Allan Palmer's History of Streatham Ice Hockey.

"Red"

Harvey "Red" Stapleford was born at Watford, Ontario on February 25th 1912. He first came to England in 1934 and except for one year at Wembley (1938/39) and the war years, he was destined to spend the rest of his hockey life at Streatham and his business life in England. "Red" Stapleford served Streatham as a player, as coach and, finally, as manager/coach. He was probably Streatham's most famous personality and certainly their most influential.

"Red" was 36 years of age before I actually saw him play (in 1948) and although I had been a Streatham follower for some time my opportunity to see the maestro came about only because he had been forced out of retirement due to an injury crisis at the club. But for this, I wouldn't have seen him at all. Although he was now well into the veteran stage of his career, he still showed the little touches that denote a great player. And great player he was; specifically in the pre-war years when he was a heavy scoring winger with line-mates that included such outstanding players as Gerry Davey, George Shaw and Archie Stinchcombe. But it was as a coach that "Red" Stapleford will, surely, be best remembered. He certainly brought some very gifted players to Streatham but, more than anything, it was his ability to find players that melded into his team structure that was his trade-mark. This could be a starry big-league player like Gordie Knutson. Or, alternatively, it could be a raw rookie like Ray Maisoneuve. The key ingredient was that the player had to fit into the team pattern. Even though "Red" also made some great players to go with the ready made article that he also brought to London SW16, the key thing was that, top pro or rookie, no-one was greater than the club or his team. Truly, the TEAM was his creation; it was like an orchestra where no-one is a soloist but all contribute to the overall "sound".

Another trait that one can only now appreciate with the benefit of hindsight is that there appear to have been very few players who left Streatham and furthered their careers elsewhere in the English League. Most seemed to find that playing within the structure of a Stapleford team fulfilled their hockey playing need and few actually left the club. Indeed, one of the greatest of all Streatham players, Art Hodgins, played for every team managed by Stapleford from the time that he joined the club from Paisley Pirates in 1948 until the club folded in 1954. Whilst few players left Streatham to go to other English clubs quite a number went back to Canada to mark out careers that had their new coaches asking "Red" if he had any more like this in the pipe-line; others who had had very ordinary careers at other clubs became spectacular successes at Streatham under the guidance of Stapleford. Don Callaghan and Bill Winemaster are two such examples.

As one would expect with a man known as "Red", Harvey Stapleford had firey red hair and, so the story goes, a temperament to match. There is the oft repeated story of a naked Stapleford pursuing a Harringay official, who had upset him, through the Arena. It seems as though "Red" had spotted his quarry having just emerged from the shower.! He also had his scrapes with officialdom usually because he felt that an injustice had been perpetrated or his team had been unfairly disadvantaged. He also had a reputation for being taciturn and unapproachable and yet, on the superficial basis on which fans are permitted to know their heros (standing at the dressing room door for a brief chat or to collect an autograph) "Red" seemed just as approachable as many other players although he did tend to say less and was a little aloof.

Although Stapleford was clearly, indelibly identified with Streatham he also used his vast network of scouts to obtain players for other clubs. For one with so dour a reputation he also had an enviable reputation for kindness and support for players. For a man who, in addition to his hockey commitments, also had a demanding job that took much of his time he was said to go to great pains to ensure that his players had good places to live within a family environment and he also sought after jobs for players to keep them occupied when they were not playing or practicing. "Red" Stapleford was clearly a complex man who could, and did, generate much conflicting opinion.

In 1952, after the sequence of events that led to the eventual release of Rheal Savard, "Red" had been subjected to some criticism from Streatham fans, a comment from one of them eliciting the following response from Eddie Blane; "I know what that gentleman has done for players and for hockey. I know how much he has wanted to bring Scotland and England together. I know how much he has helped players tide over tough times or when they wanted to get married". And then a note from Bob Giddens himself in February 1952 when he said; " I personally do not always get along with "Red" but no-one in my hearing is ever going to say he doesn't deserve the highest praise and fervent thanks for all that he has done and is doing for ice hockey". And Bob again in 1953; "Stapleford is the greatest manager/coach that British hockey has ever had. He has proved it in so many ways that the evidence need not be detailed at this juncture. He has moulded this present team into a machine and yet the south Londoners are a personality bunch of colourful boys". Praise indeed from one who "doesn't always get along" with "Red"!

Clearly, then, "Red" Stapleford was an exceptional coach but also, I feel, an exceptional man. It takes a great coach to realise that TEAMS win matches and not necessarily individual players, no matter how talented. But it takes a good man to also realise that a player gives of his best with family ties and home cooking when he is far from home. That the boy will do a better job on the ice if his financial matters are squared away and that he has a job to occupy him when he is not "on duty". It takes a man of presence to maintain friendships and contacts thousands of miles away who can faithfully assess his needs in terms of players. And, of course, it takes quite a man to accomplish all that he did both inside and outside hockey and keep his own home-fire burning. However, in this last enterprise his wife, Alice, must also take a bow and it was she and "Red" who gave us the skating star Sally Stapleford who became the runner-up in the 1965 European championships and is now a famous broadcaster and skating judge. As a Streatham fan one feels part of the family since it was at the tender age of seven that many of us saw Sally's first exhibitions on her way to skating triumphs and we also saw Sally give Art Hodgins his award for being the 1948-49 "Rookie of the Year".

I am confident about the future of hockey in the British Isles. Progress is being made, more and more youngsters are coming into the game. Rinks are being built, managers are learning the tricks of managing rinks and hockey teams. If I have any lingering doubts about our future it is that I do not see an emerging "Harvey Stapleford" of today. Someone of vision. Someone who calls a spade a shovel, cuts through the dross and gets things done. Possibly he is out there, waiting, like Churchill, for the time when he is called by events and men. My fear is that "Red" Stapleford was a one-off.

Opinions vary as to what happens to us when we step off of this mortal coil; "Red" is now coaching a sadly growing band of great "English" hockey players in that great rink in the sky. If it were possible I'd just like to thank "Red" for all the joy his hockey teams gave me. I came to hockey because I became captivated by watching Streatham in those far off days. They were great to watch, they had some outstanding players and even if not always successful, Streatham were always interesting. It is a measure of the love of hockey that "Red" Stapleford's teams inculcated in me, that 60 years on I still have a great warmth for hockey as the great game it is but, more, in my memory I still see those Red, White and Blues.

Thanks, "Red".