Hockey – hopes high for October push-off to new season

Scottish hockey players could be involved in domestic competition by early October and fixtures for the new season are now being worked on.

John MacKenzie, president of Scottish Hockey, said he was keen to see players back on the pitch as soon as it is allowed by the Scottish Government.

A new structure has been agreed for one year only and the men’s and women’s premiership will have 12 teams instead of ten last term.

That means Dunfermline Carnegie and Edinburgh-based Inverleith are added to the temporary men’s Premiership and Uddingston and Capital club ESM (Erskine Stewart’s Melville) are in the women’s temporary top tier.