Born May 5th, 1935 in London, Glynne Thomas took up hockey at the Richmond Ice Rink in 1950, after learning to skate at “Young Britain” (“Wybees”) training sessions. He chose to become a netminder, donning the pads and catching glove when he found he was a less proficient skater than some of his contemporaries.
After a handful of games for the “Knights” in the local house league, he graduated to the Richmond Ambassadors team, which played in the Southern Intermediate (1950-55) and London Intermediate (1955-59) Leagues. During this time, he also assisted the Liverpool Leopards and Oxford University teams on European tours.
In 1961, he joined the Southampton Vikings where he iced for two seasons before moving to Wembley when the Archers Road rink closed its doors to hockey. Thomas tended goal for the Lions until their demise in 1969. In 1973, after a lay-off of nearly four years, he made a comeback with the Wembley Vets of the Southern League. When the Vets and Sussex Senators merged to form the new Streatham team, Glynne Thomas stayed between the pipes, backstopping the Redskins to English National League glory before finally hanging up his pads in 1982.
Glynne Thomas played in two World Championship tournaments for Great Britain, 1961 in Switzerland where the team remained undefeated in Pool B and in 1976, in the Pool C trip to Poland.
While statistical figures cannot do justice to a netminder’s contribution, Glynne Thomas’s selection for the A or B All Star teams in virtually every season in which a vote was taken, to say nothing of the numerous “leading netminder” trophies he won, bear witness to his remarkable consistency. Keen eyes, sharp reflexes, agility and a cool head all added up to make Glynne Thomas the best British goalie of his generation and one of the best of all time.
In 1991, Glynne Thomas became only third netminder to be inducted into the Hall of Fame following illustrious predecessors in the immortal Jimmy Foster and Gib Hutchinson.
Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris – April 1991.
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