MOTIS Ireland announced as new sponsor for Newry Olympic Ladies

Newry Olympic Hockey Club has announced MOTIS Ireland Ltd as the new sponsor for their ladies' teams and launched new playing kit at the club grounds on Belfast Road on Saturday 8 November. The partnership was revealed ahead of home matches for both the first and second teams on Saturday afternoon.

Laura Wharton from MOTIS Ireland Ltd, a Newry based international shipping company, said the firm was delighted to partner with Newry Olympic and support the ladies' teams within the club. "Sport is a great outlet for all ages. There's so much to be gained in improving health, fitness and in making new friends," she said. She added that the hockey club has excellent facilities, both playing and social, and offers opportunities for the whole family, young and old, to get involved. MOTIS wished the whole club every success for the season and good luck in particular to the ladies' teams in all their league and cup competitions.

MOTIS Ireland Ltd is one of the most progressive shipping companies in Europe with over 6,000 customers throughout Europe. Its network covers over 500 freight ferry routes throughout Europe and many other services relating to the European transport industry. Founded in 2002 by David McComb, a Newry local, and by Patrick Hutley, the company has grown from its first small office in Hill Street with five employees to its current newly refurbished head office on the Downshire Road and employs over eighty people throughout Europe.

The head office is open 24 hours, seven days a week to take bookings. The company also has a sales office in Stoke on Trent in England and local offices in Prague in Czech Republic, Poznan in Poland, Vilnius in Lithuania and Bucharest in Romania as well as sales representation in Germany, France and the Benelux. MOTIS has also made significant investments within the Port of Dover providing truck parking facilities and logistical services 24 hours a day.

Laura handed the new home and away playing kit over to the club ladies' captain Steph Smart and to the club head coach Francesca Santoro-Ferrer. The playing kit, supplied by another Newry company Playr-Fit, was a huge hit straight away going by the feedback from the players. The whole ladies' senior section was on hand to try out the new outfit, with both the first and second teams having home matches in the afternoon.

Club trustee Willie McCague thanked Laura and MOTIS Ireland for their support. "Everyone within Newry Olympic is really grateful for the backing from MOTIS Ireland. It's particularly pleasing to have a major local company, literally just down the road from our club grounds, come on board and help with the development of the club and support our members," he said. He added that they look forward to developing the partnership over the next two years, with the sponsorship making a huge difference to what the club and the committee can do for their members now and in the future.

Although certainly looking the part in the first outing with their new playing kit, there were mixed results for the Newry Olympic ladies' teams on Saturday. The Olympic Ladies first team continued their great start to the season in Senior League 3 with a well-deserved 2-0 home win over Ballynahinch. The whole team played superb hockey throughout the match with the home defence limiting the Ballynahinch forwards to just a few shots on the Newry goal, while the midfield and forward line created plenty of scoring chances. Goals from Katie McCullough and captain Steph Smart were enough to secure a well-deserved win and all three points for Newry.

The Newry Olympic 2s weren't so lucky in the Ulster Hockey Junior League 11 though losing out to Kilkeel 0-5

An unbeaten run of four matches for the Ladies 2s in Junior League 11 was brought to an abrupt halt by an experienced Kilkeel team in the local derby at the Belfast Road grounds on Saturday. The visitors were too strong for Newry on the day, running out the winners by five goals.

The new partnership with MOTIS Ireland marks an important step for the club's ladies' section and provides valuable support for their campaigns in the Ulster Hockey Senior League.

MENS HOCKEY RESULTS – Saturday 8 November

Ulster Hockey Intermediate League:

Raphoe (7 – 3) Newry Olympic 1s

PHOTO - Goal Scorers: Noah Lutton, Simon McCa\erty, Gareth Mo\ett

Ulster Hockey Junior League 4:

CI Annadale 4s (1 – 2) Newry Olympic 2s

Goal Scorers: Colin Henning, David Andrews