The club badge, which everyone wears so proudly on their shirts/tops was formulated in the Summer of 1982 after the merger of two clubs Ilford Hockey Club (men) and Redbridge Ladies Hockey Club. The acorn was taken from the Ladies original badge and the white horse came from the men. The men used to play in all white kit and the club was also known as the White Horses (it's name when it went on tour.) Hence the acorn at the top of the badge and the white horse at the bottom of it. However things could have been completely different! Let me explain:

During the 1981/1982 season Ilford Men's Hockey Club was going through such a disastrous stage that there was no doubt in anyone's mind that it would be seeing out it's final season. The honorary secretary at the time one Alan Wright, commented that the only way the club could be saved was by a merger with a Ladies Club. Herein lied a problem because, evidently the men had tried unsuccessfully to amalgamate several times in the past with Redbridge Ladies Hockey Club. Undeterred the secretary approached his wife's club, North East London Poly (NELP) who played at the college in Barking. Intense negotiations ensued regarding the two clubs amalgamating and making their base at Valentines Park. In the meantime, by pure coincidence, Redbridge Ladies made contact with the Ilford Secretary to express a newfound interest in merging with the men. Their change of heart came about as a result of problems securing pitches. Anyway, at one point, two Ladies Clubs were seeking to merge with the men. It is at this point I must reveal a closely guarded secret: unbeknown to anyone but the Ilford secretary, at a special EGM held at Valentines Park, NELP members had rejected the merger. However, to keep the Ladies keen to merge and to try and secure the best terms with Redbridge Ladies, the Ilford secretary kept the NELP rejection top secret. Consequently everyone thought, especially Redbridge Ladies, that they were competing with NELP. The rest of the story is now confined to history. In September 1982, Redbridge Ladies amalgamated with Ilford Men to form the club you are now part of - Redbridge and Ilford Hockey Club.

Contributed by:
Alan Wright.
Former Secretary & President.
Redbridge & Ilford Hockey Club.