Oral History Interview: Leandro Negre

Partial Transcript: NEGRE: My name is Leandro Negre. I was born in a family, a hockey family. My father, er, play hockey.

Segment Synopsis: Negre introduces himself, recalls being brought up in a hockey-playing family and how he started playing at a young age. He laments the lack of hockey in Spanish schools growing up.

Keywords: Goalkeeper; School; Spain

Subjects: Life Outside of Hockey--Family--Childhood; Social & Friendships; Teams--Boys--Club

Partial Transcript: NEGRE: But immediately, I play for the junior team, that mean still [indistinguishable] it was still eighteen years old when I was at the moment perhaps only twelve or thirteen.

Segment Synopsis: Negre describes how he came to be promoted to his club's First Team despite being under sixteen and recalls the steep learning curve forced upon him as a result.

Keywords: Goalkeeper

Subjects: Teams--Boys--Club; Teams--Men--Club

Partial Transcript: NEGRE: My first appearance as a official match, it was against Austria in Vienna and it was in 1963.

Segment Synopsis: Negre recalls his international debut for Spain, training for but not going to the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games and his experience of playing at the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games including the world record for the longest hockey match.

Keywords: Alcohol; Debut; Extra Time; Forward; Goalkeeper; Golden Goal; Guinness Book of Records; International Match; Longest Hockey Match; Mexico City--Mexico; Netherlands; Olympics/Olympic Games; Penalty Shootout; Penalty Stroke; Pyrenees Mountain Range; Record; Reserve; Schedule; Spain; Spanish Hockey Federation (RFEH); Tokyo--Japan; Vienna--Austria

Subjects: Associations--International; Olympic Games--1964 Tokyo; Olympic Games--1968 Mexico City; Rules; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; Training & Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: NEGRE: Yeah.
SOMERVILLE: So how did you move then from player to administrator?
NEGRE: Well, er, that is a nice question for me.

Segment Synopsis: Negre reflects on his move into administration. He recounts his journey from the Catalan Hockey Federation to the national association of Spain. He recalls his work on the Organising Committee for the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and his appointment to the EHF and finally to the FIH.

Keywords: Alain Danet; Barcelona 92 Olympic Organising Committee (COOB92); Barcelona--Spain; Catalan Hockey Federation; Catalonia (territory); European Hockey Federation (EHF); Gold Medal; International Hockey Federation (FIH); Madrid--Spain; Olympics/Olympic Games; Paris--France; President; Spain; Spanish Hockey Federation (RFEH); Treasurer; Vice-president

Subjects: Associations--International; Associations--National; Associations--Territory; Olympic Games--1992 Barcelona; Recollection of Others--Administrator; Spanish Hockey Federation (RFEH); Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International