Which year was hockey first played?

Firstly, I'm sure that we were running around knocking pebbles with sticks long before any games were organised. You must recognise that there is field hockey in the UK and the very different hockey of the US and ice hockey.

A scribe commenting on sport for schools in the Book of Sports published in 1810 includes hockey and states he had not played it for 30 years, so that means it was in regular play in schools in the 1780s if not before. Let's not forget that records exist of it being played in Persia in 2000 BC. The first hockey club in the world was Blackheath HC in 1862, Ten years later the All Womens Hockey Association was set up.