Harold Griffiths, Wales’s oldest living international player

Earlier this month, Hoci Cymru historian Phil Bailey had the privilege to meet with Harold Griffiths and his family, at his home in South Gloucestershire, to present his Welsh International Hockey cap. At 97 years of age, it is believed that Harold is Wales’s oldest living international player, man or women!

Harold was born on 29th November 1927 in Griffithstown. After attending a school in Pontypool, Harold went to Christ College Brecon in 1936, where he stayed for the next nine years. This is where Harold developed his love of hockey, playing school sport and for the college. Harold remembers playing hockey on grass wearing his heavy rugby boots, quite a difference from the modern player’s experience and kit!

Harold continued his hockey post-college at Tulse Hill Hockey Club in London and he also played one game for Newport Hockey Club. Harold became an orthopaedic surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital London and also served as a surgeon at an army field hospital in Korea.

Following a trial in North Wales, Harold was picked to play for Wales against Scotland at Rodney Parade, Newport on 14th April 1951. The Welsh side was a largely inexperienced one with only two players having more than 10 caps, the goalkeeper Graham Dadds of Swansea with 22 and WS Griffiths of Newport with 17. In fact, the other nine players, including Harold on debut only had 46 caps between them. Apart from Dadds, WS Griffiths and Lindsay Smith [who played for Ruthin] all the other players represented sides in England. The side was captained by NW Williams of Worcester.

The Western Mail headline for the game stated:

‘Wales Beat Scots – Thanks to Dadds’ but that also the Welsh won because the forwards, including Harold, were ‘able to penetrate the Scottish defence, which was not too sound’.

Wales scored first against the run of play when WS Griffiths scored after a Taylor roll-in – again a rule that no longer is in place today. Harold’s debut win for Wales was even more impressive in that that had to play part of the second half with ten players as Taylor got a ball on the collar bone shortly after he scored Wales’s second goal – no substitutes allowed in 1951! Scotland scored a consolation goal near the end of the game to leave Wales 2-1 winners: a great debut for Harold!

Harold’s second and last cap for Wales was on the 29 April that year in Amsterdam v Holland, a game which Wales lost 4-0. Work and National Service in Korea meant that Harold did not play again for Wales.

Harold was presented with his cap, 74 years after his debut surrounded by his children and grandchildren and a representative from Christ College Brecon.

Thanks to Hoci Cymru historian Phil Bailey