Hockey player John Osborn readily admits he was a “late starter” in the sport.

The 49-year-old began playing the game only in 2011 but since then he has certainly made up for lost time.

So much so that he is now in his first season as chairman of Stroud Hockey Club, has been a regular in their 2nd XI for the past six or seven years, and has captained the club’s summer league mixed team for eight years.

That’s a pretty impressive CV for the former Wycliffe College pupil, so how did he start playing hockey and why did he join Stroud?

“It was a chance meeting with someone who plays,” he explained. “He said why don’t I come along to Stroud and give it a go.”

That chance meeting was with Rob Fynn, Stroud’s head coach and now good friend of Osborn, with Osborn initially going to the club in the February just for a bit of fitness.

But by the start of the new season he was ready to play.

“I played for the 3rds,” said Osborn. “They hadn’t been going for too long, I think they were in their second season.”

Osborn played as a midfielder or forward and he soon proved that he was a quick learner.

“I like to think I’m a bit of a sponge, I like to learn,” he said. “It took me a while to become tactically astute, but I like team sport and I like the social side.”

And he enjoyed scoring goals.

“I scored a few but I was by no means a natural,” he insisted.

These days he’s playing right-back or left-back for the club’s 2nds, who play in West Men’s Cotswold Division 1, and he’s enjoying it.

“I was given the opportunity and I want to improve,” he said.

“There’s quite a big gap between the divisions. It’s quicker at this level, there are a lot of good players about.”

So does he have aspirations to play for the 1^st XI?

“Absolutely not,” he said with a laugh. “I’m far too old and nowhere near good enough.”

The flagship men’s team play in West Men’s Division 2 East and include Osborn’s oldest son Joe, who is a goalkeeper.

Osborn senior obviously wants to see the team do as well as possible, but as chairman and a committed clubman he wants all the club’s teams to do as well as possible.

The ladies’ 1^st XI play in Berkeley Division 1 of the West Women’s League – Osborn’s partner Angharad Roberts plays for them – and Osborn, a project manager for a software company, said: “I want to drive the club forward.

“I don’t want to stagnate, we’re looking to expand the number of teams.”

That’s something that could well happen in the not-too-distant future because the junior section is thriving.

“The numbers are amazing, the juniors are something we’re very proud of,” said dad-of-three Osborne, whose second son has just started with the club.

“We want to be a family club and I think we’re getting better all the time.

“One of the things I want to encourage is parents of young children to keep on playing hockey.

“I understand why they might want to stop because of all their extra commitments but my message to them is to bring their kids down to the club, we’re very welcoming.”

They are also competitive on the pitch.

“I want our teams to be playing at as high a level as they can,” he said. “I want them to be playing at a level they deserve to play.”

Osborn said that his oldest son is “desperate to be as good as he can be”, while his partner Angharad, who also captains the summer league’s mixed team, has been a major player at the club for a long time.

“She’s a defender, she’s good,” said Osborn, who lives in Chalford. “She’s been playing for many years.”

The ladies, like the men, run three league teams, while the mixed team play in the Gloucester City Summer League.

Osborn is expected to remain chairman for two years and he said: “I’m proud to be chairman, it’s an honour.”