Alderley Edge Look to Continue Progress Through Long-Term Planning

Rod Gilmour of The Hockey Paper speaks to Alderley Edge HC men's 1s, who are battling to stay up in the Conference North as the season climax looms.

“I try to switch off but it’s always on my mind,” admits George Bradbury, Alderley Edge’s 21-year-old defender and National League debutant. “It’s just hard to escape it at the moment.”

One look at the lower end of the Men’s Conference North gives every indication of Bradbury’s current hockey-fuelled mindset. With four games left in the season, Alderley Edge lie second bottom of the league. Yet, from the 10-team league, six are still conceivably in the relegation mix, with nine points separating fifth to 10th.

A former Stone and Buxton HC player, Bradbury is a masters student in physio at UCLan in Preston. He also plays university hockey and finally got his first taste of Conference action after joining Alderley Edge six months ago.

“Ever since a young age, all the players I have been with I’ve seen going to play for other teams. It is something I’ve always wanted to do and so to potentially not having National League hockey next year I would be disappointed in myself. It would mean an awful lot to stay up.”

Alderley Edge’s next three fixtures are against teams placed in the lower half of Conference North, including two of the bottom three sides. “My old team-mates support me massively and ask how we are all feeling and what the plans are for the next week,” adds Bradbury. "I’ve also got friends at Durham University, who we are still to play [in the penultimate match], asking how other teams are playing. It’s all quite tense!”

Alderley Edge HC forms part of a wider sports network, which includes the local cricket club. The hockey section used to play at various schools while the catalyst came 11 years ago when, as part of a five-year plan, land was leased between Alderley Edge and Wilmslow for a pitch to be put down.

Alderley Edge men’s 1s had also reached the old North West Premier Division by this stage, while a junior programme had been inaugurated at the same time. 

“It is really relevant as the club was buoyant but everyone left by the time they were 18 to go to university,” says Phil Benton, Alderley’s men’s team manager. “It was a continuous cycle and we couldn’t attract anyone in their mid-20s.”

Younger players were promoted to the senior team, the club started to attract players to the area and ambition was heightened to get the team into National League. Amanda Partington, the former Wales women's coach, came aboard as men’s coach and history was made in 2018 when they reached Conference North for the first time.

The club did see relegation before the England Hockey restructure handed Alderley Edge a way back to Conference hockey. Stefan Ray-Hills has now moved over from Brooklands MU as player-coach. And, importantly for the club, of the 20-strong current squad vying to stay up, 12 have gone through the junior system to the men’s 1s.

Founded in 1888, Alderley Edge is one of the oldest clubs in the country. Benton joined Alderley Edge in 2001 after playing National League hockey across the UK at Clifton Firebrands, Edgbaston, Chelmsford and Nottingham, alongside his work as a sports business consultant. Benton was also club president for three seasons until recently, and took on the role of men’s team manager this season.

So to the Conference North run-in, which also sees the club play leaders Belper on the final day of the season. Having been up close and personal this season, Benton naturally believes Alderley can beat the drop before then.

“Apart from Doncaster away and Belper at home we have competed really well,” he says. “Our most disappointing result was three weeks ago against Didsbury Northern where we were 3-1 up and conceded four in the last 10 minutes.

“If the league is resting on Belper on the final day we would certainly hope that if we win the next three we will be safe.”

Saturday: Leeds v Alderley Edge, 6pm