A key part of the 2019 / 2020 season is Fixtures and the North and Yorkshire leagues have released the first games of next year

With just over two months to go, the fixtures have been released by the North Hockey League (NHL) and the Yorkshire Hockey Association (YHA) ahead of the 2019-20 season, beginning in September. Following the national league re-structure, there are a number of changes within the league pyramid for a number of our teams.

The table below acts as a reminder of what level teams will be playing this season.

• Ladies 1s: NHL Division 1
• Ladies 2s: YHA Premier
• Ladies 3s: YHA Division 3
• Ladies 4s: YHA Division 4 South East
• Ladies 5s: YHA Division 5 East
• Mens 1s: NHL Premier
• Mens 2s: NHL Division 3 South East
• Mens 3s: YHA Division 2
• Mens 4s: YHA Division 4 South
• Mens 5s: YHA Division 5 South
• Mens 6s / Development: YHA Development South

Season Openers

The Mens 1s begin their second campaign in the NHL Premier Division with the visit of Whitley Bay & Tynemouth 1s on the 21st of  September, a team they defeated 6-4 in the final game of last season in Lincoln. New teams to the division this season are Ben Rhydding 1s, Harrogate 1s, Leeds 2s and Neston 1s who Lindum last faced two seasons ago in Division 1.

The Ladies 1s begin life in NHL’s Division 1 against Harrogate 1s, the same day as the Men, following last season’s league winning campaign in Division 2SE. With the step up comes an increase in travelling, with the ladies making the trips to as far-flung places as Morpeth (19th of October), Lytham St Annes (11th of January), and Kendal (15th of February). Their first home game is the 28th of September against Wilmslow 1s, who were promoted from Division 2SW.

The Mens 2s enter the NHL in Division 3 South East and open their campaign at Wakefield 2s, with their first home game against newly-promoted Harrogate 3s the following week. New opponents for the season also include Leeds 4s and Leeds Adel 2s.

The Ladies 2s move up into the YHA Premier Division, and open their fixtures with a visit from Hull University 1s. Their first away trip is at Pocklington 1s the following week.

The Mens 3s begin life in YHA Division 2 with a short trip across the A57 to Worksop 1s. And the Ladies 3s entertain Harrogate 4s in YHA Division 3.

The Mens 4s continue in YHA Division 4 South and begin the season with a visit from Worksop 2s. The Ladies 4s travel to Goole 1s in their first fixture in YHA Division 4 South East.

The Mens 5s open proceedings in YHA Division 5 South at home against Chapeltown 4s. The Ladies 5s start the season a week after most teams with a trip to Driffield 5s in YHA Division 5 East. The Men’s Development side also begin a week later than the rest of our teams with the visit of Doncaster 7s to Lincoln.

Fixtures will be available on the website closer to the start of the season, once away most of the away teams have confirmed start times.

Winter Break

The Mens 1s finish their 2019 fixtures with a trip to Neston on the 7th of December and begin 2020 with the visit of City of York 1s on the 11th of January. The Ladies 1s conclude 2019 at the Lindum against Harrogate 1s, and start 2020 with the arduous trip across the Pennines to Lytham St Annes 1s.

The Mens 2s enter the Christmas break with the visit of Sheffield Hallam 3s, and then travel to City of York 2s to start the second half of the season. The Ladies 2s visit Hull University 1s before Christmas and welcome Pocklington 1s in 2020.

The Mens 3s visit Harrogate 4s before Christmas, as do the Ladies 3s, and host Ben Rhydding 3s in the opening fixture of 2020, where the Ladies 3s welcome fellow-Lincolnshire side Grimsby 1s.

The Mens 4s meet Sheffield Hallam 6s in Lincoln prior to Christmas, and welcome Wakefield 5s in the New Year. In a repeat of their opening fixture, the Ladies 4s entertain Goole 1s before the winter break and then travel to Kingston-upon-Hull 4s after the break.

The Mens 5s finish 2019 with a trip to Huddersfield Dragons 4s and enter 2020 with a home fixture against Sheffield University Bankers 6s. The Ladies 5s travel up the A46 to Grimsby 2s on the final fixture of 2019, and host Hull Circle 1s in 2020.

The Development team journey to Doncaster 8s in December, whilst hosting Rotherham 4s in January.

Final fixtures

The final game of the season sees the Mens 1s make the relatively short trip to Harrogate on the 14th of March, whilst the Ladies finish the season by hosting University of Durham 3s on the same day.

The Mens 2s conclude the season at the Lindum with the visit of Kingston-upon-Hull 1s, and the Ladies 2s finish a week later hosting City of York 2s.

The Mens and Ladies 3s finish their season with the visits of Leeds 6s and Barnsley 1s, respectively, on the 21st of March.

The Mens 4s finish on the road at Leeds Adel 6s on the 21st of March while the Ladies 4s also finish away from home, with a trip to Driffield 4s.

The Mens 5s end their 2019-20 campaign on the 21st of March at home to local rivals Grimsby 2. The final game of the season for the Ladies 5s takes place on the 14th of March away to Epworth 1s. A trip to Kingston-upon-Hull 6 awaits the Development team in their final league game on the 21st March.

We hope everyone is as excited for the new season as we are! As always, please make sure you check your team’s schedule, as fixtures are subject to change due to adverse events or inclement weather.

Key Dates

• 21st September: Season begins for Mens 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s & Ladies 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s
• 28th September: Season begins for Ladies 5s & Men’s Development
• 7th December: Final games of 2019
• 11th January: Opening fixtures of 2020
• 14th March: Final league games for Mens 1s, 2s & Ladies 1s, 5s
• 21st March: Final league games for Ladies 2s, 3s, 4s & Mens 3s, 4s, 5s, Development