Surbiton Hockey Club are not quite the oldest club in the world but they do have the oldest and most complete ‘club archive’; unless you know better, of course! Their minute books go back to 1874 together with copious press cuttings and a complete collection of their club newsletter from its inception in 1928 right up to the present day.

Surbiton have now agreed to put these valuable archives into the custody of The Hockey Museum (THM). Curator Mike Smith said: “It is a tribute to Surbiton HC that they have managed to retain these valuable archives across nearly 140 years and they will be a true gem in our growing collection.” Because of THM’s growing relationship with the Surrey History Centre and the fact that Surbiton is a Surrey club, it is hoped that we will have this amazing collection professionally archived very promptly.

Amongst the Surbiton archive is one book that relates to Molesey Hockey Club, one of the very original clubs in England. Molesey HC did not survive but one of its members, Mr S G Dobby, kept a record of their activities. He went on to join Surbiton HC, just down the road, and handed his record over to his new club. It is a miracle that such an item should have survived.

It is also an amazing coincidence considering the article on the oldest hockey photographs. In the space of a couple of months we have received the record of Molesey HC and the photo of East Molesey Ladies HC; two separate clubs, neither of which survived, but from the same Surrey village.