If you want to know about Astley Cup, Orange High School’s Lynne Middleton – Middo, to almost everyone – is the one to see.
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Middleton was the Hornets’ Astley Cup coordinator for 20 years before Tegan Dray took over, and oversaw her school’s stunning, 11-year title run from 1990 until 2001, which is also the competition’s longest streak.
Although she’s not in that role anymore Middleton was still on hand at Orange High’s Astley Cup launch assembly at Pickering Hall on Monday afternoon, this time playing motivator, as she’s done so often before.
She delivered a spine-tingling address, worthy of being held in the same esteem as famous speeches from movies like Any Given Sunday, Cool Runnings or the Mighty Ducks: D2, willing the Hornets’ 2018 group on.
She spoke of the history of the 96-year-old, inter-school tournament, Orange High’s past success and competitors, and the meaning behind all of it.
“It’s been contested every year since 1923, except for [1924, 1931 and 1940]. Fantastic, what is it about this cup that’s given is such longevity?” she asked the group, rhetorically.
“(In yesteryear) the teams used to travel by train, with their luggage, and stayed overnight. They travelled in full school uniform and were proud to wear the colours.
“The other thing that travelled with them was Mickey Mouse. He was a full, life-size figure, he was [Orange High’s] mascot. The competitors all wore badges that had Mickey Mouse on them. The boys played cards on the train, to while away the time.”
Mickey Mouse ... was a full, life-size figure. He was our mascot.
- Orange High's Lynne Middleton
Her speech had one overriding message though – “this is your cup, make it our cup”.
Of course she was referring to the fact the 2018 edition is this year’s team’s to win, but a victory would mean plenty to all the coaches and competitors of yesteryear, many of whom return each year to cheer the Hornets on.
“Astley Cup is the spirit of all those people that have played since 1923, they’re with you,” Middleton told the group.
“Some of them are very old now, some won’t get here, but they’ll be reading the newspaper and they’ll be making sure they know exactly what Orange High is doing.”
Middleton, of course, coached the Hornets’ netball side – one of the competition’s original sports – for a long time too, enjoying plenty of success.
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Another side that had a bucketload of success was the girls’ softball outfit, before the sport was replaced by girls’ football.
Although she in no way suggested football shouldn’t be in the tournament, she did concede she missed the days when Grant Pickering’s softball side would inevitably clinch unlikely leg wins, with huge individual victories.
“I can remember the days when we were behind in the point score and I’d just wander up to [Grant] Pickering and say ‘Pickers, we’re behind by 75 cup points, we need your softball to team to win, 15-0 would be a great score’,” Middleton explained.
“He’d look at me, turn away and walk back to his girls and at the end of the game they’d have won 21-0 and we’d bring home the Astley Cup.
“The other two schools didn’t like that … because we’d win by so much.”
Orange High welcomes Bathurst, the reigning champions and fresh off a big win over Dubbo College, on Thursday and Friday.
Orange High will welcome Bathurst’s troops at 9am, before tennis kicks off the opening day at 9.15am, at Orange Ex-Services Tennis Club.
The boys’ and girls’ football follows that at 11.30am and 1pm respectively and the athletics rounds out the first day’s sporting events from 2.15pm, all three events are at Orange High.
The Mulvey Cup debating is also on Thursday, kicking off at 5.30pm in Orange High’s library.
Basketball kicks off Friday’s second day at 9.30am and netball follows at 11am, both at Sir Neville Howse Stadium, before rugby league at 12.30pm at Wade Park.
Hockey is the leg’s main event, finishing the tie off at Orange Hockey Centre from 2.15pm.