Tuesday 31st March 2009

Former England and Great Britain defender Ben Marsden has joined Wimbledon Hockey Club as their Director of Hockey from May 2009.  This announcement caps an outstanding year for the club, celebrating its 125th Anniversary and the 1st XI gaining promotion for the second season in succession.

Ben, who earned 77 caps for England and Great Britain, was part of the GB team who finished fifth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He takes over from former Australian International Tristram Woodhouse.  Tristram's impact at the club saw teams throughout the club gain promotion, including two successive years with the 1st XI, and has left a thriving juniors section.  His impressive 79 field goals in the past two seasons will be hard to beat when he returns to his native Perth.

In consultation with England Hockey, Wimbledon's investment in the future sees the latest TigerTurf pitch being laid in time for 2009/10 season.  A second pitch will be laid the following year along with new clubhouse facilities prior to teams wishing to play and practice for 2012 Olympics.

Marsden commented: Wimbledon has had a superb couple of seasons under Tristram’s stewardship, and their blueprint for the future is really exciting.  When I was first approached about joining them, a club rich in history yet with such an impressive vision for the future, it has been an opportunity I could not turn down.  With the new pitches and the quality of players available, I am eagerly looking forward to building on such solid foundations.

For the past year, Marsden has coached the juniors and the ladies' first team at Surbiton, and both groups have won their respective championships. He has played for the Surbiton men’s successful first team for a number of years, including winning the Club Championship and a European bronze medal. He has now announced his retirement from International hockey.  

Marsden added: “I have had some fantastic moments with England and GB, playing with talented players and working alongside a great team of coaches and hockey professionals.  I have learnt a lot from my time at Surbiton followed by a season in Sydney and two seasons in Spain, and I hope I can now reinvest what I have learnt through coaching and inspiring others.

A win on Saturday and draw on Sunday saw the first team as Champions of the South Premier League Div 2 and second promotion in two years.

A hard fought 3-1 win against a good Purley Walcountians with Ash Ward in sparkling form in front of a solid defence took the team to a nine point lead with a 38 goal advantage and three matches left.

Sunday saw another hard game against Epsom who took a 2-0 lead against the run of play before succumbing to a 2-2 draw and the point that guaranteed the title with two matches to go.

WHC Mens 1XI - Champions 2008-9

Our mission is simply to build a modern and sustainable hockey club that reaches the top level of English Hockey. The Men’s first team promotion  for the second season running and Ladies' first team strong league finish clearly demonstrate the first steps have been taken. Our key values are professionalism and enjoyment. Our plans cover every aspect of Club life, offering the chance to play at the top level with excellent coaching and to have a more social time where the play and work balance is crucial.