Oral History Interview: Sheila Morrow

Partial Transcript: MORROW: My name is Sheila Morrow. I was born on 24 May 1947.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow states her name and date of birth for the record.

Keywords: Wales; Date of Birth

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And how did you get into hockey in the first place? MORROW: Well, I think there was a, really there was a kind of history of hockey in the family.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow recounts her memories of playing sport with her family as a young girl.

Keywords: Badminton; Bangor Ladies Hockey Club; Bangor--United Kingdom (UK); Evacuation/Evacuee; Father; Football (Soccer); North Wales Region/North Wales (territory); Tennis; World War 2/WW2/The Second World War; Mother

Subjects: Recreation; Teams--Girls--Club; Life Outside of Hockey--Family

Partial Transcript: SOMMERVILLE: And did Bangor have a junior hockey team? MORROW: No, no they didn't. So I didn't actually play hockey until I went to school, or until I went to secondary school, which was Bangor Grammar School for Wales.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow describes her route into hockey, the tournaments that she has played in and her transition to umpiring.

Keywords: Anita White; Anne Ellis; Ansty--United Kingdom (UK); Bangor Ladies Hockey Club; Boycott; Breast cancer; Caernarfonshire/Caernarvonshire (county); Cancer; Captain; Centre Half; Choir; Coach; College; Conference; Elsie Harris; England; European Club Championship/EuroHockey Club Championship; Final; Friends; Germany; Great Britain; Hitch-hike; IM Marsh College of Physical Education; International Federation of Womens Hockey Associations (IFWHA); International Hockey Federation (FIH); Ireland; Lilleshall--United Kingdom (UK); Liverpool--United Kingdom (UK); Marilyn Morgan/Marilyn Pugh; Marilyn Pugh/Marilyn Morgan; Marjorie Cadel; Moscow--Russia; North Wales Region/North Wales (territory); Olympics/Olympic Games; Physical Education Teacher; Pregnant; Risca--United Kingdom (UK); Scotland; Secondary School; Selection; Selectors; Shirley Ellis/Shirley Ellis-Morgan; Singing; Snow; South Wales Region/South Wales (territory); Sport England; Squad; Training; Trials; Umpire; Wales; Wrexham--United Kingdom (UK); Bangor Grammar School

Subjects: Captaincy; IFWHA Conference & Tournament--1967 Leverkusen; IFWHA Conference & Tournament--1971 Aukland; IFWHA World Championship--1975 Edinburgh; IFWHA World Championship--1979 Vancouver; IFWHA World Championship--1983 Kwalalumpa; Kit & Equipment; Olympic Games--1980 Moscow; Olympic Games--1984 Los Angeles; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Girls--Territory; Teams--Women--Territory; Umpiring--Club; Umpiring--International; Teams--Girls--County

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: How many Wembley's did you play? MORROW: Three.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow recounts her memories of playing at Wembley Stadium.

Keywords: Anita White; Canada; Captain; Conference; Crowd; Dorrie Arkell/Dorrie Sadler/Doris Arkell/Doris Sadler; England; Friends; Grass; Great Britain; Manager; Melvyn Hickey/Melvyn Pignon; Nan Thomas; Penalty Stroke; Pitch; Queen Elizabeth II; Squad; Val Robinson; Wales; Wembley Stadium

Subjects: Captaincy; Kit & Equipment; Playing Surfaces; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International; IFWHA World Championship--1975 Edinburgh

Partial Transcript: MORROW: But I mean, that was the kind of era that I was playing in. You know, where the hockey was really serious but of course it was all on grass, or mainly on grass. It was really serious, but you were able to socialise and to really establish great friends across the world.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow explains how hockey and its social side has changed since she played the sport.

Keywords: Cardiff Arms Park; Cardiff Castle; Cardiff--Wales; England; Friends; Husband; Rugby; Training; Wales; Grass

Subjects: Playing Surfaces; Recollection of Others--Non-hockey Athlete; Recreation; Reunion; Social & Friendships; Dinners

Partial Transcript: SOMMERVILLE: So when you retired from playing.
MORROW: Yeah.
SOMMERVILLE: You then turned to coaching?
MORROW: No, then went into umpiring.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow explains why she turned to umpiring and officiating after retiring from playing hockey.

Keywords: Administrator; Appeal; England; International Hockey Federation (FIH); Judge; London--United Kingdom (UK); Match Delegate; National League; National League; New Zealand; Official; Olympic Qualifiers; Olympics/Olympic Games; Secretary; Sports Council for Wales; Technical Delegate/Match Delegate; Umpire; Wales; Coach

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Club; Umpiring--Club

Partial Transcript: SOMMERVILLE: What does the role of judge entail?
MORROW: The role of judge is, essentially it, um, is in charge of the timings and scoring, at a very basic level.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow describes what the role of Judge entails within hockey and her memories of being appointed as a judge for two Olympic Games as well as a Commonwealth Games. Morrow goes on to explain why judging is still separate within hockey.

Keywords: Accommodation; Accreditation; Beijing--China; Bench; Coach; Commonwealth Games; Competition Director; Czech Republic; Europe; European Junior Nations Championships/EuroHockey Junior Nations Championships; Glasgow--United Kingdom (UK); Hockey 5s; Hotel; International Hockey Federation (FIH); London--United Kingdom (UK); Media Officer; Olympic Village; Olympics/Olympic Games; Photography; Press; Substitute; Technical Delegate; Technical Delegate/Match Delegate; Technical Officer; Umpire; Warm up; Youth Olympic Games/Youth Olympics; Judge

Subjects: International Travel; Media; Olympic Games--2012 London; Tournaments--International; Olympic Games--2008 Beijing

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And in between that you've done some coaching? MORROW: No, I don't coach.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow describes her experience of being on an International Hockey Federation (FIH) Academy Educators Course.

Keywords: Coach; Dodge; FIH Academy Educators Course; International Hockey Federation (FIH); Official; Physical Education Teacher; Presentation; Sports Council for Wales; Technical Official; Umpire; European Hockey Federation (EHF)

Subjects: Education and Schooling; Tactics and Performance; Training & Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: SOMMERVILLE: So while you've been doing all the umpiring, and the technical element, have you been working with Sport England?
MORROW: I was.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow describes her involvement with Sport England and Sports Council for Wales.

Keywords: London--United Kingdom (UK); Sport Wales; Sports Council for Wales; The Sports Council; UK Sport; Sport England

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Grants & Funding

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And now you've retired.
MORROW: Yes
SOMERVILLE: But you're still on the list.
MORROW: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: You still watch hockey?

Segment Synopsis: Morrow describes how she spends her time now that she has retired from playing hockey.

Keywords: Elected Director; England; Hockey Wales; Scotland; Wales; Golf

Subjects: Life Outside of Hockey--Retirement

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: You said you didn't like umpiring because of the way hockey has changed and the way players were not taking it seriously and wanting to appeal decisions and things. How would you like to play under the current rules?

Segment Synopsis: Morrow reflects on why she would like to play hockey under the new rules.

Keywords: Appeal; AstroTurf/Artificial Turf; Defender; Running; Umpire

Subjects: Playing Surfaces; Fitness, Injury & Health

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And, over the years, you've done a lot of travelling, you've met a lot of people. What about the friendships you've made?
MORROW: Oh, unbelievable.

Segment Synopsis: Morrow recounts some of the friendships she made within hockey and why she believes that current hockey players are unable to forge the same relationships.

Keywords: Aukland--New Zealand; Cardiff Arms Park; Cardiff Hockey Club; Cardiff and Met Hockey Club; Cardiff--Wales; Choir; Corriene Pritchard; Glamorgan Cricket; Golf; Ground Manager; Guitar; Linda Owen; Liverpool--United Kingdom (UK); New Zealand; Olympic Qualifiers; Pam Williams/Pam Jones; Patricia Barwick/Pat Barwick; Penarth Hockey Club; Pitch; Shirley Ellis/Shirley Ellis-Morgan; South Wales Region/South Wales (territory); Umpire; Wales; North Wales Region/North Wales (territory)

Subjects: Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; International Travel; Recollection of Others--Player; Recollection of Others--Umpire; Recreation; Reunion; Social & Friendships; Teams--Women--County; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International; Teams--Women--Club