• England Hockey Leagues

End of Season 2023-2024

Thank you for participating in the 2023-2024 South Central Adult League season. I hope you have had an enjoyable season and looking forward to a well-deserved break from hockey. I wanted to update you with news on the SC League and give you some details on the activities and dates we are looking at to prepare for next season (2024-25).  

I want to congratulate Reading Men’s 2s and Marlow Women’s 1s on becoming our respective men’s and women’s champions, gaining promotion to the National League. No South Central men’s teams have been relegated from the Conference League to South Central. Unfortunately, three women’s teams have been relegated from the Conference League, and we welcome Basingstoke 1s, Fareham 1s and Oxford University 1s to the South Central Women’s League. Congratulations to all the promoted teams and commiserations to the relegated teams throughout the League.  (click here for final league tables).

The League regulations require teams to return from the Conference Leagues to their original area. Therefore, we have had to create sufficient room to accommodate them in Women’s Premier Division 1 by making additional relegation's in this and the feeder divisions in accordance with regulation 4.5.2. This has created a need for additional relegation's in the Women’s League, all of which have been communicated to relevant clubs by the Divisional Secretaries.

In order to provide some additional space for teams relegated in the Women’s South Divisions and for additional teams joining the League for season 2024-2025, the Area League Management Committee (ALMC) have proposed and the South Central Board have agreed to the formation of a new division - Women’s South Division 3. Details of the teams to be offered places in this Division are given below. The eight additional teams promoted to Women’s Division 3, have the right to refuse promotion, as per regulation 3.2.7. If they wish to do so, they must confirm this with their Divisional Secretary by 25 April 2024.

Proposed membership of new Women’s South Division 3:

  • Alton 2 (from South 2)
  • Andover 2 (from Forest 1)
  • Blandford and Sturminster 1 (from Forest 1)
  • Fareham 3 (from Solent 1)
  • Haslemere 3 (from Solent 1)
  • Havant 3 (from South 2)
  • Portsmouth 2 (from South 2)
  • Romsey 2 (from South 2)
  • Southampton 3 (from Forest 1)
  • Southampton University 2 (from Forest 1)
  • West Meon 1 (from Solent 1)
  • Winchester 3 (from Solent 1)

As a sport, we are finding it increasingly difficult to find and develop umpires, both appointed neutral umpires (i.e. South Central Officiating) and club umpires. I’m sure you will agree that hockey is a better sport when well umpired. I would encourage clubs to talk to our local officiating organisation (SCO), which has been running a series of club umpiring development sessions this season and would be happy to help you with umpire development. Also, the EH website provides lots of umpiring resources through the England Hockey Officiating Club (EHO); please see details via the following link:  

https://www.englandhockey.co.uk/deliver/officiate/umpire/eho

For your information, the South Central Area AGM has been provisionally scheduled for Thursday, 18th July 2024, at 19:30. Your club should receive an invite.

Finally here are details of key dates for the preparation for the new season (2024-25):

  • 1st May: final date for new clubs/teams to make applications to join the SC League.
  • May-June: Fixtures to be computed and sent to GMS
  • 21st June: Target for EH to load fixtures to GMS.
  • 21st September: New League season starts
  • 12th April 2025: Season finishes (tbc)

I hope you enjoy your summer and are looking forward to next season.

Richard Wood

Chairman, South Central Adult League