This year the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is 100 years old!
The global governing body was formed in response to hockey’s omission from the Paris 1924 Olympic Games, initially exclusively for the men’s game. The FIH came into being in Paris on 7 January 1924; the French Hockey Federation President, Paul Léautey was the driving force behind its creation, and he duly became the first FIH President. The founding nations were Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Spain and Switzerland. England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales opted to have no part in it. Several reasons for this decision have been mooted over the past 100 years including a desire to preserve the ‘amateur’ status of the sport. In the early years, the administration of men’s Olympic hockey was left to their European colleagues.
To celebrate 100 years of the FIH, The Hockey Museum (THM) is presently engaged in a collaborative project with them to deliver a centenary book and documentary film, supporting research and providing illustrations and interviews.
2D and 3D collection digitisation is being undertaken by THM team for these FIH projects.
Branding the FIH
The design of the FIH logo has evolved over the years subtly demonstrating one of the most recognisable and impactful changes in world hockey – the shape of the stick head. All the FIH logo designs have included the humble hockey stick, which begins with the longer ‘hook’ of the ‘English head’ shape, before reducing in size until it reaches the shorter, more familiar ‘Indian head’ shape of today.
Read on for a review of the FIH’s supportive relationship with The Hockey Museum.
The early-century International Hockey Federation (FIH) flag featuring the long curve of the ‘English-head’ stick shape.
The mid-century International Hockey Federation (FIH) flag featuring the shorter, tighter ‘Indian-head’ stick shape.
New and old International Hockey Federation (FIH) flags on display at The Hockey Museum in 2018.
A history of THM & FIH relationship
In July 2015, THM entered a formal partnership with the FIH at the instigation of its then President Leandro Negre. This provided a much-needed financial injection for the Museum: an initial sum provided for a superior IT setup, followed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which provided for an annual grant. This helped to cover the young museum’s operational costs and allowed for the employment of its first professional staff. The financial support was provided over a period of six years. In 2018 the Museum earned the prestigious President’s Award evidencing the value of THM to the hockey world. Having grown in both operation and professionalism on the back of the FIH’s support we are in the process of re-establishing close, mutually beneficially links with the FIH once again.
Following the FIH’s involvement in 2015, THM expanded its collecting remit beyond the development and governance of English hockey and the England and Great Britain national teams to also embrace international tournaments such as Olympic Games, World Cups and continental championships; it also began collecting around hockey’s global administration by the FIH and the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA). Still the only public museum for hockey in the world but now with an international collecting policy, today THM faces challenges of physical capacity as well as financial pressures. The saving of hockey as an Olympic sport followed by a century of global hockey governance is absolutely worthy of celebration, yet hockey needs its professional museum and archive to thrive in order to protect and celebrate this history and heritage, now and into the future.
Please will you support the work of The Hockey Museum by setting up a much-needed regular donation today? Your support will help up forward plan with confidence. All donations of £30.00 or more in a calendar year (or the equivalent in a foreign currency) qualify you to be a Friend of THM. Please see our website donation page for more information and to sign up.
