Great Britain Hockey is delighted to announce that hockey fans will have the chance to watch the men's side as they prepare for March's crucial Olympic Qualifiers when they take on Poland at Sonning Lane in Reading at 1900hrs on Thursday 7 February.
The game has been arranged as Great Britain continues their warm-up to the Olympic Qualifiers which will take place between 1-9 March in Santiago, Chile. The encounter with Poland will follow their tour of South Africa and is part of an intensive training period as GB men bid to secure their place in Beijing later this year.
Sonning Lane is the home of Reading Hockey Club, one of England's top clubs. They have a history of hosting top internationals and in summer 2006, they hosted a series of test matches in front of bumper crowds as England men and women warmed up for the World Cup.
Three of Great Britain's training squad will be no stranger to Sonning Lane with Jonty Clarke and brothers Simon and Richard Mantell all playing their club hockey at Reading.
Performance Director David Faulkner is pleased that the squad will have the chance to play in front of a home crowd before they jet off to Santiago. ÔÇ£This is the first opportunity that Great Britain men have had to play at home before they leave for Chile and hopefully a good crowd will give them a boost before the vital Qualifiers. This game maintains our objective of placing as much international hockey at our clubs as possible.ÔÇØ
Source: Great Britain Hockey ltd.
