Macclesfield inline hockey club eye national championship after clinching regional titles

By Matthew Hancock-Bruce 16th Jul 2025

Macclesfield Warriors will compete at the UKIHF National Championships this weekend (Credit: Macclesfield Warriors)
Macclesfield Warriors will compete at the UKIHF National Championships this weekend (Credit: Macclesfield Warriors)

The national inline hockey title could be on its way to Macclesfield.

Macclesfield Warriors are preparing to compete at the UKIHF National Championships this weekend.

It caps off a hugely successful season for the club, which saw their Blue and White senior teams win their respective divisions.

Treasurer Matt Heywood said: "Whatever happens at the nationals, we are immensely proud of this season's achievements.

"We always used to be the whipping boys of the division, often coming home with losses to double figures of goals against.

"Effort, determination and commitment over the last four years have brought us to the peak of our game.

"This is no time for resting, however, we are looking to emulate or improve this success next season."

Macclesfield Warriors' Blue team will compete at the nationals this weekend (Credit: Macclesfield Warriors)

Macclesfield Warriors were founded around ten years ago, originally based at the now defunct MAC Multi-Activity Centre.

They have had a number of homes since then.

Matt said: "We've been a bit nomadic having trained at the now demolished AstraZeneca facility at Alderley Park, a season at William Stainer School in Crewe, several years at the Hazel Grove leisure Centre before moving into our current home of Knutsford Leisure Centre."

Sadly, the Warriors' junior divisions didn't survive the pandemic.

However, their senior teams continue to thrive, with about 25 regular players currently on the books.

They enter two teams, Blue and White, into the West Inline Hockey League, based at Market Drayton.

Inline hockey is also known as roller hockey (Credit: Macclesfield Warriors)

The developmental White team won the fourth division with a record of five wins, two losses and two draws, clinching the league title by a single point.

"It was an incredibly tight final game, the team had to secure a draw against the Northstars to win the league," Matt said.

"They did that with just 53 seconds left in the final period of the final game of the season. Talk about going to the wire!"

Meanwhile, the Blue team won the third division with a record of six wins, two draws and a loss with an astonishing 34+ goal difference.

They also boast the division's top scorer in James Bentley, who managed 35 goals across the nine-game season.

The White team won their division by a single point (Credit: Macclesfield Warriors)

The Blue team will now take part in the UKIHF National Championships at Northwest Roller Sports in Atherton this weekend.

Matt said: "The whole club is now rooting for our Blue team, as well as starting to get ready for the next season which will start in September.

"With two titles to defend our work is cut out for us, we all have targets painted on our backs!

"We're always open to new players joining us, the only real requirement is that you're able to skate a little.

"We have some helmets, padding and sticks that we can lend try-outs players."

Macclesfield Warriors train at Knutsford Leisure Centre every Sunday (Credit: Macclesfield Warriors)

     

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