John Balmer

John Balmer came from a well-known County Durham family of farmers and butchers, and his own father Peter was a local County Councillor. John played hockey during his time at Leeds University where he met his future wife Connie Voase, an athlete who competed at the 1933 University Games at Torino.

After university, Balmer became a schoolmaster at Wolsingham School in Durham, where he was educated as a youngster. He was later a science master at Leeds University.

A fine cricketer, Balmer was captain of the Crook first XI. He played club hockey locally for Bishop Auckland and had previously captained the Leeds University team. Balmer also played county hockey for Yorkshire during his time at university and later captained his native Durham.

Balmer had a hockey trial with England but, because of his maternal grandfather, was also eligible to play for Scotland and he made his début for them against England at Paisley in 1939. He won eight caps in total and in 1947 had the honour of captaining his country.

Balmer later became a highly respected hockey umpire in Britain and on the Continent and umpired some high-profile matches including the 1958 Oxford v Cambridge Varsity match and the 1963 County Championship final between Surrey and Devon. Balmer was a founder member of the Durham and Northumberland Hockey Umpires Association and was later president of both them and the Durham Hockey Association. He officiated at both the 1964 and 1968 Olympics, and umpired the Pakistan v Spain semi-final at the first of those Games.

An annual club competition for the John Balmer Trophy in his memory is contested by teams in the Wearside and Teesside areas of the north-east of England.