Hockey is for everyone. This is one of the core beliefs of the European Hockey Federation. Alongside the Unibet EuroHockey Championships, the EuroHockey Masters Championship is also taking place. To celebrate and highlight this event, we are featuring hockey’s oldest player, Robert Adams.
Before the end of the Second World War, a 14-year-old boy took up playing hockey. However, Robert Adams, now 85 years old, is officially the oldest player on the records, as verified by the Guinness Book of World Records.
He’s played for 70 years straight and when he broke the record he was 68 years older than his youngest teammate!
Having played for the same club for his whole career, bar a four-year-break pursuing his teaching career down south, Adams’ team-mates are understandably very proud of his achievements, a sentiment not echoed by everyone, however:
“My team-mates think it’s great and they’re very supportive. But my wife Elsie’s not too keen – she thinks I should have stopped years ago!
Last year, after the then 84 year old attained the record in a 4-1 victory, Adam said: “I’m elated I’m still alive after that! That’s the relief! Obviously I’m delighted to achieve this but I’d like to keep on playing, this is a record of that. It’s easy really; you just try to keep going.”
Source: England Hockey