Lindum Hockey have a new head coach ahead of the upcoming campaign.
After Matt Bell’s exit from the club following two successive promotions, the Yellow Submarine have turned to Lincolnshire-born Stuart Cunnington to take the reins.
Cunnington made his first venture into coaching at the University of Worcester, where he helped the team into the highest division they had been in. Returning to Lincolnshire, he secured three promotions in four years at Spalding Hockey Club.
He has now been a player-coach at Spalding for a decade, in a role that he will continue alongside his new position at Lindum.
Speaking to The Linc, he said: “It’s obviously the biggest club in Lincolnshire, it’s the one people want to join and aspire to, and when they asked me to do it, it was an easy answer.
“It’s really positive to see everything that has been achieved over the past two years, when they got their promotions. I was really pleased for them, and Matt [Bell] has obviously done a fantastic job.”
Cunnington played for the UK Lions at youth level, and has gone on to represent his county.
“It’s a challenge, and it’s an exciting one. My best asset is the players themselves, I’m looking forward to working with them all, and seeing what I can do to help them. I’m not here to take over, it’s more to develop what the team already knows,” he said.
Lindum Hockey started their pre-season training last week ahead of the season opener on Sunday, September 22.
The new head coach added: “Naturally, it’s going to be a big step… there is a really good group of quality players here, and that’s an amazing start. As far as this level goes, I’ve not been there, but I know people within it and I know my players, and I would back mine every time.
“I have every confidence that we can do well this year. We’ve got a good chance of competing, but we can’t get used to winning every week like they have done in the last three years.”
He set a “realistic” target of maintaining their status at the second-tier of English hockey come the end of the upcoming campaign.
Cunnington’s role also encompasses the wider Lindum Hockey Club, supporting the second, third and fourth men’s teams, as well as the headline-grabbing first team.