Club honours hockey’s ‘Queen of Windsor’
Windsor Hockey Club honoured their late, larger-than-life legend Patsy Welford with a Memorial Day filled with matches and memories.
The pandemic forced a celebration of her life to be put on hold for more than two years but on Saturday former club players came from all over the country to join present ones for the long awaited tribute.
The club’s much loved former player, captain, manager and committee member died aged 71 in September 2019 after a lengthy illness but almost 150 members of her hockey family rolled back the years for a day of games and reminisces.
Held at Slough Hockey Club, the event spanned the generations with players aged from eight to 82-years-old taking part in matches with Windsor Hockey club juniors first on pitch followed by a series of mixed, ladies and mens games pitting a set of invitation Welford XI teams against club teams.
Known in hockey circles as the ‘Queen of Windsor’, Patsy masterminded an unprecedented triple for the ladies section which saw all three teams promoted in the 2000-01 season.
And what more fitting tribute this season to the club’s one-time lynchpin than for Windsor’s top three ladies teams to all be promoted as champions in a repeat of that historic moment, 21 years later.
Patsy’s close friend and Memorial Day organiser Paula Green said: “Windsor Hockey Club members, young and old, past and present, came together in the bank holiday sunshine to celebrate the contribution made by Patsy Welford to the club.
“Covid scuppered our plans several times over the last two years but we got there in the end.
“We have had a wonderful day full of hockey and reunions which has been a fitting tribute to an amazing lady.”