EHL R1 2013-14: Tickets now on sale!

The Euro Hockey League (EHL) has announced the release of tickets for their upcoming Round 1.1 and 1.2 events in Spain and France. The city of Barcelona (ESP) and Lille MHC (FRA) will play hosts to Europe’s finest club hockey competition, with a total of twenty-four men’s teams in action at the two venues.

The 2013-14 Edition of the EHL starts in Barcelona at the Pau Negre Stadium, with Round 1.1 in action between Friday 11 and Sunday 13 October 2013. The EHL bandwagon rolls into Lille for Round 1.2 on Friday 27^th October, with the event drawing to a conclusion on Sunday 27^th. Each event will feature twelve teams divided in four pools of three. The top two of each pool will reach Easter’s stunning KO16 tournament (re-live action from last year’s KO16 event by clicking the video window above).

For global fans of the competition it is worth noting that, as usual, every single match from the tournament will be live streamed via the EHL’s official website, www.ehlhockey.tv. For those of you wishing to attend in person, adult day tickets start at just €11,50, with three-day-passes (passepartouts) costing € 27,50 for adults and € 10,00 for kids. A regular children’s day ticket costs €5,00 (6-16 years). More information about the sale of tickets can be found on the EHL website.

As well as the chance to witness some of the world’s finest players competing with pride in their club shirt, you can always be sure of some genuinely brilliant matches as well as the occasional giant killing. Some of the expected highlights can be found below.

In Barcelona:

Pool D features an EHL regular alongside two newcomers to the competition, with English champions Beeston facing first timers Harvestehuder THC (GER) and Cardiff & Met (WAL). Harvestehuder will be considered Beeston’s biggest rivals to top the pool, while it looks to be a baptism of fire for Cardiff, the first ever Welsh team to qualify for the EHL.
In Pool E, Spanish giants RC Polo de Barcelona will be challenged by Surbiton HC (ENG) and SV Arminen (AUT). Surbiton have long been considered to be one of the most gifted teams in England, and will be looking forward to challenging themselves against their Spanish and Austrian opponents.

In Lille:

Host club Lille MHC face a huge battle to fight their way out of Pool A, with Dutch champions and pre-tournament favourites H.C. Rotterdam (NED) and EHL ever-presents Reading HC (ENG) standing in their way of a place at the upcoming KO16 event. However, the home favourites will be determined to show that they are more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the European elite, and will be heavily supported by a partisan crowd.
Pool B features German champions KTHC Rot-Weiss Köln up against Dutch newcomers SV Kampong and SC Stroitel Brest of Belarus. The squads of Köln and Kampong are packed full of international talent including several Gold and Silver medallists from the London 2012 Olympics, and their match-up is expected to be one of the highlights of Round 1.
Another clash of the giants takes place in Pool C, with Belgian champions Waterloo Ducks aiming to get the better of nine times European champions HTC Uhlenhorst Mülheim of Germany. The Pool also features AZS Politechnika Poznanska (POL), who will be looking to cause an upset against their illustrious opponents and claim a place in the second phase.