Our Origins
The earliest origins of today's club can be found in the establishment of Lillington Mixed Hockey Club on January 23rd, 1897. After a break for the Great War, this was reformed as Lillington Ladies Hockey Club which is the genesis of today's Women’s section.
The Men's section was founded in 1920 and was originally based in Leamington, starting life as a works team 'Lockheed-Leamington Hockey Club, later known as AP Leamington, using the facilities at Lockheed.
Lillington Ladies used a variety of grounds until 1930 when they moved to the Kingsley School (formerly Leamington High School). Incidentally Lillington Ladies' Diamond Jubilee tournament was held in 1957 at the Lockheed facilities.
By the early 1970s, the Men's club, fearing the Lockheed playing facilities would be sold, tasked some committee members with contacting local cricket clubs in particular with a view to finding a suitable match of club and ground to accommodate the hockey club. This resulted in the club moving to its current base at Warwick Sports Club on the Hampton Road in Warwick.
The club's early years at the Warwick Sports Club was very different to what we know today. The original club house was enlarged, adding changing rooms, showers and kitchen, with members painting the simple carpentry. The cricket ground outfields where too rough so had to be ploughed, levelled and re-seeded. Club members brought their lawnmowers down to cut the cricket outfield to create playable grass, set out 3 pitches, made goals and corner flags. It was quite difficult to find room for all the pitches so unfortunately one was quite small and seemed to be more square than oblong! Ever resourceful, old red cricket balls were commandeered and painted white for hockey!
Each week the pitches were re-marked out with painted white lines, the balls re-painted, sandwiches prepared for teas with team members taking turns to produce sandwiches. The tea-urn had to be turned on at half-time! Selection meeting was held on Monday evenings and a postcard was sent to every player with their particular team match details. With 6 teams in total playing at about the same time there was a great atmosphere afterwards in a very busy clubhouse.
There followed over twenty years of grass hockey and a popular annual end of season festival, which attracted teams from far and wide including froeign teams such as Arnheim from Holland who visited more than once. With the advent of artificial pitches the festival's appeal declined. Men's team photos up to 1989.
During this time Lillington Ladies went from strength to strength and represented Warwickshire in the Midlands Clubs Championship three times from its inception in 1969. The Club's 90th Jubilee was held at the Kingsley School on 26th March 1989, read more.
In 1989 Lillington Ladies moved to Leamington Cricket Club,
Our Recent History
In 1992 Lillington Ladies amalgamated with the Men of Warwick Hockey Club to form the basis of today's Club. Initially the Women's section became Lillington Warwick Ladies' Hockey Club.
The men's section continued to prosper during the 1990's and in the season of 1995/6 enjoyed an historic HA Cup run reaching the last 16, see article here.
In 1997 the Ladies celebrated their centenary, see centenary pictures and press cuttings here.
Following the centenary celebration in 1997, the Lillington name was dropped and Warwick Hockey Club took on its present day form.
In June 2022 we recognised the origins of the Mens section with a series of 100 Seasons events.
Refurbishment of The Pavilion
The Pavilion as you can see it today, was refurbished in 2012 and re-opened in October.
The Pavilion Clock
The clock which is fixed high in front of the pavilion at the Hampton Road ground of Warwick has already seen quite a full share of cricket during its life span. For 65 years, the clock had pride of place at The County Ground, Edgbaston and was a gift to the Warwick Cricket Club when it was formed in 1960.
