About Us

Cliftonville Men’s Hockey Club was formed in 1926 by Sidney Glenn and has continued to play hockey within Thanet. Over the years we have become the only hockey club in Thanet, having merged with Thanetians in 1980, and then Ramsgate Ladies joined them in 1983 to start the Ladies Section of the Club, with Westgate Ladies joining some years later (2007) 

The club started playing matches at Northdown Park in Cliftonville, but soon moved to Jackey Bakers in Ramsgate where the quality of the grass pitches were so good that for many years they hosted the County Cup finals for Kent. After the Second World War, Cliftonville were not only regular winners of the County Cup but were one of the best sides in the Country and would regularly travel to overseas tournaments such as Le Touquet, and return home victorious. Another innovation shortly after the war was the inauguration of the Thanet Festival which was always held in the last week in April and saw hundreds of hockey players (both male & female) descend on Thanet from all over the country and from abroad, staying in many of the local hotels and guesthouses in Ramsgate and throughout Thanet.

Prior to the early 1980s there were no organised leagues in the country, and friendlies were played against other teams throughout Kent, and on occasions slightly farther afield. Whilst League Hockey started with just the 1^st XI being involved, it soon spread throughout all the Teams ensuring that they had a full fixture list to play. Cliftonville Hockey Club had always used different Public Houses throughout Thanet to meet up before away matches and to entertain the opposition afterwards, but in the late 1980s there came an opportunity to convert the old changing rooms at the end of the ground into a Clubhouse; roughly at the same time that Thanet District Council built an artificial playing surface at Jackey Bakers, as most clubs were by now playing on artificial surfaces.

Sadly, both the clubhouse and artificial pitch were vandalised beyond use, and in the late 1990s, the Club moved to Hoverspeed Social Club at Manston and laid new grass pitches for the lower teams to use. Upper squads started to use the artificial pitch at St Lawrence College. After all league matches were required to be played on artificial pitches, the club played all its matches at St. Lawrence College and again started using local Public Houses such as the Hare & Hounds and even the St. Clu to entertain their opposition after the matches. Some years ago, the Club had the opportunity to use Broadstairs Cricket Club during the winter season, which was welcomed due to its proximity to St Lawrence College, and is still used to this day.

We continue to use upgraded facilities at St Lawrence College, playing on the Olympic-standard waterbase, opened in 2016.

The Club has produced many internationals over the years with the most famous probably, Sean Kerly, who won an Olympic Gold Medal in 1988, and as we approach our centenary in two years’ time, perhaps one of our current junior members may go on to represent England in the future.

We would love to hear from anybody who played for the Club over the last 98 years, or if you are interested in joining us, please contact us.

Honorary Life Members - thank you for your continued support

• N.J. Alder
• D. Ash
• S. Ballard
• Mrs T. Ballard
• C. Burton
• J. Carr
• Mrs J. Cobb
• P. Cobb
• A. Cox
• J. Parkin
• R. Setterfield
• T. Westby
• S.Ballard