New hockey club joins league ranks

May 29 2008

CLYDESIDE Hockey Club are Scotland’s newest club are based at the astroturf facility at Lanark Racecourse.

They are the first-ever club in the Lanark area and only the third team currently in South Lanarkshire after Uddingston and East Kilbride.

So far, the club can boast a combination of talented up-and-coming players with a lot of potential.

They have already gained some experience in the top divisions of the West District League, and some of their more experienced players have played in the Scottish National League.

The team’s first season will be in the Scottish West District 4th division, although they have set their sights on bigger and better things for the future.

Club president Paul Brand believes that with the current mix of players, the club will be strong favourites for promotion in the first season.

He hopes that, with the younger players gaining more experience and improving further, they can quickly work their way up through the divisions and Clydeside can establish themselves as a major club in Scotland.

The club also aim to promote the sport as much as possible in the South Lanarkshire area by getting more Lanarkshire youngsters playing hockey. They are establishing links with high schools in order to introduce the sport to the pupils and hopefully find future players.

However, the club still needs financial backing. “Ideally, we would like to team up with a business in order to help contribute to the cost of setting up the club, as well as enabling us to provide training and equipment for school kids who want to give the sport a try,” said Paul.

Clydeside are also still looking for more players to further expand their squad. If you are interested, or would like more information you can contact the club directly via email at clydesidehockey@yahoo.co.uk