Cheltenham’s flagship ladies’ hockey team begin the new national league campaign at home to Bristol Firebrands on Saturday 23rd September and new captain Alice Shea is in upbeat mood.

The 29-year-old centre-back has taken over from Charli Roberts, who led the side for some six seasons, and she is looking to finish in the top five in the 10-strong division.

That would be a pretty impressive achievement because Cheltenham play in the Women’s Conference West of the England Hockey League, which is obviously a very good standard.

“Top half is the aim,” said Shea, who has been a regular in the first XI for about eight years. “We didn’t have a bad season last year but it got a bit tight towards the end.

“I’m hoping the end of this season will be a little less stressful.”

Cheltenham actually finished sixth last season but the majority of the teams were so tightly bunched that they went into their last game with relegation still a very real possibility.

As it was, they won their last game 4-1 at home to second-placed Oxford Hawks and finished two points clear of the bottom two. But the division was so tight that they finished just seven points behind third-placed Exeter.

Shea, a former St Edward’s School pupil, came through Cheltenham Juniors – she joined the club when she was 14 – and obviously knows the importance of bringing young players through.

“We’ve got a good group of younger players coming through and we want to develop them,” she said.

And Shea will clearly have a big role to play in their development now that she is captain.

She was a vice-captain to Roberts last season and has stepped in to lead the team on a handful occasions in the past.

Roberts will still be available to play this season and she will clearly be one of the senior players Shea will be looking to to help drive the team forward.

So what sort of captain is Shea?

“I’m quite vocal on the pitch,” she said. “Because I play at centre-back I can see a lot of the game being played.

“I feel I’m quite knowledgeable but ultimately I just want people to enjoy it and have fun.”

It’s always more fun when you’re winning, of course, and Shea, who has recently moved to Cheltenham, is certainly looking to get early points on the board.

“I’m happy to take on more responsibility,” she said. “Hockey is such a good game, it’s quick and exciting to both play and watch.

“I’m competitive and I like the challenging nature of the sport, but I also like the respect that players have for the umpires.

“I’m really looking forward to the new season.”

Anyone who would like to sponsor Cheltenham ladies’ 1^st XI should visit https://www.chelthockey.org/contact