Hockey: Wedd's girls on march

THE women's club and youth indoor finals continue today and tomorrow at Crystal Palace with the youth final taking place at 3.20 this afternoon, writes Bill Colwill.

Gordano School, from Avon, will be looking for their fourth successive title to equal the record of Oxted, who took the title for the first four years from when the competition started in 1977.

Sir William Borlase School, from Marlow, the bastion of boys' hockey for so many years under the enthusiastic leadership of David Wedd, which went co-educational just five years ago, has now reached the girls' finals for the first time. With Wedd in charge and such promising players as Anna Bennett and Niamh Staunton, their progress will be watched with great interest.

Roger Cope, a lettuce grower, will be leaving his crops for a busy weekend at Crystal Palace as coach to the Dame Alice Harpur School team from the Midlands. When the clubs take over, Cope will move on to Leicester Balsam, who have missed out on the indoor title since their one win in 1978.

Hightown, the current champions, will be striving for their third successive title before carrying England's flag into the European Championship next week in Berlin.

A repeat of last year's final between Slough and Hightown looks possible, but first Hightown will need to finish in the top two of their pool which includes Leicester, Ipswich and Ealing, all past winners of the title.

Slough and Chelmsford look booked for the semi-finals from the second pool.