March 4, 2015, by Genelva Meikle
Spring Reunions and Sporting Heroes
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
Leo Tolstoy
Spring is fast approaching and the Alumni Relations team is busy planning a whole host of international events, so please keep a close eye on our event calendar.
During the weekend of 7 February, Alumnus Ian Sutton (Geology, 1961) returned to University Park campus along with fellow 1959-61 men’s hockey colleagues, Arthur Ferryman (Civil Engineering, 1962), Anthony Tramschek (Mechanical Engineering, 1960), Martin King (Civil Engineering, 1961), John Land (Metallurgy, 1962), David Chapallaz (Geology, 1960), David Stancombe (Zoology/Botany, 1960) and David Langridge (Russian, 1961).
Their weekend comprised lunch and a match at the Beeston Hockey Club, followed by dinner at the Orchard Hotel and on the Sunday a student-led tour of the campus and the city centre. The group took in the many developments that have taken place on campus, since their time at the University, including redevelopments of the Portland Building and Sports Centre. A new state-of-the-art £40 million sports centre is also currently in development. The David Ross Sports Village is expected to open in late 2016. Further information about the complex can be found here.
The group had a memorable day with Ian Sutton sending the following parting comment:
“We had a great weekend, so many thanks to you and the other staff in the Alumni Office for all the help you gave us. All of the group asked me to pass on their gratitude for everything.”
Little did the group know but during preparations for their reunion, in January, the University launched the Greatest Sporting Heroes Campaign inviting the alumni community to nominate and vote for fellow alumni in the following categories:
- Greatest Sportsman
- Greatest Sportswoman
- Greatest Team
- Greatest Coach
After receiving hundreds of votes, nominees were invited to a ceremony at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 5 February, where the 1959-61 men’s hockey team were crowned the Greatest Team; one of the most successful teams in the University’s history.
The team dominated the University Athletics Union (UAU) Championships during the early 1960s, with the team winning the Championship title in 1960 and 1961 and were virtually unbeaten in all of their matches during this era. Other winners included alumnus Brian Moore, alumna Anne Panter and the late Vaughan Parry Williams.
Further images of the event can be found here. More information about the Greatest Sporting Hero campaign and acceptance speeches can be viewed here.
If you are thinking of organising a reunion in the UK; please feel free to contact Alumni Relations Manager, Genelva Meikle, who will be more than happy to help.
Keep up-to-date about The University of Nottingham Alumni Relations team and our activities by visiting our dedicated website, as well as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter
Message to David Langridge (Russian, 1961). Did you by any chance know Gerry (Gerald) May? He had done national service, which is where he also studied Russian). We are old friends from Coventry.