STILL TIP-TOP - BUT HERE'S ANOTHER BIG TEST FOR THE BRICKIES

THE Brickies are still top of the Wessex League Division One table despite Wednesday’s frustrating home defeat to Ringwood Town - but Jamie Kay’s men are facing another stern test in the shape of this Saturday’s visitors from Sandhurst. The exotically nicknamed “Fizzers” (me neither, despite being born three miles from their ground!) are sitting in the play-off places having won four and drawn two of their eight league games. They have consolidated after drifting a little from a barnstorming start to the season by making a raft of signings - four more in the past few days, all of whom will be making debuts in their squad for the GD Print Stadium. Harrison Bayley and Sam Green have been signed from Wokingham Town, Archie Sheppard, a big defender, is on joint registration with Isthmian South Central club, Cobham - and Reece Anderson from Camberley Town. On the form front, even before their new quartet take the field, Sandhurst have been going well. They started the season like a runaway train. After a first day 1-1 draw away to Kintbury, they rattled in 13 goals in their next three games, winning 5-0 away to Whitchurch, then beating Colden Common 4-1 before a 4-1 win over local rivals Wokingham Town in the FA Vase. A 3-1 home loss to Amesbury was a brief hiccup, but they soon “fizzed” back to form with a 3-0 defeat of Hedge End, a 1-1 draw away to Ash, before stumbling again at home, losing 3-1 to Cove. Since then Sandhurst have beaten Hamworthy United 3-2 in the league, and Woodley 3-1 in the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup, before last Saturday’s 5-3 loss at home to Carterton in the FA Vase. One overall stat from that - Sandhurst have yet to lose away anywhere this season. So after Lymo and Ringwood have come here and played out of their skins to get a local derby win, Sandhurst, and their four new signings, are likely to prove a very serious test at face value. 
 QUICK update: going back to Sandhurst’s nickname of “The Fizzers,” according to X-Grok the club itself has two possible reasons why that has stuck for almost a century. One is that it comes from the Friendly Insurance Society (F.I.S.) established in Sandhurst in 1933. That society was set up so players and local residents could claim sick pay if they were off work through illness or injury. The other is that supporters used to stand behind the opposition goal and shout “Fizz Fizz Bang!” whenever the ball went in. Not much wiser even now, and, apparently, nor are the club.