The Isle of Man men’s hockey side head to England this weekend for the England Hockey County Championships, with a demanding two day programme awaiting them at the Nottingham Hockey Centre.
The Championships, which take place on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 May, bring together county and representative sides from across England and the British Isles. This year’s edition of the championships features 10 teams split into two groups of five, with the top two teams from each group progressing to semi-finals. Matches are played over 46 minutes (23 minutes each way), creating a fast paced and physically demanding tournament format.
The Isle of Man have been drawn in a challenging group which includes hosts Nottinghamshire, Shropshire, Yorkshire and the UK Armed Forces. The team have 3 fixtures on Saturday, with the final group match scheduled for Sunday morning. Final placings in the group then determine afternoon fixtures on Sunday.
The squad combines players from local Manx teams alongside a number of players currently at university, including Ben Dougal and Luca Parlato, both making their County debuts, together with Joe Savage who recently represented Scotland U21’s.
The County Championships represent a clear step up from domestic competition and the squad are looking forward to testing themselves against higher level opposition.
Thanks to Neil Crowe for the report
