Event Information
Scottish Hockey and Menzieshill Hockey Club are proud to host the 19
th Annual Men’s Indoor Club Championship Cup at Bells Sport Centre in Perth, Scotland 15
th-17
th February.
This event brings together the best indoor talent in Europe and Scotland’s own Menzieshill are going in confident after completing their fifth consecutive undefeated season in Scotland’s Subway National Indoor League.
Despite their dominance in Scotland, Menzieshill has held a sixth place finish at the Championship Cup the last two years. Menzieshill coach Bruce Cuthill said: “Our main objective for this tournament is to stay in the A division but another target is to finish in the top four, we just haven’t made it to the top in Europe yet.”
Last year’s European Champions KS Pocztowiec Poznan (Poland) are back along with 2007’s bronze winners Club de Campo de Madrid (Spain) and Orient Lygnby (Denmark). KS Pocztowiec Poznan has finished in the top two since 2005 and, on paper, is the team to beat.
The defending champions may have an uphill climb as Poland’s national indoor team recently got relegated at the EuroHockey Indoor Nations Championships in Russia. While this might indicate weakness in Poland’s overall indoor game, the recent surprise relegation may have been due to the fact that key indoor players are busy preparing for Poland’s outdoor Olympic qualifier in Kakamigahara, Japan 5-13
th April. The strength of KS Pocztowiec Poznan’s side lies with what players make the trip to Perth.
Discussing KS Pocztowiec, Cuthill commented: “Poland has a strong indoor history, but so does Germany. At the end of the day all the countries at the Club Championships Cup are Champions of their own country, so the competition will be tough. We’re confident; there’s always a little more pressure when you’re playing at home as you want to please the fans and hopefully we will.”
There hasn’t been a high profile indoor tournament in Scotland since 1998 when the EuroHockey Indoor Club Champions Trophy was held in Dundee. Cuthill added: “This tournament will be great for Scottish indoor fans to watch; there will be good skill, good players and speed. It will revive the interest of indoor in Scotland.”
So come out to watch some intense indoor action, find somewhere to stay, check out what Perth has to offer and most importantly find out how to get to Bells Sports Centre to support your team by checking out the above links!