It’s a safe bet that many of you reading this feature I hope will one day become a Vice President, I shall approach you if and when you hang up your boots and sticks.

In 1958 when three gentlemen each put £5 into a fund to start what is now Royston Hockey Club who would have guessed that over 63 years later we would still be playing the game we all love.

It’s been a few years now since we have played a VP game of Hockey on the heath. I think that not having a local pitch and old age has taken its toll. It’s a fact that Astro turf does not have the same appeal as playing on grass when lower backs, knees and other aches and strains mean that the VP's now tend to meet for a social usually involving food and alcohol.

The VP's make a huge difference both financially and in enthusiastic support and I thank them for their continuous contributions to making our junior development the envy of our neighbours. In addition the contributions are used to help those that maybe want to play but in these tough economic times struggle to have the spare cash to play on a regular basis.

The Vice-Presidents meet twice a year and at these dinners there is a great deal of reminiscing and lots of fun remembering how well they played. We dine at the Heath Sports club usually in February and The Bull Hotel in November. In 2019 there was a third event, after a five year lapse when I held our 6th Presidents Golf Day at what is now our new home of Royston Golf Club. Lets hope we can have a 7th!

Below is a photograph from our last fixture held on the Heath in 2008, sadly one of those in this picture is now no longer with us. John Whitehead (red jumper) passed away aged 81 on October 3rd 2012. John was a great character and supporter of Royston Hockey Club. He had made his name as an umpire on both the regional and international circuit and had commanded great respect from umpires and players alike. You may also recognise a certain Chairman trying to stop the goal falling down, an ex Junior coach and an ex member who still plays for England over 50's.

At our dinners we each make a contribution of at least £25 towards the Vice President fund and in 2017 the Vice-Presidents donated a sum of £2,000 towards senior goal keeping equipment.

Honorary Life Members
Current Honorary Life Members of the club are: R. Barker, D. Bruce, C.C.D. Cain, S. Farmer, G. Freeman, C.B. Gadsby, M.J. Hall, G. Nankivell, Mrs K. Nankivell, B. Mayoss, C.D. Smith.

Vice-Presidents
Our current Vice-Presidents are: C. Bateman, P. Belcher, A.B. Bhatti, T. Bhatti,
D. Bidwell, N. Broadley, A. Brown, Mrs A. Brown, Mrs J. Brown, V. Brown,
P. Coleman, L. Cooke, R. Costello, D.G. Drake, P. Dunbar, Ms K. Ellis, S. Farmer,
Mrs N. Frost, G. Freeman, N. Gadsby, P. Gibson, K. Griffin, P. Grimmer, J. Gourd (Snr), Mrs S. Gourd, Mr S. Gourd, Ms J. Hilliard, M.J. Hall, Ms D. Hassen,
Mrs M. Hathaway, Mrs L. Hays, R.Hays, G. Holmes, S. Hughes, S. Laing,P. Markham, B.Mayoss, A.Neal, G. Nankivell, R. Pilgrim, M.Papworth, J. Slater, E.Schurch,
Mrs M. Schurch, C.D. Smith, T. Smith, M Swann, M. Titera, P.Visagie, B.Wilson, R.J.Wilson, Mrs M. Whitehead, A. Windebank, Mrs L.Young, T. Yow