There is a wealth of history and anecdotal information about our game, it’s characters and it’s great moments that is in danger of going to the grave with the older generations.
Today, every match, every goal, every statistic, indeed every comment uttered, will be recorded for posterity thanks to the technological wizardry we have at our disposal, but how much important and fascinating history has been buried with some of the great hockey events and personalities of days gone by? Hockey Australia also recognise the importance of preserving history. In 2013 Hockey Australia began its history project whereby all match and player data relating to Australia games would be recorded.
The FIH is fronting an ambitious project to gather hockey history and memorabilia from around the world, and anyone who wants to donate time, energy or hockey artefacts will be welcomed with open arms. One such project that is spearheading the hockey memorabilia movement is the National Hockey Museum (NHM) in England. The museum houses equipment, books, magazines, pictures and cuttings – some more than 150 years old and it will be working with the FIH to collect and capture archives from all hockey playing nations. Whether it is a 19th century programme, a signed shirt from the 1908 Olympics or a recorded interview with one of our veteran players, it will all go towards creating a rich source of hockey heritage.
As one of the oldest team sports in existence and with a history that goes back to Saxon, Egyptian and Roman times, we should be celebrating the history of our sport. At the bottom of this article you can access Hockey Australia’s paper on the ‘History of Hockey’.
One group leading the charge for preserving hockey history in the National Hockey Museum in England ( www.hockeymuseum.org ). It was established in 2012 and has been gathering momentum since. Go Hockey News did a feature on it in 2013. The collection at the National Hockey Museum consists of playing kit in the form of sticks, balls, goalkeeping kit & clothing, spanning a history in excess of 125 years. The archive includes a vast library of books, magazines & photographs that provide a valuable resource for anyone studying the sport or for those who simply have a passion for hockey. The museum has been built with the hands of dedicated and passionate hockey enthusiasts who volunteer their services.
FIH President Leandro Negre has been a great supporter of the Museum and has always been very passionate about preserving the heritage of hockey. He has long desired to visit the museum, but a hectic schedule has scuppered his attempts on two previous occasions. In January this year he had the chance to tour the museum and spend some time viewing the various historical artefacts and looking through the archives.
“I am pleased to meet so many volunteers and I’m very impressed with their dedication and organisation”, said Leandro, who made a contribution to the museum’s collection on behalf of the FIH by donating a special print of a hockey painting by well-known Spanish artist Jordi Aluma.
FIH President Leandro Negre studies the Hockey Timeline at the Museum which shows the formation of the FIH in 1924. (Photo: National Hockey Museum / Dil Bahra)
Rugby has one, so does cricket and so does baseball – and so should hockey. If you are passionate about your sport’s history and believe you have something to contribute then find out how you can get involved contact Mike Smith at the NHM on judysmith61@btinternet.com
