As our #watchyour1s campaign gets set to return for a second season, domestic fan IAN SWINDELLS hopes that those that watch GB home games can be converted regularly to the Premier Division
Well another domestic season begins on the back of another successful Olympics for Great Britain women at Tokyo 2020. Congratulations must be given to the ladies on a well earned bronze medal.
Will this achievement change anything for the domestic leagues? I doubt. Sparse crowds will continue to be seen, resulting in there being little chance facilities can be improved for members of the respective clubs.
What is the answer? I do not know, but I think we must look at other minority sports such as netball, basketball, darts and snooker all being shown regularly on Sky with money coming in from advertising and TV coverage putting money back into the sport.
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The model is wrong, that’s why.
We need to move to a franchise model with teams spread across the country and we need to play the franchise league from April to August . That no only means playing when the weather is best for spectators, but it means that club players are not busy playing themselves and would have the time to form a core of spectators. It also minimises competition for fans from the big winter spectator sports.
Such a model would leave 99% of teams unaffected and the winter league pyramid could continue. The impact would be on the handful of current Premier Division teams
Why are you referring to hockey as a minority sport? It is one of, possibly the second, largest team sports in the world. If a site dedicated to the sport takes the attitude it is minority what hope is there?