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Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
Bando stick, about 1845. A stick used by Thomas Thomas who played for Margam Bando Boys.
Popular across Wales, especially in Glamorgan, up until the late nineteenth century, the boisterous game of Bando was the cause of much local rivalry and violence.
Bando resembled an early form of hockey, as it involved striking a ball with a curved club (called a 'bando') across a fixed area of play before attempting to drive it into the opponents' goal. The term 'bando' derives from the French 'bande', meaning 'bent stick', and the clubs used were made of hard local woods while the ball, similar in size to today's hockey ball, was often carved from holly or box.
