Friday 22 October 2021 at The Hockey Museum, Woking

The Great Britain hockey team that toured Australia in 1966 looking resplendent in their newly awarded honours caps 55 years later. Standing (left to right): Geoff Nott, Mike Crowe, Richard Oliver, Tony Ekins, Tim Lawson, Keith Sinclair, Colin Whalley, Jeremy Barham, Austin Savage. Seated (left to right): Roger Flood, Geoff Poole, Alan Jackson.

On 22 October, The Hockey Museum (THM) hosted an event for the Great Britain (GB) men’s squad that toured Australia in 1966.

For the squad of originally eighteen players, it was the reunion of a tightly knit group who have been held together over the past half century by their amazing captain David Prosser. David had organized several reunions over the intervening years, but very sadly he passed away in January. This event was also, therefore, a commemoration of the squad’s much-loved skipper. Thankfully the organisation mantle was taken up by Jeremy Barham, who did an amazing job of bringing the squad together and contacting those who were unable to attend.

The occasion served as an opportunity to present GB honours caps to the squad, twelve of whom were able to attend – a remarkable achievement fifty-five years on. THM had presented David’s cap last Christmas, to his great joy. Another member, Howard Harrison, passed away in the summer, but his son Henry attended to receive his father’s cap.

Of the remaining four players, two were unable to travel: Denis Hay in Scotland and John Knight in East Anglia, so they were visited at home and presented with their caps. The final two have long since emigrated: David Gaffney to Australia and John Forster to the USA, but even with them being so far away THM managed to arrange their presentations. John received his from Sharon Taylor, past President of the United Stated Field Hockey Association, who drove some 900 miles each way between Idaho and Arizona to do the honours.

The cap presentations at the museum were fittingly made by David Prosser’s widow Amanda, followed by the drinking of a toast to his memory. This completed the extraordinary achievement of the presentation of caps to all eighteen squad members (albeit one to family) who toured Australia – and clearly had a very enjoyable time doing so – fifty-five years previously.

Watch the short film below for more insight into that day itself and the GB cap presentations that preceded it.

The Great Britain hockey team prior to setting off for Australia in 1966.
All aboard the BOAC aeroplane to Australia.		GB forward Colin Whalley in action during the tour.