A Time To Re-Model The Pro-League?

There can be little or no doubt that the premier hockey event outside of the Olympic Games and the World Cup is the European Hockey League.

Although with no links to the participating teams many in other parts of the world feel no connection. Yet as an event it is to be admired and even envied.

It has it all, excitement, great support, and outstanding hockey. In fact so passionate is the support it raises that age-old question as to whether people are more passionate about their club side than the national team. Several years ago Not The Footy Show carried out a small survey on the subject and in most nations where there were organised league competitions this proved to be the case. In nations where there was no organised national competition support for the national team appeared to be stronger.

Outside of the EHL it is fair to say that the only competition that has come close in terms of quality, interest and support would be the Hockey India League. That however was a competition only for men, the EHL has both genders competing. In Asia, the spiritual home of the game there is a great deal of regret that the Hockey India League has not returned, the last tournament taking place in 2017.

Following the success of these two tournaments one can understand why the management at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) at the time – almost all have since departed – wanted a slice of the pie. Along came the FIH Pro League which was announced in 2017, after apparently five years of planning and commenced in 2019.

This was supposed to be a home and away league competition played amongst nine international men’s and women’s teams over a six month period. From the very start there were question marks over the selection process and once the teams were announced we saw various nations withdraw. (Looking For Answers) Those who did pull-out then did not receive the sanctions that they were advised that any team would suffer should they change their mind. (Is the Pro League Heading In the Right Direction?)

There can be no doubt that the Covid pandemic impacted heavily on the competition in 2020 and it dragged out over two long years and fell out of many people’s minds. (A PRObable Record Breaker)

The third year of the competition is currently under way, yet the structure of the competition has changed again and so too the length of it. There is still next to no marketing to support the tournament and keep the public aware of it. Only the truly dedicated fans can tell you whom is playing, where and which nation is top of the league.

Is this purely down to no marketing? Is it because the league does not see games played along the lines of a normal league competition? Or is it because like many other sports there are now too many International matches?

In July 1968 against the touring Australians at Edgbaston Colin Cowdrey became the first Test Cricketer to play 100 Test Matches. The second player to reach that milestone was Geoffrey Boycott in 1981. In the 1980’s another eight players would reach that milestone, in the 1990’s there were ten. In the 22 years since the year 2000 there have been a further 51 international players to have reached that milestone, with Sachin Tendulkar reaching 200 Test matches.

In International Hockey we are also witnessing the number of caps received by international players rising dramatically. In both cases does that mean that we are witnessing too many international matches? (Too Much International Sport?) Is this why the viewing figures are in many cases declining?

Certainly the players cannot be blamed for the longevity of their careers, and being selected for so many matches. It is a credit to them. It shows a strength of will to keep wanting to perform and also great commitment and fitness, – especially in Hockey where payment is minimal – but despite that one feels that we are witnessing too many international games in a range of sports. The problem is in many of these sports we witness the top nations playing more games than their lesser opponents.

In Hockey in December 2019 the FIH introduced a new format for gaining World Ranking points. Unfortunately this new system heavily favours the top nations, who play more games and means that like cricket and rugby union the sport is creating a cartel at the top.

The FIH have planned to have a Hockey Nations Cup competition between the eight highest ranked teams outside of the FIH Pro League. The idea being that the top side will be promoted to the Pro League and the bottom side in the Pro League presumably relegated. This may add some level of additional interest, but how much will it cost these second tier nations in the long term? Just as we see in football promotion to the top division comes at a price and few can match the top teams financially. Will these nations suffer the same fate? How much funding will the relegated teams lose, and what position will they then find themselves in?

The issue that has plagued the FIH Pro League has been the financial modelling. Clearly the correct due diligence by those at the helm when it was conceived and the individual nations that nominated to be a part of the competition was flawed. If that is not the case then why are all parties crying foul financially? Why are we seeing the competition being re-modelled in its structure yet again, in just its fourth season? Let us not forget that the public were advised that this competition was “five years in the making.” You cannot blame everything on Covid. Clearly the money people thought the competition was going to generate in terms of sponsorship, merchandise, ticket sales and TV rights was grossly miscalculated.

One thing that the Covid pandemic did allow companies and sports was a chance to reassess, to remodel and evolve. One wonders if a global league is still the wise way to go. Should this be remodelled in the hope that competition can still continue, but without the arduous and expensive long trips?

Of course the vital question that needs to be answered before you can start to consider this is what is the aim of the FIH Pro League? What are the FIH and the participating nations expecting to get out of the competition? The answers to these questions will help determine the next step.

The FIH seems hellbent on continuing the league. Yet a league competition that does not have teams playing every weekend is always going to struggle to connect and engage with fans. Having Pro League matches clash with National League Finals and the EHL finals is foolish in the extreme, and will lose more fans. So maybe it is time to reinvent the league completely and make it more inclusive.

Just as we have seen in other sports the Pro League has thrown up an issue of club v country. Who does a player play for? In many cases the club pays more money, however if they are on a ‘scholarship’ with the international side there is an expectation and a commitment to fulfil the terms of that ‘scholarship’ agreement.

Few will deny that clubs are where players are developed. Once spotted they enter a regional or an international program where their talent is polished and fine-tuned so that they hopefully become an International player. So why are clubs being deprived of the opportunity to use the players that they developed and promote their club? Why are international matches being arranged that clash with domestic leagues?

There has been talk for over five years of coming up with an international calendar of events, one which avoids such clashes, but many are becoming frustrated about the lack of discussion being entered into between either the FIH, the confederations, the National Associations and the clubs. There has been plenty of finger-pointing but very few positive outcomes.

If the PRO League was created to streamline international competition then it still needs a great deal of work, as it has gone from being a five month competition to a nine month competition. A total of 72 matches are played in that period both in the men’s competition and women’s competitions.

If the idea was to keep hockey in the spotlight and on television for longer periods of time then maybe the competition needs to expand and become more global.

Currently in the FIH World rankings for men there are 93 teams listed. Of these 93 teams 29 come from Europe, 20 from Asia and Pan America, 10 from Africa and seven from Oceania. In the Women’s World Rankings 77 teams are listed, 25 from Europe, 19 from Pan America and 18 from Asia, with nine from Africa and eight from Oceania.

Would it not benefit the sport more to have the Pro League become a truly global competition involving many of these nations? Yes, there are confederation championships to decide which teams qualify for Olympic Games and World Cups, but could there not be a global competition held in each confederation that is run away from national league competitions?

Hypothetically, imagine two pools of six teams based on world rankings competing in a home and away league in Europe. The teams outside of the top twelve teams play a seperate competition similar to the proposed FIH Hockey Nations Cup. The top team is promoted and the bottom team from the top division is relegated. The two teams that finish last in their pool playing off to decide which is relegated.

The two teams that finish top progress to the FIH Pro League World Finals. The structure can be varied to suit the numbers in each confederation. For example in Africa it may be beneficial to have the teams simply play home and away.

There would be an issue with Oceania, where Australia and New Zealand are much stronger than their fellow Confederation members. Maybe it is time that Oceania and Asia combine in two divisions? Australia in football now plays in Asia so why not in Hockey? One feels that the Pacific Island nations taking on the lower ranked nations in Asia in order to try and climb the world rankings would be far more beneficial in developing the game than the current set-up. While the stronger nations along with Australia and New Zealand play in a home and away league with maybe three winning teams progressing to the Pro League World Finals, the bottom team would be relegated, and the top team in the tier two competition promoted. Once again the competition could be planned around domestic competitions in each country.

A similar set up could be arranged in Pan America and Africa.

This more regional competition will mean a huge saving in terms of travel costs as regional travel tends to be cheaper. It would also be cheaper and easier to manage. Also there is more opportunity to attract an airline as a competition partner. The competitions themselves would also have more appeal to television stations in those regions. The timing of matches is also likely to better suit television audiences. The sponsorship opportunities would also be greater as many companies will already be trading in these markets and would be willing to invest in order to gain greater exposure.

The FIH Pro League World Finals could then be played in one country along the lines of a tournament like the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup where each team that has qualified plays each other over a week, earning points on a league table. This format is crucial as after all it is a League competition, so throughout it must be competed along league lines. The team that finishes top at the end of that week is crowned the FIH Pro League Champions.

With the Champions Trophy no longer being contested this competition would see teams that have earned the right to play in the Finals compete. They would be the form teams, and the best from their Confederation. This in itself should generate interest, however the powers that be need to look at the rule book to ensure that different styles of play flourish. Regrettably we are witnessing a homogenised style that is killing the attributes that many Asian sides brought to the table that made the sport so exciting. Look at how India has had to adapt the way they play to be competitive.

Such a format would increase the exposure of the game globally. It would give ambitious nations a chance to show what they can do and how they can improve when tested against the best. More teams would be in a position to gain World ranking points. The FIH would have to introduce a syetem whereby World ranking points could only be won for key competitions so that the opportunity is equal and fair.

At the end of the day the Confederations would benefit from another meaningful competition, rather than bi-annual tournaments that act as qualifying events for the Olympic Games and the World Cup. It would be far more globally inclusive.

This is only a suggested format, but it is aimed at making the League more inclusive, and truly global. It is also aimed at assisting in growing the game in regions where they need top class games to help them achieve that goal.

If you look at Rugby Union, the Pacific Island nations have huge potential in their own right, but how often do the top ranked nations go and play them at home? England’s rugby team has not visited Fiji since 1988 and Western Samoa prior to that. Both of these nations are ranked just outside the top ten in World Rugby, so the only explanation is that Rugby has formed an elite club at the top like cricket. A protectionist ‘club’ where the historical top nations ensure they stay at the top. Does Hockey really want to create the same closed shop? Is that going to grow the game? Is it going to keep fans engaged?

“We strongly believe that this new competition will fuel the growth of our sport for many years to come, significantly increasing revenues for hockey.” These were the words of Jason McCracken in 2017, and he followed up with, “as a result it will become a professional sport.” It is questionable that the Pro League is growing the sport. In its current format it is not increasing revenues, in fact it is actually costing the game financially. Neither is it seeing the sport edge closer to full time professional athletes. So is it time to reevaluate and remodel?

If planned correctly the revamping of the League could dovetail with domestic competitions, and the finals have the potential to become a showpiece that may one day match the atmosphere and following of the EHL.

In the first three years of the FIH Pro League all of the changes we have witnessed have appeared to be band-aid solutions to try and stem the financial bleeding that the League has caused. If it is to stay, then surely it is time to alter it dramatically, in order to make it work, in order to have it as a proper league competition, globally? If it is not going to be reassessed maybe it is better to accept that those involved in the planning for five years did not cover all bases. Admit that they unfortunately got it wrong and put it to bed.