‘Pipe dream’: Hockey’s objectives will suffer over lack of inner city London pitches

3G CRISIS: With inner city pitches fast disappearing, growing hockey and inclusivity in the sport is likely to become a pipe dream if no one has access to a pitch, says Chris Baker

Being a truly central London hockey club is fast becoming untenable. At the London Academicals HC, we have seen first-hand that whilst the demand for hockey is growing, available pitch space is rapidly decreasing.

Previously, we played our home matches at the City of London Academy in Bermondsey, South East London. We had been in discussions with the academy for the last 12 months, but were informed just prior to the pandemic that they were pressing ahead with their tender to convert the current sand-based surface into a 3G pitch. 

Their main reasons for this concerned being able to raise the profile of their football offering, and to be able to compete with other nearby facilities and schools with an Football Association-approved pitch.

Chris Baker is Club Development Officer at London Academicals HC

If your hockey club is threatened by a lack of provision or closure due to council decisions, please get in touch with us so we can raise your concern.