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About thetopofthed

Columnist for The Hockey Paper and the man behind The Top of the D. Writer, podcaster, goalkeeper and BBC Sport man. Used to work for Great Britain Hockey and have covered the sport at every major tournament.

Barry Middleton: 250 not out

When England took to the field to play Ireland in the Rabobank EuroHockey Championships, Barry Middleton made his 250th appearance for England. Doncaster’s finest is closing in on 400 combined Great Britain and England caps and is the most capped played in his country’s history. I caught up with a few of his team mates to find out just what they think of the legendary Barry Middleton.  Continue reading

Danson proud despite semi-final heartbreak

Captain Alex Danson declared herself to be “proud of her team” despite England slipping to a semi-final defeat at the hands of the Netherlands at the Rabobank EuroHockey Championships.

A goal from Dutch Skipper Marloes Keetels was enough to settle a high-quality match which England dominated for spells in front of a packed house in Amsterdam. Continue reading

Hoare aiming to play without fear against Dutch.

England go into their semi-final clash with the Netherlands taking on not only the 11 on the field but with almost the whole of the 10,000-strong crowd willing them to lose. Not that defender Michael Hoare will notice once the game starts:

“Personally, once I start playing I don’t notice the crowd. You hear big loud cheers but once I’m in the game I’m in my own little bubble. I’m just playing against my opponent and with the team. I might feel different tomorrow but I think I’ll be OK.” Continue reading