IT was a record-breaking campaign for Wotton-under-Edge Hockey Club last season.
And, as the teams prepare to get back into the rigours of pre-season training, chairman Stuart Emms is hoping they can consolidate their progress when it all begins in September.
Consistency is the key, said Emms, with squads through the senior men’s and women’s sides staying stable whilst interest in the club has seen the fourth team, who played friendly matches now and again in previous years, being accepted to the league structure.
Wotton’s men’s and women’s first teams face some outstanding fixtures in the opening week of the season.
The men won promotion back in March to the Conference North from the De Cymru and Marches One division after finishing second behind Hereford in a battle royale to the end. The sides met on the last day of the season and drew 2-2, with Wotton ending second by three points.
And the two clubs will meet again early in the next campaign – on October 10 – in a league which pits Wotton in massive matches week in and week out.
The men’s second team won the Marches One division, while the thirds were third in the Marches Two league.
The ladies first team, who won the West Clubs Women’s Hockey League Berkeley One title, are up to the North Division and face a campaign of challenging clashes, beginning on September 26 when they take on Gloucester seconds at Wotton Sports Centre.
Add a big season for the ladies second team, which finished with a 5-1 away victory at second-placed Bristol to give them third spot in Berkeley Division Three, and it was like Christmas had come at once at Wotton-under-Edge Hockey Club.
Emms said: “Last season was the most successful in the club’s history and we had a lot of success with the juniors and seniors at the club.
“Now we are deep into planning for this year. From a committee’s point of view, the days of having a close season, where everything shuts down until September, are long gone. We have been busy putting the pieces of the jigsaw together.”
A successful junior section is also, said Emms, crucial to keeping the momentum going at the club. “There is a possibility of the first XI getting a couple of new players but the life-blood of the club is the junior teams who move up to the senior XIs.”
Emms added: “On the ladies side, we have retained two ladies teams and we would like bring new players to the ladies sections and particularly those who have not picked up a stick for a while.”
As for season targets, the club chairman said: “For the ladies first and second XIs, to stay in their divisions at the end of the season would be a good result.
“That would be the same for the men’s first team but I am sure that if you spoke to them about that, they would say I am being a bit negative.
“We would like to get the men’s third team and the ladies second team promoted if we could.”
Training begins for the men’s sides on Wednesday August 5, with ladies training starting a week later on August 13.
And all senior sides are expected to have pre-season friendlies on September 5, 12 and 19 before getting into action on September 26.