Hoci Cymru President Martyn Gallivan steps down

We would like to thank Martyn Gallivan for his service as he steps down from the role of Hoci Cymru President after five years.  

Martyn has held a long-standing presence in hockey in Wales and beyond, having been involved in several roles across Welsh and international hockey.  

His first involvement with hockey here in Wales came in 1975, as he became a member of the Welsh Hockey Umpires Association. He would later progress to become an international Grade 1 umpire for both outdoor and indoor hockey, going on to umpire over 100 inter-nations matches. 

When Grade 1 status for indoor hockey was created in 1989, Martyn was one of the first ten umpires appointed to this grade. 

As a volunteer, he has held various roles on committees overseeing aspects such as umpiring, development and competitions in Welsh, English and British hockey. 

Martyn was also the FIH’s Competitions Manager for a decade, organising, managing, regulating and reviewing the organisation’s competitions.  

Martyn has always strived to make a meaningful impact on the game, with his work contributing to the development of women’s umpiring, the creation of EHF’s youth competitions, and the initial setting up of a worldwide organisation to represent Masters’ Hockey of all ages. 

In collaborating with National Associations and Continental Federations throughout his career, Martyn became a well-known figure in international hockey and, in 2020, took up the role of Hoci Cymru President.  

Martyn commented: 

“It is with regret that I am standing down as President of Hoci Cymru due to the fact that I am not able to undertake the role in the manner in which I believe it should be. 

“My five years have been a source of great pride with several highlights and I leave with many happy memories.

“I wish all Hoci Cymru members the best of luck for the future.” 

Meanwhile, Hoci Cymru Chair, Bill Riley, stated: 

“On behalf of myself and the Board, we thank Martyn for all the help and support he has provided over the years he has been President.  

“Martyn could always be counted on to attend Hoci Cymru events to undertake Master of Ceremony duties and perform award ceremony obligations.  

“His help and insight when dealing with the EHF and FIH has been invaluable over the years. His advice and assistance, particularly relating to the pitch issues experienced in the lead up to the World Cup Qualifiers in 2021, was invaluable and his knowledge and support played a major part in resolving what could have been a major problem.  

“It is with the regret that we say goodbye to Martyn. However, I am sure this will not be the end of his involvement in hockey, so we shall not say ‘goodbye’, but rather ‘au revoir’, and once again thank him for all the friendship, guidance and assistance he has given over the years. We wish him every success for the future.” 

Hoci Cymru CEO, Paul Whapham, added: 

“As an organisation, Hoci Cymru would like to thank Martyn for his invaluable service as our President in recent years. 

“Always willing to offer support and guidance, he has been a key figure of our organisation throughout his tenure, and his inexhaustible wealth of expertise and experience will be missed. 

“The whole team wish Martyn the very best for the future.”