Bristol Ice Rinks Past
& Present
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BRISTOL
– COLISEUM
Address:
The Coliseum, Park Row, Bristol.
Opened: 22 November 1934
Ice Size: 155ft x 65ft
( Length 150 –160ft)
Spectator Capacity: 900
Seating Capacity: 200
Ice Hockey – First Match :
15 January 1937: Bristol Bears 3 v. Bristol
Cubs 2 (exhibition)
Closed : 24 November 1940
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Bristol
Bears |
3 |
Bristol
Cubs |
2 |
BRISTOL
Mecca-John Nike Leisuresport
Address:
Bristol Ice Rink, Frogmore Street, Bristol BS1
5NA
Opened: 21 April 1966
Ice Size: 180ft x 80ft (55m
x 24m)
Spectator Capacity: 650 (1,000
in 1966)
Seating Capacity: 150
Ice Hockey – First Match :
(SL), 6 December 1971 (behind closed doors):
Bristol Redwings
6 v. Oxford University 5 )
15 January 1972: Bristol Redwings 4 v. Blackpool
Seagulls 2 |
Bristol
Redwings |
4 |
Blackpool
Seagulls |
2 |
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Teams
Through The Ages |
Bristol
Bears 1936-38 |
Challenge
games |
Bristol
Bombers 1938-39 |
Challenge
games |
Bristol
Redwings 1971-76 |
1971-74
Southern League
1974-76 Southern ‘A’ League |
Avon
Arrows 1974-82 |
1974/75
Southern ‘B’ League
1975-78 Southern ‘A’ League
1978-82 Inter-City ‘A’ League |
Avon
Darts 1975-81 |
1975-78
Southern ‘B’ League
1978-81 Inter-city ‘B’ League |
Bristol
Royals 1981-82 |
Reformed
Team Originally From Brighton |
Bristol
Blackhawks 1982-83 |
1982/83
British League – Division 1 –Withdrew |
Bristol
Phantoms 1984-91 |
1984-86
British League Division 2 – South
1986-88 British
League Division 2 – Midlands
1988/89 English League
Division 2 – South- East
1989-91 English League Division
3 – Central
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Bristol
Bulldogs 1992-93 |
1992/93
English League-Conference ‘A’ |
Junior
Clubs
Through The Ages |
Bristol
Demons |
1983-87
& 1989-91 English Junior League
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Bristol
Devils
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1984-87
English Pee-Wee League
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Bristol
Demons |
1987/88
English Pee-Wee League
Bristol 1991/92 English Pee-Wee League
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Bristol
Beagles |
1993-08
English Under – 14 Conference/ League
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Bristol
Devils |
1988-91
English Under- 12 League
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Bristol
Puppies |
1992-94
& 1995-2001 English Under-12 Conference/League
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Bristol
Huskies |
2001-
07 English Under-12 League |
Bristol
Boxers |
1995/96
and 1998-2008
English Under-19 League |
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HONOURS |
Avon
Arrows 1974/75 |
Champions
Southern ‘B’ League |
Beagles
1999/2000 |
Winners
English Under-14 ‘B’ League – South |
Boxers
2003-04 |
Winners
English Under-19 ‘B’ League – South |
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Community
Project News |
Project
News |
The
community project hit the road 24th October 2008
at the Metropolitan College.
Click
here to read more
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BRISTOL
– COLISEUM 1934 - 1940
Tentative
enquires by young enthusiastic skaters, and Canadians resident
in the area, regarding ice hockey were discouraged. The Coliseum
management would not risk the financial outlay, citing the small
ice surface and insufficient seating to make the game pay.
Then, nearly halfway into the 1936/37 season rink manager Angus
Baxter approached Ronald May, a speed skater, saying he wished
to try the experiment of a Friday evening exhibition game. Buy
their own equipment the local lads were coached by the more
experienced Canadians Les Keel ( a lanky Defender), Norm Plummer,
Jack Tweedie and Roy Button. Three inter-club exhibitions between
Bears and Cubs in the late January and February were well received
by press and public, although the standard was low. Cubs then
merged with the Bears.
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With
a badge depicting an aggressive bear on their blue and white uniforms
Bear were defeated 5-3 on the 26th February 1937 by their first
visitors, Earls court Marlborough’s. Three more encounters were
lost, before the team gelled in a 4-4 tie with Richmond. This
was followed by bears’ first victory, as earls court lost 3-1
in the return on 9 April, the last game of the season.
Next winter the rink took over the management of bears. Seating
capacity was increased and stronger opposition found for sixteen
challenge games at Bristol. |
Goaltender Bruce Thompson arrived from Canada to be joined by
fellow countrymen Murray Munro, Danny Muir and Johnny Hunter and
a little later George Acott and Gus McLeod. Attendances increased
with wins over Cambridge and London provincial league sides earls
court, Sussex and United hospitals. Birmingham Maple Leafs proved
too good, beating bears on all three trips to the Coliseum. Two
minutes of the final periods of the 4-4 deadlock with the sponsored
Philco Radio team, were broadcast on the West Region of the BBC
Home Service. Attendances were reported as capacity at around
1,200. In February, Tommy Grace, an Englishman, joined for 3 matches
and scored 3 goals.With
the rink unsure as to whether to continue promoting hockey, the
final peacetime campaign did not commence until 9 December. Bears
became Bombers – the squad was now composed of Canadians serving
in the RAF. Bill Chowen took over in goal, with other changes
being Don Ross and Ron McPherson at the centre and Don Hamilton
and Jack Tennian on the right wing. Richmond , Earls Court and
United Hospitals were all well beaten . Bournemouth stags went
down 15-1 on 6 January. In the New Year Wembley United and London
select visited the Coliseum. Next month Bombers travelled north
to take on Glasgow Mohawks and Perth Panthers of the pro Scottish
National League. They lost 13-5 and 6-1 respectively. Upon their
return home Bombers were downed on 10 March by the odd goal in
nine by Wembley Colts. The Coliseum was
destroyed on 24 November 1940 by enemy action during an air
raid in the second world war. |
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BRISTOL
FROGMORE STREET
The rink
located on the first floor, originally as part of a multi-purpose
entertainment complex, developed by Mecca within a concrete-clad
building. The fabric did not lend itself to ice hockey as the
barriers presented a plastic sloping face to the ice and the
first floor bar overhung one end. |
Mecca’s
apathy to the sport was overcome after the amateur Southampton
Redwings were shown the door at their Rank-owned rink. In November
1971 a phone call, then a quick dash to Bristol by Colin Bennett
and Tony Highmore, resulted in the ice for Practice. Courageous
rink manager Barrie Wilson braved head office to permit the
staging of matches in front of the public from January. The
first such attracted a crowd of around 600. Most came back for
more .
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‘
Wings achieved respectable position in the league over the next
four years, including a runners-up slot in the second winter.
Experienced players living nearby, and sometimes not so near,
joined, including Devon-based ex- Glasgow Dynamos Tom Taylor.
Swedish-born Hans Kedelv and Canadian Walter Dirks, Both aged
twenty-four , signed for 1973/74. Veteran ex-pros Roy Shepherd
and Mike O’Brien, both in their early forties, iced a few times
in the next winter. The biggest attendance, recorded before
Redwings decamped back to Southampton, occurred in the final
campaign when 700 turned up on 7th February to watch them take
on the Avon Arrows.
From autumn
1971 local skaters were encouraged to take up hockey. Several
joined Redwings prior to the founding of the local Avon club
in January 1974. The Wiltshire family provided massive support
behind the scenes as Stan sr had watched the sport at the pre-war
Coliseum. Arrows first entered the ‘B’ League for a season before
taking Redwings’ place at the higher level. Under-23 Darts replaced
Arrows.
John Livley had picked up the basics of hockey in Canada. Goalie
Chris Lowden, Paul Farmer on Defence and Seventeen-year-old
Steve Couzens had previously iced with the Redwings. Arrows
won the ‘ B’ League at their first attempt in 75. During their
eight years in existence Arrows hovered mid-table, slipping
a little by the early 1980s. Canadian students in the city helped
out.
One of the most talented – Paul White, a twenty-three- year-old
drama student, at left-wing, topped the inaugural Inter-City
League in points with 33 (25+8) for 1978/79. He also gained
an All-Star ‘A’ team placing. Canadian teenage defenceman Richard
Tucker, a pupil at nearby public school, amassed most goals
and assists for Arrows during 1981/82 with 34 points. |
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Following
the success of ice hockey at their refurbished Streatham rink,
Mecca installed Britain’s second set of pexi-glass at Bristol
in 1981.
Two attempts at launching semi-pro hockey have not been successful,
no doubt due to the limited seating, some with restricted views
of the ice, and the generally basic off-ice facilities.
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At
the beginning of 1982/83 Nick Harris, a Canadian-born member
of the now defunct Arrows, entered Blackhawks into the Heineken-sponsored
British League – Division 1. The enterprise, backed by Ian Wright
Sponsorship to the tune of £6,000, Failed after three months.
Casual management was probably a factor.
The rink closed on the 31st August 1991. Purchased by John Nike
Leisursesport (owners of Bracknell) it reopened in April 1992
with ex-Bee Jamie Crapper(Craiper) as manager. By early autumn
Bristol Bulldogs were ready. Good imports in Derek Higdon and
Darren Mattias, with Lee Odelein as coach and the hockey programme
co-ordinator, were leavened with former Avon Arrows. These included
Robbie Morris, the best of the locals, Paul Farmer, Justin Young
and Tim Steadman.
Winning 19 of their 32 games, to finish runners-up to longer-established
Solihull, in Conference ‘A’ of the English League, was no mean
accomplishment. With home game attendances running at 200-400
spectators and lacking major sponsorship, expenditure outstripped
income. Bulldogs withdrew from further competition.
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Youth
hockey continued to grow with occasional gaps in continuity at
some age levels. The club did how ever produce some top class
players , The Hargreaves family( Rich, mike and younger sister
Becci) , the Smith Brothers,( Mike & Adi) and others like
Greg Rockman, Matt Van Der Velden , Geoff O’Hara Who all went
on to have great success in British Ice Hockey ( Rich Hargreaves
) was and still is the only Bristol born out field Player to play
more than 200 games in the Elite League to date .the Beagles were
also particularly successful in millennium year, winning 15 of
their 16 league games. How ever, lacking a ‘ senior’ team, Bristol’s
over -19-year olds need to travel further field to continue their
chosen sport…
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