New Season
The hockey season is back, and you can follow it all with us right here on BIH.
Stats Centre
We are working on an archive of matches, stats and players from BIH in the past few years.
My first blog
My Names Mat and I have been an ‘accidental hockey fan’ since 1987/1988 (as I’m 21 year old that’s not bad) ;)
I gained a ticket, as my sister didn’t want to go, and I have been hooked ever since. From the days sitting on the link centre gallery – with my dad and grandad, with flasks of tea, and ham and mustard sandwiches , wishing I could glide up and down the ice with the grace of scott koberinski or louis haman (maybe there was a glint of Kel Land in there (no I don’t like fighting for those who know me and him) (but I like the sight of my blood…)) and to the songs of ‘YO JOE WAY TO GO’
Over the years that followed, I (along with my dad) followed the wildcats up and down the country, the most memorable for me, a road trip to Peterborough, and then up to Glasgow (Eagles) where we won 25-0!
The trip back was as memorable, thick fog so you couldn’t see the wipers on the car window… what we did see was the coach carrying the team on the side of the road, after a near miss – I really knew that day how much I loved the sport
In 1996 I started playing, it was recreational however I had achieved a dream (by the time I was good the wildcats over looked me due to age) ;)
I know work for myself and free time is hard to come by (especially with three kids and sharing time with my wife) but I still attend, I now sponsor the wildcats I attended the games and I play when I can but my love and my passion is still there, I take new people there when I can, the thing I love most about the sport is the passion of all, the fact you can have laugh and harass the other supporters and have a beer after (although I will say this was annoyed about the behaviour of a certain teams players in an off ice spat with spectators last season)
This is the sport I love; I will always love (and having been to Toronto and the Ice Hockey ‘hall of fame’ I want to move there)
And now to my first blog!
Player changes at the Link Centre have not been the only new thing we will see, with an updated programme and new catchy name for the rink, it's shameful to see the council owned rink has not had any cosmetic or repair work done to help out the handwork of a mainly voluntary team at 'The Lair'.
The speaker system is quite poor quality (still) and sounds like a weekend with a hungover train announcer (not the cats announcers fault) who really would rather be at home than having to tell three people that their train is late, not to mention the lack of compressors to keep the ice cool and the pool warm, this seems to be a annual issue with the centre, one wonders why 7 years ago the swindon sports collaboration (Swindon Town The Ice hockey club and Swindon Speedway) were denied planning permission to build a state of the art olympic size ice rink/football pitch and speedway stadium, ironically which would have boosted the local economy now we have the olympics, (hindsight eh?)
My next concern is Sky's televised Ice Hockey from the Elite League, for years we hockey fans have been proud that with what little money there has been in the sport, we have had a sport we can be proud of and that is affordable.
When we look at the difference between wages and purchase prices, since Sky and other TV companies by into price wars with who gets the most rights over matches, the little clubs have been left out for years and are left to struggle paying and keeping players that have little passion left for their game.
Surely the Ice Hockey Governing body in their wisdom (until the view was obstructed by pound signs i guess) should have argued that the little teams should have some viewing time and money to, share and share alike.
As someone who is working alongside the Wildcats to protect their interests, (for little or no fee at all - just for the love of the club) I will be looking at other ways to get revenue lost by this to help not just this club but others in the lower (below elite) league too.
Refereeing - a very taboo subject. I am a fan of the free flow game, I am also a fan that loves the fight, it happens it's part of our game - how many other games can you have a quick scrap then ten minutes later shake hands and have a beer as though nothing has happened?
However, The referee is there for the safety of the players, which mens making calls that will make you unpopular, to either one or both teams!
After watching another game (following on from last season) certain refs have to spend less time flirting with the players and arranging after match drinks and concentrating on what calls they are making, not mention making sure they are making the right ones.
Saying that, | have to say after 10 years or so of being a member of the " i don't like cloutman club" i have decided to hand in my membership and maybe that mellowing does come with age… although 10 years to learn the rules is a slight to long! :) you know i like you Cloutman, really I do, however i will still wear my refs top, armbands and googley glasses!
Youngb10od (Mat Young)
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-3 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-5 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-4 |
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| 12th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
2-4 |
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| 11th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
5-8 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
4-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
5-2 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
3-7 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
1-1 |
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| 19th March 2006 19:00 | ||
| Club | GP | W | L | OL | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|
- Adam Walker
- Alex Birch
- Andy Pierce
- Chris Gent
- Christopher Beal
- Craig Simpson
- Dave Simms
- Elliott Stanley
- Gareth Chalmers
- James Broughton
- James Gordon
- Katy Madgwick
- Luke Catterson
- Mark Briggs
- Mark Duell
- Mat Young
- Patrick Smyth
- Promotion
- Russ Morrell
- Seanna Murdock
- Stephen Dowson
- Stewart Roberts
- Tom Forster
- Vicki Smart
- William Lyon
