The last few months have seen plenty of Great Britain (GB) honours caps presented in varied locations as we edge towards the target of 581 players who represented GB up to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Some 20 presentation events have taken place this year with over 50 caps presented. A further 10 or so events will take place in the second half of 2023. After this we will be mainly looking for the families of deceased players.

Recent activity has seen events in Scotland, Wales, Australia, Switzerland and, of course, here in England.

Please consider making a donation to The Hockey Museum in support of our stats and caps project: Make a donation to The Hockey Museum (supportedgiving.com)

Presentations Abroad

One of the most prestigious presentations took place at Olympic House, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on 6 June. Jon Wyatt (GB men’s player no. 270) received his cap from IOC President Thomas Bach and International Hockey Federation (FIH) President Tayyab Ikram.

This certainly demonstrated to the Olympic Movement and the FIH just how important history and heritage is to us in Britain.

Read more here: FIH Academy on LinkedIn | FIH Sport Director Jon Wyatt OLY presented with his GB cap

Left: FIH Sport Director Jon Wyatt receives a personal certificate of recognition from IOC President Thomas Bach to accompany his GB honours cap. Right: Jon Wyatt receives his GB cap from FIH President Tayyab Ikram.

On 14 May Caroline Jordan (GB women’s no. 56) had her cap presented in Melbourne by the former CEO of Scottish Hockey and past Scottish international player Andrew Scoular. Caroline represented GB in 1988 Seoul Olympic Games before settling in Australia.

Caroline Jordan receives her GB cap from former Scottish Hockey CEO Andrew Scoular.

Presentations in Woking

Several presentations have taken place at our home in Woking. On 26 May we were honoured by the visit of our local MP Jonathan Lord together with Saj Hussain, Chair of Surrey County Council, which gave us the opportunity to show off our amazing museum facility to those with local influence. We held geographically diverse cap presentations celebrating one Irish, two Scottish and two English GB players. Their careers spanned from 1951 into the 21st century, taking in six Olympic Games and with some very interesting stories arising.

The Irishman, Harry Cahill (109), was regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world in the early 1960s. He played 34 times for GB spanning his three Olympic Games. Local lad (to Woking) Danny Hall (264) also played in three Olympic Games but represented GB 107 times – a reflection of the greater intensity of games in the modern era. Danny scored 36 goals in his 107 outings for GB, which is nearly a goal every three games – an amazing conversion rate for a player who didn’t take penalty corners.

Peter Johnson (66) only played once for GB back in 1951 against Kenya in Nairobi. The GB team were returning from a very arduous tour of South Africa which had taken its toll. By the time they reached Kenya they only had ten fit players. Peter, a recent Cambridge triple blue, was living in Nairobi and was drafted in to play his one and only international match.

The other past athletes to be presented by our MP Jonathan were Louise Gordon (127) and Don Wilson (110).

From left to right: THM President Mike Smith; Chair of Surrey County Council Saj Hussain; GB player Louise Gordon; Ina, widow of GB player Harry Cahill; GB player Danny Hall; Shona, relative of GB player Don Wilson; Natasha, relative of GB player Peter Johnson; Jonathan Lord, MP for Woking.

South-of-the-border Scot Colin Hector (259) also received his cap in Woking; as did past Trustee of The Hockey Museum Lucy Newcombe (109) when she met up with former Museum colleagues in June. Vice President and past Chair Katie Dodd presented Lucy with her GB cap alongside current Trustee Imogen Gibbon who was down from Edinburgh. The photographs are a great reflection of the warmth and camaraderie of the team involved with the Museum.

Left: Colin Hector receives his GB cap from THM President Mike Smith. Centre and right: Lucy Newcombe receives her cap from her trustee contemporaries at The Hockey Museum Katie Dodd (left) and Imogen Gibbon (right).

Pro League Presentations

More recently we have seen a lot of activity at the Pro League mini tournaments that have taken place at Lee Valley over the past month or so.

On the 27 May, Iqbal Singh Kullar (198) received his cap in the VIP suite. This was followed by further presentations of the 17, 18 & 21 June. Most were made on the pitch in front of the crowds, which has given great acknowledgement to our stats and caps project.

All were presented by GB President Sheila Morrow who has shown great support to our initiative.

Iqbal Singh Kullar receives his cap from GB President Sheila Morrow.

Two serendipitous presentations took place on 18 & 21 June. Firstly, former Olympic medallist Sally Walton (141) unexpectedly accompanied students from Royal Grammar School Worcester to Lee Valley. Her students (Sally is their hockey coach) were delighted to see her presented with her GB cap.

Then, on 21 June, the US Field Hockey High Performance Director Craig Parnham (273) received his GB cap having accompanied the US women’s team on their Pro League trip to London. With him now living in USA we had been wondering how we might get his cap to him!

The full list of recipients during the Pro League:

Women: Lisa Scarborough (nee Copeland; 105), Lucilla Parkes Wright (108), Sally Walton (141), Jo Ellis (154), Joie Leigh (180), Zoe Shipperley (187).

Men: Ian McGinn (178), Iqbal Singh Kullar (198), Simon Mantell (209), Soma Singh (248), Simon Nicklin (250), Howard Hoskin (260), Craig Parnham (273), Richard Springham (322), Richard Smith (324), James Bailey (330), Ben Arnold (338), Paddy Smith (342).

GB cap recipients on the Lee Valley pitch. From left to right: Howard Hoskin, Soma Singh, Jo Ellis, Sheila Morrow (GB President), Richard Springham, Simon Nicklin.

Craig Parnham, Simon Mantell, Ben Arnold and Tim Whiteman after receiving their GB honours caps during the Pro League presentations.

Links with Lord’s

Most of the recent recipients have been from the modern era, although 17 June saw the only Lee Valley recipient to have played for GB on grass in Ian McGinn (178; pictured). Two of Ian’s 19 GB caps were matches at Lord’s Cricket Ground (against Netherlands and Ireland) in March 1976.

Ian McGinn receives his cap from GB President Sheila Morrow.

Lord’s has a further role to play in our June presentations. The cricket test match on 2 June (England men against Ireland) saw a good gathering of hockey players including Jimmy Kirkwood (226) and Billy McConnell (201) from Northern Ireland, and Englishman Guy Swayne (223). They all received their GB caps with the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground as their backdrop and in the presence of their hockey teammates.

Guy Swayne, Billy McConnell and Jimmy Kirkwood receive their GB caps from former GB Captain Richard Dodds at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

A Powerful Legacy for our Sport

All the players mentioned in this report are suffixed by their GB player number. These numbers perhaps best encapsulate what this project is about. Every GB player now has a legacy number that is unique and personal to them. It will always be theirs. Many, many players have expressed to us the pride that they have taken from being awarded this memento of their GB career, but it best summed up by current GB international Ellie Rayer.

“I currently wear number 13, but I am merely looking after the number for the moment. 193 is my number and it always will be, which is incredibly special. “A huge, huge thank you for the work you have done.” — Ellie Rayer, GB women’s player no. 193.

Please click the link to make a donation to The Hockey Museum in support of our stats and caps project: Make a donation to The Hockey Museum (supportedgiving.com)

Can You Help?

Yet we still have approximately 150 players (or their descendants) to find. We need all the help we can obtain to find them so that they too can join in the pride of receiving their GB honours cap and unique legacy number.

Please get in touch if you’d like to help: Contact Us (hockeymuseum.net)