The Hockey Museum stand at the Investec World Women’s League Semi-Final played host to an important visitor yesterday evening when the Sports Minister, Hugh Robertson, found time in his very busy schedule to have a look around.
Escorted by Philip Kimberley, the England Hockey Board Chairman, he asked to visit during the half-time interval of the England v. Italy match.
As a hockey player himself, he was particularly interested in the timeline of sticks that were on display. Museum volunteer Marcus Wardle was able to explain their development through the 150 years that the modern game of hockey has been played and he even had a go at showing off his skills with a 1950s ‘english head’ stick (pictured).
Hugh Robertson was also fascinated by the news item showing that international women’s hockey was the first team sport to be televised by the BBC, from The Oval cricket ground in 1938, as a trial for televising cricket that summer.
When Mike Smith, the Museum curator, showed a photo of the 1914 England women’s team, as an example of the uniform that was worn by England at that time, the Minister was baffled as to how the players could run about wearing such a weight of skirt. Smith was also able to show a page of autographs that has recently come to light in Australia, of the England team who were touring down under that year.
The Minister emphasised the importance of retaining an understanding of how a sport like hockey has developed and commented that we had assembled a fascinating insight into hockey’s past.
He wished us well in our plans to build on our current achievements.
Dil Bahra, June 2013