Cover of the Sticks Club Handbook, 1910

A fascinating item recently came into The Hockey Museum’s possession which threw an amusing light on a social activity in London hockey circles in the early years of the last century.

It was the history of an exclusive gentlemen’s hockey club whose Latin motto of “Aut vino aut ludo invicti” might give some indication of the club’s founding intentions: Never defeated by wine or in a game.

The Sticks Club originated in a meeting of a dozen hockey players at the Russell Hotel in London on 21 March 1907. Two of them – Stanley Shoveller and Eric Green – would represent England at the London Olympic Games a year later where they earned gold medals. Shoveller won gold again 12 years later at the Antwerp Olympics.

Almost a year later, on 10 March 1908, six of the original dozen, including Shoveller, met at Hatchett’s Restaurant in Piccadilly when a resolution was passed to found the Sticks Club “for the purposes of mutual recreation at hockey matches and dinners and other necessities of civilisation […] The health of the new club was drunk with much enthusiasm in Scotch ale, this being recommended by Mr Shoveller as a sound training beverage.”

Their first match was to be played on 11 April 1908 vs Folkestone, followed by a meeting at the Royal Pavilion Hotel in Folkestone to approve the Club’s rules and regulations. Four other gentlemen, including 1908 Olympians Gerald Logan and Percy Rees, were asked to attend as the first Ordinary Members, taking the membership to 25, seven of whom played for Hampstead HC. This number was the limit laid down in the Club’s rules.

When a vacancy occurred, a bizarre method of election was carried out. Namely:

“Candidates for electing must take their stand in a hockey goal, in the presence of at least four Original Members or Members, who shall each be entitled to one free hit at goal. Each time a goal is scored the Candidate shall stand drinks round [presumably buy a round – ed] at the next general meeting; if no goals are scored the Candidate shall certainly not be elected. In the event of a goal not being available the Candidate shall undergo such other initiation either on the field, or in, upon or at such licensed premises as the majority of the original members and Members present shall decide.”

The secret nature of the Club was to be maintained by another rule:

“Neither the rules or regulations of the Club or the names of the Members or Officers shall on account whatever be disclosed to anyone who is not a Member.”

Click the PDF icon to the right to view the full Sticks Club handbook including membership list and complete rules.