A busy pre-season schedule has left the three Spencer senior teams in good shape for the opening league fixtures this coming Saturday.

Following the 1st team’s good showing at the Bath 8’s, the gentle warm-up game for the 2nd and 3rd team squads vs Welwyn, plus the two games down at Walcountian Blues, the final two weekends before the season saw Spencer take on both the Hillcroft squads, then Epson on Sat 29th September.

Two games against the Hillcroft and Hillcroft ‘A’ squads saw two wins with Spencer looking sharp in offence with good team defence. Last weekend a joint 1/2/3’s squad narrowly beat Epsom. This will reinforce Epsom as one of the favourites for East Division 2 honours this year with plenty to think about for the Spencer 3rd team when they first meet in the league on Saturday 1st December.

The challenge now for the Spencer coaches and team captains is to select the squads for opening trio of league games.

The 1st team host Reading Wildcats with the core of last year’s Flags winning squad still in place. Bill Fisher and Josh Dodd have left for University, with Bill looking to play for a top Northern league club and Josh for Nottingham University. Bill’s empty slot in defence is certainly one of the squad positions up for grabs. The potential 1st team midfield looks deep and strong with a likely trio of experienced attack.

The 2nd team host newly promoted Maidstone. It will be interesting to see how Maidstone fair in East Division 1. If they have strengthened their squad, they will be a match for most of their rivals. Lots of squad selections to make for the 2nd team including those really tricky ones for borderline players who could also feature in the 1st or 3rd teams.

The 3rd team travel north to play Welwyn 3’s. As per last year season the core of the 3rd team will be an equal mix of youth, fresh from the Spencer junior programme, and the old hands who may of lost a yard of pace since their 20’s or 30’s but still love to play lacrosse.