Our heritage & history
The St. Albans story
Mens 1st. XI - 1948
On 3rd March 1998, St. Albans Hockey Club was one hundred years old. During that century, the club grew from a small band of gentlemen players to one of the largest and most successful mixed clubs in the country.
Over 20 teams now play under the St. Albans name: a living testament to the vision showed over 100 years ago.
Initially formed as the Herts County Hockey Club, under the Presidency of the Earl of Verulam, the club played its first match at Clarence Park against Finchley... and won 5-0, a victory which laid the first foundations for many years of success, both on and off the pitch.
Off the pitch in 1899, a sub-committee of the club was established to help form a Herts County Hockey Association. A year later in November 1900, with two elevens now competing locally, the club changed its name to St. Albans Hockey Club. In 1902 a third eleven was added.
A break in activities enforced by the First World War, was exacerbated by a shortage of players and the unavailability of Clarence Park. As a result, despite an Annual General Meeting taking place in 1919, matches could not resume until the 1921/2 season. By 1924/5, however, the Club had fully recovered and was once again fielding three elevens. Further growth followed and by 1939 a fourth eleven was formed.
Mens 1st. XI - 1955
A small group of devotees kept the club alive during the Second World War and in 1946/7 two sides were competing. The following season, when the Golden Jubilee match was played, a third side was re-instated. Remarkably, by the time of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 1957-8, the club had grown to four teams.
Further expansion soon followed; a veteran's team was formed in 1978/9; new changing rooms and social facilities were opened in 1981/2; and in 1989 the artificial grass surface was laid. In that same year, the club's long association with Abbeyside Ladies - founded in 1928 - was formalised with the formation of St. Albans Ladies Hockey Club.
The partnership was completed when the two clubs merged to ensure that the club which originally consisted of '23 Gentlemen of Hertfordshire', would be made up of at least 23 separate teams.
Hertfordshire County Champions 20 times since 1969/70 the Club quickly gained regional success before the Men's 1s London League victory earned promotion to the National League.
The second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth elevens have all won their respective leagues whilst the Veterans and Colts have tasted victory as County and Home Counties Champions, respectively.
Mens 1st. XI - 1968
In 1994 the Ladies 1s emulated the men by achieving National League status and this new spirit of partnership was sealed with victory in the National Mixed Knockout Cup in 1996.
During the centenary season in 1997/98, St. Albans consolidated its claim as one of the country's most successful clubs with the best overall results in its history.
At the end of the 2000-01 season the men's 1s were National League Division 2 Champions and gained promotion to Division 1. The following year they were Division 1 Champions and were promoted to the Premier Division.
The club has a proud indoor record and has won the National Indoor Club Championship on four occasions. In 2008/9 the men's indoor squad gained promotion to the England Hockey Indoor League Premier Division.
For the 2009/10 season the Ladies 1s will play in the EH Women's Conference East and the Men's 1s will play in the East Premier League Division A.
Clarence Park, in the centre of St Albans, has been the home of the club since it was founded. The local Council has had a very professional and workman-like relationship with the club during this time and has been very supportive of any initiatives that the club has proposed. The Council recognises that the club is an excellent tenant of the listed Victorian pavilion, which is the base from which the club operates.
With this backing and long history, Clarence Park has become the "Hockey Centre" for Hertfordshire. In 2008 the club became a Limited Company and was granted CASC (Community Amateur Sports Club) status.
