The EH calendar has priority dates for Area activities and these do not clash with either
England training/trials or cup dates
It has therefore agreed to have 4 dates when whole Area activities and development of
area Champs teams will take place and 4 or possibly 5 dates when there can be league
matches – see below for the dates and log them in your calendar. There are some different
dates for some age groups/sexes; but we should be able to arrange to have some masters
hockey activity for everyone at least monthly from September through to April.
Whole area by age groups – fixed across Area League dates – played as triangulars 20
mins each way – 3 hrs total

11 Sep women; 18 Sep men Either 9 Oct and/or 23 Oct
11 December all except W45 plus and M50 plus;
18 Dec – ditto for W 45 plus and M 50 plus
13 Nov W 45 plus;
20 Nov everyone else
5 Feb – all except W 45 plus;
12 Feb W 45 plus
19 Mar
16 April
22 April – Women play Scotland; men to have
practice games for area champs?

New leagues
1. These will be open to the same age groups as EH use for cups; so
Women over 35 to 54; women over 55; and men over 40; men over 50; men over 60.
And single sex rather than mixed ( but the aim is to introduce mixed competitions or more
mixed festivals next Summer )
2. These leagues are about increasing participation and opportunities to play with people of similar age so we expect clubs and individuals to get together and create a team for their
locality.
3. Rules will be light - if you need a couple of under age players to make up numbers then fine if within 5 years of the qualifying date. We will be looking to play triangular fixtures – 3
teams playing each other in 20 mins each way matches over a 3 hour pitch booking – so
there will be a team spare to provide players if you are short and also to provide umpires if
needed.
4. There wont be a league entry fee but instead we will ask the hosts of the triangular matches to set their match fees so they make a modest surplus (maybe £2 a head) to contribute to Y & NE masters funds. At the moment we get no regular funding from any bodies to assist us with overhead costs like kit and equipment so do need some modest income from masters
activities.
5. We are suggesting 6 localities to produce teams for the first year. If successful we can split into smaller localities in 2023/24. Please see attached localities by Club to indicate what we think will work on the basis of numbers already registered with us for interest in more masters hockey. But this does not prevent you deciding another locality works better for you….
6. We hope by early September to have in place:
a. Locality co-ordinators – their job will not be to organise teams but hopefully to find
others to do that and act as a postbox to pass on people interested in playing to
team organisers; and keep in touch with progress
b. Team organisers – for each age group in each locality; don’t need to captain just get
a team together, decide on colours to play in and others can captain and collect
money etc.
It isn’t going to happen unless we have some people willing to help organise!
For over 55 women and over 60 men we could also have some mid week afternoon matches once a month so there is an opportunity to play every 2 weeks? Could do this at Wakefield Thurs 2pm to 5pm both pitches…? For those over 60 there is the opportunity to join LX and attend LX events as well. Are over 50s interested in something like this once a month or does work prevent?
Our intention is to run a mixed “500” competition like NW next summer or have more mixed festivals like the recent one in Wakefield.