HOCKEY; All-change Slough are confident

JULIA ROBERTSON, the recently elected captain of Slough, is quietly confident for the new Premier League campaign in spite of the departure of nine of last season's treble-winning squad.

Slough, who are away to Olton & West Warwicks today and at home to Clifton tomorrow, have lost Karen Brown, Ashleigh Wallace and Michelle Hall, who have all retired, while Irish international Sarah Kelleher is en route to Australia.

Also missing are Anna Bennett, who has moved to Canterbury, Ali Burd, now at Ealing, Lisa Copeland, still recovering from an operation, and Monique Slootmaekers, who has returned to the Netherlands. Sue MacDonald returns from Uganda and Lucy Newcombe has moved over from Clifton.

The league newcomers Chelmsford have also been busy. Sue Frewell has joined from Sutton, Lorraine Marsden from Clifton and Natalie Hart and the Trinidadian midfielder Tamara Nancoo from St Albans.

The surprise arrival at Fyffes Leicester is the England international Jennie Bimson, last season's captain at Olton and West Warwick.