Club History

As you look around today you will see a modern active club, with the usual amenities, a clubhouse, hot showers, centrally heated changing rooms and of course a busy bar.

How different from when Eddy Boyle of Rosemount Tennis Club in 1920 suggested to his tennis colleagues that they form a hockey team at the end of the tennis season. There was sufficient support and so a pitch was marked out at Paynes Fields, an open area which ran from Gidea Park Station to Carlton Road in Romford, presumably goats and sheep kept the grass short enough for hockey. Drum Cafe at numbers 8 & 9in Hare Hall Lane agreed to permit the players to change on the premises and also provide tea. Hockey was an immediate success and Romford Hockey Club was promptly formed for men and ladies.

In 1926, by which time there were two teams, we moved to Brooklands ground where it is believed we had two pitches. Frank Everard, son of a local policeman, who was a staunch vegetarian although nota teetotaller, was keen to improve the playing surface and was frequently demanding whip rounds to pay the ten shilling cost of having a horse drawn ransom cutter go over the pitches. There were still no showers and tea was taken in Mrs. Humphrey’s bakers and cafe at 54 Market Place. The ladies and men’s section were very close, more so when Miss Kitty Mann, ladies captain, married Frank Everard. Meetings were regularly held on Mondays at Humphrey’s Cafe.

By 1927/28 membership had grown to about 30 and it was difficult to give everyone a game, particularly the rabbits, members with little or no skill who just hared around. This situation was probably aggravated when in 1930 Gidea Park H.C. who played at Gallows Corner was disbanded and Norman Farnes and others joined Romford.

Football at Brooklands eventually squeezed the hockey out around1932/34 and we moved to Gallows Corner. Alas it drained badly, Isuppose because the duck pond and cattle drinking place had beenfilled in to provide space for the present clubhouse. It was necessaryto find a better surface and after a season or two we moved toStanley Avenue which was probably part of Paynes Fields. Thereappeared to be no changing facilities until the President at that time,Mr. W. W. Evans donated funds for the building of a wooden pavilion.

In the period 1932/34 until 1939 committee meetings took place in the surgery waiting room of Norman Farnes, above Barclays Bank in South Street.

The first recorded tour took place at Easter 1937 when a party went to Bournemouth. The following year it was Folkestone Hockey Festival.

World War II and the demand for allotments saw the end of our Stanley Avenue pitch and with the need for our members to serve the nation, the club disbanded in 1939.

The club reformed in 1946 and the first match was played against Hornchurch on 19th October. Since then the club has flourished whilst still maintaining the ideals of yesteryear, namely sportsmanship, competitiveness and sociability.

The late 1950's and 1960's saw a distinct change in how players got to away matches. Instead of travelling by bus and train the trend was now to use private cars, or if you weren't quite so lucky, vans. This enabled us to play sides from further afield but did not shortened travelling times never got shorter as several pubs had to be passed(and not always without stopping off) on the journeys back to Gallows.

A lot in the game has changed over the years including what the goalkeeper now wears, getting rid of the offside rule and in recent years the self pass rule but the most dramatic rule change is that of moving from playing on grass to astro turf with the game becoming much faster.

Romford had great success for a number of years during the 80s, 90,00s and even today despite a long period of domination of the premier divisions with big turnouts for both ladies and men’s sections. Relegation from the men’s premier divisions saw the club transition with an emphasis on youth.

The early 2000s saw the Ladies section reformed who have gone from strength to strength pushing themselves through the leagues and also attracting new players to play for the club.

The Men’s section have also seen success in recent years through promotion and promoting youth to gain experience and enjoy playing with more senior players.

Romford Hockey Club has always been and always will be a family club with young players from the to the current day staying and continuing to play for the club, this tradition is enhanced by a strong Youth section, social functions, a fully stocked bar and the best after game food (Sue’s famous chilli goes down a treat)

A great club supporting others with its charity helping raise thousands for charity such as The Alzheimers Society and The Avenues Trust