Club News
We’re almost at the end of the season and nearly all promotion and relegation issues have been finalised so congratulations to all teams who have achieved promotion and commiserations to those teams who face disappointment.
The bad weather in early January and early February has caused headaches as matches have had to be re-scheduled – a nightmare for League Secretaries and Club Fixture Secretaries, and to Captains who have had to persuade players to play two games of hockey in a weekend or extend their season beyond Easter!
Congratulations to Plymouth Marjon on regaining England Hockey League (EHL) status on winning the West of England & South Wales Men’s League and guaranteeing automatic promotion to the EHL Men’s Conference West.
Plymouth Marjon will replace Cardiff & UWIC who will return to the West of England & South Wales Men’s League having finished bottom of the Division, whilst Firebrands have to win the three team EHL Relegation Tournament in order to retain their EHL status – failure will see them also return to the West of England & South Wales Men’s League.
The 9th placed teams in all three Conference Divisions play off in a round robin tournament over three weekends. Firebrands will host the North’s Formby on 18 April and then have to travel to the East’s City of Peterborough on 25 April. Depending on results they could spend 2 May on tenterhooks awaiting the result of the Formby v City of Peterborough fixture.
Congratulations to University of Exeter on winning the EHL Men’s Conference West. They now find themselves one busy weekend away from promotion to the EHL Premier Division. The EHL Promotion Tournament will be held at the University of the West of England, Bristol over the Bank Holiday weekend 2-4 May and will feature the three Conference winning teams and the 9th placed team in the Premier Division in a round robin tournament. University of Exeter will therefore play Havant (9th in Premier), East winners Oxted and North winners Brooklands MU over the weekend.
The automatic promotion place in the West Clubs’ Women’s Hockey League may not be decided until after Easter and could possibly go to the 3rd placed team in the League. Clifton 2nds currently top the table (46 points) play 3rd placed Team Bath Buccaneers (41 points) in Bath this Saturday whilst 4th placed Taunton Vale (40 points) travel to Cheltenham. With Exe 2nds currently in 2nd place and no 2nd XIs allowed in the EHL, Team Bath and Taunton both have it all to play for and, if the League is not resolved this weekend, we will have to wait until the weekend of 18/19 April for the outcome when Team Bath Buccaneers host Gloucester and ironically, Taunton Vale play their return fixture with Cheltenham.
Commiserations to St Austell who return to the West Clubs’ Women’s Hockey League following relegation from the EHL Women’s Conference West.
Some of our teams are enjoying continued success in England Hockey National Knock-Out Competitions and this Sunday Bristol UWE host Guernsey in the Semi-final of the Harrod UK Men’s Trophy, guaranteeing a West representative in the Final, whilst in the EH Women’s Trophy, Falmouth make the long trip from Cornwall to Broxbourne in Hertfordshire for their Semi-final tie.
In the Mixed Trophy, the West’s two remaining clubs Newent and Sidmouth face each other in the 4th round. The 2nd round of the Mixed Plate sees Gloucester City travel to Berkswell & Balsall Common and West Wilts host Maidstone.
None of the West’s Club U18/U15 teams have made it through to the Finals weekend this year but Team Bath Buccaneers 2nd XI have made it through to their second final in the Women’s 2nd XI Trophy and will meet Maidenhead 2nds on 10 May and congratulations to Jersey Men’s Vets who have reached the final of the Men’s Veterans Plate on 26 April when their opponents will be Kingston-upon-Hull Men’s Vets.
Good luck to our Club teams as they continue to fly the West flag in these competitions! Hopefully we will have more success to report after next weekend.
Jenny Mitchell | Regional Administrator
West Office, England Hockey
University of Exeter, Sports Park, Stocker Road
Exeter EX4 4QN
01392 264031