Metropoltan Police Hockey Club
When I joined Metropolitan Police Hockey Club in 1975, Frank Attwood was the Secretary and Peter Robinson was the 1st team captain.
The Club ran four Saturday teams and played midweek and Sunday matches as well. The Club also played at Stanmore Indoor League on Thursday and Crystal Palace League on Tuesdays evenings.
The home matches were played at Metropolitan Police Sports Club in Imber Court. Bushey Sports Club and Hendon Training School also had hockey pitches. The Police National Hockey Festivals in 1982 and 1984 were held at Bushey.
Imber Court had three hockey pitches, all to a very high standard and as a result the Club attracted very good fixtures. The changing room facilities were excellent.
The Club regularly participated in Easter tours, at home and abroad.
Personalities such as Neville Abraham, Nigel Spencer-Knott, Eric Sayer, Ivor Goodson, Hugh Annesley, Richard Wells were still playing for the Club when I joined.
Sadly we lost two of our active members in the late seventies. Ian Napier (1976) who was our treasurer and Alan Baxter (1977) who was the 2nd team captain were both killed in fatal accidents.
Players such as Andy Halliday, Paul Brown and Tony Puddick who joined in 1980 further strengthened the Club and when the Police Athletic Association Men's Hockey Section was formed in 1979, the Club won the Championships for two years running, 1981 and 1982.
The Club played in the Hants/Surrey League and were promoted to the newly formed South League in the early eighties before returning to the Regional League.
I was involved with the Club as a player, coach, press secretary and Vice Chairman and remained active until 1997.
I have many photographs and statistics of the Club of the period of my involvement which are now displayed on the page on the left.
Dil Bahra