HOCKEY:THE EURO Hockey league kicks off this weekend at the Polo club in Barcelona where Irish sides Glenanne and Pembroke hope to make their mark on the continent.
In Glenanne’s case it wouldn’t be their first mark in Europe after carrying off the Euro Hockey Trophy last season with a superb win over French side Montrouge in the final.
Pembroke, however, probably go a little bit better prepared with their raft of international players but they will be missing goalkeeper David Harte for their Sunday match against HC Rotterdam.
That’s a pity for the Dublin club as they face the easier side, Scotland club Kelburne, in their opening match tonight. Ireland goalkeeper Harte is exam tied and must return to Ireland immediately after the game. Harte’s departure leaves room for former Ireland goalkeeper and captain, Nigel Henderson, to step up to the plate for Pembroke.
Having retired some time ago, this will be Henderson’s first match in the Euro Hockey League but with his vast experience at international level, the task shouldn’t be that intimidating.
Pembroke have a rest on Saturday before facing the Dutch side in what will be as close to an international match as some of the Irish players will have played.
Glenanne don’t have the heavyweight international players of Pembroke but their talent and guts have gotten them far enough in Europe in the past never to be discounted.
While their new recruit and Czech international Filip Jaros is not travelling because of injury, both Mick McGuinness, formerly of Fingal, and former Monkstown player Alan Lewis are both in the squad.
There are no easy touches here and that includes Pembroke’s match against Kelbourne but Glenanne could not have had a more difficult opener.
They meet 2008 champions, German side UHC Hamburg, tonight before playing Polish side WKS Grunwald Poznan tomorrow. Hamburg will consist largely of professional players, while half of the Polish team also campaign with the national side. But as Glenanne have rightly pointed out, French side Montrouge also had five or six French internationals and look what happened to them last season.
FRIDAY: Euro Hockey League(Barcelona) – Glenanne v Hamburg, 5.30; Pembroke (Irl) v Kelburne (Sco), 7.30.
SATURDAY: Euro Hockey League(Barcelona) – Glenanne v WKS Grunwald, 1.30.
Leinster Senior League – Division 1:Railway Union v Clontarf, TBC; Fingal v Three Rock Rovers, 1.30, ALSAA; Monkstown v Corinthians, 1.30, Rathdown. Division Two:Suttonians v Navan, 12.30, The King's Hospital; Bray v Trinity, 1pm, Bray; Weston v Avoca, 1.45, Griffeen Park.
Munster Senior League– Division 1: Cork C of I B v Bandon, 2pm, Garryduff; Catholic Institute v Cork C of I A, 2.30 Rosbrien; Cork Harlequins B v UCC, 3pm, Farmers Cross.
SUNDAY: Euro Hockey League(Barcelona) – Pembroke v Rotterdam, 3.30.
