Alec Allen

A former 1920s Penarth hockey player, Alec Allen went on to play many important roles within the Welsh Hockey Association (WHA) for many years. As a referee, he made his international début when he took charge of the England versus Scotland match at Great Crosby, near Liverpool, in 1938. He officiated at the 1948 London Olympics, and continued to take charge of international matches after the World War II. Allen served on the selection committee of the WHA from 1939-53 but, even after resigning his position, continued to hold various positions with them, including that of a vice-president.

Alec had a great passion for angling, and was at one time a travelling salesman for a firm of fishing tackle manufacturers. In 1933 he landed a 388 lb (176 kg) sturgeon, the heaviest freshwater fish ever caught in Britain. It earned him an entry in the Guinness Book of Records, and 40 years after his death, the record still stood.