We are deeply saddened to hear that John Hilder passed away last weekend. John was a kind and friendly man, a natural leader who welcomed many people to hockey in Sevenoaks. John started playing hockey in 1968 when he was 38, and over the following years played in several teams, including captaining the 5th XI in the 1970s. A true stalwart of the club and a team player who always made sure that everyone enjoyed their hockey both on and off the pitch. John went on many hockey tours including Alkmaar, Jersey, Bournemouth and even Kenya, a joint Vine cricket/hockey venture, and continued to play well into his 60s, and umpired into his 70s.

An important moment in the Club’s history was the purchase of the Otford ground and John took on the management of the ground, turning a muddy Otford meadow into two of the best grass hockey pitches in the district along with a cricket square to rival the best in the county. John was a truly dedicated groundsman, ensuring the grounds were always fit to play on, and he continued to do so well into his 70s. John could always be relied on to find a solution to any problem, even providing buckets of water to wash the muddy hockey balls! Many will have fond memories of the Vets’ Festival weekends at the ground.

John was one of our longest standing Vice Presidents and continued to be a loyal supporter of the Club and its teams. Like many of our retired players John took up playing golf and was active to the end, indeed he was seen practicing his golf swing at Nizels only a couple of weeks ago. Above all, John was a warm-hearted friend, and he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family at this saddest time.