LONDON 1948 Olympic medallist and former Monmouthshire hockey club player has been added to the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame’s exclusive ‘Roll of Honour’.
One of Wales’ greatest hockey players, and a former player, captain and president of Abergavenny Hockey Club, Bill played in every game at the London Games as GB reached the final before losing to India at Wembley Stadium.
The player, who died in 2010 aged 83, was added to the ‘Roll of Honour’ along with fellow Welshman and team mate Ron Davies, at a special ‘Olympic Tribute’ lunch in Cardiff hosted by Welsh Sports Hall of Fame president and 1964 Tokyo Olympic long jump gold medalist Lynn Davies.
Presented with a commemorative piece of glass celebrating Bill's Olympic silver medal were Abergavenny HC chairman Luke Rees and president Trevor Scott, who succeeded Bill in the club role in 2007.
Bill's hockey career was interrupted by WWII, but he returned to Britain to complete his medical studies at Cardiff University, joined Newport Athletic Hockey Club and made his international debut against Ireland in 1947.
A penalty corner specialist, he played 32 times for Wales and eight times for GB between 1947 and 1956.
He joined Abergavenny HC in 1950 as a player and later served 40 years as club president.
“We were delighted to add seven more Olympians to our ‘Roll of Honour’ at the lunch and it was fantastic to see two members of the Abergavenny club coming along to receive a trophy for Bill,” said Davies after making the presentation.
“It was great to see the silver medal Bill won 76 years ago and we are deeply indebted to Bill’s family for allowing us to make it one of the centrepieces of our Olympic exhibition at The Parkgate Hotel, in Westgate Street in Cardiff.”
Trevor said: "The fact that Bill was an Olympian and had a silver medal for hockey in the 1948 Olympic Games makes him a very special person in our club. We were honoured to represent the club at Bill's induction."
The 1908 Welsh hockey team, including 28-year-old Edwin Richards, who played all his hockey for Abergavenny, were also given the ultimate accolade in Welsh sport with their inclusion.
That team, the only Welsh side to compete as ‘Wales’ at the Games, returned home with a bronze medal.
Richards played in virtually every position for the national side and captained his country.
A well-known South Wales architect who was admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1925, he helped design many notable local buildings, including the Lord Buckland Memorial Hospital at Merthyr.
Meanwhile, some of Wales’ greatest sporting treasures have been assembled for a special ‘Olympic Tribute’ exhibition at Cardiff’s Parkgate Hotel.
Alongside one of Chepstow-born showjumper Richard Meade’s three Olympic gold medals is, until it goes to auction next week at Rogers Jones auctioneers, the vest in which rugby-playing runner Ken Jones from Blaenavon received a gold medal after the 4x100 relay at Wembley Stadium in 1948.
The British sprint quartet finished second to the USA, who were then disqualified, but reinstated the next day.
The GB quartet had to return the gold medals, and it took another three months before Ken received his silver in the post.
“It is fantastic that we’ve been given this space at The Parkgate to show off some of our wonderful memorabilia,” said Lynn Davies.
"With the Paris Olympics just around the corner, this is a timely reminder of the rich Welsh legacy at the greatest sports show on earth.”
Davies has contributed the spikes and tracksuit he wore in Tokyo 60 years ago when he stunned reigning champion and world record holder Ralph Boston to win gold with a jump of 8.07m.
The exhibition has the jump marked on the floor, accompanied by a health warning – ‘don’t try this at home!’