HAVING reached the milestone of 850 games played, it’s safe to say Beeliar’s Ian Goldspink loves his hockey.
However, it was a relationship that almost never was, as it was purely by chance that Goldspink and hockey got together. Some boys who lived across the road from him didn’t have enough players for a game and he was thrown onto the field to help out.
Up to that point, Goldspink had never even seen the game played before.
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READ NOWAlmost 60 years later, he said he was proud to have reached the milestone, even more so for doing it all for the same club – the Eastern Blades Hockey Club.
“The first game was very daunting, I was very nervous as I knew absolutely nothing about hockey – I’d not even seen it played,” he said.
“It was 1959 and I was probably around nine or 10 years old.
“I’m grateful and pleased that I have health on my side to enable me to enjoy the game I have come to love with a passion.
“It feels a bit surreal about reaching this milestone and I hope that it encourages others at any age to give it a go.”
While he hoped he could inspire others young and old to take up the sport, Goldspink said he wasn’t yet ready to put away his hockey stick and would continue to play for as long as he could.
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