- Date of Birth:
- 24 April 1984 (24)
- Sport:
- Hockey
- Home Town:
- Somerset
- Current Address:
- Reading
- Club:
- Reading Hockey Club
Sponsors:
Great Britain’s most exciting Goal Scorer leading into Beijing 2008 and London’s 2012 Olympic Games.
Simon started playing hockey at the age of 4yrs in his garden and at the local club his father coached at, Taunton Vale. He played in the 1st XI at Millfield School from the age of 14yrs and aged 17yrs joined the National League side Firebrands. Simon went on to captain England at U16, U18 and U21 levels gaining his first Senior England debut in November 2005. Since then Simon has had 56 caps and scored an impressive 28 goals for the National side.
He left Firebrands in 2003 and joined the Premier League side Reading, where his brother Richard was already playing. It was this year that Simon also started studying Business Studies at the University of Birmingham, playing a huge role in the University’s BUSA team.
Simon’s first major tournament for the Senior England side was in 2006 at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, the team finished 4th in the competition and Simon came away England’s top scorer. Later this same year the team went to the World Cup Germany and Simon was once again England’s top scorer. The team finished 5th, their second highest placing ever in a World Cup competition.
In March this year the GB men’s team had one more chance at qualifying for the Beijing Olympics in a competition in Mexico where their biggest challengers were India. Their emphatic 2-0 win against India in the final means that the GB team will travel to Beijing in August while India will stay home for the first time since 1928.
Simon plays along side his brother in both club and National sides. With Richard in defence and Simon’s natural instinct for goal in attack the pair will be a force to be reckoned with in Beijing 2008 and ultimately the London 2012 Olympics.
Achievements:
2008 1st – Olympic Qualifiers, Santiago
2007 4th – Champions Challenge, Belgium (England’s top scorer)
2006 5th – World Cup, Monchengladbach (England’s top scorer)
2006 3rd – World Cup Qualifiers, China
2006 4th – Commonwealth Games, Melbourne (England’s top scorer)
Domestic:
2007 Premier League Winners (Reading HC)
2006 Premier League Winners (Reading HC)
2005 Silver – European Club Cup (Reading HC)
2004 Premier League Winners (Reading HC)
