Born: 31 May, 1920, in Glasgow.
Died: 21 April, 2008, in Edinburgh, aged 87. EILEEN Ferguson was born in Glasgow the younger of two sisters. She was immediately and always distinguished by her hair, a beautiful deep red.
Of average height, she had a trim, lithe figure shot with irrepressible energy and drive. At Hillhead High School she shone academically and in sport, particularly in hockey. There, in the school uniform of long brown stockings, pleated tunic and cream tussore blouse she learned the art of being a left inner.
By the end of her time at school, Eileen's choice of career was in no doubt. With the potential to be an ideal teacher of physical education, she became a student at Anstey College of Physical Education in Birmingham.
At that time the curriculum included a course in massage. This qualification she used when she retired from teaching to help children with physical disabilities.
After her graduation she moved to Edinburgh with her new husband, Eddie Hyndman, whom she had known from school days. She joined the staff of the Mary Erskine School when it was based in Queen Street, Edinburgh. Later, when the school moved to its new site at Ravelston, she became head of the physical education department and later still vice-principal of the school. During these early days she joined Edinburgh Ladies' Hockey Club.
She bent all her energies towards these consuming undertakings and quickly made her mark in each of them. Edinburgh Ladies soon benefited from Eileen's input on and off the field. Her friendliness, efficiency and enthusiasm together with her red hair made her irresistible.
In 1946, the Scottish Women's Hockey Association was setting women's hockey in Scotland to rights. The first international after the war was held in March that year, when Eileen won the first of her 21 caps, most of them in the left inner position. Her short, sharp and incisive bursts through the opposition made her a respected opponent. She captained the Scottish team several times, most notably in 1950 throughout the world conference in Johannesburg and tour of South Africa.
She was a witty and able after-dinner speaker and consequently was much in demand at the many dinners held during that tour. The Scottish team was proud to be so expertly represented.
By the end of her playing career Eileen had already demonstrated her potential as a world-class administer. Rising from club and district level she became president of the Scottish Women's Hockey Association in 1962. Always forward looking and willing to not only accept change but to promote it, she laid the foundation for accelerating change in the late 1960s through the 1970s and onwards. She supported initiatives that would publicise, improve and offer opportunities from school through club and country to world level hockey. In her book anything was possible.
As a result of this attitude and with a view to Scotland hosting the 11th conference of the International Federation of Women's Hockey Associations in Edinburgh in 1975, she inspired the establishment of a weekly hockey column in a national paper that continued for ten years; she gave her support to the development of the Scottish Schoolgirls' Association; she perceived that changes in the rules and the tactics of the game were important issues to be addressed if the game was not to stagnate.
She held the high office of president of the International Federation of Women's Hockey Associations (1971-83) and made a major contribution to negotiating the merger with the International Hockey Association. In 1976 she was awarded the MBE for services to hockey. In 1983 she was elected vice-president of the new International Hockey Association and held that post until 1992.
Throughout these years her wide range of interests also included her day job in education. She graduated MA (history) at Edinburgh University during those years.
Eileen travelled countless miles to all across the world in her various official capacities. She was warmly welcomed wherever she went. At home all her activities and achievements were proudly shared with her husband. Their much-loved dog, also played his part.
Eddie died in 1997 and Eileen's health deteriorated. In these last years she has been lovingly cared for by her close cousin, Sheila Findlay, and her lifelong friend and fellow hockey lover Ellice Milroy. They, together with her family in Canada, Linda, Ian and all her many friends will find the world a less vibrant place in her absence.
Eileen C Hyndman will also be greatly missed throughout the hockey world but she will have a place in its halls of fame. As Miss K Watkins told her in her speech at the closing of the 11th conference in 1975: "Words cannot express our thanks for the fantastic amount of all the thinking, guiding, listening and sheer hard work you have done." She Added: "Simply – thank you, Eileen."
The full article contains 822 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
