In view of the Government restrictions due to Co-vid 19 it has been decided to draw a line under the season as it stands. The Committee is currently in the process of deciding how best to deal with the tables and will get back to you as soon as a decision has been made.

Due to Co-vid 19 the ALM that was scheduled for 3 May has been postponed until further notice. Clubs will be advised of the new date in due course.

Following on from an update from EH concerning Co-vid 19 all WCWHL league
matches are postponed with immediate effect.

In due course the League committee will determine how best to resolve the
issue of unplayed games.

In light of the ongoing situation with Coronavirus England Hockey recommends that people involved in sport follow the government's advice, which is updated on a daily basis on the Gov.UK website. EH has also produced an article which sets out what action club members, officials and spectators need to take to prevent the spread of the virus. This can be found by using the attached link or by clicking on the blue box on the Home page entitled News from England Hockey.

Presently there is no suggestion that our events should not proceed, but sensible precautions should be taken. Players, parents and officials who do attend our events should refrain from shaking hands before and after games and wash their hands with soap and water or an appropriate hand gel regularly.

If players and / or their immediate family and close friends have returned from countries where coronavirus is widespread, government advice is that they should self isolate. They should NOT participate in our events. This is the responsibility of the parents, players and coaches themselves and not something that WCWHL can manage and enforce.

Everyone is reminded that all players should abide by the EH Code of Behaviour for Players as per the attached. Please take time to read this important document and ensure that you pass this on to other members of the club who do not access the website.

The promotions and relegations flow chart is now available by clicking the link with this news item or through the Information tab at the top of the Home page, under Information & Downloads.

The last date for registering new players with all relevant secretaries is 1st March 2020.

Any player transfers must be completed and received by all relevant secretaries no later than 1st March 2020

Applications to enter a team in the league must be made no later than 1st March 2020 - please ensure the correct affiliation fees have been paid to the WHA and your county.

Suggested amendments to the regulations should be sent to the League Secretary no later than 1st March - see regulation 13 a) i) in the handbook for full details.

If your match was cancelled due to pitch or travelling conditions please ensure contact is made with your opposition ASAP to re-schedule the game. This needs to be actioned within 2 weeks of the original date although the game can be played at any time before the last Monday in April, however where possible, it should be re-arranged sooner rather than later.

Once a date has been agreed please let your secretary know so she can amend the date and start time of the match on the website. Please ask your opposition to confirm the new date with your secretary as well just in case there are any issues on the day.

Clubs are reminded that if you have any re-arranged fixtures you must not play players down in a lower team. Please ensure your team captains are aware of this. The regulation states:
If a team is not involved in a match (including National League) the club shall select its League teams as if all teams were in fact playing and shall not, for any reason, unfairly strengthen lower sides by including players from the squad of a higher team without a game. Teams are expected to consult with their relevant League Secretary if there is any doubt about what constitutes ‘player from a higher team’.
See regulation 7h) 7i) and 12h) for the penalties that will be incurred for doing so.

If your match was cancelled due to pitch or traveling conditions please ensure contact is made with your opposition ASAP to re-schedule the game. This needs to be actioned within 2 weeks of the original date although the game can be played at any time before 1st March. However, as there is a substantial break in December and January the game should, where possible, be re-arranged sooner rather than later.

Once a date has been agreed please let your secretary know so she can amend the date and start time of the match on the website. Please ask your opposition to confirm the new date with your secretary as well just in case there are any issues on the day.

Please note that Plymouth Marjon have withdrawn their 5th team from Petroc Division 2 with immediate effect.

If your match is cancelled due to the weather, pitch, travelling conditions etc and will be re-arranged on a new date both teams should go in and mark that fixture as cancelled. This is the only time the Cancelled box should be used.

If your match is not played because you, or your opposition, cannot fulfil a fixture (i.e. it will not be played at all) please DO NOT mark this fixture as Cancelled. Instead you must inform your divisional secretary who will take the necessary action on the website. (When you mark a unfulfilled fixture as cancelled it causes issues with the administration part of the website, which means unnecessary work on my part).

Thank you, Webmaster WCWHL

Please see attached full details of the above trials. If you are interested the entry information is on the form. Closing date for applications for all age groups is 16 September 2019.

Please find attached a link to the EH position regarding the Rules of Hockey for 2019-20 season.

If severe weather or travelling conditions have caused your match to be cancelled please go as if you are entering the result but only tick the Cancelled box. This will put the fixture back onto the system and once a new date has been agreed this can be put in and the fixture will appear under the relevant date. Both teams need to do this as it acts as confirmation that the fixture did not take place.
If your match does not go ahead because your opposition cannot raise a team, DO NOT enter anything on the website but contact the relevant secretary for your team to advise them - he/she will then take the appropriate action of cancelling the fixture.

Clubs must ensure times on the website clearly reflect the correct start time of the match. In the event the start time of a match is changed after it has been confirmed with your opposition you MUST ensure you contact them and get confirmation from them, in writing, that they have this new time. DO NOT assume that they will just happen to check the site to see if the time has changed as there is every likelihood they won’t. The onus is on you as the home team to make sure the information is correct and up to date.

If your match was an unfulfilled fixture do not enter a result but contact the league administrator(s) instead who will take the necessary action.
If your match was cancelled due to the weather, use the cancelled section to confirm that the match did not take place and ensure that you re-arrange this in accordance with the Regulations.

Please use the attached link to access the EH Best Practice Guidance which covers the subject of photography at matches, events, etc. We should all be mindful about taking photographs particularly when this involves under 18s and getting the consent of those concerned.

Clubs are reminded that postponed fixtures need to be re-arranged within 14 days of the date of the original match and your league secretary should be advised in writing of the new date. Your league secretary should also be notified of the postponement no later than 7pm on the day of the game other wise you will incur a fine of 10 pounds. Also, some of you need to visit the website and where you would enter the result you should note that the game was postponed.

It has been brought to my attention that offensive language was heard during a match in the vicinity of young players. I understand this can sometimes be due to player frustration but clubs are reminded that all players (and supporters) should demonstrate the highest standard of behaviour before, during and after a game. Please treat everyone involved in your game with the respect they deserve.

Clubs must ensure any umpires they use are suitably qualified, before they umpire the game and that is the only interest we have with them. You are reminded that the use of candidate umpires is only allowed in Divisions 2 and below and only one per match as per Regulation 8a ii). If you have any issues about the standard of umpiring these should be directed to your County Umpiring Association

It was agreed at the ALM that we would no longer have match report books printed, in order to reduce our printing costs. Match report forms are available to download from the Information & Downloads section found under the Information tab at the top of the front page of our website. Please ensure your captains have sufficient copies of these to cover all their home league matches and that they allow their opposition to take a copy of the completed form after the match for their records. If you still have pages in your current match report book and wish to use these up please feel free to do so but once they have run out you will need to download forms as above.

A reminder to clubs about the Hockey Museum website - their link is in our Links section on the website.

There have been some changes to the Red Card Regulations from September 2016, which are available in the Information section of the website. Please ensure your club is up to date with these changes.