FAQ: How do I join Scottish Thistles Masters Hockey Club ("STMHC" or "Thistles")?
Please see the Join Us page by clicking here.
FAQ: What is the distinction between Thistles and Scottish Masters Hockey (SMH)?
Thistles membership allows you to play in numerous Spirit of Masters (SoM) competitive tournaments, festivals and friendlies across the UK, in Europe and all over the world. In these events you represent Scottish Thistles. Thistles membership is in addition to and does not interfere with your normal playing club or being selected by SMH to play for Scotland. Your nationality is irrelevant to playing for Thistles, you may also be a member of other Spirit of Masters clubs (e.g. England LX, Alliance). Even where SoM events are governed by World Masters Hockey (e.g. World and European SoM Cups) all that matters is that you are a member of Thistles plus you are not playing for any other SoM organisation in that WMH event.
SMH membership allows you to attend selection to try out to play for Scotland as part of the official national team. For this you must fulfull one of the FIH criteria, in brief: a) Born in Scotland; or b) Parent or grandparent born in Scotland; or c) Married to or in a civil partnership with a Scot as defined in (a) or (b); or d) Have the FIH defined period of continuous residency in Scotland.
FAQ: How do I get to play in an event?
Click on the link sent to you by email or here on the website in the Diary or news page. The Diary for the event shows either an Apply For poll or a detailed form to complete. Pre-registering your name does not commit you to attend but allows us to plan based on event popularity; so pre-registering is a great help. You are also welcome to email the Secretary to register your interest.
Once an Event Coordinator is appointed you will be contacted by email with further details. Note: until you accept the invitation from the Event Coordinator there is no financial commitment to the event but once you join the squad you are on the hook for the event playing costs (see procedures for more details).
What if I'm trying out for Scotland? Sign up for the Thistles event regardless. We are always proud when a Thistle become a Scotland player. You are elevated with our best wishes and no financial penalty. Why sign up? It allows us to judge popularity for the event and should your elevation to the "big team" not happen then you have a great Thistles event to look forward to.
FAQ: What is the difference between Open and Selected events?
In the past Thistles used to select the full National team and provide social teams for festivals. Festival hockey is still going strong and these, for us, are Open events. However based on the huge demand for competitive masters hockey outside of full international a new concept, Spirit of Masters, was launched for competing internationally. The standard in these events is very high and Thistles have responded by sending selected teams. All events are advertised and all are welcome to apply with the distinction being:
Open: May be streamed or limited by age but is open to all who wish to play. Excellent examples are: Lille (France), Dragons (Wales), Dundee (our own event) and Octoberfest (England LX) plus many other one off fixtures.
Selected: Needs to be streamed by age group with the Event Coordinator in conjuction with others able to select the squad. Examples are Tilburg (Holland), the new International Grand Masters Hockey Festival and World/European SoM Masters Cup.
FAQ: How do I attend training/open days?
Turn up! Actually it helps immensely to know in advance who is attending and to be informed when no longer attending. Click Diary (on the menu bar above) and find the event. There will be a poll asking you to add your name and email address. There is also a click here to withdraw which uses the email address you supplied.
Bring your own hockey playing equipment plus a white and a blue shirt for the team games. We ask everyone to be changed and ready on the pitch 10-15 minutes before the start. Use this time for personal warm-up, stretching and socialising. Bring the training fee (sometimes free), water and your own decision on food.
An open day is usually short format matches for the enjoyment of playing with members who you know or should get to know and socialising between games.
FAQ: I've been selected for an event; what now?
There is a new section all about this under Members Area.
FAQ: How do we stay informed during the match/event?
The Event Coordinator will advise on this - most commonly by a WhatsApp group. If you cannot use the chosen method please ensure the Event Coordinator is aware and perhaps buddy with someone who is using the chosen method.
FAQ: What is our playing kit?
There is a new section in the Members Area all about this
FAQ: Sourcing Thistles Shirts with Numbers and other playing kit
There is a new section in the Members Area all about this, including the new shirt order form.
FAQ: Tracksuits and Other Non-playing Kit
There is a new section in the Members Area all about this.
FAQ: Match Reports - Where do I find the match reports from events?
Match reports are stored on the Archive page (see menu at the top of all pages). For a short period reports are also easily accessed via News and also via Diary using the back arrow to access previous events.
FAQ: Event Photos - I have photos...
We like photos whether of the team, players in action or socialising. Send them in any normal format to either your Event Coordinator who will forward them to the relevant person for inclusion or the Secretary. Advise if you want us to include a specific caption or comment.
FAQ: Match Report - How do I submit one?
We like match reports and can accept reports whether in a more formal or a more personal style. Send the words and the images to the Event Coordinator and he will forward them to the relevant person. However please heed the following advice:
- No fancy layouts. Our web publishing software cannot accept them.
- Send photos separate individual files e.g. jpeg. The web publishing software handles them as individual files separate from the text.
- That said you can spend ages making a beautiful publishable document however we can only include it as a PDF or an image.
FAQ: Old Website - I want to search the old website for events and news prior to 2021
The old website (www.scotlandlx.org.uk) has now been incorporated as a sub-section of this new website and accessible under the Archive page.
FAQ: Email addresses - role @ our website address
All the new web addresses e.g. Secretary@ the website address of scottishthistleshockey.org are up and running, yet still we learn. Almost all mail is now arriving with members but can you please check your spam folders from time to time. If in doubt then send an email to ask.