Introduction
Hockey, and all its variations, probably had its origin in the Punjab. It had certainly been picked up by the Public Schools as a game by the middle of the nineteenth century. Whether the article below refers to a separate Celtic tradition is not clear.

Rotherham Advertiser April 26th 1884 John Thomas Rooke(14) Harry Rooke(16), Edgar Uttley ( 15), Frederick Mitchell(13) and Frank McMannes(14) all of Bradgate were summoned for playing a dangerous game called “ shinty stick” at Bradgate. P.C. Pinder saw the defendants knocking a ball up and down the road with a large stick. They were knocking up dirt, stones and muck in the windows. He the officer had had several complaints about these lads and on the same morning a woman complained of being hit with a stick while they were playing in the road.

The summons was dismissed with cautions in each case and that the Mayor remarked that if the defendant were brought there again, or if any other parties appeared there on a similar charge they would be dealt with more severely, for a fine would be inflicted.

What is equally evident is that hockey was not a widespread sport outside the Public School system until the 1880s. The first recorded Yorkshire Hockey Club was Almondbury of Huddersfield who were formed around 1876. However, by the beginning of the Twentieth Century hockey was beginning to gain in popularity and by the start of World War One the current clubs precursor ancestors, Rotherham and Wickersley were already in existence.

Background to local Hockey prior to World War One.
Hockey grew in popularity in the first decade of the century as is evident in the increasing number of adverts for hockey equipment and the further development of organising bodies. The YHA had been formed in 1891 with Lord Hawke as President.

In the immediate area there was a multiplicity of, what appears to be, one team clubs, including Wath , Kiveton Park , Parkgate , Greaseboro , Mexborough , Hatfieds Steelworks , Kimberworth, Darnall, Cammel Laird, Koyli (Kings own Light Infanrty) and Dinnington. One match report of a 1911 game between Kiveton and Dinnington says "owing to the very unhockey like method of the Dinnington players good hockey was impossible” I forbear to comment! These are but a few of those clubs for which reference can be found in the local press, both prior and subsequent to WW1.

In Rotherham Borough
The first identifiable town team appears to be Rotherham YMCA who had a full fixture list in the second half of the 1910/11 season, including in their midst, a formidable goal scorer with the wonderful name of Gostwyke Cheesewright who scored five against Worsboro Bridge in February of that year. (addendum: a recently discovered article, by Gary Bray in the Advertiser indicates that there was a Rotherham Hockey Club committee in existence in 1906, however this may have been for “rink” hockey which appeared popular in the area).

The Green Un 1911, see image.

In the following season 1911/12 a Rotherham Hockey Club appear in the local press and are recorded as having played at least fourteen fixtures, including matches against Darnall Church Institute and Todwick. The fixture list was local, indicating the limitations of the transport infrastructure of the time. Significantly there is a continuity of playing members, including the great Cheesewright moving from the YMCA to Rotherham. Cheesewright had previously represented Wath and Deepcar and was very involved with the YMCA as a supporter of the organisation.

Clearly it was a middle class enterprise, including, as it did, the two sons of Alderman Gummer, the Brass founder and the sons of various professional men. The great Cheeswright himself, was an architect, born in Rawmarsh. It is not clear whether the Rotherham YMCA was the precursor club, but given Cheesewrights involvement with both it is likely.

The season 1913/14 saw a change in the fixture pattern as Rotherham played, and beat, Bridlington, however, this seems to been a one off, as the rest of the fixtures were of a local nature, see image.

Formation of Wickersley Hockey Club
In the 1913 season Wickersley appear in the press for the first time indicating a possible founding of the club in that year. Also, in this season appears Rotherham Teachers Hockey Club, some of whose players are later to be found in Rotherham Hockey Club.
Fixtures for Rotherham are evident in the final season before the war when Cheeswright continued to hit the back of the net with great regularity, however, February 1914 marks his last recorded goal, against Hillsborough at Clay Wheels. Whether the effects of war, or age, are the reason he does not feature again when hockey restarts at the end of World War One.

Hockey after the Great War
It would have been clear to both clubs that they would need to reconstruct at the end of the war. Rotherham’s strategy can be seen below, see image.

What is clear is that Rotherham Hockey Club are again active in the 1919/20 season when a new goal scorning star appears in the form of G.Welford. The May of 1920 saw the club hold its first social event after the war at the White Hart Hotel.

Transcript from the Rotherham Advertiser 20th May 1920 “The members and friends of the above named club were at dinner at the White Hart Hotel, Rotherham, to celebrate a successful hockey season. Mr George Wright, one of the clubs Vice Presidents presided. The Hon Sec, Captain G.T.Spearing, read letters of apology from the President Councillor H.P.Gough; vice presidents Major Fred Kelly, OBE, MP; Alderman A. Percy Aizelwood; Dr J.R. Anderson all of whom wished success to the club. The dinner table reflected the greatest credit upon the host and hostess of the White Hart Hotel. Hearty expressions of thanks were passed to Mr W McLagan for his keen interest in and valuable assistance to the club in the past season, and also to the host and hostess Mr and Mrs Stephen Coates. Dinner was followed by a most enjoyable concert arranged by Mr Alfred Coates. Items were given by Mr Francis Harris, Mr E.B.Unwin of Sheffield and by Mr Howan Thompson. Mr H.S.E.Watson (captain) sang by special request and gained loud applause. Mr Cyril Wilkinson was the accompanist. A suitable toast list was gone through. The chairman was heartily thanked for his good services and the National Anthem brought to the close the clubs first gathering of this nature since 1914.”

In particular, in the aftermath of the Great War with its deaths and trauma, playing personnel appear to have declined and a number of local clubs appear to have passed out of existence. In this situation Wickersley and Kimbwerworth amalgamated (Sheffield Daily Telegraph 13th May 1920), see image.

That Wickersley were the up and coming club was evident when an exhibition game at Clifton Lane indicated that Wickersley had county representation as a South Yorkshire side included Wickersley`s H E Lowe (Yorkshire) and Hanson (Yorkshire 2nds).

Despite, having Lowe in their side Wickersley again went down to Rotherham, losing 5-1 in October. A few weeks later, however, Rotherham crashed 6-1 to Conisboro Victoria.

That season saw Wickersley play out of area when they beat Huddersfield by four goals to two.

Although there appears to be little reporting of either Rotherham or Wickersley fixtures in this period, this should not be regarded as indicative that hockey was not being played. In one season Wickersey reported only one fixture, however, we know that in the same season Rotherham Thursday, a midweek mixed team, completed twenty fixtures. Given that they played on the Wickersley pitch, and it was known as such, weather could not have been the reason for non-reportage, but almost certainly a lack of will on behalf of the clubs to publicise themselves, a problem that extends into the present day.

1922/23 The season may have been the last for Rotherham as there does not appear any match reports after this season, however, circumstantial evidence indicates otherwise. In October 1925, Wickersley indicated that they had recruited J.O.Claxton from Rotherham for the new season , although the former Rotherham player Welford is referred to as an “old” Wickersley player. Wickersley , as indicated below , are making recruitment noises at the beginning of the 27/28 season indicating that there were players “out there” to be recruited. What is implied is that RHC was still playing at least as late as the 24/25 season and maybe into the season after.

Hockey in the town was clearly in a period of great flux and the Wickersley Secretary publicised their need for new players as a number had left the district. It would appear that they entered into aggressive recruitment campaign

August 1925, see image. One irony in the above is the recommendation that selectors keep an eye on the new goalkeeper H Torr.

Comments by the Wickersley Secretary indicate that Rotherham were no longer in existence by October 1927. Indeed, in September of 1927, see image, he comments in the local press that everyone knows that Wickersley recruit their players in Rotherham and appeals for new members to join the club. It may well be that this aggressive recruiting campaign may have played a part in the demise of Rotherham. It was clear that, for whatever reasons hockey had entered a rough.

Transcript from Rotherham Advertiser 22nd October 1927 "We are informed of the great lack of interest in hockey on the part of the male population of the Rotherham district. While there are several ladies’ teams in this district there is only one men`s team, Wickersley
Fortunately, the following year Rotherham Grammar School decided to change its winter game from rugby to hockey and for the next forty years provided a rich source of recruitment for the existing clubs whose numbers were about to be added to with the formation of Rotherham Main Hockey Club".

Rotherham Main Hockey Club
On Monday 10th October 1927, 11 members of the Rotherham main Tennis Club mat at the Colliery Institute to discuss the formation of a Hockey Club so that they had some sporting activity during the winter months. From that meeting attended by an enthusiastic young man called Syd Simmonite , came the birth of the Rotherham main hockey Club, having a pitch at the Colliery Sports Field and playing several mixed games during the winter of 197 and the following season 1928-29.

This new club held its fist AGM on August 1928 and the members present were Messer’s J Allen; M Taylor; F Tomlinson;J Morris; Syd Simmonite and Owen Williams. Problems were soon to face the club in their first full season, the Committee minutes noting that a letter had been received from one of te members complaining at the position in which they were selected , ad disaster struck in May 1929 when they were informed that due to Government deciding that Sports Grounds were to become rateable the Colliery would not be continuing the provision of a hockey pitch for the Club. In effect the John Brown owned Colliery was in trouble throughout the 1925 period onwards. It had once employed nearly 3,000 workers but the depression and the quality of coal was making it difficult to make a profit. Its workforce dropped into the hundreds by 1931.

As the minutes record “this left the Club in an unfortunate position” With the perseverance that was going to stand them in good stead during the years to follow the members decided to reform under the new name of “The Rotherham and District Hockey Club”, and following an abortive advertising in the local press to recruit lady members the new club was formed to run a Gentleman’s side only.

Newly elected secretary Syd Simmonite was able to negotiate with Mr J Merryweather for the use of a field adjacent to Bawtry Rd at Canklow for a ground rent of £5 with changing facilities at the Miners Welfare Hall (3/- a match) and Mr Walker provided teas at 6d per person
This seemingly well organised situation did have some drawbacks as Mr Merryweather kept his horses on the fields during the week, so before games, the players had to arm themselves with buckets to remove sizeable amounts of horse droppings.

Despite the Club having only being formed as a Gents side in the Summer of 1929 a full fixture list for the coming season was prepared and 25 matches played. The first game was away against Swinton Hockey Club and an 8-0 defeat must have been really disappointing when followed the week after by a 9-0 loss at Mexborough Hockey Club. A 2-2 draw at Worksop was the start of an improvement and after their first victory 7-9 at Rawmarsh, the team were treated to a splendid home cook supper by Mrs Allen, wife of John Allen.

One of the characters playing for Rotherham in these early days was a Mr M Taylor whom was known as “Major” despite being a Deputy at the Colliery and having no military connections whatsoever. He was self conscious about his baldness and insisted on wearing his flat cap even during matches. This once proved to be Rotherham’s downfall when in one close match “Major” Taylor dibbled into the circle only to loose his cap as he beat the last defender. Instead of knocking the ball into the empty goal he turned to recover his cap to the chagrin of his team.

It was this Rotherham Club that amalgamated with Wickersley to form Rotherwick Hockey Club before renaming itself Rotherham Hockey Club. Through a trail of amalgamations from Wickersley amalgamating with Kimberworth till the formation of Rotherwick there is an unbroken history of the club that can be traced back to 1911.

Vignettes

The Public School connection still existed when Rotherham Players, Roy Dobson, W Roper, and J G Vickers were selected to play in a Yorkshire Public schools match in 1948 at Strensall, York.

1951 Bert Graville, later a teacher at South Grove School on Moorgate was, as a goalkeeper, selected for a final Yorkshire trial along with Lewis Purshouse.

1953 Howard Temple chosen for final Yorkshire Schools trial.

In 1956 Lewis Purshouse, later owner of Rotherham United, was urged by the local press to give up hockey where he played centre forward and concentrate on football.

Click here to see the images mentioned above

Peter Feek, 2020
Vice-President
Rotherham Hockey Club