In 1951 the All England Women’s Hockey Association (AEWHA) arranged the first of its 41 London internationals to be played at the old Wembley Stadium. The programme for the day proudly announced that this was the first time a women’s team game had been played at the famous Empire Stadium.

In the early years of the event, the jealously guarded amateur status of hockey players prevented a trophy being awarded to the winners. But on Saturday 10 March 1984, England and Ireland met with a trophy on offer for the first time – the Tipp-Ex Trophy.

The AEWHA was founded in 1895 so it had taken 88 years for its first trophy to be introduced.

The only gap in the remarkable record of annual Wembley games was in 1970 when the condition of the Wembley pitch resulted in the match being transferred at short notice to the White City Stadium.