1949: Inaugural meeting held on 27 October at the Globe Inn, Tamworth. 

1950/51: First full team playing at the Fazeley Road ground. 

1952/53: Second teams added to both the men's and ladies' sections. 

1966: Tamworth Cricket & Hockey Club founded on the proposal of the Presidents of the 2 clubs, Dr. A.J.D. Rowlands and Mr. G.B. Bullock. 

1971/72: Tamworth Cricket & Hockey Club moves to its new grounds at Hints Lane, Hopwas thanks to the generosity of Mr. G.B. Bullock. 

1975/76:  Men's league hockey starts. 

1977: Squash Courts built to give additional finance to the club. 

1988/89: Ladies' league hockey starts with all games on Astroturf. "Home" games played at Cannock. 

1996/97: Astroturf pitch built at Queen Elizabeth Mercian School in Tamworth.

2006/07: Second Astroturf pitch built at Woodhouse School in Tamworth. 

2008/09: Tamworth Hockey Club celebrates its 60th Anniversary Year.

 

The early days of hockey in Tamworth by a founding member - Mrs D M Hedges

During the 1920's there were three hockey clubs in Tamworth.

Tamworth – the "posh" club whose members were mostly "ladies of leisure".  They played on a ground at the Ashby Road end of Browns Lane.  I played centre-half for Tamworth whilst still at the Girls High School.

Bolehall – played initially at Perrycrofts and then on the Fazeley Road ground which later became known the reformed Tamworth ground.

Kettlebrook – a "tough lot" who played on the Lamb Inn ground now home to Tamworth F.C.  My uncle played for Kettlebrook in the 1880s'.

Hockey ceased during the Second World War and the present Tamworth Club was formed in 1949 with £10 from the High School Old Girls Association and a £5 donation from Mr. Shirley, a local optician and the Club's first President.

Tamworthplayed at the Fazeley Road ground which they shared with the cricket club.  The ground was owned by a local baker Mr. Alton.  Hire terms included no alcohol and no play on Sundays.

The only time alcohol was consumed there was after the annual Boxing Day mixed match when the President, Mr Shirley, bought the drinks.

The first men's captain was Dr Rowlands who later became President.  Other players in the early days included by brother Alan Brown, Ken Cooper (whose wife still lives in Bonehill), Bill Holloway (Pat's father) and John Kingslake who then lived next to the ground on the Fazeley Road.  John is a vice-resident and no lives in Hints.

I never played for the reformed club, as I was too busy organising, umpiring and arranging the fixtures.

Matches were never called off unless the umpires, usually Maurice Hatton and myself, could not see one another due to fog.

Before the flood defences were built the Fazeley Road ground was often flooded and swans could regularly be seen swimming across the pitches.

I took over as Treasurer soon after formation of the club and have continued for over fifty years.  The club was once down to its last £1 due to the profligacy of the then Chairman.

In the early days travel arrangements for away matches were complicated to say the least.  To play Olton we travelled by train to New Street, walked to Snow Hill , caught another train to Olton station and walked to the ground.  Occasionally we would visit the theatre in Birmingham on the way back to Tamworth.

An interesting comparison with availability today is that it was easy to recruit lady players since they played hockey at the Girls High School.

Being involved with the administration of the club for over sixty years has helped me maintain an interest in sport generally and hockey in particular and I hope that the commitment and enthusiasm of the members will enable hockey in Tamworth to continue for at least another sixty years.

(May Hedges sadly passed away at the age of 98 in 2009. This article was written in 2008 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary season of the Club)