England Hockey League 2023/24 Premier Division Weekend 4 Preview

Three clubs will battle for top spot in the Men’s Premier Division with Holcombe and Old Georgians in Euro Hockey League action this weekend.

Hampstead & Westminster could go top with a win at Oxted (16:30) on Saturday.

With Holcombe and Old Georgians holding top spot with nine points from their four matches, Andrew Wilson’s side will be aiming for a hat-trick of wins over Oxted.

The Londoners, currently on six points alongside Wimbledon and Surbiton, won their only meeting last season courtesy of a 4-1 win and a Sam French hat-trick.

Wimbledon, with nine goals in their opening two games, will be hoping to get back to winning ways after defeat to Old Georgians last weekend when they take on East Grinstead at home (6pm).

Karl Stagno’s side will certainly fancy their chances, having won their last seven meetings at home.

East Grinstead’s last win came nine years ago when they won 5-3 for the second season in succession after Wimbledon had won promotion to the top flight in 2012-13.

After an entertaining 4-4 draw at home, Cardiff & Met look set for another crowd upwards of 600 when Beeston travel to the Welsh capital for the first time (6pm).

It looks set to be an evenly matched encounter: this season both sides lost their first game, won their second and drew last time out.

Southgate also have the same record ahead of hosting Surbiton on Saturday in a 6pm push back.

Their last meeting at Southgate came in 2014 when Surbiton ran out 3-1 winners, while we have to go back to 2011 for their last victory over Mark Pearn’s side.

University of Nottingham’s home encounter with Reading rounds off Saturday’s fixtures (18:30). 

Both sides have lost their opening three games of the season, while their only meeting last season saw Reading record a 3-1 win at Nottingham.

Champions East Grinstead travel to Wimbledon (4pm) with both sides intent on making inroads to the top half of the Vitality Women’s Premier Division table.

The West Sussex side cast aside their two season-opening defeats with a morale-boosting victory last weekend against University of Nottingham. 

Last season saw both encounters held at Raynes Park; after a 2-2 draw Wimbledon won their last meeting in the regular season 1-0. Wimbledon will be without co-coach Alex Danson who is set to give birth shortly.

Meanwhile, there is a tight tussle at the top of the table, with unbeaten trio Clifton Robinsons, Reading and Bowdon holding a one-point advantage heading into the fourth round of matches in Phase 1.

Robbies host University of Birmingham (12:15) for the first time since 2021 in Bristol, a Hannah Pearce double for the students proving the difference last season. Birmingham have won six out of 12 matches in Bristol.

Bowdon travel to Loughborough University (2pm) hoping for a repeat of their double in 2019 when current captain Sian French got in on the act.

These two teams also met 23 years ago when Loughborough won 5-1 at home, handing the then reigning champions (Hightown) their second successive defeat of the season, a record matched by East Grinstead's stuttering start to the season last month.

Fellow league leaders Reading are also on the road and face a student outfit in University of Nottingham (16:30), second bottom in the league.

Reading won 4-2 in the East Midlands last November, but the students exacted revenge in February when they won 2-1 at Sonning Lane.

Should the league leaders slip up, Beeston and Surbiton will be waiting in the wings just one point behind.

Beeston head to Isca & University of Exeter (2pm) aiming to avert a second successive defeat to a west country side. 

The Devonians currently prop up the Premier Division table and are still looking for their first ever point in the top flight.

Surbiton, last season’s runners up, have a shorter trip and a tougher task in the shape of Hampstead & Westminster (3pm)

After two wins in a row, Surbiton will fancy their chances of a third given recent history against their London rivals.

Hampstead have only beaten Surbiton once in the Premier Division (2-0 in March 2022), while the latter also did the league double last season.

*All stats provided by Colin Pike