Hockey in the north – ‘You want to make a point that you’re able to survive’

“In any sport you want people to have the accessibility to do well throughout the whole country,” says Nick Clark, whose newly promoted Bowdon Women’s 1s have replaced relegated Brooklands Men’s 1s as the sole representative of the north across the two leagues.

Across the Men’s and Women’s Premier Divisions, there is just one team from the north of England. While the cluster of midlands university sides have helped diversify the leagues’ geography slightly, hockey remains dominated by the south.

The centralised training of England and GB Hockey at Bisham Abbey has led to a concentration of top talent within commuter distance to the Marlow base.

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