New website launched by the Scottish Hockey Heritage Group

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The Hockey Museum » 2024 News Items » New website launched by the Scottish Hockey Heritage Group

November 22, 2024

A black and white action photograph of a men's hockey match on grass. All players are wearing dark shirts with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, white shorts and boots and dark socks. A man on the right side of the photograph, bearded and wearing glasses, is attempting to tackle a player dribbling with the ball towards camera. A row of spectators is visible in the distance.

A small group of volunteers in Scotland have been working to locate, preserve and share their nation’s rich hockey heritage. Some of this amazing work is now available online for the wider hockey family to follow and support.

Scottish Hockey Heritage Group officially launches website – Scottish Hockey

The article on the Scottish Hockey website explains the purpose of the newly formed Scottish Hockey Heritage Group (SHHG), who they are and gives access to some of the stories they have already researched. Jenny Grassick (Chairperson), Alan Veitch, Evlyn Raistrick and Jacky Burnett have been working since 2022 to set up this initiative and some of the research undertaken is now available to read online. The awarding of Great Britain honours caps to Scottish hockey players, stories of Scottish hockey players who lost their lives in the two World Wars and a list of international and league matches are already available to view on the website. There are numerous other fascinating stories to tell and the group plan to post these on the website over the coming months.

Discover the new SHHG website: Scottish Hockey Heritage | Home

Ireland vs Scotland men in Dublin, 29 March 1958. Image courtesy of the Scottish Hockey Heritage Group.

One key task that has been ongoing since the Group’s inception is the work to locate and document any known Scottish hockey archive material and memorabilia. National association records dating from the formation of the Scottish Women’s Hockey Association in 1900 and the Scottish Hockey Association (men) in 1901 can be found in the National Records of Scotland, along with the substantial final deposit of records of the Scottish Hockey Union by Ernie Wall and Brent Deans in 2009.

Over the last two years, the team has been locating and documenting all the other memorabilia and documents still held in various locations by Scottish Hockey. A big job but an essential one to ensure that the story of Scottish hockey is not lost. As we know from our work at The Hockey Museum (THM), this initial listing will be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what else is stored in various cupboards and lofts around Scotland and elsewhere. The SHHG is now turning its focus to exactly these collections in individuals’ homes. They are asking people to get in touch to allow the documentation of these records and objects so that the story of the development of hockey in Scotland can be told more comprehensively. To help them in this work, the SHHG is seeking others to join them in this exciting project.

A black and white team photograph of three rows of Victorian-era women, the back row standing, the middle row seated on benches and chairs and the font row sitting on the floor. They hold old hockey sticks with long wooden heads. The all wear long-sleeved, loose-fitting blouses with high collars and ties, and long, dark skirts down to their ankles. Every woman's hair is tied or pinned up rather than hanging long. They are positioned in front of the corner of a house with a field behind.

The Scotland women’s team that played Ireland in 1908. Image courtesy of the Scottish Hockey Heritage Group.

THM has been supporting the work of Jenny and her team, particularly with advice from the Museum’s former Chairperson, Katie Dodd supported by our professional staff. We have already run several stories that the SHHG has researched, one of which tells the story of the first Scottish women’s hockey international match in 1901.

It’s a Date: Celebrating the First Scotland Women’s International Match | The Hockey Museum

A visit south of the border

During a recent trip south of the border, Jenny and her husband Gordon were recent visitors to THM in Woking. Both were renowned Scottish international players and their son, Chris, has only recently retired as the Scottish hockey captain. In her role as Chairperson of the SHHG, Jenny was keen to see and hear how THM was set up and has developed. They we hosted by Mike Smith, THM President and Hon. Curator, who showed them around our exhibition and conducted a behind-the-scenes tour that included a selection of archives/memorabilia relating to hockey in Scotland.

Scottish GB Cap Presentations: Recognising the Tartan Contribution | The Hockey Museum