“Put a roof over me and I’ll umpire every day of the week!”
Abby MacArthur
Move into a shed and slightly change the rules and you’ve got yourself, in my humble opinion, the BEST version of our favourite game. Indoor hockey is fast, exceptionally skilful and really exciting – as a player, official or a spectator.
January was non-stop, and I piled a whole lot of mileage on to my little car! A weekend at Whitgift School, Croydon for Round 1 – the likes of Wimbledon, Holcombe, Sutton and Leicester all competing. Round 2 was a trip to Repton to wheedle out the top 4 teams who would get to battle it out in the finals at the Copper Box Arena, London. The hockey on display was outstanding – East Grinstead, Repton, Buckingham, and Slough took the coveted top 4 spots and a trip to Stratford. Our umpiring team was a veritable cornucopia of talent – including 2 Commonwealth umpires, Junior and Senior World Cup umpires and Umpire Managers with a wealth of experience to share and support. I was in awe and revelled in the intensity of this amazing version of the game – I don’t think I stopped smiling the whole time. I didn’t want this indoor season to end!
And, amazingly, it didn’t…
Only 2 years after passing my candidacy for the English Indoor National Panel – and with a pandemic-enforced 2 year hiatus – I was given the incredible news that I had been appointed as one of the 5 umpires to be part of the finals at the Copper Box Arena. Granted, I was to be the reserve umpire but to me, that meant I had the BEST seat in the house. I got to watch and learn from the best, soak up the extraordinary atmosphere and give myself a target for next year. I will do everything in my power to ensure I am actually umpiring at the finals in 2023! Repton took the title this year – beating reigning champions, Buckingham – meaning they’ll represent England in Europe for the 2023 club tournament. Who knows, I may even be there to see them compete once again!
