EuroHockey Club Challenge I – Lille
Clydesdale Western vs. HC Rotweiss Wittengen – 9.15am PB
Clydesdale Western begin their EuroHockey Club Challenge I campaign off with a Pool A clash against HC Rotweiss Wittengen from the revised time of 9.15am in Lille, France.
The two sides were originally scheduled to play at 1.30pm. However, due to a pitch watering issue, the Club Challenge I fixtures have all been rescheduled. All Pool A games – which features Clydesdale Western – will be played simultaneously at 9.15am, whilst Pool B fixtures are to take place simultaneously from 7.30pm.
‘Dale Western and HC Rotweiss Wittengen (Switzerland) are two of four teams in Pool A of the Club Challenge I competition. After the two sides meet for the opening fixture, they will play the remaining two teams in their Pool – SK Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) and Gintra Strekte Uni HC (Lithuania) – before being appropriately placed based on results from the six matches. The final position will determine whether teams will be playing for the Promotion Play-Off Final or the Relegation Play-Off Final. A Promotion Play-Off win would promote the club’s respective country’s seeding for next season to the next European competition above Club Challenge I, whilst a loss in the Relegation Play-Off would go a seeding below.
Incidentally, the L1s have not played HC Rotweiss Wittengen in recent years, but came up against Gintra Strekte Uni HC in last year’s Club Challenge I – with the L1s winning 4-2 in their opening game of the competition. The two sides also met in this year’s European Indoor Club Trophy, with Gintra sealing an 8-2 win, whilst SK Slavia Prague won 4-2 against the L1s in the same competition.
For Head Coach Derek Forsyth, there are no issues with personnel as all of the selected squad for Lille are expected to feature during tomorrow’s clash.
Photo credit: Andy Lovat
