‘Grave concerns’ over new season
Weather and travel worries for Havant chairman
Havant lift their curtain on their competitive hockey league season this weekend.
Chairman Chris Pickett had written to England Hockey asking for the 2020/21 National League season to be delayed due to the pandemic.
His concerns are mainly to do with players travelling to and from away games in wet weather without changing rooms being open.
‘It’s not ideal,’ he said, ‘but we have to get on with it.
‘There could also be problems with travelling - in our 2nd XI, for example, there are a lot of youngsters who don’t drive.
‘I would have liked to have seen the league postponed until the new year. We could have played clubs like Fareham, Chichester and Portsmouth rather than travel long distances.’
Havant and their league rivals are allowed to postpone a certain percentage of their games in 2020/21 for Covidrelated reasons.
If both teams involved in a game can’t play, they are allowed to agree a 0-0 draw.
If a club postpones more than its allocated percentage, they will have to forfeit each match 3-0.
‘You could see some weird results,’ said Pickett. ‘Frankly, I have grave concerns whether the league will actually be finished.’
Havant enter the new season with a much-changed squad.
Argentinians Manuel Silvetti and Federico Bertoni and Pakistan international Atiq Arshad have not returned, while Michael Deller-Merricks has joined Basingstoke and Tom CroftBaker is at university.
In addition, Charlie Stubbings has moved away to Teddington Surrey to work and Matt Cox is still waiting for a knee operation.
Jakub Janicki, meanwhile, is playing in Berlin this season.
There is a Polish feel to the squad, though, with keeper Maciej Pacanowski and striker Maciej Janiszewski returning for another season.
They will be joined by new signing and fellow Pole Eryk Bembeneck.
Tahsin Chowdhury, who has played National League hockey for Lichfield, has also signed along with Fareham pair James Speke and Jamie Rawlings.
Warren Gilmour is the new head coach with Raj Laly taking up the role of Performance Director overseeing both the men’s and ladies 1st XI.
Havant start their Division 1 fixtures against Southgate this Sunday.
The women’s 1st XI also start this weekend, against
Woking at Havant College on Saturday.
Poppy Wright, who has moved away to study, is the only absentee from 2019/20 but Charlotte Gammon is sidelined as she is due to give birth in January.
New faces are keeper Ila Gunner, who has joined from Guildford, and ex-Chichester striker Verena Grave.
Havant are welcoming spectators to all games, but there won’t be any programmes or tannoy announcements. The clubhouse doors will also be shut.
‘These restrictions are alien to a club that has a strong desire to welcome and entertain our visitors,’ said Pickett. ‘It is sometimes concerning when we have no control of our destiny and this pandemic has thrown our lives into disarray.
‘Sport, like almost everything we know and value, has been affected and we all face an uncertain future until a vaccine is available.
‘The important factor at this point in time is that the hockey family are back up and running, and long may that last during a period when a second spike is being experienced.’