MEN'S HOCKEY: Of much interest this weekend is the scheduling of what is the top match in Leinster; Pembroke Wanderers' game against Glenanne. The top two sides on the table face each other in what will be an early defining moment on Sunday at Serpentine Avenue. The day and time of the match is a deliberate attempt by the branch to gauge the real interest of hockey punters coming to support the two best sides in the province.
Let's face it, hockey supporters, with the exception of those who turned out in numbers to Belfield during the summer to support the Irish women's team in their European Championship matches, are poor supporters of the game. Anecdotally there are more hockey players watching Leinster at Donnybrook on a Friday night than there are supporting their own sport.
This weekend the branch are putting it up to the people who play hockey and in fixing the top game when no other matches are being played is a first attempt to get people to attend games.
That there will be five current international players involved, Gordon Elliott, Justin Sherriff and Nigel Henderson with Pembroke, and Graham Shaw and Stephen Butler with Glenanne, should at least give people a chance to see a group of players who are performing at a significantly higher level than most in the domestic game.
Glenanne have not yet lost this season while Pembroke would be under the impression that they are rightful standard-bearers for the league. That's a reasonable position to adopt by the home team and one that Glenanne will reasonably take issue with.
It is a show-piece match with more better players on view than in any other two Leinster teams and there is something at stake. It also represents an effort by the sport to modernise and make itself more acceptable and accessible to the very people who play it regularly. The branch, as they say themselves, are there to work for the clubs.
This weekend they are looking for a dig out and an indication if they were to schedule top games when there are no other matches being played, there would be reasonable support for it.
TOMORROW - Leinster Senior League: Division One - Fingal v Railway Union 12:45 ALSAA; Corinthians v Monkstown 3.0, Whitechurch Park; TRR v Avoca 1.0, Grange Road. Division Two - Suttonians v Skerries noon, Sutton Park School; Kilkenny v UCD 1.0, Scanlon Park; Bray v Clontarf tba; Weston v Portrane/St B/PP 3.30pm, The King's Hospital; St James' Gate v Naas 3.0, Iveagh Grounds.
Sunday - Leinster Senior League: Division One - YMCA v Dublin University 1.30, Claremont Road; Pembroke Wanderers v Glenanne 3.30, Serpentine Ave.
Munster Senior League: Division One - Church of Ireland A v Catholic Inst A, 3.0, Garryduff.
Tuesday - Neville Cup - YMCA v Fingal 7.30, Claremont Road.
