Uddingston HC is one of the current title holders of the EHF Club of the Year award. Winning for their work in 2015 in the Small Category, we are now catching up with the club to see how they have fared since receiving the award and what the future looks like for them, both on and off the pitch. Currently the fourth largest club in Scotland (and growing!), Uddingston HC’s coach Steven Percy answered a few questions to update us on Uddingston’s year.
What has the last year been like for the club after being named EHF Club of the Year 2015?
The past year at Uddingston has been incredible, we just keep pushing forward and refining what we’re doing. We’re getting better at running our own facility and maximising the development across our club, really just business as usual. However, with the award from the EHF, our successes have become far more visual. I feel the hockey community within Scotland and also the UK are now a lot more aware of the scale of what we’ve done and are still doing. Without a doubt it’s elevated our profile and also shown that we’re a really serious club with huge ambitions.
What has been your biggest challenge and what are your plans for 2017?
As with every amateur sports club we do experience our ups and down too, we’re operating at a level of some small professional businesses with ultimately a voluntary workforce. So the biggest challenge has been trying to manage our facility, develop our infrastructure and processes while having no dedicated professional staff to do so. An amazing achievement in its own right but our next objective would be to try fund professional staff and keep the development going.
What is the highlight of having received the award for you?
More than anything the award was a celebrating and a major thank you to all the amazing people within our club who give time back and make it all possible. It was like a rubber stamp to say ‘you’ve done great and done the right things’, vindication for all the hard efforts. We’d also like to thanks Scottish Hockey, South Lanarkshire Culture and Leisure for their continued support, it really is a feather in the cap to be able to say you’re the best in Europe!
EHF is now accepting applications for Club of the Year 2016 (Deadline January 29th). This award highlights those clubs who grow and promote hockey in their communities, as well as make an effort to develop not only their players, but also their volunteer base, their coaches, umpires and facilities. In order to become the EHF Club of the Year 2015, clubs must be nominated by their National Associations.
For 2016, we will have 2 categories available: Large Club of the Year, for clubs with more than 300 members and Small Club of the Year, for clubs with less than 300 members. All documentation needed to apply has been sent to your National Association, so make sure to apply! For more information on our Club of The Year award click here.
Photos: AN Yusof