Although we know that Brigg mens’ Hockey club was started nearly 100 years ago (probably longer as it has come to light that the war years were excluded) and the ladies in around 1951, how the clubs came into existence is still a bit of a mystery.

Looking through the ladies first available minutes in 1952 reveals that BLHC were asking to become affiliated to Lincolnshire that year. The Chairman was Mrs I Belcher, who signed these minutes a year later as Ivy Bell (wife of notable stalwart of BHC, Peter). So a wedding must have taken place. Ivy had come to Brigg to be the PE mistress at Brigg Convent School. Donation of £2.2s 0d was given to BHC for work carried out on the pitch and loan of nets and corner flags. (Work out that in today’s money youngsters!) Match fees were 1/6d per player! It was resolved to write to the High School games mistress to inform girls leaving the school, of the presence of the club. The uniform was White Aertex blouses, navy shorts, green or navy pullovers or cardigans if necessary. The badge (navy blue shields with B.L. on in green) will be worn on the left hand side of the blouse or shorts.
The earliest men’s minutes are in the 70’s, sadly having been lost in the midst of time and removals! We know the men were playing at the Rec before the war and in fact some ladies were too. Cross referencing with the Rec Ground’s history it only became ‘The REC’ in the 1950’ when Glandford Urban District Council bought the land and it was developed with the football ground and other sorts pitches. Documents about this are at the start of this exhibition.
Lewis Strange informs us that his mother played for Brigg between the wars.
The home ground was the Recreation ground, the site of Woodbine Farm on Wrawby Road. The changing rooms were two refurbished barns, very basic. By the 70’s the men had installed a shower while the ladies had a very high ceiling where the birds often sat and droppings could be found at times on the large table tennis table below. Tea for the ladies was ‘tea for 2’ taken by the players, GKs took the oranges. In the 80’s a sink and water was installed and the ceiling lowered.

Over the years, many masters at the Grammar School and senior students made up the mens team. However there were other notable, local family names in the appearances book – Spring, Henthorne, Willis to name but a few.

There was just one mens team with a second one being formed in the late 50’s. However there was a ‘touring team’ who went to Bridlington over Easter. They were called The Angels named after the Angel Hotel where they had refreshments and usually quite a number of jugs of beer too!

The ladies had just one team right up to the 1980's when the late Helen Foote ( PE teacher at Vale of Ancholme School, now Vale Academy) started one up. Prior to that they did have some Sunday fixtures, as it was felt getting two teams out on a Saturday might be a bridge too far. Remember all games started with a 2.30 Bully Off and then 2pm when the clocks went back! No flood lights in those days. Travel was difficult – most games were played in Lincolnshire travelling on roads not too dissimilar to those now. The furthest the ladies went was Skegness – about an hour and a half away, the men went to Boston, Spalding, and sometimes on the ferry to Hull (Welton HC). And they travelled in to Yorkshire and Nottingham to – see memories boards. There were more local clubs then – Woodhall Spa had one, three ladies clubs in Grimsby, two in Scunthorpe and Lincoln. The ladies had a fixture against Rampton prison – a very select team was chosen to go there and it was always an away game! We had to be checked in and out and occasionally a match was cancelled due to a security alert! In the 60,70,80’s many ex High School and Brigg secondary, then Vale, played for Brigg brought on by Pat Spray, Pam Winterbottom, Helen Cresswell, Helen Foote, and Gina Holmes ( Huntcliffe school) Sorry if I have missed anyone off. I’m sure you will let me know.

The council built the previous changing rooms in the 90’s with a small but well equipped kitchen and the barns were firstly, used for grounds staff machinery and then demolished. Refreshments were eaten in the changing rooms which were not very satisfactory and so the ladies started to go to Brigg Town Football club. In the mean time the men had left the Angel (or had it closed by then?- possibly) and wandered off to the Queens Arms. Many of the ladies also started to visit there and in fact later on had their refreshments there too. Of course Astro was now on the horizon and within a few years MOST games were played on the artificial grass, and then ALL games were played on it. Brigg played home games at Quibel Park, Winterton School and even Lincoln. Refreshments were sometimes at local pubs or back to the White Hart in Brigg and latterly at the Nelthorpe Arms. A move to the new pitch at Brumby Hall in Scunthorpe a few years ago brings us right up to date except with the arrival of our new all singing and all dancing facility in Brigg last year.

A word about training and matches. The Ladies had one session, usually a game, before matches commenced – all friendly, no leagues then. You had the same fixture list as the year before and it was like meeting up with old friends after a few years had gone by. If you were lucky you got two umpires but sometime only one if he/she was willing, umpires could be substituted at half time too. Men umpires would often turn up in a beigh mac and trilby/ flat cap – probably be locked away now! Women usually wore a track suit, any colour would do! No rolling subs for players either – you played the whole game; you might have managed to take a reserve and they could come on at half time, if someone was willing to come off of course! Not sure the men trained at all. Both teams used to warm up before a game for about 2 minutes if you were there early enough – often with the ONE BALL. Often just after the game had started a player would run on panting and apologising for being late and giving the usual excuses. The men hosted and held a sixes tournament early in September. Teams from all over Lincolnshire came to take part in this annual event. It was a wonder to behold, with wives and girls friends catering and helping the event.