The logo of the Slazenger EHL |
|
| Sport | Hockey |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| No. of teams | 87 |
| Country(ies) | England |
| Official website | [1] |
The English Hockey League is a national hockey league run by England Hockey. It is currently sponsored by Slazenger and known as the Slazenger England Hockey League or EHL. It is widely recognised as the most significant English hockey league system.
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The Slazenger EHL league structure was altered for the 2008/2009 season, with the aim of promoting appropriate competition for the teams involved whilst reducing the overheads incurred by teams having to travel long distances. There is now only one national league, the Premier league, which is fed by three "Conference" leagues, split into North, West and East regions.[1]
Previously there was a national Premier and national Division One league, which had players fed into it by a North league and South league.
The above league structure is identical for men and women's hockey.
The EHL takes new teams into the National North/West/East leagues from separately run regional hockey associations, such as the North Hockey Association. These associations run a multiple-division league structure of their own, and are in turn fed by teams from county or sub-regional hockey associations or leagues. For example, the Yorkshire Hockey Association runs 11 divisions, and those promoted out of the top Division will be received into the lower divisions of the North Hockey Association. Those promoted from the North Hockey Association's top league will be entered into the National North league of the EHL, from which they can be promoted into the EHL Premier league.
The reigning champions of the English Hockey Premier League are Beeston Hockey Club who beat former champions East Grinstead Hockey Club in the championship play off final 2-1.
The following tables list the teams playing in the Slazenger EHL and which league they are taken from.[2]
| Premier | Conference East | Conference North | Conference West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beeston HC | Holcombe HC | Sheffield Hallam HC | Cardiff & UWIC HC |
| Bowdon HC | Canterbury HC | University of Durham HC | Team Bath Buccaneers HC |
| Cannock | Harleston Magpies HC | Olton & West Warwicks HC | Whitchurch HC |
| East Grinstead | Wimbledon HC | Leek HC | Guildford HC |
| Hampstead & W HC | Bromley & Beckenham HC | Belper HC | Cheltenham HC |
| University of Exeter | Indian Gym HC | Brookland MU HC | Havant HC |
| Loughborough Students HC | Teddington HC | Barford Tigers HC | University of Birmingham HC |
| Reading | Old Loughtonians HC | Deeside Ramblers HC | Bournville HC |
| Southgate HC | City of Peterborough HC | Doncaster HC | Fareham HC |
| Surbiton HC | Oxted HC | Preston HC | Lichfield HC |
| Premier | Conference East | Conference North | Conference West |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester HC | Chelmsford HC | Wakefield Bradford HC | Buckingham HC |
| Canterbury HC | Surbiton HC | Sutton Coldfield HC | Exe HC |
| University of Birmingham HC | Sevenoaks HC | Sunderland HC | Isca HC |
| Clifton HC | Horsham HC | Loughborough Students HC | Trojans HC |
| Bowdon Hightown HC | Ipswich HC | University of Durham HC | Firebrands HC |
| Reading HC | Cambridge City HC | Doncaster HC | Swansea HC |
| Olton & WW HC | Old Loughtonians HC | Aldridge & Walsall HC | Staines HC |
| Brookland Poynton HC | St Albans HC | Belper HC | Team Bath Buccaneers HC |
| Slough HC | Harleston Magpies HC | Beeston HC | Barnes Hounslow HC |
| Cannock HC | Dereham HC | Springfields UCLAN HC | Worcester HC |
name.pld.won.drw.lst.gd .pts
east grin .16. 12 . 3 . 1 .43 . 39.
beeston .16. 11 . 1 . 4 .17 . 34.
surbiton .16 9 . 1 . 6 . 1 . 28.
reading .16 7 . 3 . 6 . 7 . 24.
lbrough std.16 7 . 2 . 7 .-1 . 23.
westminster .16 6 . 3 . 7 .-4 . 21.
bowdon .16 5 . 5 . 6 .-7 . 20.
cannock .16 4 . 5 . 7 .-11. 16.
brooklands M.U .16 3 . 3 .10 .-20. 12.
canterbury .16 1 . 4 .11 .-25. 7.