(Photo - The late Pat Robson co-founder of the Ladykillers and Chairman - Denys Shortt OBE)
The Ladykillers Hockey Club was founded in 1957 by a collection of Hertfordshire hockey players looking for ways to spend their Sundays and generally escape from Radlett and St Albans.
A chance drive-past of the local cinema led to the name the 'The Ladykillers' be chosen with scarlet and white picked out as appropriate colours for the club.
The early tours were to the Thanet Festival held at the end of April. With a spattering of fixtures increasingly taking place on Sundays during the season, the reputation of the Ladykillers grew and President Fred Taylor and Secretary Pat Robson plus other founding members Neil Dangerfield and Alan Sanders, had soon established a pretty strong side to play all around London.
Gradually the team was strengthened with international and well-established players coming from an assortment of clubs and with ambitions to fulfil. The Folkestone Easter Hockey Festival replaces the essentially social Thanet weekend in Ladykillers' diaries.
Today the Ladykillers are stronger than ever with over 200 people attending their annual 'Ladykillers weekend' at Reading Hockey Club.
After Fred Taylor passed away in 2001 the club nearly decided to close. A revival led by Denys Shortt, Richard Dodds, Simon Mason, Don Williams, Chris Rule and Janine Martin esured the club would thrive and in 2011 nearly 200 people attended the Ladykillers weekend with 4 Ladykillers teams playing.
A focus on involving the family has been hugely popular and the Ladykillers now has a Womens team and childrens match.
Several Ladykillers' children have become hockey internationals - Alistair Brogden is son of Angus Brogden - click here Simon Faulkner is the son of David Faulkner - click here
Please see the 50th Anniversary Brochure for the full story : click here |