Durham hockey club welcomes London 2012 star for 60th birthday

Hockey star Sally Walton, who won bronze with Team GB at London 2012, will be the guest of honour at Durham City Hockey Club’s 60th anniversary gala dinner at Ramside Hall Hotel, near Durham, on Saturday (June 1).

The 31-year-old will also lead a series of coaching masterclasses for the club’s men’s, women’s and junior teams on Saturday and Sunday.

The club was founded in 1953 as Durham Teachers’ Hockey Club, following an appeal for players in the Durham County Schools newsletter.

Its first match was an 8-0 win against Furness Athletic, which came despite Durham having to borrow a player from the visiting team.

The team’s first full season was 1953-54, when it was based in west Stanley. This ushered in a series of relocations over coming decades, with matches played in Brancepeth and various locations in Durham.

In 1989, the club joined with Brancepeth Cricket Club to form Brandon Sports Club and build a new club house.

As technology progressed, the game switched to synthetic pitches, with the men playing at Washington and the ladies at Silksworth.

In recent years, the club has linked up with Durham University, using its facilities at Maiden Castle sports ground.

The club currently has five men’s teams, three ladies team plus a fourth run in conjunction with Durham School and a junior side. Its Sunday training sessions attract up to 60 youngsters each week.

Matches are played at Maiden Castle and Durham School, with talks ongoing with Hermitage Academy over also using facilities in Chester-le-Street.

The 60th anniversary celebrations have already seen the club visit Cincinnati, USA, compete in the Chester Hockey Festival and play Sunderland Hockey Club for the Wear Cup, which was first contested as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations. A special Christmas party is also planned.

Tickets for the gala dinner, which starts at 7pm, are still available, priced £30 each. For more information, call John Redman on 07802-771-383.