There’s a double-header of Premier Division action at Holcombe today as the club’s senior sides get their new seasons under way.

Wimbledon are the visitors on Saturday as Holcombe Women begin their first season back in the Premier Division at 4pm before the men look to kick off the Kwan Browne era in style against the Wombles’ men’s team at 6.30pm. Entry at Holcombe Park is free for both games.

By Lucas Ball

Browne, Great Britain and England assistant coach, joined Holcombe over the summer as Head Coach and Director of Hockey and has added nine players in a summer of change.

Samkelo Mvimbi, Ali Shan, Mubashar Ali, Rohan Bhuhi, Matt Ramshaw, Matt Symonds, Teague Marcano, Tim Neild and Felix Tully will all be hopeful of potential Holcombe debuts tomorrow following a number of departures in the off-season.

Holcs narrowly missed out on a League Finals weekend berth last season in Phase Three, while Wimbledon finished third to secure Euro Hockey League qualification, with the KO16 event set to be held at Sugden Road, Surbiton, later this year.

The Wombles won both meetings between the two sides, winning 3-0 at Holcombe Park in Phase One and 3-1 at Raynes Park in Phase Two after the top-six split.

Holcs’ last win against Wimbledon came in Phase Two of the season before, when goals from Nick Bandurak (2) and Tom Russell earned all three points at Raynes Park.

Only Surbiton finished last season’s regular campaign with a better defensive record than Holcombe, with the London side shipping 26 goals in 19 matches compared to 27 for Holcombe – while it was only Surbiton and title winners Old Georgians who out-scored the Incredible Holcs over the course of the season.

Former Holcombe player and women’s coach Kevin Johnson is now in charge of the Wombles’ women’s team and will be looking to spoil the party on Saturday as Holcs celebrate their immediate return to the top flight.

Head coach Nick Bandurak has added five players over the summer with Tessa Reid, Kaitlin Cotter, Evie Younger, Olivia Shannon and Maddie Newitt all joining, with all in line to potentially make their Incredible Holcs debuts in front of a packed terrace on Saturday.

Holcs ended last season’s Division One South campaign with four consecutive wins over Canterbury, Team Bath Buccaneers, Barnes and Wimbledon 2s before losing out in the England Hockey Tier One Championship Final 2-1 against Beeston having also won Super 6s promotion back in January under former Holcombe captain Richard Lane.

Holcombe and Wimbledon’s first-teams, meanwhile, last met in November 2022, with Wimbledon running out 3-0 winners at Holcombe Park.

The visitors have faced a summer of change, signing six players with five outgoings – Kitty Baccanello, Maddie Peel, Bronwyn Shields, Katie Birch, Jess Buchanan and Emily Overend have all signed while Nicki Cochrane, Fiona Crackles, Jen Eadie, Fiona Burnet and Harriet Naismith have all departed the club.