Hockey: Promotion treble for talented Leeds ladies

The ladies’ second, third and fourth teams have all finished top of their respective leagues and now move up to the next divisions following victorious seasons at the Headingley-based club.

The first and fifth teams also both retained their places in their leagues after gaining promotion in 2014/15 season.

The year of success at the Leeds club culminated in a celebration dinner at the Castle Grove Masonic Lodge in Headingley on March 12, with 140 club members in attendance.

Leeds Hockey Club captain, Simon Batty, said: “The ladies have had the most fantastic season and it’s been great to see so many players coming along to training and matches week in week out.

“The commitment shown this season has been brilliant and is reflected by the results we’ve managed to achieve; it is the best season we’ve ever had at Leeds Ladies Hockey club!”

The ladies’ section of the club comprises five teams playing in the North Premier Division through to Yorkshire Division Five.

This season 99 ladies are members of Leeds Hockey Club and the club continues to see participation numbers grow year on year.

The ladies’ second team play in Yorkshire Premier Division and finished top of their league, winning 18 of their 22 games played.

They will now be promoted to North Hockey Women’s League Division 2.

They have also beaten off opposition in the Yorkshire Cup and will play in the final against Dewsbury first team on April 16.

The ladies’ third team play in Yorkshire Division 4 North and finished top of their league, winning every match they have played and conceding just six goals – the lowest number out of all 230 teams playing in Yorkshire. They will now be promoted to Yorkshire Division 3.

They also beat off opponents from Sheffield Bankers, Bradford University and Epworth hockey clubs to make it to the final of the Yvonne Horner Yorkshire Cup and will play in the final against Halifax third team on April 16.

The ladies’ fourth team have also gained promotion and will be taking the third team’s place in Division 4, after scoring a record number of goals – 126 in 22 games, an average of 5.7 per game to earn promotion without losing a single game.

Leeds Hockey Club is made up of five ladies teams, eight men’s teams and a large junior hockey programme, with children playing from age five to 18.

The club has a total of 238 members playing on a weekly basis at the newly refurbished facilities at the sports ground at Weetwood in Headingley.