About Old Kingstonian Hockey Club
Old Kingstonian Hockey Club, is a friendly and sociable club based in south west London. While the club has strong links with Kingston Grammar School, originally being a club for former pupils of the school although it has been open to all-comers since 1979.
The club fields three mens teams and three ladies teams. The mens 1st XI play in the Hampshire/Surrey Regional Division 2 league, whilst the 2nd XI plays in the Surrey Open League. The clubs veterans play in the London League Division 1. All our ladies teams play in the Surrey Ladies League Divisions 2, 5 and 10 respectively.
The club facilities include two sand-based artificial hockey pitches overlooking Hampton Court Palace and the Thames at the school sports facility “Ditton Field” in Summer Road, Thames Ditton. There can be few more scenic hockey playing venues in the country. Tiffin Girls' School on the Richmond Road between Kingston and Richmond is the venue for training.
Club History
Club hockey has been played in Kingston since 1892 when the Kingston Hockey Club played for a season on the Fairfield behind Kingston Grammar School. Changing was at the Cricketers, overlooking the pitch, starting a tradition of using pubs that has its echoes today!
The team included Old Boys and Staff from the School, many of whom also played cricket for Hampton Wick Royal Cricket Club, by then well established in Bushey Park so the next season the Kingston Hockey Club became the Hampton Wick Hockey Club and moved over the bridge. Changing was now in the Rose and Crown in Hampton Wick High Street, an arrangement that lasted from 1892 until 1939 with breaks only during the Boer and Great Wars. In 1930 a Sunday hockey side called the Scorpions was established.
so in 1930, fifteen OKHC members met at the Railway Tavern in Hampton Wick and decided to run a Sunday hockey side called the Scorpions.
The relationship with Kingston Grammar was cemented in 1908 when, at the then Headmaster's request, the name was changed to the Kingston Grammar School Old Boys Hockey Club by way of encouraging school leavers to join. It is in this guise that we shall celebrate our Centenary in 2008.
The next name change came in 1920 with the adoption of the Old Kingstonian Hockey Club when the local football club, called the Old Kingstonian Football Club, folded. And finally, technically the "Old" was dropped in 1979 when the Club went open, but we are still known to all and sundry as The OK's.
But perhaps the most important benefit of "going open" was the ability to form a Ladies section. This was accomplished in 1989, since when they have become an integral and much valued part of the Club.
Over these years, the Club may claim to be one of, if not the, most successful of all hockey clubs. Since the last war we can claim 22 Internationals, 8 GB and 5 Olympic players not including those OK's of more recent vintage who have played their club hockey elsewhere. On one Saturday in 1960, there were three OK players in different international sides!
Regrettably, the current sides cannot claim quite such distinction - although a few ex-internationals can be seen in action (sic!) most Saturdays. Hopefully, the steps now being taken to secure first class facilities for the Club will enable us create the right environment in which to regain our rightful position in the Hockey world.
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