WARRINGTON Hockey Club’s new season gets under way this weekend with both men’s and women’s sections optimistic ahead of the new campaign.
The Men’s First XI have just missed out on promotion from the North West Men’s Division 4 East in the last two seasons.
Their season starts with an away fixture against City of Manchester in a competitive league which includes large local clubs such as Bowdon and Brooklands.
Captain and coach, Richard Cook has high hopes for the year ahead.
He said: “I am really enthusiastic about this coming year. The aim is to push for promotion, having narrowly missed out last season.
“But the bigger picture for me as captain, is to continue developing our group of men, both on and off the field. We take great pride in strengthening characters and building bonds; from paddle boarding to cup runs, to social nights out, we are a group that continues to grow, and would love for more to get involved”
The women’s First XI showed great character to avoid relegation with a 9th place finish in North West Women’s Division 4 South following the poaching of some established players from local rivals. They kickstart the new campaign with a short trip down the A49 to Winnington Park New captain, Sarah Gregson is focussing on a positive team culture as well as strong performances on the pitch.
She said: “We’ve had lots of new faces come in this season, in exchange for a few that have moved on, so we are looking to rebuild, rebrand and relaunch our inclusive ladies section. Our goal will be to stay competitive in Division 4, but above all we want to build a sports section that offers a safe and supportive environment for all ladies involved, and anymore that are interested.”
To aid the growth of the Ladies section the club have entered a Ladies Development Team with the aim of building an established Ladie’s Second XI for the 2024/25 season. New captain Katherine Parker is relishing this opportunity within the club.
She said: “This team allows us to continue attracting ladies to come back to hockey who may not have played in years, ladies who want to give hockey a go for the first time, as well as juniors who will get the opportunity to participate in competitive games. Some of our ladies were part of trophy winning teams over the summer so I’m hoping we can take that confidence into the season.”
Another Warrington team with a new captain is the Men’s Second XI. Andy Powell is taking the reigns of a team looking to build upon a midtable finish, starting with a home fixture at Priestley College against Crewe Vagrants.
Andy said: “My aim for this season is ultimately to win as many games as possible and to finish in the top half of the table. Last season, there were many games where we scored plenty of goals and played some very good hockey but also gave away too many easy goals. I would like us to be harder to beat and being so should give us the foundation to climb the league.”
Warrington Hockey Club is always open to new members. The club runs two training sessions per week. There is a two-hour session on Monday evenings at Lymm High School with an hour session on Thursday evenings at Priestley College. For more information, message Warrington Hockey Club on Facebook or Instagram.
