The fifth annual edition of the Friendship Trophy between the Old Pocklingtonians (OPs) and Old Hymerians (OHs) took place at the prestigious Ganton Golf Club on Wednesday, 23 July 2025. In a spirited and well-contested event, the OPs emerged as worthy winners for the first time, following two previous draws and two defeats.

The OPs, captained by David Stephenson (77-81), who also serves as the current captain of Ganton Golf Club, delivered a strong performance across all matches.

In the top match, Hymers recovered from 3 down to draw level after 14 holes, before David Stephenson & Trevor Loten (70-80) took the lead on the 16th and managed to hold on for a 1 up victory.

Match 2 was closely contested throughout, with Mark Addison (69-76) & Paul Kaye (68-76) eventually having to settle for a draw.

Match 3 was certainly not close, as an excellent display from Mike Strong (66-76) & Richard Brown (82-87) led to a convincing 6&4 victory.

Match 4 was similar to match 1, with Hymers fighting back from an early deficit before David Harrison (70-77) & Bruce East (73-80) finished strongly to win 3&1.

The final result was a convincing 3.5–0.5 win for the OPs, marking a milestone in the history of the event.

Reflecting on the day, Trevor commented: “It was a fantastic day of golf, camaraderie, and competition. After several close calls in previous years, it was incredibly satisfying to finally get over the line with a win. The spirit of the event remains as strong as ever!”

“Thanks must go to OHA Chairman Jonathan Leafe (OH 1971–79) for a superbly organised day, and to the OH team for some excellent matches,” he added.

With the series now standing at two wins for Hymers, two draws, and one win for the OPs, anticipation is already building for next year’s rematch!

The OP players pictured with the trophy are: front row (l-r) David Harrison, Paul Kaye, Mark Addison, David Stephenson (captain); back row (l-r) Bruce East, Mike Strong, Richard Brown, and Trevor Loten.