Hockey: Full indoor programme called off for the first time

The entire programme of the Subway National Indoor League has been put on ice this weekend with the cancellation of the card of 56 matches in both the men's and women's competitions due to the recent weather.

This blanket decision, which was announced yesterday morning by Bill Garland, Convenor of the Competitions Committee, is the first time since indoor hockey started in Scotland in the early 1970s that such drastic action has had to be taken. Although the halls themselves are perfectly fit for play, the treacherous road conditions and parking access at the various venues was the basis of Garland's sensible decision.

Ironically, the indoor version of the game was first introduced into Scotland from Germany in the 1970s to allow players to continue to play competitive hockey in the winter months when the outdoor game was impossible due to unplayable grass pitches.

There was a lot of enthusiasm for the indoor game in the early years with Scotland among the leading nations in Europe. The Scottish Cup was initiated in 1973, with the national league following 12 years later. But the advent of artificial all-weather pitches and milder winters saw interest in the indoor game decline in this country and the Scots have slowly fallen behind other nations. The 3rd Indoor World Cup is scheduled for Poznan next February, but neither Scotland's men or women will be taking part.

However, the game retained its popularity on Tayside, where there is still a strong local league running midweek every winter. Hardly surprisingly, the Dundee sides have exerted a complete stranglehold of the indoor championships in recent times with Grove Menzieshill and VWS Dundee Wanderers the sole winners since 1995.

In the last couple of seasons Western Wildcats, Grange and Inverleith have started to challenge the Tayside monopoly and last season Inverleith came within a whisker of taking the title from Menzieshill, who triumphed by a single point.

In recent years Grove have tended to dominate the women's championship with the decline of Milne Craig Western, but last season Dundee Wanderers emerged to win the title for the first time.

Although most of the clubs are enthusiastic about the indoor game, there is a discordant voice from Glynhill Kelburne, the Scottish outdoor champions for the last six years.

"We have no real targets or expectations for indoor hockey, we remain convinced that a relatively small percentage of players are seriously interested in the indoor game and that it is given too much prominence and time by the Scottish Hockey Union," said manager Harry Coles.