Richardson and Jackson UK Players of the 2009
(26.1.2010)
Ashley Jackson, the 22-year-old England and HGC (Netherlands) midfield player was named UK Player of the Year for 2009 following the annual poll conducted amongst British members of the Hockey Writers’ Club. Helen Richardson the 28-year-old England and Reading central midfield player who spent the first part of a highly successful year with Dutch European Champions Den Bosch was the winner of the women’s award.>>>>

SMITH SEES SLOUGH TO TITLE
by Patrick Rowley (24.1.2010)
Slough Ladies claimed the English Indoor League title for the 8th time in 15 years at Whitgift School yesterday. Needing to win their last game to finish above Canterbury on goal difference, Slough coasted to a 3-0 victory over former champions Chelmsford. Jane Smith, the former international, scored all three goals to finish easily the events’ top scorer yet again, this time with 24 goals in 8 games. >>>>

England in a strong position
by Patrick Rowley (16.1.2010)
England’s women’s indoor team finished the second day in a strong position to win the European Challenge at Rouen, despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Sweden in their third match. They followed that with an 8-2 win over Croatia with. Chloe Rogers scoring five. That brought her tournament tally to eleven. Success came despite the absence of Sally Walton (Bowdon) who was taken sick in Rouen. England flew out Sarah Haycroft, an 18 year old Birmingham University student, as late replacement. >>>>

CATLIN MAKES WORLD CUP TEAM
by Patrick Rowley (13.1.2010)
England have stuck by the team that won the European Cup for the first time at Amsterdam in August for the World Cup which takes place in New Delhi from Feb 28-Mar 13. The only change is an enforced one due to foot injuries to the experienced Simon Mantell and James Tindall.
Nick Catlin, the 20 year old Loughborough Student who made his tournament debut at the Champions Trophy at Melbourne in December, comes into the squad. >>>>

Dick's hat-trick
by Patrick Rowley (2.1.2010)
Olympic forward Stephen Dick scored a hat-trick to lead Scotland to an 8-3 win over Wales in the first of two indoor internationals at Perth. Coached by Russell Garcia, the former Olympic gold medallist, Scotland are having their last outings before joining England at the European Indoor Trophy in Poznan in a fortnight’s time. Dick opened the scoring in the first minute and completed his hat-trick with a corner and stroke conversion. >>>>

JACKSON STRIKES AGAIN
by Patrick Rowley (19.12. 2009)
Ashley Jackson, the World Hockey’s Young Player of the Year, scored his second hat-trick for England’s indoor team against Scotland to ensure they won the four test series at Paisley before the final match today. Jackson followed his four in Friday’s 7-5 win, with the first three goals in a 4-2 win in the third match. The second was drawn 3-3. Great Britain women’s first outing since finishing fifth the Beijing Olympics, a five test series at Salta in Argentina, ended sadly with the final test lost and key player Crista Cullen ending up in hospital.>>>>

SURBITON GO INTO INDOOR SEASON AHEAD IN BOTH THEIR OUTDOOR LEAGUES
by Seán Cotter (4.12. 2009)
Surbiton Ladies make their first foray into indoor hockey this Saturday (5 December) when they travel to The Edge Leisure Centre, Haslemere, to play in the South Indoor Pool A Qualifier. The following weekend the club’s Men make their return to the National Indoor Premier Division for the first time in five seasons at the opening weekend of fixtures at the Fleming Park Leisure Centre in Eastleigh (12/13 December). Last weekend victories for both kept Surbiton ladies’ and men’s outdoor first XIs top of their respective leagues going into the outdoor winter break.>>>>

Impressive Slough cement third place with victory
by Mike Haymonds (4.12. 2009)
SLOUGH Ladies’ 2-1 win over struggling Bowdon, their first double of the season, followed the pattern of many of their previous games.
A strong start with early goals was not maintained and, although they outplayed their opponents, Slough failed to kill them off, resulting in a narrower than deserved margin of victory. The win kept Slough in third place, still eight points adrift of unbeaten leaders Leicester, but the gap behind Reading was closed to three points after Reading’s 2-2 draw with Birmingham University. >>>>

LAST MEN’S PREMIER OUTDOOR FIXTURES BEFORE WINTER BREAK
by Seán Cotter (27.11. 2009)
This Sunday afternoon (29 November) EHL National Premier Division leaders Surbiton take on eighth-placed Hampstead & Westminster at Sugden Road in the last tranche of fixtures before the winter break, taking all ten clubs to one beyond the half-way mark with the first return meetings of the campaign. Surbiton have already travelled to Paddington Rec where they triumphed 5-2 on Saturday 26 September in the second game of the season. >>>>

Slough cruise to victory as Poynt is made
by Mike Haymonds (27.11. 2009)
SLOUGH Ladies reached the mid-point of the season with a 2-1 win over Brooklands Poynton which was more comfortable than the scoreline suggested. Slough retained third place, eight points behind Leicester, who extended their 100 per cent record with a 6-0 hammering of bottom team Trojans, and Reading who beat Clifton 7-2. Whatever the result of Saturday’s match with Bowdon, Slough will still be third as they go into the mid-season break. >>>>

TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH NOT ALL THAT IT SEEMS
by Seán Cotter (20.11. 2009)
This Saturday (21 November, 4pm) first-placed Surbiton meet second-placed Reading at Sugden Road, but this is not quite the EHL National Premier Division showdown that it might appear on paper. Imagine what Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger would have to say if they faced such a fixture with four players from one side (in this case Reading) and three from the other (Surbiton) missing on international duty (having already departed on Wednesday with eleven players from other clubs – nine of them English premier, two Dutch - for the Champions Trophy in Melbourne which takes place from Saturday week 28 November to Sunday 6 December). >>>>

Finishing touch proves winner
by Mike Haymonds (20.11. 2009)
SLOUGH Ladies returned to winning ways with a deserved 3-2 win over a Canterbury team which has the best record against them of all the Premier clubs. Despite the difficult conditions of heavy rain and a strong wind both sides contributed to a competitive game with Slough’s finishing, on this occasion, proving superior. The win lifted Slough back into the third place they lost last week, eight points behind Leicester and five behind Reading.>>>>