I’ve been waiting to write this one for a long time. I can remember way back to 1996, I was hanging out with some cronies as a slightly impressionable 13 year old. We were sat round with the wireless on and, out of the rather oversized speakers on the table, pumped the opening guitar rift of a new song from a band straight out of Berkeley, California. It was lively and had a great tone, ‘I was down at the New Amsterdam, staring at this yellow haired girl, Mr Jones strikes up a conversation, with this black haired, flamenco dancer…..’ I was hooked, the desperate but engrossing lyrics of Adam Duritz, the lead singer and song writer of Counting Crows, had me drawn into a musical journey that would span from 1996 to this very day, and seeing them live at the Hammersmith O2 Apollo in October, brought that journey back to life.

Much like the Counting Crows, our very own band of brothers have grown through the season, putting together back to back phenomenal performances to take points again today against run away leaders, Old Georgians, having put 7oaks to the sword last week. And similarly my own journey with BEHC has spanned almost 2 decades with my first involvement back in 2005. Mr Jones was the No 1 hit single off the platinum selling album 'August and Everything after' and with tracks 'Round Here', Rain King' and 'A long December' ranging through the title sleeve, was Duritz inadvertently trying to describe a winter hockey season in the UK with prior knowledge that our very own Mr Jones would star on the 14th January 2023, almost 3 decades after he first wrote it? Spooky, right?

After some rousing words in the dressing room from legend and director of the BEHC Ultra's fan base, the game itself was pulsating, ranging from the acutely tight defensive structure of BEHC to the heavy metal infusion of their counter attacking play. Pouncing on any opportunity like a lion on its prey, BE would shift through the gears to advance from back to front in a moment only to slot back into their concise low block to deny the opposition space and time. Mid way through the half resistance would be broken as a miss trapped PC resulted in an OG's mega slap to the bottom corner, VAR was not available to check if the ball had not left the circle, we will leave that to the press box to discuss. 0-1.

Spirits we not dampened and as the midfield got to grips, Speller and Collard were incredible for 70 minutes, tables started to turn. Lawrence and Egan were causing havoc and through the most perfect of counter attacks the latter was located, his perfect drag and shot clipped the keepers pad and rattled the wood work like a Thomas Partey thunder blast. 0-1 but we were cooking. Morrision and Levertion were linking up and, with the return of ultimate centre back MJ and Gabe the great at the back, the ball had started to ping about like an arcade pinball machine. Front leads, reverse leads, double leads the movement was superb and BE won a PC that the main man, Rocket Wilson, would sidewind the GK with his slow baller into the bottom rigging 1-1 and HT.

'Mr Jones and me stumbling through the barrio........' the song goes on and as BEHC were finding their feet once more after a racing start from the opposition, vertical net minder James 'JC' Craigmyle was starting to show his class with a couple of outrageous stick slams to the right of the post to keep out the opponents top dog from central D drags. JC 2 - Old Mate 0.... Duritz goes on 'Mr Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky, when everybody loves you, ah son, that's just about as funky as you can be'......... time for some magic.......step up our own Mr Jones, Ludo......

Another attack dispelled, breaking from midfield, some link play with the good Doctor, a quick interchange with big Kris up top and a naughty step over Ludo had his name up in lights, 1 defender to out pace and the keeper to beat, quick as a flash he was past his man and in on goal and as the net minder rushed at him, a cheeky squeeze finish saw Ludo get his name up on th gram just like he deserved for his post xmas form. Onto the final verse 'Mr Jones and me, staring at the video, when I look at the television I want to see me, staring right back at me, we all wanna be big stars, we don't know how and we don't know why, but when everybody loves me, I wanna be just about as happy as I can be....' 2-1 up, the crowd was building and now absolutely buzzing. 15 to play.

There were two huge moment left in the game, a dispossession on the left flank up top saw OG's find their flying forward man and with space afforded for the only time in the day he raced clear, beat two and cut in, 1 v 1 and found the bottom corner, a touch of class and 2-2 with 10 big minutes to play. Despite the opposition being down a man, we were unable to put them under enough pressure to force a winner and that left it to the final moment, a double PC after the final whistle that defensive unit saw clear and secured a richly deserved point.

A great game and brilliant to see our young stars not only getting into the 1's but mixing it with the best. A big mention to MJ on his return after 6 months and the debutant Theo Austin who showed his class at left half. An incredible display where the midfield were a cut above, Speller, Collard, Leverton, Egan and our newest star to write home about........Mr Jones.....

Duritz closes...

'Mr Jones and me, we’re going to be big stars.......' TOO RIGHT!

Horsham (A) 1130am Next week.

Up the club!