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HOCKEY AT UPPINGHAM (written for the Varsity Match 2005, schools curtain-raiser)


Reputedly played at Uppingham in the seventeenth century, the game had maintained its popularity in the succeeding centuries for it was the principal winter game in the 1850’s though skating and sledging were also winter recreations, snowballing was allowed on the cricket fields only and ice slides were common in the school quads. Those who advocated football in 1852 apparently recognised that hockey, 'played with a strong and heavy walking stick, having a curved handle' was better when, as usually happened, the whole school formed the two sides as the smaller boys obtained 'some sport'. There was no limit to the number of players, and there were few rules – though those who did not play right-handed could be 'shinned'. By the 1860's, however, hockey was a despised game that 'belonged to Private Schools and street boys' and 'ought not to rank as an established game in a School like this'. The game remained as a pre-luncheon recreation for a few years as, unlike 'Uppingham football', the players did not need to change. By 1868 the game was moribund, and in 1870 it had virtually disappeared, only being retained as a quad game by one of the houses.

Difficulties in the Lent term, with the end of the 'football' season in February and with cricket not beginning until April, witnessed the resurgence of the sport in the 1890's. It was not, however, until the introduction of hockey colours and house matches in 1899 that the game gained any real importance in the eyes of the boys. Oxford blue and O.U., C.S.Hurst , returning to play against the School, 'having played on quite a lot of the best grounds in London', remarked in a letter that 'Uppingham grounds were rougher and favoured long passing to the wings rather than the perhaps more skilful short-passing type of play.'

The first inter-school match was not until 1919 against The Leys, but matches only became regular from the 1930's when both The Leys and Repton became annual opponents. Rugby was added in 1941 and Greshams in 1945. Three of these sides appear on the current fixture list. It was in the 1930's that Dennis Oswald, an England trialist, took over the supervision of the game and he was later to be followed by Paul Ledger, the England centre-half, who in 1964 introduced the idea of all the new boys in the school playing hockey in the September term, a progressive system that continues to this day. It was during the 60's that the Uppingam masters' side was constituted completely of men who had played at some level for Oxford or Cambridge with the one exception of the goalkeeper, the Headmaster. Subsequently Peter Colville (Cambridge, Scotland and G.B.) became master in charge in 1968 before handing over to Nick Gandon who ran the sport in the school from 1980 – 91. One of his protégés, Charlie Oscroft, at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, was assistant coach to the New Zealand silver-medal winning side.

The last decade has seen the Uppingham 1st XI represent the Midlands at the H.A. Cup U.18 National Finals in '92, '95 and '96 and there have been three trips to Cologne and one to Barcelona. A tour to Malaysia is planned for the summer of 2004. Currently there are two astros and two hundred and eighty boys playing in seventeen teams whilst the girls' sides have also increased in number over recent seasons.

Uppingham involvement in Oxbridge Hockey has produced something in the region of nineteen blues since 1922 (research has been even less conclusive about anything before then). Most worthy of mention are: Martin Martin-Harvey, the England international, founding inspiration and driving force behind both the Public Schools Oxford Hockey Festival and the Swifts touring side which often drew on boys from Uppingham, St Lawrence, Marlborough, The Leys and Bromsgrove; David Veit, (England and G.B.) who played in the Tokyo Olympics; Gordon Nurse England’s prolific indoor forward; whilst the most recent blue was Tobi Damek who played for Cambridge three years ago. Of local interest, perhaps, is George Riddington who played for Cambridge in the early fifties and is the great uncle of the current Uppingham 1st XI girls captain, Lucy West. However the most significant mention should perhaps be of the 1953 varsity match. Two Uppinghamians played that day, fifty years ago: C.K.R.Vartan on the losing side, whilst Oxford was captained by Mike O’Hagan, who is holding a reunion for those of that side who could make it today. Let’s hope they all know where their real loyalties lie.

Ian Rolison
Master i/c Hockey 1992 – 2005

Acknowledgements:

Bryan Matthews By God’s Grace
Malcolm Tozer Physical Education at Thring’s Uppingham