East Grinstead Hockey Club

East Grinstead Hockey Club is a field hockey club based in East Grinstead, West Sussex, England. It is one of the most successful clubs in the United Kingdom with National League Outdoor and Indoor honours. It was founded in 1897. The home ground is at EGSC, near Saint Hill. The club has a water-based pitch with seats for the spectators as well as a 3G Hockey/Football pitch and clubhouse. The stadium is named Saint Hill with a maximum capacity of 250.

Founded1897
LeaguesMen's England Hockey League
Women's England Hockey League
London Hockey League
South League
ChairmanPaul Adams
Vice ChairmanPhillip Coote
Club CaptainsWesley Jackson, Lottie Gregory-Young
VenueSaint Hill
National Indoor Wins16 National Indoor
National Premier league 3 Premier League
Capacity250
TownEast Grinstead, West Sussex, England
Team ColoursWhite shirt, Navy shorts, White socks (Home)
Navy shirt, White shorts, Navy socks (Away)

The Men's 1st XI play in the Men's England Hockey League and the Ladies 1st XI play in the Women's England Hockey League. The club currently fields six men's teams, five women's teams and respective youth development teams.

Every three years, the club hosts the Jacques Paloume tournament.[1]

History

EGHC Men's 1st Team first EHL title came in 1983, they then won the National Indoor Hockey League in 1986. In 2006 the men's Indoor squad were the National Indoor Champions, so that the 2006/7 season saw East Grinstead competing in Europe for the first time in many years. The Club represented England at the European Indoor Champions Trophy in Brussels, winning Silver medals, and securing promotion to the A Division of the Indoor Championship next season. In 2007 the indoor squad became National Indoor League Champions for the first time in their history, and finished runners up in the National Indoor Championship.

In the 2006/07 season the 1st XI finished 4th in the English Hockey League and were finalists in the EH National Cup for the second successive season. In order to gain experience of playing in a more competitive environment the men's 2nd XI and 3rd XI both made their debut in the London Higgins League, with the 2nd XI finished in top half of the Premier Division, while the 3rd XI entered the League in Division 2 and won promotion to Division 1 by finishing second. The U21 boys were Sussex Champions for the 4th year running; the Men's 2s and the Vets both won the Sussex Cup. Five of the 1st team squad and the team manager were selected to take part in the inaugural GB Super Leagues at the end of the season. EGHC won the BBC South East Club of the Year Award.

In 2008 EG successfully defended their National Indoor League title, were finalists in the English National Cup in 2006 and 2007 and obtained their highest ever placing in the English Hockey League in 2007/08 as runners-up meaning that they qualified for Euro Hockey League. In 2009 the 1st XI won the English Hockey League for the second time, they won the National Indoor Hockey League and also got to the last 8 of the European outdoor finals. They retained both their crowns and added the European Indoor Trophy after winning the competition for the first time in their history, but unfortunately got knocked out of the last 16 in the European outdoor finals.

The club was awarded England Hockey 'Club of the Year' in 2009. They competed in the National Indoor Finals 2011 as reigning champions and retained their crown after only losing 1 of 10 games and winning the rest on the way to the final at Wembley Arena, they beat Beeston 8-5 in the final. In the 2010-11 season outdoor season, despite dominating the league, they lost in the championship play off final to Beeston 2-1, in the Euro Hockey League they got knocked out in the Last 16 to rivals Reading HC.

The Ladies 1st XI have been Sussex Premier Division champions on several occasions, and also won the EH Vase in 2009. They won promotion from the South Club's Women's Hockey League Division 3B to Division 2 in 2010/11, from Division 2 to Division 1 in 2011/12, to the National League East Conference in 2012/13 and to the Premier League in 2014/15 for the first time in their history.

The club mourned the death of Dennis Leman who died on 12 August 2010, he was a key figure in promoting EGHC status into what it is today. He was the EGHC president from 1972–1977 and was captain of the 1st XI side from 1952- 1962. EG also mourned the death of Frank Farrell who died on 3 June 2010. He was president of the Sussex Hockey Association between 1983–1993 and also managed Lewes HC for many years but was a frequent visitor to EGHC.

Players

Men's First Team Squad 2020–21 season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Sam Lloyd
2 GK  ENG Paddy Smith
3 DF  ITA Geronimo Clement
4 FW  ENG Luke Emmett
5 DF  ENG Dan Faulkner
6 MF  WAL Lewis Prosser
7 FW  WAL Joe Naughalty
8 FW  ENG Andy Piper
9 MF  ENG Wesley Jackson
11 DF  GER Valerian Knauer
12 DF  ENG Sam Hatherley
13 MF  ENG Josh Barrott
14 FW  ENG Louis Gittens
15 DF  ENG Simon Faulkner (captain)
16 MF  ENG Ben Mackey
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF  ENG Richard Lane
18 DF  WAL Alistair Clift
19 DF  ENG Tim Deakin
20 MF  ENG Seb Walton
21 DF  ENG Gurmukh Bhamra
22 MF  SCO Ross Stott
23 FW  ARG Franco Harte
24 FW  ENG Ollie Shelton
25 FW  ENG Samad Suleman
26 FW  ENG Luke Holland
28 FW  ENG Simon Whait
29 MF  ENG Barney Bithell
30 FW  ENG Rob Cope
31 GK  ENG Sam Williams
32 GK  ENG Jack Edgerton

Ladies First Team Squad 2020–21 season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ENG Laura Myers
3 DF  ENG Rosie Hope
4  RSA Pippa Chapman
5 DF  SCO Amy Costello
6 MF  NZL Bridget Blackwood
8 MF  ENG Tessa Howard
9 FW  ENG Courtney Hansford
10 MF  ENG Laura Unsworth
11 FW  ENG Cathy Nicholson
12 MF  WAL Hannah Cozens
13 FW  ENG Ellie Rayer
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 MF  ENG Ruth Evans
16 FW  ENG Chloe Palmer
17 FW  IRL Chloe Brown
18 FW  ENG Josephine Blunt
19 FW  ENG Sophie Bray (captain)
20  ENG Ashlie Samra
21 DF  ENG Harriet Mitchell
23 FW  ENG Lydia Macdonell
27  WAL Lizzie Jones
29 FW  ENG Jess Denniff
— GK  ENG Becky Waters

Ladies First Team Honours
  • EHL East Conference Champions - 2014/15
  • South Club's Women's Hockey League Division 1 Champions - 2012/13
  • South Club's Women's Hockey League Division 2 Champions - 2011/12
  • South Club's Women's Hockey League Division 3B Champions - 2010/11
  • Indoor Team of the Year - 2010
  • EH Vase Winners - 2009 & 2010
  • National Indoor Finals Champions Women - 2016, 2019

Men's First team Honours
  • EHL Premier Division Champions - 1984/85, 1985/86, 2008/09, 2009/10
  • EHL Premier Division Play Off Runners Up - 1989/90, 2007/08, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2014/15
  • EHL National Cup Winners - 1983/84
  • EHL National Cup Runners Up - 2005/06, 2006/07
  • European Indoor Trophy Champions - 2010, 2013
  • National Indoor Finals Champions - 1986, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
  • National Indoor League Champions - 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016
  • Men's Vets National Plate Winners - 2010
  • Euro Hockey League Participants - 2008/09, 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2015/16

Internationals past and present

Individual Honours

References
  1. "Jacques Paloume Festival 2019". eghockey.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
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