It is with great sadness that we record the passing of our long standing President and Club Captain, Frank Martyn.

He attended our last Committee meeting in July and was on good form but sadly his health declined quite quickly and he passed away peacefully at home in August.

The Hockey Club was a very important part of his life since he was a teenager. He was been President and Club Captain for many, many years and we will miss his calm and encouraging presence and support.

Frank joined the Club as a young man, when his good friend Peter Bubb persuaded him to join him at Newent instead of going to Lydney Hockey Club, where family members had played.

When Frank first started playing for Newent Hockey Club (then just a men’s side), the pitch was grass, in the same location as the current astro. There was no school in its current location, it was all fields.

He was very well regarded by other players, the oppositions and umpires. After he gave up playing in the Saturday competitive sides he continued to play in our intra-club social friendly games until a few years ago when problems with his hip stopped him. However, that did not stop him joining in by watching and catching up with everyone in the bar afterwards.

Up until the late 1970’s the Club consisted of just one side, but then as it grew it was decided that it needed a Club Captain. Frank was duly elected in 1982. At this time Norman Smith was President. Norman retired in 1987 and Frank was then elected to this position as well. By this time the Ladies and Men’s Clubs had amalgamated (1984) and along with the Cricket Club, bought 3 Ashes, our home until we sold our share and moved to Newent School Astro in 1997.

Frank has supported the Club through many changes, and helped it become the successful and friendly Club we have today.

He was especially pleased with the way the Club has developed its youth section. Although the youngsters today may not have had the opportunity of getting to know him very well in recent years, he made a point of being at Club Days and Festivals to watch and present the trophies.

He always made the effort to find out and congratulate all members who played representative hockey, and was thrilled that in 2019 Karen Bubb played for Wales and Helen Wyatt played for England in their respective age groups.

He has been the leading light of the Hockey Club for so long, there is no one playing now who remembers what is what like before Frank was at the helm. He has been fundamental to the ethos of the Club, its development from a one team Men’s Club, to a mixed club which caters for all ages and abilities from 5 upwards. His philosophy has always been that the Club is more important that any one person. He was probably right, but he will leave an enormous gap which will take more than one person to fill.

We will all miss his calm and supportive leadership.