Cannock Hockey Club through the lens

25/09/2026

I had to leave the game early but I believe it was a 3-0 victory to Cannock

25/09/2026

Possibly my most dramatic picture of the Cannock vs WaTs game

25/09/2026

Then a short corner to Watts

25/09/2026

There ware several Cannock short corners in quick succession

25/09/2026

The Match between Wats and cannock 3's continues

25/09/2026

24/09/2026

I have absolutely no idea what is happening here

24/09/2026

Cannock 3's listening intently to the Coach

24/09/2026

🏑 BEYOND THE NUMBERS: Are we growing hockey… or growing the clubs that survived?

England Hockey’s September 2026 CEO update contains a stat that really caught our attention.

In 2010/11:

102,207 participants
908 clubs
113 players per club

By 2024/25:

146,434 participants
713 clubs
206 players per club

So compared with 2010/11, there are around 44,000 more participants… but 195 fewer clubs.

England Hockey also notes that club mergers and healthy junior sections are becoming increasingly necessary.

That raises an interesting question.

Is a smaller number of much bigger clubs good for hockey?

Bigger clubs can potentially offer more teams, more coaching, stronger junior sections and more playing opportunities.

But what happens when a local club disappears?

Does hockey become harder to access?
Do players have further to travel?
Do we lose community identity?
And can smaller clubs realistically survive without a large junior section?

Perhaps growth isn't just about asking how many people play hockey.

Perhaps we also need to ask:

👉 How many places can people actually play it?

What are you seeing at your club?

Are clubs in your area getting bigger, merging, struggling or disappearing?

👇 We'd particularly like to hear from people who've experienced a club merger or seen a local club fold.

Source: England Hockey, CEO Forum Update, September 2026.

24/09/2026

WaT's short Corner