Following concerns from Masters players over a change of kit manufacturer, England Hockey responds
Concerns regarding mandatory kit replacement costs
Following a rigorous tender process, Mizuno emerged as the most suitable partner to support all levels of the game, from grassroots to elite, including the Masters category. Recognising the importance of maintaining a unified brand identity, especially for Masters teams, it was decided that these teams would transition to Mizuno gear.
The only mandatory items required were the on-field playing kit and one upper and one lower body item to establish team identity. To alleviate concerns, playing shirts were offered at a discounted rate, making them more affordable than previous Adidas shirts, while off-field item prices remained consistent with past arrangements.
Fears over Mizuno kit quality and fit
We have been actively addressing concerns about the quality and fit of Mizuno kit as they have been brought to our attention, working closely with both players and Mizuno to resolve any issues.
Transitioning to a new supplier after 14 years inevitably brings challenges, and we anticipated some initial difficulties. We have consulted extensively with Masters teams and Mizuno to refine and improve the kit range to better meet players’ needs. However, kit differences in suppliers has led to variations in fit and sizing, requiring some players to adjust their usual orders. We are committed to ongoing support to Masters players to choose the right size and fit for them.
Impact of costs on selection for Masters teams
We recognise that the additional costs associated with playing for Masters teams can be burdensome. To support our teams, we provide insurance and have collaborated with Masters teams on a new commercial strategy to attract individual and team sponsors, which has shown some success.
It’s important to note that England Hockey retains rights to shirt branding and title sponsorship, which are part of our broader commercial portfolio. This is an ongoing challenge which International Masters teams across all sports have been faced with for many years.
England Hockey’s funding comes from four primary sources: membership income, Sport England funding, UK Sport funding, and sponsorship. Government funding is ring-fenced and cannot be allocated to Masters activities, and membership income is directed towards non-Masters initiatives, including regular adult and junior competitions, grassroots activities, and equity, diversity, and inclusion projects.
Currently, sponsorship income is not sufficient to support Masters activities. For context, sending 400 athletes to compete in Cape Town or New Zealand this year would cost approximately £40,000 if each player received just a £100 subsidy—a cost that no existing funding stream can cover. However, the hardship fund remains available to support any Masters players in financial need.
Gosh, it’s a shame I’ve somehow missed all those well-funded ‘equity, diversity and inclusion projects’. Perhaps they’re still at the committee planning stage?
I feel as though this reply has missed the mark of the underlying problems. It’s very PC and lovely though.
As master’s players we understand that there is a cost burden to participating in the masters programme, that is a choice that we make when we choose to participate in a hobby we enjoy, but thank you for pointing that out though – I’m not sure I would have picked that up without your direction.
As mentioned above, there is also certainly a large barrier to entry from an equity, diversity and inclusion lens here – that is a conversation that should be had and raised.
I think there are a few points that have been missed here (and these are just a few, there are many more)
1. Setting mandatory requirements of kit when there is not enough supply to be able to fulfil this requirement. Seems a bit odd.
2. Setting mandatory requirements of kit when there are only certain sizes available, so that masters players have to pay twice for certain bits of kit. Also seems odd.
3. Having one sole distributor for over 400 players who require kit, you knew the numbers of people who would be playing – seems like some forward planning wouldn’t have gone a miss here.
I’m not saying that England hockey don’t have pressures of securing funding/ ensuring that they can run an elite programme etc, it can’t be an easy position to be in, I mean pleasing all in an amateur game isn’t easy.
But if you decide to reply please address the real issues at heart, listen to the consumer and don’t just say what you want to say.
All said from a place of feeding forward, what’s done is done. I hope you get some money back from the supplier in question, I know I certainly wouldn’t be paying the original agreed amount to them given the quality and availability of the kit.
It would be lovely to hear that you have put it back into the system to allow all to play the game we love, maybe even into that hardship fund. (On another note I would love to know how much is dedicated to this each financial year)
And it’s cute how the masters playing vests get an EH logo which is significantly smaller in size to the senior squad or other junior age groups. Super way to make the exceptionally successful masters groups feel part of the EH setup.
Astonishing response….. Is an understatement!
Having been involved in many international masters age groups, I have had to pay my hard earned cash to get hold of essential kit which extends well beyond playing shirts. Most in my current age group when you factor in delivery and name/number printing are close to £300 for this years cycle. England Hockey missing the point that players want to get items that they can treasure and cherish as reminders of a great achievement.
No one moans that masters is self funded, age groups all try and many are successful at raising some sponsorship. The point here is that players are being asked to pay premium prices for Obsolete and left over kit from other Mizuno lines. The majority of our “Hockey Kit” is actually left overs from Mizuno Running lines, but not exclusively running, swimming and so on.
Once you understand that all this Mizuno Hockey kit is obsolete and not originally meant to be matched together, it starts to make sense that you can own 4 items of Navy Blue kit, of which none are the same colour! Blues are all different, Reds are all different, it’s astonishing that no one at England Hockey cared about this when approving them. You have to wonder if samples were even seen…. the results don’t indicate a rigorous tender process, it rather implies…. who can do it the cheapest!
The Mizuno kit is unquestionably the worst kit we have been forced to buy at great expense, ever! And other than national duties I very much doubt you’ll see many people wearing it. Some items have arrived, are unwearable, and then been refused to be returned because they’ve been printed. They can’t be worn because of sizing, they can’t be returned…. and we’re supposed to be ok with that!
Whilst many will be too scared to speak out, the truth is, England Hockey should be held accountable for masses of money wasted by masters players, the Hockey Centre should be accountable for appalling customer service, not giving proper photography/sizing of products, no quality checking, expensive printing and numbering. Some players still don’t have items they ordered months ago.
Lets be honest here, the hardship fund, has £0.00 in it, I know of multiple applications, all of which were immediately turned down. Player loses job, no help. Player going through a divorce, no help. Outstanding player, desperate to play, can’t afford the programme, no help given. It’s a nonsense to suggest that masters can be supported via this route.
Whilst we’re getting this off our chests….. lets also look at the Regional Masters Tournament we’re all supposed to be playing in…. at additional expense! Again we have to buy a Minimum Kit bundle, travel, hotel, tournament fee’s…. and so on! The costs are staggering, given this is a once a year outing….!
When is England Hockey going to get real, we as players who love the sport, deserve better than knock off kit that was destined for outlet stores and landfill, until some mug in England Hockey Towers decided it was fit for purpose! I bet Mizuno can’t believe their luck!
From my experience, we have had no help, support or collaboration from England Hockey. We have been given an extensive list of what we’re not allowed to do, but no support. We’ve certainly not been given anything like the recognition that many programmes deserve. Many age groups are current World and European Champions without so much as a mention from our wonderful governing body. Coaches and Management whom are also volunteers, dedicate an extraordinary amount of time to Masters, they get nothing at all outside of their programmes……Other than endless emails to buy pro-league tickets! Yawn…
Thankyou for the message, thankyou for continuing to ignore the majority of the hockey community. We’ll look forward to another season of hearing about the monotony of the Premier league and our underperforming senior teams…. At least the kit looks good though…. no hang on… that’s not great either is it?
I and many other Masters Players (& parents!), have stood the entire cost of playing from your very 1st club side in your early teens, right up to playing National hockey, then Masters Hockey – not too mention volunteering and officiating as well.
Why? Because we love the game!
We like to see the International sides do well at all age groups, because in time, there will be many more Masters who want to play, but cannot due to the absorbent costs – even a cup run to Lee Valley or Nottingham will cost several hundred ££ ‘s.
and i think enough has been said about the new kit 👀 (ordered in March – still awaiting a my sweatshirt).
Please enjoy your Hockey Ladies and Gents and start saving for the next round of tournaments – where we are proud to represent both club and country
I wholeheartedly agree with the previous responses. The Masters kit is an absolute disgrace this time around. The lead times for kit is appalling and when it does finally arrive are all different shades of blues & reds, shorts and shirts sizes differ massively. If i order a medium in red and blue, it surely isn’t too much to ask to be of the same size is it?
Shorts – The blue shorts seem like the sort Stanley Matthews would have worn below the knee, whereas the red shorts are more akin to Tom Selleck on Baywatch, short and snug….oh wait…they are the same size!!!!
The playing shirts are not the same from Pro League to Masters, so where is the consistent approach?
I for one will only be wearing it when required and will certainly swapping it at the first available opportunity for some decent kit.
As for listening to the Masters players, another absolute joke….we have requested certain things to happen and guess what, not even a reply from England Hockey but like a previous respondent, we will listen to how poorly our Senior teams are doing.
There has been more coverage of Talent Academy then International Masters….Come on EH, you can do so much better….Lets not drive players away from the game
Tom selleck was Magnum PI, the Hoff did baywatch.
Both images are now burned on the retina of my minds eye! Thanks!! 🤮😂😂
Seriously though, completely agree, and interesting to read all these comments re: EH, any kind of financial support would be appreciated from Masters Orgs, even the tournament fees would be a start. Would’ve loved to have gone to Aukland…
As a technical official I gave up wearing the ‘Politically correct’ jacket last season as I found when your doing double header Mens or Ladies Prem game at 6 on a Saturday in the depth of winter it was useless, Ive looked on a couple of Mizuno web sites and I can’t even see what could be considered a winter jacket.