London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s announcement at the SportAccord conference in Berlin that the Greater London Authority and London Development Agency are committed to building a new hockey centre to house English hockey – regardless of the outcome of the 2012 Olympics bid – has raised concerns that the facility might be surplus to requirements.

The sport’s governing body, England Hockey, is already in serious financial difficulty and recently discovered its funding from Sport England is to be cut. The existing national stadium in Milton Keynes is not even functioning as a hockey facility – at present it is the temporary home for football club, Milton Keynes Dons.

England Hockey had previously stated that the future plans for the stadium would be decided after the release of a report from a team of consultants, and that this decision would not be made until after the 2012 announcement is made at the beginning of July.

Livingstone’s announcement appears to have forced England Hockey’s hand, as it is highly unlikely that both venues could be sustained.

Philip Kimberley, England Hockey’s executive chair, is quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying he is “not jumping up and down with excitement at the prospect of another stadium.”