John Strover

John Strover was the son of a clergyman who was serving with the Burma Rifles at the time of John’s birth. Educated at the Dragon Preparatory School, Oxford, and Cheltenham College, Strover then went to Trinity College, Oxford, where he gained an honours degree in mathematics. In 1955 he was captain of the Oxford University Hockey Club.

Strover played his cub hockey in Dorset with Poole Hockey Club and won county and representative honours with Dorset and The West. He won his first England cap in 1956 and was a regular member of the squad for two seasons, also being selected for the Great Britain squad at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. A full-back, he made his Great Britain début against his country of birth, Malaya (now Malaysia). Strover went on to play in all of Britain’s six matches in Melbourne, as they finished in fourth place.

Strover began teaching in 1955 and became a master at Harrow School in 1958 when he moved to Richmond Hockey Club and switched from full-back to the forward line because Richmond had an abundance of fine full-backs at the time. Strover also won additional county hours with Essex.

Strover became the headmaster of Kingston Grammar School in 1970, before being appointed head of the prestigious Warwick School in 1977. The school was founded in 914 AD and is one of the oldest schools in England. He retired from teaching in 1988. After his hockey days, Strover became a proficient real tennis player at the oldest purpose-built tennis club in the world, the Leamington Tennis Court Club, Leamington Spa. He was also a keen offshore sailor.