Monsanto Hockey Club were formed around 1919, then under the name of Graesser, this being the original chemical company based in Cefn Mawr. Hockey was started by young chemical engineers who joined Graesser after the first world war.

In 1926 Monsanto, the Amercian chemical company purchased the Graesser’s chemical works and the Club became Monsanto Hockey Club.

Monsanto invented Astro Turf in 1965 and this revolutionised hockey.

The Club played their games at the Bont Ground, in Trevor below the famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

The Bont ground was developed over the years to produce two first class grass pitches with a clubhouse and the mid 1960’s Wales played an International match against Scotland at the Bont. The club also had the use for some years of another pitch nearer the chemical plant, at the side of the canal.

Club colours started off with white shirts, developing to the best known colours of red and green quartered shirts and black shorts. In the late 1970’s the club changed to red shirts with black trim and finally black with red trim.

In 1959 Monsanto Hockey Club started its Six-A-Side Tournament and this attracted teams from all over England and Wales.

In the late 1980’s the Club developed to four Men’s sides and two Ladies sides and then in the early 1990’s the men’s 1st and 2nd sides moved onto Astro-Turf pitches.

The Club became the first Men’s team in North Wales to win the Welsh Cup in 1970 after being in the Final the previous year.

They beat Swansea in the Final after beating Newport and Cardiff away in the quarter and semi-finals.

They then became the first North Wales Club to win the Welsh Indoor Cup in 1972.

Monsanto record was unequalled in North Wales, winning more North Wales Leagues and North Wales Cups then any other side.

In 1993 the Men’s 1st X1 left the North Wales League and joined the North West League and then the North League.

In their final season as Monsanto Hockey Club in 2000, they reached the Welsh Cup Final for the first time since winning the Cup and although they lost in the Final, they did gain entry into the European Cup Winners Cup.

Wrexham Glyndwr Hockey Club

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