Scotland’s Indoor Season Is Set: National Leagues Start on 5 December

The outdoor season isn’t quite done in Scotland, but the indoor season already has a date. Scottish Hockey released the full indoor fixture list on Monday, and the National Leagues get under way in the first weekend of December.

The men’s top flight starts first. National League 1 opens on Saturday 5 December at DISC, with eight teams in the mix: Clydesdale, WCS Dundee Wanderers, Dunfermline Carnegie, Grange, Grove Menzieshill, Inverleith, Watsonians and Western Wildcats. Opening day is a full round of games, and the season runs through rounds on 19 December, 16 January and 23 January, all at DISC.

The women’s top flight follows a day later. National League 1 opens on Sunday 6 December, also at DISC, with Clydesdale Western, Dundee Wanderers, GHK, Hillhead Ladies, Inverleith, Uddingston, Watsonians and Western Wildcats. Their rounds run 20 December, 17 January and 24 January.

There is a lot happening below the top flights too. Men’s National League 2, ten teams including Kelburne, Monarchs and Perthshire, starts on 5 December at Douglas and runs through 23 January. Women’s National League 2, eight teams, opens on 13 December at DISC and splits its later rounds between DISC and Perth UHI. Men’s National League 3, nine teams, opens on 12 December at DISC.

It is a proper winter calendar, and it lands at the right moment. The outdoor Premiership goes into its winter break on 21 November, so the indoor game takes over just as the outdoor one pauses. Clydesdale Western’s women are the form side in the country right now — eight wins from eight outdoors, 8-0 over Grange last weekend — and they will fancy their chances indoors too. Clydesdale’s men and Western Wildcats will be among the sides to beat in the men’s league.

Opening day, men, 5 December at DISC: Dundee Wanderers v Dunfermline Carnegie, Grove Menzieshill v Inverleith, Dunfermline Carnegie v Clydesdale, Grove Menzieshill v Watsonians, Dundee Wanderers v Inverleith, Clydesdale v Grange, Dunfermline Carnegie v Grove Menzieshill, Western Wildcats v Watsonians, Inverleith v Clydesdale and Grange v Western Wildcats. The women, 6 December at DISC: Dundee Wanderers v GHK, Inverleith v Uddingston, GHK v Clydesdale Western, Inverleith v Watsonians, Dundee Wanderers v Uddingston, Clydesdale Western v Hillhead, GHK v Inverleith, Western Wildcats v Watsonians, Uddingston v Clydesdale Western and Hillhead v Western Wildcats.

Full fixtures are on the Scottish Hockey website. The indoor season is coming fast — less than four weeks away.