Our History & Heritage
The earliest we can trace sport back to Adel is evidence of cricket being played in 1876, with the hockey club first playing as a mixed team in 1946, and later the same year forming a men’s 1st XI with an inaugural tour to Aberdeen.
The men’s 2nd XI was formed in 1950, with further pitch landscaping and drainage work taking place in 1959. Adel Hockey Club was originally a semi-nomadic side playing at Bedquilts, then Ireland Wood and then Soldiers Field.
The invitation to join Adel gave the club luxuries other clubs didn’t have, including changing rooms and high-quality grass pitches. Thus regular hockey started being played in 1962 at Adel.
In 1970 we merged with Fulneck Old Boys and the Men’s 3rd XI was formed. A decision was made in 1971 to level, drain, and seed the top field to create a ladies pitch in parallel to a ladies section. This was followed by the Men’s 4th XI being formed in 1974 and the Ladies 2nd being formed in 1981. The Men’s 5th XI started in 1985 alongside the Ladies 3rd XI, with the Men’s 6th XI in 1991 and the Ladies 4th XI in 1993.
The club first laid the artificial surface in 1997, and the first game was played on the 29th June 1997.
Adel has a place in history as the site of a Roman encampment (Burgodunum) built on the York-Otley road some 2,000 years ago. The Norman Church that abuts our land was built on the site of a pagan temple that could have been used by the Roman soldiers. Links with these two historical events are evident today within the Memorial Hall. Adel Hockey Club adopted a Roman centurion helmet for their emblem whilst the Association and some of the sections adopted the Adel Church door knocker.
The start of the hall as a social centre came as Adel grew in size. One hundred years ago on the east side of what used to be Adel Church School playground, stood a barn-like wooden building lit by paraffin lamps and heated by a single stove. It contained one large room with a stage and a small area used as a kitchen. By the end of the 1914-18 war it was in constant need of repair.
Whilst many villagers erected obelisks as a memory to the Great War, Adel with a more practical outlook created two memorials: the stone at the entrance to the car park and the Memorial Hall itself. Funds were raised by public subscription and land was purchased and donated.
This was the start of the Adel Memorial Hall and successive committees and sections have looked to improve and develop the facilities. Below, taken mostly from the minutes, is a shortened history of some of the major events linked with the development of Adel Memorial Hall and Adel Hockey Club.
Timeline of Key Events
- 1876: Cricket is known to be played at Adel.
- 1919: Approval given to raise subscriptions towards a public Hall.
- 1922: Memorial stone arrives from Adel woods.
- 1924: Proposed road extension of Holt Lane to Alwoodley via what is now the Bowls, Tennis & Plastic Pitch (plans shelved).
- 1927: Building work starts.
- 1928: Memorial Hall officially opened Nov 14th 1928. Badminton section forms.
- 1929: Football played on cricket field (subsequently folds). Adel Church Tennis Club accounts transferred to Hall.
- 1930: Church Cricket Club moves to Hall.
- 1931: Full-time caretaker appointed.
- 1933: Tennis changes from grass to hard courts. Extension provides billiard room, table tennis room & better kitchen.
- 1935: Agreed Tennis Pavilion can be built. Fishing Section formed.
- 1941: Sunday tennis allowed.
- 1945: Adel Players start.
- 1946: Adel Hockey Club starts as a mixed team from the Quaker meeting house playing at Bedquilts. Men’s team formed; inaugural tour to Aberdeen. Bowling section formed.
- 1948: Archery section founded. Cricket pavilion opened June 26th.
- 1949: Cricket square re-laid.
- 1950: 3rd hard tennis court added. Billiard room completed. Hockey Men’s 2nd XI starts.
- 1955: Tennis and Archery pavilion opened.
- 1958: Land for existing Hockey & Football pitches purchased.
- 1959: Appeal launched for drainage & landscaping. Adel Hockey Club agrees to join Hall when pitches ready.
- 1961: Fields opened. Timber bowls pavilion erected.
- 1962: Full-time groundsman appointed. First Hockey matches played at Church Lane.
- 1964: Resolution passed to provide a members bar.
- 1966: Lounge bar opened January 13th.
- 1967: Football starts again after Hockey agrees to give up one pitch. Ladies play on cricket outfield.
- 1969: Adel War Memorial Association (AWMA) officially comes into being.
- 1970: Main Hall linked; new changing rooms added. Adel H.C. merges with Fulneck Old Boys; Men’s 3rd XI formed.
- 1971: Top field leveled, drained & seeded to create dedicated ladies pitch.
- 1974: Squash courts added. Men’s 4th XI formed.
- 1976: Cricket Centenary. Swimming Club started.
- 1977: Car park re-surfaced. On-field changing rooms added.
- 1981: Adel H.C. Ladies 2nd XI formed.
- 1984: Plastic cricket wicket laid; upstairs rooms built.
- 1985: Men’s 5th XI & Ladies 3rd XI formed.
- 1986–87: Cricket pavilion rebuild following fire.
- 1989: Men’s 1st XI promoted to Northern Premier League.
- 1990: Men’s 2nd XI promoted to Yorkshire Premier League.
- 1991: Men’s 6th XI formed.
- 1993: Ladies 4th XI formed.
- 1996: National Lottery & FSA Grants secured (£237k total). Mixed team formed.
- 1997: June 29th — First floodlit artificial sports pitch opened.
- 2004: Ladies 1st XI promoted to North leagues for the first time.
- 2007–08: U16 Girls win EH National Plate; Suzy Petty selected for England U16.
- 2014: Pitch completely resurfaced and floodlights upgraded.
- 2016: Ladies 1st XI named Investec England Hockey Women’s Team of the Year.
- 2019: Dugouts installed; Mixed XI reach EH Cup National Finals.
- 2021: New energy-efficient LED lighting installed.
- 2025: Planning permission approved for new pitch-side changing facilities.
