By Lucas Ball
Our M1s’ fixtures for Phase Two of the Premier Division season have been announced.
Phase One sees each team face the 11 other Premier Division sides once before the league splits into a top-six and bottom-six for Phase Two.
Top-six sides face each other once more and bottom-six sides the same in Phase Two before another split. The team that is top at the end of Phase Two qualifies for Europe via England’s second Euro Hockey League (EHL) spot.
The top-six and top-two of the bottom-six are then split into two pools of four (first, fourth, fifth and eighth & second, third, sixth and seventh) where they play three more matches each. The top-two from each pool then qualify for Finals Weekend
First from Pool A takes on second from Pool B and vice-versa in the semi-finals, with the two winners meeting in the Premier Division Final to determine who takes England’s top-ranked EHL spot for the following season.
Phase Three for the bottom-four sides sees them carry over their points from Phases One and Two and play three more matches, with the bottom-two after these fixtures relegated to Division One.
Top-six: Old Georgians, Surbiton, Holcombe, Wimbledon, Hampstead & Westminster, Southgate
Bottom-six: Oxted, Beeston, East Grinstead, Cardiff & Met, Reading, University of Nottingham
Full Phase Two fixtures lists are available below:
Holcombe Phase Two fixtures:
10/02 – Old Georgians (A)
17/02 – Wimbledon (A)
24/02 – Surbiton (H)
02/03 – Hampstead & Westminster (H)
09/03 – Southgate (A)
Holcombe’s next action comes in the Super 6s Premier Division in January, where Barry Middleton’s side will be aiming to reach Finals Day – to be hosted at the Derby Arena for the first time this year – for the first time since 2020.
Image: Jon Goodall