Dale was more famous locally for his high-class cricket performances with Peterborough Town and Barnack. He was also one of the star table tennis players in the area in his day.
But it was hockey that led Dale to Australia and Italy and two defeats in play-offs for the bronze medal. Not that agonising failure ruined his experiences, particularly in Melbourne.
Dale said: "It was quite staggering to parade in front of 135,000 people at Melbourne Cricket Ground. I was standing right near the cricket square and realised that was the closest I'd ever get to the famous MCG wicket.
"Even the trip to Australia was an adventure. It was more like a World cruise as we stopped in America, Fiji and Hawaii on the way there and in Singapore, Calcutta and Indonesia on the way back."
Meet more Olympians: Chief Sports Writer Alan Swann has traced sportsmen and sportswomen who attended the Olympics while living in the Peterborough area.
The full article contains 174 words and appears in Peterborough ET newspaper.
