Hockey: Concern hangs over new season

Clubs are using this weekend to fine-tune their squads for the domestic season which starts this week with the women's National League Premier Division and the men's Second Division amid a certain amount of unrest.

Many of the senior clubs are unhappy that their players in the Great Britain training squads have been banned from League hockey without consultation. There is also concern over the proposed restructuring of the National League.

Three leading clubs are warming up against the best of continental opposition, Old Loughtonians and Surbiton in Germany, and Reading in Paris. Reading visit the Racing Club, where their opponents will be the host club, Lille and Spain's Campo Madrid.

Surbiton, who are in Hamburg, will play Grossflottber this morning, UHC Hamburgand later in the day and the German champions, Harvestehuder, tomorrow.