Tributes have been flooding in for former Wingate & Finchley vice-chairman Maurice Hanover who passed away in Spain last week. Battling cancer in recent years, Hanover used to be Head of Football Programme at Sinclair House.
Mickey Brown said: “Maurice had three loves in his life – family, Jewish football and Spurs. They consumed his entire day from morning to night. He was a great friend.”
Wingate President Harvey Ackerman said: “Maurice recommended me as President, I owe him a lot. He was a lovely man. I admired him greatly.”
Jeff Bookman said: “I grew up with Maurice at the Central Foundation School and always found him to be very approachable and conscientious in whatever he did. He wanted to keep the traditions and spirits of Wingate alive and was really determined to battle through as he felt that the spirit has been lost. He was a genuine football man and wanted to get the best for everyone. I had a lot of respect for him.”
David Wolff said: “Having known Maurice for many years, I can say he was an extremely dedicated servant both to Jewish youth football and latterly, to Wingate & Finchley. He was very instrumental in me getting involved in the club and did a lot generally in the coaching of young players and also in administration. He was a close friend and a very nice man. I’m very saddened by his passing.”
Football agent Barry Silkman grew up with Hanover. The pair played football at Brady Maccabi and Oxford St. Georges youth clubs and they ran into one another at Wingate. Silkman said: “I’ve known him since I was a young boy at school. I always got on really well with Maurice and he never really changed. He was a nice man and very proud of his son, Jacques.”
We Hate Arsenal Football Club (WHAFC) finished 18th in the 19-man Jom Havoetbal tournament in Holland. Adam Lustigman’s troops failed to scored in their four group games, three of which finished goalless as the strike of Nick Roman and Ben Simons, playing his first game in a year following a knee operation, fired blanks.
In the round robin competition for lucky losers, they were beaten 3-0 in match one before finishing on a high, coming from 2-1 down to win 3-2, scoring their first goal after 110 minutes of football. Josh Garson, Jamie Bloom (pen) and Nick Roman were the marksmen. Keeper Richard Kirby was the team’s player of the tournament.
Lustigman said: “It was a really good day. Next year, I hope that only 16 teams enter so we can finish a bit higher. The shwarmas were good and they even had a sushi stand this year but given the exchange rate, we didn’t touch them. We’re already planning for next year.
“We’ve become something of a fathers outfit and I’ve requested they set up a Masters competition so that the opposition stop rubbing their hands when we set foot on the pitch.”
MAL are holding a Family Fun Day in aid of sponsors Camp Simcha in Mill Hill on June 28. Cricket memorabilia and equipment are among some of the prizes up for grabs in a raffle at Mill Hill Village Sports Club. A Twenty20 young versus old match will be followed by a BBQ.
Team GB are holding a Maccabiah send-off party at Maze Inn Barr in Cockfosters on July 2.
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