Take the 25-minute walk from Surbiton train station to Sugden Road, home of the multiple-winning domestic champions over the last decade, and the AA yellow parking signs a minute or so from the ground are the only signs of a major hockey event being held.
From The Surbiton Flyer, the high steet’s pub by the station, all the way down there are no Surbiton scarves in shops or banners erected on lamp posts by the local borough. There’s no jingoistic love for a club which has now racked up nine women’s titles in 10 seasons, while the men have had their share of success and both enjoying European trips.
While many grassroots football and rugby clubs have the sport at the heart of their communities, is hockey, and Surbiton, missing a trick here and happy to stay conservative?
On the sidelines of the League Finals, deputy mayor of Elmbridge Neil Houston told The Hockey Paper that he would look into providing more visibility for the club when he sees the local mayor.
While an open top parade down the high street might be a stretch, and probably fanciful for the sport, it would be some coup. Dare to be different and all that.
Just imagine that scenario for a moment. While shoppers may stop and wonder ‘what the …’, the sight of Olympians and players who have come through the colts to become English club champions should be celebrated. There is no other Premier Division sports club in the area and hockey should be an integral part of the local fabric. It should be creating a buzz, forging its own story and marketing the club.
Indeed, the club, says councillor Houston, could be doing more within the community outside of its coaching programmes.
“It’s something to be proud of [nine titles in 10]. Is it generally known? No it’s not,” he said.
“So yes they do need to do a bit more on the promotion. That may be going through the local council and ‘did you know?’ We don’t always know what’s going on here. We know about planning issues but they don’t always tell us the good stuff.”
Houston did point out that having an ‘international level sporting facility’ in the heart of the community was a huge asset to the area and said that Surbiton was doing a fine job in terms of local engagement programmes.
“Since I’ve been here, for the last 14 years the sport has grown and become more involved in the community. Make no bones about it, if it came back next year from England Hockey, we would be more than happy to host it again.”
This also begs the question of whether Surbiton is the only viable option to host the season-ending finals, unless the decision is to go back to Lee Valley (which would be the wrong option). Clubs would have to hedge their bets on making Finals Weekend and Surbiton currently have the best hope of at least one of the men/women teams making it.
They also have the best transport and venues to host the format. And the finals need a full day of attendance to make the product attractive.
On the theme of finding a new audience, Giselle Ansley said: “We’d love for more people to see the game, watch and join the club. That’s our role as internationals and to keep hockey on the map we have to keep being successful. There is pressure to perform and execute. These are hockey fans here so if we can reach a bigger audience that would be special.”
Meanwhile team-mate Amy Costello went a point further when she said that bringing international matches to clubs (presumably over Lee Valley) would benefit the sport.
“It might increase the noise of hockey and spread the game across the country,” said the Scot. “Surbiton has the ability to put on events, but could we hold international games down here and play where the players have grown up and bring the locals in? That’s something to look at in the future.”
Yes. This is imperative to raise the image of hockey widely played in this country, but unfortunately deprived of glamour.
Yes absolutely, but until we all – led by England Hockey – start to focus on the infrastructure for families & supporters this will always be pushing water uphill. I love hockey as do my kids, but who wants to watch it standing freezing cold on a school pitch in the middle of nowhere with no facilities open? So I play the game, and get home as quickly as possible to the family. I appreciate the big clubs have a better set up – as do some lucky clubs with a multi-sport facility – but even these are often not designed with supporters in mind. It needs a complete change of mindset & investment strategy.
Currently hockey season is in parallel to Football, which means that all the main sports broadcasters show football 24/7. Currently hockey has so many limitations, more so at grassroots level.. Majority of clubs don’t have their own pitch or clubhouse. During the winter months, it’s cold and usually rainy, so not very conjusive for spectators. Similar to what Rugby did, we need to change hockey season from March to November.. during summer months more people will come out, clubs can do barbecues, create a family atmosphere, there will be no need for floodlights, thus clubs will save money, no matches will be cancelled due to frozen pitches, no frozen hands whilst playing. Better for moms and Dads for sunday morning badgers training. Finally due to no footy on the tele for atleast 2 months, broadcasters may show more hockey.