Oral History Interview: Alan Walker

Partial Transcript: WALKER: My name is Alan Walker. My date of birth is the 29th of April 1943.

Segment Synopsis: Walker introduces himself stating his name and date of birth.

Keywords: Date of Birth

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And how did you get started in hockey?

Segment Synopsis: Walker talks of his father's job in the Royal Navy and its impact on his childhood before recalling his introduction to hockey at Grammar School.

Keywords: Cricket; Darlington--United Kingdom (UK); Fareham--United Kingdom (UK); Father; Football (Soccer); Portsmouth--United Kingdom (UK); Prices Grammar School; Royal Navy

Subjects: Education and Schooling; Life Outside of Hockey--Family--Childhood

Partial Transcript: WALKER: However, I played hockey and when I joined the Navy, leaving that school in, erm, January 1960, er, I very quickly gravitated from the second team football where I was the goalie, to be the first team hockey player.

Segment Synopsis: Walker reminisces about his early career in the Royal Navy and his subsequent participation in naval hockey. He goes on to recount his competition with Great Britain Olympian Bruce Trentham for a place in the Navy Team.

Keywords: Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC)/Dartmouth; Bruce Trentham; Cornwall (county); Cricket; Devon (county); Fareham--United Kingdom (UK); Football (Soccer); HMS Albion; HMS Collingwood; HMS Fisgard; Leading Hand; Olympics/Olympic Games; Portsmouth--United Kingdom (UK); Royal Navy

Subjects: Armed Forces; International Travel; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Olympic Games--1968 Mexico City; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Men--Armed Forces

Partial Transcript: WALKER: Um, and it was in about '68 that my heroes were a couple of chaps called Basil Middleton and Joe Binks. Now these two both had started off lower deck hockey in the Navy because it was always an officers' sport.

Segment Synopsis: Walker elaborates on his early years serving in the Royal Navy and discusses how senior Navy officials and coaches influenced his coaching career.

Keywords: Basil Middleton; British Army; Chief Petty Officer; Don Brownlee; Gosport Borough Hockey Club; HMS St Vincent; HMS Sultan; HMS Temeraire; Hampshire (county); Ian Jennings; Interview; John Binks/Joe Binks; Olympics/Olympic Games; Promotion; Royal Air Force; Royal Navy; Singapore

Subjects: Armed Forces; Coaching & Management--Armed Forces; Coaching & Management--Junior; Indoor Hockey; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager

Partial Transcript: WALKER: It was pointed out to me that if I wanted to go any further than the Services, better get some kids under your belt because, actually, there aren't too many kids in the Army or the Navy and you need that in your CV.

Segment Synopsis: Walker recalls how he came to be appointed Development Officer for Hampshire by the Hockey Association.

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); Graham Chesterman; Hampshire (county); Hockey Association (HA); Mike Ward/Michael Ward

Subjects: Associations--National; Coaching & Management--Territory; Fareham--United Kingdom (UK); Gosport--United Kingdom (UK); Havant--United Kingdom (UK); Portsmouth--United Kingdom (UK)

Partial Transcript: WALKER: And, erm, a little kid came up to me, a little lad, and we'd had a smashing session in, in the playground in Gosport.

Segment Synopsis: Walker discusses the founding of Gosport Borough Hockey Club and his inclusive approach to junior coaching, which leads on to the topic of coaching courses. Walker recalls his first course at RAF Halton and how, following that, he was inducted onto the examiners' board.

Keywords: All England Womens Hockey Association (AEWHA); Basil Middleton; Coaching Course; Cricket; David Faulkner; Fareham Hockey Club; Fareham--United Kingdom (UK); Football (Soccer); Gosport Borough Hockey Club; Gosport--United Kingdom (UK); Guy Lawson; HMS Sultan; Hampshire (county); Havant Hockey Club; Hockey Association (HA); Jan Keel; John Binks/Joe Binks; John Cadman; John Law; Mick Christopher/Michael Christopher; Nigel Allfrey; Portsmouth--United Kingdom (UK); RAF Halton; Royal Air Force; Royal Navy; Rugby; Trevor Clarke; Trojans Hockey Club

Subjects: Coaching & Management--Armed Forces; Coaching & Management--Junior; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Teams--Boys--Club

Partial Transcript: WALKER: They knew that I--I'd been the, the Manager of England under 21s from '92. Pappin apparently had been asked and, an--er, and hadn't been able to continue beyond a certain point.

Segment Synopsis: Walker recalls how he began working with the England junior setup in 1992. He discusses his experience as Manager of England U21s during the Bombay Bombings of 1993 when the team hotel was attacked and elaborates on the decision by the Hockey Association to involve David Whitaker in the coaching set up at the expense of long-time coach Mike Hamilton.

Keywords: Australia; Bombay Bombings; Bombay--India; Chris Pickett/Christopher Pickett; David Whitaker; Debbie Smith/Deborah Smith; England; European Junior Nations Championships/EuroHockey Junior Nations Championships; Hockey Association (HA); Hong Kong--China; Ian Forster; Indira Ghandi Memorial Tournament; Injury; Jon Royce; Martin Rodgers; Matthew Sutton/Matt Sutton; Mike Hamilton/Michael Hamilton; Neil Mallet; Peter Gibbins; Peter Sharpe; Royal Air Force; Security; Terrassa--Spain; Terrorism; Veryan Pappin; World Cup

Subjects: Coaching & Management--International; Junior World Cup--Men--1993 Terrassa; Junior World Cup--Men--1997 Milton Keynes; Media; Recollection of Others--Administrator; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Boys--International; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; World Cup--Men--1986 London

Partial Transcript: WALKER: F-funnily old thing; I'd been part of the JIG, which was the Joint Initiative Group between the men and the women, and, erm, a year later I was asked to be, when the two associations got together, not least because the Sports Council made it so by virtue of putting conditions of the money,

Segment Synopsis: Walker discusses his role as Chair of the English Hockey Association's (EHA) International Coaching Committee, recalls the demise of the EHA and laments his subsequent ostracisation from the newly-formed national governing body.

Keywords: Brighton and Hove Hockey Club; Chairperson; Chris Spice/Christopher Spice; English Hockey Association (EHA); English Sports Council; Joint Initiative Group (JIG); Jon Wyatt; Mike Hamilton/Michael Hamilton; Monica Pickersgill; President; Stewart Newton; Trish Heberle/Patricia Heberle

Subjects: Administration & Finances--National; Association Liquidation & Mergers; Recollection of Others--Administrator; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager

Partial Transcript: WALKER: I had quite enough to do. I, Havant were pushing me to play, come an--c--come, come and we'll give you 6k to be part-time club coach; erm, Gosport wanted more and more and more from me; er, US Portsmouth had made me a--a Vice-president yonks earlier.

Segment Synopsis: Walker discusses the amount and scope of requests for his time at the height of his coaching career, including the book he wrote for the Royal Navy Hockey Association's (RNHA) centenary.

Keywords: Author; Centenary; Coaching Course; England; Gosport Borough Hockey Club; Havant Hockey Club; London--United Kingdom (UK); Royal Navy Hockey Association (RNHA); Secretary; United Services Portsmouth Hockey Club; Vice-president

Subjects: Armed Forces; Associations--Armed Forces; History & Heritage

Partial Transcript: WALKER: Interestingly, along the way I found that Royal Air Force Halton, who had always been special to me, my--my Granddad had been a--a headhunted head gardener back there in 1898 when it was owned by Lord, oh, posh, posh, posh houses, posh fella.

Segment Synopsis: Walker recalls the hockey coincides from his life and speaks of his "protégé" Gaynor Toms, Gosport coach and England Hockey Liaison Officer.

Keywords: Bisham Abbey; Coaching Course; Gaynor Toms; Gosport Borough Hockey Club; Grandfather; Halton House; RAF Halton; Royal Air Force; World War 1

Subjects: Administration & Finances--National; Life Outside of Hockey--Family; Recollection of Others--Administrator

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: What are you doing now with hockey?
WALKER: Well, I'm a Vice-president of, er, lots of clubs.

Segment Synopsis: Walker recalls the military origins of Nordics Hockey Club which began life in 1951 as United All Services Hockey Club. He goes on to discuss his contemporary affiliations with armed forces hockey, in particular his struggles to get the Royal Air Force to recognise their own hockey heritage.

Keywords: Anniversary; British Army; Cancer; Centenary; Combined Services Hockey Association; Gosport Borough Hockey Club; Illness; Nordics Hockey Club/United All Services Hockey Club; Royal Air Force; Royal Navy Hockey Association (RNHA); UK Armed Forces Hockey Association (UKAFHA); United Services Portsmouth Hockey Club; Vice-president

Subjects: Armed Forces; Associations--Armed Forces; Fitness, Injury & Health; History & Heritage; Teams--Men--Armed Forces; Teams--Men--Club; Teams--Women--Armed Forces; Teams--Women--Club