Police Athletic Association Men's Hockey Section

The Police Athletic Association (PAA) Men's Hockey Section was formed in 1979 and the first Championships were played in the 1979-80 season.

Two of the important Rules of Police Athletic Association National Police Hockey Competition were:

1. The competition will be on a knock-out basis and shall be open only to Clubs of Police Forces affiliated to the Police Athletic Association. One team only may be entered from each Force.

2. Every player must be a regular serving male Police Officer or Cadet of the Police Force he represents on te day of the match. No mor than two Cadets are allowed in any one team.

Prior to this, Annual National Police Hockey Festivals were held which were well supported by many Police Force teams. I recall attending the Festival in Kent in 1977, Sheffield in 1978 where eleven teams participated with RUC beating Metropolitan Police 2 - 1 in the Final. Metropolitan Police won by defeating West Mercia in the Final of the 1979 Festival organised once again by South Yorkshire Police.

The regular teams at these Festivals were Kent; Hampshire; Metropolitan Police; South Yorkshire; Northamptonshire; Norfolk; RUC; West Mercia; West Yorkshire; Warwickshire and Thames Valley.

Metropolitan Police supported these Festivals by entering two teams.

The first PAA champions were Metropolitan Police who defeated RUC at Reading in 1980. The National Police Hockey Festival was also held in Reading, on 13 - 14 September 1980, organised by Thames Valley Police. Metropolitan Police beat West Yorkshire 4 - 0 in the Final. RUC did not enter due to cost implications as they had attended the PAA championship final earlier in the year.

Frank Attwood who was Secretary of Metropolitan Police Hockey Club at the time was selected on the Committee of PAA Men's Hockey Section. He played a key part until he retired in 1984. John Fleming from Metropolitan Police took over from Frank Attwood on the Committee.

Len Morris of West Mercia Constabulary was the Secretary of the PAA Men's Section from the begging until he retired in 1986. John Fleming of Metropolitan Police succeeded him until he retired in 1995. Steve Quick of Metropolitan Police took over from John Fleming.

Geoff Rhodes of South Yorkshire was the Competition Secretary from the begging until he retired in 1994 and Andy Brooks from South Yorkshire Police took over as Competition Secretary.

By 2007 there were some thirty Force Teams who competed in this annual competition.

I was involved with the PAA in one role or other from the begging until April 1997. All the Eighteen Competition winners are listed on the left together with photographs from my collection.

Dil Bahra