A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was founded on 21st December 1936 when the Southend branch of the National Association of Local Government Officers (NALGO) formed the Southend Nalgo HC. Membership was reserved to Nalgo members and 1937/38 was the first full season, played on a newly laid pitch at Belfairs Paddock.

The club was reformed after the war in 1947 for the 48/49 season, playing on a pitch rented from Ekco.

The club name was originally Southend Nalgo HC, then Southend-on-Sea Corporation Staff HC (NALGO), then shortened in 1953 to Southend Corporation HC, and in 1956 changed to Southend Hockey Club with open membership. So it remained until 1974 when the name was changed to Southend & Benfleet HC, but it was changed back to Southend Hockey Club in 1982.

A 2nd XI was started in 57/58, a 3rd in 61/62 (discontinued in 64 but restarted in 66), a 4th XI in 1970, 5th in 75 and a 6th XI in 1980. The 6th XI was discontinued as a regular eleven in 1983 and the 5th XI have only played irregularly since 1993. The ladies’ section was started in 1979 and still plays under the name of Southend & Benfleet Ladies.

The club pitch was originally at Priory Park (49/50) and Belfairs was added in 1957/58. Priory Park was vacated in favour of the new civil service sports ground at Great Wakering in 1968/69, but was used by the ladies from 1981 and returned to by the men in the 86/87 season. We currently have up to three grass pitches at Belfairs and an Astro-turf pitch at Waterside Farm Sports Centre, Canvey Island. In the past we have also used a pitch at Blenheim Park and another at South Benfleet Playing Fields. For their first two seasons the ladies played their home games at SEEVIC, Thundersley and the John Burrows Ground, Hadleigh.

In 1978 the Club acquired Southend Rugby Club’s former clubhouse in Fairfax Drive, Southend, which served as our base for ten years. In 1984 Southend Hockey Club and Eastwood Cricket Club decided to form a parent club which would construct and manage a new clubhouse at Belfairs Sports Ground where both clubs played their home matches.

Belfairs Sports & Social Club was formed in June 1988, construction of the clubhouse started in August 88 and was completed by the summer of 1989. Funds for the project came from the sale of our former clubhouse in Southend, a donation from Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, contributions from Southend Hockey Club and Eastwood Cricket Club and a loan from Greene King and Sons plc. The official opening of the new clubhouse was on Sunday 1st October 1989.

We won the Essex League Division 2 in the 74/75 season and were promoted to Div 1 South of the newly formed Greene King East League. Sponsorship of the league was then taken over by the Norwich Union Insurance Group from 79-85 and then by Adnams plc for three years. In the 75/76 season we finished 7th in Div 1 then 6th, 3rd and 2nd in successive seasons until in 79/80 when we were Div 1 champions and promoted to the Premier League. Unfortunately we were narrowly relegated a at the end of that season back to Div 1 South.

Back in this division we came 2nd in 81/82 and 4th for the next two seasons, but in 84/85 suffered a bad season and were relegated. We immediately won promotion back in a fine season that saw the 2nd XI also winning their league. The following season, 86/87, we narrowly missed out on promotion back to the Premier League and soon after, 88/89, the former Divisions 1 North and South were amalgamated into a new Div 1 and Div 2. Since then there have been numerous restructuring of the leagues and at present the 1st XI are playing in Div 3 SE, the 2nd XI in Div 6SE, 3rd in Div 8SE and the 4thXI is now played as a friendly team. The Ladies play in the Essex Ladies’ League Divisions 2 and 5.

In 1981/82 we won the Essex Indoor League Division 1 and were Essex Champions.

The 1st XI have been Chelmsford Summer League winners in ten of the last nineteen years and the summer 2nds have won their league five times. The ladies have recently started playing summer hockey in the Redbridge and Ilford league.

To see some more of our previous team photos, please click on one of the following: