Tuesday, January 13, 2026

England Hockey Premier Division: After Olympics, focus on clubs and funding

Eight years ago on manic deadline, I sent a national newspaper report minutes after Team GB women’s spectacular gold with the final line: “Top flight clubs with names such as Holcombe, Surbiton and Bowdon Hightown will not know what has hit them.”

Referring to the potential boost on the domestic game and Premier Division, this of course has yet to come to fruition. The English top flight profile has remained in the shadows ever since. And so we reach another season – one which will start without a returning Olympic medal since 2008 after consistent women’s success on the world stage.

Which begs the question: How will this affect Great Britain hockey’s Olympic funding allocation for Los Angeles? Could it be a seismic shortfall? “The most wasteful extravagance was the £13.69m lavished for no reward whatsoever on – wait for it – hockey,” wrote The Sun newspaper last month on the subject. 

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