OB Spring Matches 2023 on Saturday 18 March will be remembered for two things:

the first OB Ladies Netball team coming back to play a fixture at Bradfield against the current College team and for the number of people in the Warden’s Room after the OB Football game against the College all to say thank you to Luke Webb at the end of his last football season at Bradfield, before he leaves the College at the end of the summer term.

We had the usual meeting of the OB Running Club in the Bostelmann Trophy running the 5.46 miles woodland route beyond Great House Walk. The OB running team for the OBs this year included: Ed Talbot (E 82-87), David Bostelmann (A 94-99), Jeremy Winter (F 67-72), Richard Pollock (H 84-89), Jon Salmon (B 73-78) and Tony Henderson (E 79-84) who as former secretary stepped back in to lead the team. Michael Bostelmann (A 61-66) also returned to the College to watch the run inspired by him and to present the Bostelmann Trophy to the winning team which was the College runners this year. The first four runners home were from the College Luke, Cass, Peter and Henry and the first OB runner back was David Bostelmann followed closely by Jon Salmon, Jeremy Winter, Ed Talbot and Richard Pollock.

The OB Football match against the College was played on a wet pitch after a morning of heavy rain, but was a good game played in a friendly spirit. The final result of 6-2 to the College, included a number of penalties in front of many supporting parents watching from the sidelines the current College football team in their final match of the season.

Down in the Sports Hall a keen group of OB girls also convened to take on the College netball team and enjoyed a very competitively fought but friendly match. For some of the players having taken a break for nearly 10 years since last playing netball at school, it was their first time playing netball again, but others continue to play for local teams. The girls who came back were: Yolanda Arber (I 17-22), Laura Beardmore-Gray (M 14-16), Lexi Bell (K 14-19), Luci Bell (K 16-21), Charlotte Denton (I 12-16), Caitlyn Earwaker (J 12-17), Grace Millar (J 16-21), Sophie Spooner (M 09-14), Chloe Stevenson (J 16 – 21) and Tara Wood (J 12-17). The well-drilled College team ran away with the match based on goals scored, but the OB Girls enjoyed their game with Chloe Stevenson even playing Goal Keeper and marking her younger sister playing Goal Shooter for the College!

Thank you for all the alumni coming back to College. For anyone wishing to join any of the OB sports teams, please check out our Bradfield Society website under the Clubs section or please email bradfieldsociety@bradfieldcollege.org.uk