24.05.1927 – 07.05.2025

 

Antony ‘Tony’ Nunn OBE was born in Shalford, Surrey on 24 May 1927.

His hockey career began at Haileybury School (captain) before competing for the United Services team at Portsmouth as part of his National Service with Royal Navy. Tony would go on to play for Hawks Hockey Club in Byfleet, Surrey, to represent Great Britain (GB) in 1952 with whom he won an Olympic bronze medal at the Helsinki Games, and England in 1954. Tony played predominantly on the right wing, but occasionally at inside-right. Prior to his death, he was the eldest surviving British Olympic medallist – a torch that now passes from hockey to Sheila Lerwill, born on 16 August 1928, high jump silver medallist in those same 1952 Helsinki Games.

 

 

Tony joined Hawks HC in 1946 playing for their First Team from 1947 to 1962. He recalled how playing for the club improved his skillset and playing style to the extent that he was described for the way he would track the ball as “a bloodhound on the scent.” The full quotation from Hawks Hockey Club’s 75th anniversary history book (published in 1969) paints an excellent picture:

Tony’s style was unmistakable even from afar. With thin legs propelling him at deceptive speed, the body was lowered to the near-horizontal with nose following the ball like a bloodhound on the scent; eye on the ball was a near-physical fact. His stickwork would not fit the current fashion of flamboyance and fiddle; not for him the dazzling dummy, but rather a simple directness based on immaculate and close control. With stick dabbing, he would burrow past his half and stride away to place a considered and precise centre to his forwards. Overlying his play was a huge enthusiasm and a willingness to fetch and carry up and down the field all afternoon.

Tony was an enthusiastic participant with touring teams such as the Travellers, with whom he toured to the Netherlands and Germany, and the Ghosts for touring domestically.

 

 

Whilst he self-funded his hockey playing, Tony gave credit to a supportive boss who gave him time off from work to play in matches. He worked as an underwriter in the London marine insurance market, becoming Chairman of the International Union of Marine Insurers. Tony also credited the support of his family as it meant time away from them. This particularly applied to county matches which often took place midweek – he earned his first Surrey appearance in 1949.

Tony had England trials around this time but was unsuccessful. He was then selected out of the blue for GB for a match in Amsterdam winning 5-4 (Amstelveen, 4 May 1952). Tony was surprised to be selected. He speculated that his performances at the Folkestone Hockey Festival over Easter in 1952 was the reason for the call up. He played as part of the Festival XI, though modestly described his performance as “a reasonable game” despite reports stating that he was “the player who gave the Belgians the most trouble.” He would describe the match in Amsterdam as his most exciting and most memorable as it was his first international appearance.

Following one fixture, Hockey News magazine ran with the headline, “Nunn Showed The Way To Beat Belgium But Britain Failed To Follow”. The article by esteemed hockey journalist R L ‘Dick’ Hollands gives insight into Tony’s competitive character:

With the exception of Nunn, there was an unmistakable lack of fight about the British forwards, an inclination to throw their hand in when confronted by an attitude to obstruction that did not happen to coincide with English ideas on the subject. Forwards who do not take the bumps as they come and keep going are unlikely to score very often against the tight defence which many international teams make their first consideration.

Upon travelling the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Tony was one of four uncapped players in the hockey squad. The Herald and News from July 1952 described his inclusion as “particularly noteworthy” as by that stage he had only played county hockey, not yet played for England (or, seemingly, for the South) and had only made his GB debut the previous month. It was and still is very unusual and noteworthy to be selected for GB before representing your home nation.

He recalled how the hockey team was very well looked after in Helsinki. They had new accommodation with blackout curtains as the sun never fully set at night, as well as good pitches and lovely local people, though they were more concerned with ice hockey! Tony mentioned in an interview with The Surrey Advertiser how a Helsinki local walked up to him in the street and said “Welcome to Finland. Good luck.” Due to the team’s training schedule it was tricky to see other events, but the communal environment made a positive impression, primarily due to all the athletes sharing a mess hall. Tony described it overall as “a great experience.”

In 2002 Tony returned to Helsinki for a 50-year anniversary ceremony at the stadium and in the same year was presented with an Olympic pin by Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

 

 

After the Olympic Games, Tony had to wait two years before he received his call up to the England national team. He earned two England caps. His first match was against Wales in Reading on 27 March 1954 and was followed up by another match against Scotland in Dundee on 3 April 1954. England won both matches comfortably but muddy conditions prevented the wingers from imposing themselves on the game. Subsequently, Tony was dropped by the England selectors, which ended his international hockey career. In an interview, he described that match as his greatest disappointment.

 

 

After he retired from playing Tony qualified as an umpire for the Southern Counties’ Hockey Umpires Association, though said he found it difficult not to get involved in the game – he often positioned himself as if he were still a player. He reflected that he didn’t previously realise how difficult a game hockey was to officiate and acknowledged all the work done by umpires.

Outside of hockey, Tony was involved in local politics being on the Byfleet Parish Council and standing for local council elections in 1982, for Labour, finishing third. He was a member of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) for 80 years.

Tony was presented with his GB honours cap at The Hockey Museum on 24 February 2022. He is GB men’s player legacy number 72, the seventy-second man to represent Great Britain in hockey.

Oral history interview

In August 2019 Tony was interviewed at The Hockey Museum alongside fellow GB Olympian John Peake. Both men reflected on fulfilling lives in hockey with Tony’s contributions informing this obituary supplemented by additional research.

Much of the history that we store in our heads is lost as we age or pass away. Oral history is the practice of capturing people’s recollections, personal stories and lived experiences for posterity.

You can listen to Tony’s oral history interview here: Oral History Interview: John Peake and Antony (Tony) Nunn – The Hockey Museum