An English hockey coach has been “permanently excluded” from coaching juniors or holding roles at clubs with under-18 programmes after facing safeguarding charges, The Hockey Paper can disclose.
Duncan Parnis, a director of coaching at Kent-based HC Knole Park, had been the subject of multiple complaints over his behaviour towards young players. He is also founder of coaching company The Hockey Academy.
An independent disciplinary panel convened by England Hockey (EH) last month upheld two charges against Parnis following an investigation. He had been suspended on an interim basis by EH in June 2025.
According to the findings, the first charge concerned a breach of EH rules, Section 5.1, which covers misconduct that harms, or poses an actual or potential risk of harm to, the safety and welfare of young people.
The second charge related to a rules breach of Section 8.6, which requires compliance with interim suspensions. The panel found that Parnis failed to comply with the suspension imposed last June.
As well as being banned from all hockey or hockey-related activity within any club that includes under-18s, Parnis was also excluded from holding any junior coaching roles.
The Hockey Paper understands that statements were provided (with reportedly 22 complaints) detailing Parnis’ treatment towards club juniors.
This included “humiliation of juniors, bullying and aggressive behaviour”, according to one source. He reportedly did not attend EH’s disciplinary hearing.
It is understood that EH had previously conducted an investigation following his time at Wycombe HC for alleged “inappropriate behaviour” before he joined Ipswich School.
Allegations were also made during his time with Sevenoaks HC but EH could not pursue a case without signed statements.
In material obtained by THP, there were also references to selection issues levelled at Parnis after a Sevenoaks committee member’s son had been dropped.
HC Knole Park is a Sevenoaks-based club established in 2019 by Parnis – after he was sacked from his previous role – with the support of fellow coach Ruth Bingham.
She serves as chair of the club and, until recently, was also its welfare officer. She was present at an EH meeting in support of Parnis when HC Knole Park was launching.
In 2019, he was banned from any one-to-one coaching for three years as part of EH’s safeguarding and protecting young people in hockey policy.
Parnis has had a lengthy career in hockey as both a player and coach. He was at Wycombe HC, where he played for the men’s 1s and served as head coach for the under-15 girls’ team.
In 2008 he was named Sports Coach UK: Young Coach of the Year.
He later became head of hockey at Ipswich School, where teams under his leadership achieved success in both the boys’ and girls’ programmes.
After moving to Sevenoaks HC as head coach and player, he helped deliver trophies across men’s and junior sections before founding HC Knole Park in 2019.
The club had made great strides since launching seven years ago with a number of junior successes. In one of his EH meetings, Parnis had been hailed for his “incredible” coaching. Several juniors, across the boys and girls programmes, had left Knole Park in the last few seasons.
HC Knole Park refused to comment while THP has also contacted Parnis.
England Hockey said it was unable to comment while the “process is still on-going”.
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