Oral History Interview: Bernard (Bernie) Cotton

Partial Transcript: COTTON: Bernard Cotton, known as Bernie, born on the 30th of June 1948.

Segment Synopsis: Cotton introduces himself and reveals his date of birth.

Keywords: Date of birth

Subjects:

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: How did you first get involved in hockey?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls his route into hockey through school and club. He also discusses his competitive relationship with his older brother.

Keywords: Blueharts Hockey Club; Cricket; David Cawthorn; David Whittaker; Des Kershaw; Grammar School; Hitchin Boys School; Hitchin Grammar School; Hitchin--United Kingdom (UK); Leicester Thursday Hockey Club; Leicestershire & Northamptonshire Schoolboys; Loughborough--United Kingdom (UK); Midland Counties Hockey Association (MCHA)/Midlands (territory); Northampton Grammar School; Northampton Saints Hockey Club; Northampton--United Kingdom (UK); Rugby

Subjects: Life Outside of Hockey--Family--Childhood Recollection of Others--Player Recreation Teams--Boys--Club Teams--Boys--County Teams--Boys--School Teams--Men--Club Teams--Men--Territory

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And how did your brother's career go?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls his successful trials for England Schoolboys.

Keywords: Anglo-Scots; Bob McLeish; David Whittaker; England; England Schoolboys; Mark Woodbridge; Scotland; Teddington Hockey Club; Trials; United Kingdom (UK)

Subjects: Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager Recollection of Others--Player Teams--Boys--International Teams--Men--International

Partial Transcript: COTTON: So I played two years for England Schoolboys and then went off to Northampton, sorry, went off to Cambridge University which was a good time to go because Cambridge University had a fantastic team for four years.

Segment Synopsis: Cotton discusses playing hockey for the Cambridge University hockey team and recalls the players he played alongside, some of whom he would go on to play with or against at international level.

Keywords: Cambridge University; Cambridge University Hockey Club; Cemlyn Foulkes; England; England Schoolboys; Goalkeeper; Gordon Nurse; Great Britain; Hounslow Hockey Club; John OKeefe; London League; Midland Counties Hockey Association (MCHA)/Midlands (territory); Mike Bawden/Michael Bawden; Paul Svehlik; Richard Barker/Dick Barker; Surrey; Tim Hill; Wales

Subjects: Recollection of Others--Player Teams--Men--Club Teams--Men--College & University Teams--Men--County Teams--Men--International Teams--Men--Territory Tournaments--Club

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So where was your first England match?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls his senior England debut comparing it to his first Varsity match for Cambridge University.

Keywords: Cambridge University Hockey Club; Clarence Park; Debut; England; International; Oxford University Hockey Club; St Albans--United Kingdom (UK); Switzerland; Varsity

Subjects: Teams--Men--International

Partial Transcript: COTTON: And, er, played a couple more times that year and was selected at the end of that season to go to the first European Cup in Brussels.

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls being called up to represent England at the inaugural EuroHockey Nations Championship in Brussels in 1970.

Keywords: Belgium; Brussels--Belgium; Defender; England; European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Left Half; Substitute

Subjects: Teams--Men--International Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And did you have any major injuries in that period?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton discusses his injury record and recalls how, during the 1975 World Cup, he got heat stroke.

Keywords: Argentina; Defender; Extra Time; Injury; Kuala Lumpar--Malaysia; Left Half; Malaysia; Penalty Stroke; World Cup

Subjects: Fitness & Injury Rules Teams--Men--International Tournaments--International World Cup--Men--1975 Kuala Lumpar

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Did you tour apart from, er, the World Cup?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls his Great Britain selection for tours in the 1970s and his memories of the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

Keywords: "Munich Massacre"; Australia; Esanda World Hockey Tournament; Great Britain; India; Ireland; Israel; Marriage; Munich--Germany; Olympics/Olympic Games; Palestine; Rest of the World Team; Roger Self; Terrorism; Terry Gregg; Tour; Trials

Subjects: Fitness & Injury International Travel Olympic Games--1972 Munich Politics Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager Recollection of Others--Player Teams--Men--International Teams--Men--Touring Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: COTTON: We all then trained and I was captain at the time when we didn't go to Montreal, er, in 1976 tha--6. That still causes a lot of us a great deal of pain.

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls his disillusionment and pain at training for and not getting to participate in the Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980 Olympic Games.

Keywords: African Boycott; Belgium; British Olympic Association; Brussels--Belgium; Canada; European Club Championship/EuroHockey Club Championship; Gold Medal; Great Britain; International Hockey Federation (FIH); Margaret Thatcher; Montreal--Canada; Moscow--Russia; New Zealand; Olympics/Olympic Games; Rene Frank; Russia; Sebastian Coe; Southgate Hockey Club; Uccle Hockey Club/Royal Uccle Sport Tennis Hockey Club; World Cup

Subjects: Associations--International Associations--National Captaincy Life Outside of Hockey--Family--Adulthood Olympic Games--1976 Montreal Olympic Games--1980 Moscow Politics Recollection of Others--Administrator Teams--Men--International Tournaments--Club Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: How long did you keep playing for GB after that?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls his retirement from playing and being invited to coach Great Britain under the management of Roger Self. He recalls how he coupled his coaching with administrative work for the English Hockey Association and how that ultimately lead to managing England and replacing Self as Manager of Great Britain.

Keywords: Assistant Manager; Bedford School; Bronze Medal; Champions Trophy; David Whittaker; Debut; England; English Hockey Association (EHA); Goalkeeper; Great Britain; Ian Taylor; Los Angeles--United States of America (USA); Manager; Milton Keynes; Olympics/Olympic Games; Pakistan; Paul Barber; Penalty Corner; Richard Dodds; Richard Leman; Roger Self; Seoul--South Korea; South Korea; Southgate Hockey Club; Teaching; United States of America (USA); Video Analysis

Subjects: Administration & Finances--National Captaincy Coaching & Management--International Life Outside of Hockey--Career Life Outside of Hockey--Retirement Olympic Games--1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games--1988 Seoul Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager Recollection of Others--Player Teams--Boys--International Teams--Men--International Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Sean Kerly gets most of the credit because he was the golden boy of the, for the TV, er, back home. Erm, do you think that was fair?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls the competitiveness within the Great Britain squad during the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games and his memories of specific players. He goes on to analyse the transition period that followed and the lack of success that ultimately cost him his job.

Keywords: Champions Trophy; David Faulkner; Forward; Ian Taylor; Imran Sherwani; Jon Potter/Jonathan Potter; Olympic Village; Olympics/Olympic Games; Paul Barber; Richard Dodds; Robert Clift; Sean Kerly; Seoul--South Korea; Slough Hockey Club; South Korea; Southgate Hockey Club; Stephen Batchelor

Subjects: Olympic Games--1988 Seoul Recollection of Others--Player Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: What did you after that?
COTTON: That ended my time as a full-time employee with England and Great Britain Hockey.

Segment Synopsis: Cotton discusses his life and career after he left his position as Manager of the Great Britain men's hockey team.

Keywords: Bishops Stortford College; British Olympic Association (BOA); England; English Hockey Association (EHA); Great Britain; Great Britain Hockey; Manager; Olympics/Olympic Games; Teaching

Subjects: Associations--National Atlanta--United States of America (USA) Beijing--China Coaching & Management--School Hong Kong--China Life Outside of Hockey--Career Olympic Games--1996 Atlanta Olympic Games--2008 Beijing

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Are you still involved at all?
COTTON: Well, since I've now go, I--I don't have any excuses, I retired after the London Games, er, from the BOA.

Segment Synopsis: Cotton discusses his retirement from professional hockey administration and his active involvement with Bishop's Stortford Hockey Club, including coaching and becoming the Club's President. The conversation turns to his sons' involvement in hockey before examining Cotton's own ambitions as a veteran player.

Keywords: Bishops Stortford Hockey Club; British Olympic Association (BOA); Cambridge University; Cambridge University Hockey Club; Colin Barber; England; Injury; London--United Kingdom (UK); Marriage; Olympics/Olympic Games; President; Southgate Hockey Club; World Grand Masters Association (WGMA)

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Club Administration & Finances--National Coaching & Management--Club Fitness & Injury Life Outside of Hockey--Family Life Outside of Hockey--Retirement Olympic Games--2012 London Teams--Men--Club Teams--Men--College & University Teams--Men--International Teams--Men--Masters & Veterans Volunteering

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Looking back on your hockey career, wha--what stands out as the memory?

Segment Synopsis: Cotton recalls the highlights of his hockey career on and off the field and concludes by discussing his friendships within hockey at international but particularly at club level.

Keywords: Bishops Stortford Hockey Club; Chris Sutherland; European Club Championship/EuroHockey Club Championship; Final; Gold Medal; Hat Trick; Olympics/Olympic Games; Seoul--South Korea; Slough Hockey Club; South Korea; Southgate Hockey Club

Subjects: Olympic Games--1988 Seoul Recollection of Others--Player Social & Friendships Teams--Men--Club Tournaments--Club Tournaments--International