1930 – 2006: A brief History
Wokingham Hockey Club has been resident at Cantley Playing Fields since 1979. The Club’s history, however, spans a much longer period than these short years, as it is believed that the Club, in it’s original form, was started in the late 1930’s, probably as a one or two team ladies Club.
This situation continued into the post-war years when the Club, then known as St Mark’s Hockey Club, converted itself into a church associated mixed team, (recorded in the first minutes of the Club in September 1946) playing on the Prospect Park pitches in Reading. Annual subscriptions in those days were 3/6d for men and 3/- (old money) for ladies and 6d per game with notice of matches being displayed in Miss Hamilton’s shop. Records show that Friar Rumens was appointed as official club timekeeper and anyone late for games was fined 3d with no excuses whatever allowable! The following year subs was raised to 5/- to include the cost of teas for the visiting teams and the Embroidery Guild was asked to make badges for all members depicting the St Mark’s Lion.
By the late 1940’s the Club was aiming to expand its hockey horizons by attempting to field a men’s and a ladies side on Saturdays and a mixed side on Sundays. In 1950 this objective had been achieved and the Club adopted what is now its standard colours of yellow shirts with green trim and socks. Names from this time include Syd Inns, Bill Harper and Dennis Petty.
Sadly 1952 saw the loss of the mixed team due to falling support of the players.
At the AGM in May 1955, the name was changed to Reading Hornet’s Hockey Club due to its reduced association with the local church.
By 1956 the men’s side of the club was starting to show dominance in playing strength over the ladies section and, in fact, the ladies section was finally disbanded in 1958.
The late 1950’s and early 1960’s saw the men’s section continue, to struggle, with too few players (10-11 max) and bad pitches. Most selection meetings took place in the telephone kiosk opposite the Reading Technical College on Friday afternoons. However the AGM passed a resolution to continue for the next season and a positive recruitment campaign was made in 1961 with the result that a regular men’s 2 nd team was established in 1962. Players at this time include with David Hall (Memorial Trophy for Clubman of the Year) in goal, Frank Stokes, Mike Cooney, Dave Chopping, Charles Pottinger and Tish Butterworth.
By 1963 the changing and pitch conditions at Prospect Park had become too poor to allow further hockey at that venue. The pitch was a sloping grass one and the changing rooms were on the first floor of the old Mansion House. There was no electricity and no hot water. After the game members used to leave the game, get changed and go down to the Salisbury Club on the Oxford Road, for tea.
At the AGM in 1963 it was noted that a new playing field in Woodley was being prepared, together with a pavilion. A ground committee was set up and after a year of negotiation the Club moved to Woodford Park in 1964/1965 and changed its name to Woodley Hornets Hockey Club.
The period based at Woodley saw a gradual improvement in the Club’s fortunes and with the better facilities further growth in the Club took place so that at the start of the 1970’s the men’s section was running four sides and a mixed team had been re-established by the acquisition of players from the then N.I.R.D mixed side who had lost their pitch facilities. At this time we boasted 71 members. Players who joined in the intervening period include Phil Bennett, David Fletcher, John Lerpiniere and Ian Bond, poached from Reading!
During this time, had it not been for people such as David Hall, John Sandall and, in particular, John McDonald Wokingham HC would probably not be here today.
In the 1968/1969 season Woodley Hornets HC took their first tour to Jersey and whilst the results, apparently left much to be desired the social side was always a great success. Something that is still very strong in the Club today!
Facilities at Woodford Park began to deteriorate, pitches were poor and one was lost to football so efforts were made to secure other pitches. David Chopping remembers one AGM at that time when “we” tried to convince everybody we should buy our own pitch and we looked at what is now the cinema site at Loddon Bridge but decided not to go for it as it flooded too often!
After much negotiation with Wokingham District Council pitches were obtained on the new sports fields at Cantley and we became Wokingham Hockey Club. For the first three years the Club was without a Clubhouse or changing facilities but this situation was resolved by the kind co-operation of Wokingham Bowls Club and St Crispins Centre.
Eventually the changing rooms were built at Cantley and finally in 1982 the Club opened its own clubhouse at Cantley. Originally the building had been an old farm bungalow but with a great deal of help from members and financial assistance from Wokingham DC it was converted to accommodate an again expanding Club. The driving forces behind this project were Dave Chopping and Keith Blackall.
At this time a men’s 5 th side was started and the ladies section re-formed in 1981/1982 when the players from Huntley and Palmers, having been evicted from Kensington Road, formed Wokingham Ladies with players such as Margaret Edgington, Sally Bennett, Carol Mileham, Jackie Atkinson, Sylvia Cox, Sylvia Cooke, Nicki Basham, Nancy Jensen and Julie Sheppard. The following season the ladies increased by two further sides and in 1984 – 1985 Veterans hockey was started with the first Vets tournament in October 1984 and Wokingham won it!
In 1984 the Clubhouse was extended to the building that exists now.
In 1985-86 Colts hockey started at Wokingham and the Club ran their own mixed tournament.
In 1987 Wokingham DC opened the synthetic all-weather pitch with a Wokingham HC vs an England XI game.
The trophies: the David Hall Memorial Trophy is in memory of David Hall who died from a brain tumor about a year after we moved to Wokingham. David had been Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary and General Factotum over a 20-year period
The Ernie Crome Trophy is in memory of a man who lived adjoining Woodford Park and came over one day and offered to start umpiring. Ernie was a wonderful chap and always excellent at giving advice. He was the Chairman and umpired for many years. Sadly Ernie died from cancer and it was in his memory that we brought out the trophy, hence the concept behind it.