Hockey: Inverleith are still strong

INVERLEITH may have lost five leading players in the close season but the Edinburgh hockey club are still strong according to defender Adam Mackenzie.

His connections with his old university, Heriot-Watt, have helped bring several new players on board including midfielder Andrew Johnston, formerly of Durham University, and Rob Hall, ex-Waverley Inveresk Trinity.

Former Olympic women's coach, Mike Gilbert, will be the coach but Mackenzie is helping organise the side along with fellow Scottish internationalist, Derek Salmond.

Mackenzie said: "We have lost Stephen Dick (to Reading), Christopher Grassock (to Surbiton), Andrew Dane (moving to Canada) and Callum Milne (to Grange). Sadly, Richard Docherty died but we've seen an influx through my connections at Heriot-Watt University.

"Andrew (Johnston) and Rob (Hall) have also come on board."

The club's opening Division One game at Menziehill this weekend has been postponed to, most likely, 31 October.

However, the rest of the league pushes off with Edinburgh side Grange hosting Hillhead, newly- promoted Aberdeen, who edged CALA Edinburgh in the play-offs, entertaining Western, and Clydesdale hosting Dundee Wanderers.