- England Hockey Leagues
Preview: Who Will Take The Initiative In The Race To Crowned England Hockey League Champions?
There's still a long way to go in the Men's and Vitality Hockey Women's Leagues but already the battles up and down the divisions are beginning to heat up.
Old Georgians have opened up a five point lead in the Men's Premier Division 'Top 6' but that could be significantly cut this weekend if they don't win, with the four teams directly behind them snapping at their heels.
Surbiton's women now head the Vitality Women's Premier Division 'Top 6' on goal difference but could slip down to fourth as a huge tussle for the title sees another intriguing set of fixtures scheduled for Saturday.
Rod Gilmour from The Hockey Paper gives you a run down of what to look out for this weekend.
To see full fixtures, results and tables from across the country, click here. Unless stated otherwise, all women's games will take place on Saturday 19 February and men's matches on Sunday 20 February.
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The storylines continue to bubble in the race for Europe and Wimbledon continue to be the form team in the Vitality Women's Premier Division 'Top 6' after accruing their fifth win in succession last weekend against a depleted East Grinstead side.
The Londoners now face a derby clash against leaders Surbiton and could go top come Saturday tea-time if results fall their way.
Surbiton - back at the summit - and Wimbledon drew in the first half of the season, which also marked the clubs' first encounter in league competition.
Clifton Robinsons and Beeston - sitting fifth and sixth in the table - begin the weekend in Bristol, with both clubs having lost two of their last three but undoubtedly buoyed by impressive draws against Hampstead & Westminster and Surbiton respectively last time out.
Elsewhere, East Grinstead entertain a second London club in succession in the form of Hampstead & Westminster.
The West Sussex side drew a blank in defeat to Wimbledon last weekend, the first time they had failed to score in 35 matches.
- Clifton Robinsons v Beeston - 14:00
- Wimbledon v Surbiton - 15:00
- East Grinstead v Hampstead & Westminster - 16:00
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There's only game in the bottom tier of the Premier Division as Holcombe host Loughborough Students, with Buckingham and Swansea both in European indoor action.
The side from Kent have found form of late, securing two wins and a draw from their last four matches, while this will be a first game post-Christmas for the university-based side who currently sit one point and one place above them in the table.
- Loughborough Students v Holcombe - 14:00
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The race for promotion between the university team aiming for the top flight for the first time and Premier Division old hands continues to be a tightly-run affair.
University of Nottingham retain a healthy goal difference should the league come down to that in April, while for now they hold a one-point lead over Bowdon Hightown. Nottingham face bottom side Belper at home, while Tina Cullen's Bowdon face a tougher test when they travel to third-placed Stourport on Saturday.
Two of the bottom three sides face off this weekend as Olton & West Warwicks play host to Ben Rhydding, both aiming to bridge the gap to the teams above them as they look to avoid relegation.
Leicester City could make it five wins in six if they emerge victorious away to Brooklands Poynton while University of Durham travel to Gloucester City.
- Brooklands Poynton v Leicester City - 11:45
- Olton & West Warwicks v Ben Rhydding - 12:00
- University of Nottingham v Belper - 12:00
- Gloucester City v Durham University - 12:30
- Stourport v Bowdon Hightown - 17:00
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Trojans' bid for Division One South survival continues apace on Saturday with a visit to mid-table Surbiton 2s. The Hampshire side are gunning for their third straight victory and the chance to lift themselves off the bottom after a difficult first half of the season.
In addition, Harleston Magpies are at home to Cambridge City in another game that could prove crucial in the fight to stay in the league.
At the top, leaders Sevenoaks host third-placed Slough, also looking for a hat-trick of victories, and Reading, in second, head to fourth-placed Canterbury.
The final games on Saturday sees Wimbledon 2s make the journey down to Devon to face Isca, who are also in action the following day too as they then take on Slough.
- Isca v Wimbledon 2s - 12:00
- Harleston Magpies v Cambridge City - 13:30
- Sevenoaks v Slough - 13:30
- Surbiton 2s v Trojans - 13:30
- Canterbury v Reading - 14:00
- Isca v Slough - 13:00 (Sun 20 Feb)
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Barnes racked up their 10th win from 11 last weekend and head to Horsham in fine fettle with a seven-point lead at the top of the Conference East.
Chasers Southgate and London Wayfarers both lost ground with defeats last time out, with Hampstead & Westminster 2s closing the gap in fourth.
Wayfarers face a trip to second from bottom Bromley & Beckenham, while Southgate host out-of-form Canterbury 2s and Hampstead are at home to Ipswich. The early game pits East London against Chelmsford.
- East London v Chelmsford - 11:30
- Bromley & Beckenham v London Wayfarers - 12:30
- Horsham v Barnes - 13:30
- Southgate v Canterbury 2s - 14:00
- Hampstead & Westminster 2s v Ipswich - TBC
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Sutton Coldfield hold a six-point lead at the summit of Conference Midlands thanks to their unbeaten form. They face an away trip to Broxbourne, who have one point from three, while Bedford - who slipped up last weekend in their pursuit of Sutton - travel to Beeston 2s.
St Albans need to retain momentum to keep their hopes of promotion alive with maximum points against Cannock, who are aiming to stem a run of four straight losses.
University of Birmingham 2s will draw level on points with Loughborough Students 2s if they beat them on Saturday as Khalsa Leamington aim to stop a run of losses against Oxford University.
- Khalsa Leamington v Oxford University - 12:00
- University of Birmingham 2s v Loughborough Students 2s - 12:30
- St Albans v Cannock - 13:00
- Broxbourne v Sutton Coldfield - 13:30
- Beeston 2s v Bedford - 14:00
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Leeds maintain a stranglehold at the Conference North helm, but will a challenger emerge who can hold an unbeaten run and test the Yorkshire side?
Second-placed Wakefield will look to keep the pressure on and secure welcome back-to-back victories when they face Fylde, while the leaders head to University of Durham 2s, who are also well-placed in third.
Neston's recent victories have left relegation also hard to predict. They head to Doncaster, while a key battle will ensue between Alderley Edge and Pendle Forest. In the other game, fourth-placed Timperley play host to Didsbury Northern.
- Pendle Forest v Alderley Edge - 11:30
- University of Durham 2s v Leeds - 12:00
- Fylde v Wakefield - 13:30
- Neston v Doncaster - 13:30
- Timperley v Didsbury Northern - 16:15
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Witney, who face Team Bath Buccs, hold a one-point lead over county rivals Oxford Hawks ahead of this weekend's crunch game.
The Hawks travel to Exe on Saturday, while third-placed Bristol Firebrands, the only team to lose last weekend in the top seven, host Basingstoke.
University of Bristol, still looking for their first point of the season, are on the road to Cheltenham while second-bottom Clifton Robinsons 2s could halve the gap to Penarth by beating them.
- Bristol Firebrands v Basingstoke - 12:00
- Penarth v Clifton Robinsons 2s - 12:30
- Team Bath Buccs v Witney - 12:30
- Exe v Oxford Hawks - 13:00
- Cheltenham v University of Bristol - 14:00
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Champions Surbiton host Old Georgians on Saturday night in a Premier Division top two showdown with plenty riding on the outcome.
League leaders Old Georgians head to Sugden Road for the 17:30 push back with a five-point lead over Surbiton.
Surbiton will be aiming to reverse a 2-0 defeat at Old Georgians in November, the two rivals' last match before the winter break.
Below Old Georgians, there's a remarkably tight tussle in the 'Top 6', with three points separating second from fifth in the table.
Wimbledon, in third, host East Grinstead on Saturday, while Hampstead & Westminster are at home to Holcombe on Sunday. Both home clubs will be looking to reverse defeats from last weekend.
- Surbiton v Old Georgians - 17:30 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Wimbledon v East Grinstead - 18:00 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Hampstead & Westminster v Holcombe - 14:30
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In the bottom tier, Oxted will be looking to win successive matches and bolster their league survival chances when they travel to a University of Exeter team looking for their first victory of the season.
Meanwhile, Beeston take on University of Durham, who are looking to win for the first time in five matches.
- Beeston v University of Durham - 14:00
- University of Exeter v Oxted - 15:00
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Loughborough Students head to University of Birmingham on Sunday looking to extend their one-point lead over University of Nottingham.
Birmingham, fourth from bottom, will be aiming to get back to winning ways at home on Sunday after one point from a possible six in their last two matches.
University of Nottingham are also on the road at City of Peterborough as they bid to keep up the pressure on Loughborough. Cardiff & Met, six points behind Nottingham in third, also face an away trip to Cambridge City.
Fourth-placed Bowdon face a tricky home tie against an in-form Olton & West Warwicks while Deeside Ramblers and Sheffield Hallam will be aiming to stop their recent run of losses when they play each other.
- Cambridge City v Cardiff & Met - 13:30
- City of Peterborough v University of Nottingham - 14:00
- Bowdon v Olton & West Warwicks - 14:30
- Sheffield Hallam v Deeside Ramblers - 14:30
- University of Birmingham v Loughborough Students - 14:30
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Canterbury, with three wins from their last four, will aim to make further inroads at the top of the table when they visit Oxford Hawks on Sunday.
After Reading's surprise defeat last weekend, Canterbury sit six points behind ahead of their match against the Hawks, while the league leaders face a home test against third-placed Team Bath Buccs.
Teddington, aiming for a hat-trick of wins, travel to bottom-placed Havant, Sevenoaks visit Brighton & Hove and the game on Saturday matches up Old Cranleighan and Southgate.
- Old Cranleighan v Southgate - 17:30 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Brighton & Hove v Sevenoaks - 13:00
- Reading v Team Bath Buccs - 13:30
- Havant v Teddington - 14:00
- Oxford Hawks v Canterbury - 14:00
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Try telling a host of Conference East clubs that their season is over. In a tightly-packed league anything is possible, with London Wayfarers hoping their late leveller against leaders Old Loughtonians last time out will further spur them ahead of their trip to London Edwardians.
Old Loughts have a home encounter against Bromley & Beckenham, while Spencer and Wapping - second and third in the table respectively, separated by goal difference - face each other in Wandsworth on Saturday.
Victory for West Herts over Richmond could prove the turning point in their season as they battle to stay up, while Hampstead & Westminster 2s could leap out of the relegation zone and place Indian Gymkhana into it by beating them.
- Spencer v Wapping - 13:30 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Hampstead & Westminster 2s v Indian Gymkhana - 14:00 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Old Loughtonians v Bromley & Beckenham - 16:30 (Sat 19 Feb)
- London Edwardians v London Wayfarers - 17:30 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Richmond v West Herts - 13:30
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League leaders Harborne sailed past 50 goals for the season in their 7-5 win last weekend but will hope to be more studious in defence when Cambridge University head to Birmingham on Saturday.
Harborne and Barford Tigers continue to rack up victories, with the latter heading to Bedford the following day.
Barford are 12 points ahead of third-placed St Albans who face mid-table Loughborough Town. The bottom two sides also face other, with University of Birmingham 2s hosting Khalsa Leamington, with the other game seeing Lichfield at home against Harleston Magpies.
- Harborne v Cambridge University - 16:30 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Loughborough Town v St Albans - 12:30
- University of Birmingham 2s v Khalsa Leamington - 12:30
- Lichfield v Harleston Magpies - 13:30
- Bedford v Barford Tigers - 14:00
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Level on points in second place, Timperley and Didsbury Northern will battle it out in a bid to close the gap on leaders Belper in the Conference North.
Timperley were the only side in the top four to lose last time out, with Belper now looking set to extend the gap if they can overturn bottom side Beeston 2s.
Wakefield, the only side near the bottom to accrue victory last weekend, travel to fourth-placed Doncaster. Elsewhere, Preston entertain Alderley Edge and Leeds visit University of Durham 2s on Saturday.
- Preston v Alderley Edge - 14:00 (Sat 19 Feb)
- University of Durham 2s v Leeds - 14:00 (Sat 19 Feb)
- Belper v Beeston 2s - 12:15
- Didsbury Northern v Timperley - 12:30
- Doncaster v Wakefield - 14:00
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A tough February for leaders Fareham continues with a home encounter against Isca on Sunday. The Hampshire outfit shared honours last Sunday with second-placed University of Bristol - who face Cheltenham - with Isca now in third after two wins on the trot.
Ashmoor slipped up to Isca last weekend and the Devon-based side will hope to regain form when Plymouth Marjon visit this weekend.
Having drawn five and lost three of their last eight games, Clifton Robinsons will hope for a first win since October against Chichester. Only University of Exeter 2s have drawn more games - six - this season and they host Cardiff University hoping to finally claim all three points.
- University of Exeter 2s v Cardiff University - 11:00
- Ashmoor v Plymouth Marjon - 13:00
- Fareham v Isca - 13:30
- University of Bristol v Cheltenham - 13:30
- Chichester v Clifton Robinsons - 14:00