The Hockey Paper takes a regular stroll around the country for the latest club news. Email us with yours.
Grimsby pitch upgrade gives club and community new home
Ormiston Maritime Academy in Grimsby has unveiled a newly resurfaced 2G pitch. The facility includes a full‑size 11‑a‑side hockey pitch (approved by the FIH), an 11v11 football pitch, and three smaller football pitches. It will serve both the academy and Grimsby Hockey Club, as well as the wider community. Chairman Lucy Tomlinson expressed pride in the milestone, viewing the pitch not just as a playing surface but a long‑term investment in sport, health and community development.
‘Built by the community, for the community’ – Bedford opens new £1.15m pitches
Bedford HC marked a major milestone with the opening of new pitches, below. The upgraded facilities include a Polytan playing surface, LED lights, new dugouts, fencing, and a refurbished clubhouse. The build was funded roughly half by Bedford Borough Council (£500,000) and the rest via fundraising by Bedford Sports Foundation, the club, and local sponsors. England’s Sam Ward was among guests and led masterclasses during the opening‑day celebrations. Phase two in summer 2026 will add more pitches and broaden access.
Basingstoke thanks Hockey Family
Basingstoke has praised the ‘overwhelming’ support it has received following a fire which forced the closure of its clubhouse. The clubhouse at Maidenwell Pavilion was damaged in a blaze last month, which destroyed a number of assets, including club goalkeeper kits, a personal keeper’s kit, the club marquee and event furniture. All of the club’s goalkeepers, juniors and adults, now have full kits, and training has resumed on the club’s pitches.
Huddersfield brings life back into hockey
Huddersfield Dragons HC, below, has celebrated its 125th anniversary after recovering from devastating floods that left it without a home. The club lost its artificial pitch at Lockwood Park in 2022 and had to play on fields at local schools and at Wakefield and Halifax hockey clubs. One of the oldest in the north of England, it incorporates four women’s teams, four men’s teams and a junior section for children aged four to 15. Women’s captain Mariella Chamberlain said; “It is the first time since I’ve joined the club that we’ve had the opportunity to have four teams,” she added.
“It’s in the Bag” supports care & identity at North Devon
North Devon Hockey Club has formed from a merger of North Devon Men’s Hockey and Taw Valley Hockey Club and launched a new kit thanks to sponsorship from It’s in the Bag Cancer Support, a charity dedicated to testicular cancer awareness. The charity has been supporting the club since 2017. The new kit features fresh colours tied to both NDHC’s identity and raising awareness of testicular cancer.
