SOUTHERN Vipers, the combined Farnham/Farnborough local floorball hockey team made the perfect start in the first fixture of the UKFF South East League, recording two clear-cut wins.

Most notably, they beat a Hastings side comprising mainly international players. The Vipers achieved a three-goal advantage by the end of the third period, winning 9-6.

The second match, against Hammerhead Sharks, one of the big London clubs, was much closer, but the young Surrey/Hampshire squad again came out on top.

This is the best start to the season for five years by the Vipers team which includes several former youth players from Farnham Floorball Cub. With many of them reaching GB team standard, the future looks bright indeed for these young exponents of floorball – still a relatively new sport in the UK.

The team is coached by former ice-hockey player Rami Rantala, originally from Finland, one of the countries that gave birth to floorball.

The newly recognised Olympic sport is based on ice hockey, but is actually more accessible as it is played in a gym and uses lightweight balls and sticks, meaning fewer injuries and much lower costs.

Anyone who has a basic level of fitness is welcome to try out the sport at Farnham Sports Centre. For information, contact Peter Goodman on 07597 111001 or email [email protected]