Newsletter June 2021
Update
The skills area between pitch 5 & 6 has now been completed and is open. Instructional signage will be installed on the fencing next to each skill zone in the coming weeks.
A number of reports were made during the summer 6 a side league that balls were frequently clearing the fences and entering the dugout area between pitch 5 & 6. The school and the main contractor are looking at solutions to expand the fencing between the two pitches. In the meantime, the dugout area has been closed during 6 a side cross pitch hockey and access to the pitches has been maintained via the emergency access gates either side of the main gate.
Beeston Hockey Club and Nottingham Players arranged a number of local friendly fixtures on Saturdays throughout April and May to give members as much playing opportunity as possible after the third lockdown.
On the 17th May the bar was able to open for indoor table service for groups of up to six people or two households. The QR code system which was set up for outdoor table service was extended to the tables inside the bar. The cafeteria on the ground floor has operated on Sunday mornings for takeaway service only. When the final restrictions are lifted, hopefully on the 19th July, the bar and cafeteria will return to ‘normal’ service.
After a number of weeks of junior and adult friendly fixtures, Beeston have been taking part in the England Hockey Championships which started on the 23rd May and will conclude in finals at Nottingham Hockey Centre on the 3rd and 10th July.
The business rates at the hockey centre are due to be reviewed soon and the centre have appointed Bird and Howes chartered surveyors to challenge the rates set by the council. Since the last review, the site footprint has been reduced due to the construction of the tram.
Hockey in the Community
There has been a huge demand in hockey since the third lockdown restrictions were eased. The summer leagues started on the week commencing 26th April. The following leagues are taking place at the moment: –
- Men’s Masters 6 a side – Monday evenings – 14 teams entered
- Men’s 6 a side – Tuesday evenings – 32 teams entered
- Ladies 7 a side – Wednesday evenings – 34 teams entered
- Mixed 7 a side – Friday evening – 14 teams entered
The inaugural Badgers 7 a side summer league took place for 4 weeks in April and May with four clubs teaking part. West Bridgford were the competition winners.
From July, the 11 a side summer league competitions will run until the end of August. The following leagues are due to take place: –
- Men’s 11 a side – Tuesday evenings – starting 29th June – 8 teams entered
- Ladies 11 a side – Wednesday evenings – starting 30th June – 12 teams entered
- Men’s 11 a side – Thursday evenings – starting 1st July – 12 teams entered
- Mixed 11 a side – Friday evenings – starting 2nd July – 9 teams entered
The hockey centre has also hosted a number of training sessions and matches for external users since the restrictions were eased, including Great Britain Elite Development Programme for men and women, England U16 and U18 boys and girls, Boots Hockey Club adult and junior training, Midlands Performance Centres, LX Masters, Midlands over 50’s masters and Notts Academy Centre sessions.
Sikh Union Hockey Club is now using the hockey centre for their training sessions and fixtures.
Nottingham High School has continued to use the new pitches in the third term for girls cricket fixtures on Saturday mornings. The school has appointed Jake Read as their Head of Hockey from September following a thorough interview process April. The school also interviewed for a number of post grad hockey and sport roles.
The formal pitch opening ceremony for pitch 5 & 6 is due to take place on the 4th September. The school is planning a number of fixtures across the day between current and former pupils.
Beeston defender, Ollie Willars, has set up a coaching company called Give and Go and is providing 1-1 training sessions and player mentoring at a number of venues across the country, including Nottingham Hockey Centre. To book a session with Ollie visit www.giveandgouk.com
Beeston Hockey Club have entered into a partnership with the Active Partners Trust and Belong Nottingham, a charity supporting community integration and development with those from migrant communities. The partnership will ensure that young people who have come to this country are immediately made to feel at home by adopting them into the club. The club hosted an evening of hockey for over 50 people on Friday 28th May. Refreshments were provided after their session on the decking and the participants stayed to watch some of the other hockey taking place on that evening.
In May, Nottingham Hockey Centre hosted East Midlands Medical Services (EMMS), to provide a drive -through community glaucoma service. This was a proof of concept, and we are looking forward to working with EMMS in the future to see how this project develops.
Finally, a World Class Players camp took place on the 1st and 2nd of June with over 60 children taking part.
Events
The Viking Open Nottingham Tennis Tournament took place in June. Traditionally car parking for this event has been on the grass field that pitch 5 & 6 have subsequently been built on. This year, spectator car parking was between pitch 6 and the tennis centre and despite the reduced space, the car parking capacity was not an issue. However, the spectator numbers at the venue were limited due to the COVID restrictions.
The UK Lions U13 boys and girls tournaments are due to take place on the 25th – 27th June and 16th – 18th July respectively.
The England Hockey Championship finals for the 2020/21 season are being held at Nottingham Hockey Centre on the 3rd and 10th July. The first weekend is the junior championship finals for U14, U16 and U18 boys and girls and the second weekend is the adult championship finals.
A masters international invitational event is also being planned on the rearranged dates of the cancelled Masters World Cup in August 2021.
Beeston Hockey Club is organising a pre-season national league competition which will take place on the 11th and 12th September. There is capacity for 28 national league teams to take part.
Repairs and improvements
Harrods are due to visit the site on the week commencing 12th July to replace the perspex panels in the dugouts and replace the goal nets on pitch 1 and pitch 4.
A new ice machine was purchased for the bar after the old one developed a fault.
A new Nottingham Hockey Centre sign has been installed on the dugout on pitch 2 to replace the old discolored one.
Finally, a new large sign is due to be installed on pitch 4 by the University of Nottingham, similar to the sign above the gates to pitch 5 and 6.
