To mark the 25th anniversary of the tragic passing of much-loved hockey goalkeeper Eddie Rosen, his former teammates have come together to create something joyful:
Big Eddie’s Joke Book.
The book raises awareness and funds for Meningitis Research Foundation and is a tribute to Eddie’s sense of humour. One of those teammates is Ollie Davies, who shares his memories of Eddie and the story behind the joke book.
Remembering Eddie
Eddie was the heart of our Arsenal in the Community hockey group in the late 1990s. He was always in the jump seat of the minibus, cracking jokes, lifting spirits and pulling everyone together. He was a thoroughly pleasant person with a brilliant sense of humour. All of us in the hockey group were from different backgrounds but it didn’t matter. That hockey scheme brought us together and Eddie helped bind us with laughter and friendship. He helped us grow as individuals and he brought people together.
A life cut short
When Eddie died of meningitis in 1999 at just eighteen years old, it hit us hard. I still remember the phone call – where I was, who called. Child mortality shouldn’t be something we’re still facing.
It took years to process the loss but through the sadness, we found ways to remember him with joy. We’ve held a memorial hockey match every year since and it’s become a way of reconnecting, remembering and raising awareness. It’s not just a hockey match - it’s a celebration of who Eddie was and what he meant to us.
This summer, we’re hosting a full weekend tournament in Eastbourne in June, with adult and junior competitions, as well as our usual memorial match in London in July. Eddie’s memory lives on not just in us, but in the next generation.
Big Eddie’s Joke Book
We wanted to do something different this year. Something joyful. That’s where the joke book came in.
It was Ben Wibley’s idea: “Wouldn’t it be great if we did something funny?” And it just clicked – a book full of jokes, celebrating Eddie’s fun-loving spirit. Eddie was about joy, friendship and community. What better way to honour him than with a joke book – and one powered by the next generation of kids?
There’s something really special about the Arsenal Hockey Club. It’s always been about mentoring the next generation – youngsters coming up, playing with the older ones and then coming back to mentor others. That same spirit is in this book: it’s full of jokes by kids, for kids.
We had a problem, though. We didn’t have enough jokes. So, as a teacher, I turned to my students. We talked about charity and I asked them to contribute some jokes and they came flooding in. Friends of the Gunners at other schools in the country got involved and collected jokes from their pupils too. Soon, we had whole chapters of jokes from kids up and down the country.
Illustrations by Maddie
The drawings in the book were done by my daughter,
Maddie, who was nine when we started and is now eleven. She’s heard all the stories and knows how much Eddie meant to us, so when I asked her to help, she jumped at the chance.
Working on this together with Maddie has been one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done. It’s brought together my past, my family, my school and this amazing community Eddie helped create.
Eddie’s legacy of laughter
We love getting together. We love remembering our youth and we love remembering Eddie and his funny spirit. He’s still part of that joy.
25 years is a long time. But if you asked Eddie what he’d want – people sitting around feeling sad, or people telling stories and having a laugh – I think we all know the answer. He’d want us giggling, remembering the jokes he told in the back of that minibus. I think Eddie would love that he’s still bringing people together.
A team effort
I can’t take credit for the idea, that was Ben, but it’s brought us all together in a beautiful way. I’m just a small cog in all of this. Ben Whibley, Sam Jennings, Darren Holden – they’ve been the driving forces behind it for years. And of course, Michael Rosen (Eddie’s Dad) – he’s stayed connected, supported us and found time for us.
This joke book came to life thanks to the children in schools, the illustrations by Maddie and the whole Arsenal hockey crew. I acted as the editor – pulling it together and working with the publisher – but it’s really been a community effort.
My favourite joke from the book
My favourite joke in the book is hard to choose. One that always makes me chuckle is: “I ordered a chicken and an egg off Amazon. I’ll let you know.”
My favourite chapter in the book contains jokes like our very own “Uncle Fred”, our coach Freddie Hudson. He was the one-man band of the Arsenal hockey team. He was the coach, the minibus driver and our mentor. Without him, there was no Arsenal hockey club. He was also a really funny man and would sit up in the front of the bus and tell jokes. His chapter is great.
My absolute favourite joke, though, is a joke that Eddie used to tell himself, which appears in Michael’s foreword. That’s the one I really think of when I think of this book and of Eddie, and it makes us consider what humour is and can be.
Why we’re raising awareness
Raising awareness of meningitis matters. The year Eddie died, there was a wider outbreak and another player in our hockey community died too. We want to keep the conversation going because awareness can save lives. Eddie would have loved the joke book. He was all about fun, community and the next generation. It’s not just remembering Eddie, it’s celebrating him with laughter and connection.