Oral History Interview: Monica Pickersgill

Partial Transcript: PICKERSGILL: Monica Pickersgill, erm, well, Monica Horton I started off - that's H-O-R-T-O-N - and I was born in Barbados.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill introduces herself and spells her maiden name.

Keywords: Barbados; England

Partial Transcript: Pickersgill: But, er, later in life my, my, one of my sisters, the older of my two sisters called Mab - well, obviously Horton and then she became Armstrong - she went out to Barbados to teach, married a Barbadian.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill recalls the role her late sister played in bringing hockey to Barbados. She also states her own date of birth.

Keywords: Barbados; Barbados Hockey; Bereavement; Date of Birth; International Hockey Federation (FIH); Marriage; President; Teaching; Warwickshire (county)

Subjects: Associations--International; Associations--National; Captaincy; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Life Outside of Hockey--Family; Teams--Women--County

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Tell me how you started in hockey.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill recalls her hockey playing career through school, college, county and territory level before expressing her disappointment at failing to make the grade for England.

Keywords: Barbara Rylands; City of Worcester Training College; College; Dewsbury & Savile Hockey Club; England; Laura Unsworth; Leeds Hockey Club; Leeds--United Kingdom (UK); Loughborough University; Northern Counties Womens Hockey Association (NCWHA)/North (territory); School; Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls; Sutton Coldfield--United Kingdom (UK); Trials; Verona Nolan; Warwickshire (county); Yorkshire

Subjects: Captaincy; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Girls--County; Teams--Girls--School; Teams--Women--Club; Teams--Women--College & University; Teams--Women--County; Teams--Women--International; Teams--Women--Territory

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Tell me how you got into administration.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill recalls her transition into administration at county and territory level before becoming the first elected President of the All England Women's Hockey Association (AEWHA).

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); Chairperson; North Schoolgirls Association; Northern Counties Womens Hockey Association (NCWHA)/North (territory); President; Teaching; Yorkshire (county)

Subjects: Administration & Finances--County; Administration & Finances--Territory; Associations--National; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Teams--Girls--County

Partial Transcript: PICKERSGILL: Anyway, that's history and I became President. And I was President for ten years and in that ten years we celebrated the hundred, centenary of the Association.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill recalls the AEWHA's centenary in 1995 and how, as President, she strove to make it a celebration of women's hockey across all levels and abilities.

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); Barbara Holland; Centenary; Centenary Dinner; Germany; President; Sheffield--United Kingdom (UK); Wembley Stadium

Subjects: Associations--National; Dinners; Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Recollection of Others--Administrator; Teams--Women--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Now the next thing was the, er, transition from...
PICKERSGILL: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: ...the AA--AEWHA which you were very much instrumental in.
PICKERSGILL: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: Can you tell me about that?

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill recalls the merger of the women and men's national associations in England (AEWHA and HA) to form the EHA. She recounts the reasons for the merger, discusses the support for and opposition to the move and touches on the politics involved in the EHA's inception with particular reference to gender politics.

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); Annual General Meeting (AGM); Barbara Holland; English Hockey Association (EHA); Hockey Association (HA); Joyce Clarke; Lottery Funding; Phil Appleyard/Walter Philip Appleyard; Philippa Page; President; Ros Marsh; Southern Counties Womens Hockey Association (SCWHA)/South (territory); Sport England; Vote

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Grants & Funding; Administration & Finances--National; Association Liquidation & Mergers; Associations--National; Associations--Territory; Politics; Prejudice & Inequality--Gender; Recollection of Others--Administrator

Partial Transcript: PICKERSGILL: I was then, erm, elected first President of the combined association.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill recounts her suprise and pride at being elected as the first President of the English Hockey Association (EHA). She goes on to discuss the early years of the EHA and in particular, the difficulties of uniting the disparate men's and women's territory and county associations.

Keywords: Chairperson; England; English Hockey Association (EHA); Hockey Association (HA); Lancashire (county); Northern Counties Womens Hockey Association (NCWHA)/North (territory); President; Proud; Secretary; Vote; Wakefield Hockey Club; Wakefield--United Kingdom (UK)

Subjects: Administration & Finances--County; Administration & Finances--National; Administration & Finances--Territory; Association Liquidation & Mergers; Associations--National; Associations--Territory; Politics; Recollection of Others--Administrator; Rules; Teams--Mixed--Club; Teams--Women--Club

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: There were some very difficult years when the, erm, [tsk] the difficulty in the finances.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill recalls the financial difficulties suffered by the English Hockey Association (EHA) that ultimately lead to its liquidation. She discusses the setup at the EHA, reflects on her role as President prior to the crisis and questions what more she could have done to avert it.

Keywords: Accountant; Audit; English Hockey Association (EHA); Expenses; Investigation; Lottery Funding; Mike Corby/Michael Corby; Milton Keynes--United Kingdom (UK); Olympic Qualifiers; Olympics/Olympic Games; President; Sport England; Television; The National Hockey Stadium, Milton Keynes; Vice-president

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Grants & Funding; Administration & Finances--National; Association Liquidation & Mergers; Associations--National; Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Recollection of Others--Administrator; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: PICKERSGILL: Sadly, I--I sort of left hockey, I was cut off completely then.

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill discusses being ostracised from hockey following her tenure as EHA President and her sadness at remaining, in her view, excluded to this day.

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); England Hockey (EH); English Hockey Association (EHA); Fellowship; Hockey Family; Life Membership; Margaret Souyave/Maggie Souyave; Mike Corby/Michael Corby; Phil Appleyard/Walter Philip Appleyard; Rodney Rigby; Sally Munday

Subjects: Administration & Finances--National; Administration & Finances--Territory; Associations--National; Awards--Hockey Recognition; Politics; Recollection of Others--Administrator

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: What about the, turning to the changes in the game...
PICKERSGILL: Yeah.
SOMERVILLE: ...and the way it is played on the pitch. How do you feel about those?

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill discusses the changes to the modern game.

Keywords: Aerial; Football (Soccer); Freedom; Netball; Offside; Proud; Sin Bin; Television; Umpire

Subjects: Rules

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: When you look back, erm, you've had many things to be proud of, er, with what you've done in administration. What are the things that really stand out for you from your hockey career?

Segment Synopsis: Pickersgill reminisces on her personal highlights, her successes within the game and the positives she has taken from it.

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); Barbara Holland; Bronze Medal; Centenary; English Hockey Association (EHA); European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Gold Medal; Hockey Association (HA); Olympics/Olympic Games

Subjects: Association Liquidation & Mergers; Associations--National; Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Recollection of Others--Administrator; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Recollection of Others--Player