Before the club was formed
Worcester Hockey Club’s origin can be traced back to 1892, and this wonderful article written in the ‘Birmingham Gazette’ on Saturday 26th March, 1904"

“One afternoon during the winter of 1892, Pitchcroft, the famous enclosure of the Faithful City was invaded by a strange band of Malcontents. They had murderous looking sticks in their hands rudely turned out at the ends, and excitement burned in their eyes. The picture thus called up might remind one of George Robey in his prehistoric playfulness but these men who came so boldly to meet the public eye were but harmless hockey players - pioneers of the game in Worcester.

There are different versions of that early occurrence. Some assert with a twinkle in their eye that so overcome with the ridicule shown by the crowd were the men that before the end they were beaten by derision and fled covered with blushes. But this may be the tale of a bygone day being rounded off and exaggerated as the years have gone on, although many people of shallow intellect were disposed to laugh at the pastime which has long since established itself firmly in the public favour.”

The Early Days
Worcester had not only to meet this discouraging beginning but for years have had to meet difficulties and handicaps. The club was inspired by Norton Barracks; the officers there had a team and they approached W.E.Wyatt of Worcester suggesting the formation of a club in the city. Wyatt was an old sporting man and picked up the idea enthusiastically.

He soon succeeded in forming a club ... Right from the outset there were two difficulties - paucity of members and scarcity of teams to play. Today, when few districts are without a hockey team, the older members of Worcester look back with a smile at that first season in I892 when the only team they played was Norton Barracks. Home and home fixtures were played again and again - mostly won by Norton. There were few, if any, clubs nearby, but not only that, Worcester played on ‘Thursdays because Saturday was market day and the banks, where many of the members spend their spare time, when not playing, do not close down until late in the afternoon. The goal average for that first season was 1 for 36 against!!!

During the second season a new club started at Pershore (1893) then clubs at Leominster, Bridgnorth and Kidderminster also delighted the hearts of the faithful in the county town and matches with all those clubs were arranged. They have all ceased to exist now save Worcester. Numbers were small and often it was difficult to raise a side but there has always been a nucleus of enthusiasts and the greater the difficulties - the more energetic they are. In 1896, a private ground was secured, the Severn Terrace, formerly the home of the Berwick Rangers football club.

Membership steadily increased and the club remained here for two seasons and then migrated to the Barbourne College ground until 1902. Then they obtained one of the best playing areas in the Midlands - the old county cricket ground at Boughton. This was a great landmark in the success of the club and soon a great influx of members resulted in a second and a third team.

Post 1939-1945 War
After a war-time lapse the Club was again reformed though finding a secure, suitable home ground proved as difficult as ever and it was not until 1962-63 that agreement was reached with the Old Elizabethans’ Association to use their cricket ground at Perdiswell on a regular basis. This brought a period of welcome stability and by 1968 there were four men’s sides. Two years later we had grown to six teams and in 1979 the Worcester Ladies Hockey Club joined.

More recently
1983 saw a major development for the Club when we joined forces with a cricket club and a shooting club to become Worcester Norton Sports Club with pitches and a clubhouse located – would you believe at Norton Barracks. A return home indeed! The Club continued to thrive there for the next 20 years but the advent of artificial grass surfaces meant that a change of venue was necessary so we had to sever our connection with WNSC and with the support of Worcester City Council we established ourselves at the Nunnery Wood Sports Complex for the next seven years. This period of stability came to an end when the decision was taken to close the bar - which was primarily our after match tea facility- but we continue to use the pitches here alongside our use of the facilities at the Royal Grammar School and the University of Worcester

The future
After many years of a nomadic existence, October 2021 saw the first competitive league matches played at our very own Worcester international Hockey Centre - two water based artificial pitches and a pavilion on the site of the Old Porcelain Works on the Droitwich Road. With this fantastic new facility we now hope that the club can once more settle down, develop, grow its community links, and strengthen Worcester’s place in the sporting map