This weekend sees the return to action of the Beacon sponsored Island Hockey Club.
It only seems a few weeks ago that the season ended – but now September is already upon us and the club is about to kick off again. The first game in the Hampshire Open League is on September 30th against one of the club's biggest rivals – Camberley – and the aim this time is to get off to a winning start, whereas last year the islanders lost their first three games.
Last year, the standard of the league was perhaps misjudged, and a young team was fielded – with the results at first showed that – but this year hopes are high for a big improvement, with the players now more experienced.
The team is also set to be led by a new captain, with Alan Ball taking on the armband. Alan played the final four games last season and proved his worth immediately, with three victories against strong opposition.
The club has also launched an exciting new website – www.iowhockey.co.uk – where you can find match reports, photos, profiles, fixtures and plenty of other information.
The club are encouraging anyone of any standard to get in touch if you want to play hockey – there are three teams and a Colts side, so anyone can be accommodated as they are always looking for new players. Having already signed a number of new players in the summer, the club is looking forward to a successful season.