Myrna “Tiger” Brown – A Hockey Tribute

Myrna BrownTribute to Myrna ‘Tiger ‘ Brown for yeoman service to both Club and Country by St Andrew Hockey Club

“To culminate the Club’s 10 days of celebration of National Field Hockey Day we have left the best for last… None other than the legendary Myrna Brown, known in her hey-days as ‘Tiger Brown’… Myrna started her hockey career while attending St Andrew High School in the 1940s. After representing at the school level she was invited in 1948 to join a Club originally called the Griffins with their female counterparts aptly called ‘The Griffinets’. This team was comprised primarily of ladies who were married to Jamaica College (JC) old boys.

After a short stint there she moved on to play for St Andrew Hockey Club (a club which incidentally was formed through the influence of two Scottish men over 74 years ago). Myrna’s first national tour of duty was to Guyana in 1956 in the then Caribbean Championships. She went on to play for Jamaica for the next 12 years.

In her early national career she started out in the position of left wing then went on to play left half, inside right, right wing and finally settled in at right back where despite her diminutive stature, she was a force to reckon with. For her, the most memorable tournament was the Caribbean Championships held in Trinidad & Tobago just about 50 years ago. She recalls it being her best performance to date.

For many years Myrna was a mainstay in St Andrew hockey teams lineup while playing in the Hockey Association’s C, B & A Leagues. She boasts having played with some of our current players up to the mid 1980s when she finally retired.  She was a former Club captain and executive member and has served on many committees.

Myrna holds the distinction of being the oldest and longest actively serving member of the Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF) and she is still very active in her role working at the Technical Table as Tournament Director and Judge for most of the JHF & St Andrew Hockey Club competitions. Myrna has also served every administrative body for hockey in Jamaica namely the first Jamaica Hockey Association (JHA), the Jamaica Women’s Hockey Association (JWHA as Hon Secretary) and the current Jamaica Hockey Federation (JHF).

She holds the distinction of having two Life memberships, St Andrew High School Old Girls Associations and St Andrew Hockey Club.”