Obituaries

Enquiry  Donate

 

Fazal ur Rehman 05 credit ur Rehman family
 

Fazal-ur-Rehman.

Photograph courtesy of the family.

 

 

15.03.1941 – 09.03.2023

Renowned for his artful stick work and soft wrists in controlling the hockey ball, Pakistani player Fazal-ur-Rehman has died at the age of 81, after a long illness. He was in the Pakistani team that won a gold medal at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico. Two years later he won a gold medal at the Asian Games in Bangkok. In 1971, he represented Pakistan in the first World Cup, held in Barcelona, when they won the gold medal. He went on to take part in the 1972 Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal.

Fazal, or Lala as he would later be known, was a very effective left half and retained a reputation as a defender who was hard to beat. He was also reliable with the conversion of penalty strokes at critical points. His hockey prowess was such that in 1971, he was awarded Pride of Performance, the highest civil award made by the Government of Pakistan, in recognition of his contributions to Pakistani hockey. The award is made to Pakistani citizens to record distinguished merit in the fields of literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science for civilians. In that year there were four awards to hockey players, including Tanvir Dar (and one to Zaheer Abbas, the renowned cricketer). By contrast, only one similar award was made in 1972 and 1973 and none between 1974 and 1977.

Surjit Singh Rihal, the former Kenya hockey captain, who played in the 1970 test match series against Pakistan said that "Fazal played for Pakistan at the time when the team had played together for a few years and had a good understanding of each other’s game. I had seen him playing in a few tournaments and then had the opportunity to play against him in 1970 in Nairobi. He was a skilful and crafty left half, who had a good control of the ball. He played with aggression and gave the opponents' forwards a tough time but was friendly off the field."

 

Early hockey

Fazal-ur-Rehman was born on 15 March 1941 in Abbottabad, the capital city of the Abbottabad District in the Hazara region of eastern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, some 75 miles north of Rawalpindi and 95 miles to the east of Peshawar.

He attended school at the Government Islamia High School in Abbottabad. Little is known publicly of his early days but he played hockey for his school team. On leaving school he joined Mardan Sugar Mills and played hockey for their team. Mardan Sugar Mills had opened in 1949 and was commissioned as the largest sugar refinery in the Indian subcontinent, initially handling cane sugar but later adding capacity for sugar beet.

He later improved and developed his hockey skills as a left-half on joining Osmania Hockey Club in Abbottabad.

 

Representing Pakistan

In April 1965, at the age of 24, Fazal-ur-Rehman was selected for the Pakistan national side that toured Indonesia. In Jakarta, Pakistan faced Malaysia in two games and were defeated 0-8 in both of them. He made his international debut in the first of these matches.

In August the national team travelled to Kenya for seven games. The first three, on 22 and 29 August (in City Park, Nairobi) and 8 September (in Kisumu) were goalless draws. The fourth ended in defeat 1-2 on a murrum (gravel) pitch in Nairobi. The fifth was played on turf in Mombasa and Pakistan won 1-0. On 25 September 1965, the sixth game ended in a 1-1 draw in Nairobi. The final game was played in Kampala when Pakistan faced Uganda, who defeated them 3-1. There were reports of an additional game against Zanzibar but no further details have been unearthed.

He was also a regular part of domestic hockey from 1966 to 1975, playing for the Pakistan International Airline team. The national carrier celebrated sports and the spirit of sportsmanship by extending generous sponsorships. PIA had created a division solely dedicated to sports in 1958. Its interest in hockey was encouraged by Air Chief Marshal Nur Khan, who was PIA's chairman from 1959 to 1965 and recognised as responsible for putting the airline on a proper and respected footing. He later became President of the Pakistan Hockey Federation in 1967 for two years and then again from 1976 until 1984. His initiative led to the establishment of the Champions Trophy and World Cup tournaments for hockey.

In 1966, Fazal-ur-Rehman was selected for Pakistan team to play in the Hamburg 12 Nations hockey tournament. Pakistan faced West Germany on 14 May 1966 and lost 0-3. They followed this with 1-0 victories against Belgium on 25 May 1966 and Switzerland on the next day. On 28 May 1966, Pakistan drew 1-1, first with Poland and then India, before beating Great Britain 3-0 on 21 May 1966. On the next day, Pakistan were defeated by the Netherlands 2-1. They finished the tournament in fifth place, behind India, the Netherlands, West Germany and Belgium.

This was followed by a series of four matches at home to West Germany in which they were unbeaten: a 2-0 win in Lahore on 25 September 1966, a 1-0 win on 28 September 1966 in Rawalpindi, 3-1 in Peshawar on 30 September 1966 and finally a goalless draw in Karachi on 4 October 1966.

Another tour to Kenya followed in November 1966, when Pakistan beat Kenya 1-0 in the first game and then drew 1-1. Kenya won the third 1-0 on 12 November, which result Pakistan reversed on the following day, winning again by the same margin on 19 November. The series ended in a 1-1 draw.

During the same season, he played in the Asian Games in Bangkok. Pakistan drew 0-0 with Japan at the Thephasadin Stadium on 12 December 1966 and followed that with a 5-0 defeat of Hong Kong and a 13-0 win against Thailand, they beat Malaysia 5-1 in the semi-final before playing India in the final on 19 December 1966, which India won 0-1. Soon after these Games, Fazal-ur-Rehman was omitted from the Pakistan team and was not selected for the home series against Netherlands and Australia.

 

 

Fazal ur Rehman 04 credit ur Rehman family
 
Fazal ur Rehman 03 credit ur Rehman family
 

Top: Fazal-ur-Rehman (to the right of the goalkeeper) in action during the 1967 Pre-Olympic Tournament in London.

Bottom: The Pakistan team and their liaison officers upon arrival for the 1967 Tournament in London.

Photographs courtesy of the family of Fazal-ur-Rehman.

 

He was recalled for the Pre-Olympic Tournament in London in 1967. At the Oval Cricket Ground in Kennington, Pakistan beat Belgium 2-0 on 18 October 1967 and followed it with 1-0 victories over the Netherlands and India. They followed the London tournament with a trip to the Netherlands where they played out a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in Amstelveen at the Wagener Stadium on 29 October 1967. Fazal-ur-Rehman equalised for Pakistan in the 63rd minute.

Pakistan hosted a Pre-Olympic Festival in Lahore from 20 January until 28 January 1968 but Fazal-ur-Rehman was injured and unable to play. Pakistan faced six opponents, Spain, Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka) Singapore, Malaysia, West Germany and Kenya. They were undefeated and were only held to a draw by Kenya in the final game. He remained injured for a home series against Kenya that began on 31 January 1968.

After regaining fitness, he was picked for in Pakistan team for an international hockey festival in Nairobi and in test matches against Uganda later in the season. He was then dropped, in preference to Gulrez Akhtar, for the series of three test matches against Japan in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi in early July, all of which resulted in wins for Pakistan.

However, he regained the selectors’ confidence and was included on the Pakistan team for the Olympic Games in Mexico City in October 1968. In their pool games Pakistan defeated the Netherlands 6-0, France 1-0, Australia 3-2, Argentina 5-0, Great Britain 2-1, Kenya 2-1 and Malaysia 4-0. That gave them a place in the semi-finals, where they faced West Germany and defeated them 1-0, with a goal from Hahmood in the 16th minute. In the final on 26 October 1968, they beat Australia 2-1 to take the Olympic gold medal.

 

Fazal ur Rehman 02 credit ur Rehman family
 

Fazal-ur-Rehman (left), possibly taken in Kenya in 1970.

Photograph courtesy of the family of Fazal-ur-Rehman.

 

In September 1969, Fazal-ur-Rehman travelled to Europe with the Pakistan team for matches against West Germany, drawing 2-2 in Munich on 7 September 1969, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 in Amstelveen, England 1-0 at Edgbaston in Birmingham and then being held 0-0 by France in Paris. The final two matches were in Barcelona and Terrassa, where they defeated Spain 2-1 on 29 September 1969 and 3-1 on 1 October 1969. Back home in late December 1969, two games were played against Argentina, with wins of 5-0 and 9-1 in Lahore.

In 1970, Fazal-ur-Rehman again accompanied the Pakistan team to tour Kenya to play three matches, each at the City Park Stadium in Nairobi. On 23 August 1970, Pakistan won 3-0 but then lost 0-1 in the second on 28 August 1970. The third match, held a day later, had to be abandoned after 51 minutes when Pakistan were leading 1-0. There was fighting between the players and some of the crowd invaded the pitch.



Fazal ur Rehman 01 credit ur Rehman family
 

Fazal-ur-Rehman in action (right) against Jagjit Singh Kular at City Park Stadium, Nairobi, 1970.

Photograph courtesy of the family of Fazal-ur-Rehman.

 

The 1970 Asian Games hockey tournament was held in Bangkok from 10 December until 19 December. South Korea and Indonesia withdrew and Ceylon were moved to balance the teams in each grouping. Pakistan defeated Japan 3-0, Hong Kong 10-0 before drawing 0-0 with Thailand. In the semi-finals, they beat Malaysia 5-0 and defeated rivals India in the final for the gold medal. The winning goal was scored in the 98th minute after a first period of extra time had failed to separate the sides.

In 1971, he was again part of the Pakistan team which participated in the inaugural edition of the Hockey Men's World Cup in Barcelona. There was no qualification for entry. The top ten teams from five continents were invited by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on merit based upon performances in the Olympic Games. The teams were divided into two groups of five, with the top two proceeding to the semi-finals after the round-robin stage. In its four preliminary matches, Pakistan suffered a defeat 2-3 to Spain on 18 October 1971, drew 3-3 with the Netherlands but won 5-2 against Australia and 1-0 against Japan.

In the semi-finals, they faced India once again and came out on top 2-1, coming from behind. The final was played on 24 October 1971 and Pakistan defeated Spain by a solitary goal scored by Akhtar-ul-Islam in the 26th minute to win the first men’s World Cup and the gold medal. The next day, the journalists covering the competition selected a World XI. It included three Pakistanis, left-half Fazal-ur-Rehman, inside left Asad Malik and left winger Shahnaz Sheikh.

 

Newspaper cutting World XI 1971

 

In 1972 Pakistan undertook a short tour of the Netherlands and Poland, winning three and losing once. It was then on to the Olympic Games in Munich. Fazal-ur-Rehman was selected for Pakistan. In two pools of eight teams, the top two were rewarded with a place in the semi-finals. Pakistan defeated France 3-0 in their first game on 27 August 1972 and on the next day drew 1-1 with Spain. They next faced Uganda and won 3-1.

Their next game was against West Germany who scored in the 57th minute to win 2-1. It was a physical match and generated considerable disagreement and argument. The Times commented that the game was “marred by ugly incidents… Early in it seemed that Pakistan stick obstruction and German body checking could lead to a bad clash.” Germany’s Peters and Rashid of Pakistan slashed at each other with their sticks and were given yellow cards. “The whole of the first half saw little of the hockey both sides can play and too many fouls.” Pakistan did their cause and temperament little good failing to convert two penalty strokes in the first half awarded for stops with the foot on the line.

Two days later they beat Malaysia 3-0 and Belgium 3-1 on the following day. That put them second in the group two points adrift of West Germany who were undefeated. Each had scored 17 goals but Pakistan had conceded one more.

In the semi-finals, Pakistan faced India and won 2-0. Pakistan moved the ball wide and across the pitch while India relied on sudden individual breaks by Harbinger and Ashok. Following the two missed penalty strokes against West Germany, ur-Rehman took over penalty stroke duties for Pakistan, awarded when Zaman’s shot was stopped on the line by an Indian foot. He converted in the eleventh minute for the lead. The final was held on 10 September 1972 against West Germany. Much of the tension in the earlier group match remained. The Germans’ man-to-man marking, with Krause described as shoulder to shoulder with Rashid throughout, led first to obstruction, then stick tapping and then scything tackles.

At the start Baumgart missed a simple chance from eight yards for Germany. Zaman of Pakistan deflected Germany’s first short corner shot hard by Krause off the line. Rehman, described by The Times correspondent as “a cool hand if ever there was one” twice cut out the final pass deep in the circle before a Malik breakaway and pass to Rashid, whose weak shot was saved. Following up, Malik shot wide. It was said to have been a “terrible miss and Pakistan were never to come so close to scoring again.”

West Germany won 1-0 with a goal from Krause in the 60th minute. It was the first Olympic title for a European side since 1920. The victory was marred by the behaviour of Pakistani players, fans and some officials. In the last ten minutes the umpires, Richard Jewell of Australia and Horacio Servetto of Argentina had to stop play twice, to allow for encroaching Pakistani fans to be removed from the pitch. Pakistan’s players and officials repeatedly remonstrated with the umpires.

At the end of the match, Pakistani fans and officials invaded the pitch and assaulted West German police and stadium security. A bucket of water was poured over the head of the FIH President René Frank. At the medal ceremony, the Pakistani players refused to wear their silver medals. Later, the eleven Pakistani players were banned for life from their national team. This led to a high-level apology, following which the ban was reduced to two years (and eight played in the next Olympic Games). The game itself was described by Brian Lewis of The Times as a poor end to a magnificent tournament.

The FIH had proposed to hold a match between the Olympic champions and a Rest of the World XI in Berlin on Sunday after the final. Its officials had requested that the Olympic hockey programme be concentrated to have the final played on a Saturday. This was not accepted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and led to the cancellation of the representative match, for which Fazal-ur-Rehman had been nominated for selection for the Rest of the World team.

The final was therefore Rehman’s last appearance in international hockey. He had collected four gold medals and three silver medals in an international hockey career from 1965 until 1972 After retiring from active hockey, he established the Fazal Hockey Club and coached youngsters until his death.

His sons Inam and Shujah played junior hockey for Pakistan. Inam represented Pakistan in the Junior Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 2000 and Fazal’s nephew Naeem Akhtar also played international hockey for Pakistan and won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

 

Colin Greenhalgh Boxing Day 2015
 
Colin Greenhalgh, Boxing Day 2015.
Photograph courtesy of the family.

 

22.07.1931 – 19.12.2022

Colin Greenhalgh died on 19 December 2022 at the age of 91. He was the Secretary of Hampstead Hockey Club (before it became Hampstead & Westminster HC) for an unprecedented term of 11 years until 1971, in the days when that post covered virtually the entire administration of Club affairs.

As the Club grew and prospered in later years and in particular after its move to Paddington Recreation Ground (that brought with it the consolidation of a women’s section and greater success on the pitch) there is no doubt that this came about, in no small measure, through Colin’s dedication to the Club in earlier years and his remarkable leadership and other attributes.

Colin was a true gentleman in everything he did. He always had a smile. Almost single handedly, he navigated the Club through troublesome times at Hornsey (a north London district in the London Borough of Haringey), with frequently waterlogged pitches at Tivoli Road. This was combined with comparatively poor match results and when morale was often at a low ebb. Colin was found frequently engaged in struggles with the Hornsey Club, whose ground it was and whose cricket members were generally reluctant to expend funds in improving the playing surfaces in winter. The negotiations of tenancy agreements for the Club’s use of the ground in winter tended to be afflicted with the same sensations of quagmire. 

 

Childhood and education

Colin was an only child, born on 22 July 1931 in Stockport to Harold Greenhalgh, who worked behind the counter in Boot’s, and Marjorie Batt, who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and was wheelchair-bound for most of her life.

During his primary school years, Colin and his parents left Manchester under the threat of bombing in World War 2. He was evacuated to Blackpool, where he lived for a number of years with a couple he had never met before – he went from being an only child to being a solitary child without even his parents. Prompted by the experiences of Manchester during World War 2, his parents then moved in 1942 to the most remote place they could find – Holyhead on Anglesey.

Colin had just turned 11 and had been hoping to attend King Edward’s Grammar School in Manchester. The move put this out of the question. He was unable to be admitted to the local grammar school, Rhyl GS, but did obtain a place at St Asaph GS. That involved at least a 1.5-hour journey by bus and train. Peter Macauley-Owen, the Head Teacher and Maths Teacher at the school, spotted Colin’s mathematical abilities and prepared him to enter for a scholarship to Oxford University – which he achieved.

 

Career

His solitary childhood made him fearless of adventure. Having finished his exams one summer, he took off by his motorbike to Wimbledon, to see if he could get a job, which he did – updating the manual scoreboards at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships.

After graduating, Colin went into the world of market research. He worked for the British Market Research Bureau, SmithKline Beecham and Taylor Nelson. In 1973, he set up his own market research company – Product Testing Research. This allowed him to carry out pure research, as well as commercial projects.

In one piece of work, he purchased many boxes of small soap samples – all smelling exactly the same. He labelled them with different codes and then asked members of the public to smell them and indicate which smell they preferred. He wanted to understand the innate bias that people have for some letters over others – the obvious being A over B or X over Y – but there were also other less obvious and product related preferences. For example, the letter P always came out very well and Colin concluded this was down to an assumption that people were smelling a Pears soap.

Through this project he managed to find codes for putting on samples that would not have any built-in bias. He was also the first person, in this country at least, to develop exit polls and conduct them in a way that would properly represent the electorate across the country.

Colin received two gold medals from the European Society of Market Research for his work.

 

Sporting and recreational pursuits

At Oxford University, Colin played tennis and hockey for Jesus College. He kept them up afterwards – hockey in his younger years and tennis when he became older. With tennis initially at Teddington Tennis Club and later at what started as informal tennis at Carlisle Park and then Hampton School, Colin became involved in the administration, introduced structure and demanded standards, especially over notifying him of attendance.

 

Colin Greenhalgh Jesus College Oxford
 
 Jesus College Hockey Club, Oxford University: Colin is seated far left as viewed from the camera.
Photograph courtesy of the family.

 

He took a similar approach to the amateur dramatics – taking over the running of committees. His love of amateur dramatics took over once he became less able to run around a pitch. Colin became increasingly involved and requisitioned his own house as a rehearsal room and for making props.

 

Colin Greenhalgh Charleys Aunt Teddington Theatre Club
 
Colin in the play Charley’s Aunt (where he played the character Brassett), with Teddington Theatre Club.
Photograph courtesy of the family.

 

On his move to Cornwall to be closer to his daughter Sally, Colin enjoyed going to Tideford Cricket Club to watch one of his grandsons play cricket and to Lux Park in Liskeard to watch the other playing hockey for the Caradon Hockey Club. Several spectators at Caradon HC are now probably more conversant with Hampstead Hockey Club than their own club.

 

Of Colin and Hampstead Hockey Club

Colin was elected a member of Hampstead Hockey Club on 14 November 1955. He was a moderate hockey player, predominantly a half back in the 3rd XI, alongside John Chaumeton, who captained the side in the early 1960s. Sometimes Colin was called up to the 2nd XI – for example against Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) on 10 March 1962 – and was happy to drop down a team (such as agreeing to play for the 5th XI against Cheam on 27 October 1963 and to be a reserve for the 4th XI on 30 January 1966) when the need arose. He frequently volunteered as an umpire, conscious of the few that were willing to officiate. In October 1962, facing the usual initial enthusiasm generated by the optimism of a new season, the Club ran a Wanderers XI, in effect a sixth team and Colin played for them.

Under John Chaumeton, the 3rd XI went undefeated in the 1962-63 season at Christmas, with six wins and three draws, scoring 29 goals and conceding 15. This run could not be sustained however and a rude reminder was given by St Albans, who won 7-0 on 31 March 1963.

On 7 October 1957, Colin was appointed 3rd & 4th XI Secretary and became a member of the Club’s Committee upon taking up the post of Assistant Hon. Secretary to Hugh Wickham, having been proposed by Morley Pecker at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 11 April 1958. He was busy straightaway, eager that something should be done about recruiting good College players to the Club for the forthcoming season. He also encouraged the formation of a 5th XI.

On 1 April 1960, Colin was appointed Hon. Secretary, in succession to Hugh Wickham, who was thanked at the AGM “for five difficult years”. Hugh agreed to act as Fixture Secretary and Colin found further support from a trio of respected members, Stan Elgar as Treasurer, Noel Cardoza as captain of the 1st XI and Hugh Avey as Match Secretary. Together they sought to revive the days of the mid 1950s when the Club had so rapidly restored its playing fortunes after it was re-formed in 1951.

Almost immediately, Colin became involved in the search for additional pitches, especially if the Club was to expand with the formation of a fifth team. On 8 December 1960, he reported to the Committee that he was pursuing an extra pitch at St Aloysius’ College and had made contact with Finchley Borough Council, Hornsey Borough Council, the London County Council and J F Lyons Sports Club to seek an additional ground. The only positive response was from London County Council that offered space at Victoria Park in Hackney.

Colin was prepared to risk favour by his suggestion of introducing a match fee, to cover the cost of teas, the post-match shandies and the first round of the beer kitty. The other members of the Committee were less than enthusiastic and regarded it as undesirable, suggesting instead that the responsibility for covering such matters should be left to team captains.

In March 1961, Colin agreed to act as Team Secretary for the Spaniards, then the Sunday team of mixed ability that usually toured to play varied opponents, not necessarily in the immediate vicinity. Colin was a significant supporter of the Spaniards and later, with Hugh Wickham, of the Puritans HC. As Secretary, one pleasure at the time was to convey the Club’s congratulations to Jim Deegan upon his selection for England.

In January 1962, Colin devised the Club Bulletin, intended to notify members of team selections, replacing the postcard system that had operated for a few years. It would also provide an opportunity to relate current news of the Club. In the first edition he set out his thoughts:

“This bulletin comes to you by way of an experiment … This could have several advantages, not the least of which, I hope, will be that you will have a much clearer idea of where not only your own team but also the whole club is going from week to week, who is winning and who is losing, who is being promoted et cetera. And it also provides a useful vehicle for getting odd snippets of news to you which do not warrant a circular of their own. I hope I shall be able to make this bulletin business work: if you have any suggestions for improving it (without adding to the workload involved) please let me know.”

This set in train a sequence of Bulletins that were continued in regular form throughout Colin’s stewardship and continued by Richard Shaw, Dave Teale and Norman Borrett, before they began to decline in influence.

Colin was also a supporter of the Spaniards on their visits to the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) Easter Hockey Festival at Teddington, when the Spaniards B XI represented the Club. Colin took part in at least four consecutive events.

Some of the most challenging aspects of Colin’s tenure were his dealings with the Hornsey Club. The state of the grass pitches in winter bedevilled the Club for almost 30 years before artificial surfaces began to appear and ease the burden. The cricketer members of the Hornsey Club tended to benefit from the dry conditions of the summer, possibly unaware of the adverse effects of autumn rains and the underlying London clay geology in autumn and winter months. Or, if they were aware, they were ill prepared to accept a burden of expenditure to make the grass pitches usable in winter. It may have been an unwillingness to accept interference in the maintenance of the ground for the summer’s cricket.

The Club had moved to Hornsey after a few torrid years of finding a home ground in the mid-1950s and was eager to establish something a little more permanent. As an example of the rather awkward dealings with the Hornsey Club that were to predominate affairs for the next few years, in November 1962, Colin reported to the Committee his correspondence and conversations with the Hornsey Club officials since the preceding August.

These were to the effect, first, that the Club was to be given notice to leave the Hornsey Club at the end of the current season because of the continuing deterioration of the outfield but, second, (and rather mercurially) because a full-time groundsman had been appointed and had started work, this notice was withdrawn. Instead, the Hockey Club’s tenancy was assured to the end of the 1963-64 season (at the existing rent of £150 for the season but to be renegotiated for 1963-64) and then to be reviewed in the light of the state of the outfield. After discussion about this and the long-term future, the Hockey Club’s Committee agreed to offer the previous negotiated rent of £175 for that season and to ask the Hornsey Club to meet a negotiating Sub Committee to discuss next season and thereafter.

In light of the threat of eviction, the Sub Committee began to explore other options. One that was negotiated at some length was to play at The Oval Cricket Ground. In February 1965, Colin reported that Surrey County Cricket Club had finally rejected the Club’s application, despite the intervention of Cyril Wilkinson, CBE, a former Hampstead Hockey player and 1920 Olympic gold medal winner, who had also captained Surrey CCC.

Colin added that the Sub Committee had carried out an extensive search of North London, which had not been very encouraging. Many other grounds large enough already accommodated football or rugby. There were one or two possibilities, including Finchley Cricket Club and South Hampstead Cricket Club. It was agreed a 12 months’ extension at Hornsey would help in investigating these possibilities thoroughly. Colin was asked to approach the Hornsey Club accordingly but, in the meantime, the Sub Committee was given freedom to make other approaches felt desirable.

In November 1966, Colin was able to report that a five-year Agreement had finally been exchanged with the Hornsey Club. The promised perimeter drainage was due to be installed within a week or so. However, that good news was rather quickly dissipated, as frequently seemed to be the case.

As a grant from the Ministry of Education was now unlikely to materialise for a year, the Hockey Club would need to fund the £50 balance of the cost of the drain. At least turf had now been laid on the second pitch extension to make possible its enlargement for viable hockey in the new year. Frustratingly, it was believed that the Hornsey Club had increased the price of teas to 2/6, contrary to the recently signed Agreement (in which prices were quoted at 2/-). The Hockey Club had reluctantly agreed that if this price increase were confirmed, the Hockey Club would need to ask for lower quality teas to sustain the price of 2/- in order to keep the matchday kitty within its previously accepted level. However, in view of the likely £50 (for the perimeter drainage) it was agreed the Hockey Club ought not to run a deficit again. It therefore accepted the need to raise the matchday kitty to 7/6 per game, leaving 3/- per game as a contribution to club funds.

In September 1969, Colin reported to the Committee his discussions with the Hornsey Club over the Hockey Club’s request to renew the mole drainage beneath the playing surface. The groundsman was reported to be resolutely opposed, as he reckoned that it could not be done by him at economic cost. Colin felt that this advice had to be accepted, provided the groundsman agreed to explore how the renewal could be carried out economically next year. Unabashed, the Hornsey Club then demanded a contribution towards the estimated cost of £40 to fertilise the ground that autumn. The Hockey Club agreed not to accede, given the Hornsey Club’s contractual obligation to provide adequate hockey pitches. Instead, it was agreed to try to purchase a self-propelled spiker that the groundsman felt would be valuable (even if providing it might exceed the budget of £100 set by the Hockey Club).

Perhaps the best example of the tortuous nature of the negotiations is the summary provided by Colin to the Committee on 1 June 1970. At a meeting with the Hornsey Club representatives, it had been agreed:

  • To enter into a contract with Sherwoods for ploughing, levelling and re-seeding one half of the outfield in the coming autumn;
  • To instal the necessary land drains for effective mole drainage at the same time;
  • To provide mole drainage equipment and a suitable tractor for moling this autumn and whenever necessary later; and
  • To plough, level and re-seed the other half of the outfield in the following autumn, or as soon as the first half was ready to accommodate hockey again.

The Hornsey Club had also agreed a method of financing these works that would involve:

  • The Hockey Club contributing £500 to the total estimated cost of £1,300;
  • The Hockey Club extending a loan to the Hornsey Club by putting up an initial £600 of the £900 investment that autumn;
  • The Hornsey Club granting the Hockey Club a ten-year tenancy, of which the first five years’ rent would be £400 (for winter and summer play) and the remainder of the term at a “slightly higher” rent, to be agreed; and
  • The loan to the Hornsey Club to be repaid by a rebate in the first five years’ rent in the order of £110 per annum.

In addition, while only one pitch was available at Hornsey, the rent would be reduced by the cost of hiring a replacement pitch (but at the cheapest rate, for the benefit of the Hornsey Club). Colin understood that the Hornsey Club Committee has agreed this outline proposal (including that of the Treasurer regarding the capital expenditure) and on that basis it was also approved by the Hockey Club’s Committee.

On 6 August 1970, Colin was able to report that the order for the groundworks, agreed with the Hornsey Club and recorded in the Minutes, had been placed. However, he then learnt that the Hornsey Club had (apparently without notice) sought the advice of the Bingley Sports Turf Research Institute, who had advised that sub-soil cultivation and heavy sanding would provide better drainage than mole drains, though their recommendation on the quantity of sand would involve considerably higher cost. As a result, it was recognised that a further meeting was needed with the Hornsey Club to agree a revised scheme – provided the cost of the sanding would be similar to the amounts in the original agreement.

Colin also had a pivotal role in agreeing the date of the Club’s 75th anniversary in 1969 and how it should be celebrated. Odd though it might seem, the anniversary date was in some doubt, with suggestions that it should take into the account the start of hockey played as a section of Hampstead Cricket Club, which, at its latest, was in 1890 – and not the date when the hockey players seceded from Hampstead Cricket Club in 1894 to form their own hockey club.

To mark that anniversary Colin wrote and published Hampstead Hockey Club 1894-1969: A Short History (pictured) drawing upon archive material that had been passed to him as Secretary (and that at one time was thought to have been lost). Its 41 pages include a succinct narrative of the 75 years, a tailpiece containing the reminiscences of former players and members Jack Bennett, Ruari Milsted and John Sankey, as well as schedules listing representative honours, administrative honours and the officers of the Club.

 

Hampstead HC A Short History cover

 

A postscript to book added:

“The best works of scholarship always have a contribution by that well-known busybody, Another Hand. This one is necessary to point out a grave omission. The lynchpin of Hampstead Hockey Club for the past decade is someone who has barely received a mention in this otherwise excellent history. Colin is coming up for his tenth year as a devoted and indefatigable Honorary Secretary. The amount of time he gives to Club affairs is heroic. His annual intervention at the Club Dinner, if not always printable, is a highlight of the London season. No one in the last 75 years has deserved the praise and thanks of members more.”

Another significant achievement for Colin was in persuading Peter Boizot to join the Club when he enquired in 1967, having been rebuffed by two other leading London clubs. That connection was something that Peter frequently mentioned and made evident the respect that he had for Colin. Peter’s benevolence to the club and hockey (and things Peterborough related) has become the stuff of legend.

Colin retired as the Secretary of the Club at the AGM on 1 April 1971. The Chairman, Jeremy Potter announced that on Colin’s retirement after 11 years in office, he, the Vice Presidents and members wished to mark their appreciation by the presentation of a pair of decanters. The minutes read, “Mr Greenhalgh, who was specifically instructed by the meeting to minute these sentiments, coupled with gratitude to Mrs Greenhalgh for her tolerance, thanked the club for the elegance and totally unexpected munificence of their gift and, in outlining the achievements (and some of the minor disappointments) of the Club’s last 11 years, said that the pleasure of serving such an admirable membership had been reward enough in itself.”

Colin did agree to remain a member of the Committee, which he did until standing down in 1974 at the same time as Peter Boizot; in the latter’s case as he was about to launch a campaign to become a Member of Parliament for Peterborough.

In later years, Colin was instrumental in maintaining a dialogue between the club and its former players and members, especially through his regular newsletters to those he called Old Members or OMs. He was already on hand to include past Presidents and stalwarts when in poor health and to pay them visits to boost morale. In March 1989, after the death was announced of John Sankey, renowned as one of the three who managed the Club’s revival in 1950 after the dispersal of members at the end of World War 2, his daughter discovered two whistles that John had used and donated them to the Club. They were mounted and framed by Colin and presented to the Club. Colin requested that they be named the Sankey Siffleurs and awarded for some extraordinary commitment to umpiring in the Club.

The Club tended to turn to Colin for anecdotes. One of the more entertaining was of the events that gave rise to the dents in the original Barnard Cup – a Club trophy awarded to the captain of the side with the best playing record each season. These dents came from it hitting the tarmac when deliberately thrown from a car at speed on the A3 Kingston By Pass by a disgruntled non player, fed up with the disproportionate attention given by the other occupants to hockey. Soon after the same Barnard Cup was stolen in broad daylight from the Carlton Tavern, an insurance claim was successfully made, despite there being no photograph of the Cup. Colin made a sketch drawing of it from memory, which proved sufficient to support the claim.

Colin was also a significant contributor to the debate over the expansion of Vice Presidents of the Club, promoted at the time by Peter Boizot. Colin provided a valuable oversight and measure of proportionality, conscious of the roles of past Vice Presidents when far fewer in number. He encouraged the formation of cohorts of similar aged former players in four distinct groups, conscious of the differing experiences of the Club within those age groups and for the better (or more informed) understanding of how to communicate with them.

 

Colin Greenhalgh VPs 02
 
Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club Vice Presidents.
Seated centrally, from left to right: Anthony Swing, Colin Greenhalgh, Alan Kurtz and Peter Boizot.
Photograph courtesy of Ian Smith.

 

Colin’s Passing and Funeral

Colin moved from Hampton to Liskeard in Cornwall in 2016. His daughter reported that her father died peacefully in his sleep on the night of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) World Cup Final, having enjoyed the evening watching the victorious Argentina, the team he had favoured to win. His funeral was held on 14 January 2023 in Hampton, where his ashes and those of his wife were scattered on the Thames at the end of the road where they had lived for many years.

 

By Ian Smith,
Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club Historian.

Explore the incredible website dedicated to the Club's history and heritage: Hampstead & Westminster Hockey Club: through the years | hwhockey.co.uk

 

Sources

  1. The Minute Books of Hampstead Hockey Club 1954-1975.
  2. Bulletins of Hampstead Hockey Club, ed. Colin Greenhalgh.
  3. Personal recollections of Sally Daulton.
  4. Hampstead Hockey Club 1894-1969 – A Short History by Colin Greenhalgh.
  5. Website hwhockey.co.uk (The Registry of Hampstead & Westminster HC).
  6. Hockey News magazine.

Bill Felton

 

08.02.1940 – 13.02.2023

The Hockey Museum is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Felton after a sudden illness on 13 February, five days after his 83rd birthday. Bill was an incredibly active administrator within hockey who was recognised for his outstanding services to our sport.

Born on 8 February 1940, he left school at 16 and worked as a shipbroker at the Baltic Exchange in London. He retired at age 55 but continued on a consultancy basis.

Bill did not play hockey but began umpiring in Essex in the late 1980s after his son, who was a junior international, went to university. For many years in the 1990s he ran the Centenary Club which organised travel for supporters to England games away from home. Bill built up an amazing camaraderie between those on the trips, alongside another fantastic servant of the sport, Kate Billson, who sadly passed away in 2020.

He was President of the East Region Hockey Association in 2008-09 and Chairman of England Hockey’s Youth Trust. In 2007 the Hockey Writers’ Club awarded Bill the Sydney Friskin Memorial Silver Goblet for outstanding service to the sport.

Bill was a tournament director and a very active match official clocking up many games in the East and in London. He was a conscientious, super-organised official who always worked closely with teams to establish a good relationship.

Stephen Barlow, England Hockey’s Competitions Manager, said on hearing the news: “Bill was a great ambassador for the sport; his friendly face was a welcome one when you arrived for a game; you knew you’d be in safe hands but a smile and a joke would never be far away.”

Bill, who lived in Hoddesdon, Herts, leaves a daughter Julia and a son Clive.

The Hockey Museum sends its sincere condolences to Bill’s family.

 

Bill Felton – Funeral Arrangements

Bill’s funeral will take place on Wednesday 8 March at 10:00 at Woollensbrook Crematorium followed by a Celebration of Life for both Bill and his wife Maureen at Brickendon Grange Golf Club.

Bill always wanted to have an event to celebrate his wife’s earlier passing but COVID-19 restrictions prevented that. It is fitting to acknowledge them together. They were married for nearly 55 years and were lifelong partners.

To ensure effective catering, it would be appreciated if those attending the Celebration of Life could email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. advising their name and how many people are attending as there is limited capacity at the venue.

For those unable to attend on the day, the service will be live streamed on the web. To obtain a password to watch please email the above address.

As opposed to flowers, any donation in support of the Stroke Association would be greatly appreciated: Julia Felton is fundraising for Stroke Association (justgiving.com)


Addresses

Woollensbrook Crematorium - 9BS, Hertford Rd, Hoddesdon EN11 9BN.

Brickendon Grange Golf Club - Pembridge Ln, Brickendon Grn, Hertford SG13 8PD.

Joan Wall early 1950s
 
Joan Wall (née Barnett), early 1950s.
Courtesy of the family.

 10.10.1933 – 05.02.2023

The Hockey Museum (THM) is saddened to report the recent death of Joan Wall (née Barnett) – an ex-England international player who also had an outstanding record in the development and promotion of hockey before becoming one of the first volunteers to support The Hockey Museum (THM). Additionally, Joan had a fine career in athletics at county level before serving with distinction in various administrative capacities for both sports.

What follows is a personal appreciation of Joan by THM’s Honorary Curator and President Mike Smith which complements a formal obituary. Mike was Curator when Joan started as a volunteer. Funeral details follow at the end.

 

An Appreciation of Joan Wall

By Mike Smith

I first met Joan in the earliest days of THM’s first home in Butts Road, Woking, on 16 March 2012. In those days we could drive right up to the museum with easy parking. It was a Saturday morning and Joan pulled her car up to the front door. She had come to deposit her collection with the Museum – we were actually the National Hockey Museum then. I don’t recall how Joan had come to hear of us, but she was very keen for us to have her collection. Joan was very keen, full stop!

We carried her material in from the car and I showed her round, such as there was to show at that time! She asked if she could help and Joan became one of our first volunteers. Over the next few years (during which time we moved premises to Poole Road) Joan did the usual volunteer jobs, mainly entering and cataloguing collections which were coming in in at the rate of two per week. Yet Joan wanted to do more. Having been very heavily involved with the early days of women’s indoor hockey she decided to write a history of the subject. We are still waiting for someone to write the men’s history!

I vividly remember discussing her next project with her, which was to try to list all the hockey clubs that have existed in England since 1871. We still don’t know how big that figure is, but Joan made a great start. She would go through the handbooks on her visits to the museum and then take the list of clubs home and spend the evenings trawling the internet for information. Occasionally she would find brief club histories on websites and these she would copy, print and file within our filing cabinets. We had to do this because clubs are very good at deleting information on their websites! This is an amazing project that needs revitalising.

With Joan it was also a case of ‘buy one, get one free’ because her son John also became a volunteer. Initially John escorted Joan on the train when she could no longer drive, but even though he was not a hockey player he caught the bug and is one of our staunchest supporters.

Joan was a wife, a mother, a teacher, an England hockey player, a coach and an administrator. Her drive even saw her found two hockey clubs in Nottinghamshire. Also, if you look at her scrapbook, you will learn that she was no mean athlete in her day, a true all-rounder.

My abiding memory of Joan will be that first day when I first met her. She presented us with her England blazer and then handed me her stick, with the words, “I played with that at Wembley”. As I held it, I thought, this stick has played on the hallowed turf of Wembley, that is true history.

Thank you, Joan.

 

donation
 
Joan was an early supporter of The Hockey Museum. In 2013 she attended our display at the Investec World League Semi-Final at Chiswick where upon she handed over a cheque donation for £1,000. Joan is pictured here front and centre accompanied by the Museum's founding trustees; from left to right: Pat Rowley, Dil Bahra, Katie Dodd, MIke Smith and Ian Wilson.

 

 

An Obituary of Joan Wall

Joan Barnett was an only child, born in Bermondsey although evacuated during the war. Returning to London, she was inspired by her gym teacher at Bromley Grammar School to take up hockey in her early teens. Joan played for her school and local club Atalanta before attending County trials where she was selected for Kent Schools and then East Juniors.

Having made an early impression in the game, at 17 Joan was invited to take part in a 7-a-side exhibition game at the Festival of Britain in 1951.

She progressed to playing for Kent 1st XI before relocating with her new husband, Leslie ‘Les’ Wall, to Nottingham in 1955. Les was appointed as a junior school teacher in Nottingham whilst Joan became a teacher and hockey coach at a nearby secondary school, although she took several years out from teaching when her two children arrived – John in 1962 and Lynne in 1966.

Changing her hockey allegiance to Nottinghamshire, Joan was selected to represent the County, the Midlands and then for an England touring side which travelled to Germany in 1958. Following a series of convincing wins against German club teams, the England side met Germany in Berlin. This necessitated crossing the border into East Germany at which point the ladies were all required to open their cameras – thus losing all the pictures they had taken!

Joan’s international career was confirmed by selection for the full England team to play Scotland on 7 March 1959 and then South Africa at Wembley the following week. South Africa was the first non-European nation to play at Wembley as they were en route to the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) Tournament to be played in the Netherlands shortly afterwards.

 

1959 England Wembley
 
The England team that beat South Africa 4-1 at Wembley in 1959. Joan Wall is second from the left with her early Indian-head hockey stick.

 

Joan also played in this event, where, helped by ‘speedy Wall’, England were crowned unofficial world champions following a round-robin tournament. Capitalising on her notable speed, Joan was also an athlete of some note; she held county records at 100, 200 and 400 yards for many years. No doubt her athletic prowess aided her rise to international hockey recognition.

 

England touring team Amsterdam Tournament 1959
 
The England touring team that were crowned unofficial world champions in Amsterdam in 1959.
Joan Wall is third from right.

 

Joan was awarded 14 international hockey caps for England over two years between 1959-60. During that time England won 13 matches and drew one, against Australia. Joan played in all these matches as a half back. She was one of the first England international players to play with an Indian-head hockey stick and was moved to write to the Hockey Field magazine to complain that umpires were blowing her for obstruction just because she played on the reverse side!

After her international hockey career came to a close, Joan continued to exercise her love of the game by founding, in 1961, the first junior hockey club in the country – Sherwood Juniors Hockey Club for 15-18 year olds. Not content with that, 10 years later Joan founded another club, Carlton Ladies Hockey Club, which later became Redhill Ladies Hockey Club after they moved to a nearby all-weather pitch in 1978.

When the new women’s hockey league was set up in Nottinghamshire, Carlton LHC were the first winners – in their inaugural season! Joan was a key member of the fledging club for many years until she moved to Hampshire.

Redhill LHC celebrated its 50-year anniversary in 2022 (delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic). The current Club Secretary, Melissa Lau, commented: “Redhill has gone from strength to strength in recent years and now has a permanent base at Goosedale Sports Club, running three teams and with active junior and masters sections – we have a lot to thank Joan for starting all those years ago.”

 

Nottingham Carlton Ladies HC badge

 

Joan was also active in the indoor game, becoming Indoor Secretary of Nottinghamshire Women’s Hockey Association, then Midlands Indoor Chairman and an England Indoor selector for 10 years, seven as Chairman. She also served in several administrative roles culminating as Secretary of the new joint men’s and women’s Nottinghamshire County Hockey Association.

She also found time to qualify as a coach and official for all athletics track and field events and, perhaps inevitably, got involved in athletics administration. In 1980 she became President of Midlands Women Amateur Athletics Association and Nottinghamshire WAAA and the Midlands WAAA in 1987.

Her skills as a sports administrator were much in demand and she became heavily involved in the East Midlands Federation of Sport and Recreation and the East Midlands Regional Sports Council serving on their Executive Committee and their Strategy and Investment Panel.

Notwithstanding all these commitments, Joan was still teaching until taking early retirement in 1989 whereupon she became a Food Advisor for Sainsbury’s until 1998.

Joan was a devoted wife, and mother to Lynne and John who recalls growing up always surrounded by various pieces of hockey and athletics equipment. Joan remained competitive in later life and joined local bowls clubs after moving to Farnborough, Hampshire, in 2010; although she left at least one bowls club as they were only really ‘social’! For over 30 years Joan and John travelled the world from Mexico to China – she particularly loved Egypt – and John continued to accompany her during her volunteering with THM.

Joan’s infectious enthusiasm and dedication to hockey were evident well into her eighties.

She will be sorely missed by John and Lynne and fondly remembered by her friends at the Museum and by the wider hockey family.

 

Funeral arrangements

Joan Wall’s funeral will take place on Thursday 16 March 2023 at 12:15 at Aldershot Crematorium. The service will be followed by memorial drinks at The Hockey Museum in Woking, Surrey from 13:30.

PETER THOMPSON

 

15.10.1945-26.5.2021

It was with great sadness that we heard of the sudden death of Peter Thompson in May 2021.

Peter was a committed member of the ‘hockey family’ at Brigg, a small market town in North Lincolnshire, for 50 years. He was proud of the growth of Brigg Hockey Club since he started playing in the early 1970s. Then, the men’s section had two teams comprising mostly teachers, farmers, and a vicar from time to time. The ladies’ section merged and today the Club has four men’s teams, three ladies’ teams and junior teams.

What typified Peter was that he gave back to the game more than he took from it. When the time came, he transitioned from player to coach to umpire and on to administrator seamlessly and often combined them at the same time. He led the Club for several years as Chairman. Peter did all this because of his enthusiasm for the game and the satisfaction he got when others enjoyed it. Not that he would say so!

In the late 1960s Peter played at Brigg Grammar School, at College in Chester and during his first teaching post in Lancashire he played at Warrington. On returning to Brigg in 1972 he taught at the Vale of Ancholme school, coaching and encouraging boys with no knowledge or experience of hockey. One or two became Lincolnshire junior and senior players; others played in Brigg lower teams. On to Caistor Grammar School he developed hockey for boys who followed similar paths to Brigg Hockey Club and Lincolnshire.

By the 1990s artificial pitches were appearing, though not many in Lincolnshire, and not in Brigg. Junior County teams were developing, and Peter was the Secretary of Lincolnshire School and Youth Hockey from 1990 to 1992. Indoor hockey was also late on the scene but for a period it flourished in the north of the county at Cleethorpes Leisure Centre with teams such as Brigg, Grimsby, Caistor, Hull and Hall Cross (Doncaster). Peter was the driving force in all this. (Those present had the chance to see Barry Middleton in the early part of his career).

League hockey replaced friendly fixtures when the Lincolnshire League was set in the 1977-1978 season. By this time Peter was captaining the 1st XI. As time moved on, he captained the 2nd team and then with the 3rds and 4ths to encourage his and his friends’ offspring to play and move in the opposite direction. Ahead of the 1989-90 season, Lincolnshire was split: north Lincolnshire to the Yorkshire League and the south Lincolnshire to the East League.

A career change around this time saw Peter move into photography and journalism. Through this he was able to promote local clubs by providing scores and brief match reports. He also developed a fine reputation as an after-dinner speaker, able to embellish tales of his numerous exploits on the pitch to entertain his audiences.

By this time, he was an umpire. He joined the Yorkshire League Pool around 2000 umpiring at all levels as far as the East Pennine Division. Other roles followed as umpire appointments, Umpire Disciplinary Panel and President of the Yorkshire Umpires. On the pitch he could be described as firmly in charge with a good rapport with players. In time Peter felt he could not keep up with the pace of higher standard hockey but couldn’t resist volunteering to cover lower league home matches and sometimes at Hull University on Wednesdays.

Peter is missed by all who knew him and those who will come realise what an important contribution he made to their enjoyment of hockey over years to come.

Peter’s wife Gwen survives him along with his daughters Lucy and Nichola, son David and granddaughter Eloise.


January 2023
Tony Stamp and Adrian Broome

Bob Schad England men 1952 low res
 

The England men's hockey team, 1952.

Bob Schad is standing third left (with glasses) behind Norman Borrett, the captain.

 

Still playing golf at 93, Robert (Bob) Schad’s long-lasting batteries finally ran out of juice on 17 November 2022, drained of life after 96 well-filled years by the pernicious Covid disease.

An exceptional all-round athlete who reputedly beat Gordon Pirie over a mile while at university, Bob won hockey blues for Oxford University in 1946, 1947 and 1948 and in 1952 was selected at centre-half for England. Bob played in a team that comfortably won all three internationals against Wales, Ireland and Scotland and beat a much more experienced France team 2-0 at Wimereux near Boulogne. England’s goalkeeper on those four occasions was Sir Derek Day (winner of a bronze medal for Great Britain at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games and later British High Commissioner in Canada), a direct contemporary at Hurstpierpoint College in Sussex where Bob was educated during the war years.

 

Bob Schad England record
 
Bob Schad's England record.

 

Despite the clean sweep of victories, curiously Bob was not selected again for England; one can only speculate as to whether he might have had a difference of opinion with his captain, the famously headstrong Norman Borrett.

Tall, lean and tireless, for many years Bob was a mainstay of Cheam Hockey Club 1st XI, playing well into his fifties, and also represented Surrey and the South.

 

Bob Schad Cheam HC early 1950s low res
 

Cheam Hockey Club men, early 1950s.

Bob Schad is seated second left.

 

Following Oxford, Bob undertook National Service, being commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the RAF, and teaching maths at the RAF College, Cranwell. This experience led him into following a career in teaching and he subsequently spent no less than 48 years on the staff at Whitgift School in Croydon, thought to be a record for long service. At Whitgift Bob took charge of hockey and cricket and ran the Air Cadets for 30 years. He played in the Hurstpierpoint College Old Johnian cricket week for more than 50 years and in his 70s was still turning out for the Old Mid-Whitgiftians 3rd XI.

Also in his 70s, Bob took up golf and while on a golfing holiday in Scotland at the age of 79 discovered the hidden joys of Scottish Country Dancing. By virtue of practice three times a week, he learned the steps of well over 100 dances, each dance consisting of 32 bars with a change of formation every 8 bars. He was also an accomplished bridge player, winning the Daily Telegraph worldwide sim pairs, with a massive 83% score.

Bob leaves a widow Carole, a son James (also an Oxford University hockey blue), two daughters and three grandchildren.

Allan Mayo 2 O65s Masters World Cup which England won in 2018 in Barcelona
 
Allan Mayo celebrates with the Over 65s Masters World Cup which England won in 2018 in Barcelona.

 

27.07.1949 – 23.11.2022

 

By Avtar Bhurji OLY

Allan Mayo, a very good friend for the last 45 years is no more.

I met Allan in Belgium in 1973. After our first meeting we connected like lost brothers; we stayed in touch until his last day.

Allan Mayo was a great hockey player, even better was his personality and as a person.

My journey started with Allan in 1973. We became very close when I was elected captain of London Indians Hockey Club. London Indians was famous for its brand of Asian-style hockey. Allan fitted into the Asian style of hockey very well; he was deceptive on the pitch, quick hands, silky skills and very humble on and off the pitch. His name used to be the first on my team sheet. London Indians played against the Counties, England and Great Britain, and toured abroad.

He was well liked by everyone who met him.

At his peak Allan played for Teddington Hockey Club and Hampshire County. Allan was a very good indoor player; he was the captain of Teddington Hockey Club in 1976 when they played against my team, Blackheath Hockey Club in the National Indoor Championship. We narrowly defeated them.

Allan was capped 4 times for England at indoor hockey. He later coached England indoor Under 21s, winning a silver medal at the European Cup in Orense.

Allan Mayo started playing for Spencer Hockey Club Veterans team about 4 years ago.

Allan represented England over 70s and he was due for trials on Wednesday 23 November 2022 for the next season. He went to sleep early on Tuesday night to wake up fresh for the trails. He never got up, passed in his sleep.

We travelled abroad many times together; I have many sweet memories of Allan. If I was invited by a team to travel abroad, I made sure he was included.

One thing is for sure: I will never see him again, never feel him, never touch or share any banter with him.

Not knowing this would be our last quip, a few weeks ago when he told me he may not be able to play well the coming Saturday as he was recovering form celebrating England’s victory over India (in cricket), I told him "You were never a good player so I don't expect anything from you."

I never expected Allan Mayo to go so soon. He was a very fit, brilliant player and an even better human being.

He leaves behind his widow Nancy Mayo, his son, daughter and grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by the hockey world.

May God bless his soul. Rest in peace my good friend.

First published on Fieldhockey.com: RIP, my friend (fieldhockey.com)

 

Allan Mayo 1
 

Allan Mayo (left) with Avtar Singh Bhurji, his friend of 45 years and fellow London Indian.

Image courtesy of Avtar Bhurji.

 


By Tochi Panesar

I have known Allan Mayo since mid 1970s, initially as a formidable opponent playing for Teddington HC and then as a teammate as a London Indians player. Over the last five years I knew Allan as a fine player and as a friend in our Spencer HC masters team.

Alan was a gentleman whose silky and highly effective hockey skills split defences. On the Saturday before he passed away, I was complimenting him on the defence-splitting trademark passes in the game he had just played.

Allan will be missed at Spencer and all across the hockey world where he was very well respected.

 

By Katie Dodd

I first met Allan back in the early 1980s when he was recommended by colleagues at Teddington HC as a possible indoor coach for Ealing Ladies Hockey Club. It was the early days in the development of indoor hockey in the women’s games and what a difference he made. Allan wasn’t the first man to find coaching a women’s team a ‘challenge’, but his indoor skills were fantastic and his enthusiasm infectious. His own hockey commitments meant that his tenure as our coach was short, but he certainly put the club on the road to what would be an era of indoor success. Our friendship didn’t end there as many of us kept in touch with Allan over the years and have enjoyed many ocassions in his company, notably at the Hockey Writers Club lunches – such an interesting and interested person. His friends at Ealing LHC will miss him.

 

Slough HC Manager Ian Mitchell with the European Club Championship trophy 1980     Slough HC c1965
     

Left: Slough HC Manager Ian Mitchell with the European Club Championship trophy in 1980.
Right: Slough HC First XI c.1965. Captain Ian Mitchell is standing third from the left.

 

13.07.1931-19.07.2022

Ian Mitchell died on 20 July 2022 at the age of 91. He was born in Redcar, Yorkshire in 1931. His early sporting interests were in swimming and rugby but due to injury he switched to hockey when at Newcastle University, where he played in the university team. He qualified as a Civil Engineer and became a Member of the Institute of Civil Engineers. After a short spell of working for British Rail he joined the Central London Polytechnic (now University of Westminster) as a lecturer. He remained there for the rest of his working life. In retirement, apart from a continuing interest in Slough HC, he travelled the world extensively.

Ian joined Slough HC in the early 1950s and played in the First XI for some 20 years. He was captain from 1960 to 1967. He also captained, and later managed, Buckinghamshire. Both Ian and his wife Angela captained the county side at the same time. Both of their children Neil and Jenny played hockey for Slough, with Jenny playing at the top level of the sport. From his early days until 2016 Ian was an active committee member at Slough, serving two spells as Club Chairman.

 

Slough HC men fixture cards 1970s 1980s
 
Slough Hockey Club men's fixture cards, 1970s & 1980s.

 

He retired from playing top level hockey in 1975 to devote time to managing the Slough First XI, who were then becoming a power in English hockey at both outdoor and indoor level. The first great success was winning the London Hockey League in 1976. Slough then became National Champions in 1977. From 1975 for the best part of the next 20 years, Ian managed the team to winning every championship available to them, as detailed below.

National Club Champions 1977, 1979, 1980 & 1981
European Club Champions 1980
National Indoor Club Champions 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982 & 1983
London League Champions 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985 & 1987
National Inter League Champions 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982 & 1983
Glenfiddich International Indoor Cup 1982 – Zwolle European Indoor Cup 1981
English County Champions - Buckinghamshire 1980 & 1982

 

Slough HC squad winners of the National Club Championship 1979      Slough HC team with the European Club Championship trophy 1980
     
Left: Slough HC, winners of the National Club Championship in 1979. Manager Ian Mitchell standing arms folded, far right.
Right: The Slough HC team with the European Club Championship trophy in 1980. Ian Mitchell furthest right.

 

Funeral Arrangements

Ian MItchell’s funeral will take place at 13:00 on 31 August at Slough Crematorium. If you wish to watch the service remotely details are below. If you knew Ian and would like to pay your respects, you are very welcome to attend both the funeral and the wake which will be held back at Slough Hockey Club.

Https://watch.obitus.com
Username: sazi9487
Password: 637608

A further obituary of Ian Mitchell is available on the Slough Hockey Club website: Obituary: Ian Mitchell, 1931-2022 (sloughhockeyclub.co.uk)

A Career Forged in an Era of Flux


Varinder Singh

 

16.05.1947 – 28.06.2022

By Nikhilesh Bhattacharya

 

World hockey lost another link to its rich past when Indian Olympian Varinder Singh died on 28 June 2022. He was 75. Varinder Singh’s international career spanned the 1970s, a decade that witnessed seismic changes in the world game and fluctuating fortunes for India.

His death from a heart ailment at a private hospital in Jalandhar, Punjab came forty-seven years after his crowning moment with the national team, India’s only World Cup triumph in Kuala Lumpur in March 1975. A year later, in Montreal, India returned from the Olympic Games without a medal for the first time as the traditional powerhouses of hockey struggled on the artificial surface to which the sport had shifted in the interim. Varinder Singh, at right half, was an integral part of both the 1975 and 1976 campaigns. He also played in the teams that won a bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, lost the 1973 World Cup final to the Netherlands in Marbella, Spain and won silver medals at the 1974 and 1978 Asian Games.

Gurbux Singh, who won the Olympic gold in Tokyo in 1964 and a bronze in Mexico City in 1968, was the coach of the national team in Montreal and saw Varinder Singh at close quarters. Despite the team’s failure to win a medal, Varinder Singh’s game impressed Gurbux Singh. "He was calm, quiet and a compact player. He was very intelligent. In his younger days, Varinder played as a forward and that made him a very attacking right half. During my time as coach, I would encourage him to switch places with inside right Ashok Kumar when the latter was being body checked by opposing defenders," Gurbux Singh told The Hockey Museum (THM).

Ashok Kumar, son to Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand, revealed to THM that the tactics, in fact, had been first used during the World Cup in 1975. It was forged by a group of players – Varinder Singh, Ashok Kumar, right out V J Philips and left back Surjit Singh – before a crucial league match against Olympic champions West Germany to decide the pool leaders. The idea was for Surjit to take his 16-yard hit and strike the ball across the field to where the inside right would usually be, Ashok Kumar recalled. "I knew I would be marked, so the plan was that I would track back to our own half while Varinder would move into the space thus created and intercept the pass and then try to feed the other forwards. It worked only because Varinder had the experience of playing as a forward and possessed a good turn of speed and excellent ball control". Varinder Singh’s attacking game set up goalscoring opportunities and India won the match 3-1, topped Pool B and set up a semi-final against hosts Malaysia.

 

Made in (Independent) India

Varinder Singh, Ashok Kumar and their contemporaries were raised after the Subcontinent gained independence from British rule but was also partitioned into India and Pakistan. Gurbux Singh was a member of the preceding generation that bridged the gap between them and independent India’s first hockey heroes, who learnt the game during colonial times. Having played with and against those who routinely won the Olympic gold from 1948 to 1956 and also their successors who had the unenviable task of trying to replicate the success in the face of myriad challenges, Gurbux Singh enjoys a unique vantage point regarding the history of the game in the Subcontinent and knows a good player when he sees one. Varinder Singh impressed him just as much. "He was soft-spoken, very gentle," Gurbux Singh said of his fellow Sikh, a religious minority in India who have contributed immensely to the development of hockey in the Subcontinent.

Varinder Singh was born in the village of Dhanowali near Jalandhar on 16 May 1947, mere months before the end of colonial rule. Punjab had long been the cradle of hockey in the region and Varinder Singh evidently picked up the game at a young age. Ajit Pal Singh, the captain of the 1975 World Cup team and Varinder Singh’s regular roommate during their time in the national team, remembered coming up against the latter in inter-school tournaments. "We also went together to the Lyallpur Khalsa College in Jalandhar," Ajit Pal Singh told the Hindustan Times newspaper after Varinder Singh’s death.

Despite the early start, it took Varinder Singh time to break into the national team. "Compared to the rest of his teammates in Munich [Olympic Games 1972], Varinder was a late-bloomer, coming into the Indian side when he was 26 while most of the others were in their early 20s and already had international experience," K Arumugam writes in Profiles of Indian Hockey Olympians.1 "However, he lost no time in making up for the lost time and since his debut, was rarely left out of the Indian squad till he quit playing [after the 1980 pre-Olympics]."

The 1970s saw the continuation of India’s rivalry with Pakistan. Two countries joined at birth and drawing on the same colonial legacy fought to carve out their separate identities. Pakistan had the better of the decade, winning the inaugural World Cup in Barcelona in 1971 and the fourth edition in Buenos Aires in 1978 as well as gold medals in the Asian Games in 1970, 1974 and 1978. Varinder was part of the India teams that lost to Pakistan in the last two of those finals.

 

The beginning of the end

However, the world order changed decisively in 1976, following hockey’s shift from grass to artificial turf. Not just India and Pakistan, but some of the other traditionally strong teams like the Netherlands and West Germany also struggled to adapt in Montreal, Gurbux Singh recalled. "You must remember, there was not even a patch of Astroturf in India at the time. The first time the team got to play on an artificial surface was in France at a pre-Olympics tournament," Gurbux Singh recalled. A "topsy turvy" Olympic Games was finally won by New Zealand (the country’s only ever medal in Olympic men’s hockey) as India finished seventh. The fact that Varinder Singh continued to play for the national team for four more years, however, was testament to his adaptability and tenacity.

Since 1976, India’s only Olympic medals have been a gold at the largely boycotted Moscow Games in 1980 and, after a 41-year wait, a bronze in Tokyo last year. They have never won the World Cup again.

Varinder Singh was an officer in the Northern Railways. He played for his employers as well as the combined Indian Railways team in the domestic circuit. After his retirement from the railways, he took up a job with the Punjab Sports Department. As decorated hockey players from India’s golden generations, Gurbux Singh and Varinder Singh would often cross paths. "I sometimes met him in Jalandhar, where he was looking after the youngsters," Gurbux Singh said. They were also Facebook friends, and more recently kept in touch with each other over the social media platform.

The Indian government honoured Varinder Singh with the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games in 2007.

Varinder Singh is survived by wife Manjit Kaur and sons Gurpreet Singh and Harpreet Singh.

 

Varinder Singh, hockey Olympian, World Cup winner, administrator; born 16 May 1947; died 28 June 2022.

 


1 K Arumugam, Profiles of India’s Hockey Olympians (New Delhi: Field Hockey Publications, 2012), 160.

John Peake 01

 

26.08.1924 – 30.03.2022

“A Legend has left us” is certainly true of John Peake who died in March at the age of 97. He was the oldest living British Olympic medallist, having won a hockey silver medal at the 1948 London Olympic Games. In 2012, John was a celebrity guest at the London Games creating an Olympic bridge that spanned 64 years, and he was one of the Olympic torch bearers, too.

One of John’s proudest boasts was that his 1948 Olympic blazer still fitted him! He commented that he had purchased his own blazer as the only ‘freebies’ that the 1948 team were given were two pairs of Y-Fronts and some Brylcreem! He also recalled that the hockey pitch at Wembley Stadium created very challenging conditions. This was because the shot putt from the earlier athletics events had left divots all over the grass pitch. John’s memory and wit were sharp until the end.

 

John Peake 02
 
John Peake receives his GB honours cap from Gayane Selimyan,
Manager of his care home, in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

Sporting Prowess

John was born in Cambridge where he first played hockey and won a scholarship to Repton School in 1938. There his sporting prowess blossomed, including three years in the cricket 1st XI. It was then back to Cambridge University where he won blues for hockey, tennis and squash. It was at Cambridge that he met his wife-to-be Elizabeth. She was similarly skilled in the same sports, also winning blues. They were to spend 65 years of happy marriage before Elizabeth died.

There have been excellent obituaries of John in the Times and the Telegraph, but here we hope to give you a little more detail about John’s involvement in hockey and sport, much of it gleaned from the splendid eulogy delivered by his son Christopher at John’s funeral. The event was a fitting tribute to his long and varied life.

John was a multi-talented sportsman and as well as cricket and hockey he achieved high honours in both tennis and squash. In hockey, as well as representing Great Britain he played for England, Kent, The Royal Navy and the Combined Services. Such achievements are not really possible in today’s sporting world.

John retained a strong level of personal fitness even into his 90s. In May 2019 he completed the Westminster Mile and was greeted by a hockey stick guard of honour at the finish line (pictured).

 

John Peake Westminster Mile 26052019

 

Military and Civilian Career

John finished at Cambridge University during the Second World War and joined the Royal Navy in the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. Apart from wide ranging work experience it gave him time to play sport, a period that took in the 1948 London Olympic Games. In 1950 John left the Royal Navy and having suffered a slipped disc his hockey days were over. He went on to have a very successful and distinguished business career, rising to Chairman of Baker Perkins (a British engineering company for food processing equipment). His 36 years culminated with being awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to industry in 1986.

 

John Peake and The Hockey Museum

John never lost his love of hockey and shortly after The Hockey Museum (THM) found a home in Woking, he contacted us to ascertain what was going on! There followed a decade of interest and involvement by John, though initially we had no idea what a hockey legend he was.

Another legend of the London 1948 era was Balbir Singh Senior. Balbir was also a great friend of THM and visited us several times, often commenting on how sad it was that India did not have a similar museum. On one of these occasions, we set up a meeting between John and Balbir, recorded by an ITV film crew. It was an amazing piece of sporting history. The two men had not met since they played in the Olympic hockey final in 1948, yet it was like they were old and close friends. The respect that they showed each other was palpable.

 

Balbir Singh Snr and John Peake
 

John Peake and Balbir Singh Senior at The Hockey Museum in 2012.

Photograph: Dil Bahra.

 

John was always honoured to attend THM events but really it was us who were honoured. Another wonderful occasion took place in 2019 when THM set up a further great hockey meeting. This time John met with Tony Nunn, a hockey Olympic bronze medallist from the 1952 Olympic Games. Although John had finished playing by 1952, they were contemporaries and friends. Tony had attended John’s wedding in 1951. The story has a pleasing twist here in that although we are deeply saddened to lose a legend like John Peake, his mantle of being the oldest surviving Great Britain Olympic medallist has passed to Tony. So, hockey retains the honour of possessing the oldest living GB medallist.

 

John Peake and Tony Nunn 02
 
Tony Nunn and John Peake during their joing visit to The Hockey Museum in 2019.

 

Oral Histories

We shall soon be able to offer you John Peake's oral history interviews on our website, though they are not currently available online. Transcripts can be made available to researchers. If you think you have the time and technical skills to help us achieve more oral history recordings online sooner, please get in touch. Meantime, please do listen to our already published oral histories and read the obituaries of hockey greats elsewhere on our site.

Contact Us | hockeymuseum.net

Oral Histories | hockeymuseum.net

Obituaries | hockeymuseum.net

Ken Wilson

 

1956 – 21.05.2022

Ken Wilson passed away peacefully in hospital on Saturday 21 May 2022 after a short fight with Lymphoma; he was 65. Ken’s family – his wife Kaye and children Hannah and James – meant everything to him. Ken was married to Kaye for 36 years after being a customer at the bank where she worked.

Ken was an avid sports fan and season ticket holder for his beloved Watford Football Club. He passed on his passion for sport to his children James and Hannah. They attended many sporting events with Ken, including the London Olympic Games, the Wimbledon tennis championships, summer athletics, hockey matches and Watford FC games.

Ken worked for the BBC for over 30 years, working his way up to the position of Senior Sports Producer for the World Service. During this time, Ken thrived as a multi-sports journalist and programme producer, covering a range of sports tournaments abroad. It was through his work that his engagement with the ‘hockey family’ began and Ken joined the Hockey Writers’ Club around 1997.

Ken’s career saw him cover three Olympic Games, football World Cups and Wimbledon before leaving the BBC in 2011 when the broadcaster moved to Salford, Greater Manchester. Ken was Media Manager at the Riverbank Hockey Arena for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as Broadcast Information Officer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Always smiling, Ken had been described as "one of the loveliest and kindest people" you could know, and his expertise was highly valued. He drew on his vast knowledge and experience from large sporting events to give his time freely in numerous volunteer and charity positions.

Within hockey Ken became a prominent figure, firstly at the National Hockey Stadium at Milton Keynes and then later at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre as a leading ‘Hockey Maker’. Ken joined the Hockey Writers' Club committee in 2015, becoming Secretary in 2016 – a post he held until his recent passing.

Away from hockey, Ken volunteered for the physically impaired sports organisation WheelPower based at Stoke Mandeville, and at DCFL, an educational charity teaching IT skill.

Ken brought light into the lives of so many people across multiple generations. He made a point of always helping anyone with whatever he could, never second-guessing his decisions. He will be missed by all who knew him.

 

Copy credit to the Hockey Writers’ Club with elaboration by The Hockey Museum.
With thanks to Mike Haymonds.

Subcategories

Obituaries: An Introduction

This features page contains obituaries, previously appearing in the News section of the website, of persons who have made a significant contribution to hockey’s history. They are all people who have been in the forefront of innovation in the sport. This section of the website is the go-to location to...

Alan Raymond Jackson, 1939-2022

Alan Raymond Jackson, 1939-2022

            Alan Jackson's LoughboroughUniversity entrance photograph, 1960.   Trojans HC win the National Leagueplay-offs in 1990.   12.06.1939 – 20.02.2022 Alan was born in Southampton on 12 June 1939 to parents James and Vera Jackson. He had an elder brother Peter who was 6 years...

Alan Walker (Lt Commander) RN, 1943-2017

Alan Walker (Lt Commander) RN, 1943-2017

Lt Commander Alan Walker RN receiving a painting of HMS Victory at the time of the Royal Navy centenary.   Although we knew Alan was very ill, his death on the 17 February came with great sadness to all his friends at The Hockey Museum and throughout the hockey world....

Allan Mayo, 1949-2022

Allan Mayo, 1949-2022

  Allan Mayo celebrates with the Over 65s Masters World Cup which England won in 2018 in Barcelona.   27.07.1949 – 23.11.2022   By Avtar Bhurji OLY Allan Mayo, a very good friend for the last 45 years is no more. I met Allan in Belgium in 1973. After our...

Allistar Fredericks, 1971-2021

Allistar Fredericks, 1971-2021

  02.09.1971 – 15.06.2021 The tragic premature passing this month of former hockey Olympian Allistar Fredericks in Johannesburg has been widely mourned by hockey folk beyond the shores of his native South Africa. Allistar's story is one of the modern world. In 1994 he became the first non-white international in...

Audrey Appleby, 1924-2020

Audrey Appleby, 1924-2020

  Joyce Clarke, Audrey Appleby (centre) and Barbara Walkerat Ramsgate Easter Festival with Ealing LHC, 1950s.   30.05.1924 – 19.04.2020 The Hockey Museum is saddened by the news of the recent death of Audrey Appleby. Still in excellent health, Audrey took a fall at home and after a short illness died...

Balbir Singh Dosanjh, 1923-2020

Balbir Singh Dosanjh, 1923-2020

       31.12.1923 – 25.5.2020 An Obituary Appreciation of Balbir Singh Senior.By Nikhilesh Bhattacharya, THM volunteer. Balbir Singh Dosanjh, who died aged 96 in Mohali, India on Monday, was arguably the greatest hockey player of the twentieth century. A fearless, goal-poaching centre-forward par excellence, Balbir was an integral part...

Barbara West, 1913-2014

Barbara West, 1913-2014

It is with great sadness that The Hockey Museum (THM) reports the death of Barbara West, who died last month aged 100. Born on 9 November 1913, she died five days short of 101st birthday. Known to all as ‘Bar’, she was an outstanding servant of women’s hockey for over...

Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint, 1939-2017

Baroness Rachael Heyhoe Flint, 1939-2017

I was very saddened by the recent announcement of the death of Rachael Heyhoe Flint. Having listened to the many tributes on the TV and radio and read the extensive newspaper coverage on front, media, sports and obituaries pages, you could be in no doubt that Rachael was not only...

Betty (Shelly) Shellenberger, 1921-2019

Betty (Shelly) Shellenberger, 1921-2019

08.08.1921 – 30.12.2019 The Hockey Museum (THM), along with the sporting world, is mourning the passing of Betty Shellenberger, 98. Betty was a legend in American field hockey and lacrosse through much of the 1900s. Known to friends as ‘Shelly’, she first picked up a hockey stick at the age of...

Bill Colwill OBE, 1930-2016

Bill Colwill OBE, 1930-2016

Bill Colwill (right) receives the Doug Gardner Award in 2007.   Bill Colwill OBE, 15 October 1930–13 November 2016 Tributes from the hockey family around the world have poured in following the death of Bill Colwill, aged 86, at the weekend. In a hockey career spanning over six decades Bill...

Bill Felton, 1940-2023

Bill Felton, 1940-2023

  08.02.1940 – 13.02.2023 The Hockey Museum is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Bill Felton after a sudden illness on 13 February, five days after his 83rd birthday. Bill was an incredibly active administrator within hockey who was recognised for his outstanding services to our sport. Born...

Cecilia Reid, 1925-2018

Cecilia Reid, 1925-2018

    Left: Irish Junior Cup-winning team, 1950. Cecil Reid: front row, fourth from left / second from right.Right: Cecil Reid with badge inserted above her profile, programme from the World Cup in Vancouver, 1979.   09.09.1925 – 07.08.2018 Cecilia (Cecil) Reid (née Kelly), the former Irish Ladies Hockey President and long-time Irish selector...

Charles Randall, 1948 – 2020

Charles Randall, 1948 – 2020

  We are saddened to report the passing of Charles Randall, Chair of the Hockey Writers’ Club (HWC), who has died aged 71 after suffering from pneumonia. His career as a sports journalist began at the sports desk of the Herts Advertiser in the ‘70s before joining the Daily Telegraph...

Christopher Todd, 1946-2018

Christopher Todd, 1946-2018

Christopher Todd. Image provided to THM by Christoper Todd prior to his passing. 05.05.1946 – 16.08.2018 We have all been saddened by the news that Christopher passed away on Thursday 16 August 2018. His family were at his side. His association with and contribution to hockey and especially to hockey...

Colin Greenhalgh. 1931-2022

Colin Greenhalgh. 1931-2022

    Colin Greenhalgh, Boxing Day 2015.Photograph courtesy of the family.   22.07.1931 – 19.12.2022 Colin Greenhalgh died on 19 December 2022 at the age of 91. He was the Secretary of Hampstead Hockey Club (before it became Hampstead & Westminster HC) for an unprecedented term of 11 years until...

David Prosser, 1943-2021

David Prosser, 1943-2021

     Left: A smiling David on his motorised scooter that helped keep him mobile in recent times.Right: David was presented with his GB honours cap by his son Lewis.   25.01.1943 – 24.01.2021 The Hockey Museum (THM) is very saddened to record the death of David Prosser, one of our greatest...

Ernest (Ernie) Wall, 1924-2020

Ernest (Ernie) Wall, 1924-2020

Ernie Wall. Courtesy: SikhsinHockey.com 24.12.1924 – 15.11.2020 It is with sadness that we learn of the passing of Ernest (Ernie) Wall on Sunday 15 November 2020 at Windyhall Care Home, Ayr in Scotland. He was aged 95. Ernie’s career in hockey spans more than 70 years, starting during his war service in...

Etienne Glichitch, 1926-2016

It is with great sadness that the International Hockey Federation learned of the death of Etienne Glichitch at the age of 90 years. The Frenchman was the Honorary Secretary of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) from 1966 until 1984, when he became President, a post which he held until 1996....

Fazal-ur-Rehman, 1941-2023

Fazal-ur-Rehman, 1941-2023

    Fazal-ur-Rehman. Photograph courtesy of the family.     15.03.1941 – 09.03.2023 Renowned for his artful stick work and soft wrists in controlling the hockey ball, Pakistani player Fazal-ur-Rehman has died at the age of 81, after a long illness. He was in the Pakistani team that won a...

Gerald Wilkinson, 1934-2017

"Chasing tomorrow’s horizons with yesterday’s legs”   Gerald Wilkinson, 01.09.1934-17.04.2017 The Hockey Museum is saddened to report the passing of Gerald Wilkinson, an English pioneer of Masters and Grand Masters hockey, aged 82, after a year-long battle with leukaemia and motor neurone disease. A chartered surveyor, his hockey career spanned...

Grace Robertson, 1930-2021

Grace Robertson, 1930-2021

  Portrait of Grace Robertson, unknown artist. 16.04.1930 – 03.03.2021 It is difficult to put into words what Grace meant to me and to field hockey in the United States – she was an inspiration to so many and we shall all miss her a great deal. When I graduated...

Graham Wilson, 1952-2016

Graham Wilson, 1952-2016

Graham Wilson (photo credit, Dil Bahra) It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Graham Wilson on Saturday 20 February. Graham, the Chairman of the Hockey Writers' Club, had a life-long involvement in hockey as journalist, player (for Havering HC), supporter and father of two hockey playing children....

Helen Morgan, 1966-2020

Helen Morgan, 1966-2020

Helen with her grandfather Don Perkins. Courtesy of Hockey Wales. 20.07.1966 – 19.11.2020 The Hockey Family were saddened to hear that Welsh goalkeeper and Olympic bronze medal winner, Helen Morgan (nee Grandon) passed away on the 19 November 2020 at the age of 54. Helen was introduced to the game at...

Ian Fitzgerald, 1930-2021

Ian Fitzgerald, 1930-2021

  Ian Fitzgerald with his wife Pauline.   This article was previously published in the Eastcote Hockey Club newsletter, edition no. 813, December 2021. 1930 – 10.12.2021  It is with great sadness and an immense sense of loss that Eastcote Hockey Club (EHC) of Ruislip, Middlesex, announces the passing of...

Ian Leighton Mitchell, 1931-2022

Ian Leighton Mitchell, 1931-2022

            Left: Slough HC Manager Ian Mitchell with the European Club Championship trophy in 1980.Right: Slough HC First XI c.1965. Captain Ian Mitchell is standing third from the left.   13.07.1931-19.07.2022 Ian Mitchell died on 20 July 2022 at the age of 91. He was...

Ian Roberts, 1953-2018

Ian Roberts, 1953-2018

12.11.1953 – 29.07.2018 This article was written to celebrate the life of Ian Roberts, otherwise known as ‘Robbo’ or ‘Weeble’. He was a huge character in the hockey world and a founding member of the hockey family. Ian was born on 12 November 1953 and started playing hockey as a teenager....

Isabella (Ella) Mackenzie Vlandy, 1914-2021

Isabella (Ella) Mackenzie Vlandy, 1914-2021

  Scotland women's hockey team, 1939. Ella Vlandy is back row far right.   06.02.1914 – 14.07.2021 The Hockey Museum is saddened to report the recent passing of Ella Vlandy. At 107, she was thought to be the eldest surviving Scottish international hockey player. Ella was still living independently in...

Jan ‘JB’ Brittin, 1959-2017

Jan ‘JB’ Brittin, 1959-2017

Jan Britten (red) in the European Clubs Championship in Frankfurt, 1990.Image courtesy of Katie Dodd. The Hockey Museum was saddened by the news of the untimely death of Janette Britten, known to everyone as JB. The media has understandably had extensive coverage of her cricketing achievements but for many in...

Jane Nockolds, 1959-2021

Jane Nockolds, 1959-2021

     Jane Nockolds was prepared for all weather at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008. 27.05.1959 – 25.03.2021 By Val Sassall. I first met Jane when we were both in our early 20s, at the Penzance Festival. I was umpiring and Jane was the bandana-wearing midfield player for Devon Maids...

Jaswindar (Jas) Singh Missan, 1941-2019

Jaswindar (Jas) Singh Missan, 1941-2019

30.01.1941 – 30.06.2019 Jaswindar (Jas) Singh Missan, the former Kenyan international, died yesterday morning (Sunday) following a stroke at his home in Chatham, Kent, England. He was aged 78. Jas was born on 30 January 1941 in Mombasa, Kenya. He was educated at Alidina Visram High School and Mombasa Technical High School....

Jean Calder, 1929-2022

Jean Calder, 1929-2022

  Jean Calder (right) tackling Biddy Burgum during the England vs Scotland match at Wembley Stadium in 1958.   10.03.1929 – 07.03.2022 Scottish international hockey player and Scottish Women’s Hockey Association past President. Even compared to those of the modern jet set, Jean Calder was an incredibly well-travelled person. Although...

Joan Wall, 1933-2023

Joan Wall, 1933-2023

  Joan Wall (née Barnett), early 1950s.Courtesy of the family.  10.10.1933 – 05.02.2023 The Hockey Museum (THM) is saddened to report the recent death of Joan Wall (née Barnett) – an ex-England international player who also had an outstanding record in the development and promotion of hockey before becoming one of...

John Cockett, 1927 – 2020

We are saddened to learn of the passing of John Cockett, an Olympic hockey medallist and talented cricketer, aged 92. Cockett was a member of the Great Britain (GB) hockey team which won a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, beating Pakistan 2-1, before finishing fourth four years later...

John Cranwell, 1936-2014

John Cranwell, a former Chairman of the Great Britain Hockey Board and past president of the Welsh Hockey Association, has died at the age of 78. He served on the Great Britain Hockey Board during its challenging times in the 1980s which culminated in Olympic gold in 1988. He was very involved...

John Handley Grimmer, 1941-2021

John Handley Grimmer, 1941-2021

  11.11.1941 – 30.06.2021 We are sad to announce the passing of John Handley Grimmer. John was a 1st XI player for Hounslow Hockey Club and Middlesex County Hockey in the 1960s and 1970s. He went on to coach both sides to great success. John played for England in 2...

John Land, 1938-2021

John Land, 1938-2021

    17.07.1938 – 06.01.2021 We are sorry to advise that John Land, former England and Great Britain player, has passed away. John had been suffering with Motor Neurone Disease for the past four years and his condition deteriorated recently and he passed away peacefully with his wife Julie holding...

John Peake CBE, 1924-2022

John Peake CBE, 1924-2022

  26.08.1924 – 30.03.2022 “A Legend has left us” is certainly true of John Peake who died in March at the age of 97. He was the oldest living British Olympic medallist, having won a hockey silver medal at the 1948 London Olympic Games. In 2012, John was a celebrity...

Kate Billson

Kate Billson

It is sad to note that Kate Billson died peacefully on Monday 27 January 2020 at Glenfield Hospital, Leicester following a short illness as a result of lung cancer. Kate became extremely well known in the men’s and boys’ game and she spent many years helping the development and progress...

Ken Wilson, 1956-2022

Ken Wilson, 1956-2022

  1956 – 21.05.2022 Ken Wilson passed away peacefully in hospital on Saturday 21 May 2022 after a short fight with Lymphoma; he was 65. Ken’s family – his wife Kaye and children Hannah and James – meant everything to him. Ken was married to Kaye for 36 years after...

Liz Chase, 1950-2018

Liz Chase, 1950-2018

The Hockey Museum is saddened to hear of the death of Liz Chase, a member of the Zimbabwean women's hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The Zimbabwe team, nicknamed the 'Golden Girls', only knew they were competing thirty-five days before the start of the...

Marie Weir, 1926-2022

Marie Weir, 1926-2022

    Marie Weir scoring against England at The Oval cricket ground in 1950. Scotland lost 6-2.   03.06.1926 – 27.02.2022 Dr Marie Weir (nee Jaffrey Smith) was a Scottish international hockey player in the late 1940s/early 1950s. She won a bronze medal at the post-war festival of women’s hockey...

Maurice Kittrell, 1930-2020

Maurice Kittrell, 1930-2020

Maurice Kittrell. Image courtesy of Tony Tucker. It is with sadness that we record the death of Maurice Kittrell, a very well-known and great hockey personality and supporter. His friendliness and enthusiasm for all aspects of hockey was second to none. Maurice was probably best known for his long association...

Melvyn Pignon née Hickey, 1930-2016

Melvyn Pignon née Hickey, 1930-2016

Melvyn Pignon who has died at the age of 86 was possibly the best known woman hockey player of her generation. She first played at Kidderminster High School in Worcestershire and went on to train as a PE teacher at Lady Mabel College of Physical Education, beginning her teaching career...

Mike Elliott, 1937-2020

Mike Elliott, 1937-2020

  24.10.1937 – 05.12.2020 It is with much sadness that we report news of the death of Mike Elliott. Mike was a true club and county stalwart and was a major influence on how the Sheffield Hockey Club (SHC) looks and operates today. He passed away peacefully in his sleep...

Mike Ward, 1942-2022

Mike Ward, 1942-2022

  09.12.1942 – 14.02.2022 Hockey goalkeeper, umpire, umpire developer, administrator extraordinaire, strong amateur tennis player, renowned public speaker, battlefield historian, great friend to many and lastly, but not least, a quiz star! Mike Ward: Yes, he preferred to be known by his middle name, was a war baby born in...

Nadean Burden, 1949-2021

Nadean Burden, 1949-2021

  01.11.1949 – 09.06.2021 The Hockey Museum is sad to advise of the death of one of its volunteers, Nadean Burden (previously Withers, née Toes). Nadean was a feisty, direct Yorkshire woman who came to London as a newly qualified PE teacher to work in an inner London comprehensive school...

Nancy Tomkins, 1914-2012

09.10.1914 – 30.12.2012 Nancy Tomkins, in her heyday a well known and respected hockey correspondent for The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph and the magazine Hockey Field for many years, died at the age of 98. She had a stroke just before Christmas 2012, rallied, but passed away on 30 December....

Pam Parker OBE, 1929-2019

Pam Parker OBE, 1929-2019

Pam Parker receiving the Freedom of the City of Leicester fromthe Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, on behalf of Leicester Ladies HC.   Pam Parker OBE, 1929–29 May 2019 The Hockey Museum is saddened by news of the death of Pam Parker. Pam was a long-time servant of hockey for over...

Parminder (Kake) Singh Saini, 1957-2021

Parminder (Kake) Singh Saini, 1957-2021

    19.09.1957 – 30.05.2021 Parminder (Kake) Singh Saini who represented Kenya the Los Angeles 1984 and Seoul 1988 Olympic Games died in Kisumu on 30 May – a Covid-19 victim, aged 63. Parminder died on the same day he was due to join other Kenyan Olympic players at a...

Peter Boizot, 1929-2018

Peter Boizot, 1929-2018

  16.11.1929 – 05.12.2018 Most hockey enthusiasts will have enjoyed Pizza Express or a Peroni beer at some time, but would they know of their connections to hockey? The answer lies in the story of Peter Boizot, described on his newly installed plaque in Peterborough Town Hall as “Mr Peterborough”....

Peter Crane, 1935-2020

Peter Crane, 1935-2020

  Peter Crane on one of many family safaris.Image courtesy of the Crane family. Peter Crane 04.12.35 – 20.12.20 A great servant and supporter of both English and international hockey, Peter Crane, has died at the age of 86. Peter’s hockey interest began at Whitgift School, Croydon. This was followed...

Peter Savage, 1947-2017

Peter Savage, 1947-2017

It is with great sadness that The Hockey Museum records the untimely death of one of its greatest supporters and friends. Peter has given so much to hockey and he had hoped to do so much more. He accepted the inevitability of his illness with amazing bravery and even humour....

Peter Thompson, 1945-2021

Peter Thompson, 1945-2021

  15.10.1945-26.5.2021 It was with great sadness that we heard of the sudden death of Peter Thompson in May 2021. Peter was a committed member of the ‘hockey family’ at Brigg, a small market town in North Lincolnshire, for 50 years. He was proud of the growth of Brigg Hockey...

Robert Cornelius Schad, 1926-2022

Robert Cornelius Schad, 1926-2022

  The England men's hockey team, 1952. Bob Schad is standing third left (with glasses) behind Norman Borrett, the captain.   Still playing golf at 93, Robert (Bob) Schad’s long-lasting batteries finally ran out of juice on 17 November 2022, drained of life after 96 well-filled years by the pernicious...

Robin Forbes Willmott DL, 1926 -2017

Robin Forbes Willmott DL, 1926 -2017

  Robin Willmott   Obituary Over the years, Southgate Hockey Club has had a number of very dedicated members, who have helped to make Southgate Hockey Club the great club that it is today. Robin Willmott was one of them. Robin joined the club in 1948 after National Service in...

Roger Self OBE, 1939-2017

Roger Self OBE, 1939-2017

Roger Self OBE with THM's Evelyn Somerville at Champions Trophy 2016.   Roger Self OBE, who led Britain's men's team to Olympic gold in 1988, died at home on Monday 5 June. He had been suffering from inclusion body myositis for the last 12 years. He was 77. His wife...

Tony Johnson, 1949-2020

Tony Johnson, 1949-2020

27.2.1949 – 25.5.2020 The name of Anthony William Johnson was never likely to be found in hockey’s national record books, and his portrait was never destined for any Hall of Fame, but Tony Johnson was undoubtedly one of those unsung heroes and club legends upon whom our great sport depends....

Trevor Jones, 1930-2021

Trevor Jones, 1930-2021

  17.05.1930 – 24.10 2021 It is sad to relate the passing of a great servant of our sport with the passing of Trevor Jones at the age of 91. Trevor was a true all-rounder within hockey having played outfield and in goal, becoming an umpire and involving himself in...

Valerie Robinson OBE, 1941-2022

Valerie Robinson OBE, 1941-2022

  Val Robinson, shown here with husband Gwyn, was awardedan OBE for services to hockey in 1985.   A Tribute to Val Robinson OBE:International hockey star, club player, BBC Superstars winner, footballer, golfer, hockey coach and friend. 18.12.1941 – 12.02.2022 The hockey family will have been saddened this week by...

Varinder Singh, 1947-2022

Varinder Singh, 1947-2022

A Career Forged in an Era of Flux   16.05.1947 – 28.06.2022 By Nikhilesh Bhattacharya   World hockey lost another link to its rich past when Indian Olympian Varinder Singh died on 28 June 2022. He was 75. Varinder Singh’s international career spanned the 1970s, a decade that witnessed seismic...

Wim Van Noortwijk, 1941-2020

Wim Van Noortwijk, 1941-2020

  Wim Van Noortwijk at the Grand Masters Hockey World Cup in Australia, 2016. It is with great sadness that I must tell you that Wim died peacefully this morning after a long battle with cancer. It was typical of the man that he insisted on being part of our...

Home

About Us & Visiting

Support Us

Contact Us

Subscribe To THM Mailing List

News

Features

Artefacts & Archives

Oral Histories

Library

Research & Study Topics

Education

Quizzes & Games

International Focus

Our Partners

BathUni Library Logo     EH Logo on white    FIH Logo Large    HLF compact cmyk   Mercian BLACK 2011 12   WokingBC RGB logo     CMYK Portrait

S5 Box

Login

Register

You need to enable user registration from User Manager/Options in the backend of Joomla before this module will activate.