Preview: Majority Of Men's & Vitality Women's Hockey Leagues Return This Weekend

Hampstead & Westminster hold a three-point lead as the women's top flight resumes with a new format for the first time.

The 'Top 6' tier looks set for a riveting battle for the two European places on offer, with Vitality Women's Premier Division action set to take place every Saturday until April.

The league leaders, aiming to reach the Euro Hockey League for the first time, travel to fourth-placed Wimbledon for a cross-London derby on Saturday afternoon.

Second-placed East Grinstead will head to Beeston in fine fettle, the outdoor league resumption coming six days after lifting their third national indoor title in six years.

Meanwhile, Clifton Robinsons host Surbiton, with Brett Garrard's side still unbeaten this season.

In the bottom tier, two clubs will face the drop from five sides in what looks set to be a pressure-cooker run-in towards April. Matches will start next weekend, with four teams playing every Saturday.

Vitality Women's Premier Division - 'Top 6'

• Beeston v East Grinstead - 14:00
• Clifton Robinsons v Surbiton - 14:00
• Wimbledon v Hampstead & Westminster - 16:00

Maddie Axford will aim to score for the 10th game running when league leaders University of Nottingham resume after the winter break.

They head to Stourport for a Saturday evening push back, with Bowdon Hightown breathing down the students' necks in the table. Bowdon, aiming to return to the Premier Division, host winless Olton & West Warwickshire. Belper are also yet to secure a win as they head to Gloucester City.

Elsewhere, it's fourth versus fifth as University of Durham host Leicester City while seventh-placed Brooklands Poynton are at home to eighth-placed Ben Rhydding.

• Brooklands Poynton v Ben Rhydding - 11:45
• University of Durham v Leicester City - 12:00
• Gloucester City v Belper - 13:00
• Bowdon Hightown v Olton & West Warwicks - 13:30
• Stourport v University of Nottingham - 18:00

Sevenoaks, the only unbeaten side in the division, hold a five-point lead at the top as they bid to reach the top flight.

The Kent side play host to Wimbledon 2s on Saturday, while second-placed Reading head to second-from-bottom Harleston Magpies.

Should the top two slip up, there are several clubs still in the hunt for promotion, including Slough, who head to Isca. Fourth-placed Canterbury face a trip to a Surbiton 2s side directly behind them in the table as bottom side Trojans are on the road to Cambridge City.

• Isca v Slough - 12:00
• Cambridge City v Trojans - 12:30
• Harleston Magpies v Reading - 13:30
• Surbiton 2s v Canterbury - 13:30
• Sevenoaks v Wimbledon 2s - 17:00

Barnes hold a four-point advantage at the top of the league and boast the meanest defence across the Vitality Women's Hockey Leagues as they resume proceedings outdoors.

Having shipped just five goals from their nine matches, in-form Barnes travel to Bromley & Beckenham on Saturday while Southgate, in second, host Ipswich.

Elsewhere, bottom-placed Canterbury 2s are also at home to third-placed London Wayfarers, East London hoast Horsham and fourth-placed Hampstead & Westminster 2s host Chelmsford.

• Hampstead & Westminster 2s v Chelmsford - 12:15
• Bromley & Beckenham v Barnes - 12:30
• Canterbury 2s v London Wayfarers - 14:00
• Southgate v Ipswich - 14:00
• East London v Horsham - 18:00

Khalsa Leamington aim to kickstart the second half of their season with a much-needed win as they bid to avoid relegation. They travel to second-from-bottom University of Birmingham 2s in a crunch clash, with both clubs having lost their last five matches.

Meanwhile, at the top, league leaders Sutton Coldfield are at home to Cannock, while elsewhere second-placed Bedford are on the road at St Albans.

Having played out a re-arranged fixture two weeks ago, Loughborough Students 2s are at home to Oxford University with both sides aiming to secure victory after their 1-1 draw. The final game sees Beeston 2s visit Broxbourne.

12:00 - Sutton Coldfield v Cannock

12:30 - Loughborough Students 2s v Oxford University

12:30 - University of Birmingham 2s v Khalsa Leamington

13:00 - St Albans v Bedford

13:30 - Broxbourne v Beeston 2s

One of the most tightly-contested Vitality Women's Hockey Leagues resumes battle on Saturday, with seven points separating top spot down to ninth.

Leeds, who travel to Doncaster, head the division on goal difference from Timperley, who host Alderley Edge.

Neston, currently bottom, need to pick up points, but face a tricky test against third-placed Wakefield. University of Durham 2s, currently in fourth, could go top if they beat Pendle Forest and other results go their way, wile the other game sees Fylde and Didsbury Northern - level on points - meet.

• 11:30 - Pendle Forest v University of Durham 2s
• 12:00 - Didsbury Northern v Fylde
• 12:00 - Doncaster v Leeds
• 13:30 - Neston v Wakefield
• 16:00 - Timperley v Alderley Edge

Three sides are level at the top of Conference West and two of them meet on Saturday in a heavyweight clash. League leaders Witney head to third-placed Bristol Firebrands, while Oxford Hawks, in second, are on the road at Penarth.

Team Bath Buccs, one point behind in fourth, travel to Exe, who also harbour ambitions to secure top spot come the end of the season.

At the bottom, Clifton Robinsons 2s travel to Cheltenham while University of Bristol will want to claim their first point of the season when they take on Basingstoke.

• Penarth v Oxford Hawks - 12:30
• Bristol Firebrands v Witney - 13:00
• Basingstoke v University of Bristol - 14:00
• Cheltenham v Clifton Robinsons 2s - 14:00
• Exe v Team Bath Buccs - 14:00

Loughborough Students head into the second half of the season with a 100% record and the tightest defence as the university side bid for promotion to the Premier Division. The only unbeaten side left in Division One South, the league leaders host fourth-placed Bowdon on Sunday afternoon.

Cardiff & Met hope to keep the pressure up at the top when they travel to University of Birmingham, while second-placed University of Nottingham host Sheffield Hallam. Meanwhile, City of Peterborough will be aiming for their first victory of the season, with Cambridge City the visitors. Olton & West Warwickshire and Deeside Ramblers also meet.

• Olton & West Warwicks v Deeside Ramblers - 13:00
• City of Peterborough v Cambridge City - 14:00
• University of Nottingham v Sheffield Hallam - 14:00
• Loughborough Students v Bowdon - 14:30
• University of Birmingham v Cardiff & Met - 14:30

Reading conjured a six-point lead at the top of the league before Christmas and will look to consolidate that when they travel to second-from-bottom Brighton & Hove on Sunday.

Second-placed Canterbury could make early inroads when they host Teddington under the lights at Polo Farm on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, former Great Britain captain Adam Dixon will play the second half of the season for Team Bath Buccs, who take on Old Cranleighan. Havant travel to Sevenoaks in search of their first point and a mid-table battle will ensue when Oxford Hawks push back against Southgate.

• Canterbury v Teddington - 18:00 (Sat 5 February)
• Brighton & Hove v Reading - 13:00
• Team Bath Buccs v Old Cranleighan - 13:00
• Havant v Sevenoaks - 14:00
• Oxford Hawks v Southgate - TBC

The match of the weekend centres on the top two - Old Loughtonians versus Richmond - on Saturday afternoon as the Conference East resumes in earnest. Old Loughts hold a four-point lead over Richmond, with a raft of teams still in the mix for automatic promotion.

Third-placed London Wayfarers travel to Indian Gymkhana on Sunday, while elsewhere London Edwardians take on Wapping, Hampstead & Wesminster 2s host Bromley & Beckenham and West Herts visit Spencer.

• Hampstead & Westminster 2s v Bromley & Beckenham - 14:00 (Sat 5 February)
• Old Loughtonians v Richmond - 14:30 (Sat 5 February)
• London Edwardians v Wapping - 15:30 (Sat 5 February)
• Spencer v West Herts - 13:30
• Indian Gymkhana v London Wayfarers - 14:00

Free-scoring Harborne, the league leaders, take on Loughborough Town in the division's top match this weekend.

Second-placed Barford Tigers travel to bottom side University of Birmingham 2s on Sunday as they aim to keep up the pressure at the top.

After a strong start to the season, Harleston Magpies have suffered a slump but will hope to rectify that against Cambridge University. Saturday's game sees Bedford play host to Lichfield before St Albans travel to Khalsa Leamington on Sunday.

• Bedford v Lichfield - 17:00 (Sat 5 February)
• Loughborough Town v Harborne - 12:30
• University of Birmingham 2s v Barford Tigers - 12:30
• Cambridge University v Harleston Magpies - 13:30
• Khalsa Leamington v St Albans - 13:30

Second-placed Timperley had the best form before the Christmas break and they will hope to continue that trend when the Trafford side travel to Alderley Edge on Saturday.

League leaders Belper play host to mid-table Leeds, while third-placed Didsbury Northern will aim to make inroads at the top when they face Wakefield, currently at the foot of the league.

Doncaster visit Preston after hosting the same team in a 2-2 draw last weekend, a fixture that had been re-arranged, and Beeston 2s take on University of Durham 2s in the other game.

• Alderley Edge v Timperley - 16:30 (Sat 5 February)
• Belper v Leeds - 12:15
• Preston v Doncaster - 13:30
• Beeston 2s v University of Durham 2s - 14:00
• Wakefield v Didsbury Northern - 15:30

With the best defence across the Conferences, University of Bristol will look to maintain their place at the top when they play Chichester on Sunday.

Conference West is a hotly-contested division, with nine points separating first from Cardiff University down in eighth. Ashmoor, one point behind Bristol, resume after the winter break against Clifton Robinsons, while bottom side University of Exeter 2s travel to Fareham, in third.

Plymouth Marjon will be keen to extend their unbeaten run to five games at home to Isca as Cheltenham look to close the gap on Cardiff University as both teams battle to avoid relegation.

• University of Exeter 2s v Fareham - 12:00
• Ashmoor v Clifton Robinsons - 13:00
• Plymouth Marjon v Isca - 13:00
• University of Bristol v Chichester - 13:30
• Cardiff University v Cheltenham - 14:00