Hillside v Kingston Grammar School 1960

[Rogernoble]

Was we robbed?
I was always aware that the match against Kingston Grammar School was something special. Richard Butler, who has given me considerable help in writing this article, was able to elaborate:
“ In the 1950s and 60s I was certainly aware of this school being the best hockey school in the UK, largely because it was the kudos game in comparison to other winter sports, presumably a tradition which was the opposite to most public and grammar schools.The Old Kingstonians Club was one of the strongest in the country and regularly supplied two or three players at least to the England Men’s team, many also being Olympians. This seems to have continued; for example the GB gold medal winning hockey side at the 1988 Seoul Olympics was captained by Richard Dodds who was educated at KGS. Wales also got in on the act as one of the hockey masters at KGS was a Welshman (not the bastard who umpired at Hillside) and he would keep a weather eye open for promising hockey pupils with Welsh parentage. My contemporary in the Wales Schoolboys’ team Trevor Thomas was one such who also played against Hillside”.
 Anyway to the team and the match:

Hockey – Spring 1960
Hillside v Kingston Grammar School
I think it is best to hand over here to a gentleman who was clearly a very accomplished hockey- player in his own right so I will leave you with Michael Whicker’s “An Appreciation”:
“This year’s hockey team must have been the outstanding team in the history of Hillside. I watched and played against it, and even had the privilege of umpiring its last match against Kingston Grammar School Colts. Never before have I met a prep school team that was so sound all round.

Hockey 1960.jpg

Hockey First Eleven1960
Played 12 – Won 11 – Drew 1
Goals for 101 against 10
Back L to R – R Lorne, J Scott, S Gomis, J Braby, J Peach, C Pringle
Front L to R – A Leonard, R Butler, J Watson (C), J Botting, C Secrett

statistics themselves will show how successful the team was, but figures are never entirely satisfying.
When I heard the fantastic string of successes week by week, I was amazed and could hardly take it in. But it was no elaboration. I saw one school after another soundly thrashed. The reason, apart from all-round ability, which I have mentioned, was the unfailing accuracy of the forwards. I was warned that when they got the ball they usually scored and the sixty goals scored by Botting resulted entirely from this. With continual regularity he would beat the opposition by speed and, when he reached the circle, strike the ball hard into the corner of the net. It sounds simple enough, but all who have played any amount of the game will know how difficult it is.
The supreme moment of the season came when Hillside played Kingston Grammar School Colts. The school had a reputation unsurpassed in the country and respected by all clubs. That we should take on the Junior Colts side (age under 14 ½) of such a school is incredible, but it was at their request. Fortunately I was there to see it: I am sorry more others were not.
The standard of play was extraordinary. I had just returned from Oxford, where I had been playing and umpiring in the company of county players. Normally standards have to be lowered for prep schools or the whistle would be blowing all the time. Not so in this game. The standard rose so high that the whistle went for technical infringements never considered in the normal run, and it was such a one that deprived the team of victory.
The Kingston defence was very tight, unlike most prep school defences, so Botting was unable to use his individual tactics. However, we had the chance to see how good the insides were. Butler, who usually took second place, came into his own, and with excellent stick work was a continual menace, with his winger Scott. It was from the preparation of these two that Botting’s second goal came.
Finally, with the score even, and not many minutes left to play, Butler picked up the ball about the half way line. He then dribbled at full speed past the Kingston defence, and on the run he hit the ball with a reversed stick hard into the net. As I blew for the goal, I heard the other umpire’s whistle. Apparently a man had been trying to tackle Butler on his right as he hit the ball, and in turning his shoulders for the reverse shot he obstructed.
I had been unable to see this from my side of the field; but it certainly proves the standard of play, for never normally would such a technicality be considered in a prep school game. Still, it was a fine draw, if not a moral victory to Hillside, and was certainly a worthy close to an exceptional season”.
Michael Whicker

More recently Steve Ashforth sent an email recalling the match. Richard Butler gave this illuminating response:
“Steve, it is remarkable that as a comparative youngster you remember the Kingston GS match so well. Some five years later I played in a tournament in which three of their team participated (Carling, Morgan and Trevor Thomas - later full internationals). They remembered clearly that match, largely because they arrived expecting to wallop us but were mightily relieved to scrape a draw. They were mystified as to me why my goal was disallowed. I have been commensurately mystified and mortified ever since! Sic transit Gloria”.
Best regards – Richard Butler
What happened to everyone later in their careers;
Jonathan Botting was selected for the English Schools team and toured Germany with them.
Richard Butler played three matches for the Welsh Schools team at a quadrangular international tournament held in the spring of 1965 at the ICI sports grounds at Northwich in Cheshire. Hockey was then played on grass and the pitches there were superb - almost like billiard tables. He has no mementos other than a team photo (see below). You will see that of the team plus 2 reserves, all but 4 came from English schools. He think they drew with Ireland, beat Scotland and lost to an exceptional England team, ten of whose squad went on to win full caps with several also becoming Olympians. They had an advantage in that prior to the tournament they had played 3 or 4 matches at the Folkestone festival, the most prestigious at the time. The Welsh had only ten minutes practice together at the end of a trial in Cardiff.

Welsh team 1965.jpg

 Richard goes on to say that in the spring of 1965 he played for Surrey schools at a Counties tournament at Seaford College, Petworth. While there he ran into Chris Pringle (Kent) and John Scott (Sussex). The latter went on to play for St Andrews Combined Colleges and East of Scotland.
All the people I have managed to trace went on to play for their public school First Eleven with several ending up as captain.
Even the second eleven was hiding extraordinary future talent in a young Rupert Jacob who in later years played a major part in Hillside hockey. Richard Butler remember playing for the Cranleigh first eleven against Wellington and being quite surprised to encounter a still young Rupert who had already reached the Wellington first eleven. Clearly a star in the making. Rupert went on to play centre forward for Bristol and played for English schools. He had a trial for the full English international team before missing his chance by going out celebrating the night before rather than the night after! Another future player in the spectators that day was Steve Ashforth who went on to captain Kent Schools and the South Eastern Counties Schools squad.
What was Rolf Whicker’s contribution to all this. Robin tells me he was a pretty good sportsman himself having played semi pro football. There was clearly something in the genes as, Michael the umpire for the day, just missed on a blue at Oxford and had an army trial during his National Service. Robin was captain of hockey at Hillside but he confessed that he had the dubious distinction of being sent off for raging at the incompetence of his team! Certainly basic skills at all sports were drummed into us and RHRW did manage to foster a belief that we were the best and should go out expecting to win.
In answer to the question “was we robbed” I would suggest that after years with RHRW everyone would all have accepted the result like gentlemen!!