ONE of the largest indoor hockey tournaments in the UK takes place this weekend and Wotton-under-Edge Hockey Club will a part of it, competing against the cream of indoor hockey.

The special tournament takes place annually in the Midlands with top teams invited from all over the UK. The tournament, sponsored by Coaching Solutions, has this year extended an invite to Wotton and two hastily arranged indoor sessions were all that the team could muster at this time of the year prior to the tournament.

The standards will be at the highest level with Wotton 's opponents being Bournville, Sheffield and Dundee.

Dundee are one of the best indoor sides in the UK and Wotton will be on a huge learning curve when they play the Scots. This is a great opportunity for the club to increase its profile and a good showing is imperative to ensure an invite in the future, which could re-establish the club's indoor credentials.

Tom Ward, the first team captain, has been the driving force in this new venture for the club and he has been supported by club stalwart Willie Cruickshank in organising the team.

Cruickshank, the bank manager at Lloyds TSB in Wotton, and Ward, the bank manager at Lloyds TSB in Stroud, have obtained financial support from Lloyds, who are the indoor shirt sponsors.

The tournament takes place this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, January 8 and 9) and anyone interested in hockey should grab this opportunity to see some of the top hockey players in the UK in action.

The event takes place over three venues: The Glades Arena, Kidderminster; Pordswell, Worcestershire and Cocks Moors Woods, Birmingham.

Wotton are playing their matches tomorrow in Worcester. Matches start each day at 9.30am and finish at 6.30pm and 4pm on Sunday.

Teams taking part - men's tournament: Stourport, Old Loughtonians, Swansea, Reading; Bournville, Wotton-under-Edge, Dundee Wanderers, Sheffield University; Banford Tigers, St Albans, Doncaster, Crostyx; Birmingham University, Beeston, Aroca, Hull.

Women's Tournament: Sutton Coldfield, Nottingham Highfields, Penarth, Bowden Hightown; Glasgow Western, Loughborough Students, Sevenoaks, Clifton.