The Exiles Reunion was held on July 19th at Clowes Sports Ground, despite the weather which had cancelled the days cricket a large group of past and present players and the extended Exiles family attended the evening. As at most Exiles events Clare supplied a wonderful array of Caribbean food that was enjoyed by all attending, we would like to take this opportunity to thank her and the team for the excellent service.
The evening was capped with the awarding of the first Roger Dean Memorial Awards, a new award to celebrate the hard work put in by Exiles family members over an extended period of time.
The first recipients were:
Reg Hart
Ann Taylor
Peter Gilbert
Anyone who has been around the club over the years know the efforts put in by these three outstanding Exiles and it was a great way to honor their contributions to the club, in a way which Roger would have loved. The awards were presented by Roger's brother Mike adding a special touch to the presentation.
The club also took the opportunity to present the new 1st XI awards, an Exiles Baggy Maroon Cap, to players who were still plying their trade or helping behind the scenes.
The players awarded 1st XI Caps were:
Amar Patel
Anil Mistry
Mehul Shah
Mike Bullard
Mohsin Azam
Faiz Azam
Yasir Kayini
Hubert James
Shahram Ghamari (Marcus)- To be presented on match day due to absence
Peter Gilbert- Recognized as a vital part of the 1st XI over the past 50+ seasons.
The final drinks were called on a great evening just after midnight and many are already looking forward to the next reunion night.
Thanks to everyone behind the scenes who managed to arrange such an excellent evening!!