News

Richmond Hockey Club and the University of Westminster are working together to re-introduce hockey into the Universities sporting offer for the 2018/2019 season.

Julian Stocks, President of Richmond Hockey Club says: as an alumnus of the Regent Street Polytechnic, now The University of Westminster - Urban Estate Management from 1985-1988 - I am particularly pleased that the Richmond Hockey Club is working together with the University to offer students the option of taking part in a sport that can become a lifelong hobby, and to use the Memorial ground which has such strong connections with the founder of the Poly.

Richmond & Twickenham Times 1874 - announcement

"A Hockey Club has been formed, as an offshoot of the Richmond Football Club, and its opening game will be played this (Saturday) afternoon, on the cricket ground in the Old Deer Park; play to commence at half past three. As numerous gentlemen in the neighbourhood have intimated their intention of joining the club, no doubt there will be a good muster on the occasion of the first match. A meeting will be held at the Greyhound Hotel the same afternoon, at half past five, to decide upon the style of playing and the rules to be adopted, and on the election of officers for the season and other business. Hockey is like football in one respect at the present time — namely there are two sets of rules in use, the dribbling and the hitting game, so it is necessary to take the opinion of the players on the question."

With that Richmond Hockey Club was launched and the next Saturday the local paper carried the following report:

"In spite of the unfavourable weather on Saturday afternoon last, this club made a most successful opening by playing the first game, with about twelve players aside, in the Old Deer Park. The match was continued with great spirit for some considerable time without either side scoring, but at last Mr. Cecil Stopford, by some very good play, obtained a goal for Mr. Lawrell's side. The game was continued for another half hour with better success to the other team, who pressed their opponents rather hard at times, but no further score was made when 'time" was called. A very numerously attended general meeting was held afterwards at the Greyhound Hotel. Mr. Edwin Ash was called to the chair, and in opening the meeting stated that they had met there to consider whether it was desirable to start a hockey club in Richmond. Mr. Lawrell had kindly undertaken to obtain the opinion of numerous gentlemen in the neighbourhood on the subject, and if he would tell them whether the replies had been generally favourable, it would then be for someone to propose that the club should be started, and be called the Richmond Hockey Club."

Richmond Hockey Club having been based at Old Deer Park, faced the rise of the "artificial grass" surface that ultimately forced the Club to find a new base. They found their new home at the Quintin Hogg Memorial Sports Ground in Chiswick in 2001. The move coincided with a significant upturn in the fortunes of the Men's 1st XI who secured 3 successive promotions to place them in the England Hockey National League where they have since stayed - winning the East Conference title back in 2016.