Articles and  reminiscences

Hockey World 1922. What it was like back then.

A Famous Club

For many years, Hampstead has been one of the strongest and most popular clubs in London.  It has prospered with the growth of the game.  The formation of the club took place in 1890, some members of the Hampstead Cricket Club, finding themselves with nothing to do in the winter, deciding to try hockey.  Among the leaders in the movement were many well-known men at the summer game, including H B Hayman and A E Stoddart, both keen and good hockey players.  After two or three seasons H B Hayman who used to show to considerable advantage at half-back. became a capable and popular captain.  Like most clubs, Hampstead started in unpretentious manner, but soon success was met with and so many men joined that at one time four XI.s were put in the field.  For some years the club's home games took place on the Hampstead Cricket Ground, but in wet weather, the turf used to be so badly cut up that it was decided to take a portion of the Richmond Athletic Ground for the winter game.

With the help of keen members and good management the club was set on a sound footing and came to be looked upon as redoubtable opponents by the strongest clubs.  The fortunes of the club, however, were assured some years ago when it first received the assistance of S H Shoveller and G Logan.  Their splendid work at centre forward and inside right respectively, quickly proved a great match winning factor.  By the way, both Shoveller and Logan were educated and made their first effort with the sticks at Kingston Grammar School – a school that has produced many brilliant players.

Probably in 1908, Hampstead were the finest team that has ever played in the club hockey.  Besides Shoveller and Logan they had a third International in J N Burns, and most of the players have appeared at different times for the South or their country.  R S Preston, it will be remembered, got his "blue" at Cambridge, and C R I Nicholl was captain at Oxford.  At the present time, too, they have J H Bennett, B G Lampart Vachell and C T A Wilkinson, all Internationals, also R Q Crutwell, an old Oxford blue.  But the retirement of S H Shoveller this season, the most brilliant centre ever produced in hockey, is a big blow to the famous London club.  No one has done more to bring the name of Hampstead right to the front rank.  But time is no respecter of persons, and "Shove" has had to bow to the inevitable.  But Hampstead will still be a good side. J H Bennett, the famous English back, has been one of the stalwarts in defence for many years and he helps to make the Hampstead defence one of the greatest in England, or the Kingdom.  If Hampstead had only the same forward skill as shown by the defence, they would be equal to the side in 1908.  At all events, the club has had a wonderful history with many renowned players on the membership roll since the formation in 1890 – thirty two years of brilliant service on the hockey field.

October 5,  1923 HOCKEY WORLD

 England's Famous Full-Back - J H Bennett

J. H. BENNETT, the English International full-back, is one of the greatest players in defence the game has known.  More-over, he has achieved an easy record in International Hockey as a full-back, having now played on twenty-seven occasions for England. Education at Harrow, and subsequently going up to Oxford University, Mr Bennett obtained his "blue" for hockey in 1907 and 1908.  After playing for some period for the now defunct Berkshire Gentlemen H.C., he became a member of the famous Hampstead H.C., and since 1919, has officiated as the hon. secretary.  Brilliant form was shown for the South and England and for his club in defence last season; his consistency was remarkable.  He has that priceless gift of anticipation; he almost seems by natural instinct  and knowledge to divine which way a forward means to travel or to pass.  A keen tackler, sound, sure and clean, with that clever lunge forward, he is a judicious ball hitter.  Rarely does one see him waste a single pass to a half-back or forward and he plays with rare precision to his left-half.  Although now getting into what may be termed the veteran category, yet Mr Bennett is still good for a few more years at the game which he adorns and on which he must leave a lasting impress in regard to hockey history.  An all-round sportsman, a keen golfer, and an enthusiastic motorist, the famous England International is a most popular personality.  Shortly, one may say that he is a model sportsman, a model hockey back and a model and genial official. All young aspiring full-backs can, with safety, take their guide and pattern from Mr Bennett's style of play, for he shows that pace is not the be-all and end-all in full-back play, but to use one's brains in summing up the strength and cleverness of one's opponents.  To play twenty-seven times for his country is a record unapproached by any past or present British International full-back, and it may never again so happen that any other full-back will reach this number of "caps".  The record number of "caps" for any British player is, of course, the immortal S. H. Shoveller, whose total figure reaches thirty-five but who could well have gained fifty could he have accepted all the invitations extended to him during his long and wonderful career.  At various functions, Mr Bennett's clever post-prandial speeches are in great request, which he delivers in a delightful, humorous vein.

MORE NOTABLE MEMBERS - Ruari Milsted, John Sankey and Beaker Saunders

Another noteworthy election at this time was that of the famous R.L. Milsted, in October 1927.  Ruari Milsted never played for England, though he has been described as the greatest English player who never did, and he did practically everything else in the game.  He played for the South when he was in the Club’s 2nd XI.  He captained Middlesex for eight years, and the South for four.  He was invited to play for England in 1934 but was prevented from doing so by ill-health.  He was treasurer of the South from 1933 to 1946 and a co-Trustee, with Sir Leslie Rowan, of the SCHA funds.  He captained the Club’s 1st XI for nine consecutive years (a record – even longer the Shove), from 1930 to the War, and was President from 1953 to 1960.  He was a brilliant right-half and would undoubtedly have had an even longer active career if it had not been for the War. 

As it was, his greatest feat was the gathering together of a nucleus old Hampstead players in the later 1940’s, and reforming the old Club after the War.  He had gone to live in South London and was, by this time, captaining Purley’s 1st XI.  That very friendly club was kind enough to welcome any of Ruari’s old Hampstead companions to play at Purley while they took stock and re-grouped.  He was able to track down and collect enough old members to make a re-birth possible by 1950.  His untiring efforts were finally rewarded when he played in, and captained, the team which represented the Club in its first post-War game on 21st October 1950 – 22 years and a day from the date of his election. 

Another splendid election to the Club, shortly after Ruari Milsted’s, was that of J.C. Sankey who, like Laurie Barnard, was obliged to play in the practice matches and was duly elected in September 1929.  John Sankey was not a star player but, because of his tremendous loyalty, he captained the 2nd XI for a number of years when he had a good chance of a 1st XI place.  With S.J. (‘Beaker’) Saunders, he was one of two other old members largely responsible for helping Ruari Milsted to get things going again after the War.  John Sankey also served a term as President from 1963/66, but his really noble contribution has been as umpire, mentor and constant friend to the lower XI’s for fifteen years and more.  He is reputed to have played his last game for the Club at the grand old age of 56 and will, no doubt, be umpiring still when many younger members have been left far behind.

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PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES

The re-birth after this war took much longer.  The younger element of London’s population had become more mobile and much of the pre-War membership had scattered.  But, clearly, a club with a history like Hampstead’s could not just be allowed to die because the war had dispersed most of its members.  In 1946/47 the indomitable members  Milsted and Sankey were respectively captaining Purley’s 1st and 2nd XI’s and several other stalwarts were tracked down by Ruari and encouraged to play pro tem for that very friendly club.  This admirable nucleus of old members was working, with Purley’s support and encouragement, towards a Hampstead re-birth and, in the summer of 1950, a meeting was called under Ruari’s chairmanship attended amongst others, by John Sankey, ’Beaker’ Saunders, and Alec Reid (a subsequent Secretary).  This meeting agreed that strenuous efforts should be made to re-start the Club the next season.  But, by this time, the Richmond Athletic Ground was no longer available, having been taken over by the geographically much more appropriate Mid-Surrey Club.  A Sub-Committee, consisted of Messrs. Milsted, Sankey and Saunders, went into negotiations with Hampstead Cricket Club and were pleased to report, in August, that the Club would re-start there, at its original home at Lymington Road, the following October.  It would retain its own identity but ultimately, perhaps, would re-merge into the Cricket Club whence it was born 56 years before – years during which much glorious successful hockey had been played and several of the game’s all-time great players had adorned the Club’s ranks.

The first post-War match was played on 21 October 1950 at Hampstead, against Teddington 2nd XI.  The result was 1-1 draw and the team included Milsted and Saunders, W.J. Fletcher (a subsequent Captain and President) and a very young J.L. Matthews-Lane – reputed to be still actively playing hockey in Bedfordshire.

The first ‘real’ XI fixture was against another of London’s friendliest Clubs, Bromley, in December 1950 and, from then, it was a long hard haul working up a fixture list comparable to that of pre-War.  Other clubs were very co-operative, remembering their enjoyable encounters with Hampstead over the years but the efforts of a succession of hard-working Fixture Secretaries were effectively consummated by R.J. Cummins during his term in the mid-50’s.  That the fixture list was re-built in such a short time is a tribute to Bob Cummins and his immediate predecessors and to the friendly spirit of competition in London hockey.

Ruari Milsted, having taken up where he left off before the War, soon handed over the reins of the 1st XI Captaincy to W.J. Fletcher, a new member and former Cambridge University Wanderer.  Bill Fletcher did a three-year stint, during which, not only was the fixture list growing steadily in depth, but so was the playing strength.  In 1952/53 the Club had its first post-War international – I.A.C. Hayward who had played at outside-left for Scotland – and P.C. (Sandy) Kay, who succeeded Bill Fletcher as Captain and is the Club’s current President, also played for the South.

In 1960 there were several changes of officers.  The Club having satisfactorily come to anchor again in North London, two tireless workers over recent years resigned; Bob Cummins, who had done wonders as Fixture Secretary, became a Vice-President of the Club, and Hugh Wickham, who had been Honorary Secretary for five eventful years, took over the post of Fixture Secretary.  And Ruari Milsted, after seven years formally as President, but several more before that when he was the acknowledged successor to F.E. Eiloart, resigned from this office.

Apart from his term as President, Milsted had been the first XI Captain for nine successive years before the War, and the compliments and gratitude expressed at the Annual General Meeting in 1960 were certainly heartfelt.  His successor as President was Bill Fletcher, another former 1st XI Captain.  The Club decided, at this time, that it was desirable that a higher proportion of its admirable Vice-Presidents and other old members should have the opportunity to hold the highest office, and a Special General Meeting agreed to a change in the Rules to the effect that the Presidency should be by election for a three-year term.  So, with Ruari Milsted’s retirement, another era came to an end.

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A TAILPIECE – SOME REMINISCENCES

Ruari Milsted

“Saturday in the hard times of the late 20’s gave us, the poor and young, something we could both enjoy and afford.  The lower XI’s we often played with a man famous in hockey who had thought nothing of dropping down a side as he got older.  Our standards were high and it was possible to have played in Divisional games before commanding a regular place in the 1st XI.  Pre-war Hampstead was not a mere dedicated bunch too poor to sin or get tight; we often did both.

In the 30’s Annual Dinners were occasions.  One, at a place in Leicester Square (R.E. Jones), comes to mind.  It was quite a night.  I have a vivid memory of one of the present highly respect V.P’s who, while insisting on making a speech (not on the card), suddenly found himself on his back and under the table.  He was kept there for a considerable period by feet and a few able marksmen armed with soda water siphons, while the meal proceeded with due decorum.

After dinner, some of us found ourselves in Jermyn Street, talking to girls who somehow in those days always happened to be there or thereabouts.  Our disposition towards them was kindly but not wishing to break up our party, or theirs, we organised some Jermyn Street Olympics, with les girls running races for a 10/- prize.  It was a stupendous success and good clean fun for 2 a.m.  Unfortunately, owing to the crowd that had gathered, the police (very friendly) brought the sports to an end before the grand finale of a lap of honour round St. James’s Square.

We enjoyed nearly all our games and London Hockey, played in a restricted circle of first class clubs, meant that the majority of our opponents were known and friends. ‘After matches’ on occasion extended to Sunday.  The old Teddington Cricket Club pavilion was one place known to have slept Hampstead players round a stove after the last bus and train had gone.

Nearly all of us had to work on Saturday mornings and it was often difficult to get away in time.  A good example was afforded by one right full-back.  He was in Holy Orders and, at short notice, got landed with having to conduct a funeral.  Thanks to a sympathetic undertaker and co-operative driver of the hearse, our worthy member’s hockey bag rode under the coffin to the cemetery.  After the service, and with the blind down, our man changed in the hearse which then drove him to the ground.  His arrival, changed and just in time, was a sensation.  This episode must constitute some sort of a record.  The driver stayed for the game (surely we must have won!) and much beer before departing, as he came, in his hearse. 

Of many famous games there is one I remember in particular.  Sports reporters of The Times, the morning Post, The Sunday Observer and other papers had come to Richmond to see the victory they all foretold of a star-studded Bromley side.  That must have been the fastest game we have ever played and proved to be a 3-1 Hampstead victory, by eleven very fit men.  Then even the ranks of Tuscany could scare forebear to cheer.  The subsequent articles made good reading.

I look back with the utmost pleasure to my Hampstead playing days and the grand men that were my friends.  Perhaps with greatest joy it is a fact that the Club survived and I was still there and able to hand over to Bill Fletcher after the War”.

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