Jo Nightingale was born on 17 March 1963 and qualified as P.E. Teacher after attending the Chelsea School of Human Movement from 1983 to 1987, obtaining a BEd Physical Education.

She first appeared in the Sutton Coldfield Ladies 1st team in the 1982-83 season and also played for Staffordshire in their Indoor team that season. She continued playing in the Sutton 1st team until around 1998, although her flair for coaching had surfaced as early as 1995 when she was appointed England’s Under-18 squad’s coach.

In the 1997-98 season, Jo was appointed the Sutton Club’s 1st team’s coach, while still playing in that team as well as the Club’s Indoor Coach. By 2000, Jo was appointed Director of Coaching at the Sutton Club and it would be a paid position and by the following year she had set up a Coaching Manual, she continued coaching the Sutton Coldfield Ladies 1st team until 2006.

During Jo’s hockey playing career she played with an exceptionally talented Sutton Coldfield team in the 1990 Women's Cup (National Clubs Championship finals) held in Bournemouth and in 1991 Jo was part of the team’s first visit to play in Europe and in 1992 she was again playing in the Sutton club’s success in winning the Womens European Cup Winners Cup in Vaught in the Netherlands. She was also a regular playing for Staffordshire and the Midlands.

Jo was affectionally known as Jo-90, as the ID she used when attending the Club’s various meetings after the Anderson’s 1968–1969 British science-fiction television series - Joe 90.

Jo held a number of posts within the SCLHC; Match Secretary in 1988, moving to Youth Officer and Equipment Officer in 1989. However, in the following year the post of Youth Officer was not required due to organisation of Youth Teams, so Jo’s Mother, Betty, took over the equipment officers’ post. Jo was elected as Social Secretary and the Club’s representative and spokesperson at the Typhoo National League meetings in London. In 1994 she took on the Club’s Membership Secretaryship, a post she held until 2000

Jo was a very passionate coach who obtained her level 4 coaching award in 1997, something very few other coaches were able to acheive. She had considerable success coaching a number of clubs across the Midlands including Sutton Coldfield ladies, Aldridge ladies, Lichfield men’s and Barford Tigers men’s and head coach to the Welsh Senior Ladies National side in 2010. Jo would coach Wales at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, their first appearance. Jo's coaching career included being the assistant coach to England Under-18 tour of South Africa in 1998.

Jo made a huge contribution to Coach Education and development in her roles as Head Tutor for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 coach candidates as well as becoming an Internal Verifier. She was an excellent coach developer and trainer of tutors and assessors for England Hockey, known at the time as one of the top coach educators in the Country. Jo was among the few female coaches respected to deliver groundbreaking coach education programmes when they were first introduced. She was passionate, knowledgeable, inspirational, motivational and selfless in her dedication to those who were fortunate to be coached by her.

In later years, prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, Jo was the Finchfield Hockey Club’s coach for a number of years and she would always give her after the match assessment on the umpires in charge of the game. Some of the umpires did not always measure up to the standard she considered was essentials and was quite prepared to discuss it with officials in a polite but positive attitude.

Jo died very suddenly on the 18th July 2023, while out walking her dog, something she always enjoyed doing. She will be sadly missed, in particular within the hockey fraternity.

Peter Bell - August 23
SCHC Historian

Jo’s funeral is on Tuesday 12th September 2023, 3.30 pm at Perry Barr Crematorium, B42 2LR