Jim Shepherd (pictured) has collected a lifetime of Scottish heritage material.

Jim Shepherd, Mr Hockey from Broughty Ferry, Dundee: player, umpire, administrator, journalist, broadcaster and hockey collector. These are just a few of the titles which describe a man involved with hockey for over 60 years.

During that time, Jim amassed a phenomenal archive of documents, reports, press cuttings, photos and more that reflect his varied association with the sport he loves. The extent of this archive was only recently revealed when Jim, now 80 years old, decided that he needed to pass it to others to ensure it is preserved and made more widely available to a new audience. He invited Alan Veitch (archivist for Inverleith Hockey Club) and Richard Miller to visit, and they were blown away by the extent and variety of Jim’s amazing collection.

Now that Jim was looking to find a secure home for his collection, where should it go?

Alan is a member of the newly formed Scottish Hockey Heritage Group (SHHG), and the Group is now in discussion on the best way to handle this new collection. Work to secure, catalogue and share Scotland’s rich hockey heritage is still in its infancy, but the SHHG – led by Jenny Grassick, former Great Britain and Scotland international player – is already in discussion with Scottish Hockey, The Hockey Museum, Sporting Heritage and others.

The Hockey Museum is actively supporting the development of the SHHG to help them protect some of the most important Scottish hockey collections and bring out their fascinating stories. If you would like to offer your support, please contact us and we can put you in touch with Jenny.

Contact Us | The Hockey Museum

Jim Hamilton’s Amazing Hockey Life

Jim’s first taste of hockey was in 1954 at the Boys Brigade International Camp at Eton College, but it was in 1958 that his hockey journey really began. Jim was working in the Drawing Office of Bonar Long & Co. in Dundee when a work colleague began trying to recruit hockey players. Jim agreed to go along to practise and was soon playing his first match for Dundee Wanderers Hockey Club (DWHC) against HMS Condor at Arbroath. Jim describes himself as a “hockey enthusiast” – he played for Dundee Wanderers 1st XI, then their 2nd XI when they started one, then their 3rd XI when they started one. After his playing days drew to a close, he joined the umpiring ranks.

Jim’s administrative skills were soon captured by his club. He assumed the roles of DWHC Secretary, Match Secretary and Treasurer at various stages, all in the era of postcards and telephone calls. Club administration was obviously not enough to sustain Jim, and he was soon involved in the Midlands District and then Scottish Hockey committees.

For almost 40 years up till around 2018, Jim almost single-handedly ran the Midlands Men's Indoor Leagues, creating all the fixture lists, setting the pitch times to ensure every team had a worthwhile slate of matches on the days they were to play, running the technical table, arranging umpires and generally making it a smoothly oiled machine.

Around 1980, via his friend Scott Smith of Grove Academy Former Players (another Dundee hockey club), Jim got involved in match reporting for the Dundee Evening Telegraph, covering both Midlands and Scottish Hockey. The newspaper provided very good coverage of hockey at least twice weekly for 40 years. Jim was very meticulous to ensure all scores and local hockey points of interest were published. Again, he didn’t stop there. Local broadcaster Radio Tay invited him to do a weekly summary. Another of Jim’s interests is photography and the camera was always at his side for hockey matches. Many of his photos appeared in both the Dundee Evening Telegraph and Dundee Courier.

An insight into the records and newspaper cuttings that make up some of Jim Shepherd's collection.

Clearly, Jim’s training as a draughtsman wasn’t wasted at home as he started to draw together an amazing hockey collection, all filed in chronological order. Many of us can relate to being ‘hoarders’; Jim was more than that – a full-on hockey collector. His study at home along with his loft and cupboards capture 40 years of hockey material. There is no Scottish Hockey Museum in place (yet), but Jim’s house is as good a starting point as any!

Among some of the historical gems are weekly hockey press cuttings from all Scottish newspapers (all marked with dates), international hockey team lists, match programmes, hockey posters and photographs, hockey books, and those Radio Tay broadcasts are all stored on cassette tape. As Jim says, he has material that no one else will have.

Looking back on his hockey career, Jim recalls DWHC’s first Scottish Cup win in 1973 and their subsequent journey into Europe as a particular highlight. He has enjoyed, too, seeing his son Gordon carry on the family hockey tradition at DWHC. “He was better than me”, says Jim – Gordon went on to win many Scotland caps, playing both outdoor and indoor. He then followed the coaching path going onto to be Head Coach of the Scotland women’s side until recently.

Jim is a truly amazing servant of Scottish hockey.

Alan Veitch
July 2022

“Honour our past. Grateful for the present. Excited for the future.”

On Saturday 18 June 2022, USA Field Hockey (USAFH) celebrated its centennial with a dinner at The Union League of Philadelphia. The event, postponed from earlier in the year due to the ongoing pandemic, brought generations of individuals who have contributed to and supported the game of field hockey across the United States – in America, hockey (as it is known in Britain) is referred to as field hockey to distinguish the sport from ice hockey. The USAFH centenary event also recognised the 2021 Annual Award Winners and served as the 2022 USAFH Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Pam Stuper, a former USA international player, former Yale University head coach, and current USA Field Hockey Foundation Executive Director, hosted the event.

Constance Applebee, a British woman who actively promoted the sport in the United States, played a key role in founding the United States Field Hockey Association (USFHA) in 1922. Unlike most national governing bodies around the world, in the United States it was a governing body for the women’s game that preceded a governing body for men. Six years after Applebee established the USFHA, the Field Hockey Association of America formed to govern men’s field hockey in the United States. These two organizations coexisted for more than 60 years, only merging in 1993.

Constance Applebee circa 1903.

Recently appointed Trustee of The Hockey Museum (THM) Dr Heather Dichter attended USAFH’s 100th anniversary dinner to demonstrate the continued support of British hockey to the game in the United States. Although she is an associate professor at De Montfort University in Leicester, Heather is originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home of Spooky Nook (USA women’s national training centre) and numerous US Women’s National Team (USWNT) players. Heather’s guest was Savannah Graybill, who played collegiate field hockey at American University before representing USA as a skeleton athlete. They were seated with Pam Stuper, USAFH Executive Director Simon Hoskins, and USA Field Hockey Foundation Chairperson Patrick Durbin and his family.

Dr Heather Dichter with her guest Savannah Graybill.		USAFH Executive Director Simon Hoskins with Dr Heather Dichter.

The evening’s keynote speakers were 1984 Olympic bronze medalist and Pennsylvania State University head coach Charlene Morrett-Curtiss and 1996 Olympian and American University head coach Steve Jennings. Charlene focused on the development of the women’s game and Steve on the men’s game.

Charlene Morrett-Curtiss and other individuals throughout the evening emphasised Constance Applebee’s legacy of promoting and spreading the sport across the country. Hall of Fame (honorary member) inductee Barbara Longstreth spoke fondly of her interactions with ‘The Apple’, as many people called Constance Applebee. Barbara was a member of the USWNT in the 1960s and competed in the Wembley match in 1962 – a 3-3 draw in front of a crowd of 52,000. She contributed to the sport’s growth in California, later selling hockey sticks out of her car before establishing Longstreth Field Hockey, perhaps the USA’s most well-known establishment for field hockey equipment.

The USA Field Hockey centenary dinner was held at the Union League of Philadelphia.

The evening also celebrated the organisation’s contributions to the international game. The USFHA was a founding member of the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) in 1927, hosting its Conference and Tournament in Philadelphia a decade later in 1936. Aaron Sher, who held numerous roles within the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Pan American Hockey Federation (PAHF), was also inducted into USAFH’s Hall of Fame (honorary member) that evening.

The other three Hall of Fame inductees were former national team athletes Larry Amar (1972-2020), whose widow accepted his induction, Rachel Dawson, and Lauren Crandall Liska. Pan American Games gold medals in 2011 and 2015 are only two of the accolades that both Dawson and Crandall Liska have earned. The photographs and videos of past teams and international tournaments drew cheers from the audience all evening, particularly from those who saw their younger selves on screen.

Although the evening celebrated one hundred years of field hockey in the United States, many of the speakers provided encouragement for the future – of the game’s continued growth in the country as well as the national teams’ success at the international level. USAFH is excited for the next hundred years of field hockey across the United States, but also for gold medals at all levels. Perhaps on home soil at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games?

Re-watch the Facebook live stream of the USAFH centenary dinner: 100th Anniversary & Hall of Fame Celebration | (facebook.com)

The historical segments are:

• 06:30-14:02 -- poem and Jennifer Shillingford history speech.
• 01:10:46-01:32:52 -- centenary film.

The Hockey Museum’s Research into the History of the USAFH

Further details of the origins of the founding of the USFHA are emerging from research being undertaken by THM volunteer Dr Jo Halpin, ably supported student researcher Ana Brown. Jo has been examining archive material and scrapbooks at the Museum and in the All England Women’s Hockey Association (AEWHA) Collection at the University of Bath. These detail the numerous England and USA hockey trips across the Atlantic post World War 1. In particular, the visit of an All Philadelphia team to England in 1920 and the subsequent AEWHA tour to the USA in 1921. The links made during these early events were undoubtedly a substantial influence in the formation of the USFHA in 1922. THM, in collaboration with the USFHA and the FIH, hopes to share the full story of these tours and their impact on the development of US women’s hockey with a webinar later this year.

Read more about Ana’s volunteering experience with THM, which also explores some of the tours following the founding of the USFHA: USFHA to England (1924), AEWHA to USA (1928), USFHA to England via Copenhagen for the first IFWHA tournament (1933); AEWHA to USA for the second IFWHA tournament held in Philadpelphia (1936).

Researching The USFHA Tour To The UK In 1924 | The Hockey Museum

The United States Field Hockey Association (USFHA) touring team at Edinburgh Castle in 1924. From the Marjorie Taylor collection, The Hockey Museum.

Last weekend, on Saturday 18 June 2022, Teddington Hockey Club (THC) celebrated its 150th anniversary (sesquicentenary) with a Gala Dinner and by re-creating a hockey match from the period of their founding in 1871. These events were followed by intra-club junior and adult hockey tournaments on the Sunday.

The full 150th celebrations programme: 150th Anniversary Celebrations | TeddingtonHockey.club

THC was founded as a men’s hockey club, but the anniversary exhibition match instead reflected the club’s current makeup: men and women were pitted against each other in friendly competition but wearing period costume for added authenticity. Most players competed with period-style hockey sticks.

Afterwards photographs were taken of the ladies’ and men’s team attempting to imitate black-and-white photography from the 1870s.

Discover the full photo album of the exhibition match: Teddington HC at Bushy Park | pixieset.com

Teddington Hockey Club players and invited guests take part in an exhibition match to celebrate the club's 150th anniversary. The teams and umpires wore kit reflecting their founding period of the 1870s. Photographs © Mark Shepherd.

Teddington HC re-create nineteenth-century photographs of men's and women's teams; © Mark Shepherd. Below: the photographs that inspired them: Teddington HC, 1892 and Royal Holloway College, 1888.

The club also planted a tree in Bushey Park with the help of special guests Munira Wilson MP and THM’s Honorary Curator Mike Smith. The new tree replaced the chestnut tree planted for the club’s 100th anniversary in 1971 which sadly died – a symbolic gesture reflecting THC’s iconic logo and enduring spirit.

Earlier in the week, the BBC’s sports reporter Mike Bushell had visited and been shown some of the history of THC. This was reflected in an excellent 5-minute slot on Saturday morning television during BBC Breakfast. Teddington and The Hockey Museum (THM) archivist, Marcus Wardle was interviewed for the online magazine South West Londoner about the history of Teddington and its importance within the history of the sport.

Teddington HC's tree planting ceremony in Bushey Park with Munira Wilson MP. Photographs © Mark Shepherd.

Teddington and the Origins of Modern Hockey

THC can rightly claim to be the oldest hockey club, but perhaps more importantly, it is the founding club of modern hockey. This claim is supported by archival material held by THM. The legacy of THC is felt when any present-day hockey player runs out onto the pitch. Many rules have changed but the basic outline of the field and how the game is played can be traced back to Teddington.

THC has been instrumental in creating the early rules of the sport. After Teddington Cricket Club members laid down their own hockey rules, these rules were codified so that other clubs could play the same game of hockey and compete against each other. THC's rules formed the basis of the Rules adopted by the first Hockey Association (HA) which were formally published in 1876. It is from these rules that the modern game of hockey has grown and evolved, rather than from other hockey-like games in the UK (some even called hockey), or from indigenous stick-and-ball games around the world.

Found amongst the records of Surbiton HC is an account of the meeting to form the first Hockey Association, during which the Rules of hockey were drawn up, mainly inspired by those set down by Teddington HC.

Part of the Teddington HC Gala Dinner display featuring Mr A Frampton mentioned below; © Mary Sullivan.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century, Mr A Frampton joined THC to play in the new-fangled position of goalkeeper. He was capped to play for England against Ireland on 28 March 1896 in Dublin. He kept a clean sheet as England won 1:0. In 1899 Frampton, as a member of the HA, formed the International Rules Board. He had previously helped form the Southern Counties Hockey Umpires Association (SCHUA).

Frampton was one of many Teddington players who achieved international status, earning the club considerable standing in the hockey world.

The Gala Dinner and the Heritage Display

150 years of Teddington’s success and prosperity were celebrated at their Gala Dinner held at Kempton Park Racecourse this past Saturday. It had been delayed by the pandemic, as were most things!

THC’s history was on display, much of it usually housed in THM. Several stories from the archives had been crafted to show Teddington’s history and the Club’s impact on the game. Also displayed were examples of THC kit showing original to present-day colours. The first kit of a yellow flannel shirt and white flannel trousers gives an indication of THC’s cricket roots. The white flannel trousers were basically cricket ‘whites’.

The display also revealed how THC had celebrated through the years. Menu cards showed what attendees ate at previous Dinners. The complexities of the meals were astounding. The main display of this section took in memorabilia from the centenary celebration 50 years ago. Chief amongst it was the congratulatory letter from Buckingham Palace and the receipt for the venison used at the Dinner. Venison was chosen for the dinner as deer roamed Bushy Park where the original THC clubhouse and pitches were situated. 

Finally, the centenary celebration pennants were displayed. This was the first time the membership had seen these since they were removed from the original clubhouse in Bushy Park.

All of this was well received by the members and some of the elder ones re-discovered themselves in photographs that had been displayed in 1971.

Receipt for the bucks (venison) cooked for THC's Centenary Dinner in 1971.		Pennants from the club's Centenary Dinner made up part of the heritage display at the 150th Gala Dinner. © Mary Sullivan.

Material from Teddington HC's heritage display at the Gala Dinner, curated by THM Archivist Marcus Wardle; © Mary Sullivan.

Over 250 people attended the event: members old and new as well as England Hockey Vice President Dawn Bonner and high-profile players including Kulbir Bhaura, Jimmy Wallis, Brett Garrard, Simon Mason, Matt Daly and Danny Haydon. English ex-international rugby player Martin Bayfield was a lively after-dinner speaker. He professed to know nothing about hockey but kept everyone in merriment throughout the evening. Martin also presided over the auctioning of a signed t-shirt which raised £1,000 for the club. His description of the article as “a piece of cr*p” certainly helped to raise its value!

Importantly, Club Captain Claire Freer – the first female Club Captain in Teddington’s long history – announced a scheme to raise £300,000 over the next three years to improve the floodlighting of its pitches, create a better clubhouse and more. Teddington Hockey Club has used its 150th celebrations to look to and be inspired by its past, raise a glass to the present and announce how it would move forward into the future.

Congratulations from The Hockey Museum on a job well done.

[Photographs © Mary Sullivan or Mark Shepherd.]

Are you an experienced professional looking for an opportunity to actively contribute to the development of a young, vibrant and rapidly expanding museum?

Who We Are

The Hockey Museum is the first and only museum of hockey in the world and aims to preserve, share and celebrate the rich history and heritage of hockey. As an Accredited Museum and registered charity, The Hockey Museum is home to a growing collection of hockey archives, artefacts and memorabilia, which it makes accessible to the hockey family and the wider public through its website, newsletters, displays and exhibitions.

Our Vision

"Inspiring people to embrace hockey's values by sharing engaging stories through innovation and inclusivity".

Can You Help Us?

As a charity we rely on a combination of grants and donations to keep us afloat.

We are seeking someone with experience of fundraising in the charity sector to join the Board of Trustees to support the delivery of its strategic plan and guide the Museum into a sustainable, financially resilient future.

We are looking to recruit a motivated individual to lead the Museum’s fundraising with a view to increasing our annual income to levels that support our planned expenditure.

How It Works

We are a small, dynamic team. Daytime Board meetings are held quarterly and Trustees are encouraged to attend museum events including volunteer days, exhibitions and two regular social events each year. We are looking for a Trustee to actively contribute to the museum development and/or running outside of these meetings.

The Hockey Museum continues to work to diversify its Board of Trustees and welcomes applications from all ages and backgrounds.

As a small charity, we regret it is not possible to offer any travelling or other expenses to Trustees.

All Trustee positions are voluntary.

Application Process

Deadline: 31st July 2022
Interviews: TBC

Applications should consist of an expression of interest and CV.

For further information or to apply please email Claire McQuillan, Trustee: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Explore The Hockey Museum website to discover more about who we are and what we do.

The Hockey Museum is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Registration no. 1170979).

During the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, 130 former Great Britain (GB) hockey players came together across two days at Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre to receive their GB honours caps.

Copyright: England Hockey / WorldSportPics.com Will Palmer

The Caps and the Presentation Ceremonies

In special ceremonies jointly organised by the Hockey Internationals’ Club (HIC), Great Britain Hockey (GBH) and The Hockey Museum (THM), each player was presented with a beautifully made, carefully embroidered cap by GBH President and former GB and Wales player Sheila Morrow. Each honours cap – produced by THM and financed by GBH – bears the name, debut date, cap (or appearance) total and the unique player number of each GB international. The ceremony was hosted by three-time hockey Olympian Simon Mason.

Mike Smith (Honorary Curator of The Hockey Museum) and Sheila Morrow (Great Britain Hockey President) lead - and clearly enjoy - the ceremonies which were very ably hosted by Simon Mason across the Jubilee weekend. Copyright: WorldSportPics.com Will Palmer / England Hockey

We believe this was the largest ever gathering of GB hockey players in one place. Quite an organisational feat!

It was a wonderful event for other reasons, too. It served both as a reunion and as an occasion for long-overdue recognition. Players who had not seen each other in years reunited; generations mingled, laughed and shared stories. Above all else, there was an overwhelming sense of pride.

A cap might be perceived as quite a simple, unassuming gesture, but it is immersed in 150 years of tradition and prestige. The earliest known honours cap presented in any sport was in 1871 for rugby. The first international honours caps presented in hockey were by Ireland in 1895, followed by Wales. The English Hockey Association passionately opposed the awarding of caps to its players at this time and has only – very rarely – awarded them for landmark appearances since. THM has no record of hockey honours caps being awarded in Scotland.

More than a century later, it fell to THM to lobby for the introduction of GB honours caps supported by its statistics project, and across the weekend an unmistakable joy arose from the recognition afforded by these presentations; presentations which were shared with family, friends, dignitaries and fellow athletes.

Extract from page 14 of the second (English) Hockey Association (HA) Minute Book, held in the archives of The Hockey Museum. The minute is from a meeting of the HA Council held at the Royal Station Hotel, Bath on 7 March 1908. Transcription: "A proposal by Mr Trestrail that caps should be given to any player who represented England was not seconded and so withdrawn."

Social Photographs From The Celebrations

Gemma Ible, John Hurst, Hilary Rose, Beth Storry, Carolyn Reid, Joanne Thompson & Rose Thomas.		Jon Ebsworth, Kevin Priday, Alistair Seaton, Simon Mason, John Hurst & Simon Triggs.

Karen Brown & Jane Smith.		Christina Cullen, Jane Smith & Jane Sixsmith.

The Hockey Museum's Research

For the past six years, THM’s Statistics Working Group (comprised entirely of volunteers) has been busy researching, cross-referencing and collating a definitive database of GB international matches and the players who competed in them. Tens of thousands of hours have been spent tinkering with spreadsheets and trawling through match reports in magazines and newspaper archives, as well as through selection books, personal scrapbooks, official match sheets and other fascinating sources of information held in the Museum’s collection stores in Woking.

Decisions, too, were made around what does or does not count as an official match, the criteria for which was hammered out by the Working Group in hours of meetings with GBH, HIC and athlete representatives. This has led to the discovery of new GB teams for both the men and the women. The first GB men’s team and players are confirmed as the Olympic hockey of 1920 (previously thought to be an England team); the first GB women’s team is now recognised as the GB & Ireland Touring Team to the USA in 1965.

The first GB men’s team: A Golden Centenary: Harry Haslam and Olympic Hockey Gold in 1920 | The Hockey Museum

The first GB women’s team: The Story Of The First GB Women's Matches: Born In The USA | The Hockey Museum

Without this work to create definitive records, it would have been impossible to assign player numbers to GB hockey players past and present. A complete dataset simply did not exist. Yet with the establishment of THM in 2011 and the gradual expansion of its collection and record-keeping, enough sources of information were brought together under one very special roof (even if we say so ourselves). THM really is a one-of-a-kind resource for hockey unlike anywhere else in the world.

Now, with every match and player accounted for, hockey can share with its athletes their own unique numbers – their own indisputable position in the canon of hockey excellence.

Credit for the research project which has enabled the presentation of GB honours caps and player numbers must go to THM volunteers Steve Ellis, Sue Lane, Mike Smith and Katie Dodd.

To summarise what this means to the players, current GB international Ellie Rayer (women’s player no. 193) stated the following when receiving her cap prior to the Tokyo Olympic Games:

"I currently wear number 13, but I am merely looking after the number for the moment.
193 is my number and it always will be, which is incredibly special.
A huge, huge thank you for the work you have done."

-- Ellie Rayer #193

GB Squads Receive Honours Caps And Their Unique Player Numbers | The Hockey Museum

What Next?

Approximately half of the honours caps available to the 581 GB hockey players are still to be presented, either to the athletes themselves or to their descendants. THM does not anticipate being able to trace and more than 150 of these, but if you think you know of a player missing their GB cap, please contact THM to express your interest.

Meanwhile, at THM the Stats Group’s work continues. The Museum has active projects seeking to compile definitive records for England men and women – an even bigger job going back further in time to the 1890s – England U21s, umpires’ records, and the National League. We are also supporting work in Scotland and Wales. Perhaps some of these, too, will result in honours cap presentations. If you think you can assist and help to realise days like those held at Lee Valley, please get in touch.

Contact The Hockey Museum using our website form: Contact Us | The Hockey Museum

THM is a charity and requires the support of the public to continues its great work. If you would like to support THM by making a donation, please visit: How To Donate | The Hockey Museum

Photographs From The Presentations

Copyright: WorldSportPics.com Will Palmer / England Hockey

Since The Hockey Museum (THM) acquired its first premises in Woking in 2011, the support of the ‘hockey family’ has been integral to its growth. The core of its volunteers has traditionally been drawn from local hockey clubs including Ashford, Staines, Wimbledon, Teddington, Richmond and Woking itself. These days THM team also embraces remote volunteers from hockey clubs further afield, (non-hockey) volunteers from the local community, and enjoys university partnerships and links with mentoring organisations supporting neurodivergent individuals.

One club whose members have given very significantly to THM is Ashford Hockey Club (AHC) in Middlesex. Several of THM’s longest-standing volunteers hail from AHC. On 7 May 2022 the Club celebrated its centenary with a Gala Dinner and THM made a small gesture in recognition of the Club’s influence on its journey.

Ashford Hockey Club’s Centenary Gala Dinner

In 1919 a group of women in Ashford (Middlesex, now Surrey) formed a Ladies’ Hockey Club and in 2019 the club that they founded prepared to celebrate its centenary.

"What a sporty little place Ashford is. I hear a hockey club has now been formed,
and its members appear to be enjoying themselves."
- The Middlesex Chronicle, 1920.

Ashford Hockey Club (AHC) had grown in the intervening years to run four ladies’ teams, five men’s teams, an occasional mixed side, a ladies veterans’ team and numerous junior age groups. In 1924 AHC moved from playing on a farmer’s field off Ashford High Street to a dedicated sports club premises alongside Ashford cricket and bowls clubs. AHC moved again in 1998 laying an artificial turf hockey pitch alongside a large new clubhouse in the neighbouring town of Stanwell.

In 2019, preparations began for a grand Centenary Gala Dinner in April 2020. The task of contacting as many past members as possible began and the organising committee put out a request for historical club memorabilia. The club already had the original minute books and old team photographs from the early 1920s onwards (mainly men’s teams), along with press cuttings and fixture cards from pre-war games in the unofficial club archive. Unfortunately, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck everything had to be put on hold. Two cancellations, a change of venue and two years later the event at last took place on Saturday 7 May with 216 past and present members attending.

A 32-page programme including a brief club history was produced from the wealth of club information gathered by the organising committee. Four pop up banners (each depicting 25 years of club history) and a special centenary ale were among other items created for the event, and historic club shirts were also displayed. The oldest shirt dating from the 1960s was loaned by THM where it has been preserved as part of the collection of late club Life Member Mrs Audrey Hewes. It was the type worn by the ladies’ first eleven when they played a celebration game against Middlesex County in 1969 to celebrate the Club’s 50th anniversary.

Ashford (Middlesex) Hockey Club's heritage display at their Centenary Gala Dinner. In the centre is the 1960s white playing shirt loaned by The Hockey Museum from the collection of late club Life Member Mrs Audrey Hewes.

Former Ashford Hockey Club (AHC) players at the Gala Dinner. From left to right: Shirley Winson, June Goulds and Doreen Brown. Doreen volunteers at The Hockey Museum and leads the cataloguing of the pin badge collection. Above: AHC team photograph featuring the same three women, from an exhibition match against the Middlesex County team played to celebrate AHC's 50th anniversary in 1969. The women wear the same white shirt displayed at the Gala Dinner.

A splendid evening was had by all, and many, matches, tours and past events were recalled.

Discover more about the event from a report in The Hockey Paper: A Night of Emotion and Club Service | The Hockey Paper

Special Presentations

Lynne Morgan is one of THM’s long-standing AHC volunteers. She is past President of AHC having stood down ahead of the 2021/22 season. At Ashford’s Centenary Gala Dinner Lynne deservedly received a special award recognising her years of dedicated service to AHC – congratulations, Lynne, from all your colleagues at The Hockey Museum.

THM also made a special presentation of its own: a hockey heritage blue plaque denoting AHC’s centenary and recognising the Club’s significant contribution to the Museum’s growth. It was paraded at the Gala Dinner and will be unveiled at Ashford’s clubhouse ahead of the new season.

If you are interested in a blue plaque for your club, please contact us: Contact Us (hockeymuseum.net)

Left: Ashford Hockey Club (AHC) past President Lynne Morgan with the hockey heritage plaque donated by The Hockey Museum in recognition of the incredible volunteer support given to establish and grow the Museum over the last decade.. Photo credit: Rod Gilmour | The Hockey Paper. Right: the Lifetime Commitment Award, awarded to Lynne in a surprise presentation at AHC's Centenary Gala Dinner.

Current and former Ashford Hockey Club (AHC) players at the Gala Dinner. Current Club President Ian Jenkins proudly holds the hockey heritage plaque. From left to right: Yazdi Merchant, Martin Smith (past President), Ian Jenkins, Peter Cottrell and Surinder Jas. Photo credit: Adrian Norfor | Ashford Hockey Club

The Great Britains women's squad 1978-1980. Standing (left to right): Janet Burrows, Marilyn Pugh (nee Morgan), Judith Foston, Maggie Souyave, Linda Carr, Jane Swinnerton-Ions, Janet Jones (nee Jurischka), Rosie Sykes, Pam Stuart Williams, Jenny Givan Redpath, Sheila Morrow, Shirley Ellis-Morgan, Elan Borrowman. Sitting (left to right): Barbara Hambly, Pauline Gibbon, Violet McBride, Mary Eckersall, Margaret Medlow (nee Rainbow), Anne Ellis.

At a recent ceremony at The Vale Golf Resort, Cardiff, Great Britain (GB) honours caps were presented to a very special group of former players – they all represented GB in the run up to the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, the first Games to include women’s hockey.

All these women played their part in the matches to qualify and then prepare for Moscow. Sixteen were eventually selected for what should have been a first Olympic appearance for GB women’s hockey. Sadly, there was a political boycott and both the men’s and women’s hockey squads withdrew.

Read more about the Moscow Olympic boycott: Echoes of Moscow 1980 | The Hockey Museum

Despite being a relatively new team, this GB squad was very strong. It was captained by experienced Welsh defender Anne Ellis and had a mix of talented players from all the Home Countries – a gold medal was certainly in their sights. For some of these players coming towards the end of their hockey careers in 1980, Moscow was their only realistic opportunity to play at an Olympic Games, whilst for others the subsequent failure to qualify for the Los Angeles Games in 1984 dashed any further dreams. In the end, only two players from this group – Violet McBride and Barbara Hambly – ever got an opportunity to compete at an Olympic Games; they made the squad for Seoul in 1988.

 Oral history interview: Anne Ellis | The Hockey Museum

GB honours caps waiting to be presented in Cardiff.		Sheila Morrow presented Anne Ellis with her GB cap.

While the caps presentation in Cardiff came more than 40 years since this group of players and their families had all been in the same room together, the camaraderie from those earlier years was obvious. Memories were shared, stories told and jokes cracked; and the singing … an ever-present part of any hockey reunion featuring a large Welsh contingent!

The event was organised by Sheila Morrow – now the Great Britain Hockey (GBH) President – with support from The Hockey Museum. Sheila was also a member of this GB squad. She spoke of the excitement back in 1978 of being part of the newly formed GB group, and the passion and commitment they had all put into their goal of playing at the Olympic Games. While the sadness of missing out was still evident, Sheila reminded them of how much they had all gained from the GB experience and of the many friendships that persisted to this day. A toast was given to those GB colleagues who had been unable to attend the event and to those no longer with us: Margaret Brown (Scotland) and to the much-loved Val Robinson (England), who had passed away so recently.

Obituary: Valerie Robinson OBE, 1941-2022 | The Hockey Museum

GB honours caps were presented to each player by Sheila in her role as GBH President, but probably the most moving presentation came when Sheila received her cap from Anne Ellis, Captain of that GB team and Sheila’s long-time mentor and friend. A lovely moment.

Rosie Sykes, Pauline Gibbon and Linda Carr at the cap presentation in Cardiff.

Attendees
Liz Huggins (GB Manager).
England
Janet Burrows, Maggie Souyave, Linda Carr, Jane Swinnerton-Ions, Janet Jones (nee Jurischka), Barbara Hambly, Pauline Gibbon, Rosie Sykes and Mary Eckersall.
Wales
Margaret Medlow (nee Rainbow), Anne Ellis (Captain), Marilyn Pugh (nee Morgan), Judith Foston, Pam Stuart Williams, Sheila Morrow and Shirley Ellis Morgan.
Scotland
Elan Borrowman.
Ireland
Jenny Givan Redpath and Violet McBride.

Absent friends
Lesley Hurley and Kim Gordon (both England); Margaret Gleghorne (Ireland), Elaine Graham and Ellen Patterson (both Scotland) and Win Heath (GB Coach).

England women’s hockey team vs Ireland, March 1911. Vera Cox is seated centrally holding a ball.

The Hockey Museum is hosting a short talk by visiting researcher Frances Thompson on the life of her relative Vera Cox. The talk will be held at The Hockey Museum in Woking, Surrey followed by refreshments on Wednesday 4 May, 17:00.

Seating space is limited so attendance will be first come, first served. Please RSVP using the website contact form. Select “General enquiries” from the drop-down menu. Click here: The Hockey Museum | Contact Us

Talk Synopsis

Frances Thompson is the great grandniece of international hockey player, umpire and administrator extraordinaire Vera Cox (pictured here in the 1950s). Vera played for England between 1908-1912.

Frances has been uncovering the amazing life of Vera and her siblings through researching the letters that they wrote to each other for over 60 years. Now living in Australia, Frances has worked with archives including those of the Bodleian Library, Oxford and The Hockey Museum to bring Vera’s fascinating story of Edwardian life to light.

On Wednesday 4 May, Frances will speak on Vera’s hockey life and her many other sporting and charitable activities, as well as revealing the story of how she happened upon these amazing family archives.

An event celebrating the life of the late Mike Ward will be held on 13 May 2022 at their Chaplegate home ground, at the Bournemouth University Clubhouse complex.

Address: Christchurch Road, East Parley BH23 6BL.

The general arrival time will be around 13:00 for 13:30. There will be a buffet etc.

There will be an optional dress code for men to consider wearing a jacket (ideally blazer) with a hockey tie, in a tribute to Mike.

The event will give the opportunity for hockey groups that Mike was associated with, and possibly individuals to say a few words, as appropriate.

This event is open to anyone in the 'hockey family' who knew Mike.

Read a full tribute to Mike Ward on the obituaries section of the museum's website: Mike Ward, 1942-2022 obituary | (hockeymuseum.net).

The 1972 Great Britain men's squad during their reunion earlier this month. Back row: Peter Ewles, John French, Bernie Cotton, Keith Sinclair, Peter Mills, Paul Svehlik, Peter Marsh, Rui Saldanha. Front row: Graham Evans, Terry Gregg, Mike Crowe, Tony Ekins, Mike Corby, Chris Langhorne, Richard Oliver.

By Keith Sinclair

The 1972 Great Britain (GB) hockey squad reunion has been in the planning phase for many months and received great support from the group of 18 who had such a memorable experience in Munich 50 years ago.

Sadly, we have lost our three-man management team of Bill Vans Agnew (Manager), Bob Mason (Assistant Manager) and Stan Wigmore (Trainer) to the passage of time, but to my knowledge all 18 members of our squad are still standing. The one uncertainty surrounds Sheikh Joe Ahmad who I have been unable to find, although there was some rumour that he may be in the Middle East – I hope that he is still alive and kicking. Austin Savage living in North Wales and Dennis Hay recovering from a stroke in Edinburgh sadly could not attend.

The Royal Thames Yacht Club (RTYC) in Knightsbridge was my chosen venue for our much-anticipated lunch. Their Mountbatten Room overlooking Hyde Park is a superb venue and we were able to get all anticipated 28 together on one long table which was ideal. There were 15 of the 18-strong squad present, together with 11 partners (reduced to 10 by a late Covid withdrawal) and two special guests: John Willmott, once of Southgate and Chair of The Hockey Museum, and Roger Dakin once again giving freely of his time to entertain us with amusing hockey stories.

John Willmott was on hand to present each of the 1972 squad with their GB honours caps, assisted by captain Tony Ekins. The GB cap presentation started proceedings and I know how delighted the recipients were to receive such a great memento of their times playing first-class hockey all those years ago. Top marks to The Hockey Museum for producing such excellent quality caps and for organising their presentation.

Michele (Mrs Sinclair) had spent much time preparing the table for us all with Union Flags, Olympic signs and excellent place cards with menu and squad photographs. The menu met the general approval of all and with a little celebratory welcome fizz and glass of wine or two (and some water of course), together with the first-class support of the RTYC staff, a superb lunch was enjoyed. Speeches by Tony Ekins, with support from Mike Crowe and Mike Corby and a moving few words from Terry Gregg were much appreciated. The formal proceedings were rounded off with Roger Dakin’s raconteur skills and reminder of his notable indoor career and in particular his memories of playing against the wonderful German indoor team of that era! The memories continued informally for a long time.

Members of the group had brought some of their saved articles and cuttings from 1972 and of course highlighted the disastrous Black September atrocities on the Israeli team accommodation which sadly these Olympic Games will always be remembered for. Maybe these artefacts will find their way to the museum at some point.

It was probably after 16:00 before the last made their way home to different parts of the country having experienced a highly memorable day.

Tracing Sheikh Joe Ahmad

Despite our very significant efforts we have been unable to make contact with Joe Ahmad, GB (men's) player number 165.

In 1972 he was in the Royal Air Force (RAF). We know that when he left the RAF he moved to the Middle East as a hockey coach – there the trail has gone completely cold. Is there anyone out there who has any information on how we might contact Joe and present him with his GB cap?

Please use contact The Hockey Museum through the website page: Contact Us | The Hockey Museum.