Havant Hockey Club’s nine Great Britain internationals honoured at special cap presentation ceremony

Players who helped the club win the National League title in 1991, 1992 and 1994 were reunited for an international cap presentation.

David Faulkner, Rob Hill, Sean Rowlands, Don Williams, Calum Giles and Brian Purdy were among nine ex-Havant regulars awarded a GB cap.

Russell Garcia and Jimi Lewis, who both live in Germany, were unable to attend the ceremony. A ninth former player, Roger Midgley, who represented GB at the 1952 Olympics, passed away in 2019.

Faulkner and Garcia – both born in Portsmouth, as was Giles - were members of the GB squad who famously won gold at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. That was the first time GB had won gold since 1920, and back then only four countries competed unlike the 12 who were in South Korea.

Garcia was only 18 years and three months old at the time, making him Britain's youngest ever Olympic champion.

Rowlands, Hill and Williams represented GB at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Giles went to two Olympics – Atlanta in 1996 and Sydney in 2000 – while Lewis was chosen for the 2004 Games in Athens.

Val Lewis accepted the caps from GB Hockey president Sheila Munroe on behalf of Jimi Lewis and Garcia, while Midgley’s son, James, collected his late father’s cap.

A replica of the caps inscribed with each player’s name will go on show at the National Hockey Museum in Woking. Replicas will also be framed and put on show in the Havant clubhouse.

Mike Smith, the founder and curator at the museum, was also at the ceremony in Havant’s clubhouse.

In addition, caps were also awarded to current Havant chairman Chris Pickett and David Whittle for their service to the sport. Pickett was women’s team manager at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics, while Whittle was men’s manager at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Games.

Unlike football, hockey internationals are not awarded an international cap every time they appear for their country.

The Hockey Museum is aiming to visit clubs all over the country presenting GB caps to former internationals. Havant was the first club chosen due to the sheer number of players who needed to be honoured.