Girls Hockey at Arnold School

Since the introduction of co-education at Arnold, hockey has grown from strength to strength. Beginning with a mere thirty girls in 1976, Arnold today is fully co-educational with a national reputation on the hockey field. Our first notable success in hockey came in September 1985 when the U13 team won the County tournament on a grass pitch. A year later Julia Torrance became the first Arnold girl to play County hockey, while in 1991 Kay Gough at U18 level and Helen Sutcliffe at U16 level became the first Arnoldian's to represent the North of England. Helen also went on to an England trial in that same year.

Nine years, and much hard work later, in 2000, just as the new millennium was to dawn, came the great news that Hannah Elwiss, an outstanding all round sportswoman, had been chosen to represent England at U16 level. A fine hurdler, she also went on to represent her country in athletics. A tremendous achievement! The great advance in playing standards in the last twenty years has come about as a direct result of the building of the all weather playing surface, opened by Vice Chairman of the Governing Council, Jimmy Armfield OBE in 1992. This, together with the new Centenary Sports Complex, which has provided an indoor hockey facility, has been instrumental in improving the school's hockey prowess.

In 1996, the school's centenary year, the U16 hockey team reached the National Schools' Final for the first time, whilst the 1st XI team undertook a memorable three week playing tour to South Africa.

In recent years, the school has competed in a further ten National Hockey finals and in 1998 was in the unique position of having both an U16 and an U18 team competing at a National Final. In 2006 the U16 and U18 teams repeated this feat after becoming North of England champions in the previous December. Although Arnold has yet to win a National Final, we are proud to have reached this prestigious stage more often any other team in the country.

Summer 2004 saw the first joint hockey and netball tour to Barbados and in July 2005 the Girls' Games Department organised and led the biggest hockey tour to date. Thirtyone U15 and U16 girls toured Australia with both teams playing six fixtures. The tour was another very important milestone in the history of girls' hockey at Arnold School.

Australia tour 100 Club

Achievements 2005-6

1st X1 Results 2005-6

2nd X1 Results 2005-6

U12 Hockey Results 2005-6