Hockey: Future is oranje for Capital ace Docherty

LAURENCE DOCHERTY, one of Scotland's leading hockey exports, is helping put something back into the sport in his homeland, despite earning his living in Holland.

The 30-year-old, Edinburgh-born player, has just completed a successful weekend coaching clinic along with several leading members of his Dutch club side.

And Docherty, who has played for Holland in the Olympic Games, is already receiving inquiries from Scotland for the two-day clinic, which took place at Mary Erskine School, Edinburgh, to return next year.

Now, the former MIM player's focus is on gaining full match fitness after a knee injury and helping his high-flying Dutch side, Bloemendaal, domestically and in Europe.

Globe-trotting Docherty is now a property owner in Amsterdam and speaks Dutch fluently. He has adopted a Dutch lifestyle and even travels around the city on a bicycle.

The hugely-patriotic Scot is, however, hungry for more glory with the highly-rated Dutch combine despite turning his back on the sport in Britain.

Docherty arrived in Holland a decade ago after claiming over 60 Scottish caps and played for HC Klein Zwitserland based in The Hague. He applied for Dutch nationality to play for Holland at the Athens Olympics but didn't get his passport for another year.

The disappointed Scot then failed to make the squad for the World Cup in 2006 but switched to Klein Zwitserland's bitter rivals, Bloemendaal, and was named in the Netherlands squad for the Champions Trophy in Malaysia and for the Beijing Olympics.

London 2012 is on the horizon and the fierce competitor is determined to make the squad. Docherty said: "I'm not completely match fit yet, I'm around 90 per cent right now.

"I've played two games and had an outing with the second team last week as I continue my recovery. We've got the EuroHockey League coming up and we're back in league action this Sunday in Holland."

"We get up to 4,000 people at games and live TV helps lift the profile of the sport."

Bloemendaal, founded in 1895, have high expectations and also a big budget. They also have a membership of over 1,300 but Docherty said: "Everybody is friendly towards each other. Take this coaching, I suggested it and everybody said it was a good idea and they bought into it.

"We had a really good group of international players with us and we're looking to make it bigger next year. I've been approached to bring this back and also to take it to Glasgow which is really positive."

Part of the object is to raise funds for the club to send the squad to America in late January as the countdown towards the London Olympic Games gathers pace.

Bloemendaal are looking to travel to San Diego in California in January to train at the American Olympic facility. Also pencilled in are games against Canada and Scotland.

Docherty is getting back to normal after a tough year which included the untimely death of his younger brother Richard, aged 27, in June.

Typically, the steely Scot is fighting back and he said: "If Scotland are playing football I'm 100 per cent for Scotland.

"If I'm playing for Holland at hockey I'm 100 per cent for them. I'm proud to play for Holland and we've got a really good team."

The challenge is for Docherty to stay in the Dutch national squad. Life is good for the talented athlete who enjoys living in Amsterdam. He said: "I've bought a house and I cycle around in the city. I take the car to training which is around 30 minutes from my house and I've also taken up golf.

"Bloemendaal are a massive club in Holland and the Dutch guys in the team are well-known as the newspapers cover the sport heavily, but I can still walk about the city and go to the supermarket without too much bother."

That suits Docherty just fine. His focus is being noticed by the selectors and it is full steam ahead with training and play to ensure that he's on the plane to London next summer.

"If Scotland are playing football I'm 100 per cent for Scotland. But I'm proud to play hockey for Holland"