Real shops/ stores

Hi,

Hopefully this isn't a repeat of a thread (I apologise if it is!). I had a quick look, but previous ones seem to be about online stores, so here's my question...

I recently had some of my kit stolen and am now faced with having to replace it all. I mainly need to replace my stick, but unfortunately the Slazenger stick I did have is no longer being made.

Because of this I was wondering if anyone could recommend any hockey stores that I could physically go to, to try out the sticks before buying?

I heard there was a big warehouse / superstore style hockey shop in milton keynes but I haven't been able to find anything about this when searching online.

If anyone knows of any shops like this in London, that would be even better!

Thanks for your help!

Sorry to hear your stuff has been stolen

I live in London but havent seen any shops that are exlusively for hockey players...
If none of the big name hockey retailers have stores near you, i'd do the following:

Inter Sport shops usually stock a good range of hockey sticks and equipment - there are loads in London, just search their stores to find one near you.

http://www.intersport.co.uk/

My suggestion would be to pop in to one of those so you can try a few sticks. Then buy the actual stick cheaper online from one of the online hockey retailers

Morrant Sports is a popular shop with a lot of forum members in and around London. Details below.

Morrant Group Ltd
Unit 5 Station Estate
Eastwood Close
South Woodford
London
E18 1BY
Tel: 020 8530 5307
Fax: 020 8530 5350
E-Mail: info@morrant.com
Website: www.morrant.com
MAP
SHOWROOM OPENING HOURS:



Mon - Fri: 09:30 - 17:30
Saturday: 09:30 - 13:00
Sunday: 10:00 - 13:00

May I also suggest visiting the shop, getting some advice and thanking them by actually buying the stick from them rather than saving £7.50 from an online retailer, that way when you come to need your next new stick there will actually be a local shop still in business for you to go and look!!

If only there WAS a big hockey shop in Milton Keynes... please let me know if you do eventually track that one down.

I've also been to Morrant Sports, albeit many years ago, I chose (and bought) a great Dita stick from them, but my last few I've just taken a chance by ordering untested online.

Depends how near London you are looking at, but there is also Hobbs Sports in Cambridge. They usually (depending on the season) have a good selection of sticks and gloves etc, but I'd give them a call if you were making a special trip out there just to make sure they had stock and sizes of the sticks you might fancy.

Not sure how much they'll let you do to try the sticks (ask if you call), knocking about with a ball will probably be okay, but practising 16-yards hits, they might draw the line at that

This place runs a few shops, I've never been to the London branch but the Woking store has a decent range.
http://www.hockeycentre.com/contact/contact.aspx

Yes it is pretty good, it has a small hitting area as well. Good selection of 4-5 brands as well as a good selection of all the hockey accessories. Other alternative could be www.hockeydirect.com in St Albans but go online , see what you want and contact them before going as although they list a lot, I don't think they actually stock a lot.

You could also try wembley arena this Sunday as there is the Maxifuel indoor super sixes final and there are bound to be hockey stands/booths there.

But if, on the off chance you are up north there is no better show room than barrington sports in Knutsford

Credit card is staying at home for me then !! Tickets are only £12.50 , dont wanna end up shelling out ten times the amount on more Hockey Gear whilst there!

Shineeeeeeeey new stick. Must buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuy.

I tried www.hockeydirect.com in St Albans last year when looking for lots of keeper's kit, phoned up beforehand as LeT7 suggests to ask if they had the Grays G500 padded keeper shorts I wanted to try on, yes they said, so drove down there, only to be offered some outfield football shorts. Won't be going back there, but maybe I was just unlucky !

LeT7 also recommended Barrington Sports as having the best showroom. Has anyone been to both Barrington Sports and Gilmour Sports in Paisley so that they can compare the two, as I'd have rated Gilmour Sports as the best I've ever been to (handy if you go to Glasgow occasionally) ?

Sorry for taking the thread away from the London area the OP was interested in, but when you are spending £1K on a full keeper's kit, I was willing to travel to make the right selections

from MK it's only a short(ish) trip up the M1 to the Hockey Warehouse (not a great deal of stock on the web-site but far, far more in store...)

Does that mean they won't let me take one away and play a match with it before paying?? Damn

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, you have been really helpful. Hopefully I will get to go to one of the shops today or tomorrow and get myself a brand new stick! Yay!

did you get yourself sorted??

As I am playing in goal on saturday (first time in a match situation!) and have been borrowing quite a good stick from a friend, I decided to wait and see before buying a new one. Not sure why I have suddenly become all sensible!

If you don't mind going a bit further a field - Game, Set and Match in Chichester is great - they have a big store and will let you try everything out before you buy. The staff are really helpful and do know what they are talking about (the owner being an ex-East Grinstead player). They have a limited selection of kit listed on their website www.gsam.co.uk but have more instore so worth ringing them if you want something specific.

I bought my OBO CK custom helmet from them a couple of years ago and they were so helpful with sizing and ordered the helmet in specifically for me - still at sale price! Would thoroughly recommend them and worth the travel - do miss not being able to pop down to them now I've moved to Perth!

Guessing you mean former England captain, Ben Barnes

Thanks for the kind words we try to help as much as we can. Glad you had a good experience with us. And yes Ben did play for england and reading as well. Currently got him helping me out in Chichester 2's handy player to have!!!

Yes him . I wasn't aware he played for England to . Sorry Ben!

Your welcome. Genuinely the best service and advice I've had from a sport shop. Keep it up!

Is that the Woking one or the London one? Im in London and need a new stick and was wandering where the best place is to go get one, preferably where you can try it out