All eyes will be on Surbiton this week as the club hosts the men’s KO16 of the world’s best club competition, Euro Hockey League, from Thursday to Sunday. It marks the first occasion since 2012 that the competition has been held in England.
Sixteen sides from across Europe’s top leagues will descend on Sugden Road to battle it out for a place at Easter’s showpiece finale. With more than 30 Paris Olympians playing across the four days, it’s set to be a great event for hockey fans and those new to the sport.
Games to watch, players on show
Surbiton are in action under the lights on Saturday evening in one of the event’s headline games as they take on former Belgian champions Waterloo Ducks, with a mouthwatering potential clash against local rivals Wimbledon for a place in the Final 8 on the cards on Sunday depending on each team’s first result.
Other notable moments include the return of GB star and former Surbiton junior and M1 player Zach Wallace fresh from his nomination for FIH World Player of the Year. Wallace travels to Sugden Road with Dutch powerhouse Bloemendaal, who are set to take on Barcelona’s Real Club de Polo in a heavyweight match up on Thursday evening.
Last season’s competition averaged 5.5 goals a game (144 goals in 26 games) and a number of EHL goals have become iconic examples of the world’s best players taking the handbrake off.
Whether it’s the slick link up play of Dutch and Belgian Olympic champions, the incredible drag flicking power of Mannheimer’s Gonzalo Peillat or the unbelievable stick skills of Spanish legend Xavi Lleonart, the hockey on display will undoubtedly be hugely exciting to watch.
It has, says the club, been a mammoth club effort to make hosting the EHL possible and this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players themselves as they undergo their final preparations on the pitch.
Men’s 1s captain Dave Goodfield acknowledges this. He said: “There’s a lot of people behind the scenes at the club putting in a lot of work to get the venue in the shape it needs to be to host such a prestigious competition… there’s a great vibe around the club and this is only picking up as the event gets closer.”
New spectator viewing
For those who are regular spectators of Premier Division hockey at Sugden Road, a number of developments and new additions are now part of the matchday experience at Surbiton.
With new landscaped spectator viewing areas and big screens around the venue, as well as some outstanding food and drink options on site, there is a bigger and better atmosphere to enjoy at the games.
With a number of local schools also forming the Ball Patrol for several matches and a good number of junior fans expected to attend, GB star James Gall, who came through the club as a junior himself, highlights what an experience it promises to be for youngsters.
He said: “Hosting the EHL is not just exciting for me as a player, it’s a fantastic and rare opportunity for young players and sports fans in the local area as well.
“Watching Europe’s best teams and some of the world’s top players compete right here will be incredibly inspiring, showing them firsthand what’s possible at the highest level. I’d encourage people of all ages to come down and enjoy the spectacle!”
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