Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club

Last updated

Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club
BSHC Logo.png
Nickname(s)BSHC
Home groundHerts and Essex Sports Centre, Beldams Lane
ChairmanDuncan Barber
League Men's England Hockey League
Women's England Hockey League
Website www.stortfordhockey.co.uk
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body thinwhitesides.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Home

Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club is a field hockey club in the town of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. The club plays in the East Region Hockey Association. [1] The home ground is located at The Hertfordshire and Essex High School, [2] where both the clubhouse and pitch are located. [3]

Contents

The club has 800 active members and fields a total of sixteen senior sides, seven men's and nine ladies' playing in the East Hockey Leagues. [4] The Men's 1st XI play in the East Men's Premier Division and the Ladies 1st XI play in the East Women's Premier Division. [5]

Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club has been reaccredited for another 3 years (2022-2025) as a ClubMark club (Sport England), making the club one of a select number across England to achieve the England Hockey ClubMark status. [6] [7]

Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club pitch BSHC Pitch.jpg
Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club pitch

History

The club formed in 1948 [8] and games were played at Cricket Field Lane, Hockerill Anglo-European College and Sawbridgeworth. The club barely raised a team in the early days, players relied on getting to away fixtures by train and taxi due to the lack of motorcars after World War II. In 1969 the club was elected to the Hertfordshire County League [9] and the East Central League in 1972. Promotion to the East Region Hockey Association was gained in 1975.

The club had a number of successes over the years including County Champions in 1974, 1981 and 1986, East runners-up in 1982 and H.A. Cup quarter finalists in 1982 and 1986. Later successes include the integration of the Ladies Hockey Club and partnership in 1993 with Hockerill Anglo-European College. [10]

In 2019 Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club moved from Cricket Field Lane to The Hertfordshire and Essex High School, where a state of the art pitch and clubhouse overlooking the pitch with floor to ceiling windows and a balcony was built. [3] The project has been a collaborative one, with funding coming from a variety of bodies and institutions including the Department for Education, Hertfordshire County Council, East Herts District Council, Sport England, Bishop's Stortford Judo Club, Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club as well as staff, students, parents, friends and families.

Senior Section

The Ladies 1st XI had back to back promotions starting from 2019, where they become champions of both the East League Division 1 South and a year later champions in the East Premier Division. This saw the Ladies 1st XI for the first time in club history play in the Vitality Women's Conference East league. [4]

The Men's 1st XI were promoted in 2022-23 from East League Division 1 South to East Men's Premier Division for the 2023-24 season. [11]

Junior Section

The clubs junior hockey caters for children from ages 5 to 18 and provides an opportunity to the local schools in the area, where hockey is not a mainstay of the PE or extra-curricular offer. [12] The club also offers to other groups such as a new initiative in partnership with Grove Cottage [13] to offer disability hockey.

Overall the club has developed a thriving junior section with over 500 members and runs hockey camps throughout the year, such as hockey training programmes with EVO Hockey. [14]

The junior section recently linked up with investment services group Ravenscroft, [15] who'll be known as the “Ravens”. The sponsorship will help provide several hockey programmes for children aged from 5 to 16 in the local community. The sponsorship of the Bishop’s Stortford Ravens aims to encourage young players to learn and develop their hockey and team skills through sessions organised in club and community environments, as well as local schools such as The Hertfordshire and Essex High School, Hockerill Anglo-European College, Northgate Primary, Windhill Primary and Fawbert & Barnard Infant’s Primary. [16]

Olympic Legacy

The 2012 London Olympic brought an increased visibility to Field hockey, where 630,000 people watched live hockey during the event, a pattern of continued growth in the sport has emerged [17] and Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club used this opportuning to attract new and returning players to their Vitality Back to Hockey programme in partnership with England Hockey. [18]

Honours

Men

Women

Junior

Notable Players

The club has a number of current and former international players still involved with coaching or playing at Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club. In addition a number of senior members still represent their country at Masters level. [21] [22]

Internationals

Flag of England.svg  England
Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland
Flag of the United States.svg  United States

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hertfordshire</span> County of England

Hertfordshire is a county in the East of England region and is one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west and the south-west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop's Stortford</span> London commuter town in Hertfordshire, England

Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in the London Commuter Belt. Based on the border of Hertfordshire and Essex, just west of the M11 motorway and Stansted Airport, 22 miles northeast of Central London, 34 minutes by rail from London Liverpool Street. The town had an estimated population of 41,088 in 2020. The district of East Hertfordshire, where the town centre is located, has been ranked as the best place to live in the UK by the Halifax Quality of Life annual survey in 2020. The town is commonly known as Stortford by locals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Hertfordshire</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

East Hertfordshire is one of ten local government districts in Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire. The largest town in the district is Bishop's Stortford, and the other main towns are Ware, Buntingford and Sawbridgeworth. At the 2011 Census, the population of the district was 137,687. By area it is the largest of the ten local government districts in Hertfordshire. The district borders North Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Welwyn Hatfield and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, and Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford in Essex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Cureton</span> English footballer (born 1975)

Jamie Cureton is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently a coach at Maldon & Tiptree.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop's Stortford F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Bishop's Stortford Football Club is a football club based in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. They are currently members of the National League North and play at Woodside Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sawbridgeworth Town F.C.</span> English football club

Sawbridgeworth Town Football Club is an English football club based in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire. The club are currently members of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division and play at Crofters End.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oxhey Jets F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Oxhey Jets Football Club is an English semi-professional football club based in South Oxhey - a suburb of Watford, Hertfordshire. Founded by John R Elliott BEM, their General Manager. They currently compete in the Combined Counties League Division one and play their home matches at The Boundary Stadium on Altham Way. The club is affiliated to the Hertfordshire Football Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royston Town F.C.</span> Association football club in England

Royston Town Football Club are an English football club based in Royston, Hertfordshire, England, and have played their home games at Garden Walk since 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Hertfordshire and Essex High School</span> Academy in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, England

The Hertfordshire and Essex High School and since 2004 named as The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College, commonly referred to as Herts and Essex, is a secondary level comprehensive single-sex school with a mixed-sex sixth form in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bishop's Stortford High School</span> Foundation school in Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire, England

The Bishop's Stortford High School is a comprehensive secondary school, with a coeducational sixth form, in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. The school admits boys aged 11 to 16 in the first five years, with a mixed sixth form of boys and girls aged 16 to 18. The school had specialisms in Mathematics and Computing, focusing on these areas as well as music, drama and sport, possessing state-of-the-art in-house computing facilities and providing assistance to local schools in this area. The current Headmaster, Mr D Reeve, was appointed in January 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelmsford Hockey Club</span>

Chelmsford Hockey Club is a field hockey club based in Chelmsford, Essex, England. The club's home ground is at Chelmer Park, with a capacity of 100 seats and numerous standing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints' Church, Hockerill</span> Church in Hertfordshire, England

All Saints' Church, Hockerill is a Grade II listed building, notable for being the first church designed by the 20th-century architect Stephen Dykes Bower. It is also notable for containing a rose window by Hugh Ray Easton and a pipe organ by Henry Willis II of Henry Willis & Sons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club</span>

Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club is a field hockey club based in London, England. It was established in 1894. The home ground is at Paddington Recreation Ground, Maida Vale.

Frankie Edward Peter Merrifield is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for Billericay Town.

Shakila Karim is an English singer-songwriter and musician, known professionally as Shakila K.

Old Loughtonians Hockey Club is a field hockey club based at the Roding Sports Centre, Luxborough Lane in Chigwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Men's England Hockey League</span> English field hockey league structure

The Men's England Hockey League is a field hockey league organised by England Hockey that features men's teams from England and Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's England Hockey League</span> English field hockey league structure

The Women's England Hockey League is a field hockey league organised by England Hockey that features women's teams from England. From 2011–2020 it was sponsored by Investec and was referred to as the Investec Women's Hockey League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Georgians Hockey Club</span> English field hockey team

Old Georgians Hockey Club (OGHC) is an English professional field hockey club based in Addlestone, Surrey. The club was founded in 2016 and the men's team are the current English champions. The club currently has six men's teams and four ladies teams. The junior section is the OGHC Dragons.

References

  1. ↑ "BISHOPS STORTFORD - 2020/21 - East Regional Hockey Leagues". hockey-east.co.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  2. ↑ "History of the School". www.hertsandessex.herts.sch.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  3. 1 2 "New Herts and Essex High School sports complex will be pitch perfect for hockey club". Bishop's Stortford Independent. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  4. 1 2 "East Hockey Home". east.englandhockey.co.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Competitions | East Hockey". east.englandhockey.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "BSHC Clubmark certificate". Stortford Hockey. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Sport England Club Matters". www.sportenglandclubmatters.com. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club Welcomes New Members". Herts and Essex Observer. 23 September 1949. p. 7.
  9. ↑ "Clubs". hertfordshirehockey.pitchero.com. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "History". Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Lucky 13 for Stortford as big win secures promotion to Premier". Bishop's Stortford Independent. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  12. ↑ "Hockey club focus: Bishop's Stortford catches community path with free coaching sessions for primary schools". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  13. ↑ gc_admin. "Mencap". Grove Cottage. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  14. ↑ "EVO partners with Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club". EVO Hockey. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Hockey club's junior section to fly as Ravens after securing sponsorship deal". Bishop's Stortford Independent. 17 March 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  16. ↑ "Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club Juniors | Ravenscroft". www.ravenscroftgroup.com. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  17. ↑ "Hockey back in London and discovers remarkable Olympic legacy | FIH". www.fih.ch. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  18. ↑ "Bishop's Stortford HC Capitalise on Olympics Interest with Vitality Back to Hockey". www.englandhockey.co.uk. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "Area Premier Divisions: Review Of The Season To Date". www.englandhockey.co.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  20. ↑ Ball, Lucas (20 September 2021). "Regional clubs all set for new life in England Hockey restructure". The Hockey Paper. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  21. ↑ "Masters". Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  22. ↑ "Masters: Altiusrt". masters.altiusrt.com. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Leonard and Bull play part in Four Nations triumphs for England Masters". Bishop's Stortford Independent. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  24. ↑ "Scotland men's masters squads announced for Celtic Cup". Scottish Hockey. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  25. ↑ "News for 21 April 2018". www.fieldhockey.com. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  26. ↑ "Smith, Craig – World Masters Hockey" . Retrieved 10 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.