After winning the Super Sixes title for the second year in a row, goalkeeper George Pinner has revealed that this season is to be his last.
The 38-year-old who retired from international hockey back in November 2021 has enjoyed a successful time with Old Georgians: He has won the domestic outdoor title three times, the indoor twice and collected a bronze medal in the Euro Hockey League. However as he reflected on the Surrey side’s second consecutive Super Sixes crown this past weekend, he told The Top of the D that the curtain is coming down on his glittering career.
“My days are numbered. This is my last season outdoors. I hope to possibly still play indoor next year, but we’ll see what happens.”
Whilst he knows the end is nigh, the former Great Britain stopper, dubbed ‘The Great Wall of Ipswich’ isn’t going quietly into the background:
“I’m just getting out there and having even more fun than I used to and just trying to put on a bit of a show and be myself.”
Pinner and his team mates have characterised themselves as a group of older players going out and having fun playing together. Whilst that tongue in cheek description does the talent on display something of a disservice, Pinner likes to lean into it:
“We’re a vets team, right? The number of old boys we’ve got? The only reason we’re all still playing is because we all hate losing and we really want to win. It doesn’t mean we’re gonna win, but we’re gonna give it our absolute all.”
With the outdoor season due to resume in February, OGs sit top of the table after a perfect 11 wins from 11 games in the first phase of the league season. A five-point cushion to second-placed Holcombe leaves them odds on to qualify for the end of season finals where they would be aiming to win their fourth title in a row. In the EuroHockey League they have a Final Eight clash with Rotterdam to come in April.
With the team competing on all fronts, captain Dan Shingles’ repetition of the word ‘relentlessness’ comes to the fore in almost every interview. Pinner and his defensive unit understand the role they have to play in the continued pursuit of titles:
“Outdoors and indoors, it doesn’t matter what players you have on the pitch. The base comes from superb defending.
“We talked about that at the beginning of the year – the non-negotiables. Our first half corner defence [in Sunday’s final] against the best corner attack in the league, bar probably ours, was superb. Guys charging it down, blocking on the line. That’s the stuff that wins you finals. And that’s what we’ve talked about all year really.”
Sport is unpredictable and so whether the fairy-tale swansong pans out the way Pinner hopes remains to be seen. One thing is for sure, he’s going to enjoy the ride whilst he still can.
The Top of the D 