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| Introduction |
The club runs six mens sides and two ladies sides. All sides play league hockey of different standards with some sides prefering the more social aspects of the sport.
The club has regular training sessions which are open to all members of the club.
The club has regular astro pitch slots at a number of venues in the area, all with sociable start times. |
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| Colours |
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The Club's Colours are Chocolate, Mauve and Gold.
The playing strip is:
- Amber Shirts
- Black Shorts/Skirts
- Mauve Socks with Gold Trim
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| Training |
| Ladies: Tuesday nights, 8.30 - 9.30pm, coached by Kendall James |
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Mens: Wednesdays nights 8 - 9.30pm, coached by Chris Hovington, ex-national league player |
Both sessions are at Harris Academy Merton (previously called Tamworth Manor High School) . |
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here for a map |
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| Pitches |
| The club uses a number of
all weather picthes. Click on the pitch for a map. |
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| History |
The name of Merton Hockey
Club first appears in the hockey annals during the
winter of 1893-94. During its history, Merton has
functioned almost continuously but for breaks due
to lack of players between 1897 to 1907 and during
the First and Second World Wars.
Merton came into existence as the result of misfortunes
besetting two other local clubs. During the season
of 1891-92 the Wanderers Hockey Club was thriving
with fixtures against such clubs as Surbiton and Wimbledon,
but for reasons unknown they went out of existence
at the end of that season. This left the ground they
had been sharing with Merton Cricket Club unused during
the winter months. At the same time, Mitcham Hockey
Club, a club that had been playing since the seventies
was asked to leave its ground on the cricket green.
As several of the Mitcham men were also Merton Cricketers,
it was almost inevitable the Merton Hockey Club should
be formed to make use of the vacant ground.
The new club adopted the colours of Cheltenham - the
shirts being black with cerise diamonds with white
collars and corresponding stockings. These colours
were kept until the club reformed in 1907 when the
chocolate, mauve and gold kit appeared. At the same
time as the change of strip came a move to the John
Innes Memorial Ground that was to remain the club
headquarters for over sixty years.
The Club came back into being immediately following
the 1914-18 War with only eight playing members but
by the end of that season was successfully running
two sides. From that period the club grew slowly until
in 1928 a 4th XI was fielded for the first time. The
club fluctuated around that size for many years until
it moved its headquarters to Joseph Hood Recreation
Ground. This move coincided with a change of playing
strip to the amber shirts and enabled the club to
grow until it was able to field six men's sides and
2 ladies' sides.
This brief treatise of Merton Hockey Club's history
is based on an opening address given by Alderman J
P Brown, The Mayor of the London Borough of Merton,
on the occasion of the Truman South Hockey League
Finals on Saturday 14 April 1973 at Joseph Hood Recreation
Ground.
Unfortunately the club's fortunes took a down turn
in the late eighties and early nineties due in the
main to a lack of an all weather pitch and the cessation
of hockey being played in the local schools. However
new links with other schools have revived the Colts
section, an influx of players has enabled four men's
sides to be fielded and the moving of the club's headquarters
to the North Cheam Sports & Social Club provided
access to an all weather pitch.
The recent move to Tooting & Mitcham Football
Club's ground has provided the club with improved
facilities and the use of a new sand dressed astro
which has proved to be very popular with all players. |
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