard Killeen grabbing 3/15 and a run out in his 10 overs providing the bulk of the wickets….with rain affecting play, we had an adjusted total of 158 to get…..but it proved to be a task too large for us on the day…and we were bundled out for 154 and lost by 3 runs…. the only fellows to provide any resistance were Kurt (40 off 53) and WP (35 off 73)…whilst the rest really folded on the day…a real disappointing result, but we are still top of the league, by 6 points and still 3 games to go to completion of the first round….we can only hope that the new year will keep the momentum going that we enjoyed before this match…. enjoy your festive break boys…..and then come back in the new year refreshed and ready to go in the new year again….the cricket boys will start the year again with their annual six-a-side tournament on the first weekend of the new Year….

Next week sees the annual Athletics pub run….that will be run/walked on Wednesday the 12^th at the Benoni Country Club…. walkers will begin at 17h30 with the runners putting their best foot forward 15 minutes later…. this is always a great evening of joyous frivolity…. come along to experience it with us if you haven’t done it before…..

The Vets and Ladies soccer are also going to be taking their festive break….they have had a new home for this first half of the season…playing all their matches on the top hockey field (thanks to Eastern Gauteng for the use of their field, while we perform some well earned R&R on the Soccer C field that endures an absolute pounding with the number of feet crossing it during the course of the year)…I have heard that despite the field being a little small….report backs are all positive on the quality of surface and the general lighting…all the sides are in the upper half of their respective leagues at the moment…so keep that up in the new year…I hope that you all have a really good break and come back revitalised…

Thanks to the Council for upgrading all our flood lights with LED’s…I am sure that this will have a positive effect on out monthly electricity running expenses of all the sub sections and Main Club….

If you have any complaints or compliments, please send them to rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers till next week

Rod

Kelvin Colley (Guest) drew the King of hearts. Joker Draw R97527.00 for Friday 07th December.

 

“FREEDOM UNFOUND” WILL BE PLAYING from 18h00 on Friday 07th December .

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FOOTBALL

 

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The Scimitar 27 Nov 18

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A very good morning to all

Another week has disappeared…meaning we are one week closer to a magical time of the year….the period that I always look forward to is the Christmas break…..summer weather…and everyone appears to be in a good mood….everybody has a little more time for their fellow human beings….most people are able to take a little break from work…and their frame of mind is relaxed….the general feeling of well being and fellowship is prevalent…I really love this time of the year….stress seems to be packed away and left at work…(why can’t we do this more often?)…. Kids are uber excited at the prospect of Father Christmas bringing something special for their Christmas stocking….  but enough dreaming for today…back to reality….

This weekend was a busy one at the Club on so many different levels….normal Friday fare, cricket played over the whole weekend, Athletics year end function…and then the busy and noisy event from Sunday, the ToyRun….

Friday night greeted the return of the Zimmer Twinz…these two muso’s are like a real quality vintage red wine…they seem to improve each time they join us…this week they brought along guest artist….with the voice of a nightingale, a cross between Stevie Nicks and Blondie and everything in between….thanks guys…your new vocalist is a gem…she can join us anytime you can bring her along…..the patrons in the Scimitar were astounded at her amazing talent….the Members draw in the Main Bar again produced no winners….whilst the raffle had the staff happy…as Victor won the beer draw….but again everyone was awaiting the Joker draw….apparently Emma and Adele didn’t care much for selling the tickets….but Andy and Rae slipped into the breach and manfully withstood the “Black Friday” ticket sale rush….as the beeeeg black box was brought to the fore…and was opened to start the selection of the new Joker winner candidate……and the name this week was a new one……Clint Maxwell…who likes to be known as Max….was the lucky person….and he appeared a bit bewildered at the prospect of having to complete his choice….but he eventually settled down, with the stars in his eyes after having his photo taken…[smile…flash..smile…flash….smile…flash..] and then decided that he would choose in the centre of the board….a little down to the right from dead centre and the normal hush as the crowd awaits…whether to groan in disappointment…or to cheer in glee…… Glenda pushed the envelope of waiting a little longer for everyone……and then she turned his selection over to reveal the two of diamonds…..and the gleeful shouts emanated from the surrounding crowd….as we have another week for everyone to have their opportunity at being our next big winner….this week the Jackpot has risen to R95313…and as we approach the magical 6 figure Jackpot…everyone is fervently awaiting their chance of being drawn….at only R5 a ticket, there is a fantastic chance at being drawn as the next candidate to reveal where the Joker is hiding away…we are now in week 27, which means that we are almost half way….27 cards are still face down, but after this week, the number of cards face up will outnumber the face down ones….for our entertainment this Friday, we have the father and son duo of the Wilsons…who don’t like taking a break whilst they are performing…so it is literally non-stop music…their only breaks are for our draw dictated times of 7 and 7.30…..come along and have an evening of fun with us…..

The top performing Athletes from the Club were honoured at their year-end function in the Hall on Saturday night…it was fantastic hearing about all the achievements of these talented individuals….in the various forms of the sport offered at the Club….trail running, marathon, iron man…the list seems endless of the variants that are available these days….  Congratulations to all the winners of the various categories offered…..it was a great evening…and I have it on good authority that some of the party revellers decided to walk across the road after the party to assist with the Toy Run organisation…so a leeeeetle bit of a late evening……

And onto Sunday…..the Toy Run is an amazing day…..the amount of commitment given to this event is amazing…I love the mass arrival of all the “boneys” as they used to be known in my day…the “seeing is believing” sights of the car park…..piles and piles of toys in the collection areas…..the booming music coming from the gig rig…. the chirps and comments from the beer tent….. I personally would like to thank a few people….to our Club President…thanks for your tireless efforts, it is greatly appreciated by the Members and staff of the North…. to Peter Beart (Toy Run organiser in chief) you are a true squire and gentleman….nothing ever seems to phase you… whatever situation you get placed in, you handle it with the utmost aplomb….to all the Northerns volunteers…a massive thank you for all your efforts…you always put in a massive effort in ensuring that all the bikers remain well hydrated…thank you…. special mention must be made of the Venners (Bryan and Liz) who always make the annual trek from Cape Town to come and assist behind the bar…..superb efforts, thank  you guys…..and of course my staff, who put in long hours every year to make sure that everything runs smoothly…thanks everyone….

While we were busy with the Toy Run…our Premier league cricketers were locking horns with United Cricket Club….after we won the toss and sent the opposition in to bat…..things appeared to be going along pretty well at 127/5 before a major collapse ….saw them bundled out for 138 after a few deliveries short of 38 overs….Northerns climbed into the target attempt pretty quickly and they chased down the total with ease…getting over the line after only a couple of balls into the 16^th over….with Vaughan Humphreys top scoring with 76 from 52 balls….well batted sir…. you are enjoying a rich vein of form at the moment, long may it continue….this week our boys travel to Boksburg…..all the best…let us keep the momentum going….

If you think we’re doing things right (or getting it wrong) please let me know on my email rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Have a great week….hope to see you all soon\

Take care

Rod

 

  

Clint Maxwell (Guest) drew the 2 of Diamonds. Joker a turnover for the 30th November at R95313.00. Be present to win it…..!!  

 

“THE WILSONS” WILL BE PLAYING from 18h00 on Friday 30th November.

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ATHLETICS

     

Well done to Andre Bredenkamp who was the 10km Grandmaster winner at the inaugural Voortrekker Monument Road Race on Saturday, 24th November 2018

Pretty chuffed to have won the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club’s Most Improved Runner for 2018 Award last night. Such a surprise as I’m usually the one taking photos of the award winners. This sport has done the most remarkable things for me and I am eternally grateful to everybody at BNAC for all the support, advice, laughs and company on the many runs. 🧀🍅“One foot in front of the other”. 🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏃‍♂️🏆🏆🏆 – LOGAN GREEN

 

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FOOTBALL

 

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The Scimitar 20 Nov 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A fine good morning to you all

Finally some respite from the heat wave…and some welcome rain for our parched ground….the grass on our fields has been decidedly “crinkly” underfoot with the sun extracting any moisture that it contained with a vengeance over the last two weeks…Brian and Victor have been trying manfully to water the fields….but by the time it leaves the sprinkler…I think it evaporates…and the ground is as dry as was before…but the rain seems to have brought the necessary nourishment back to the earth…everything smells and looks fresh again…..hopefully this year summer can balance the weather a little better….to have extreme heat-waves and then destructive storms is a really disconcerting mix…..maybe my memory is playing tricks on me….but I seem to remember whilst we had some serious daily heat too…but the clouds used to roll up in the mid to late afternoon for three or four afternoons a week…we would have a joyous thundershower (sometimes even with the old “monkey’s wedding”, as the sun shone brilliantly, while sheets of rain were teeming down to relieve us of the heat) and within half an hour the skies had cleared and we were still able to enjoy a brilliant sunset whilst braai’ing some meat, and / or enjoying a sundowner in the cooler conditions…..but just maybe, my memory has become “selectively biased”….#sheepishgrin#

I saw a sad message from our intrepid City Times journalist Logan….that two of the monstrosities of floodlights at Willowmoore Park were imploded this week….I always thought these bastions of the night, would stand “guard” at the entrance to Benoni down Tom Jones Street forever….sadly my fairy tale does not have a happy ending…..new lights have been erected and the old have to make way for the new….I am sure that almost every single one of our older Benoni residents have at some point in their lives participated under those lights, either running around the track, playing on the fields, shouting at inter high or inter house sports, watched and sang along at a Carols by Candlelight festival…or have some special memory of this wonderful home of sport in Benoni….I am all for improvement for the better….but when I saw Logan’s post, it brought a tear to my eye, as I had some nostalgic recollections of a multitude of memories I had there…..

Back to the festivities at the North over the weekend….cricket is the order of the weekend…with juniors and seniors swelling the numbers at the Club over the weekend….boys having their bit of Friday night fun under lights…while their team mates were polishing up their skills at practice…and their parents were kicking back in the beer garden and under the Bedouin tent….having some cool refreshments to soothe their dry throats….we had the hugely talented Adam from Boycott Ballad serenading the crowd in his own unique style….he does covers of popular songs and really alters them to suit his style….and really owns them….he has built up a solid following of Members (who make sure that they do not miss out on any of his performances)…and they sit often mesmerised, listening to him….we definitely welcome him back when he is able to fit us into his busy schedule….the set of Members draws produced no winners….but the raffle had a popular name in Ralph Cook coming up….while the feeding frenzy for the Joker Draw is starting to occur as the Jackpot approaches the magical six figure number…. The beeeeeg black box is starting to get fuller with tickets…and this week the name pulled out came from the lucky corner…..Alistair’s corner in front of the Joker cabinet ain the Main Bar….Martin Iske had his name selected (and brings hope to Emil, Theo and the handful of regulars in that area, as they believe it is just a matter of time before some of the magic frmm the lucky corner rubs off on them!!)…enough of that now….Martin was most distraught that he had to have his photo taken with me rather than Glenda as it usually is….but he got his ducks in a row pretty quickly….assessed the board….and made his choice….slightly up from centre and second card from the right…..a hushed silence awaited the big reveal…. Martin muttering something about “hurry up you so-and-so”…but I had to draw my moment out a little more…..and turned over the card….to show the Martin and the awaiting crowd….the eight of spades….a short silence while the crowd still held their breath…and then the joyous shouts or delight that the Jackpot is still available for them in the next week… so we are almost at the halfway point….25 cards gone…28 still available….and Jackpot of R93651…..that is a bunch of money that will change quite a few things for the person that walks away the prize…. Join us this week…as the Zimmer Twinz will be entertaining us for the night while our Members and their guests will try to test the lucky stars if they can be our winners for this week….

Our Premier league cricket side took on the might of Springs Old Boys…..Springs won the toss and elected to bat….but did not have the most successful day at the crease…scoring 158 all out after 38 overs….with all of our bowlers sharing in the wickets…even our coach Nic taking one wicket in his four over that he sent down…. In our chase, everyone contributed….with the top score coming from Rian with a solid 50 not out off 44 balls…allowing us to pass their total with still 7 wickets remaining and only half the overs used….so after 6 matches, we are on the crest of the league with 6 wins out of 6….and well ahead of the chasing pack….keep it going chaps…..this weekend we take on United (who currently lie in third position) at the North…..with all the activities on across the road at the ToyRun….we can expect a quietish day out…but I am sure that the numbers will roll in over the course of the afternoon….all the best…..

Last Sunday we hosted a Christmas party for a local childrens home…and it turned out to be a bumper afternoon of frolicking fun for both the Members and the children…..who were taking turns in racing up and down to ensure that they got their opportunity to slip their way down the water slide….from all the shrieks of laughter….it appeared that this should be a permanent fixture on hot and steamy days…… thank you to Adele Steyn for taking the initiative and setting up the day….and to all the volunteers and contributors, who ensured that it would be an afternoon to remember for all the kids….

This weekend, we host the annual Toy Run….which is always a fantastic event….the en masse arrival of the motor cycles from throughout Gauteng….is definitely a sight to behold….all carrying various different sizes and types of Cuddly Toys…. We are privileged that we have been chosen as the preferred hosts…and would like to thanks the Lions and their organising committee for bestowing this honour on us again….thanks to our staff and volunteers that ensure that all the bikers remain hydrated throughout the day…. And to our organiser in chief (and President nogal too) Craig Wittstock, who makes time to head up all the teams and organisation from Benoni Northerns for the day…Thank you Doc….

Our international sides had a great Saturday of results…even our Soccer players coming out with a draw against Nigeria….while the rugby and cricket sides enjoyed wins over Scotland and Australia respectively….and albeit that the rugby win was another close call….I would rather win in a fiercely competed match than come out second…..the cricketers had a fairly comprehensive win against the Aussies…after I initially thought there would be no play due to the rain….it was the first 10 over international match that I have watched….but it was great to beat the Aussies again…well done…

Hope that everyone has a great weekend a super week…take care…contact me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com if you have any suggestions, queries or complaints…

Cheers….see you all soon…Rod

CHILDREN’S HOME XMAS PARTY – Sunday 18th November was a great success and enjoyed by all (Adults included).

  

Thanks to everyone for all the donations, gifts and love that you shared with them.  A BIG THANKYOU to The Main Club for the venue and all of their help and assistance – Adele Keyser-Steyn  

   

Martin Iske (Social) drew the 8 of Spades. Joker Draw now on R93651.00 for Friday 23rd November. Be present to win it.🌮🥗🍻🥂

“ZIMMER TWINZ” WILL BE PLAYING from 18h00 on Friday 23rd November.

 

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ATHLETICS

Entries for the Two Oceans ULTRA marathon on sale 13 November 2018 at 10:00.  Update/create your race profile now to ensure ease of entry.  www.twooceansmarathon.org.za     

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CRICKET

Benoni Northerns U8 Impala vs SOB  –  Two undefeated teams met in the first night game for the season. SOB won the toss and sent Benoni Northerns in to bat. Benoni Northerns ended on 133 for 2 in their allotted overs. SOB down to 96 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs. Another great win for the boys in red and white. Congrats to our players of the game!

  

🏏Senior Cricket Fixtures – 24/25th November🏏Please note that the entrance to the Main Club on Sunday morning will be via the gate by the Cricket Nets.

Good luck to our three ladies representing Benoni Northerns in the Easterns squad against KZN Coastal in KZN.
We know you will make us proud!!
🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏🏏  Lila Nell – Calley Jansen – Alicia Smith Harding

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The Scimitar 13 Nov 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A hot and humid good morning to everyone…

Finally some summer weather has greeted us for the last few days and what a weekend of fun and happiness was experienced at the North….our usual Friday fare of fun, schools T-ball competition at the Baseball grounds, our Main Club’s gala event of the year, the Sportsperson of the year Dinner and Awards, cricket against our Arch-rivals….and international rugby to boot….

So let us begin at our usual Friday night fun at the North…. it all started off with junior cricket practice….an exciting night cricket match for our future cricket Protea stars….and our live entertainment in the form of Freedom Unfound…who rocked the night away at the North until late into the night….I usually only get complaints late at night about the noise levels at the Club…I actually received a compliment from one particular resident who enquired as to who the band was and when were they scheduled to play again, as they would like to come and see them…so well done to Ryno and his boys for even getting the locals to enjoy his particular brand of music….we completed our members draws and raffles without much fuss….but everyone was really waiting for the big one…the Joker draw….which stood at R89316 for someone to take home…there was a hushed silence while I scratched around in the beeeeg black box for a ticket….the name drawn was one of the Athletics superstars and stalwarts, all wrapped into one….Dieter Stapel…..he has completed more Comrades Marathons with silver medals, than there are Springboks in the starting line-up!!, but is also a faithful Club member and regularly is seen on Friday evenings…back to the joker draw…Deiter decided that his selection would be in the bottom left corner (but one)….unfortunately his guess turned out to be the eight of hearts….and means that with the roll over moves the Jackpot up to R91 299…..and means of course that our chances of finding the Joker are improved as we move toward week 25 of our current draw… Adam (Boycott Ballad) will be performing for us with inimitable style which has created a large support base of regulars at the North….

Saturday morning was a hive of activity of junior summer sporting codes….with a full house of junior cricket…whilst the Annual T-ball competition hosted by the Baseball section proved to be a massive success….with all the fields filled to capacity…well done to Shaun and his crew of volunteers that all added to the successful day…

Saturday evening the North played host to the Annual Sportsperson of the year competition…a glittering affair…with plenty of past winners, chairmen and stalwarts of the Club joined to honour the sporting achievements of the various individuals proposed by their respective sub-sections….The Junior Sportsperson of the year for a phenomenal third year in a year comes from the Football boys…..Andisa Hola was chosen….as part of the most successful Colts team….Andisa is a worthy winner to hold the current mantle…well done young man, hopefully we will find your name engraved on the senior trophy soon too…. The competition in the senior category was fiercely competitive (as always)….but the top achiever this year, selected by the independent committee….was Aron Visser…a young man only nineteen years old…his talent has already been displayed at the Easterns semi pro level at the Africa cup… he also represented Tukkies at the Varsity Cup and has played for the Easterns Academy side…he is an integral part, showing experience way above his year,  of our first side and we can be proud to have such a great young player in our ranks…Congratulations to Aron…the evening was a resounding success and was thoroughly enjoyed by all….

Sunday saw the rivalry between Kempton and our Premier cricket side renewed (these two sides have maintained their position as the top two sides in the league for the last few years now…and Sunday proved to be no exception….) Kempton won the toss and had no hesitation in sending Northerns in to bat…on what would prove to be a very difficult pitch to bat on….but our batsmen showed resolve and were moving along pretty nicely at 114/3…before a mini collapse saw us at 163/8….cometh the hour…cometh the men…and Stefan Jordaan and WP Myburgh got together…battened down the hatches…and as time progressed…changed from defence into attack….and slowly by surely,  the score mounted and the partnership grew…10, 20……50, 60….80, up to 90…with some vociferous crowd support who were hoping for a century stand to literally put the nail in the coffin…the the  pair adding 91 for the 9^th wicket….giving Northerns at least a target to defend…. as soon as Kempton started their innings, they realised that it was going to be a difficult task to achieve the target set…soon they were 37/4…but they did recover to 137/6…before the Northerns attack demolished off the tail….skittling the opposition for a mere 169, scoring a significant win by 85 runs….in fact, a magnificent win for the boys…but a special mention of the bowlers…Kundai bagging three wickets, two each for Stefan (one of the batting heroes), Stefano and Leonard…while WP also added a wicket to his batting heroics from earlier…a proud moment in the history of the Cricket sub-section…..Well done guys…a great day…

On the International rugby front…our Springboks pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat…to score an 85^th minute try to secure a three point victory over the French… after the disappointing loss last week…it makes us all feel a little better…..albeit there could be critics saying that we were lucky….I will accept the win after the difficult time last week….

If you believe that we could be doing our job better at the North…please send me an email to rod.scheepers@gmail.com and tell me where we could improve…even if you think we’re doing okay, please let us know…thanks for all the feedback…it is greatly appreciated…

Have a great week…take care,

Cheers, Rod

   

Dieter Stapel (Athletics) drew the 8 of Diamonds. Joker Draw a turnover at R91299.00 for Friday 16th Nov. Be present to win it!!

  

ADAM BOYD WILL BE PLAYING Solo from 18h00 on Friday 16th November.

  

BENONI NORTHERN SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS – 2018 

 JUNIOR NOMINATIONS:
* Athletics – Rachel Schwulst
* Baseball – Robert Emmett
* Cricket – WP Myburgh
* Football – Andisa Hola
* Hockey – Nikita Klopper
* Rugby – Stephan Smith (Not present)
🏆WINNER – ANDISA HOLA – FOOTBALL🏆

 

BNSC SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR 2018
* Athletics – Bright Mikolongwe
* Baseball – Anthony Sayers
* Cricket – Aron Visser
* Football – Daniel Suffield
* Hockey – Dale Griffiths (Ashley George stand in)
* Rugby – Jay Botha
🏆WINNER – ARON VISSER – CRICKET🏆

 

🏆BNSC MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS 2018
* Life Member – Shaun Taylor
* Clubman of the Year – Bob Foster🏆

 

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Entries for the Two Oceans ULTRA marathon on sale 13 November 2018 at 10:00.  Update/create your race profile now to ensure ease of entry.  www.twooceansmarathon.org.za

 This years end of year function “Cowboys Wild Wild West Rodeo” 🤠 is happening 24 November 2018 at the Benoni Northerns Sports Club!  Dress up and come join us for one last show down as the year draws to a close!

Let either Aimèe (082 857 3031 / bnacevents@gmail.com) or Madge (madge@bnac.co.za) know if it’s Yay or Neigh🐴

R150 secures your spot, tickets are limited.  Hope to see you there… Yee-haw!!!

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CRICKET

Senior Results 10-11 Nov

Sat 1sts lost by 103 runs (United)

Sat 3rds won by 7 wickets (Kempton)
Sat 4th won by 2 wickets (Wattville)
Ladies won by 8 wickets (Wattville)

     

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FOOTBALL

 

 

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The Scimitar 7 Nov 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Tonight it is good evening from my home office….

A few delays…have meant that I need to complete my message to you a little later than envisaged…but all it does is give me a better perspective on the important issues in life…. please don’t ever take anything for granted…it could easily disappear literally in a moment…

Enough of the philosophical approach…let’s get down to the nitty-gritty at the North….

Last Friday saw a good mate of mine return to the Scimitar…Bones brought a new partner to entertain us for the evening… and although Peter was not at his best…he was as good as his guarantee that Rich was an amazing and talented musician…he played us one hit after the other in foot-stomping style that had us calling over and over for more…so Thanks Bones..you were 100% correct…”Comfortably Numb” was an amazing rendition…but you failed to tell us that he would be brilliant at a myriad of other favourites too…so thank you for a great evening…for those who weren’t there….(sorry for you!!)…this week we welcome back Freedom Unfound…who remain a popular favourite of the crowd…. come and listen to them rock the night away….

Back to Friday…and the weekly draws….this particular Members draw…made my heart stop for an instant as I realised that the number drawn was a school mate of mine…David Fosse…(who is a regular, sitting in the corner of the Scimitar, week after week)….and he only realised that I was not pulling his leg…when I asked him to please forward me his banking details on Monday morning…so our Members draw has been won at R3600 (well done David…your regular attendance has been rewarded …..this proves once again, that the more often that you are at the Cub on a Friday evening, the more you increase your chances of being a winner….

When it came to Joker draw time the excitement levels had risen (as they always do)…not yet to fever pitch…but the “hub-hub” in the bar has definitely raised the decibel level as the conclusion to the current week culminates in the pulling of the ticket from the beeeeeg black box…this week we had an odd name “Jannie Cassidy”…I was a bit concerned as I thought we had got a throw-back to the seventies and David (of the Partridge Family and a solo career fame) had a brother who actually came to our little out-post in Benoni…but nothing as romantic as that…the name drawn was Jannie vd Berg (of 1^st team coaching fame) who had entered into a pact with his daughter to have a joint ticket chance….. Jannie also meant business…. and sussed out the board momentarily… pointed confidently to his selected card..(top row but one… extreme left hand side)  fully expecting that his selection to be a weeeeena….but not such luck!! He was able to find us the Ace of Diamonds…much to the joy of the waiting crowd….singing cheerfully at his demise….which means another roll over…this week we have R89316 available for the lucky person selected at the Joker Draw…and with the improved odds…we now have 30 cards remaining….which means that 23 cards are face up and we are the same number of weeks into the current draw….we are reaching the congruence point at speed…..where the chances of finding are going to be simpler than missing it…time will tell though….join us this week and test your luck at being out newest Joker Draw winner…

Our National Rugby players had us in the throes of ecstasy and disappointment over the duration o the match…but our Bokke should have wrapped that match up in the first half… landing up with us all ruing the long lineout throws…whilst the interesting tackling technique displayed by Mr Farrell, had us all howling our discontent at the poor handling by the officials….another time will tell moment…of whether this is merely going to be a storm in a teacup….or whether it will throw international rugby as we know it into absolute disarray…or whether the Bokke administrators will show diplomacy or outright arrogance  in their approach to this sensitive issue…. it is going to be interesting match this week based on Rassie Erasmus’s post match interview on future training of tackling techniques…..

The only Premier league side in action this week were our cricket boys…who made the difficult trek down the road to CBC to take on their might…which has proved to be a difficult task in the past…but this week we came up Trumps….albeit we made it difficult again for ourselves…the opposition batted first..and were able to amass 204/8 in their 50 overs., with Stefan Jordaan being our most successful bower with 3 wickets for 31 in his 10 overs……..leaving us with another difficult chase…we once again battled at start up being at 27/2 and 90/3…. but then settled in..and the next wobble was at 185/5 where we lost another three wickets before getting past the line with two wickets to spare…but with still more than 7 overs remaining…. another special mention of Vaughan Humphreys…who is going through a purple patch with the bat…as he smashed 79  off 94  deliveries..assisted by a twin 31’s from our skipper Kurt and Leon Killeen…which were able to bring the victory to Northerns…another character building performance by the boys….this week we are going to have our resilience tested to the utmost…as we challenge out traditional rivals Kempton at our enclave at the North…please come down in your numbers on Sunday to support our fellows…. I can guarantee that they will truly be appreciative of a solid crowd to support their endeavours this weekend…

If anyone was down at the Club last Wednesday evening…..will be able to bear testament that the Rowlin Annual Glow Run was another resounding success…well done to Jan his team of able volunteers….who ensure that the race was a pleasure to participate in…. this is the one race that I cannot believe the amount of “gees” and camaraderie displayed  by everyone who participated or were on the side to “egg” everyone one to completing of the race…

We have a few events coming up at the Club in the not too distant future they we meed to diarise… Toy Run…..Kids Christmas Party…annual Christmas Pub Run…Christmas Golf Day… to mention but some of those forthcoming attractions… please check the Scimitar or our Facebook page for the applicable dates…

And that brings this week to a close….please contact me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com if you have anything of concern that you are wanting to bring to my attention…

Take care…have a great weekend….

Cheers….Rod

 

Jannie Van Den Berg (Football) drew the Ace of Diamonds. Joker Draw again a turnover at R89316.00 for Friday 09th November. Last ticket sold at 19h15. Be present to win it.

 

LIVE MUSIC WILL BE PLAYING from 18h00 on Friday 09th November.

 

 

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ATHLETICS

20TH ANNUAL ROWLIN GLOW RUN – GLOW BIG – OR GO HOME – 31ST OCTOBER 2018

Kaapsehoop Marathon – Well done to everyone at BNAC. Some cracking runs done.

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CRICKET

U12B Carnival lost to Bedfordview in a highly entertaining game. BNCC batted first and made 111 runs all out after 23 overs. Adrian made 44 runs alongside Hayden who made 19. Bedfordview went in to bat and by the time we had 8 wickets they had scored just 64 runs with things looking good for us. Jordan took 3 wickets, Hayden took another 2, and Evan took 1. Bedfordview picked up the pace with their batting hitting 4’s and a six at the end. They had 1 wicket to go with 3 overs. They ended on 115 runs. Such a great game played by all involved. On to the next one.

Weekend MVPs – Divan Prinsloo 114*  Kevin O Connor 101*  Dewald Pretorius 101*  Vaughn Humphrey 79  Jan Grobbelaar 6-0-14-5
Justin Taljaard 5-1-9-5

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FOOTBALL

Eastern Local Football Association Senior League Winners Prize Giving – Benoni Northerns collected the reserves SL and u19 SL league winners trophies and medals. ⚽️👍

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The Scimitar 30 Oct 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Good day from a muggy office at the North…

The rain that we were blessed with a little while back…has had some magical results on our grounds…and the fields in general are looking magnificent…I get quite excited during summer as we see the transformation from the winter “vaal” to the spring and summer greens…everything looking lush and happy again…hopefully everyone out there is feeling the same way as Mother Nature…

Our weekend began with another great Friday…I really enjoy the vibe maintained by junior cricket…majority of the boys practicing…the click of the red leather ball on a crafted willow bat always creates a village green feel…and over the past few years, their parents when they bring their children to cricket practice…have a little unwind in the beer garden….enjoying a frosty refreshment, chatting to friends, new acquaintances, committee members and coaches…a really wonderful atmosphere to end the working week for most…some of the lucky boys get to play their weekly match under lights…and this is a marvellous experience….braai smoke, spectators of all shapes and forms..(last week we even had some premier league players down to watch)…and of course this inspires these young men….irrespective of the results…they are hooked on the game and they go home satisfied and tired…eager to acquit themselves even better on the next occasion…running back to their transport to take them home….constantly practicing their bowling action…or sometimes a particularly good defensive batting stroke…or an expansive hook or pull shot….it always fills me with pride and admiration at their enthusiasm, for allowing me to watch their energy and passion that these young players have…

Continuing on busy Friday night….our Members draw has still not been won…and it is climbing by R200 every week…with it now up to a sizeable R3600….all Members are welcome to join is for the draw on Fridays at 19h00…only Members who are present, may qualify to win it….so come along this week…it may just be your turn to be drawn….the joker draw took place at 19h30…and all the ticket holders were holding their breath…that perhaps it was their chance at finding our elusive Joker…and the slip that came out of the beeeeg black box…was none other than Aliastar Hamilton…who has already had his name drawn out the hat for this draw…I think the Club should really consider selling Aliastar’s seat off….it has certainly had its own share of luck in the not too distant past….anyhow, enough of the lucky seat in the house… was it going to be third time lucky???…Aliastar had obviously decided before the time what his selection was to be…as he pointed out his choice as soon the door opened….and as it has for the last 22 weeks…the yelps of joy, the shrieks of laughter and spontaneous singing indicated that the joker was not drawn…in fact the six of hearts showed where it had been surreptitiously in hiding since the opening of this draw….and with the carry over the jackpot climbs a little more..this time to R87351…and we have one less card face down…..so 31 cards remain… we are fast approaching the half way point in this joker draw… good luck to anyone who would like to alter their circumstances…R5 is all it takes to be part of the draw….and if your slip is selected….you could be our next joker draw winner….

Last week we had a late cancellation of Cedz, but Ryno readily jumped in to assist us….thank you to Ryno, who is another firm favourite of the Northerns faithful…and he cranked out great covers, one after the other…to have the crowd baying for more…. This week we welcome back an old friend to the North Peter (Bones) Ball will be back after a trying time…he is back on the circuit with us…and I would ask anyone who has seen Bones…please come through to support this wonderfully talented musician…who has overcome some serious health issues since we saw him last….but he is fired up and ready to perform at the North for us…he is bringing a mate of his with…called Rich….and Bones says that if there are any Pink Floyd fans out there….Rich does a mean cover of Comfortably Numb…. I await Rich who will be making his debut at the North, to make my own judgement call…but knowing Bonesy as I do….he will be spot on….

Our senior cricketers set the scene alight with some scintillating performances over the weekend….and although they weren’t all playing for the first side…they definitely deserve mention….

In the Ladies massive score of 380 in 35 overs…Lila Nell was outstanding with 167 not out…well done… Fabio Longueira bagged himself a mammoth 247 not out in the Directors league win by 315 runs against Katlehong….awesome stuff…whilst I was able to watch the promo side…who had their score bolstered by a blitz unbeaten century from Brett Martindale in only 55 balls..I think the fielding side asked the question on more than one occasion, which fence do you want me on, skip? The boundary or the perimeter fence?…. in their comfortable 183 run win over Actonville at the North…

Our Premier Sunday side had a great win over Actonville by 5 wickets in the Benoni derby match at the home of the opposition….Actonville batted first and were looking very solid at 121/3…before Northerns took complete control…dismissing the remaining 7 batsmen for a meagre 11 runs….leaving Northerns to chase 133 to win… Vaughan Humphreys again starring with the bat….scoring another half century…ending up with 60…. we were able to pass their total after only 22.2 overs for the loss of 5 wickets…a great result boys…let us keep the momentum up…. this week we take on a side that caused us some headaches in the past…and we travel to Boksburg for a match against CBCOB….all the best to all the sides that are playing this weekend….enjoy yourselves…have a blast…

Tomorrow night sees the running of the Rowlin night race….for those that have no participated before…please come down…there is a wonderful festive atmosphere…the people are ever so friendly….and of course the glow sticks create images that highlight and literally light up the runners and their chariots…colours, excitement energy (add a few wee drops of alcohol) and it promises to be another memorable evening of fun at the North…in fact it is quite breathtaking…hopefully I will see many of you out there….

That is it for this week….please send your complaints or compliments to rod.scheepers@gmail.com … if however you would like to tell me face to face…feel free to come and introduce yourself to me… hope to meet you all soon

Take Care…Cheers…

Rod

 

   

Alistair Hamilton (Social) once again missed out and drew the 6 of Hearts. Joker now on R87351.00 for Friday 02nd Nov. Be present to win it!!

LIVE MUSIC WILL BE PLAYING from 18h00 on Friday 02nd November.

 

Sunday 25th November 2018 – Benoni Northerns Sports Grounds – 09h00 to 16h00.

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ATHLETICS

Tembisa Race – Bright ran 10 kilometers in 33:13. Well done Proud of You!!

Entries for #Comrades2019 to open on Friday, 19 October 2018. Watch this space!ComradesMarathon Marketing Manager, Thami Vilakazi said, ‘We are pleased to announce the opening date for entries for the 2019 event. More details to follow once we launch the 94th Comrades a week before entry opening.’

The wait is almost over! 2019 OMTOM Ultra Marathon entries open on 1 November 2018. Get ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s most beautiful marathon.

For a number of years now there has been idle talk about organising a BNAC trip to an international marathon, though nothing yet has transpired. Rob Brons has taken the first step in making this happen.  As this will, unfortunately, be an expensive trip we are trying to give everyone plenty of notice so if need be people can start saving. We are going to be going to the Athens Marathon in November 2019. The race is 10 November 2019. The projected dates are to leave South Africa on 08 November 2019 and leave Athens on 11 November 2019.  If you are interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity please contact Robert Brons on 082 774 9997 or robertb@icon.co.za

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BASEBALL

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CRICKET

Please feel free to download the fixtures and follow your team on www.webcricket.co.za

Our U12 Carnival league team faced Wattville this weekend in our first match of the season.  Our boys batted first and faced some great bowling from the Wattville boys. Rorke had a great knock with 54 runs. We made 130 runs with 5 wickets taken after our 25 overs. Evan and Hayden each took 2 wickets with Jason taking 1. Wattville scored 124 runs in 21 overs as they forfeited 4 overs due to a late start. Northerns won by 8 runs. The boys had a great day and played well as a team. Well done boys, you did us proud!

  

MVPs for the weekend!! Fabio Longueira 247*  Lila Nell 167*  Brett Martindale 100*   Brad Simpson 95   FG Dorfling 8-1-28-6

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FOOTBALL

 

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The Scimitar 23 Oct 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Good morning from a sunny but chilly office at the North

I’m not sure who was confused on the weekend…whether it was Mother Nature or myself….I look outside and saw a clear sunny day…put on shorts and went out for my walk…..and WOW! There was a bitingly cold wind whistling across the plains of the Highveld…People could have been forgiven for checking the calendar to see if was actually October….hopefully we don’t have to experience that fresh chilly wind again this summer (?!)….

Friday nights now mean cricket practice for some of our Junior members…whilst for some lucky others it is “Match Day”…playing night cricket, under lights attached with lots of excitement ….these little fellows energy and excitement is tangible….when I arrived at the Club, game time was near…there was our new acquisition rolling the pitch to the required standard…the parents were having a drink or two while preparing their braai’s….Moms were wrapping up the other siblings in the fear that they were getting cold…deck chairs were paced in strategic positions…to enable the spectators to see their favourite grand-child, son, brother or friend display their skills…. all the runs and wickets being enthusiastically applauded by the sizeable crowd….I think at the end of the day our Northerns side actually lost the game to Kempton….but I thought that each of those little fellows deserved to be on the winning side….for that night their dreams were fulfilled…they felt they were like their provincial and national hero’s…playing under floodlights with plenty of people watching…and they wanted to give of their best every second of the match….each one of them learned a lesson that night….I hope that every one of them will use the skills gained on the night, whether they be life or cricket lessons, to improve something about their circumstances…whether it was how to lose or win…bowl spin or at pace….hit the ball gleefully to the boundary or defend doggedly to ensure that he lived to face another ball….at the disappointment at losing your wicket…or the joy at taking one…..there was plenty of “food for thought” for players, coaches and spectators alike….

While the boys were fighting out the winner with bat and ball…our usual Friday night fare was continuing in the Club house….and we had a new name extracted from the beeeeeg black box….this week Megan Adams (a guest) had her name drawn…and she seemed overjoyed at the possibility of winning herself a sizeable sum of cash….unfortunately for her, the luck of the previous 20 0dd draws winners continued…. she chose a card near to the top, a little off centre to the right and….it turned out to be the eight of Diamonds….so another roll over!! And this means that the crowd have another chance for this week….there was, of course the normal rapturous applause and wolf whistles as the crowd realised…that their chance was still alive for the coming week…our jackpot this week climbs to R85572….and with 32 cards now left…it means that again the chances improve at finding the joker…come along to try your luck at finding our Joker…it is month end…just on R5 ticket will be enough for you to be the next lucky person to try your luck at finding our joker…and this week we welcome back Cedz and Tryst….who play some amazing rock classics and get everyone’s feet tapping… please come through to the Scimitar to support these great musicians….

Saturday started as a cool and overcast day…but the weather did improve as the day went on….with plenty of cricket being played…and also the soccer players contesting their postponed cup-finals from the last week….three of our younger sides were triumphant in their quest to be top of the pile…our under 6A’s, under 13 super league team….whilst the Colts team, who had already won their league….were made to sweat out their result…..finally taking it 5-4 on penalties…I spoke a coach from the side…and his nails were bitten down to the quick….so definitely nail biting stuff…a double is a very satisfying set of results for the season….well done lads….a reason to be very proud….

Our senior Soccer boys had their prize giving on Saturday….and from the sound of all the applause, laughing and shouting going on…it definitely appeared to be a great success…our heartiest congratulations to all the prize winners on a job well done…our Juniors also had their prize giving a little earlier….with all their achievers and stars were rewarded with trophies and other awards and rewards….my congratulations to you all….

On Sunday morning I awoke early and was a little dismayed to see heavily overcast skies…the clouds looked about to release the heavy loads that they were carrying back to the earth (my walk was put on hold for a while…but then I went out to brave the conditions….)….but as the morning progressed…the sun started to burn off the heavy cloud cover…and the cricketers  started smiling as their matches began at the allotted times….our elite Premier side were playing Alberton….in what is always a keenly contested affair….and this week proved no exception to the rule….the visitors batted first…and despite some indifferent fielding, brilliant mixed with some most lackadaisical, Alberton set us a task of 249 in out 50 overs… the armchair specialists alongside the field thought that it was going to be a tough challenge…and that the few chances that were spilled had probably cost us 50 runs and that it was not going to be easy to chase…. our innings started…not a good beginning and within a short while we were just over 50 for 4….our skipper Kurt and Vaughan  battened down the hatches and slowly got themselves playing some shots and built the score up steadily….only for Kurt to be trapped in front with 100 more to get…..and as the game moved on it ebbed and flowed….from one side to the other….the spectators on the side were getting anxious…and as we thought we were almost home and dry with 15 odd runs to get and still three wickets remaining….disaster struck…and the crowd were back on the edges of their collective seats….another 8 runs and then another wicket…we needed 6 with our last wicket remaining…nail biting stuff for all present….I think Coach Nick walked a furrow in the paving as he paced up and down….alternating between the depths of despair or yipping gleefully as more runs were added to our total….the target was always in sight…with our last two batsmen displaying caution and aggression in equal quantities…with the crown egging the boys on….finally we were able to conjure up the runs needed to secure a very tense but satisfying victory over a very game opposition….  my congratulations to both sides for an amazing game….it appeared to be played in the wonderful spirit and great stuff to our boys for pulling the proverbial rabbit out of the hat in securing that win…. keep up the momentum boys…

Hockey 5’s is back on the Astro on Sunday…..please support these guys in this exciting brand of hockey…it is fast and furious….with thrill a minute action guaranteed….

I cannot believe how this year has flown by…there are only 2 months left to Christmas for this year…if you think we’re doing okay at the Club…please let me know by dropping me a line to rod.scheepers @gmail.com …..If you have any complaints please send to the same address…

Have a great week…I’ll see you over the weekend at the beloved North

Cheers  Rod

 

 

Megan Adams (Guest) drew the 8 of Diamonds. Joker Draw another turnover at R85572.00 for Friday 26th October. Be present to win it 🌭🍺🍻🥂

“TRYST”  WILL BE ENTERTAINING US COME AND JOIN THE FUN from 18h00 on Friday 26th October.

Sunday 25th November 2018
Benoni Northerns Sports Grounds – 09h00 to 16h00.

 

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ATHLETICS

 

Entries for #Comrades2019 to open on Friday, 19 October 2018. Watch this space!ComradesMarathon Marketing Manager, Thami Vilakazi said, ‘We are pleased to announce the opening date for entries for the 2019 event. More details to follow once we launch the 94th Comrades a week before entry opening.’

The wait is almost over! 2019 OMTOM Ultra Marathon entries open on 1 November 2018. Get ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s most beautiful marathon.

For a number of years now there has been idle talk about organising a BNAC trip to an international marathon, though nothing yet has transpired. Rob Brons has taken the first step in making this happen.  As this will, unfortunately, be an expensive trip we are trying to give everyone plenty of notice so if need be people can start saving. We are going to be going to the Athens Marathon in November 2019. The race is 10 November 2019. The projected dates are to leave South Africa on 08 November 2019 and leave Athens on 11 November 2019.  If you are interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity please contact Robert Brons on 082 774 9997 or robertb@icon.co.za

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BASEBALL

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CRICKET

Please feel free to download the fixtures and follow your team on www.webcricket.co.za

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FOOTBALL

        

The Benoni Northerns u19 SL team won the cup final today after a penalty shootout against Kempton Park FC. (5-4 after 1-1 in normal & extra time). Wow, mind boggling season, league and cup winners, all accolades belong to our players. So proud of these young men, only but ❤️😘 coaches Len, Marlon & Enrique.

   

Additional Football 2018 Season Accolades:-  * U6 Div 1 – Cup Winners – Coach Steven Cook;  * U13 SL – Cup Winners – Coach Trevor Xaba;  * Super League Reserves – League Winners/Cup Runners Up – Darren Lee (aka Fish);  * 4th Side – Div 2 Cup Winners – Coach Graham Gosling (aka Goose)

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The Scimitar 16 Oct 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Hi there to everyone

Although this past weekend was a complete hash as far organised sport was concerned…..as the earth around Gauteng was welcoming with relief the first rains of summer…and how magic it is….the ground is soft underfoot…plants have literally grown new shoots overnight, the grass is a shade greener…the trees foliage appears to be thicker….it is amazing what the nitrates in the rain do for Mother Nature….we can water our grounds for weeks and months on end, but it does not have the same effect as the day of rain we experienced over the weekend….our grounds are now starting to look fantastic again….and summer has begun in earnest…

Due to the rain…..the weekend was very quiet at the Club….but some traditional fare was still enjoyed by everyone….by Friday we had no inkling of the inclement weather that awaited us….so the atmosphere at the Club was jovial and upbeat…. We have still not found a winner for either of the Members draws…but the raffles are still proving to be popular, with Kelly winning the beer and Jamela the meat voucher…and onto the Joker Draw….this part of the evening is always exciting for me…it is lovely to see the expectation growing…the main bar seems to fill up as the appointed time arrives and there is a buzz of anticipation….everyone is hoping it is their name to be called out…..and when it does happen they are so surprised and nervous….This week, Marge Mellis (our caterer) was the lucky name to be called…..Marge has been asking me whether I specifically remove her name from the box, as it was so long since she last got a chance….but this week Marge had her name drawn from the beeeeg black box….she promptly called for the ladder to allow her to inspect the top of the cabinet too….and proceeded to look at the board to make her selection…..left to right she scanned…then moved her gaze from top to bottom….and made her selection…on the extreme right, pretty well centred…..which when turned over was the 5 of hearts… Marge’s face displayed her disappointment..(I think possibly she had already begun spending the money!!) …but the crowd, as always, joined into the spontaneous applause and song that always breaks out after an unsuccessful joker selection….so another week gone….20 cards are now displayed….meaning that there are now only 33 face down….and the jackpot just keeps on escalating… we are now up to R83679 for this week….we are starting to get to the interesting time of the draw…so please pop along this week and try your luck….it is only R5 for a chance to win that jackpot….the more tickets you buy the better your chances are of being drawn…

Later in the evening, the budding artists arrived to showcase their talent, as Karaoke was the order of the evening….and there were some talented….some not so talented….and some downright awful contributions….I have vowed not to name and shame….for the fear of being lynched….and despite the off key and rhythmless contributions….a great evening of fun was has in the Scimitar….which we will have to repeat at a later stage in the year again….

This week we welcome Coyote….a couple of old favourites back to the North….I think these two are possibly the longest standing of our Friday night artists that we have hosted at the Club and they return this week….Martin and Billy will be entertaining us in the Scimitar from about 6.30ish on Friday…so join us then and have a great beginning to your weekend….

Last Friday I was fortunate enough to be at the Legends fund raiser….and what a great evening of laughter and fun it was… I am sure that everyone left with bigger smiles than they arrived with….and some really good cash flow was generated from the evening…thanks guys….it really was barrels of fun…

Saturday started off cool and gloomy and the weather did not really improve at all…. the Club cricket started and was washed out after a few overs….and even caused the international match on Sunday between SA and Zim to be abandoned without a ball being bowled…

Our Soccer Colts started their cup final and played out one half in atrocious conditions only for the referee to call off proceedings at half time….

All the other cup finals were all called off before kick-off….and they have been rescheduled for this weekend (weather permitting, of course)….times for these matches are still to be confirmed…so please check on our web site or Facebook page for the new playing times…these which will be published as soon as these are confirmed…

Saturday also sees both the Soccer Sections having their prize giving….Both the Juniors and Seniors will be rewarding their achievers…both on and off the field….the timing of which will be slightly disrupted by the changes in time to the various Cup Finals…but hopefully the disruptions will be worthwhile…and all of our finalists are able to bring home the silverware…

Our cricketers are in full swing at the moment with their season only being a couple of weeks old…so enthusiasm is still high amongst all the players….good luck to all the sides for this week…

Our senior baseballers are back from their tour in the Eastern Cape…and it looks like they live by the rule….what goes on tour stays on tour….so our esteemed journalist decided not to push the point when he was given a terse “no comment”…

Both Junior Baseball and Senior Softball will be back on the diamonds this weekend at the North…to all the sides…have a ball…enjoy yourselves and have fun….

Our annual Rowlin night race will again be hosted at the North on Wednesday 31^st October…. the normal offerings of a 5km fun run with 10 and 15km races being offered…this promises to be a super evening of family fun….I have participated in a few of the 5km fun runs….and there is always a cascade of colour with everyone clambering to have the most unique offering of glowing costumes, prams, wheelchairs, you name it…it is emblazoned with colourful glow sticks of varying hues….the atmosphere is most relaxed and it is a pleasure to participate in this spectrum of varying shades festival…. please feel free to showcase your talents and exhibit your natural flair with glow sticks at this annual fun event…

The hockey fives competition was also disrupted by the rain on the weekend…with only a handful of matches being completed…but we are hoping for the full compliment to be on show this Sunday…so please come along and watch this exciting brand of hockey which is now being played….matches start early on Sunday morning and continue throughout the day.

That is it for this week…I’m going to sign off with my normal request that you contact me what you think of how we’re doing things….whether we need complaints or compliments…please send them to me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers Rod

  

Marge Mellis from the Kitchen drew the 5 of Hearts. Joker Draw a turnover at R83679.00 for Friday 19th October. Be present to win it !!!

 

“COYOTE”  WILL BE ENTERTAINING US COME AND JOIN THE FUN from 18h00 on Friday 19th October.

 

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ATHLETICS

 

Entries for #Comrades2019 to open on Friday, 19 October 2018. Watch this space!ComradesMarathon Marketing Manager, Thami Vilakazi said, ‘We are pleased to announce the opening date for entries for the 2019 event. More details to follow once we launch the 94th Comrades a week before entry opening.’

The wait is almost over! 2019 OMTOM Ultra Marathon entries open on 1 November 2018. Get ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s most beautiful marathon.

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BASEBALL

  

Always a pleasure to represent the green and gold ⚾️🔥 Words from our very own Rowen Ebersohn

  

Masters Baseball 2018 Port Elizabeth tour

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CRICKET

Please feel free to download the fixtures and follow your team on www.webcricket.co.za

 

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FOOTBALL

 

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The Scimitar 9 Oct 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Back at my desk at the North….so a warm welcome from a sunny North….

I have found that as the number reflecting my summers spent on earth has grown….time appears to pass quicker than it did in the past…when I was in primary school, it seemed to take forever for a week to pass…but our time on holiday…appears to have flown away in a flash….it feels like yesterday that the excitement was still building and we were about to embark on a dream holiday…now it is a distant memory…confirmed only by the flash backs in my memory banks….and the photographs that are fortunately a constant reminder that it did actually happen…we had a marvellous time….snorkelling on a reef in a nature reserve….a beautiful sunset cruise…swimming in the aquamarine blue paradise… tanning on powdery white beaches…experiencing some amazing sunsets..my early morning walks down the beach….of course we did savour the tastes of the local cuisine and did indulge in an odd few tipples (whether they were of local or international standards) and all these will forever be etched in my mind….but we are back in Benoni and it feels as though we were never away…..

So although I wasn’t right here…I still got the report backs on the goings on at the North…and was kept abreast of the news and reviews to muse over…. Friday night was another busy start to the weekend…with the Zimmer Twinz providing the entertainment at the Club….they have become some firm favourites with our Members…playing a wide variety of tunes which were enjoyed by all present….and so onto the major attraction for most on a Friday…. the Joker Draw….Glen, my able stand-in for the evening…..rummaged in the beeeeeg black box…and extracted a new name from the depths…Leanne Hellon was the name reflected on the till slip selected…..and she appeared to have sussed out the choices before….she calmly relaxed herself on the bar counter and made her selection….which, to everyone’s relief, turned out to be the ten of spades…again the partisan crowd broke out into spontaneous song and laughter….knowing that their chances of being drawn and winning next week…had just improved significantly….so 19 cards have been revealed and 34 cards(sorry I was on holiday last week and incorrectly reported that there were 34 last week…..I do apologise….my solar powered calculator obviously had lost its charge…and brain…from being locked in my suitcase for such a long time)  are left to choose from….but the Jackpot has moved up to R81738 for this week….now don’t forget…you only need one R5 ticket to win it and you have to be present at the draw….come along this week to try your luck….we will also be having a home grown talent evening…with karaoke being presented on the evening…..so if you believe you are the next Voice, Idol or should not be on the SA has Talent show….pop down on Friday and showcase your talent at the North…

Our first and second Sunday cricket sides had good wins on Sunday which means a great start to the season for them both….well done lads…keep up the good work….this week there are byes for the Sunday sides as our National team play Zimbabwe at Willowmoore Park in a T20 international…Great to see international cricket back here in Benoni….I am sure there are a lot of our older Members who will fondly remember gracing that same playing field….it used to be presided over by a strict authoritarian with the name of Mister Bunce….and you never wanted to get on his wrong side….who used to prepare emerald green pitches that used to shimmer in the early morning light and was the nightmare of many an opening batsmen in those days….. but this is now the home of Easterns cricket and only played on by representative, provincial and national sides these days…

Our “older” Baseballers are all on tour at the moment…as the National Masters is being held in Port Elizabeth for the remainder of the week….good luck ot all of our boys down there…particularly our newly elected Baseball President Shaun Deysel….hope you all enjoy a great time….

Senior Soccer on a Saturday has been wrapped up for this year…but the Juniors have their Cup Finals over the weekend….and we have a fair representation of talent on display….Glenda has all the details of the sides playing elsewhere in the Scimitar….but I would like to remind everyone that the Super League Colts side…who I reported had won their league last week already (with some games in hand)…and now going to try to pull off the “Double” by competing in the Final in Saturday (14h00) at the Greek Club in Senderwood (near Linksfield for those who aren’t sure where that is)…please let us go and support them in numbers…I am certain the young men will appreciate some noisy and vociferous support from the stands… all the best to the lads….give your best…it is the most we can ask for….we have four other teams contasting Cup Finals over the weekend…these fixtures are also elsewhere in the Scimitar…please consult these for further information…our soccer section never rests though…and summer means the start of Vets league on Wednesday nights…whilst the Ladies are also in full swing….with both Ladies teams registering wins in the opening encounter of the weekend…means a cracking start to the season for them both…

Hockey 5’s will continue on Sunday at the Astro…and if last week is anything to go by…it appears that this sport is also growing exponentially…well done to the Administrators and researchers on coming up with the concept…it is lovely to watch….a game consisting of three periods of extremely quick non-stop action which appears to be most energy sapping…judging by the regularity of substitutions….definitely not a game for my Masters boys….

Rugby has wound down for the year…with the sevens “circuit” now complete…we were hoping to host one of the legs here at the North…but we are confident that next year we will have a 7’s tournament…that should be awesome….

I am going to bid you farewell for this week……if you believe we are doing things wrong (or right) at the North…please leave me a message on rod.scheepers@gmail.com  Have fun…Cheers!!

Rod

     

Leanne Hellon (Guest) drew the 10 Spades. Joker Draw another turnover sitting on R81738.00 for Friday 12th October. Be present to win it!!

      

“KAREOKE”  COME AND JOIN THE FUN from 18h00 on Friday 12TH October.

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ATHLETICS

Entries for #Comrades2019 to open on Friday, 19 October 2018. Watch this space!ComradesMarathon Marketing Manager, Thami Vilakazi said, ‘We are pleased to announce the opening date for entries for the 2019 event. More details to follow once we launch the 94th Comrades a week before entry opening.’

The wait is almost over! 2019 OMTOM Ultra Marathon entries open on 1 November 2018. Get ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s most beautiful marathon.

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BASEBALL

We would like to wish all of our players that are participating in the Masters Tournament safe travels and best of luck for their tournament which is starting on Wednesday.

   

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CRICKET

BNCC Legends are running a fund raiser. Each table will need to provide their own food and drinks. We still have some tables available. Cost R100 per person. Come and support the Guys

Please feel free to download the fixtures and follow your team on www.webcricket.co.za

The Cricket transfer window closes on 15 October 2018. There is still a few days left to join our prestigious club

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FOOTBALL

 

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The Scimitar 3 Oct 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A warm and humid good morning from an island off equatorial Africa….

Today…I do not look out on the beautiful avenue of oaks at the North….but rather from a hot and humid Zanzibar…where I am fortunate enough to be spending a family holiday…pristine white powdery beaches…aquamarine blue seas..and balmy holiday weather to match …and just to explain…Zanzibar is like Durban on steroids…hot but with humidity to make sure that you are in a constant glaze of perspiration…albeit the temperature has not exceeded 30….I felt like I was back in Natal in my youth…with drenched clothing from 6 in the morning till late at night… but just because I am away from the confines of the North… doesn’t mean that it was any further from my heart than it usually is….

Friday saw the start of our usual weekend of madness at the North….but with a new development…which allowed me to proceed on my holiday bound route….I was able to welcome Shepherd back from his very tragic and sad Zimbabwe trip….he has definitely lost some weight…so I think we will need to fatten up our favourite son…which will allow him to continue to work at his fast and furious pace…welcome back Shep…your family at the North have missed you so dreadfully much……

And then on to Friday evening….our first night market of Spring…and with Nature’s penchant for throwing a spanner in our work….she brought down the rain…sending everyone and everything scurrying indoors for cover….the travelling footballers were treated to an indoor meal sit down…while the joker draw sales were relegated to behind the ladies bar counter…I think Lockey had more requests for tequila than for Joker tickets…and with the band setting up in the bar too… it meant that the Ladies bar was a cog of action for the evening…..Omega showed us exactly why they are so popular…playing tunes for the young and old…displaying their style and class…which also included some special guest appearances…. a great evening of music….this band is always of the “please come again” list… and onto the joker draw…the beeeeeeg black box produced a new name for this round…as Hutch was the lucky fellow from the pile of names it contained…..and he seemed fairly certain at his choice….but his system of analysing came to naught…. as his pick proved to be the five of spades….so we now move onto week 19….18 cards have been revealed…and there are now 34 left…while the winning value has moved up to just short of R80k….R79668 in fact….so please pop down this week to try your luck at producing our next winner of the joker draw….

Saturday and Sunday we hosted a ladies football tournament at the North…with some quality ball skill on display…the Natal sides displaying some rare finesse and touches…this is the second year of us hosting the tournament…and we trust all the players and administrators enjoyed their time with us….we love to have players from far afield to share our fantastic facilities with…

Our second soccer side unfortunately did not have the fairy tale ending season that we were all wishing for them….going down 1-0 to Linhill in the Final on Saturday….Fish, you and your young team still have every reason to be very chuffed with your performance this season…with the mantle of league champions and runners up in the Cup being a tribute to your brilliantly creditable seasons performance….we are all extremely proud of your team…not just for the wonderful football skill displayed….but the spirit they maintained and their attitude and behaviour are a credit to the Club…well done….

Our even younger side seem to be following in the footsteps of the second side….as our Colts have wrapped up their Super League in style…with still a couple of games to go…. after 22 matches (of which only 2 were drawn) they cannot be caught by the chasing pack….so massive congratulations and kudos to the boys, who displayed some very mature characteristics in overcoming any obstacle in their way…well done fellows….a special word of thanks to the coaching staff…who have worked together to mould this bunch of talented players into a winning unit…. well done to Enrique and his most able colleagues on a job well done….

Our rugby boys played in a 7’s competition last weekend and although not landing up on top of the pile….were able to win the bowl section of the competition…this season has been an eye opener for us all and our boys…who have improved steadily every week….a special word of thanks to the players and coaches…who have stuck manfully to their task…and are finally reaping some rewards after a long and arduous season…  well done guys…great news and this augers well for the future….

And as we move into the summer…. the winter sports are crowning their champions of league and cup….and the summer sports are starting off their competitions….our Cricket boys played in the opening T20 competition…and got themselves into the finals against our arch rivals, Kempton Park….. not the final result we were wanting…. an eight wicket loss…. a real case of so near… yet so far…. I hope that the boys have learned a lesson…and that we will be able to overturn this result the next time we meet….

All the best to the cricketers as their season begins….it is wonderful to hear the click of leather on willow again….and the excited screams of “howzat” echoing around the fields again.

That is all I have for this particular episode…so I am going to love and leave you…I would believe that we could improve or that you particularly agree or disagree with the goings on at the North…please leave me a message on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Thanks….take care…Cheers!!

Rod

Eric Hutchinson (Social) drew the 5 of Spades. Joker Draw a turnover at R79668.00 for Friday 05th October. Be present to win it 🌮🍸🥂🍻

       

“ZIMMER TWINZ”  will be entertaining us from 18h00 on Friday 05th October.

 

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ATHLETICS

BNAC Runner – Barry Kendall participated on a road trip through the northern USA to run three marathons. First stop Corning for WineGlass marathon then off to Chicago for the big one. Then a quick excursion across into Canada for the Niagara Falls marathon. Well done Barry.

Congratulations to our new BNAC Comrades Green Numbers (Eric Ladbrooke and Lebogang Mokoana ) and Double Green Numbers (Selvan Naidoo and Louise Visser). Louise is the first woman in the club’s history to achieve a Double Green. 

BNAC having a Fantastic morning at the Irene Run

   

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BASEBALL

 

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CRICKET

Benoni Northerns vs Boksburg premier league cricket captains. Benoni Northerns 219 for 5 in 20. Boksburg 170 for 9 in 20. and got themselves into the finals against our arch rivals, Kempton Park…..  not the final result we were wanting….an 8 wicket loss.

BNCC Legends are running a fund raiser. Each table will need to provide their own food and drinks. We still have some tables available. Cost R100 per person. Come and support the Guys🏏

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FOOTBALL

 

BNFC beat Bryanston Warriors – 7-0 away from home to win the u19 SL. Played 22 won 20 and drawn 2, goals for 85 and conceded 17. Congrats to all players and coaching staff.⚽️⚽️

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HOCKEY    

 

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RUGBY

Benoni Northerns Rugby 7’s won the Bowl final in Klerksdorp on Saturday 29th September.  Well done to the Guys💪🏈

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The Scimitar 26 Sep 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A friendly welcome to all on this beautiful day….

The weather has been getting more “summery” every day…which I’m sure you all know is my favourite time of the year…I definitely am a “rugby, braaivleis, sunny skies and Chevrolet” man…some of our older members will remember the words and will possibly be humming or whistling the tune now…and will be cursing me by the end of this…as they now can’t get it out of their heads… “rugby, braaivleis, sunny skies and Chevrolet”.. “rugby, braaivleis, sunny skies and Chevrolet”..

There is some good news for me this coming week….apart from the rugby mentioned in the Nick Taylor ditty for the advert from the 70’s at the start of this message….I’ll be doing just that next week…I’m off on a little r&r and will hopefully have lots of sand between my toes for the entire duration…. please don’t miss me too much….he unfortunate part is that the week will disappear far too quickly….and I will probably be back before you even notice that I was gone!!

With the long weekend, the North was a little quieter on the sporting front…with most sports having a break….only our Soccer boys who represented Easterns, travelled down to the Coast on provincial duty….(a little more on that later)…

But we started off on Friday on a sad note…with the family and friends Trent Hennessy celebrating his young life which ended prematurely…..our condolences to his loved ones…while our thoughts and prayers  will be with you at this difficult time….

As late afternoon rolled in at the North…..our young cricketers arrived to practice their skills and the click of willow on leather resounded at the North…with all the various age groups of young fellows…each frantically trying to hone their skills in readiness for the ensuing cricket season….and whilst all the active sportsmen were busy there….myself and the inactive were whetting our whistles in the bars…. the daytime temperatures had indicated that summer really is around the corner…Ryno and his crew of Freedom started to strum the night away with their version of some old classics…some newer hits and even one or two of their own creations..another super set from these talented entertainers…. our Members draws unfortunately produced no winners (although Jannnie van der Berg can feel a little hard done by….as his name was called out on the Members draw…but he was on provincial duty in Durban….so sorry Jannie….as a consolation, I promise to buy you a beer this week!!)….and suddenly it was 19h30…the crowd hushed in expectation…as the selection was done from the beeeeeg black box….and the name was drawn…..Alan Knight!!! (only the naughty boys, like Brent Coley have actually had the pleasure of meeting Alan, from in front of the “bench”)….and Alan quickly scurried up to make his selection as the possible Joker winner….again the crowd could barely contain their disappointment (at him selecting the three of spades) as they burst into joyous laughter, chanting and song at his misfortune…..bad luck Alan….back to the drawing board at your selection strategy….but that means another carry over…more money in the pot for this week…as it now rises to R77946 and another card has disappeared from those available….so 17 cards have already been turned and now there are 36 available…each week the odds improve a little on the joker being drawn…come along and join us this week….tickets are only R5 each and are on sale in the Hall….last ticket sales are at 19h20…with the Joker draw taking place at 19h30….

Being the last Friday of the month, we will be having the Night Market on Friday, which will commence from 17h00ish…please come along to support the local foody and craft stalls that we have available…It usually is a most festive occasion…in addition we have the most popular band Omega playing…this is the five piece band that entertains us marvellously every time they make an appearance….they play all sorts of music…form the way back to the current…and get most feet tapping and dancing….please join us for a great evening….

We are hosting a ladies football tournament this weekend, (which we did last year as well) so we welcome back all the players, coaches, administration and supporters…I trust that you will enjoy your time with us…as we will enjoy hosting you and will be watching you ply your trade with interest…

Quite a number of our soccer boys were selected for provincial duty with Easterns over the long weekend and while the senior sides did not fare as well as expected…the Colts (of which we have 8 Northerns members in their ranks) were able to win the trophy on offer…by beating the Pinetown LFA in the Final (actually a bit of a drubbing….6-0 being the final result)…well done to the boys…I’m sure it is an experience that they will never forget….

This Saturday sees our Second side in the Final of the Super League Reserve Cup against Linhill Celtic…(the venue has not been decided at the time of writing)…so all the best to our boys….please consult our Facebook page and / or the Website…to get further details as to the location of the match…we would like to have a sizeable support base for this one…so we are calling on all our Football fans, to crawl out of the woodwork and come and watch if Fish and his boys can bring back their second trophy to the North for this season…

I am sure that many of you will have noticed that Shepherd (our Duty Manager) has been conspicuous by his absence in the last couple of weeks….please keep this fantastic human in your thoughts and prayers as he has been smacked by a double bereavement, losing both his eldest brother and his wife in quick succession…..our sincere condolences and deepest sympathies are with you Melusi, at this devastating and extremely difficult time…..

Please let me know if you think we’re on or off track at the North…by sending an email to me at rod.scheepers@gmail.com…. Thank you

Cheers…take care…..Rod

 

Alan Knight (Social) drew the 3 of Clubs. Joker Draw a turnover for Fri 28th Sep sitting on R77946.00. Be there to win it!!🌮🌭🥂🍻

 

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ATHLETICS

   

BNAC Bright making his presence known at the Mayfield Square 10km .

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CRICKET

Game 1 – T20 Vs Colombo Cricket Club Under 13.
Venue – Colombo Cricket Club
24/09

On what was a hot and extremely humid morning and excited but tired team arrived at Colombo Cricket Club. Northerns lost the toss and were sent in to bat. Wickets fell early and Northerns found themselves on 25/5 after 7 overs. The boys struggled along to end the 20 overs on a mere 94/6 with Nicholas ending in 32 not out. The boys took to the field waiting for that early breakthrough. Some solid batting from the opponents saw them dominating our bowlers. A batting mishap saw the first wicket come off a runout after Owen picked up and got the ball through to Nicholas (wk) who got the stumping. Warren got the second wicket off an excellent ball but the boys could not stop the onslaught. Northerns lost by 8 wickets.

     

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FOOTBALL

⚽ELFA Seniors Colours presentation was held at Olympia FC on Wednesday 19.09. Congrats to the following BNFC Players that were selected:
* ELFA 2018 Vets Team. Rowen Fernandez, Daniel Suffield (Captain) and Ian McCallum.
* ELFA 2018 u23 Team. Andrew, Sanele and Austin.
* ELFA 2018 1st Senior team.

 

A huge congrats to all the Eastern u19 football players, another successful KZN tour, beating the Pinetown LFA u19 team 6-0 in yesterday’s final and the ELFA taking the overall trophy back home. Hope u all enjoyed ur time with Easterns this season and bank those fond memories. Being your coaches for 2018 was a real pleasure and honour, You take care young men. Coaches Len, Theo and Enrique.

 

BNFC hosting the KZN Ladies Football Friendship Cup – Sat 29th Sep⚽

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HOCKEY                                                                                                                                                    

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RUBGY

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The Scimitar 19 Sep 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A stunning good morning to everyone…

Looking outside, the change in my surroundings is amazing….the oak trees that line the avenue to the Tennis Club…have changed from stark and austere winter tree skeletons into beautiful creatures of Spring…..filled with their early vivid green foliage…a transformation that I did not expect to see a couple of weeks ago…considering that we have not had too much rain to assist with the movement from one season to another…also the field that we have been top dressing has already started to show their new green shoots visible above the drab brown covering that we have applied and it has been subjected to for the last week or so…the change we are experiencing is remarkable and most welcome….the weather has improved….even the weather forecasters are saying that we are entering a “heat wave”…. a crazy comparison to the weather we had at the hockey prize-giving a mere then days ago….. but a happier camper you won’t find….I will remain a summer lover….braai’s, swimming, sunshine and water makes everything a little brighter for me….

Onto the news from the North over the weekend….

Friday saw the start of the weekend…with a bit of a twist…the Junior Cricketers, who have been dormant for the last six months or so, arrived in numbers for their first practice of the season…and we had a beer garden full of excited parents…with their off spring even more excited at the prospect of playing Club cricket….welcome to all the children and their parents…to another successful season with us…to any new parents and boys….welcome and I hope that you feel at home here with us….if you don’t think things are going according to your plan…please send me a message on the email address listed below….

As usual on Friday we had all of our draws for both the Members and the Raffles….no Member winners…but the Raffle winners always love having their names drawn from the barrel…and so 19h30 inexorably arrived…with Jos van Rykel being most impressed at having his name magically appear from the beeeg black box…. he strode meaningfully to the cabinet to make his choice….but again….his luck remained the same as all the other contestants from this draw…his choice being the four of diamonds….so this will leave the next draw with an improved chance of finding the elusive joker…this week our Jackpot has increased to R75 345…get yourself up to the North this Friday…it could just be your name being drawn as the person to find our Joker….

Cedz and Tryst ensured that our patrons in the Scimitar were entertained to the fullest…..his bass player brought out an electronic cello…and what a performance they put on for everyone….an epic evening of rock music to savour….this week we bring back birthday boy Ryno to rock us away…all because of the North 7 day rule…we will be able to ensure that celebrates his special day in style…again….see you all on Friday…

Saturday was always going to going to be an epic adventure…a day to remember and one for the memory banks…and it turned out to be exactly that….if you didn’t join us, bad luck!!….you missed out on a massive party….(for those who frequented the Club in my youth….SImba Sosatie made his appearance and didn’t leave until the wee hours of the morning…in true Simba style!!),,,the day started with a shock (but most satisfying Bok win early in the morning)…. I think the All Black supporters are still trying to compare the stats to the result….almost 75% possession and territory…one quarter of the successful tackles made….more tries than the opposition….but you still land up on the losing side… I think this game epitomised Springbok spirit for me….it seemed like the fire, that has been extinguished for many year….found a spark….and slowly but surely there was someone to feed with tinder and twigs until we had a blazing inferno of passion…which was remarkable to behold….it almost felt that I could feel the heat and intensity of the fire in the Bok hearts, so many miles away…what a great result…a warming of the cockles of my heart….and next time I will again be wearing our beloved Bok jersey….shouting louder than I ever have before…well done Bokke!!

Our next item on the agenda was the Beer Mile….what a fantastic day…well done to Mike Veliotes, Chris Tucker and their band of helpers….it was one of those memorable days…fun, laughter, running, more running and some beer consumption…(okay I stretch the truth a little…) a lot of beer consumption…. the concept is a simple one…drink beer…run and repeat four times….but as all those that participated soon found out…beer does not sit well in the tummy after a quick chug-a-lug….it sort of remains at the top of the tummy or base of the throat…waiting for the quickest and most effective way to leave your body…..and it is really uncomfortable to run any sort of distance with that bouncing around inside….despite all of this however…we had plenty of competitors and a large band of spectators and well wishers….egging their friends and colleagues on…to greater heights…the festive atmosphere was electric and with all the smiles and happy faces spelt a really spectacular afternoon…thank you to everyone for their support…it is greatly appreciated…

The Soccer boys had a bag of mixed results….but both matches were thrilling affairs….the First side coming out on the wrong side of a five goal thriller….it was end to end stuff….with Northerns at one point leading 2-0….but the league champions showed why they are the Champions…by clawing their way back and then edging the win near the death….that means we remain in 5^th place and with the season now a thing of the past, we can be well pleased with our side….they had a disappointing start to their campaign….but with the team ethic and commitment, we were able to finish off successfully….ending up with 7 wins in a row before defeat in the final match…so well done to coach Jannie and his merry band….another solid league result…top 5 and we remain above the club  “down the road”, which is another satisfactory result….the second side was a really tense affair…..a ding-dong battle…as we only needed to draw to grab the league title…and we had beaten them ten days before in the Cup semi-final….so it was definitely going to be a needle match….the crowd was also having their fair share of “oohs” and  “aaahs”….some near misses…a little show-boating….and the inevitable dive or two…bringing the crowd instantaneously to their feet. voicing their outrage at the officials and opposition or to express their satisfaction of the local heroes….we had a goal here…another there….and as the time drew to an end…and the score was locked at 2-2….both sides missed some opportunities….but suffice to say…that Fish and his boys held on for the draw and the league title…whoop! whoop!…congratulations to Darren and his young squad…they showed some massive maturity and finesse when the chips were stacked against you….of course this is great news for the Club….as with our strong Colts section and the second team also having a youthful edge, the longevity of our Soccer Club is ensured….Well done once again…..the seconds still have Cup Final to play in before their season is over….I will keep you informed of the where’s and when’s…to ensure that we have a massive support base for the final….please watch this space…

Saturday evening slowly but surely was reduced to a blur…as all the hockey girls returned for their Easterns prize giving….after another great day of mash-up hockey…which was another resounding success….

The beer garden had its fair share of “war-stories” to relate…whether it was from the Mash-up, Beer Mile or the Soccer tussle from the day….but it was the perfect ending to a great day…balmy weather…happy faces…and piles of alcohol to wash down all the stories…

So it is totsiens for today….please remember that we have a loooong weekend ahead of us….with heritage day being celebrated….this seems to have been hijacked into Braai day….so I hope that our Members will make use of the Club to have their own Braai day…please pop in…you’re all most welcome….

Please take the time out to tell me if you think we’re getting things right or wrong…by sending an email to me at rod.scheepers@gmail.com…. take care…

Cheers…have a happy long weekend

Rod

 

Jos Van Rykel (Guest) drew the 4 of Spades.  Joker a turnover at R75345.00 for Friday 21st September. Be there to win it!!

2018 Beer Mile Challenge participants (Exec. inclusive) – memorable day…fun, laughter, running, more running and some beer consumption 

 

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ATHLETICS

 

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BASEBALL

   

   

Feathers in the caps for Benoni Northerns Indians baseball players.  Benoni Northerns Indians Ball Club had their annual senior baseball prize giving ceremony on September 7 following the recently concluded Gauteng winter season. The club ran four senior sides during winter which is, according to senior club chairman Grant Sayers, a good thing for the club. “It was a pretty good season for the club…

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CRICKET

  

And the countdown has begun, look how awesome these boys look, ready for their Sri Lanka tour. 1 week to go and still a couple of Rands to go. We can do this!!!

Junior teams for the 2018/2019 season have been finalised.  Find your junior teams for the 18/19 season:  https://www.bncricket.co.za/junior-teams

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FOOTBALL

2018 Beer Mile Challenge participants (Football. inclusive) – memorable day running and some beer consumption 

 

U12 BNFC boys who made Easterns participating in the 2018 district tournament. 4 boys played in U12 Silver and 1 boy in U12 Blue. The U12 blue team won the tournament and the U12 Silver team finished 3rd. Well done to all our Northerns boys 👏🏻⚽

   

⚽⚽The winning ELFA u19 Team comprised of 8 Benoni Northerns players.
* A big congratulations to our Benoni Northerns Colts Footballers who represented the Eastern Local Football Association u19 team last weekend at the inter LFA Provincial Tournament and were crowned Champions. We are very proud of you.
* Kwanda Sokutu, Benoni Northerns 1st team Seniors player and Colts player plus ELFA u19 Captain receiving the winners trophy from Easterns Chairman Bruce King and Rand Central Chairman Jimmy Backos.
* The u19 ELFA Team for 2018 was coached by Len Van Rooyen and Enrique Juanas-Uriol, our Benoni Northerns Colts coaches.

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HOCKEY

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RUGBY

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The Scimitar 11 Sep 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A hearty good morning to you all

On the analysis of the weather forecasts for last week, they got it pretty close…I don’t think I really expected the sheer velocity and chill factor of the wind that came sweeping through on the weekend…but they had forecast cooler weather and so it definitely was….but things seem to be improving on a daily basis, with less items of clothing are having to be added at the dawning of each new day….so roll on summer…..

You will notice that our ground-staff have full confidence that the spring is in the air…as they have decided to top dress the top hockey field, with pretty little piles of top dressing carefully distributed across the entire field …in expectation of hosting a summer filled sports programme….by the end of this week the spreading of the lawn dressing should be complete and then we will begin watering….and hopefully Mother Nature will also provide some assistance with some well needed precipitation…..this field will be hosting plenty of night cricket for the juniors, while soccer makes its first appearance, with the vets and ladies soccer being hosted here for the remainder of this year….as we need to give their Soccer ‘C’ field some well needed rest and rehab…Brian has informed me that he will be replanting grass into the goal mouths and also some TLC, dressing, rolling and plenty of watering….as this field is definitely host to the largest number of feet throughout the year….and is finally gong to be given the attention and rest it needs….

And onto the weekend (and pre weekend antics) at the North…which was one of our busier one’s in a while…even though we didn’t have any senior home soccer or league fixtures for the hockey maniacs….

Thursday was the start of the sporting action at the Club…with our second Soccer team travelling to Bedfordview to take on the fiercely competitive and physical Luso….I am going to make it a short and sweet report…and suffice to say, that our boys played magnificently and scored the only goal of the match…to emerge deserved winners of the clash…. there was plenty of back slapping and joy at the result…and reports have it that the pub at the North was pushing the legal limits of closing hours when the celebrations finally were concluded….well done to Fish and his awesome young team…two matches left in the season….both of them will seem like Cup finals….on Saturday as they take on Luso in their ultimate league game of the season…with a winner takes all and are crowned as league Champions…Good luck boys…. and then the First team will be in action straight after that…to see if they are able to make it eight matches in a row (what a grear run they have had to end the season with) I think Coach Jannie will be able to celebrate his birthday (which was last week…and with the Northerns “7 day rule”, everyone is welcome to buy him a drink in celebtration) in real style if the biys are able scramble another win here….good luck chaps….we will be here in numbers to support….

Friday began uneventfully enough…only the drummer from the band experiencing a flat wheel, which meant that Freedom Unfound only began a little later than normal….but the wait was definitely worthwhile….as I think this set was the best that we have ever had from Ryno and his maestros…everyone who stayed on had a fantastic evening of dancing and singing along with the band….we also had a guest artist performing in the form of Jared, who shared his talents with the crowd I think the Dutch Courage from the bucket of beers and shooters donated definitely assisted in “twisting” his arm……and he proved to be a show stopper….with a really great voice and stage presence, well done Jared….so all in all, it was really a worthwhile evening of entertainment and fun in the Scimitar….

The evening started off with the usual…members draw and raffles at 19h00….with none of the Members unfortunately being present to collect their prizes or share their spoils….but some regulars took home the raffle prizes….followed by the Joker draw…and a collective sigh of “awe” went up as a new name was called out….”Hamster” turned out to be Clint Smith…who’s luck at being drawn…didn’t follow through to the selection of the correct card…as he found the hiding place of the three of diamonds much to the delight of the soccer boys, who seemed to have crawled out the woodwork again – welcome back)…so….another week, another roll over….and now with 15 cards drawn…we have a jackpot of R74013 available for some lucky person to win if they know where the Joker is hiding itself… please come through this Friday to join us in an evening of smiles and laughter…. This week our band is the old rockers, Cedz and Tryst….they have proved to be a very popular bunch of musicians….so if you haven’t seen them before, please make the effort to come and experience these super artists and a another great start to the weekend at the North….

Friday also played host to the Baseball prize giving…which was a super event…. celebrating the evening with all their League Winners…and honouring all the trophy winners….well done to everyone… it was really festive and there is a great spirit amongst players, coaching and admin personnel….Congrats to Shawn and his committee on a job well done….

Saturday dawned with the brains trust from all the sub-sections and main club committee’s at the Club involved with a business breakfast and meeting involving strategy, administration and the prospects at Benoni Northerns in the short, medium and long term…a most fruitful meeting was held….but with almost everyone enquiring as the fortunes of the fourth soccer side (who were playing at the time) and then whether we would finish before the Boks were to play….as it turned out we should rather have watched the ”Mighty Forfs” and let the Bok game pass unnoticed….. (so there will absolutely no further mention made of the side that played the game of the oval ball and who  travelled “Down Under” for fear of being lynched)….

Back to the North and the Soccer….our local Football Association awarded their soccer cup finals to Benoni Northerns to host….and we were fortunate enough to have one of our sides playing at their beloved home…and our highly experienced Fourth side were up first at 9 bells…against their traditional rivals from “down the road” Old Bens….and the game lived up to a “Cup Final” billing…being end to end action…with some silly nervous mistakes interspersed with moments of brilliance….but the two sides were still level after the full-time whistle…with one goal from each side in normal time…Coach, manager and senior tactician “Goose” gave his pearls of wisdom at the pep-talk before extra time…and this seemed to instil some more playing finesse to our side….who then ran riot in the extra time period…scoring an additional four goals to a solitary reply from their opposition….so for the second consecutive year…the “Mighty Forfs” are the holders of the Cup…and again in front of their home crowd!! Well done boys…was great to see the spirit in which you maintained your presence and the experience finally showed…. these celebrations went on late into the evening….as Mac, Issa and their team mates recalled all the highlights to anyone and everyone who would listen to their Swahili version of events of the day….

Sunday afternoon saw our Colts team in action again against Emmerentia….and once again the fellows produced the goods….with a fine 2-1 victory….that is truly amazing….after 19 matches they have only not been on the winning side twice….and on both these occasions, they have still not ended up on the losing side….both matches being drawn results….congrats to coach Enrique and band of young warriors….only three more matches in the league and a cup final….so we have distinct chance of some silverware from this young team of Super stars….

The rest of Saturday, we played host to the other Cup Finals, with some great football on show….so well done to Easterns Local Association…I was impressed with the standard of the Football on show….and congratulations to all the winners….to the losers…bad luck…there will always be a chance next year again….

Sunday saw our Senior Hockey section prize giving….and despite the freezing conditions experienced…there was some fine hockey played….and the day was warmed up by plenty of OB’s, some extra running and some spicy prego rolls for lunch… the prize winners are shown elsewhere in the Scimitar….my congratulations to all the prize winners, well done…a special mention to Ashley and his committee of merry men (and lady’s)….keep up the good work….hockey is alive and well at the North under your guidance….and is growing at a phenomenal rate….I still remember the crazy days of the 80’s where we fielded 11 men and 10 ladies teams (and were referred to as the Wanderers of the East) …..we are starting to make inroads into those numbers again…and I would not be surprised if other Clubs compare themselves to us at Benoni Northerns these days rather….

Our hockey girls are playing in a “Mash-up” this weekend (a lovely word for mixing up players from different teams into one unit….and taking on opposition of a similar make up) which promises to be a great afternoon of fun….and I’m sure that new friendships will be formed…last year this was a great success, prompting it being repeated again this year…so for those not at the beer mile…pop up to the Astro to watch the contrasting styles of players from the various sides and back grounds….attempting to co-ordinate and gel to form a winning unit….should be fun….

I’m afraid, I’ve had another over run on space for this week…..and have exceeded my allotted area by almost 50% (oops sorry!!)……but as my final bit of info….I have to give a punt to the Beer Run on show this weekend….last year was an absolute “jol” and this year promises to be an even better occasion…please join us for this uber epic event….it starts on Saturday at noon….details are in the flyer…pre-enter into the events to avoid disappointment, as they are filling up quickly…. to explain the concept in short….drink…run…drink…run….repeat….if you don’t feel you can do the run part….then…..drink …support…drink….scream and shout….drink…laugh at the crazy people…repeat… I’m sure you get the idea…

That’s my lot and all I got….have a great week…hopefully I’ll get to see you all real soon…. if you think we’re doing a great job (or even if you think we aren’t)….please let me know….by sending an email to me at rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers….. Take Care    Rod

 

Clint Smith (Guest) drew the 3 of Diamonds. Joker Draw a carry over at R74013.00 for Friday 14th Sep. Be present to win it!!  Be entertained every Friday Night with Live Music from 18h00

     

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ATHLETICS

  

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BASEBALL

We had our annual senior prize giving on Friday. Congratulations to the following winners

Major A: Chippewa
Best Batter – Rowan Ebersohn
Best Pitcher – Rowan Ebersohn
Best Fielder – Anthony Sayers
Players Choice – Anthony Sayers
Most Valuable Player – Rowan Ebersohn

CRICKET

Junior teams for the 2018/2019 season have been finalised.  Find your junior teams for the 18/19 season:  https://www.bncricket.co.za/junior-teams

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FOOTBALL

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HOCKEY

 

SENIOR HOCKEY PRIZE GIVING – SUNDAY 09TH SEPTEMBER

Darren Hugo (Promising Jnr Boy), Delia Scott (Enthusiastic Lady), Ray Lindsey (Enthusiastic Man), Anna Hechtor (Improved Lady Player), Ross Pawlett (Improved Man Player), Darren Thyss (Promising Man Player), Charne Valentine (Promising Junior Girl), Dione Brits (U21 Lady Player of the Year), Cody Vorster (U21 Man Player of the Year), Jeanette Diedricks (Consistant School Girl) and Derrick Merrifield (Umpire and Clubman of the Year).

        

YaYa’s took most of the credit home🏑
* Most Spirited Team – 2018
* Chanel Birch – 2018 most valued player
* Heather Turnbull – 2018 Captain of the Year
* Lindsey Jones – 2018 Clubwoman of the Year
* Alex Harris – 2018 Sportswoman of the Year

 

  

Dale Griffiths – 2018 Sportsman of the Year
* Men’s 3rds – 2018 Team of the Year
* Rod Scheepers – Mammoths Tusker of the Year
* Ashley George – Mammoths Clubman of the Year
* Bryon Kloopers – Mammoth of the Year

   

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RUGBY

 

 

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The Scimitar 4 Sep 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A fine and fresh good morning to everyone…

Despite the calendar showing me that it is early in September…there is still a decided chill around…I saw the throngs of people descending on the public pool on Saturday…and was pretty convinced that I definitely wasn’t going to be the first to break the “ice” there…that said…the weather is very reasonable during the day but as the sun slips it’s head behind the clouds or buildings…it is time to run for some warm covering…whether it be a jacket, jersey or track top….but the weatherman reliably predicts that every day is going to warm up till the weekend….a bit cooler on Saturday and Sunday…warming up again for a while….we’ll have to analyse and report back by next week and see if those buggers were correct or not…

Friday night was a great festive evening….and it took Andrew Hartley a trip all the way to the UK and back, to finally get his name drawn from the beeeeg black box…..but his fortune at selecting the Joker was as good as everyone else thus far in this draw…. he did manage find the Jack of Diamonds though…so one less to choose from now….and with the carry over it means that we escalate a little more this week…we’re up to R72017 for this week…and with birthday boy Ryno back this week to strum his guitar…it promises to be another crackerjack of a start to the weekend….please join us…

I was fortunate to be up at the Club on Saturday…to watch our Soccer boys at home against the traditionally tough opponents from the South of Joburg…Robertsham….the second side got back to winning ways with a positive result and a 2-1 victory…that now leaves us three points ahead of second placed Luso, who have a game in hand….which will be played against the unpredictable Kempton side….so I am sure that all the Northerns faithful will be rooting for Kempton to upset the Luso applecart this weekend…in any event the last game of the season will be played between the top two sides and of course a positive result for us…or even a draw should be sufficient to suffice….however, I am sure that Fish and his boys only have one result on their minds and that is to bring home the trophy with a solid win in front of the partisan Northerns crowd…..For me, the real fun of Saturday was kept the final 45 minutes of the first teams match…considering that we were dominating possession and territory…it was a huge surprise for our boys to come in at half time one goal behind….but I think that possibly a little tongue lashing from Jannie got the boys to remove the cobwebs off their scoring boots….and the second half was a rout…one…two….three…four!!! And they still weren’t done as the thrashed home the fifth shortly before the referee’s final whistle brought an end the Robertsham nightmare….that makes it seven in a row for the first side and has leap-frogged their opponents on the day into fourth place in the league….a phenomenal set of results for the boys as two months ago they were languishing on the lower half of the league…so an extraordinary change in fortunes for Jannie and his young charges….well done boys….I was most impressed with your never say die attitude…and you definitely taught them a lesson in the second half….both our sides have bye this weekend….and with only one game left in the league fixtures, which will be played next weekend at the North, we need all of our supporters to come out in force to support the boys against Luso (another rough and tough time for us all)…the second side to see if we can clinch the league and to push the first side to a complete the finishing straight with eight wins in a row….

With the second side also involved in the Cup semi-finals against Luso at Bedfordview on Thursday night…means that there will be no relaxation for these boys this week….all the best…keep an eye on all the social media platforms for notices on the fixture…I’m sure there will be a show of force by our supporters as this even….give it your best boys….

And for the final word on Soccer from last weekend…our Colts came up against the Wynberg Tigers, who they beat comprehensively in their previous encounter 7-3….in this match  they achieved the same number of goals scored….but this time their defence held firm and didn’t allow the opposition to score even a solitary goal…a great result for the boys…and now a new contender has emerged from the pack behind us, and come to challenge our top of the log status, arrives at the North in the form of Emmerentia….who have a solid record this season….could I request that our soccer supporters come and watch that the future of the North is in good hand with these young men…Kick off will be at 15h30 on Sunday afternoon….

We are hosting the Local Easterns Cup- Finals this Saturday at the North…with our very own Fourth Side kicking off proceedings at 09h00….there will be finals every two hours thereafter…so it promises to be a great day with some quality football…come along to support our boys and stay the day to watch all the other thrilling matches….

The hockey girls completed their season on Saturday….and the North played host to their post match party performances and shenanigans….. all sorts of weird and wonderful ideas of fun were the order of the day (some more successful than others)…and with a fancy dress occasion seeming to be the order of the day…it was an afternoon of hilarious consequences…singing silly songs….dancing on the ceilings…. whilst drinking some absolutely ghastly looking concoctions….the girls partied on late into the afternoon…..if their party skill are anything like their hockey skills….we have potential national players in the making….

On Saturday at 13h00 our men’s first side will play their last match of the season against Wanderers at St Dunstans Astro….and will be most appreciative of any support we can give them….. Perhaps we can meet at the North for a few light refreshments and then go down en masse to support the boys…should be a cracker…see you there!!! The senior Northerns hockey prize giving will be held in the beer garden on Sunday preceded by the normal “crunch” prize giving matches between some of the traditional rival sides… it promises to be another festive day of fun for our Members….join us early for this one too…

Our Runners were also busy last weekend with their start up to the season…they held their annual Spring run was a massive success…they even collared the Main Club Chairman, Lockey Brown, into joining their drinking festivities….and he was only minding his own business on his own little 5k fun run in the morning…so it appears that they have some Members that are most convincing and sufficiently influential to get Lockey to alter his usual route to include a massive watering hole of all sorts of liquid refreshments that are not normally associated with a serious run…but all reports have indicated that the day was enjoyed by all…even those seconded at the last minute say it was a blast!!….

Although it isn’t cricket season….the cricketers began their preparation at the Titans Franchise T20 last weekend….and despite not having some of the big names from last year available….the boys played wonderful cricket and came home with the trophy….this was a really promising start to the season…as we beat some quality opposition throughout the weekend….great stuff boys…..you have set the bar very high right at the start of the season already….lets ensure that we keep this momentum going….and that I got coerced into your fines meeting is something that I haven’t had to do for a while!! But well done…I can see that you were all most impressed with the skills displayed over the weekend…

Next Saturday we are going to be having the Beer Mile being run again….this promises to be an afternoon of fun and laughter….there will be a bit of exercise….but with it some beer drinking too….so this is the ideal challenge for all of our Members….we are all sportsmen /women who enjoy a pot or two…this will be the opportunity to complete and compete in both on one afternoon…..please refer to the flyer in the Scimitar and enter using the links indicated. We will be having music during the event, followed by live music for your enjoyment…..

Our Baseball Major ‘B’ Wichita ended off a marvellous season and are the Champions for 2018….that is fantastic news….well done to Manager Shaun and Coach Tyron…..with best batter for the season going to Jacques Groenewald while we also boasted the best pitcher, being Alex Howden….a great set of results…I’m sure that victory was celebrated late into the night if their management team had anything to do with proceedings!!

I hope that you’ll excuse this being a little longer than normal….but there was just so much to news at the North as we get to the end of the winter season….We’re in for another busy weekend, so goodbye to you all..I’ll hopefully get to see you all at the Club… (Let me know if we’re doing things to your satisfaction or not, by sending an email to me at rod.scheepers@gmail.com) take care…

Cheers

Rod

 

 

     

Andrew Hartley (Football) drew the Jack of Diamonds. Joker Draw turnover at R72017.00 for Friday 07th September. Be present to win it!!

   

“Freedom Unfound” will be entertaining us from 18h00 on Friday 07th September

          

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ATHLETICS

 

BNAC’s Bright Mikolongwe has just won the third race in the Discovery Half Marathon series!!!!

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BASEBALL

Northern’s Baseball – Mohican’s played in the Gauteng Baseball Cup Finals against Panarama Panther’s at Boksburg Stadium last Sunday

 

   

Congrats to our boys who made their respective SA sides.

SA Mens
Rowan Ebersohn
Non travelling reserve
Tyler Croft

CRICKET

     

BNCC – Titans Franchise T20 Club Champions!!! Such a great achievement! Well done to all involved.

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FOOTBALL

        

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HOCKEY

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The Scimitar 14 Aug 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A bright and breezy good morning to everyone

After the weekend away at the Hockey Masters Tournament, I think I need a long weekend to recover….an absolute blast of a weekend…it was marvellous to see plenty of old friends and acquaintances, met and made a few new ones too….played hockey of an excellent standard….and of course tried to party like full-time students again….I am sure that everyone who was there can bear testament to this fact….despite there being a fair bit of travelling between the various fields of play (which we at our Tournament last year didn’t really have much of), but all the matches were played on Astro Turf (which of course is the way the game is played these days) and it was an experience deluxe…my thanks to the organisers of the tournament…well done, it was a tough act to follow from last year…and then to our province Eastern Gauteng….massive kudos and congratulations….(and I think I echo this on behalf of all the players) your sides were a pleasure to represent, which we did with great pride…we were all professionally kitted out….whilst the “gees” amongst all the fellow players was amazing,,, whether we were on or alongside the fields, at the hotels or at the functions, it was plain to see that Easterns are definitely a force to reckoned with….well done to my fellow clooeaguies and players on a marvellous weekend…

As I was away, I wasn’t here to experience the “vibe” of Friday night, but I did hea that Arthur Jones managed to get his ticket drawn out of the beeeeg black box…and despite his fortune at being chosen twice in pretty quick succession….his luck at choosing the correct card, did not change…..you definitely need to take some lessons from your wife Arthur…..his choice turned out to be the five of clubs…which, of course, means that there are happy Masters hockey players, who return to a roll over with the Jackpot this week rising to R66245….remember that the last ticket sales (and still at only R5 a ticket) are on sale in the Hall until 19h20….with the draw taking place at 19h30…. after last weeks Karaoke, we unfortunately didn’t have any new “SA Has Talent” contestants…so we have Freedom Unfound to rock us on Friday….Alan Knight will vouch that their version of “Lightning Crashes” as being a marvellous cover version…and I’m sure that this will be accompanied by a bunch of other favourites…so join us for a great evening at the North…

Saturday saw our Soccer boys in the soccer “derby” with Old Bens, who took the drive from down to the road to the North to battle for the Benoni soccer honours….our second side, who have been riding the crest of a wave…were humbled with a 2-1 score line…and this allows Luso to creep up on us and are now effectively 2 points behind us….again Fish, the best advice I can give is to keeo winning….and then all the speculation regarding how many points behind they are….really won’t matter…all the best…then onto our first side, who were the supremo’s of the day….ending up with a 2-0 victory…from all reports, we were superior in every facet of the match and fully deserved the win…well done to Jannie and the boys…we just need now both the sides to win on the same day, that we can don our party shoes to dance the night away….perhaps that will come this weekend…when we host Linhill Celtic at the North….let’s have a party chaps….

The Second Soccer side did enjoy some success last week, when they won in the cup, when the opposition, Zwide, did not arrive for the match…and we were awarded a 2-0 walk-over…so into the semi’s for Fish and the boys….I will keep you informed about the where’s, when’s and how’s of their next encounter…. The future stars of Northerns soccer, in the form of the Colts are still high riding in their league, with more success against Alberton last weekend….but this Sunday see’s a clash of the top-dogs as we take on Benfica at the our home at Northerns….this promises to be an outstanding match….so get yourselves up to the North on Sunday for the 3.30pm kick-off…see you all there….

Most of our Baseball sides were on point last weekend…with only the Major ‘B’ side narrowly losing out to the Mustangs…. However the Major ‘A’, Senior Reserves and Minors all enjoyed convincing wins over the Mets, Japan Express, and Palm Ridge respectively. Keep up that good form boys, as we move into the last portion of the season.

I did mention that our Rugby boys have moved their attention to the 7’s format…so if there are any maestro’s out there that are wanting to catch a game…please join them for practice on Tuesday and Thursday at the Club….

Hockey makes its return at the North after the Masters Tournament…so expect plenty of hockey revellers in and around the Club on Saturday afternoon and from early on Sunday morning….

Time to end up for this week….please send any jibes, jeers and cheers to me at rod,scheepers@gmail.com

Take care….keep warm…and I’ll see you at the North through the course of the week….

Cheers     Rod

     

Arthur Jones (Social) once again had a chance to draw the Joker Card but alas drew the 5 Clubs. Draw sitting on R66245.00 for Friday 17th August. Be present to win it!!

     

“FREEDOM UNFOUND” WILL BE ENTERTAINING US THIS FRIDAY EVENING FROM 18H30

5 WEEKS TO GO

Tickets are on sale

Get yours here:

The Scimitar 7 Aug 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

From me, a very excited good morning to you all…

Excitement you say?….how can the grumpy old man that sits in the corner speak of excitement….well, myself and close on 900 other Masters hockey players are descending on the coastal city of Durban to take part in the annual pilgrimage to the city chosen by the Masters committee, to ply our skills, renew/build friendships and acquaintances…and in general let our hair down (it is just a figure of speech Manny….I know I don’t have any hair!!) I’m sure as many of you remember, it is already a year since that same bunch of party people attacked the North and our facilities with gusto and panache…and left with many happy memories of our magnificent home…. This year the venue may have altered, but the same spirit and camaraderie that accompanies the Masters crew applies…so for the next few days, the Club will echo with stillness as the “old” people leave town…To all my fellow players, coaches, managers, umpires and supporters….please go down to Durbs and let rip….it is going to be a blast!!

As a consequence, this weekend there will be very little in the way of hockey at the Club, but please keep all the players that are travelling and playing in your thoughts and prayers over the weekend….may they travel safely, play well and bring back piles of happy memories and stories to be retold again and again over the passages of time….

Remaining on the hockey theme…we have recently had one of our very own, Dale Griffiths (who has been part of our first men’s side for over 250 matches already), representing the SA over 40 side in Europe at the World Cup…where our national side came a very creditable 8^th out of 15 teams…. well done to Team SA…but definitely the cherry on the cake for Dale, was that he was chosen as the SA player of the Tournament!!! What a phenomenal achievement Dale… I’m sure that Dale in his usual modest way would say that it really was a team achievement, but we all know the massive impact that Dale has had at the North….I am sure that his colleagues in the SA team feel the same way… We are most proud of you and your achievements Dale…well done…

Our rugby boys have slowed down on the 15 man game, but their focus is now firmly placed on the 7’s format…the leagues will soon be out when we will be able to have more definite information relating to the times, dates etc….if there is anyone who would like to join in with our Club at 7’s….please contact Glenda in the office for the Chairman or Vice-chair’s contact details.

All our Soccer boys finally came to the party last weekend…with both our sides registering wins over Germiston….the second side enjoying a comfortable 5-1 win…to keep their lead at 8 points over the second place in the league, but Luso do have a game in hand….there are just 5 games left…so the end is in sight…keep up the hard work and you will earn the just rewards….the first side were also victorious, although the score line was only reflected at 3-2, I was able to watch parts of the match…and can confirm that Jannie’s side played some wonderful soccer, but just couldn’t score to get the final result to show the supremacy that they had in the match….keep up the good work boys, I’m sure that if you keep playing like I saw on Saturday, you will steadily move up the ladder from your current sixth position….This weekend is a massive match for our boys….the “Benoni derby” with Old Bens is back…and this Saturday it is at the North…so festivities will begin at 1.45 with the second team…whilst the firsts will “lock horns” at 3.30….. We will have a “beer only bar” in the beer garden in front of the Athletics office, where cans will be sold…in addition to all the bars being manned as well…please join us for this showpiece of the Benoni Football calendar….

The Second side have progressed through to the quarter finals of the Cup…and this will be played at the Club on Thursday 9^th (the public holiday)….so join us then too, in support of our all conquering seconds….All the best to Fish and his charges.

Our future first team stars, who are currently representing us at Colts level are enjoy considerable success this season….In their last two matches, they have beaten Sporting 5-0 at the North and then travelled to Wits and had another comfortable result, this time winning 4-0….this weekend they host Alberton at home… please join us all in watching these young men in their plight to bring some silverware home to us…. With a bit of new for the bragging rights articles…there are eight of these young Colts who have been chosen to represent our province at district level….Kawanda Sokutu, James Mavimbela, Matthew Welgemoed, Kaylem Jordaan, Dane Adams, Michael Juanas-Uriol, Lifa Mthimkhulu and Andisa Hola are to be congratulated…well done lads…I am sure that you will wear the provinces colours and badge with pride and honour…

Our Friday night was a loads of fun, with Billy and Martin entertaining us…playing us some foot-stomping favourites…but with no winners on our Members draws….it was left to Ingrid Blankers (who’s name was selected from the beeeeg black box) to show us if her skills were any better at locating the joker on the board….but alas! She had the same luck as the 6 previous attempts and could only reveal to us where the 9 of Clubs had been hiding….but for all the rest of us (well…apart from the Masters Hockey players) that is good news…as the Joker Jackpot has moved up to R65015…. This week we will be having all our Karaoke skills on show…so please some an reveal your talent up at the Club from 7ish on Friday….perhaps we have some hidden Idols talent on show…

That is my lot and all I have for this week…to anyone that happens to be also going away for the long weekend…please travel safe and enjoy your weekend…to those who remain…remember that on Thursday, the bars open at 10am whilst on Friday they will return back to normal trading hours…

Take care…cheers Rod

   

Ingrid Blankers drew the 9 of Clubs. Joker Draw sitting on R65015.00 for Friday 10th August. Be present to win it!!

“KAREOKE” WILL PRESENT FOR YOU TO SHOW YOUR SKILLS THIS FRIDAY EVENING

What a wonderful way to celebrate your birthday with people you love and surrounded by things and Peeps that you have a passion for. I was very fortunate and blessed. Thank you for every big person and every little person that made this possible. You are special from the littlest to the biggest Peep. Thank you for all the donations that the kids from the Children’s Homes received and for our Club Benoni Northerns Sports Club and their staff that helped to make this day a success. – Adele Keyser Steyn

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ATHLETICS

BNAC – Castle beer stop at 19k’s – Skukuza

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BASEBALL

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CRICKET

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FOOTBALL

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The Scimitar 31 Jul 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A warm and sunny good morning to everyone…..

As I look across the car park…I see the first inklings of Spring….there is a slight tinge of green on the Oak trees that line the avenue down to the Tennis Club (similar to those outside my home)….and I have been able to come to work without layers and layers of clothing…I am sure that Mother Nature will still have her say…and make sure that I don’t pack my warm winter woollies too far away yet….I do remember us having snow on a couple of occasions in September…and we haven’t even hit August yet…but then the windy days do await us…they bring the promise of good spring and summer rains…so we will have to put up with our traditionally windy month…this month will also signify the coming to the end of our winter sports…rugby has all but shut up shop…whilst soccer, hockey and baseball are about to crown their champions of 2018…always an exciting time at the end of the season…as those in pole position try to maintain their dominance..whilst those slightly below them…jockey for the best position…awaiting the top team to slip up…so that they can gain some precious ground to bring them closer to the brink of the league…

Our last weekend saw a solid turnout of Members and their guests for our Friday Fiesta of Club and Jokers draws and the Raffles which are proving to be as popular as ever….with the arrival of the Beer and Club draws…we saw winners in both categories…Deon Breedt winning the two cases of beer…whilst Andy Dudley was the fortunate one to have his Club number drawn…and was rewarded for being present at the draw…with a deposit into his bank account on Monday morning of R6600…a very tidy sum…which I am sure will provide the Dudley household with a very novel Christmas in July bonus….. it is lovely to see that one of our regulars has received recognition for his perseverance…well done Duddles…. and then onto our Joker draw…Arthur Jones (the husband of one of large Joker winners from the past) was given his opportunity to guessing where the Joker was hiding…his finger pointing skill was definitely not as fruitful as his wife’s attempt….his choice turning out to be the Jack of Clubs….so for the rest of us that is really good news…as that means the Jackpot is still available this week and has risen to R63 494…. Adam from Boycott Ballad was our entertainment…and as always he did not disappoint, being at his unique and brilliant best….having the audience braving the cold weather to listen to his amazing renditions of old and new favourites…also bringing some of his own compositions too…he is definitely one of those on theplease call back list for the North…..this week we welcome back Billy and Martin performing as Coyote….if the weather permits, we may persuade them to be in the tent….let us hope that is the case…. our night market has battled a little in the winter this year…and for the last two months of this year it will be held on the first Saturday morning of the month….so this Saturday we will host the morning market…let me wish all the exhibitors a successful transition from the night to the morning…I am sure it will be a little warmer at least…so pop down to the North on Saturday morning and see what new offerings there are available….hopefully we will see you there….

Onto our sports for the weekend…and of course the major draw card and show piece at the North was the Junior Hockey Tournament on Saturday morning…it was absolutely marvellous to see over 800 participants….and each one of those future stars brought their own support structure of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings and friends….it was an amazing to stand up on the deck and hear the buzz of the crowds and the barking instructions of the coach…the yelps of delight by the parents, as their little “Johnnie” or “Janie” performed heroics similar to the World Cup Stars (in their parents eyes at least)…and the shouts and screams of the participants, as they wait for an expected pass, or urging their fellow players back to assist in the matter of defence….and see all the frantic energy being displayed by players and spectators alike…..the feedback from this tournament is always a positive…there is a massive amount of work that is carried out by Ashley and Shaun and their fantastic team of volunteers to ensure that this is not only a memorable day for all the players…but also a profitable one for the hockey section…so well done to everyone concerned on a job well done….if you haven’t experienced excitement like this before…please join us next year to enjoy and soak up the vibe of the day…

Our Soccer boys had a successful visit to the Italian Club to play Olympia…and both sides came home with wins…the first side coming home with a 4-2 result…while the 2^nd’s having a resounding 7-1 rout….the first side are still sitting mid table with 6 matches still to play….while the seconds are still riding the crest of the wave….on top of their respective league…a whopping 8 points clear..albeit the second placed side in their league do have a game in hand…good luck to the coaches and the teams for this week’s encounter…we take on Germiston at the North this weekend….please come down to support the boys….

Both the ladies and men’s hockey leagues are coming to the end, with the men only having three weeks left of their leagues, while the girls still have another 5 or 6 rounds still to be completed….I have also been watching a little of the Ladies hockey that is currently on in England and currently being televised…and have watched in awe at some of audacious and ridiculous stick skills that some of these ladies possess….hours and hours of practice have been spent on perfecting these skills and it definitely shows!!

This weekend we will be showing the Super Rugby final on at the Club from 9.30 on Saturday morning….please keep an eye out for the specials….there will be discounted drink rates for the duration of the match… Go the MIGHTY, MIGHTY LIONS!!

That brings me to an end for this week…hopefully I will get to see you all soon at the Club or its environs….if you have any suggestions or gripes, please send them to me on rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers for now  Rod..

 

   

Arthur Jones (Social) drew the Jack of Clubs. Joker Draw sitting on R63494.00 for Friday 03rd Aug. Be there to win it.

“COYOTE” WILL BE ENTERTAINING US THIS FRIDAY EVENING

 

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 ATHLETICS

 

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BASEBALL

 

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 CRICKET

     

Benoni Northerns Cricket Trial Dates

18 Aug
8:30 – 11:30 U12
12:00 – 15:00 U14

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FOOTBALL

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HOCKEY

What an absolutely amazing day for the Junior Hockey Tournament. Great to see the kids from ages 3 to 11 playing hockey. This couldn’t have been done without the great team.

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The Scimitar 24 Jul 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A warm welcome to everyone…

A quick thank you to everyone for the positive input I have received over the last little while regarding the Scimitar…it appears that our weekly newsletter is more widely read than I actually ever believed…but I had a phone call from an old Club mate (who currently stays in Perth…yes that is in Australia Manny) that he actually reads the Scimitar weekly with all its news and results…and that did give me a massive kick…to know that our newsletter is keeping people in touch from far and wide….and that really impresses me…that we are able contact with Members, young and old, from near and far….

I must say that I can’t give any sure bets on SuperBru or at the tote…but our National Cricketers would have been a sure bet  to be on the losing side, if you could get any sort of reasonable odds on them…. they appear to have lost the plot since AB announced his retirement….our bowling line-up is able to grab enough wickets…but the batters just don’t seem to justify their inclusion in the side….(with Tinus de Bruyn being the exception in the last innings yesterday)…I watched the first test in horror, as seasoned batsmen made schoolboy errors and most “threw away” their wickets needlessly…. (but again, that said, I have never played any significant level of cricket close to the standard that they are expected to maintain, week after week) but as a spectator, I get really disappointed watching when the fellows get into this mindset….Our sevens rugby players didn’t have their best week at the World Cup in San Francisco either….but were at least able to bring a bronze medal home… I suppose I shouldn’t complain…at least we came home with a medal…our mates the Aussies came home with nothing…and their cricketers are in an even bigger hole than our young men…I think it is going to take Cricket Australia quite a bit of time and effort to get themselves back at a competitive level real soon…time will tell…

I have had some really positive reports on our junior Northerns Baseballers who have represented South Africa over the recent school holidays (and some that are about to embark on a tour of a life time) Congratulations to them all on receiving their national colours…I am sure that it is (will be for those who leave shortly)  a massive honour to don the glorious “green and gold” and walk onto the field (and I think as a parent it must be a great joy to see your own “Mini-Me” in that position)…and represent you country…in an international tournament…well done boys…we are extremely proud of you…may you all come back inspired and fired up to pass on your newfound knowledge to all your club mates…

Our first team soccer boys have had a really frustrating season….losing many of their games by the odd goal…and last week was no exception…losing out to Olympia…whilst the second side under the guidance of “Fish” continued to ride on their crest of the wave and were able to proceed through to the next round of the Cup….Coach Jannie must be extremely annoyed and a little disappointed at the results that he is achieving…for despite the score-lines, we are dominating, we just can’t seem to match the number of goals we concede with the number that were are able to convert…hopefully this week we will be able to reverse that trend…come on boys…let us bring home three points to allow us to celebrate again….but a great soccer reason to celebrate however, is the performance of our future leaders at the North….the Colts had some more positive results with a 5-5 draw at Robertsham and a 2-0 walk over Sporting….I remember how difficult it was to ever take any points away from Robertsham….so a great effort from the young men….they are still on top of their league at present and lead by two points….the easiest way to keep it that way boys…is to just keep winning….it is that simple…

Our hockey players again proved to be some really top notch party people…with some of the girls teams partying into the night at the North….and the boys, not to be outdone…had to staff dancing a pretty tune of Sunday with their antics… This weekend is a massive weekend for our Junior Hockey players and Committee….we will have close to 1000 junior players here from the entire Province….and this is our show piece….something to show everyone that the North is still able to produce great hockey players and a phenomenal environment to play our sport in…good luck to Shaun and his merry band of helpers… I am sure it will be another crackerjack day to remember (a quick thanks in advance to all the volunteers, who make the day possible…an incredible amount of work goes into making the day the success it has always been…thank you).

Thanks you to everyone who was able support the Athletics section in their Blanket drive that was held on Mandela Day (July 18)…it was a fantastic evening and we had a great response from all our Members….the donations will be distributed and I am sure that many people will be a little warmer this winter due to the generosity of the wonderful Members at the North…..thank you once again…

Friday saw another great evening at the North….with a super band, the Zimmer Twinz, who kept everyone’s feet tapping while they played their renditions of a variety of awesome tunes….thank Peter and Keith, it really is appreciated….but to those who were unable to make the evening…our Joker draw was not won..and we have a carry over and the Jackpot now stands at R61 556….the lucky fish to be drawn last week, was Glen Barnard…but his luck turned out to be as good as the previous 6 people has been…his choice of face down card revealing the 3 of hearts…bad luck Glen, better luck next time….we also have a new Members draw figure too…as there was not a winner last week…and this has moved up to R6600…remember that you have to be a paid up Member of the Club to win this….and of course, you have to be present to collect you winnings….so please pop along and see if your number gets drawn out this week…we will be hosting the crazy Adam Boyd on his guitar and vocals this week…he has proved to be real crowd favourite with his phenomenal voice and range…and I am sure that this trend will continue this week…come through to see what makes him so popular….

When I started writing my contribution this week, I thought I am going to have to apologise for the short format in this week’s news…but despite my misgivings…our Members were able to produce enough noteworthy snippets, for me to fill up an entire page with my ramblings…. Enough now…finish it off, I can hear Manny saying…so without further ado….please forward your gripes or gratitude to rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers…have a fun week….

Rod

Glen Barnard (Member) drew the 3 of Hearts. Joker Draw a turnover at R61556.00 for Friday 27th July 2018. Be present to win it!!

“ADAM BOYD” WILL BE ENTERTAINING US ON FRIDAY – 18H30

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ATHLETICS

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BASEBALL

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CRICKET

Benoni Northerns Cricket Trial Dates

18 Aug
8:30 – 11:30 U12
12:00 – 15:00 U14

The Scimitar 17 Jul 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A frosty fresh good morning to everyone….

Not that I want to get stuck on that dreary subject of the weather…but this is definitely the coldest winter I have experienced in quite a few years…. Phew…maybe it is the age thing catching up on me…but I tend to feel it more in my bones presently more than ever before….but enough about this crappy weather and roll on summer…( quickly please!!)

Before we go any further….don’t ever listen to my predictions on major sports in the future…..I have really “copped” a little abuse and some hilarious banter in the last few days as to the predictions I made last week….admittedly I did get it slightly incorrect…in fact it was exactly 100% (Wrong)…. I am extremely happy that my predictions in the tennis were incorrect….as the demise of Roger Federer in this tournament resulted in a new juggernaut being launched….our very own Kevin Anderson became the new Colossus on the Men’s circuit…..I must say that there was a decided hush at the North on Friday during that epic semi-final with John Isner….it is very seldom that you can say that all the television sets at the North were tuned onto a sport that was not soccer, cricket, rugby or cycling…there was dead silence when Kevin was under pressure, whilst each successful point won, was greeted by joyous applause, yips and shrieks of encouragement… despite his loss in the Final, I think that Kevin has gained a lot of new fans for his sterling performance at Wimbledon…his commitment and tenacity were tested over and over during his quarter and semi final matches….and he overcame many gremlins that could have crept in and scuppered his chances of going further in this spectacular Grand Slam…on the Ladies side, it was refreshing to see that Serena is human and can actually have an off day and with it, another young star is born in the form of Angelique Kerber…well done to her, after watching her performance, it looks like she will go a very long way in the future….(and the Germans needed someone else to support over the weekend…as their national football side took an unplanned and extended holiday….)

The only part of my predictions that did come true, was that Belgium did beat England (and with a similar score-line, a two goal margin, as I suggested) but it was unfortunately not according to my prediction, but in the 3^rd place playoff match….and now France are back at the top of the World again…I must say that they were most impressive in their efforts to get to and in the Final…it looked like they had answers for everything that Croatia had to throw at them on that day (and everyone before them)….and the final was a really high scoring match….I can’t off hand remember so many goals in a final during normal play…(the last significant score I recall was France’s 3-0 win over Brazil 20 years ago)….these finals usually land up being very controlled and tight affairs….so well done to both sides for allowing us to see 6 goals in a final…long may the attacking mode continue….one of my biggest concerns that was highlighted during all these matches…and that I believe the world body needs to address urgently…is the ill-discipline of teams and the total disrespect shown to match officials….as a hockey player, I find it really difficult to accept that players can shout and scream abuse at a referee without any sanction whatsoever…..whilst in hockey, if you merely look at an umpire askew after a controversial decision, you may land up with a 2 or a 5 minute “sin-bin” suspension for this dissent….I feel that a large portion of the “gloss” was removed from these finals by the “Oscar winning performances” from some of the players…I was looking forward to seeing the best of the best…but ended up being bitterly disappointed at some big name players performances….which I think was “highlighted” by the exit of the “painful” Neymar (much to my delight), who spent more time  “rolling around” on the ground needing paramedics and emergency care, only to scamper off when the referee ignored his histrionics…. but we did see the emergence of some brilliant new players, who got about the task of playing football and gave us some epic moments to treasure and applaud….but it is over for another 4 years and the next time we will see all these players together is in 2022….(I would like to know how they are going to adjust the world calendar, as I have heard that this show piece will be held in February 2022….while the whole world has structures their leagues around a mid June/July time period…time will tell how this will be overcome….)

And onto our weekend at the North….with the cooler weather we have seen a drop in numbers on Fridays…but we had a cracking band with us…Cedz and Tryst…those that took time out to join us, will agree that they were at their brilliant best…and with the epic tennis semi final on at the same time…we were kept entertained for many hours…. Andrew Hawkins was the lucky fellow to have his ticket drawn from the beeeg black box…and he had obviously given the board some serious attention as to his selection criteria…as he walked up and immediately pointed to his choice…unfortunately for him it turned out to be the King of Clubs…which of course means another roll over and the Joker Jackpot now has climbed over R60k and has settled at R60 398…we have another of our popular favourite bands back this week…as the Zimmer Twinz will be entertaining us…with their lovely mix, covering some of the golden oldies, whilst also coming up with some interesting versions of current numbers…join us for another great evening of fun and festivities.

Please do not forget that tomorrow is Mandela Day…and join us in conjunction with the Athletic section…in donating blankets and/or clothing that you may have at home (or if you are able to afford sponsoring some new items) all contributions will be greatly appreciated…all these will be donated to the Northfield Methodist Church for distribution… the Club run tomorrow night (Wednesday 18^th) will be the official day of collections, but you may drop off your donations at the Club office whenever it suits you, we will ensure that they are forwarded to the correct parties…. I thank you in advance for your efforts…I have already had some people bringing plastic bags of their donations and am expecting plenty more, as I know the kind heartedness of our Members will allow us to warm plenty of less fortunate people this winter….

Our Soccer boys had mixed fortunes this weekend…with the first side going down to the odd goal in three to Olympia, whilst the second side continued on their winning ways and proceed into the next round of the Cup…our Colts are still doing amazingly well in the Central Super League and remain at the top of the league with a great win over Sporting…they continue in their quest tonight against Robertsham, whilst on Sunday they take on Sporting at the North…both of the first and second sides are away at Randburg this Saturday…which is always a tough match…as Randburg won the league last year and are always difficult opponents, so anyone able to go through too support, will be greatly appreciated by the boys….

All the Baseballers that played on the weekend…had positive results…with both the Major ‘A’ and ‘B’ sides enjoying success against the difficult opponents in the Red Sox whilst the Minors were able to have fairly easy win over the Titans…well done fellows….all the hard work is paying off and the results are starting to reflect that….

Saturday and Sunday saw some indifferent weather for all of our sportsmen and women…and hockey was no exception….a little rain…some wind and bitterly cold weather too…was unable to dampen the spirits of the “hockiers”…. they seemed to accept it as a challenge to see if the all shooters and raised alcohol consumption were able to work as an “anti-freeze” and it appears to have worked very effectively… I saw many of the players involved in their normal fines and banter outside after their matches…then proceeding into the warmth of the bars…by the fires and heaters….this weekend there will be another full set of fixtures…so expect to see some more of these crazy players’ antics on display in the various bars and beer garden…have a blast guys!!

That’s the lot and all I’ve got for this week….hope to see you all soon…. take care (and send all your contributions to rod.scheepers@gmail.com )

Cheers Rod

Andrew Hawkins (Social) drew the King of Clubs. Joker Draw yet another turnover, now sitting on R60938.00 for Friday 20th July. Be there to win it!!

 

“ZIMMER TWINZ” WILL BE ENTERTAINING US ON FRIDAY – 18H30

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 ATHLETICS

Our first runner home at this year’s Comrades Marathon – Sanyana.  He’s an extraordinary athlete, 18 silvers and counting. We couldn’t be prouder!!

  

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 BASEBALL

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CRICKET

Junior Cricket have a U12 squad touring to Sri Lanka later this year. They are current running a fundraiser and will be having a barnyard evening in July.

TRIAL DATES

JUNIORS: 18-19 AUGUST

SENIORS: 25-26 AUGUST

WOMEN: 25-26 AUGUST

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The Scimitar 10 Jul 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

A very fine good day to every one…

The boot is securely on the Northern Hemisphere’s foot at the moment….I have had friends and family there (as I’m sure we all have)sending pictures of their braai’s and temperature gauges well into the 30’s…whilst we are shivering and under attack from another cold front (or was it just return of the one that arrived a couple of days earlier…??) but that said…let them have their two weeks of glorious weather…everyday brings me one day closer to “Braaivleis, Sunshine, Sunny Skies and Chevrolet!!” for those older Members who will remember the radio advert from a “looong way back”…I personally can’t wait….some of the only positives that I take out of the Winters…is that I can play my beloved hockey or wrap up warmly, then wriggle and squirm myself into a comfortable position on the couch to watch some sport on TV…

What does everyone think of the Soccer World Cup? A few surprises to be sure…but I’m certain that there will be a large contingent of England supporters who are chuffed with their team…..the Croatians although, I think, are now boxing above their weight division (but that coming from someone whose shocking side went out in the last 16, what do I know?)…I think the pick of the semi’s will be the France / Belgium clash…both sides have played some scintillating football…. (the Belgians pulled one out of the fire against the Japanese, while the French have been very workmanlike in all their matches)….my SuperBru record says I should definitely not make any predictions…so I will anyway…a Belgium/England Final…with a Belgian 3-1 victory…

WImbledon is also getting interesting….and with all the top ten ladies seeds out…just shows how close competition is at the top of the tree in the girls game….Serena appears to be too strong for everyone else, despite her lay-off…and I think will take it to take home her 8^th title…while on the men’s side…my patriotic side says I must support Anderson to go a little further…but the “Fed” is looming large for all other competitors…as this phenomenon appears to have no age complications and just seems to get better and better….his ability to overcome the ravages of age with splendid court technique and anticipation have been a joy to behold….I can just imagine the ragging I am going to get for my trifecta of predictions in the last 10 lines….ah well….live by the sword as they say….

And now for a run down at the North over the weekend….despite our cooler weather on Friday night…we still had a solid turnout who braved the chilly temperatures…to watch the quarter finals of the World Cup and participate in the Members and Joker draws….the Members draw is still not won and this week has moved up a little further to R6200..but on the Joker draw we had a new name out of the “beeeg black box” this week…. Cheryl Bartle (whom I was at school with) experienced the same feeling of bewilderment….standing in front of the display box… (I have been told it really does appear large and intimidating when you eventually do get a chance to make a selection)and after a short period of consideration she made her choice…and came up with the 10 of hearts…so another roll over for all the rest of us…and the “pot” jumps up to R59267…this week our entertainment is the massively talented Cedz and Tryst…for all those lovers of Rock music…these guys are a must….I’m sure they will warm up the cockles of your heart with their rendition of the old favourites…there will also be plenty of fires lit to take the chill off the evening…we will also be having some double hour whacky booze specials for Friday 13^th….and offer quite a few of our local favourites at a R13 price tag from 18h00 to 20h00…so, the more you drink the more you save (a favourite saying of an old friend of mine!!)…please keep an eye on our Social media platforms and the Notices around the Club… should be a cracker of an evening at the North…

Our top soccer sides were really on song (in duet!!) this weekend with a real “double” against Kempton….the first and second sides, shared 4-3 wins over Kempton Park…with both managers having moments where the nails were bitten right down to the quick…but were very chuffed with their positive results for the day….the firsts have moved up to a spot above mid table…whilst the second side are now seven points clear of the second placed side, albeit that Luso have played one game less at present. This week there is a break from league activities…as we enter the quarter finals of the Cup….our sides are travelling to the Italian Club in Bedforview, to take on Olympia for a spot in the semi’s…all the best lads….may the ball find the oppositions net more often than it finds ours…. The young guns, in the form of our Colts, also had another great result with a great victory over Robertsham…well done chaps…

The Rugby boys had a great day of centralised fixtures across the road…and although the results did not go our way…everyone was bubbling with excitement at the success of the organisation and feedback for the day…well done fellows….

Our Major ‘A’ baseballers had a little hiccough over the weekend going down to the Giants, while the all our other teams enjoyed success on the day…. we’ll have to change those stats this weekend boys….let us get out there and do it…

Hockey is back in full swing again this weekend…with the men starting the second round of fixtures….so we will have a full house of fixtures over the weekend…expect to see a bunch of “hockiers” in and around the Club over the weekend…

Our runners are having a marvellous initiative next week (which I respectfully request all Members to assist with). the 18^th is Mandela Day…and the Athletics Club have decided to dedicate their Club run next Wednesday to Madiba…and will be holding a Blanket drive for this purpose….we will be collecting Blankets (and any other unwanted warm clothing) at the Office up to and including the 18^th…and all our donations will be forwarded to the Northfield Methodist Church for their distribution to the needy over this freezing period of the year….

That is all for this week…. please send any moans and groans to rod.scheepers@gmail.com

Cheers for now…..   Rod

   Cheryl Bartie (Social) drew the 10 of Hearts. Joker sitting on R59267.00 for Friday 13th July. Be there to win it!!

     

World Cup – Score Predictions:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_predictor/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 2018
Pool code: jiltmaya

World Cup – Fantasy Team:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasy/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup Fantasy Team
Pool code: rashseal

World Cup – 5 A Side
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasysupersta…/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 5 A Side
Pool code: semihint

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EVERY FRIDAY FROM 18H30

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 ATHLETICS

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BASEBALL

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CRICKET

The roller is looking magnificent after its makeover.  The nets are being transformed and will only be available for use in August.  Big things happening at Benoni Northerns. If you aren’t with us for the coming season yet, maybe now is the time to get those forms signed.

Junior Cricket have a U12 squad touring to Sri Lanka later this year. They are current running a fundraiser and will be having a barnyard evening in July.

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 FOOTBALL 

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HOCKEY

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The Scimitar 4 Jul 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Warmest of warm greetings to you all from our frosty and freezing palace at the North

Wowie…Mother Nature has come back at us with a vengeance!! After a few quiet and not too cool winters…she is now showing us who the boss is and has made it really cold…proper!! With a fair bit of frost already this year, I thought most of the “goggas” and bugs would have been taken out already…but with the prospect of black frost (and reports this morning of some decidedly freezing temperatures…and not too far from us either) I think the possibility of us freezing the balls on the brass monkey, have moved from a perhaps to a definitive “YES”…and for anyone thinking that I am being facetious about the monkey and its family jewels…come and ask me on Friday night….I will explain it fully JJ…. When I stayed out in the “sticks” in Natal…I found out that the farmers were really unhappy if we did not have a bitterly, cold winter with plenty of frost to kill all the ever present “nunu’s”…and their planting of summer crops (and the success thereof) would be determined by the amount of frost and precipitation we had experienced through the dark winter months…I trust that this year, all our farmers will be in for bumper crops in the summer…

Despite the cool weather…there are still some magnificent sunrises and sunsets…so if you are one of the photographic fellows who enjoys the feeling and seeing magnificence of Nature in all its glory…please take some time out to witness one of these amazing scenes….the different hues of colours in the sky set off with distinct clarity against the starkness of silhouettes in front of them and are an experience to behold and cherish….

And onto our weekend….we definitely put the tent over the terrace to full use on Friday…and I believe it came out with flying colours….with the Comrades runners “Aches and Pains” celebratory party being hosted in the Hall…the entertainment (the ever popular 5 piece band, carrying the name Omega) found itself a new little niche spot in the corner of the tent…and definitely warmed the evening up with their tunes…plenty of memories were on the playlist…which resulted in some outrageous dance moves….ever more outlandish singing…but definitely a night to remember…the runners in the Hall joined in on the festivities after their presentations were complete…and gave the staff a rousing loooong night…. J….. all in all a marvellous evening….the tent area was quite “gesellig”…with the lovely fire from the Ladies bar adding to the ambience of the area….a gas heater also took the chill off the evening, so the future of this area as a massive party place looks promising….. And just in case we don’t forget the joker draw is still “alive and kicking” as Logan Green. our intrepid City Times reporter and blogger, for once having his own photo taken, made his choice, which turned out to be the eight of Clubs….and with our solid turnout of people on the night…means that the joker draw has jumped up by over R3000 to R57893… this week there are 48 cards available for you to pick from and walk away as the new Joker Jackpot winner…and all of that for only a R5 wager….come along and try your luck this week…. for the Karaoke lovers….this week awe will be looking for new talent on the block….all those Members and their guest who like to rip it up on the microphone…please pop along….a little birdie has told me that our ever green Chairman wants to be first up this week…. be there to see if he is..

Saturday produced a memorable day for the Soccer boys….a win for our top two sides against Zwide was a momentous occasion and a set of victories worth celebrating….Hopefully we have turned the corner and from this point on will enjoy more points on a weekly basis….we have Kempton Park visiting us this week at the North…so pop along and give the boys some awesome support….our Colts had a bye last weekend, but are back on Sunday afternoon at the North against Robertsham….a positive result will reinforce their position at the helm of the standings….please come along to show our backing of these future leaders of our Club….

Rugby have had a bit of an hiatus (and yes Manny, there is such a word) but this week they are back…and with a vengeance…they will be hosting the centralised fixtures for the day….so there will literally be a hive of activity across the road….Meyerton will play Sasolburg, whilst we will fight for supremacy against Nigel…I have it on good authority that some of the rugby old boys will be down to wish our new charges well…and it looks to be a marvellous day of festivities, rugby and plenty of reminiscing amongst the players, officials and spectators…if you are a supporter of the techniques and nuances of the oval ball….I would definitely recommend a visit on Saturday afternoon….

Our Baseballers are playing some great ball at the moment and both of our Major sides had wins again this week….the A’s easily overcoming the Mets…whilst the B’s beat a game Alex….keep it up boys that is superb….we will be following your successes closely….

There has also been a feast of hockey at the Astro with hordes of hockey players thronging around the Club adding to the general spirit we have created…I must say that I have been enjoying the feeling of well being that all of these players have added to our winter festivities in the beer garden and Scimitar, with their fines and antics after their respective matches….

With spring fast approaching, I think that the tent is going to be a much sought after area…offering some shade and relief from the sun…It is going to be interesting to see which is more popular…the tent or the Beer Garden…..(I won’t let on yet…but there are plans for some interesting developments in these areas….but once these are confirmed…you will be the first to know)…actually, you’ll be the second, because I will be first…but I won’t try to explain it to you Manny (suffice to say, it is a figure of speech)

The Soccer World Cup is now at the business end of the Competition…as we approach the Quarter Final Stages…. we will have all the remaining matches shown….most of them on the big screen that we will put up in the tent…..keep an eye on social media and our notices around the Club for specials that will be available during these particular matches….we have lost a few obvious specials Mexico / Tequila, Germany / Beer, Colombia / ?? J….but I am sure we will still find a reason to have more tequila…even if Mexico aren’t there to participate any longer…. So keep your eyes and ears peeled….the next 10 days are going to be a little hectic….

Enough they cried from the peanut gallery…..so I am going close off for this week.. hopefully enough news and info to satisfy all….thanks for all the feedback and positive (and some negative – thanks Manny) remarks….I will endeavour to improve my editorial based on your responses….so please keep them coming to rod.scheepers@gmail.com …we will constantly strive to improve….

Cheers…see you all soon

Rod

Logan Green (Athletics) drew the 8 of Clubs. Joker Draw sitting on R57893.00 for Friday 06th July. Be present to win it!!

     

Follow Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for upcoming FAN PARK events.

Benoni Northerns Sports Club have 3 Soccer World Cup Pools that you can join and play in. See details below to join them!

World Cup – Score Predictions:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_predictor/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 2018
Pool code: jiltmaya

World Cup – Fantasy Team:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasy/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup Fantasy Team
Pool code: rashseal

World Cup – 5 A Side
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasysupersta…/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 5 A Side
Pool code: semihint

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT EVERY FRIDAY FROM 18H30

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 ATHLETICS

Every year this lovely lady, Jeanette Claasen has opened her home to let our Runnersdrink water (after conquering Fishers Hill), on our Saturday morning hill training. She is moving house and so our special water stop is no more.  Thank to Michael Pappas for going to visit and delivering our thank you gift to her.  We are very grateful for Jeanette’s kind heart.

I don’t even run for BNAC but this club makes me more proud of being a runner from Benoni than words can express. Every photo or video of a race in S.A. has a BNAC runner tucked away in it somewhere. You guys make me proud. – Andrew Holgreaves

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BASEBALL

 

Hi all. Last chance to book for the this spectacular and Quizathon this coming weekend at Mets. Teams of 5 required for both Hi5 and Quiz. Fun for the whole family. Plenty of things for sale and lots of prizes to be won. Help out Benoni boys get to Panama. Please forward to all your family and friends ⚾️⚾️ hope to see you all there 😀

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 CRICKET

Junior Cricket have a U12 squad touring to Sri Lanka later this year. They are current running a fundraiser and will be having a barnyard evening in July.

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 FOOTBALL 

     

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HOCKEY

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RUGBY

This Saturday 07th July, our Rugby boys are having their first centralised fixtures and are hosting the entire day on the Rugby “B” Field at the North.

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The Scimitar 26 Jun 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

An extra special good morning to each and all

With us having made it past the Winter Solstice, means we have gone through and over the hump of the longest night in the Southern Hemisphere….and that as we welcome the new dawn, we will get flooded with just over a minute of extra sunlight each day for the next six months…so that means almost an extra 3 and a half hours of additional sunshine by the middle of December (whoop-whoop!!)….that is quite incredible…. hopefully each and every one of us is going to put that additional Vitamin D time to good use!! I have taken to walking early in the morning…so I will be able to see the sun rising in the not too distant future…yippee….

I’ll go straight into the report back on our last Friday night’s activities…it still appears that our Club Members do not venture their noses outside if there is not a specific party planned at the Club and the weather is a little fresh and there happens to be a breeze of more than 2k’s per hour!! J…that said…we had a super Friday night with Ryno and Freedom Unfound as our band for the evening…they played lots of old favourites and some new stuff too, that had many feet tapping and Members singing loudly in unison…Earlier in the evening Dudley Hickman….known to many as “Uku”….had his name extracted from the “beeeg” black box….and his system of selecting the winner proved to be as effective as most of our guesses…and revealed the seven of diamonds…so we have another roll-over for this week…and the Jackpot has moved up to R54 722….while this week we have a crackerjack of a Friday planned for all our Members and their guests… with the Members draw also having a carry over… we’re up to R5800 on that one this week….and the Joker draw still up for grabs again…we also offer our monthly fare of the Legends night market….which, as usual, will display quite an array of goodies for sale or to scrumptious alternatives to eat…and we host Omega (the very popular 5 piece band), who are back to entertain us…. and for all of our winners who ran the Comrades a short while ago….we will be hosting the annual “Aches and Pains” party in the Hall…. so this Friday we are literally going to cook at the North…make sure that you are here to join in on the festivities….

With the rich history that our Club is creating….I am wanting to start a new “feature” in the Scimitar… something to showcase our past achievements and to prod some of the older Members memory banks with names and faces they have not seen in many a year…I haven’t settled on a name yet…but some of the proposals are “Call back the past” “Down Memory Lane” “Do you remember” and “Back in my day!!”….if you have anything that you believe will be noteworthy and of interest… if you could please forward it to my email address listed below, I would be most appreciative… the frequency of this new column would, of course, depend on the amount of newsworthy material that we would receive…so please go and scratch in your particular archives, albums and files…and let us see what we are able to unearth!!

Onto our weekend sport…rugby had a bye, so nothing to report on their progress and with the general bye this weekend for the USSA week, we have another week for preparation for our home weekend on the 7^th…when everyone descends on the North for centralised fixtures…. So good luck with the all the training and tactics lads….

Our Baseballers had an epic weekend, with the Major ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams registering successes against Boksburg and the Midgets respectively…the Minors and Reserves completing a full house of wins for the Club over the weekend…Brilliant results fellows…keep that up…

After the Second Soccer side maintained their winning ways with a 6-1 drubbing of Sporting at home on Saturday…much was expected from the first side….but another disappointing result saw them going down 2-1 in an ill-tempered affair….I must say that I didn’t watch the whole game…but we were all over the opposition in the last 15 minutes, but just couldn’t get the ball into the net….Coach Jannie was able to “blood” a few youngsters in this game, which will stand them in good stead for the future…this weekend we take on Zwide at home…and need to reverse our earlier result of the season against them…so let us get behind the boys and offer them our support to make some positive strides starting with this match….

That is all from me for another week….please remember to send me any compliments or complaints to rod.scheepers@gmail.com …also if you may have any precious jewels of information or photos wrapped and dripping in history and memories from the past….please send them too (include a bit of a story about it…) you will be given the necessary credit for any contributions…

If I don’t see you through the week…I’ll see you through the “window”….

Cheers Rod

   

Dudley Hickman (Social) drew the 7 of Diamonds Joker Draw sitting on R54722.00 for Friday 29th June. Be there to win it!

Benoni Northerns Sports Club have 3 Soccer World Cup Pools that you can join and play in. See details below to join them!

World Cup – Score Predictions:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_predictor/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 2018
Pool code: jiltmaya

World Cup – Fantasy Team:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasy/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup Fantasy Team
Pool code: rashseal

World Cup – 5 A Side
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasysupersta…/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 5 A Side
Pool code: semihint

“OMEGA” will be playing from 18h30 – Fri 29th June 2018

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 ATHLETICS

Training times:

Tuesday: Club run – 05:00 from the Club +-10km

Tuesday: Time trial – 17:45, 38 Wilge Road, Farrarmere 4km – Starts 4 September 2018

Wednesday: Club run – 17:45 from the Club +- 10-12km

Friday: Club run – 05:00 from the Club +-10km

Saturday: Club run – 07:00 from the Club – Start 7 July

Walking times:

Wednesday: 17:30 from the Club

Saturday: 06:00 from the Club

Athletics Office times

Wednesday: 17:00 – 19:30

Thursday: 12:00 – 15:30

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 BASEBALL

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 CRICKET

Junior Cricket have a U12 squad touring to Sri Lanka later this year. They are current running a fundraiser and will be having a barnyard evening in July.

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 FOOTBALL 

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 HOCKEY

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The Scimitar 19 Jun 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Warmest greeting to you all

As we in South Africa fast approach the shortest day of the year, on the other side of the earth, summer gets into full swing (all three days in England) and the sporting calendar begins to really get busy…the Soccer World Cup is currently underway….we fervently await the top showpiece of tennis (admittedly arguably) at  Wimbledon, the Tour de France fever is about to hit us too….the best Golfers in the world will be teeing off in the Open….our Cricketers travel to Sri Lanka…and I’m sure there will be a feast of English cricket on the telly too… whilst back at home, our Rugby players will continue their quest in the Battle with the Roses and then move onto the end of the Super Rugby season, followed by the Rugby Championship (between the premier Southern Hemisphere nations)… so sports lovers are in for a veritable feast of sport over the next six to eight weeks..

The Soccer world Cup has already had its fair share of tricks and spoils, with the current World Champions ending up on the wrong side of a 1-0 score line in their opening match….but the match of the Tournament must go to the Battle of the Iberian Peninsula…which produced a deadlock…after 6 goals, the teams were tied at 3 goals each…..the first being scored within four minutes of the start…the last in the closing moments of the match…and in between a tussle of frenetic action, intrigue and guile (and of course the all questionable antics and histrionics to flavour it up a little more)….but what a match!! If that is the standard of the Football going to be displayed by the top teams…we are definitely going to be having a fantastic show case to behold…I am holding my breath…I am sure we are going to treated to some more crackerjack ball games…..

Back on the home front….our Mighty Springboks took the wind out of the sails of the Roses of England…with a really solid 23-12 victory…after starting in a similar fashion to the previous week…the English being 12-0 ahead before our Boks actually realised that the match had started….but the boys clawed their way out of the hole that they had dug for themselves and eventually won going away 23-12…well done to Rassie and the new look Bok side…all the best for Cape Town this weekend…remember that all quarts are on sale at R25 for the duration of the match…so come and support the Boks at the North….

And now home to the North for all our sporting activities…the soccer boys returned to winning ways with a solid win against Boksburg…hopefully a change of fortunes…long may it continue…the second side have also maintained their position atop the log with an 8-3 win…this weekend the boys host Sporting at home with the seconds starting at 13h45 and the firsts starting straight after they finish…

Our Colts soccer side has had a most impressive start to the season…after winning the local U20’s league last year, the ‘A’ team were invited to play in the “cross-border” super league…(this includes teams from Central, Northern, Western and the Vaal Triangle)…which should prove to be a great test of abilities of these young men…under the tutelage of Enrique Juanas-Uriol, this team definitely has hit the ground running on from the successes of last year….to date our side has played 9 games, impressively winning 8 of the matches and drawing the remaining match…this weekend, they are playing at home, so please come down on Sunday and watch that the future of our Soccer Club is in good hands with these fine dedicated young men…

The rugger buggers suffered another disappointing loss this last weekend, but it was an improved performance against a very solid Nigel unit…the seconds suffered a narrow loss…being on the opponents line in the closing stages, poised to score and take the win….but a bit of ill-discipline allowed a penalty and allowed the opposition to turn the defence into attack and scored their own 7 pointer to make the score line look quite impressive at 25-17… Both sides have a bye this weekend…but they will be hard at work to improve handling skills and improving their other disciplines to come out on top in the next game….

Both the Baseball Majors sides had byes this weekend, but both of the other senior sides had very good wins…so well done to the reserves and the minors on their wins…well done…

Most of (if not all) our Champions from the Comrades are back, some already out on the streets already…after their impressive showing on the down run from just over a week ago….it looks like a unanimous “yes” was the answer of “did you enjoy the Comrades”…this goes for their individual performances and all round for the organisers from both the Marathon and our home-boys…so a resounding vote of thanks to the entire Athletics “machine” on a job well done….with some varied events coming up shortly which will include half Iron Man competitions…some trail events…with even some walking competitions coming up soon…it looks like the Athletes will still be as busy as ever…good luck to you all…may it be piles and piles of fun…

With Youth Day holiday celebrations last weekend there was a bit of a lull in the Ladies hockey matches…but the Men came out in force…with catch up games on Saturday and a full set of fixtures on Sunday allowed us to have a constant stream of hockey players relaying their stories of winning or woe’s….always lovely to see a full house in the beer garden over the weekend…after the soccer and rugby boys had home matches on Saturday…while the Junior and Colts soccer supporters on Sunday supplemented all the ever present “Hockiers”….so it was definitely a festive weekend.

Friday night saw Buddy David’s name being drawn from the beeeg black box in the Joker Jackpot draw….and his choice turned out to be the Jack of Spades!! So we have another carry over…and the Jackpot now climbs to R53459 for this Friday night…Ryno and Freedom Unfound are here to entertain us with some great tunes, covers and also some home grown songs too… I have ordered in plenty of Old Brown and firewood…to ensure that we can warm the cockles of your heart and allow us to have a great start to the weekend…please join us…

After last weeks epic novel of information, I have been to create a Readers Digest Condensed version of this…the “real thing!”… JJ…so suffice it to say…keep warm, keep busy…and I’ll see you through the week…take care my friends

Cheers Rod

And just for Manny…as an afterthought…here it is rod.scheepers@gmail.com I’m sure you all know what to do if you need to chat to me…..

Buddy David (Athletics) drew the Jack of Spades. Joker Draw sitting on R53459.00 for Friday 22nd June 🍷🍻🥂🌮 Be there to win it!

     

Benoni Northerns Sports Club have 3 Soccer World Cup Pools that you can join and play in. See details below to join them!

World Cup – Score Predictions:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_predictor/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 2018
Pool code: jiltmaya

World Cup – Fantasy Team:
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasy/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup Fantasy Team
Pool code: rashseal

World Cup – 5 A Side
https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_fantasysupersta…/pool.php…
Pool name: BNSC – World Cup 5 A Side
Pool code: semihint

“RYNO – FREEDOM UNFOUND” will be playing from 18h30 – Fri 22nd June 2018

Training times:

Tuesday: Club run – 05:00 from the Club +-10km

Tuesday: Time trial – 17:45, 38 Wilge Road, Farrarmere 4km – Starts 4 September 2018

Wednesday: Club run – 17:45 from the Club +- 10-12km

Friday: Club run – 05:00 from the Club +-10km

Saturday: Club run – 07:00 from the Club – Start 7 July

Walking times:

Wednesday: 17:30 from the Club

Saturday: 06:00 from the Club

Athletics Office times

Wednesday: 17:00 – 19:30

Thursday: 12:00 – 15:30

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 BASEBALL

Six of our Junior Baseball players have made the SA Side that will be touring to Panama. Come and support the lads to help make their dream a reality.

    

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CRICKET

Junior Cricket have a U12 squad touring to Sri Lanka later this year. They are current running a fundraiser and will be having a barnyard evening in July.

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FOOTBALL 

     

 

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HOCKEY

     

LADIES HOCKEY FIXTURES – 23RD AND 24TH JUNE 2018

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The Scimitar 12 Jun 2018

BNSC NEWSLETTER

Warm Greetings to you all from a decidedly chilly office at the North…

There were a trio of international sporting events that attracted most of my attention this weekend ….one directly involving our Members (and affecting plenty of their loved ones and support teams)….one with a Benoni connection that was staged in France….the other which has a massive and direct effect on the mood of the country and had quite a few of our Members in the stands watching this show-piece…. all of these were riveting viewing on the telly and each one producing its own nail-biting moments….

I’ll begin in chronological order with the first….the international rugby against England on Saturday at Ellis Park….. some would not have been surprised to see the Springboks in total disarray in the opening moments of the test…and before I even had time to look for a bottle opener for my first beer…we seemed to be plenty something down….. my disappointment was palpable (as I think were a lot of supporters)…but being the eternal optimist that I am…I maintained my “pose” (yes I did spell that correctly) and watched as we slowly but surely clawed our way back…led by a forgotten hero of 2016….our little blonde scrum-half…who was a massive influence in the revival…and the rest as they say, is history….a 42-39 win (a little more convincing than the scoreboard reflects) allows us to go into the next test on the front foot…onto Bloem we march…remember that all Beer Quarts will be on sale at R25 for the duration of the Test… so come on down to the North to support the Boks…

Now, onto Sunday morning…and at 5.30 we had over 200 of our Members line up at the start of the Comrades Marathon at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg…and remembering that my wife is strictly a reluctant sports spectator…she was enthralled and glued to the television for most of the day…watching the progress of the leaders…and the each of the winners that participated….we shrieked with joy each time there was a Northerns vest appearing…shouting out names and times…I was busy with an app that showed the progress of some of my mates…it was absolutely amazing…I had people out on the course telling me how fantastic this event is..(I stayed in Durban for 10 years, so I was able to live the Comrades experience too…gravitating mostly at Birdhurst Avenue, which was round the corner from my home…and is at the start of Cowies Hill for the down run)…days like these make me yearn to return to the Coast….but as I answered recently on a local Facebook page, I think that Benoni’s best asset is its completely crazy (but mostly incredible) residents…..which is one of the major reasons why I am still here!!….back to the race….there are far too many Members who completed, some beating all odds, for me to mention individually (and for the fear that I may miss someone really important out)…suffice it to say that I thought our runners were absolutely phenomenal, well done to each and every one of you!!… one of the common mentions that our runners gave with were thanks to the “back room team” of the Northerns Machine…. refreshment tables, transport, Pep talks, inspiration, family and friends of the support structure….there may have been 200 odd of our runners out there…there must have been double that amount of people who sacrificed massive effort and time to make our participants dreams come true….Each one of the runners have their personal goals and reasons as to why they participate in this the “Ultimate Human Race”…to everyone that was part of the “Northerns Machine” from the bottom of my heart, I say thank you and well done…The Comrades Committee list their purpose as “to deliver an ultramarathon annually, comprising of a competitive race for the elite athletes and an accessible inspirational and attainable challenge for otherwise ordinary indivuals….I think this they achieved with flying colours again this year…so much so, that I have accepted the challenge to up my game for next years Comrades, and it is with solemn dedication that I can attest that ….I will watch the Comrades for the entire day without any breaks!! J Just one last thing on the Comrades….I watching in absolute amazement at the one-legged athlete, Xolani Luvuno…who brought a lump to my throat with his spirit and determination in completing this gruelling Ultramarathon….well done Sir! You epitomise what sport can do for an individual!! I am sure we will hear a lot more about this young man…who surely must have a huge future as a role model for our nation…..

And finally the dilemma that faced a lot of people on Sunday…whether to watch the Comrades or the Paris Rugby 7’s… I saw that at the Club, the remote controls were red-hot, with all the surfing between the two sports…hopefully all the sports fanatics were watching the correct channels when all the exciting stuff was on!! After hearing early on Sunday that Fiji 7’s had lost to England in the quarter-finals of the cup…speculation was rife, as to how many points Fiji could gain if they happened to end up 5^th….was the bowl/shield/or plate still being played for places 5 to 8? But before any of that could come true…the BlitzBoks had to overcome a Spanish side with more tenacity than our locals had given them credit for…and when the whistle blew for this match at full time, the scores were locked at 10-10…a hard-worked golden try in extra time by the Bokke meant that we were into the semi finals, which we were able to overcame…having to now play England (like their 15 man brothers had to do barely 24 hours before) in the final…and another nail biter…14-14 at half time…eventually the BlitzBokke kicking over a penalty (very seldom seen in this form anymore) to take the game to a two score match…England eventually succumbing to the Bokke 14-24….the Paris tournament winners and consecutive world titles for this champion side from SA…which despite all the injuries, were able to maintain their position at the helm of the 7’s standings….this capped a wonderful weekend of international sport for me…and I was happy to slip off into a deep slumber on Sunday night, knowing that I had experienced a weekend of pure winners….

With the Comrades party, everything was a little quiet at the Club…and Aliaster was again the “lucky bugger” to have his name drawn from the “beeg black box”…he nonchalantly pointed to his choice, which this time revealed the Queen of Hearts….word has it that Aliaster is going overseas for a couple of months soon…and we will be auctioning off his “lucky” seat J, with the knowledge that he has had his name drawn three times now in the last 4 months…so another roll over and we are up to R52 310 for this Friday…when we have the Zimmer Twinz up to entertain us…and a Members Draw that has moved up to R5 400….come along on Friday…enjoy an Old Brown or two and have a warming start to the weekend….

Our Soccer boys had a “bad day” at the office, both sides going down by an odd goal…but both Coaches said they were happy with their teams performance….the rub of the “green” not going with us….this week we host Boksburg with the seconds beginning at 13h45 and the first kicking off at 15h30….the boys love the support…so please arrive in your numbers and be here to cheer the boys on….

The Rugger buggers have been working hard and making new strategies and plans after having bye last weekend…and are champing at the bit to host Sasolburg this weekend…the first kicking off at 16h00…please pop along and support our boys.

I am certain that all the hockey players that were missing last weekend (running, seconding or supporting the bars)will be here again this one…so the North will be rocking from early on Saturday…there should be another festive feel as it is officially “Youth Day”…and we can again celebrate in our own special “Simba Sosatie” style….

That’s it for this week….I ran over a little…please forgive me…let me know if you think we’re doing things wrong or right by letting me know at rod.scheepers@gmail.com

 

 

Alistair Hamilton (Social) once again had his chance to draw the Joker but alas drew the Queen of Hearts. Joker Draw now sitting on R52310.00 for Friday 15th June. Be there to win it!

Only 2 days left to join the Benoni Northerns World Cup Predictor Pool on Superbru! It’s free and loads of fun…

Just click on:  https://www.superbru.com/worldcup_predictor/pool.php…

 FOOTBALL 

JUNIOR FOOTBALL SEASON WELL UNDERWAY AND OUR MEMBER’S THOROUGHLY ENJOYING IT!!

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