Following the winter break, the Men’s and Vitality Women’s Hockey Leagues resume this weekend with plenty to fight for over the next few weeks.
All the leagues will resume except the Men’s Premier Division, which will get back underway next weekend. To view a full list of fixtures, results and tables, click here.
The Women’s Premier Division has also split into two, with the ‘Top 6’ battling it out to be crowned this year’s champions and also secure a place in next season’s Euro Hockey League competitions while the remainder contest to determine who stays in the league next year.
The Hockey Paper’s Rod Gilmour provides a more detailed look at all the fixtures below.
Please note unless stated, all women’s matches will be played on Saturday 5 February and all the men’s games on Sunday 6 February.
Westminster hold a three-point lead as the women’s top flight resumes with a new format for the first time.
The ‘Top 6’ tier looks set for a riveting battle for the two European places on offer, with Vitality Women’s Premier Division action set to take place every Saturday until April.
The league leaders, aiming to reach the Euro Hockey League for the first time, travel to fourth-placed Wimbledon for a cross-London derby on Saturday afternoon.
Second-placed East Grinstead will head to Beeston in fine fettle, the outdoor league resumption coming six days after lifting their third national indoor title in six years.
Meanwhile, Clifton Robinsons host Surbiton, with Brett Garrard’s side still unbeaten this season.
In the bottom tier, two clubs will face the drop from five sides in what looks set to be a pressure-cooker run-in towards April. Matches will start next weekend, with four teams playing every Saturday.
Vitality Women’s Premier Division – ‘Top 6’
- Beeston v East Grinstead – 14:00
- Clifton Robinsons v Surbiton – 14:00
- Wimbledon v Hampstead & Westminster – 16:00
Division One North
Maddie Axford will aim to score for the 10th game running when league leaders University of Nottingham resume after the winter break.
They head to Stourport for a Saturday evening push back, with Bowdon Hightown breathing down the students’ necks in the table. Bowdon, aiming to return to the Premier Division, host winless Olton & West Warwickshire. Belper are also yet to secure a win as they head to Gloucester City.
Elsewhere, it’s fourth versus fifth as University of Durham host Leicester City while seventh-placed Brooklands Poynton are at home to eighth-placed Ben Rhydding.
- Brooklands Poynton v Ben Rhydding – 11:45
- University of Durham v Leicester City – 12:00
- Gloucester City v Belper – 13:00
- Bowdon Hightown v Olton & West Warwicks – 13:30
- Stourport v University of Nottingham – 18:00
Division One South
Sevenoaks, the only unbeaten side in the division, hold a five-point lead at the top as they bid to reach the top flight.
The Kent side play host to Wimbledon 2s on Saturday, while second-placed Reading head to second-from-bottom Harleston Magpies.
Should the top two slip up, there are several clubs still in the hunt for promotion, including Slough, who head to Isca. Fourth-placed Canterbury face a trip to a Surbiton 2s side directly behind them in the table as bottom side Trojans are on the road to Cambridge City.
- Isca v Slough – 12:00
- Cambridge City v Trojans – 12:30
- Harleston Magpies v Reading – 13:30
- Surbiton 2s v Canterbury – 13:30
- Sevenoaks v Wimbledon 2s – 17:00
Conference East
Barnes hold a four-point advantage at the top of the league and boast the meanest defence across the Vitality Women’s Hockey Leagues as they resume proceedings outdoors.
Having shipped just five goals from their nine matches, in-form Barnes travel to Bromley & Beckenham on Saturday while Southgate, in second, host Ipswich.
Elsewhere, bottom-placed Canterbury 2s are also at home to third-placed London Wayfarers, East London hoast Horsham and fourth-placed Hampstead & Westminster 2s host Chelmsford.
- Hampstead & Westminster 2s v Chelmsford – 12:15
- Bromley & Beckenham v Barnes – 12:30
- Canterbury 2s v London Wayfarers – 14:00
- Southgate v Ipswich – 14:00
- East London v Horsham – 18:00
Conference Midlands
Khalsa Leamington aim to kickstart the second half of their season with a much-needed win as they bid to avoid relegation. They travel to second-from-bottom University of Birmingham 2s in a crunch clash, with both clubs having lost their last five matches.
Meanwhile, at the top, league leaders Sutton Coldfield are at home to Cannock, while elsewhere second-placed Bedford are on the road at St Albans.
Having played out a re-arranged fixture two weeks ago, Loughborough Students 2s are at home to Oxford University with both sides aiming to secure victory after their 1-1 draw. The final game sees Beeston 2s visit Broxbourne.
- 12:00 – Sutton Coldfield v Cannock
- 12:30 – Loughborough Students 2s v Oxford University
- 12:30 – University of Birmingham 2s v Khalsa Leamington
- 13:00 – St Albans v Bedford
- 13:30 – Broxbourne v Beeston 2s
Conference North
One of the most tightly-contested Vitality Women’s Hockey Leagues resumes battle on Saturday, with seven points separating top spot down to ninth.
Leeds, who travel to Doncaster, head the division on goal difference from Timperley, who host Alderley Edge.
Neston, currently bottom, need to pick up points, but face a tricky test against third-placed Wakefield. University of Durham 2s, currently in fourth, could go top if they beat Pendle Forest and other results go their way, wile the other game sees Fylde and Didsbury Northern – level on points – meet.
- 11:30 – Pendle Forest v University of Durham 2s
- 12:00 – Didsbury Northern v Fylde
- 12:00 – Doncaster v Leeds
- 13:30 – Neston v Wakefield
- 16:00 – Timperley v Alderley Edge
Conference West
Three sides are level at the top of Conference West and two of them meet on Saturday in a heavyweight clash. League leaders Witney head to third-placed Bristol Firebrands, while Oxford Hawks, in second, are on the road at Penarth.
Team Bath Buccs, one point behind in fourth, travel to Exe, who also harbour ambitions to secure top spot come the end of the season.
At the bottom, Clifton Robinsons 2s travel to Cheltenham while University of Bristol will want to claim their first point of the season when they take on Basingstoke.
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- Penarth v Oxford Hawks – 12:30
- Bristol Firebrands v Witney – 13:00
- Basingstoke v University of Bristol – 14:00
- Cheltenham v Clifton Robinsons 2s – 14:00
- Exe v Team Bath Buccs – 14:00
With thanks to England Hockey
