Veteran sportswoman Anne Graves is poised to enter the Guinness Book of Records. This is for becoming the oldest female hockey player in the country. Anne was 73 years and seven months when she captained the fifth team of Stevenage Ladies against their Be

Veteran sportswoman Anne Graves is poised to enter the Guinness Book of Records.

This is for becoming the oldest female hockey player in the country.

Anne was 73 years and seven months when she captained the fifth team of Stevenage Ladies against their Bedford counterparts at Nobel School on Saturday lunchtime.

Ratification for her attempt is expected in around six to eight weeks.

Anne said: "Thank you to Stevenage Hockey Club for promoting me and for all their hard work. It's such an honour for me and I hope it will bring prestige to the club.

"I can't believe I'm the oldest. I used to be a decent player but I wish I had a faster pair of legs now! I play to enjoy it and for the love of the game, not the glory side of things."

Anne, whose son Paul plays for Blueharts and daughter-in-law Becky for Stevenage Ladies as well as two grandchildren for Lichfield, joined Stevenage way back in December 1951.

She continued: "I was the youngest in the team then but nowadays they are much younger.

"They are such a good bunch of girls in our team. It's nice that they accept me."

The current record for 'oldest hockey player (female)' is Renee Horam who played the entire 2006-07 season for the Crawley Ladies second XI in the Sussex Women's Hockey League, aged 72.

The result on Saturday did not go Stevenage's way though - they were beaten 5-0.