NO club had ever won both the men’s and ladies’ inter-club knockout in Hampshire in the same season for some 52 years (writes Andrew Griffin).

But Aldershot’s Army GC not only equalled the record with a fifth Hampshire Sevens win after beating Ryde in the final at Bramshaw, on Sunday, they also completed the double for the first time since the County Sevens came into being back in 1966.

The men’s win followed the ladies’ triumph in the Stoneham Cup final against Lee-on-the-Solent, at Liphook GC, at the end of September, having beaten Corhampton in the morning semi-finals.

The Aldershot men’s team had beaten Chilworth, Portsmouth, Bramshaw, and finally Barton-on-Sea to earn a place in the last four contesting finals day in the New Forest at Bramshaw.

Captained by James West, they took an early command in the match as Chris Taylor won the top match 5&4, having been up in four at the turn and only down in one.

Although Ryde’s Rich Harrison tried to spark a comeback by beating Henry Lloyd 5&3, a 4&2 win by brother Graham over Gary Cox put Army in the driving seat.

Josh Murray then won the 17th to go three up in the second match out with Jack McLoughlin, leaving Talor Reay to seal the decisive fourth point with a 4&3 win over Ryde captain Lee Dixon.

West held on to win by one in the penultimate against Tom McInnes, while Tim Ballard shook hands on a half with Ryde’s Matt Barnicoat in the bottom match, having reached the 15th green.

Hampshire Seniors added to the county’s success this season by retaining the South-East League title after the men’s team were crowned the English County Champions for the first time in 21 years earlier this month.

Captain Alan Drayton, from Hockley, was able to include Walker Cup player Bobby Eggo who played against the Americans in 1987 at Sunningdale, and who lost in two English Amateur finals in three years, including in 1989 when he was beaten by Lee-on-Solent’s Steve Richardson, at Royal St George’s.

Eggo halved the top match before Hampshire’s England Seniors international, Alan Mew, left Hertfordshire’s Bob Peacock a long walk in after beating him 6&5.

Basingstoke’s Oscar O’Herlihy won the 18th to beat Herts veteran Gauis Potton by two to seal the victory and former county captain Richard Elmes, who won the Hampshire Amateur Championship at his home club Stoneham in 2002, also won 6&5 before clubmate Jamie Pinchon wrapped up a 7-5 win with a half at the death.

Hampshire have now played Hertfordshire in two of the four finals they have played in since 2009 – Hertfordshire ran out winers 51/2-41/2 at Kent’s Knole Park in 2015 before Hampshire broke their duck with a 7-3 win over BB&O 12 months ago.