Calum will head up a new-look coaching team with Sam Djavit as Assistant Coach and Edd Thorogood as Performance & Development Manager.
Giles, a world-class penalty corner striker, retired from international hockey, following his second Olympic Games in 2000, to concentrate on his coaching career. At the time he was his country’s record leading goalscorer with 110 goals from 143 international games.
Giles said “I'm very excited about working with BOE's hockey club in order to help them to achieve their ambitions as a hockey club as well as strengthen their link with Eltham College.
“Having met Chairman Matt Wilde, Edd Thorogood and Sam Djavit, I believe the club have committed individuals who possess a desire to make BOE's not only the most successful club in the area but also the most friendly and welcoming.
“I would hope that we could achieve South Premier 1 Division status within 5 years and provide a club the junior players can admire and want to aspire to."
BOEHC Chairman & Club Captain Matt Wilde said: “Calum’s impact on the senior and junior players throughout the club, from top to bottom, will be immense.
“This is another significant chapter in the club’s continued development as our profile and reputation in the region continues to re-emerge and increase.
“Calum has incredible passion for hockey and is committed to taking the club as far as it possibly can go, and helping to make it the best it can be. These are exciting times for everyone at the club.”
BOEHC Men’s First team finished 10th in Kent/Sussex Regional Division 1 of the South Hockey League in 2014-15, having successfully won promotion in the previous season.
The appointment of Giles, who has an impressive profile in hockey in England and internationally, highlights the club’s ambitions and bold intent.
The 42-year-old coach, has a proven track-record of taking clubs into the top levels of National Hockey competition in England.
As player-coach, he led Surrey club Oxted - who he joined after the Sydney Olympics - into the national league for the first time.
Giles then joined his childhood club Havant as player-coach, taking them into the England National League Premier Division - the highest level of club hockey in the country - where they finished fourth in the 2007/2008 season.
Most recently he was player-coach at Teddington until 2013. Under Giles’ leadership the west London side won the South Hockey League Premier 1 Division title in 2010-11. That finish took the club into the England National League East Conference - the second-tier of the National club competition in England.
Calum has coached hockey at some of the country’s leading schools and is now the professional hockey coach at Eltham College. He also leads www.stickwise.com which run hockey camps in school holidays as well as hockey academies.
About Calum Giles
Calum started his hockey career at the age of five playing for OPCS in Portsmouth. He made his national league debut at the age of 18 playing for Havant Hockey Club in 1991 and his International debut at the age of 23 playing for England in 1995. He has played club hockey in England, and the Netherlands as well as Bloemfontein, South Africa and Sydney, Australia.
Calum watched the British Hockey Team in the 1984 Olympics, and was so inspired that he decided there and then, that one day he too would compete at an Olympic Games.
In 1996 he finally achieved his dream when he competed in the Atlanta Olympics. Four years later he retired after his second Olympic Games in Sydney, having played 143 international games, and scoring 110 goals. Calum retired his country’s highest goal scorer. He is considered one of the world’s best drag-flick and penalty corner specialists. A penalty corner is an important set-piece goal-scoring opportunity in hockey.
Calum Giles - Key facts:
Date of Birth 27-10-1972
Place of birth Portsmouth
Age first played hockey 5 1/2
First club played for O.P.C.S.
National league debut 1991
Club Havant
Honours Teddington
South Premier A Champions
Havant
2 Premiership Titles,
1 European Cup B Division Gold
Oxted
South Premier B Champions
South Premier A Champions
Havant
National League South Division Champions
National League Division 1 Champions
Teddington
South Premier A Champions
Year of international debut 1995
Place New Delhi, India
Major tournaments attended 1995 European Cup, Dublin
1995 Champions Trophy, Berlin
1996 Olympic Qualifier, Barcelona
1996 Olympic Games, Atlanta
1998 World Cup, Utrecht
1999 Champions Trophy, Brisbane
1999 European Cup, Padova
2000 Olympic Qualifier, Osaka
2000 Champions Trophy, Amsterdam
2000 Olympic Games, Sydney
International caps 143
International goals 110
Current sponsor Ritual Hockey, Asics and Barrington Sports.
Other interests Golf (3 handicap), music, Stickwise,