Balwearie returned to Amsterdamned on the 24th/25th and managed to achieve a slightly higher position of 19th compared to 20th last year.

As usual after the night before we had our usual slow start against Espoon Breakers of Finland. There was no score for nine minutes until the Fins scored but once they did their confidence got higher and Balwearie had a backs to the wall defeat of 9 - 1. Disaster or so we thought but later results proved different as the fins topped the group with similar scores which put Balwearie's defeat into perspective and got Espoon as far as the semi finals. Next up were UC Face of a Dutch team who had narrowly defeated Balwearie last year. This year was no different and an end to end game saw Balwearie lose by 4 - 2.

Czech team FbC Victoria Ústí nad Labe up next and Balwearie should have taken more out of this game but a few bench penalties curtailed our efforts trailing 2 - 3 with a minute to go Balwearie withdrew the keeper but a spectacular save by Ian Carrie of his stick shaft was adjudged to be high and the Czechs scored from the resultant penalty shot to win 4 - 2.

In the last game against a young Spanish team Floorball Club Escorial, Balwearie had to up their game against the highly mobile team from Madrid who could come third in the group if they beat Balwearie. However the refs were kinder to Balwearie than in previous games and after scoring first Balwearie were also unlucky to be denied a goal as Graeme Heggies shot came back of the rear crossbar but was missed by the refs. However Balwearie were awarded a penalty shot which was converted by Markku Lonnberg. Escorial to their credit worked hard and hit the frame twice and Jani Harjula in the Balwearie net kept a few net bound shots out.

All in all Balwearie did well but could have done better. At least the barbeque mood would be uplifted by our win.

As usual the other teams were amazed when the jocks came a calling in their kilts. The BBQ was a damp squib compared to last year as the venue was changed to what looked like a back yard. (Certainly not worth the €13 fee.) Balwearie after a few beers uplifted the mood and got other teams involved in a bit of kilt exhibitionism and some singing and managed to make some more friends and procured some invites abroad and as usual were the last team standing.

Another morning after the night before and Balwearie did not perform well against another Czech team "Green Dreams" who with their travelling Rasta Band and dreadlocked supporters were as noisy in the hall as Balwearie were the night before and the hung over Balwearie went down 5 - 1

A bit of recovery time and Balwearie were up against IFK Paris and the lads decided to go for it with nothing to lose as we would equal last years position anyway in an exciting game Balwearie won the game 4 - 2 to go one position better than last year.

All in all a great tournament enjoyed by all the Balwearie team and especially young Gary Paterson who was the youngest player at the tournament aged thirteen and played every game. Special thanks to our two friends from Finland Jani and Marrku who played their part on and off the rink.

Full Stats can be found here.

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On Sunday 6th June 2010 Balwearie Floorball Club hosted it's annual 3 aside floorball marathon at Cadham Community Centre. This year the charity was Sick Kid's Foundation in Edinburgh.

The day started with around 7 players at the venue soon to be joined by others. This helped to keep the game flowing and the tempo fast. As last year it was played in a great spirit with a chance for players to relax and have fun playing the sport.

Alan McDaid prompted changes to play at various points of the day so we had an hour when we would:

• score on the backhand
• use opposite stick to normal playing side ie right to left
• everybody on the team must touch the ball before anyone could score

These made the day more of a challenge and it was also a great way to improve areas of weakness.

As the day wore on there were opportunities for the younger and older generation to participate. My father who is 74 and my grandkids Alicia aged 5 and Logan aged 4 were at the other end of the scale. There were other new people along at various stages to have a wee shot which was good to see.

Eventually it was 8pm and those left playing were mightily relieved to put in a last shift, clear the hall and go home for a meal and a soke in the bath!

Thanks go to Paul for arranging the venue and Cadham Community Centre for allowing us the use of the facilities at a very reasonable price. Also special thanks to all who participated.

Sponsorship money is still to come in and the amount raised online is around £470.

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Monday 28th June 2010 was a day I won't forget. After a day enjoying the scenery around Lake Achensee I was dropped off in Innsbruck to play floorball. 6pm till 8pm saw me joining the Innsbruck Hotshots for two hours of very enjoyable floorball.

There were 4 teams of 4/5 playing 3 aside floorball. No proper goalies - a bit like our training - and we used two seperate halls on two levels. It was great fun and it was a pleasure to play beside and against the Hotshots. They reminded me of Balwearie in the early days. As well as being good players and very fit, they also were very welcoming and it is fair to say I played the best floorball I had played for many years.

There is another team in Innsbruck who are apparently more serious in their play but I am glad I met the Hotshots.

After the session I was invited by Pete (organiser of the Hotshots) to join the team at there end of season BBQ. I enjoyed their hospitality for several hours.

I would like to thank my team mates on the night: Pete, Erwin, Lars and Johana. Also many others who made my floorball experience special.

Hopefully I will return one day soon to join my Austria friends. I suggested they may wish to see Scotland one day and play against ourselves.

Photos can be found in the gallery and the Innsbruck Hotshots website can be found here.

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Balwearie travelled to Ayr on the 29th May 2010 in order to compete in the Ayr Open. The Ayr Open is a new tournament which debut this year with teams entering by invitation only. The tournament was a major success with 5 teams playing on the day. Partcipents included: Ayr Team 1, Ayr Team 2, Balwearie "Select", Merseyside and Dundee. Congratulations to Ayr Team 1 who retained the cup despite a 3-way tie for 1st place between Ayr, Balwearie and Merseyside. After goal difference, Balwearie finised 3rd with Merseyside 2nd and Ayr 1st.

Balwearie's first match of the day was against Ayr Team 2 and scoring started for the Balwearie side with a goal from 3rd line forward Chris McNab, assisted by Chris Neighbours. Goals continued from Balwearie with Mark Meldrum and Gary Paterson. The Ayr team rallied back with 2 goals but the Balwearie side kept the pressure on and finished the game with a 6-2 win.

Balwearie's second game of the day was against a very strong looking Merseyside team. A hard battle ensued with very physical play coming from both teams. The deadlock wasn't broken until close to the end of the 1st half with Merseyside making the breakthrough. After the intermission the Balwearie side piled the pressure on against Merseyside and their efforts were rewarded with an equaliser. The Balwearie team scored again but the goal was disallowed as it pung out of the net with such force that the referees didn't think it had gone in. The Balwearie team moral was broken and Merseyside added 2 goals to their own tally. One more goal came for Merseyside after Balwearie pulled their goalie for an extra attacker in the last minute. The final score was 4-1 to Merseyside.

The third game for Balwearie was against Ayr Team 1. The Ayr team took the lead early in the match and Balwearie struggled to find their game in the opening moments of the match. However, in true Balwearie fashion, the team kept digging in until they got the equaliser. From there the match was end to end between the 2 teams with only Balwearie able to break the deadlock. The match finished 2-1 to Balwearie.

Balwearie's final match of the day was against NL rivals Dundee. After a disappointing 4-3 loss to Dundee in the playoffs in Aberdeen, the Balwearie side were looking for a win to even the odds. Again, Balwearie started the game poorly and this led to Dundee scoring early in the first half. This meant Balwearie had to try and come back from behind if they were to win the match. The good news being that Balwearie got the equaliser they were looking for as well as another goal to put them in front. The Dundee forwards fought with a valient effort and the Balwearie defence played well to hold the game at 2-1 until the final whistle.

Congratulations to Ayr for retaining the title and a big thank you from everybody at Balwearie FBC for the great days floorball.

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A Balwearie "select" team travelled to Aberdeen Sports Village, Aberdeen to take part in the 2009/2010 playoffs on the 1st of May in what was to be a great days floorball for all the teams involved. Balwearie won 1 game and lost 3. The playoffs were won by the Aberdeen 1 team who didn't drop a game all day! Well done to Aberdeen!

The day kicked off with Balwearie facing off against the Dundee Northern Lights. A great game ensued but the Balwearie side were unable to prevent a Dundee breakaway goal in the first half. A second Dundee goal came just under the 15 minute mark to lead the game 2-0. Balwearie fought back hard and the game was back on after scoring 8 minutes from the end. The Balwearie team continued with a strong offense but credit to the Dundee team who managed to prevent any more Balwearie goals. The game ended 2-1 to Dundee.

With a close game behind them, Balwearie took on the Edinburgh Eagles in what was to become another end to end match. Edinburgh scored 2 goals early on in the first half, followed by a 3rd after the 10 minute mark to down the spirits of the Balwearie side. However, in true Balwearie style, the team continued to persevere and managed to claw a goal before conceding another Edinburgh goal. All was not lost as Balwearie forward Graeme Heggie added to the Balwearie tally, followed by Peter Heggie. With 3 minutes left the Balwearie side continued with a strong effort to get the equaliser but again were stopped short by the Edinburgh side. The final score finished 4-3 to Edinburgh.

The third match of the day saw Balwearie take on Aberdeen Team 1. Aberdeen scored 2 quick goals in the first half, followed by another towards the end of the half to lead the game 3-0. Balwearie came out strong in the second half with an early goal from Colin Bell but couldn't contain the Aberdeen offense who answered back with one of their own. One more goal from each side saw the game end 5-2 to Aberdeen.

The final game of the day saw Balwearie take on the Aberdeen Team 2 in a match they were desperate to win. Aberdeen Team 2 played extremely well in the opening moments of the game and it took Balwearie until the 7 minute mark to get the go ahead goal. The Balwearie team kept the game well under control and managed another 4 goals. Goalie Ken Brook also managed a shutout.

All in all, a great days floorball was played from all teams and it was great to see some new faces, the return of the Dundee side and the new Aberdeen 2 team. On behalf of the Balwearie side, a big thanks to the Aberdeen contingent for organising the day, providing us all with the great facilities and generally being great hosts!

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Balwearie Thunder took on the Balwearie Lightning side at both teams training ground, Kirkland High School. The final match of the season meant that with a win, the Lightning side could overtake the Chiefs on points whereas conversly, the result had no real significance in terms of league standing for Thunder. Lightning played well in the first period, only conceding 1 goal. Unfortunatly, the Lightning team couldn't continue the impressive run of form as Thunder found another 3 goals from the slot in the second period. The final period saw Thunder score another 2 goals with only 1 consolation goal coming from the Lightning side. The final result 6-1 to Thunder.

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Lightning played 2 games on the day against both of the teams that were going for the league title. First up were Speedhoc Chapel. On one side there was Lightning – 15 year Rachel Walker making her first league appearance for Balwearie (and playing alongside her proud Dad Colin), Calum Ware, Fraser Kirk, Deborah Morgan and Kenny Brook all inexperienced outfield players alongside some veterans – Bob Paterson, Neil McCallum and Colin Bell. On the other side were the mighty Speedhoc Chapel who had a team of GB internationalists and other top players. On paper it was a no brainer and it turned out that way with Speedhoc Chapel recording a fairly easy 20-0 win. Credit to the Chapel players who gave my daughter an easy introduction to floorball as they did not go in to hard in the challenges and she therefore showed some nice touches when on the ball.

For the second game Fraser went back into goals, Wayne made his debut for the club after only a few training sessions and Pete Heggie popped back on the rink to play a key role at centre. I was proud to captain the team against last years champions Aberdeen Oilers – this years runners-up – and the team did all that they could. However as in the Chapel game the quality of the opposition, the experience, tactical awareness and sheer will to win meant that Lightning lost 12-0.

Whilst there is one game remaining – against club colleagues Thunder – it looks like Lightning will finish bottom unless they can beat Thunder as Chapel Chiefs are one point ahead. Games have always been close between the two club teams but on paper it would appear Lightning will finish bottom. However, I will leave writing that report until another day.

Reflecting on the season Lightning have given a lot of players a chance to play the sport:

Goals: Fraser – Has played in goals for only a few months. Plus Colin, Bob, Chris Neighbours, and others who have made the odd appearance.

Outfield: Daryl Keddie, Derek Baillie, Bob Paterson, Neil McCallum, Rene Swift, Chris Neighbours, Wayne Young Pete Heggie, Calum Ware, Kenny Brook, Deborah Morgan, Alan McIlravie, Chris McNab, Clint Blight, Mark Meldrum, Rachel Walker and myself Colin Bell.

So we give people a chance. Whether developing the sport amongst such superior teams is a good idea remains to be seen. I think not and that there needs a development league. In the last 4 games Lightning failed to score a single goal and lost heavily to the top 3 teams. I don't think such games do anything for the sport or the other teams involved.

Thunder fared no better as due to the Easter holidays, they only had four players plus a keeper to start the first game. Chris McNab was duly promoted to Thunder from Lightning to allow the game to continue and Graeme Heggie appeared from work to help out. However the short bench against Oilers who were still in with a chance of the title proved too much and Thunder went down 9 - 1

In their second game Thunder tried hard against Edinburgh Eagles but still went down 2 - 6.

The inter club game for T4 will take place at Kirkland on 18th April 2010 with the AGM to follow.

The club AGM approaches and the club need to address some questions as to the way forward for next season.

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Balwearie teams Thunder and Lightning played each other in the first game of the day. Once thing is always guaranteed in these matches and that is they are played in an excellent spirit with both teams playing open floorball and pushing for a win. Thunder were minus a few players – Mark Meldrum and Stuart McReady – but had enough skill in the team to come out on top 5 -1. Daryl Keddie scored Lightning's only goal in a game much closer than the eventual scoreline. Fraser played excellently in goals for Lightning who gave a league debut to Alan McIlravie.

Lightning faced Aberdeen Oilers and Edinburgh Eagles in the other 2 matches. These games went as expected with the skill, teamwork and experience of the opposition, leading to easy wins. Lightning though did their best and the team consisted of 4 players who were in their first season of floorball, Kenny Brook who has moved out of goals, Deborah Morgan who had played 2 tough games the previous day for Storm and against Oilers Fraser who has only played a few games of floorball in goals. Therefore there is no disgrace in losing to players who have so much experience of playing the sport – most of it gathered outwith Scotland . Against Eagles Chris Neighbours went in goals as Fraser had to leave. Chris showed typical Lightning spirit in doing his best having never played in goals before at training never mind a game! Chris actually played every position on the day during the 3 games.

Thunder used their speed and skill to defeat an under strength (numbers wise) Chapel Chiefs. Chiefs 5 outfield players – no subs' – showed amazing spirit and fitness on the day playing all games with no sub's. They have some quality within their ranks but could not keep up with some of Thunder's players and lost out 11-2 in the end. Graeme Heggie was on great form during the day and he was ably backed up by many others in Thunder's ranks. So Thunder had achieved 2 important wins that should set them up to secure 4 th spot in the 6 team league. In their other game Thunder fought back well against Edinburgh Eagles before losing by a large margin in the end.

Chiefs and Lightning need to get 7 points to overcome Thunder which seems impossible at this stage of the season. Lightning will hope to get a point or a rare win against their club colleague's Thunder in T4. This game is being scheduled for a normal club training day so as to allow Eagles and Oilers to finish their part completed game which was started in T2.

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The Winter Cup took place despite the harsh weather on Sunday 10 th January 2010. Unfortunately Ayr did not make the trip because of the snow, however all 6 league teams and Dundee Northern Lights did take part.

Balwearie Lightning played Edinburgh Eagles in the first quarter final. Edinburgh started with no sub' and with a player running late borrowed a keeper from Aberdeen so that they could play the game. Lightning were minus Pete Heggie who has unfortunately retired from league and cup action. His presence was certainly missed on the day, however those in the team did their best. Neil McCallum played in goals in the first game and made some excellent saves, however the skill of the Edinburgh team opened up Lightning and won 8-1. Rene Swift scored the consolation goal which appeared to deflect off one of the Eagles. Some of the goals lost could/should have been prevented but the team did not disgrace themselves as Speedhoc were to lose to Edinburgh in the final 6-3. This showed what quality they had at their disposal and again it was a good learning experience for some of the newer players.

Due to losing this game – and Chapel Chiefs losing to a very talented and hard working Dundee Northern Lights – Lightning were to later play in a consolation game. This game saw Fraser Kirk play his first ever game in goals at floorball (Fraser had never even tried goals at training) and he played very well throughout and showed great promise. Games between both clubs second teams have been very close, competitive and sporting this season and this game was to continue this pattern. Lightning scored first through Colin Bell but lost a quick goal to Chiefs man of the match Chris Scobie who appeared to score all five of their goals. Lightning's other scorers were Chris McNab, Stefan Schmelz and Neil McCallum as they lost a close game 5-4 to Chapel Chiefs. Once good feature this season – and of great benefit to Lightning's newer players – has been the inclusion of Chapel Chiefs. Having close games is much better for a teams/individuals development rather than being thrashed every other game.

Balwearie top team Thunder were extremely short benched to say the least. Mark Meldrum played in goals (and was exceptional in each game) with Clint Blight and Ian Carrie in defence. Paul Walker, Danny McVee and Craig Hunter were the forward line until Graeme Heggie helped them out, late in the first period. Thunder won 3-1 against Aberdeen who had a mix of some experienced players and some new faces. Graeme scored all 3 goals, whilst Paul Walker took a 2 minute penalty.

In the semi-final Thunder were up against Speedhoc Chapel who were unlucky not have a quarter final with Ayr not appearing. Thunder's short bench was always going to be difficult although to be fair Speedhoc only had one more player. Clinical finishing from Speedhoc ensured that they would run out winners against Thunder although the game seemed closer than the eventual score line. A great effort from the team and they did all they could but with perhaps a few more players they may have managed to put up a greater test for Speedhoc.

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The first face off was between the Chapel main team Speedhoc and Lightning. Speedhoc must have felt confident of a large victory margin as they had defeated Lightning 21-1 in the previous encounter. This obviously elevated Speedhoc to superstardom as they immediately posted the score picture on their website. However Lightning are a development team mixed with a few veterans and they turn up at every tournament to play knowing that they will hardly ever win. This was also the case this time and although Speedhoc did win, Lightning gave them a good run for their money. Suffice to say the score was 14 - 1 in Speedhocs favour.

Next game was Thunder vs the Chapel second team Chiefs and this was a game Thunder had to win, This time though Chiefs had signed a couple of new players and had three former players return to their line up. Couple this with Speedhoc captain Ross McEwan dropping down to augment the chiefs line up and Thunder were facing a very different team than the one which had been beaten by both Balwearie teams in the two previous tournaments. Thunder were also notably without Graeme Heggie and Romina Micheli due to work and world cup commitments. The game went from end to end with the scores level at 2-2 going into the final period. However a bad defensive mistake cost Thunder the game as Chief's 98 Michael Kane slotted home for the winner. This was a bad result for both Balwearie teams as it could lift Chiefs above Lightning in the league if they beat Lightning later. Final score 2 - 3 to Chiefs.

Thunder later faced the Speedhoc main team and although Thunder scored first through Mark Meldrum, the Chapel team ran out comfortable winners by an 8 - 3 scoreline.

Lightning then faced the Chiefs in the do or die match and having watched Thunder lose to Chiefs, Lightning had to take the game to Chiefs and win, or at least get a draw. Lightning promptly did that by scoring in the third minute. It was the tenth minute before Chiefs equalised and even then Lightning were still taking the game forward and even after being short benched twice due to penalties, Lightning never conceded a goal. However it was the experience of Ross McEwan and the returning Michael Kane who both scored either side of the last interval which ended the game in Chief's favour. Lightning may have lost but they could hold their heads up high as they played really well and should have at least taken something from the game. Final score 3 - 1 for Chiefs.

The next two games show that Balwearie are not in the catchment area for new players as both Aberdeen and Edinburgh lost players at the end of last season but managed to come out of it with stronger squads due to the local universities. No floorball players seem to want to study in Fife and if they do, Chapel soon snap them up. As it happens both teams were beaten. Thunder 8 - 1 from Aberdeen and Lightning lost 3 - 8 to Edinburgh although this was in the light of things a very good result for Lightning against a team that could possibly be lifting the title at the end of the season.

All in all it was another nearly day for Balwearie and unless we get some new quality players and start winning it will almost always be so.

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First game up at T2 was a "David and Goliath" story as Balwearie Lightning took on the Aberdeen Oilers. Despite a valiant effort from the Lightning team, the vast number of Oiler's experienced import players proved too much for the Balwearie second string as they struggled to hit the net. The final score, an easy 8-0 victory for the Oilers.

Following the Lightning game, Balwearie Thunder stepped up against the Edinburgh Eagles. This was a highly anticipated and tough match for both clubs. Edinburgh took an early 1-0 lead which Thunder quickly replied to through forward Danny McVee. Another two goals before the first interval made the game an uphill struggle for Thunder and Edinburgh soon followed up with another three taking the final result to 6-1. Edinburgh playing with one home player in the team are also looking good as challengers for the title.

The next club game was a harsh lesson in floorball for the Balwearie Lightning team and a game they will want to forget about quickly. Speedhoc Chapel one of the favourites for the league title reduced the Lightning team to a 21-1 defeat, sending a message throughout the Northern League that the title is still up for grabs. However Lightning did not give in and although they had the shortest bench and the most inexperienced at the tournament, they still gave their all and never gave up until the final whistle.

Balwearie Thunder squared up against the Aberdeen Oilers in a later game. After a hard fought game, two Aberdeen goals late in the first period put the Thunder team on the back foot. Another two for Aberdeen in the second saw a final scoreline of 4-0.

Another highly anticipated game as Balwearie squared up against Speedhoc Chapel. Unfortunately, Thunder failed to get into the flow of the game and once again Speedhoc played with no less than 110% effort which was reflected in the 12-0 scoreline.

The second last game of the day saw Balwearie Lightning take on the Chapel Chiefs in a game where three points were highly sought after on both sides. An early 1-0 lead to the Chiefs was quickly evened up by Lightning's Neil McCallum but before long, the Chiefs had the upper hand again. Two more goals from Lighning saw them take the lead for the first time in the match before Bob Paterson dealt the final blow - another 4-2 win for Lightning over the Chiefs. This was a hard fought game by two teams who will both struggle win games. Chiefs had to put former Balwearie defender and netminder Mark Duthie in goals as their first choice keeper had injured himself in an earlier game. This left them with one less player on the bench than Lightning. On paper the Chiefs still had the more experienced and capable players on the rink and this looked they would avenge their defeat by Lightning in T1 as they took the game to the Balwearie team earlier in the game. However Lightnings never say die spirit and their willingness to play until the end saw them come out on top over the two periods. The Northern league needs more games like this as well as the games between top teams so other new and interested clubs know there will be a level that they can compete at in Scotland. Well done to both teams.

It looks like both Balwearie teams will struggle unless they can attract more players as every other club has done this season. Bad news or good news for the league is that the number of home grown players has decreased as more teams fill their ranks with non Scottish players. This leads to a good standard in the league but does nothing for the future of the game here unless the clubs can introduce a youth league to interest players of the future.

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Thunder v Lightning was the opening fixture of the new season and with a few players dropping from Thunder into Lightning and Craig Bayne heading the other way, it was always going too close to call whether the team selections had maybe favoured Lightning over Thunder. Especially as Thunder was without Graeme Heggie and Romina Micheli for this first match. The game started end to end with a few chances going begging for both teams. However it was Thunder who took the lead in the third minute through Alan Campbell. Lightning equalised four minutes later Neil McCallum putting the ball between Thunder's pipes. Stuart McReady then grabbed a brace for Thunder in the thirteenth and seventeenth minutes and it looked like Thunder would pull too far ahead for Lightning until Chris McNab pulled one back and it was game on again. More chances came and went for both teams until Niall Handyside wrapped it up for Thunder in the thirty-second minute. There were no more goals and Thunder justified the selection by winning 4 - 2.

Thunder's next game was against Speedhoc Chapel and unfortunately the Balwearie side never got into their stride, scoring only one goal by Niall Handyside and assisted by Graeme Heggie to Speedhocs seven.

Lightning were playing the newly formed Chapel Chiefs who consisted mostly of ex Glenrothes Grrrowl players. This on paper looked to be a battle for bottom place. Lightning went two up through Mark Meldrum, with Chiefs replying through one time Balwearie player Steve Barrie. Colin Bell restored Lightnings two goal lead before Chiefs hit back through a fine solo goal by ex Glenrothes and Balwearie player Craig Savage, however Lightning wrapped up this first encounter through Daryl Keddie making a rare appearance for the club. Final Score 4-2 to Lightning.

Lightning's next game is one of these games you either like to forget or take a harsh lesson from. The Balwearie second string lost heavily to a rampant Edinburgh side 16-0. To be fair Lightning had lost their netminder Bob Paterson and power forward Mark Meldrum and played almost the entire game in their own half. Edinburgh had a stand in goalie as well but had the advantage of a good squad of imports to compensate.

Thunder's final game was against Chapel Chiefs and went one up through Danny McVee before Alan Varney replied for the Chiefs. Graeme Heggie restored Thunder's lead before Chief's Gary Wilkie made it 2-2. Romina Micheli then scored a brace for Thunder followed by goals from Graeme Heggie and Paul Walker to give Thunder a win by 7 -2.

Definitely a roller coaster day for both Balwearie teams.

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International Floorball Shooting Instructor Patrik Lonell spent a weekend as a guest of club treasurer Peter Heggie in Scotland and held a practice session with Balwearie. Patrik was contacted by Peter and asked to give the club members' the benefits of his experience. Patrik himself was impressed with the player's enthusiasm and willingness to learn. The club members were instructed in shooting for different game play situations and Patrik also showed some players how to hook their blades to get the best out of those shots. Club members were full of praise for Patrik's instruction and all agreed it was a worthwhile exercise to invite him over. Patrik is also involved with the Salming Academy.

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Balwearie members got out their warm clothing again and continued for the third year running, collecting for charity with their sponsor Kirkcaldy and District Lion's Club. In the last three years, Balwearie have helped raise around £10,000 for local charities such as Rachel House Children's Hospice, Maggie's Centre and other local needy applicants. The club help the Lion's collect with Santa on his sleigh each December and with the floorball marathon and race nights the club members have risen to the occaision to help out.

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Floorballers from Balwearie floorball club were the first Scottish team to play in the annual Amsterdamned Floorball Open. Hosted in Amsterdam this event saw teams from a variety of countries: Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Netherlands, Croatia, Belgium, Denmark and England.

Thunder's first game was against Czech opposition and the team were caught by the speed of the opposition and lost 6-1. The second opponents were from Finland (the eventual runners-up of the event) and a superb defensive display meant that the team kept the game tight before losing 3-0. In game three Thunder should have won a tight game against Dutch team Tilburg , however two late goals meant the team lost 2-1. This was a blow as the team felt they deserved at least a draw. In the last game of the first days play Thunder beat their Swiss opponents 6-5. This was a well deserved win against a good Swiss team which had the event's overall top scorer playing for them.

In day two Thunder were left to play for the 17 th to 20 th placing games. In an end to end game though the team lost 4-1 to Dutch opposition. This left the team with a game against Belgium club Tornado Brussels. This was a very competitive end to end game of floorball played in a more physical manner than the other games. Despite playing some excellent floorball Thunder eventually lost 3-2 so ended up 20 th in the 23 team event and the highest placed of the two British sides.

Although the club lost five games, three of these could have gone either way. The club look forward to putting on an even better show next year as we gained a lot of respect at this years event. Most teams were unaware that floorball was played in Scotland and they enjoyed playing us.

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Local floorballers are facing the challenge of a lifetime as they gear up to play a floorball marathon. Organised by 45 year old Colin Bell, who works at Adam Smith College , the event will take place at Cadham Neighbourhood Centre, Glenrothes on Sunday 7 th June 2009. Players will play from 08:00 until 20:00 to raise money for Yorkhill Foundation, Glasgow.

"I've played floorball for around 8 years but games normally last for 45 minutes and training sessions a maximum 90 minutes. This will be a serious physical challenge for all of us taking part but something we are all looking forward to. On the plus side it may help me as well to lose some weight.”

The hard work will all be worthwhile for Colin and his colleagues if he succeeds in raising £250 for Yorkhill Foundation. Colin's three-year-old grandson, Logan, was born with a major heart problem for which Logan required surgery within days of birth and last year he went through an arterial switch operation to correct the heart problem (transposition of the greater vessels).

"My daughter Jauhara was devastated when she found out in early pregnancy that her child had a major heart condition. She already had faced Sick Kids visits with her eldest daughter Alicia so this was a very difficult and confusing time for her." Colin explained. "We didn't know much about the condition and had no idea what sort of help or support was available for Logan. "My club colleagues are a superb group of people and many of them have done so much for the sport and the community in which they live. At Christmas time many of them go out with our sponsors The Lions Club with Santa and his sleigh to help raise money for good causes. For them to show a willingness to support my efforts and give up a whole day of their precious time is amazing."

You can sponsor Colin by visiting his online fundraising page on www.justgiving.com/colinkbell63. You can pay by credit or debit card, and the money will go directly to Yorkhill Foundation. Where supporters are UK taxpayers, the charity will automatically receive 28% extra in Gift Aid, which makes Justgiving the most efficient way of sponsoring Colin. Yorkhill Children's Foundation. Registered charity number SCO07856.

Colin's update on how the day went:

Balwearie Floorball Club and guests participated in a floorball marathon event on Sunday 7 th June at Cadham Neighbourhood Centre. In total 22 floorballers attended the event with 8 playing for the whole day! Those 8 were: Paul, Laura, Kieran, Niall, Alan McDaid and Colin from Balwearie, with guests Alan Campbell and Kevin Blyth.

"It was an incredible experience for those that played in it, with some fun floorball on show in this 3's event. As well as the playing side of things it was also a great social event. Special thanks to Craig Hunter for donating pies for re-fuelling some of us athletes on the day. I can assure you as the day progressed it became even tougher to get out of my seat. One other guest player telephoned me last night and wondered if I managed to get my nappy changed! That will give you an idea of what I looked like when I tried to run in the latter part of the day. And no I did not lose control of my bodily functions! It was just that my back and hips started to seize up."

"The event was organised to raise money for Yorkhill Children's Foundation and it looks like around £1500 may have been raised. The total will be finalised in a few weeks once all the money has been gathered. The Yorkhill staff have given my grandson Logan a better chance in life and I felt I owed them something back in return. The support of so many has touched me and shown the calibre of people within the sport."

"I would like to thank everyone that played a part in this event happening and especially Balwearie Floorball Club for paying the hall hire and helping organise it. This again showed the sort of people that play and love the sport of floorball on our doorstep. Some very sick kid's will benefit from all your hard work and the kindness of those who donated on the day, in advance of the event and to those who secured sponsors. There are too many to mention but suffice to say the support was from others out with Fife too and many donated kindly at the Pink Rink T3 event."

"I can see this being an annual event based on the feedback on the day and afterwards. I certainly will relish another bash at this in a year's time."

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