Book Feature Lion in Winter (by David S. Gordon & Martin C. Harris)

[Martin Harris]

Lion in Winter - Great Britain at the Olympic, World and European Championships 1910-1981.

A 652 page comprehensive volume that took seven years of research and writing, describing in detail the exploits and game-by-game action, with statistics, by the players who donned the GB strip over more than 70 years.

Also included is the first complete GB Player Register (1910-2019) to be published.

A definitive work of record compiled by David S Gordon and Martin C Harris who have previously authored four books and numerous articles on the heritage of the sport in the UK; both are long term members of the Canadian based Society for International Hockey Research.

Lion is printed on good quality paper and between the full colour card covers are hundreds of team, player and action photos, many rare and not previously seen for decades.

£25.00 plus £2.90 postage. Order from Lulu

Reading extract:

About the authors: Both David and Martin have spent many years delving into libraries and archives endeavoring to tease out and uncover lost facts and figures on the exploits of the British national team as very little of earlier decades can be found in print or online. We have contributed down the years articles on the GB team and ice hockey in Britain to the various journals published from time to time on the sport. We have both had two books published by what is now the History Press. David's on his home rink at Ayr and about Scottish born players -Scotch on Ice and Martin on the British Hall of Fame and Homes of British Ice Hockey which SIHR graced with the Brian McFarlane award in 2007.

Click to read more...

 

[Theokritos]

Welcome!

Seven years of research and writing? That's quite a lot of work. When did you personally get involved with researching hockey history and writing about it, Martin?

 

[Martin Harris]

When I was still at school as a 16 year old in 1953. I wanted to find out about hockey pre WW2 watched by my parents in the early 1930s in my home town of Southampton, I visited the main library and made notes, which I still have, from the local newspapers. I remained interested in the sport and particularly its heritage in the UK on and from then on. I started writing match reports and a column in 1972 for the fortnightly Ice Hockey Herald on hockey in Bristol, the nearest rink to London where I had moved to, then staging hockey.

 

[Theokritos]

When I was still at school as a 16 year old in 1953. I wanted to find out about hockey pre WW2 watched by my parents in the early 1930s in my home town of Southampton, I visited the main library and made notes, which I still have, from the local newspapers. I remained interested in the sport and particularly its heritage in the UK on and from then on. I started writing match reports and a column in 1972 for the fortnightly Ice Hockey Herald on hockey in Bristol, the nearest rink to London where I had moved to, then staging hockey.

Impressive.

Two months ago, Stewart Roberts introduced us to the work of Robert Giddens, a great promoter of Canadian hockey in Great Britain. I assume you were an avid reader of his publications?

 

[Martin Harris]

Yes I have every one of his 542 weekly Ice Hockey World 1935-40 and 1946-58 plus the nine annual Yearbooks and a signed copy of his book Ice Hockey - The International Game.

 

[Theokritos]

Yes I have every one of his 542 weekly Ice Hockey World 1935-40 and 1946-58 plus the nine annual Yearbooks and a signed copy of his book Ice Hockey - The International Game.

Must have been exciting to have someone that close to the pulse of world hockey in your country.

A few years ago I did some (rather superficial) research on early hockey in the UK and from what I remember, Canadian Rhodes scholars played an important role prior to WW1. Could you tell us a little bit about that period?

 

[Martin Harris]

I would refer you to the article 'The Original Oxford Canadians' that I wrote for the 2002 SIHR Research Journal (8th article) which can be found on the SIHR web-site. In which I quoted from the German magazine Deutscher Wintersport magazine of 3/1/1913 which stated the great effect the Oxford team had on teaching them about ice hockey.

 

[Theokritos]

I would refer you to the article 'The Original Oxford Canadians' that I wrote for the 2002 SIHR Research Journal (8th article) which can be found on the SIHR web-site. In which I quoted from the German magazine Deutscher Wintersport magazine of 3/1/1913 which stated the great effect the Oxford team had on teaching them about ice hockey.

I will give it a look.

From what I recall, the Canadian students in England were not allowed to join the existing University clubs. They had to start their own teams and, slightly paradoxical, the "Oxford Canadians" team they formed became the first to represent Great Britain internationally in 1910 (where your book kicks off). And in 1911 they were even admitted to the LIHG (the predecessor of the IIHF) as representatives of Canada, if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Martin Harris]

Oxford Canadians did not represent Great Britain, they played in their own right as Oxford Canadians. There was no GB team at that time, Princes represented England as for the 1910 European championships which they won. Later the LIHG which became the IIHF in 1947 and in their records retrospectively called the 1910 team Great Britain. Oxford Canadians played in that tournament out of completion, winning all their games.

Yo are correct in that Rhodes Scholars, in effect the Canadians who had played hockey were not permitted until 1920 to represent the university at hockey, hence the formation of the Oxford Canadians.

 

[Theokritos]

Oxford Canadians did not represent Great Britain, they played in their own right as Oxford Canadians. There was no GB team at that time, Princes represented England as for the 1910 European championships which they won. Later the LIHG which became the IIHF in 1947 and in their records retrospectively called the 1910 team Great Britain. Oxford Canadians played in the that tournament out of completion, winning all their games.

Yo are correct in that Rhodes Scholars, in effect the Canadians who had played hockey were not permitted until 1920 to represent the university at hockey, hence the formation of the Oxford Canadians.

Thanks for the correction.

The question of who was allowed to represent whom is an interesting one and it would keep English hockey occupied well into the 1930s. I've long wondered about the eligibility rules. It seems the question wasn't settled cleanly for a long time and the LIHG had to come up with several ad-hoc rulings. Do you know what the eligibility rule was that kept the Oxford Canadians from representing England respectively Great Britain? I know it can't have been citizenship because Canada was still part of the British Empire and thus Canadians were British citzens by default.

 

[Martin Harris]

I don't know the exact rule, or even if there was one laid down in writing that pre the first world war kept Canadian post graduates at Oxford university from representing the university in a game with Cambridge university. Rather than nationality per seeI I suspect that it was the lack of ability by the native born Brits that any such representation would have render any match an unbalanced farce.

When the Oxford Canadians were formed there was only one ice rink in England (Manchester). The temperate climate preclude natural ice forming safely on ponds and lakes and when it did it was only for a few days and even then not every year.Those who could skate at that time were from the monyed leisure class who had the cash and time for a winter sports holiday in Switzerland.

On the separate issue of the LIHG and nationality eligibility David and I cover this in detail in Lion in Winter, I would refer you in particular to chapters 3 and 4. In a nutshell as you touched upon. citizens of the colonies/dominions were until circa 1945 permitted to represent the 'mother country'. Until about that time there was no separate Canadian nationality. Canadians traveled on British passports issued in Canada.

 

[Robert Gordon Orr]

...I've long wondered about the eligibility rules. It seems the question wasn't settled cleanly for a long time and the LIHG had to come up with several ad-hoc rulings. Do you know what the eligibility rule was that kept the Oxford Canadians from representing England respectively Great Britain?...

Deutscher Wintersport wrote the following (I am posting the original text here in German as I know you have no trouble with it, and I am too lazy to translate it at the moment)

(Taken from the third LIHG congress in Montreux on January 9, 1910)

Zum schluss wird die frage des beitritts des Oxford Canadian Club erörtert. Die aufname dieses klubs als vertreters für Kanada in der internationalen Eishockey-vereinigung wird gegen die stimme der Schweiz abgeichnt, mit der begründung, das ein in Oxford ansässiger Klub der von vorübergehend dort studierenden Kanadiern gebildet ist, unmöglich Kanada verstreten könne. Infolgedessen ist beteiligung des Oxford Canadian Club an der Europameisterschaft unmöglich.

Dagegen erklärt sich der kongres nach längerer fürsprache der Schweizer vertreter mit drei gegen zwei stimmen bereit, die Kanadische mannschaft auser konkurrenz zur bevorstehenden Europameisterschaft zulassen.

 

[Martin Harris]

I am afraid I do have trouble in translating it. My late wife Barbara had an honours degree in French and German, she was my translator.

She has a credit in Lion in Winter for the translating from French of a minute from a meeting of the LIHG during the 1936 winter Olympics.

 

[Theokritos]

The German report says that Oxford Canadians were not accepted as LIHG representatives of Canada and were not permitted to participate in the European Championship. However, they were allowed to play out of competition.

Were they admitted as LIHG members at a later point? I swear I have read they where. (Which, of course, doesn't necessarily mean it has to be true.)

 

[Robert Gordon Orr]

The German report says that Oxford Canadians were not accepted as LIHG representatives of Canada and were not permitted to participate in the European Championship. However, they were allowed to play out of competition.

Were they admitted as LIHG members at a later point? I swear I have read they where. (Which, of course, doesn't necessarily mean it has to be true.)

Oxford Canadians as a club were admitted as LIHG-members in 1911 and served in that capacity until 1920 when their place was taken by Canada. Gustave Lanctôt, Victor Tait and John Higgins represented Oxford for the first time at the 1912 LIHG meeting.

We have to remember that the Oxford team was viewed as the strongest club team in Europe during the height of their popularity. They were always payed a handsome little sum (yes, they were amateurs, but had their expenses paid, plus some extra) from rival clubs around Europe to play against the local teams. Berlin, Prague, London, Leipzig, St. Moritz, Brussels, Les Avants, Chamonix, Paris, Vienna, Budapest, Hanover and Munich were some of the cities that invited Oxford to play there.

People were curious to see Canadians play, and the local clubs sold out the games, which of course was always a financial success for the local club.

At the same time we have to remember that there was a power struggle within the LIHG.
Louis Magnus (France), the founder of the LIHG clashed with Henri van den Bulcke (Belgium) for several years. The rift was not only with Belgium, but also in part with Switzerland and Germany.

Before the first ever European Championship in Les Avants 1910, the Swiss organizers were in favor of a round-robin formula, but Louis Magnus was opposed to that and wanted direct elimination. Magnus thought it would be a problem with round-robin games in the future if more countries entered the tournament. Magnus wanted to create a formula that could remain unchanged from year to year.

The organizers thought that Magnus was afraid that the European Championships would steal the spotlight from his own brainchild, the Chamonix tournament. Aside from the playing format, the use of foreign players was also discussed. (Foreign players were allowed in 1910, but it was decided that there would be a ban against them in the future.)

Both the playing format and use of foreign players were crucial topics. Magnus was against the use of foreign players, and in the end France withdrew from that first European Championship as a protest, mainly against the playing system.

As Oxford Canadians became LIHG-members in 1911, the LIHG also adopted the Canadian ice hockey rules for amateurs and declared them valid for all games. A lot of credit for this have to go to Oxford who up to that point showed the advantages of “Canadian hockey”.

It was a turbulent time in the LIHG at that time, with clashing members, rule changes, different opinions of eligibility, and annulled tournaments.

It was here that a separate LIHG-tournament was born to be played aside from the European Championships (which was of course also sanctioned by the LIHG). The LIHG-tournaments allowed foreign players to participate and thus had much more prestige then the European Championships.

The first LIHG-tournament in 1912 came about when LIHG-President Louis Magnus asked the Brussels IHC to organize this tournament as a replacement to the European Championships in Prague a month earlier, which was annulled (Austria participated without being a member of the LIHG).

So“La Coupe du Championnat de la LIHG.” was born. Since foreigners were allowed to play on the teams, the congress decided that this tournament couldn’t be viewed as an official European Championship. At the LIHG-congress, Louis Magnus resigned as the LIHG-President because he did not support the annulment of Bohemia’s European Championship victory the previous month. So his rival, lawyer and chairman of the Brussels IHC, Henri van den Bulcke became the LIHG-President.

In the end only three such LIHG-tournaments were played (1912-14), before WW I put an end to it.

Oxford continued to be popular ambassadors of the sport in Europe throughout the 1920s and early 30s. Mostly made up of Canadian Rhodes Scholars, they served their team with a lot of skills, grace and charm. They were well spoken and blended in easily with the European social elite that frequented many of the winter resorts at that time.

 

[Martin Harris]

Good to read that someone else has joined in with this thread. I suspect the contributor is either Michael Talbot or Birger Nordmark, both authorities on this subject who have been a great help to me in my research in years gone by.

My later thought is that this contribator is Pat Houda, another researcher and historian who has been helpful to me in sharing his findings and knowledge.

 

[Robert Gordon Orr]

Martin, as the number one authority on British hockey, I was wondering if you by any chance have the roster for Brighton when they played against Princes (a 4-2 Brighton win) at the Real ice Skating Rink in Brighton (Middle Street) on January 4, 1899.

Did you ever research this in the local papers? I think that you used to live in Brighton (maybe you still do). I think it is intriguing that they were able to win against Princes. I reckon they were short-lived as a club, but I have never seen a roster for them.

It seems that you and David Gordon only covered the years from 1910 and forward in the book, but I know you've done research for the years before that (domestic British hockey).

 

[Theokritos]

Oxford Canadians as a club were admitted as LIHG-members in 1911 and served in that capacity until 1920 when their place was taken by Canada.

Thanks a lot.

We have to remember that the Oxford team was viewed as the strongest club team in Europe during the height of their popularity.

No doubt. The article in the 2002 SIHR Research Journal that Martin has referred to contains another quote from Deutscher Wintersport: "European teams playing against the Oxford Canadians have learned much. In particular the Berlin S.C. has to thank this club for their progress in Canadian ice hockey."

 

[Martin Harris]

First off thank you for your kind words, although to the best of my knowledge there are now only about a couple of active researchers here .I did not live in Brighton but about 40 or so miles to the west along the coast at Southampton.

My article in the SIHR Jornal does indeed include that quote from the German winter sports magazine.

As explained in Lion in Winter we were telling the story of the British national team in the European, World championships and the Winter Olympics. The first of which was the Europeans of 1910. But the origins and development of the sport in the UK before that date are covered.

I have not researched hockey at the first Brighton rink but a co-author of my friend and fellow scribe Stewart Roberts (also a member of SIHR) has with limited success via the local newspapers for their recently published book Brighton Tigers. No details of the game v Princes were discovered but the Brighton Gazette had a description of a game in January 1900 v Henglers ( also a circular rink but in London). At Henglers a game more akin to Bandy using a ball was played with teams of five players. This newspaper named the Brighton five as F.Formie; Duncan Turner; M C Cumberlodge,K.Northern, Captain Blake. Nothing is known about them or their abilities on skates.

 

[Theokritos]

Brighton discussion moved to Stewart Roberts' thread. Hope you don't mind.

 

[Theokritos]

Martin, as mentioned Canadian players were finally allowed to join English clubs after WW1. The consequence was that Oxford University Hockey Club now turned into a European stronghold thanks to Canadian students – including, among others, Roland Michener and Lester B. Pearson who would proceed to become prominent Canadian statesmen. Another one was Charles Herbert Little who would become a writer and, as a hockey goaltender, had offers from the NHL. Given this personnell, is it fair to say that hockey was still a bit of a posh upper-class sport in England during that time?

 

[Martin Harris]

No problem for me in moving Brighton matters to another thread.

As far as I know it was not a question that the only English based club that Canadians studying at Oxford university could join was the university club. It was not a question of being allowed, or not allowed by the BIHA etc. I have no reason to belie that (if they had the time away from their studies) it was more a matter of location and convince. In the 1920s in Britain there were very few rinks and clubs. Although having said that university rules for live-in students ,as most were, was much, much stricter than to-day, for instance students had to obey a curfew.

Well before the outbreak of the Great War Oxford Canadians were a power-house of European hockey, as discussed earlier, and remained so until circa 1934. I met Herbert Little briefly about 20 years ago when he and Hugh Morrison, with whom I had corresponded, were guests of honour at Oxford for the annual Varsity match with Cambridge university.

Hockey was certainly an upper middle class (availability of leisure time and money) sport in Britain during the first three decades of the 20th century. David and I highlighted this in the early portion of Lion in Winter.

 

[Theokritos]

Hockey was certainly an upper middle class (availability of leisure time and money) sport in Britain during the first three decades of the 20th century. David and I highlighted this in the early portion of Lion in Winter.

Looking forward to read it in detail.

Things changed in the 1930s, a time that has been referred to as the Golden Age of British hockey. Attendance numbers went up and sizeable new arenas were being built:

Radio had started to broadcast games, new arenas were built and a lot of good Canadian amateur players went over to England – not necessarily to the delight of the bodies governing Canadian amateur hockey. One of the many Canadians who went, Clarence "Sonny" Rost, would later recall: "At the time, New York Rovers (a farm team of the Rangers) were offering a player $25.00 a week, while over there they were paying $50.00." And: "When I first arrived at Wembley Canadians I took home £5 a week. The football lads were getting a £1 less. Then they doubled my pay." The league was so popular that star players like Rost and Lou Bates began to appear in commercial ads for Gillette razor blades and Player's cigarettes.

This was obviously not real amateurism anymore, but the pretence that it wasn't professionalism was upheld. Martin, which role did the British Ice Hockey Federation play in this? And also in the recruiment of players from Canada. As Stewart Roberts told us in the Brighton thread, the BIHA imposed a rule that clubs had to have four UK-born players with at least five years' residence. Was this rule created in order to give Great Britain quality players that were allowed to represent the country internationally?

 

[Martin Harris]

I believe so but I believe the residency rule was initially less than five years which is how Canadian born Gordan Dailley became eligible to play in the world championships for Great Britain. If you have not already done so you must get hold of a copy of Lion in Winter where all these issues are covered in some detail.

 

[Robert Gordon Orr]

I believe so but I believe the residency rule was initially less than five years which is how Canadian born Gordan Dailley became eligible to play in the world championships for Great Britain. If you have not already done so you must get hold of a copy of Lion in Winter where all these issues are covered in some detail.

Martin, would you say that the 1930s were the ”golden years” of British hockey?
The 1936 Olympic win was a great achievement, and the league was very strong at that time.
Several of the club teams would give the top Canadian amateur teams a run for their money (which they of course did in 1936 with Port Arthur).

It was a well-balanced squad. Percy Nicklin and I guess even Bunny Ahearne did a good job in selecting the players.

Carl Erhardt was the perfect captain, always calm and collected. Very shrewd and tactically smart player. I also believe he is the oldest gold medal winner ever in Olympic history (for hockey that is).

Jimmy Foster between the pipes might have been the best goaltender in Europe at that time. He was fantastic, and most likely a top 10 goalie in the world at that time. He would not have embarrassed himself had he played in the NHL.

But the other guys, Dailley, Borland, Chappell, Davey, Brenchley, Archer, Kilpatrick, Coward, Stinchcombe and Wyman all fit in well. (I probably forgot someone).

Great Britain at that point had enough quality players to field a second team with the capacity to fight for medals. They had very strong teams between 1936 and 1938 and had a lot of quality players, even though many of them were either Canadian born or Canadian trained.