Holcombe men begin phase one of their English Premier Division challenge on Saturday – hoping to build on last season’s success.

Kent’s premier hockey outfit - led by recent EuroHockey Hall of Fame inductee Barry Middleton - are at home to Reading (6pm).

Holcombe finished as runners-up last season and follow this weekend’s opener with games at Southgate next Saturday, Old Georgians (September 28) and Surbiton (September 30) before taking on Racing Club de France in Barcelona at the start of October in the Euro Hockey League.

Middleton said: “It’s time for us to get back to how we played at the end of last season and remember what got us to those big games at the end of the season.

“It’s always hard for teams to start again, everyone’s back on zero points.

“There were games last year where we finished five or six places above teams but only beat them by one goal, you can’t forget that it’s still tough and we’ve got to come out and earn every win, respect every opposition we play.

“For us as a team and group but also the club as a whole, hopefully it will get the season off to a really good start.”

New signings Alex Pendle and Brad Read will both be involved for Middleton’s side.

Louis Duprez is also back at the club, joining from Beeston.

He’s hoping success back in Kent can help him earn a spot in the French team ahead of the Olympics.

Middleton said: “Louis is a player we know well from his time at the club in the past. His energy and enthusiasm are infectious for any group he is a part of.

“He also has great quality in both attack and defence and is another brilliant addition to the squad.

“I’m really happy with the guys coming in - one from a playing side and what they can bring on the pitch but they also fit into our group really nicely as people, which is something we’re always looking at.

“One of our big things has been retaining the group that we had last year, so we’re starting from where we finished last season and just adding a couple on, rather than bringing six new people in and trying to start again re-shaping the team and what we look like.

“That’s been a massive thing for us meaning we could get straight back into playing in pre-season.”

Holcombe took six points from their weekend opponents last season, winning 5-4 at Sonning Lane and 6-0 at Holcombe Park on their way to a place at Finals Weekend, where they beat hosts Surbiton to secure European hockey back at the club.

The men’s quartet of David Ames, Ollie Payne, Phil Roper and Nick Bandurak were involved in all of England's matches at the EuroHockey Championship, winning a silver medal in Germany, losing 2-1 to the Netherlands in the final.

England were 2-0 down in the final before a spirited late comeback saw them come close to drawing level, with former Holcombe player Sam Ward scoring before Roper controversially had a late goal disallowed.

Middleton, meanwhile, has been inducted into the EuroHockey Hall of Fame, having retired from international hockey in 2019, having won 432 caps and scored 119 goals for England and Great Britain. He’s now involved in Great Britain's coaching set-up with the Elite Development Programme (EDP).

He said: “It feels strange, unexpected, but just so nice to acknowledge not just my career but also the strong England team that I was part of over a number of years. A really proud moment.

“Always for me, those things are not just individual but about the team - that’s recognition of the England and Great Britain sides that I came through and was a big part of.”

Entry is free at Holcombe Park on Saturday, as well as for Holcombe’s other first-team fixtures across their men’s and women’s outfits.

Holcombe Women have another week before their Division 1 South campaign gets under way, starting at Southgate next Saturday (September 23) in a double-header with the men’s team.