This year (2023), there will be over 30 Great Britain honours cap presentation events, not just around the country but around the world. Amazingly, the project has now passed 350 caps produced and presented (out of 581 GB men and women) and we will be beyond 400 by the year end! We anticipate that there will be over 100 GB players or their families that we may never find, mainly because the men’s teams go back over a century to 1920.

Cambridge City Hockey Club presentation, 15 May 2023

From left to right: Mark Brookes (CCHC Chairman); Diane Wilman, Nick Thompson, Christopher Robinson, Tim Ireland (CCHC President), and Mike Smith (The Hockey Museum President and Hon. Curator). Photographs courtesy of Simon Webb Photography.

The latest presentation took place at the magnificent Cambridge City Hockey Club (CCHC) with its three artificial pitches and clubhouse. The event was triggered by the presentation of David Wilman’s cap to his widow Diane. David was a long-time and much respected member of the Club. He played in three Olympic Games – in Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964 and Mexico City 1968 – earning a total of 31 GB caps over nine years, which was exceptional in those days!

Being in Cambridge, our most easterly presentation venue, we were joined by Christopher Robinson, the nephew of Anthony (Tony) Robinson who played in the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952 winning a bronze medal, and in Melbourne 1956. International matches were much less frequent in those days: Tony totalled 17 GB appearances across the two Olympiads.

It has proved challenging to trace the families of the earlier players and in Tony’s case we have only located six out of 34 of his GB contemporaries. Consequently, the Cambridge presentations were a great joy for The Hockey Museum (THM) as well as for the recipients.

Also at this very special event, former CCHC First XI player Nick Thompson was presented with his cap – 67 caps accrued between 1989 and 1996 including the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games – but sadly his wife Jo (nee Ellis), also a GB hockey player, was unable to join us.

We are grateful to CCHC for their hospitality and thank them for embracing the historical achievements of its past players. The Club now boats six GB internationals and is going to mount a display to celebrate this feat.

Cambridge City HC's write up of the event | cambridgecityhc.org

Left: Diane Wilman (widow of David Wilman) and Nick Thompson with their GB honours caps. Right: Christopher Robinson receives his uncle Tony’s GB honours cap from Mike Smith. Photographs courtesy of Simon Webb Photography.

Looking ahead to England

The families of Tony Robinson and David Wilman will in due course receive their England honours caps, but with over 2,000 England players reaching back to the late 19th century, compiling this definitive dataset and then finding the players or descendants is and will be a much bigger job.

If you are interested in getting involved with THM’s England statistics research project, please get in touch.

Contact Us | hockeymuseum.net

On Friday 21 May 2023, The Times newspaper featured an article on the centenary of Wembley Stadium in London. Frustratingly, they made no mention of the annual women’s hockey international matches which ran from 1951-1991. Under a photograph of the England women’s football team (the ‘Lionesses’) celebrating their European Championship success last year (2022), the article states: “No one imagined a women’s team packing out this stadium when they were building it.” Whilst they may not have foreseen women’s sports teams attracting large crowds, women’s hockey did this in the 1970s!

The record crowds of schoolgirls at Wembley during its hockey heyday; an electric atmosphere perhaps not dissimilar to the rock concerts that Wembley also hosted.

Prior to its article, The Times asked its readership to contribute their memories of Wembley, though the resulting article is surprisingly light on reminiscence. Former England captain Anita White wrote in with her memories of leading out the England team as World Champions in front of a 68,000-strong crowd at Wembley in 1976. Her correspondence was completely ignored by The Times.

The Wembley crowd of mostly schoolgirls in 1976 was a record attendance for women’s sporting event. Indeed, throughout the 1970s and through to the early 1980s the annual Wembley fixture regularly exceeded 60,000 spectators – the second largest crowds after men’s football. Women’s football matches in the UK did not exceed the hockey crowd size at Wembley until the 2012 Olympic final at Wembley (80,000) and again for the 2022 European Championship final at Wembley (87,000).

Anita says: “I'm personally thrilled to see women's sport as a whole beginning to get the recognition it deserves but frustrated at the omission of hockey's spectator appeal in the 1970s. The women’s Wembley internationals are quite unique in the history of the development of women's sport.”

England women vs Scotland at Wembley Stadium in 1972. The match took place in front of a crowd of 65,000. From the collection of Hockey Field magazine's Editor Pat Ward, held by The Hockey Museum.

The Magic of Wembley: enjoy the book

The Times may not have been interested in hockey’s fascinating Wembley legacy, but you can read about the 41 years of England international matches in The Hockey Museum’s (THM) book, The Magic of Wembley. It is available for purchase for only £10 plus postage.

Purchase The Magic of Wembley Book (hockeymuseum.net) or click the poster image.

When we were researching for book, THM team tried to trace the whereabouts of the Wembley Stadium business archives. We presumed that there must be an organisation responsible for keeping records of the multi-event history of the venue – we failed, though ultimately not to the detriment of our book! Having exhausted our contacts at the National Football Museum, we were pointed in the direction of the Football Association (FA) – they were only interested in football rather than the development of and wider use of the stadium itself – and then the London Metropolitan Archives who did have some of the financial records but not a lot else. So where have all the Wembley records gone!? It all rather reinforces Anita White’s view that hockey at Wembley is persistently and sadly overlooked, but at least THM exists to continue to bang the drum!

The 70th anniversary of hockey at Wembley

Back in March 2021, THM partnered with Talk Hockey Radio to record a special panel discussion celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first women’s hockey match at Wembley Stadium in 1951. It featured former England captains Maggie Souyave, Anita White and Kate Richardson-Walsh. You can watch it on our website below.

Click her for more information about the special panel discussion film and other Wembley hockey-related material: Reliving The Wembley Magic: 70th Anniversary Special (hockeymuseum.net)

Reliving the Wembley Magic is a panel discussion produced in March 2021 in partnership with Talk Hockey Radio to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the first women's hockey match at Wembley Stadium in 1951. 

The Hockey Museum (THM) continues its rewarding programme of Great Britain (GB) honour cap presentations, tracking down past GB players in all four corners of the world. The most recent presentation took place in the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands on Friday 21 April 2023: Andrew West (GB men’s player number 292) received his cap from Nigel Bates, President of Cayman Hockey at the Cayman Compass.

The GB honours cap presentation to Andrew West. Left to right: Ivan Burges (Cayman Hockey Secretary), Andrew West, Nigel Bates (President of Cayman Hockey), and Dwayne Atherley (Cayman captain and Barbadian international) Photography copyright: Compass Media - Seaford - Russell Jr.

Andrew earned 6 GB caps in addition to his representative honours for England, which included the 2005 European Nations Championships in Leipzig, Germany. His GB caps all came during a Tri-Nations tournament against Canada and Belgium in in Vancouver in 2003.

Andrew started playing hockey in Hong Kong, aged five. His parents worked there for several years before returning to their homeland of England when Andrew was nine. He played representative hockey for Northamptonshire, the Midlands and England Under 15s through to Under 21s, captaining all age groups for county and country matches. As an England Under 18, Andrew and his team won the Junior European Nations Championships – he was player of the tournament and top goal scorer. At Under 21 level, Andrew won a bronze medal at the Junior World Cup in Hobart, Australia, in 2001.

From a club perspective, Andrew started his men's club career at Beeston in 1996, competing in the Men's National Hockey League. At the time, he was the youngest ever starting finalist in the Hockey Association Cup, aged 16, when Beeston lost to Cannock in 1998. For the 2000-2001 season Andrew was named captain of Beeston Hockey Club, aged 19, becoming the youngest ever captain of a National League side – do these records still stand?

In 2001, Andrew moved to Cannock Hockey Club and won four National League titles in 2002-‘03, 2003-‘04, 2004-‘05, and 2005-‘06. That is still the longest winning streak of any club, and 3 English Hockey Association Cups in 2001-‘02, 2004-‘05, and 2006-‘07. Andrew left Cannock in 2009 and joined Holcombe Hockey Club for a season before retiring in 2010.

Andrew retired from international hockey in 2005 to start at career in investment banking with JP Morgan.

 The Hockey Museum is indebted to Ivan Burges for his support in tracing Andrew West and organising Andrew’s GB cap presentation in collaboration with THM President Mike Smith.

One of the longest-established touring teams still playing are the Horseshoes Hockey Club, founded in 1970 as a team for current and former pupils of Oakham School that went to the Blackpool Festival each Easter.

The Hockey Museum (THM) volunteer Steve LeMottee took over as the organiser in 1974, and during his 27-year ‘term of office’ the membership was opened up and the fixture list was expanded to include other festivals in England and some overseas tours, the most ambitious being to Vancouver and San Francisco in 1981.

With the exception of the two ‘Covid years’, the recent Bank Holiday was Steve’s 50th consecutive Easter with the Horseshoes, and although his playing involvement is limited to walking hockey these days he had planned to make an occasional guest appearance on the grass pitches at the Skegness Festival – sadly one of only two such gatherings of the hockey family that is still running.

However, even Steve’s modest ambitions were frustrated when he was diagnosed with Myeloma (cancer of the bone marrow) in early March. But not to be deterred, he still went to Skegness and, over the course of the two-day festival, walked 50 times around a pitch to raise money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Myeloma UK.

Accompanied by teammates, friends and family – and by the entire Horseshoes HC men’s and mixed squads for the final two laps – Steve raised £800 to be shared between the two good causes. Thanks to Festival organisers Ben Read and Stuart Cunnington, a further £200 – the proceeds of the Saturday evening social – was raised for Myeloma UK.

Steve is currently undergoing a course of chemotherapy before a spell in hospital and a recuperation period, but he fully intends to return to Skegness next year for his 51st Easter with the Horseshoes.

THM volunteer Steve LeMottee (right in the bottom photograph) undertook a sponsored walk during the Skegness Easter Hockey Festival this year. Images courtesy of Anne Tate Photography.

Volunteers and staff from The Hockey Museum pose for a photograph in the Media Centre of the All England Lawn Tennis Club.

On Thursday 13 April a group of volunteers from The Hockey Museum (THM) enjoyed the privilege of visiting the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon including a visit to its Museum. The day was made more challenging by a signalling meltdown at Waterloo train station. This caused detours and some emergency travel plans – the last time we organise a trip on the 13th of anything! – but the majority of the group made it more or less on time and were rewarded by a glorious spring day.

The visit, arranged by our curatorial team, was a combination of a fact-finding, professional outreach visit with the added pleasure of a grounds tour and a look behind the scenes of the workings of their museum. The tour included visits to both Centre Court, Number One Court, Murray Mound – or is it Henman Hill? – and a rare opportunity to visit the Wimbledon Championships’ Media Centre.

Outside and inside Wimbledon's Centre Court during our tour of the All England Lawn Tennis Club grounds.

THM Curator Shane Smith commented:

“This was a rewarding day. A great professional recognition for The Hockey Museum from a fellow leader in the sports heritage community, but also an exciting and thought-provoking day out for our hard-working volunteers. The day was highly enjoyable and a great team building opportunity, but we also gained key insights into Wimbledon’s collection and archive management work.”

The Wimbledon archive includes the earliest wooden rackets, tennis clothing, tennis balls and all sorts of lawn tennis-related material from the game’s earliest, formative years. Access to their archive gave our group an opportunity to see close at hand how rare tennis artefacts were stored, catalogued and preserved as part of the game’s heritage. This reinforced the diligent, painstaking work that THM’s volunteers undertake with our own collection material, ably overseen by Collections Officer, Carli-Lyn Vermani.

A most enjoyable and professionally rewarding day out that will live long in the memory. Our thanks to the Lawn Tennis Museum team for hosting us so well.

The Hockey Museum group were excellently hosted by staff from the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum's curatorial and learning teams.

Click for the full size poster.

This Easter holiday, The Hockey Museum (THM) has partnered with Woking Library on an animal trail and craft activity as part of the nationwide initiative The Wild Escape. Between 1 & 15 April children aged 7-11 can find four animals that have 'escaped' from THM’s collection hidden around Woking Library. As children search for these animals they will learn about their symbolism and relevance to hockey as well as how we can protect these animals in the wild. Children can make their own origami version of each animal to ‘release’ back into the wild (no littering please).

THM is taking part in The Wild Escape within our local habitat of Surrey. Participating museums will conclude their Get Wild About Surrey event on Earth Day, 22 April, with a display of their projects at Haslemere Museum.

THM's excellent contribution to The Wild Escape has been fashioned by volunteer Elysia Morgan with support from THM's curatorial staff.

Not in Surrey?

You too can get wild at home with The Hockey Museum's origami activity pack inspired by the animals in our cloth badge collection. Download the pack by clicking the PDF icon.

The Wild Escape invites museums and schools across the nation to take part in a celebration of UK wildlife. If you do not live in Surrey, then be sure to look out for activities at museums near you this Easter.

The Wild Escape is made possible by lead support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery Project Grants, with additional support from Art Fund and a group of generous individuals and trusts.

Great Britain honours cap recipients on the steps of Havant Hockey Club. James Midgley (on behalf of Roger Midgley), David Whittle, Don Williams, Chris Pickett, Brian Purdy, Val Lewis (on behalf of Jimi Lewis), David Faulkner, Calum Giles, Sean Rowlands and Rob Hill with their GB international honours caps. Photograph: Keith Woodland; courtesy of Havant Hockey Club.

On Sunday 12 March 2023, the great and the good of Havant Hockey Club came together to celebrate their nine Great Britain (GB) players through the presentation of their international honours caps by GB President Sheila Morrow.

In a remarkable stint of organisation, the club managed to have all nine players either present or represented by family. Two of them attended virtually from Germany and whilst they could join in the chat, their families were present to receive their GB caps.

The players spanned from Roger Midgley, a bronze medallist at the 1952 Olympic Games who was represented by his son James, through to the present day. They included their Club President David Faulkner who masterminded the attendance, and Russell Garcia who joined from Germany, both of whom won Olympic gold in Seoul.

The Hockey Museum’s first clubhouse cap presentation proved to be a very special and emotional day and it was and our first use of Zoom to ensure everyone could be present in some form. It was a great success so if other clubs fancy a similar event please get in touch. Two of the players had previously received their caps at Lee Valley but returned with their caps on the day to join their seven clubmates.

A beautiful frame containing nine replica caps in miniature was also presented on the day. It will provide a permanent memento on the clubhouse wall.

Other clubs may well have nine GB players, but few can boast two GB Managers who were in charge at multiple Olympic Games. Havant HC therefore took the opportunity to honour David Whittle and Chris Pickett for their incredible service to both club and country.

Mike Smith, Hon. Curator and President of The Hockey Museum presenting the mini GB caps to Havant HC Chairman and former GB Manager, Chris Pickett.

Last month The Hockey Museum (THM) hosted a group visit by Halow Project. They are a local charity which supports young people (16+) with a learning disability on their journey into and through adult life.

Halow project - nurturing independence

Photographs from the Halow Project's visit to The Hockey Museum in February 2023. Images above and below courtesy of Halow Project.

The morning visit was organised and hosted by our volunteer Education Officer Jon Rye who travelled up from Kent especially, with input from Curator Shane Smith. Jon reflected that it had made his month such was the students’ enthusiasm and evident joy!

Our visitors were treated to an exhibition tour and an object handling session which drew on both replica and genuine heritage items to bring to life aspects of hockey history such as the development of hockey sticks and balls, and Olympic medals. They even had the opportunity to hold a London 2012 Olympic torch!

When the students were asked what the best part of their visit had been, the response by one excited young lady captured it all in just one word, “Hockey!"

"The group had a wonderful time. They can find new experiences a little overwhelming so thank you for making them feel so welcome.”

-- Sonia Booth, Building Futures Year Leader, Halow Project.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan

The Halow Project visit followed the launch of The Hockey Museum’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan which was approved by the Board of Trustees towards the end of 2022. The Plan will span several years and build on our current inclusive practises to uncover hidden histories within our collection and open up THM to new audiences in increasingly accessible ways, in-person and online – hockey and its history and heritage is for everyone.

Our Action Plan aims to align THM with the EDI goals of our key partner England Hockey and better position ourselves to be in receipt of heritage sector grant funding as we seek a sustainable future and a permanent home.

The Hockey Museum (THM) is indebted to have received recent donations from the National Hockey Foundation, Tramps Hockey Club (both of which came from their residual funds prior to winding up) and the John Laing Charitable Trust. These donations are really helping us towards bridging our annual deficit for 2023.

Tony Billson, Chairman of the National Hockey Foundation, presents a cheque to THM Hon, Curator Mike Smith and Museum Vice President Katie Dodd. The National Hockey Foundation was created to charitably distribute the money left from the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes. 30 years later, their residual funds have been given to THM to support our work to educate young and adult minds alike in the history of hockey.

Trust fund donations - can you help?

The John Laing Charitable Trust donation came about because one of our volunteers, a retiree from the John Laing Group, suggested that the Trust might like to support THM with a donation.

Should you know of any trusts that might be persuaded to assist us, please put pen to paper, finger to keyboard or make contact in any way that suits you.

Should you wish to discuss opportunities or enquire after THM’s financial position, our Trustee Head of Fundraising, David Knapp, and Treasurer, Mike Barford, can be contacted via our online contact form.

Contact Us (hockeymuseum.net)

Why you should support The Hockey Museum

THM is undoubtedly one of the real success stories of English and British hockey during this century. Prior to THM there was no concerted effort to preserve the history and heritage of our sport, a great shame since hockey started in the UK just over 150 years ago.

THM has accumulated over 80,000 artefacts, developed into a fully accredited museum, attracted some 70 volunteers and employs two professional staff. Importantly, we have a home at 13 High Street, Woking, that includes space for careful collection storage and small exhibitions. We are already growing out of the premises we occupy.

All this progress costs money and to a certain extent it is money that we don’t have! That does not mean that THM is going broke, but it does mean that we are currently operating on a significant annual deficit. As with many philanthropic organisations there is a need to continually raise funds from donations and other sources to balance the books. We are always looking for more financial support to enable us to keep up, expand and improve upon THM's amazing progress in giving hockey’s history a future and sharing engaging stories representative of our sport’s evolution, values and people.

We are extremely grateful to all who have contributed to our cause over the years and could not continue our work without you. Thank you.

The Hockey Museum (THM) is saddened to convey news of the recent passing of two notable members of the hockey family whose involvement and successes within hockey had a positive and lasting impact on many.

Joan Wall, 1933-2023

Joan was a former England international player and an accomplished county-level track athlete who also had an outstanding record in the development and promotion of hockey. As a player, Joan became a world champion with England at the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) Tournament in Amsterdam in 1959. As a grassroots administrator she founded two hockey clubs and became heavily involved in the governance of the Midlands indoor hockey scene, ultimately rising to the level of England indoor selector.

Joan was also one of THM’s very first volunteers. She donated her personal hockey collection to the museum on her first visit in March 2012 and began volunteering thereafter.

Click for Joan's obituary: Joan Wall, 1933-2023 (hockeymuseum.net)

Bill Felton, 1940-2023

Bill was a dedicated match official and administrator whose commitment to hockey, despite not having been a player himself, saw him receive recognition from England Hockey and the Hockey Writers’ Club.

Click for Bill's obituary: Bill Felton, 1940-2023 (hockeymuseum.net)