Tony Loveland: one in a million

It is with sadness we have to announce Tony Loveland died on May 3. He was 75.

Tony was at Cranleigh between 1949 and 1953, playing cricket and hockey for the 1st XI in his final year. On leaving he started playing for the OC Hockey Club and continued to turn out for the club through until the early 1990s. He was also a passionate cricketer.

His style on the pitch was direct – the headmaster’s parting note was that ACL was “not energetic” and in an era when hockey was a non-contact sport it would be fair to say Tony was ahead of his time.

One of my first games for the club was the annual match against the School when I was put at the back to partner Tony. Our captain gave a stern chat about needing to remember we were playing boys and this was a chance to show them what a great bunch the OCs were and to try to impress on them why they should play for us on leaving. Within a minute the slight 16-year-old wing flicked the ball past the less-than-speedy ACL and set to sail past him. Tony did what came naturally and dropped his shoulder into the young lad’s chest, depositing him winded to the turf. “Nice try, sonny,” he chuckled at the prostrate boy as the captain was left pondering another failed recruitment exercise.

David Knapp writes: “Although not a regular attendee at TD in recent years the passing away of the rugged Tony Loveland this week has left a big gap in the surviving bastions of OC hockey. Unlike his quite and unassuming brother Roger, who left us in 2008, Tony was quite the opposite with one always hearing him well before he was seen.

“My first game for the OCs in 1976 was on a bobbly grass pitch at the top end of TD with ACL at full back. ACL had picked me up from home and promised me a lift home afterwards. In the first few minutes he lashed a ball out to the left wing where I promptly missed the ball and it disappeared into the undergrowth. 'Oy Knapp or whatever you are called, go and get the ball - that will teach you, Suppose you still want a lift home'.

“Along a similar vein and some years later whilst sitting in the changing room at West Sussex golf club on an OC golf society spring meeting we were quietly drinking coffee when from the car park came a booming voice: 'Oy, anyone know what time I am teeing off - had a right bugger of a drive here and I need 15 minutes'.

“Tony was one in a million and a more genuine guy you will never find. My initial memory of the OCHC is of the unfailing generosity of both Roger and Tony with their loss in such close proximity being a huge blow for all who knew the two brothers.”

Mike Butcher, who played with Tony for a number of years, said: "I used to play in the half-back line with Tony usually behind me at back or coming up to half-back. He was a great reader of the game and very vocal, he was always giving "advice" as to positioning and direction of attack. If I let the ball through there was always the comfort of knowing that the opposition would find it difficult to get through him.

"We all had a bit of a standing joke in that if ever Tony shouted "Gor f***" and you saw his left shoulder go down,then the opposition had no chance of getting through and would be met by an immovable solid force, often literally! He was a player to be reckoned with on the field and a great team bonder and uniter and player. A great loyal and regular OCHC supporter and player on and off the field and in the clubhouse afterwards."