Bill Felton
Chairman of the Trustees.
Bill has been Involved with Hockey for over 30 years having come into the sport as a young players supporter and chauffeur and then progressing into umpiring. Bill was Hon. Secretary of Essex Umpires Association for nine years.
After GB won the Gold medal in the 1988 Olympics and started the National League Bill became a Match Official / Judge and has just completed 550 match in the league and cup in this capacity. In 2002 and 2004 he was appointed to the Men's Champion Trophy finals and has done a number of International matches on the officials table, some as Tournament Director.
In 1991 at the invitation of the England Hockey Association, he took over responsibility for the "Centenary Club" which was a supporters Club of the old EHA. Probably two of the highlights of the this club was taking 52 members to Sydney for the Hockey World Cup in 1994 and having 72 members for dinner in Cologne during the Boys and Girls under 16 and 18 Tournament.
The "Centenary Club" in 1998 was absorbed into the EHA together with its healthy bank credit balance. As a spin off of this Bill was asked to become a Trustee of the Hockey Youth Trust and in the early 2000's arranged for this to be a Charitable Trust working independently and entirely outside of England Hockey.
in the Hockey Youth Trust we enjoy a close relationship with Mercian Sports and are always looking at opportunities to help and assist Mini/Junior Hockey Clubs / Schools, including Quicksticks in their development with Grants and Hockey equipment. We are anxious to extend this assistance to any Club / School particularly those that attain EHB Club First recognition.
Bill continues to Umpire on Saturdays and was deputy President of the East Region in 2005/7 and President 2007/9.
E Mail: feltonval@tiscali.co.uk
Kate Billson
Trustee and Secretary.
Kate has been involved with Hockey for over 30 years firstly as a young players supporter and has worked with Bill since 1991 in the "Centenary Club" which was a supporters Club of the old EHA.
In July 1998 she was invited to become a Trustee of the EHA Youth Trust and has been secretary since then.
E Mail: katebillson@gmail.com
Alan Grocock
Trustee.
E Mail:
Mike Smith
Trustee.
A lifelong hockey enthusiast, playing his first match at the age of ten when the 4th XL was short of players! Played regular club hockey from the age of twelve, no longer allowed under current rules. Those early days were with Fort Dunlop in the Midlands, a club that no longer exists together with a factory that once employed 10,000 people. A move to Slazenger saw Mike joining Staines where he played the remaining 33 years of his hockey life, being very active both on and off the pitch and was one of the first batch of H.A. coaches back in 1971.Hockey life thus involved meeting and marrying Judy who played and was later President of Wimbledon LHC. In those days they had no men's section and Staines had no ladies club so in the following few years' seven ladies from Wimbledon married seven Staines men. Other organizational involvement included captain of various teams, chairman of the Thames Int. Hockey Festival and chairman of the Staines Centenary in 1990. Prior to that Mike was on the marketing committee for the 1986 London World Cup. Involvement with the late, great Phil Appleyard in that period saw Mike and David Wareham set up the fledgling National Hockey Museum at Milton Keynes but all of that is now in boxes hoping for a new home one day. However, David and Mike are still active on their Hockey Stamp collection which must be the largest in the world, possibly because there are very few other collectors! Neither are avid stamp collectors but the fascination of hockey on stamps - there are over 500 worldwide - draw them to this minor theme. Having retired as M.D. of Mercian in 2009, Mike continues various involvements in hockey, now including a trusteeship of the Youth Hockey Trust. However, the playing days are over, having completed 45 very happy years in club hockey.
David Wareham
Trustee
Player with Woking HC (1971 - 1980)
Divisional Hockey Umpire: County Championship Umpire (1982 - 2001)
Hon. Life Member - Southern Counties Hockey Umpires' Association(former Hon. Secretary 1992 - 1999)
Vice President Woking Hockey Club (former Hon. Secretary 1976 - 1984)
Hon. Life Member - Middlesex Hockey Umpires' Association (former Hon. Secretary 1984 - 1991)
Hon. Secretary - Hockey Association Technical Committee (1993 - 1997)
Member of Organising Committee - 6th Hockey World Cup 1986 (held in London) Stamp Co-ordinator with Royal Mail
Hon Curator - National Hockey Museum Project (1992 - present day)
Awarded HA President's Certificate of Commendation for highly commendable service to The Hockey Association - May 1997
Awarded Middlesex HUA President's Tie for Services to Middlesex Hockey -1997
South Disciplinary Panel Member (2003 - present day)
Umpires Organiser - Thames International Hockey Festival (1982 - 1990)
England Supporter - attending 6 Hockey World Cups (1982 - 2010)
E mail: davidwareham@ntlworld.com
The Trustees can be contacted on their individual E Mail addresses and are always willing to answer any questions about the work of the Hockey Youth Trust.