By Mike Haymonds | The Hockey Museum

This is potentially a very subjective claim but can anyone put forward a stronger case than this one for Stanley Howard Shoveller (1881-1959)?

To be the best amongst one’s contemporaries is perhaps the first requirement for this accolade. There cannot be much doubt about that. He played for his school 1st XI – what is now Kingston Grammar School – from the age of 14 and was a prolific goal scorer. He was playing for Hampstead Hockey Club before he left school and for Middlesex the year after.