After a profitable 2022-23 season, England Hockey welcomes 16 new groups into the Men’s and Vitality Women’s England Hockey League (EHL). The league allocations for the 2023-24 season are actually confirmed.
In the Men’s Premier Division, Cardiff and Met take their place within the prime flight for the primary time joined by Southgate who’re promoted after eight season’s absence. In the Women’s Premier Division, Bowdon return after relegation in 2019-20 and Isca and Exeter University shall be making their debut.
Brooklands MU and Exeter University are relegated to Men’s Division One North and Division One South respectively. Of the ladies’s groups relegated to Division One, Buckingham go North and Holcombe South.
Men’s Midlands Conference winners Harborne, and North Conference winners Leeds are promoted to Division One North. East winners, Richmond and West winners, Havant be a part of Division One South.
Women’s Division One sees Olton and West Warwicks return to Division One North after a season’s absence together with Wakefield. Conference West winners Team Bath Buccaneers and East winners Barnes take their place in Division One South for the primary time.
Of the sixteen new groups becoming a member of the Conferences all bar one qualify as winners of their respective space leagues. The exception being Teddington who have been second within the London Area League Premier Division.
London Wayfarers 2nd XI, who have been winners, weren’t eligible for promotion as their 1st XI group are already within the EHL at Conference stage and league rules don’t allow two groups from the identical membership to play on the identical stage.
The promoted golf equipment are beneath:
Vitality Women’s England Hockey League (Conferences)
Bowdon 2nd XI (North West), Clifton Robinsons 2nd XI (West), Fareham (South Central), Newcastle University (Yorkshire & North East), Old Georgians (South East), Old Loughtonians (East), Repton (Midlands), Teddington (London)
Men’s England Hockey League (Conferences)
Banbury (South Central), Cheltenham (West), Ipswich (East), Lindum (Yorkshire & North East), Old Georgians 2nd XI (South East), Oxton (North West), Stourport (Midlands), Wimbledon 2nd XI (London)
Clifton Robinsons 2nd XI and Old Loughtonians girls and Cheltenham, Ipswich, Oxton and Stourport males are making a return to the EHL whereas it’s a new problem for the opposite promoted groups.
The allocations of the 4 Conferences and Division One North and South for 2023-24 season has now been decided.
The full leagues can be found now
The make-up of the Divisions is set by quite a few components together with the next:
- The have to divide Division One into two Divisions and the Conferences into 4 Divisions all of 10 groups
- The total geographic unfold of groups – which means on events golf equipment which can be shut to one another could not play in the identical Division. Also, that Men’s and Women’s groups from the identical membership could play in numerous geographic Divisions
- Travel occasions in addition to geographic proximity
- The total influence on the mixed journey for all of the groups in a selected Division
- At Conference stage minimising the variety of Divisions groups from the identical Area take part in; to keep away from the opportunity of a lot of groups being relegated to an Area League
- Not switching groups between completely different Divisions every season except the components above exhibit it’s clearly required
Fixtures for the league shall be obtainable on the finish of June.
