Great Britain’s men squad for Olympic Test Event

30th April 2012

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The Great Britain Hockey men’s squad has been
announced for the forthcoming London Prepares VISA International
Invitational Hockey Tournament which runs from the 2-6 May 2012.
Great Britain will face opponents Germany, India and
Australia across four days of competition with the final taking
place on Sunday 6 May at 18:30.

The tournament is the first since the 2011
Champions Trophy last December, where Great Britain finished sixth
and follows a challenging two week training camp and test series
over in South Africa in February.

Great Britain Head Coach Jason Lee has named an 18
athlete squad which includes six players who missed out on the 2011
Champions Trophy in New Zealand. Loughborough Students’
Richard Smith, Hampstead and Westminster’s Dan Fox and Surbiton’s
Richard Alexander have all been recalled to the side. Reading
duo Nick Catlin and Jonty Clarke, fresh from their club’s 5-4
victory against East Grinstead in the Men’s England Hockey League
Championship Final are also included. Alongside them,
Beeston’s Alastair Wilson will also return to the defensive line
after missing the Champions Trophy because of a knee injury he
suffered just a couple of days before the tournament started.
Wilson will make his 50th Great Britain appearance during the
tournament if he is selected to play in all four games at the
Riverbank Arena.

Commenting on his squad selection for the
competition, Lee said “We are still very much in the selection
phase ahead of the Olympics this summer. When you consider that we
have 27 players in the Great Britain squad, all with a chance of
Olympic selection, but only 18 players allowed to compete in the
Test Event, then obviously some had to miss out. On this
occasion, that includes Barry Middleton.” For Lee, the
tournament provides an opportunity to see his squad perform against
some of the world’s best teams. He added; “The final squad
for the Olympics will be the best combination of players not
necessarily the best individuals.”

Following the same route as the women’s selection
Lee has also only selected one goalkeeper, Cannock’s James Fair.
Speaking about this decision Lee said, “By taking only one
goalkeeper we are able to give more opportunities to the
outfielders. There is a risk, of course, of playing without a
goalkeeper if Fair gets injured but we have got a practised plan B
– an outfielder to go in goal – and a plan C -11 outfielders – to
cover for this eventuality.”

Also included in the line-up for the tournament is
the youngest member of the Great Britain squad, 19 year old Old
Loughtonians’ athlete Harry Martin, following his impressive
Champions Trophy performances at the end of last year.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, East
Grinstead’s Mark Pearn at the age of 35 has also been named in the
squad. Pearn came back into the international set-up in 2011
following a six year absence and will be the most capped player in
the squad with 86 Great Britain and 157 England caps to his name.
Pearn’s successful return to the international scene was also
acknowledged earlier this year when he was awarded the Hockey
Writer’s Club Player of the Year award.

Joining Pearn in the line-up are his club
teammates, Ashley Jackson, Iain Lewers and Glenn Kirkham.
Experienced Surbiton duo, James Tindall and Rob Moore are
also named in the 18 athlete squad. Both players will be in
search of their 20th Great Britain goal, sitting on 19 and 18
respectively.

Speaking about his side’s approach to the
tournament, Lee said, “The VISA International Invitational Hockey
Tournament is a run of four games against high quality opposition
that provides a great challenge. We will be going into each game
focused on winning that game, hopefully utilising the abilities
developed in training over the last 12 months. Simply put though,
the clue is in the title of the tournament; the ‘Test’
Event.”

The VISA International Invitational Hockey
Tournament is the penultimate tournament for the Great Britain
men’s hockey team before the Olympic Games this summer.
Following the tournament the squad will travel to Malaysia to
compete for the The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from 24 May – 3 June
2012.

BBC Sport will be broadcasting coverage of all of
the Great Britain men’s matches at the London Prepares VISA
International Invitational Hockey Tournament on the BBC Red Button
and BBC Sport website. The coverage will coincide with the
times listed below. Please note the schedule is subject to
change.

The Great Britain Hockey men’s squad has been announced
for the forthcoming London Prepares VISA International Invitational
Hockey Tournament which runs from the 2-6 May 2012.

Great Britain will face opponents Germany, India and Australia
across four days of competition with the final taking place on
Sunday 6 May at 18:30.

The tournament is the first since the 2011 Champions Trophy last
December, where Great Britain finished sixth and follows a
challenging two week training camp and test series over in South
Africa in February.

Reading duo Nick Catlin and Jonty Clarke, fresh from their
club’s 5-4 victory against East Grinstead in the Men’s England
Hockey League Championship Final are also included. Alongside
them, Beeston’s Alastair Wilson will also return to the defensive
line after missing the Champions Trophy because of a knee injury he
suffered just a couple of days before the tournament started.
Wilson will make his 50th Great Britain appearance during the
tournament if he is selected to play in all four games at the
Riverbank Arena.

Commenting on his squad selection for the competition, Lee
said

“We are still very much in the selection phase ahead of the
Olympics this summer. When you consider that we have 27 players in
the Great Britain squad, all with a chance of Olympic selection,
but only 18 players allowed to compete in the Test Event, then
obviously some had to miss out. On this occasion, that
includes Barry Middleton.”

For Lee, the tournament provides an opportunity to see his squad
perform against some of the world’s best teams. He added;
“The final squad for the Olympics will be the best combination of
players not necessarily the best individuals.”

Following the same route as the women’s selection Lee has also
only selected one goalkeeper, Cannock’s James Fair. Speaking
about this decision Lee said,

“By taking only one goalkeeper we are able to give more
opportunities to the outfielders. There is a risk, of course, of
playing without a goalkeeper if Fair gets injured but we have got a
practised plan B – an outfielder to go in goal – and a plan C -11
outfielders – to cover for this eventuality.”

Also included in the line-up for the tournament is the youngest
member of the Great Britain squad, 19 year old Old Loughtonians’
athlete Harry Martin, following his impressive Champions Trophy
performances at the end of last year.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, East Grinstead’s Mark Pearn
at the age of 35 has also been named in the squad. Pearn came
back into the international set-up in 2011 following a six year
absence and will be the most capped player in the squad with 86
Great Britain and 157 England caps to his name. Pearn’s
successful return to the international scene was also acknowledged
earlier this year when he was awarded the Hockey Writer’s Club
Player of the Year award.

Joining Pearn in the line-up are his club teammates, Ashley
Jackson, Iain Lewers and Glenn Kirkham. Experienced Surbiton
duo, James Tindall and Rob Moore are also named in the 18 athlete
squad. Both players will be in search of their 20th Great
Britain goal, sitting on 19 and 18 respectively.

Speaking about his side’s approach to the tournament, Lee
said,

“The VISA International Invitational Hockey Tournament is a run
of four games against high quality opposition that provides a great
challenge. We will be going into each game focused on winning that
game, hopefully utilising the abilities developed in training over
the last 12 months. Simply put though, the clue is in the title of
the tournament; the ‘Test’ Event.”

The VISA International Invitational Hockey Tournament is the
penultimate tournament for the Great Britain men’s hockey team
before the Olympic Games this summer. Following the
tournament the squad will travel to Malaysia to compete for the The
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from 24 May – 3 June 2012.

Visa International Invitational Hockey Tournament
Fixtures for Great Britain

Wednesday 2 May – 18:30-20:00 Great Britain v Germany

Thursday 3 May – 18:30-20:00 Great Britain v India

Saturday 5 May – 17:00-18:30 Australia v Great Britain

Sunday 6 May – 15:45-17:45 Men’s 3rd v 4th

Sunday 6 May – 18:30-20:30 Men’s Final

Great Britain Men’s Squad for London Prepares VISA
International Invitational Hockey Tournament

Richard Alexander (Surbiton)
Midfielder/Defender [England]

Nick Catlin (Reading) Midfielder/Forward [England]

Jonty Clarke (Reading) Forward [England]

Adam Dixon (Beeston) Defender/Midfielder [England]

James Fair (Cannock) Goalkeeper [England]

Dan Fox (Hampstead and Westminster) Defender [England]

Ben Hawes (Wimbledon) Defender/Midfielder [England]

Ashley Jackson (East Grinstead) Midfielder [England]

Glenn Kirkham (East Grinstead) Midfielder [England]

Iain Lewers (East Grinstead) Defender [England]

Iain Mackay (Reading) Midfielder [England]

Simon Mantell (Reading) Forward [England]

Harry Martin (Old Loughtonians) Midfielder [England]

Rob Moore (Surbiton) Midfielder/Forward [England]

Mark Pearn (East Grinstead) Forward [England]

Richard Smith (Loughborough Students) Defender [England]

James Tindall (Surbiton) Forward [England]

Ali Wilson (Beeston) Defender [England]

Great Britain’s men squad for Olympic Test Event

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