The club has 800 active members and fields a total of sixteen senior sides, seven men's and nine ladies' playing in the East Hockey Leagues.[4] The Men's 1st XI play in the East Men's Premier Division and the Ladies 1st XI play in the East Women's Premier Division.[5]
Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club has been reaccredited for another 3 years (2022-2025) as a ClubMark club (Sport England), making the club one of a select number across England to achieve the England Hockey ClubMark status.[6][7]
Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club pitch
History
The club formed in 1948[8] and games were played at Cricket Field Lane, Hockerill Anglo-European College and Sawbridgeworth. The club barely raised a team in the early days, players relied on getting to away fixtures by train and taxi due to the lack of motorcars after World War II. In 1969 the club was elected to the Hertfordshire County League[9] and the East Central League in 1972. Promotion to the East Region Hockey Association was gained in 1975.
The club had a number of successes over the years including County Champions in 1974, 1981 and 1986, East runners-up in 1982 and H.A. Cup quarter finalists in 1982 and 1986. Later successes include the integration of the Ladies Hockey Club and partnership in 1993 with Hockerill Anglo-European College.[10]
The Ladies 1st XI had back to back promotions starting from 2019, where they become champions of both the East League Division 1 South and a year later champions in the East Premier Division. This saw the Ladies 1st XI for the first time in club history play in the Vitality Women's Conference East league.[4]
In the 2022-23 season, the Men's 1st XI achieved a significant milestone by securing promotion from East League Division 1 South to the prestigious East Men's Premier Division for the 2023-24 season. This remarkable accomplishment reflects the team's hard work, skill, and determination, positioning them among the elite clubs in the region.[11]
Junior Section
The clubs junior hockey caters for children from ages 5 to 18 and provides an opportunity to the local schools in the area, where hockey is not a mainstay of the PE or extra-curricular offer.[12] The club also offers to other groups such as a new initiative in partnership with Grove Cottage[13] to offer disability hockey.
Overall the club has developed a thriving junior section with over 500 members and runs hockey camps throughout the year, such as hockey training programmes with EVO Hockey.[14]
The junior section recently linked up with investment services group Ravenscroft,[15] who'll be known as the “Ravens”. The sponsorship will help provide several hockey programmes for children aged from 5 to 16 in the local community. The sponsorship of the Bishop’s Stortford Ravens aims to encourage young players to learn and develop their hockey and team skills through sessions organised in club and community environments, as well as local schools such as The Hertfordshire and Essex High School, Hockerill Anglo-European College, Northgate Primary, Windhill Primary and Fawbert & Barnard Infant’s Primary.[16]
Olympic Legacy
The 2012 London Olympic brought an increased visibility to Field hockey, where 630,000 people watched live hockey during the event, a pattern of continued growth in the sport has emerged[17] and Bishop’s Stortford Hockey Club used this opportuning to attract new and returning players to their Vitality Back to Hockey programme in partnership with England Hockey.[18]
The club has a number of current and former international players still involved with coaching or playing at Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club. In addition a number of senior members still represent their country at Masters level.[21][22]
