L ONDON, UK – As the doors to England’s oldest ice rink prepare to close for the final time. Streatham Redskins defenseman and Pro Hockey News columnist David Carr writes about saying goodbye to a piece of history.
The Arena in it%27s glory
In life we are often faced with countdowns. Some are positive and can vary from small things such as waiting for your microwave to ting signalling dinner time, or the wait for pregnancy to pass and a baby entering the world. Mixed with the good there is of course the bad, like waiting for a hospital operation or the last days of an exotic holiday slipping away faster than you can say ‘grey skies and drizzle in Gatwick’.
The closure of Streatham Ice Rink is now less than a month away and after years of indecision and wrangling, the time has finally come for the 81 year old facility to face the might of the demolition ball. Only the Grade II listed facade will survive from an arena that has hosted ice hockey pretty much since its inception.
For some the destruction of the rink will mark a milestone of a saga that in many ways will still rumble on years afterwards or until a new permanent rink resides in SW16.
The fear is of another episode similar to the one that took place a few miles away in Richmond when the rink was demolished in 1992, and despite promises at the time it is still to be replaced 19 years later.
Such cynicism is justified however regardless of what will happen in the future, the most important thing is that the final weeks of Streatham Ice Rink are cherished and remembered in the right way.
Scoreboard and refurb in late 70%27s
Now I am the first to admit that of all of the people involved with the ice hockey team I am probably the least qualified person to give a longstanding viewpoint on the famous rink that has only a handful of competitive ice hockey matches remaining to host.
My three years of service to the Redskins added to the fact I never played junior hockey in South London mean that my viewpoint does not take into account the majesty or history of the rink in years gone by.
The Streatham Ice Rink I first observed when I walked in during the summer of 1997 was not a pretty sight. The pictures I had seen of a grand old rink with seating on all sides, a suspended score board and ornate staircases in each corner looked to be figments of imagination or at worse a falsehood, but as this was long before packages like photo shop enabled such illusions, it was clear that this rink had been gutted to a shell of its former glory.
I was there when the Redskins finally returned after a twelve year absence thanks to the hard work and dedication of some ex-players and fans as they made the best of the facilities in 2004. I lined up for Oxford that evening and we managed to beat the newly formed Skins 5-2 but I will never forget the emotion and noise on display that evening. It was one of those moments when you know you have been part of something special.
Whilst the memories of Richmond are still raw for many within the London hockey community, I have my own experience of bitter rink closures from my childhood in the North East of England where I bore witness to the closure of the iconic Durham Ice Rink and later the facility at Sunderland where I spent many hours skating and playing hockey.
To have a rink that hosted one of the greatest ice hockey clubs this country has ever seen, ripped out and replaced by a bowling alley just about sums up the frustrating history of rinks and hockey teams in the UK.
Old time players return
At the time I admit I was a teenager who thought that Durham was a dump of a rink that did not warrant a reprieve from the commercial pressures of a facility located on prime land in the beautiful city centre. I had played there until the age of 14 before transferring to Sunderland where we had many battles with Durham from Under 14’s to senior hockey up until 1996.
The year it closed I started to attend college across the road and I remember seeing parts of the famous zamboni and boards lying on the ground unwanted and unloved. It was a tragic sight.
Maybe due to the bitter games between Sunderland and Durham over the years I confess I had no sympathy for the closure of the windswept battered rink with its permanently smashed windows, terrible ice, splinter infested seats, rampant mice and pigeon population and at times hostile fans. I just figured that the players would join other teams and we would all move on.
I can now look back and lament the loss of Durham ice rink without the shades of hockey rivalry distorting the view, and the fact the shell of the building still remains by the side of the River Wear only hammers home the tragedy that no rink exists in the city to this day.
Like Durham, the rink at Streatham has been the butt of jokes for its shabby state for years but as an adult (well in years anyway) I can now appreciate its heritage and history and I will no doubt shed a tear when the front doors are padlocked for the last time.
Others may not agree with my sentiment. Streatham is also windswept, has its fair share of mice and the fans can also be quite hostile. Fans from visiting teams don’t like visiting the place and away teams complain about the boards, the locker rooms and the fact that the showers seem to pump endless cold water through the pipes.
The current Skins
Despite all of this, the signs of its former splendour are all visible if you look hard enough. Aside from the listed front of the building, the roof is magnificent despite the layers of filth that hide its beauty. The overhanging balcony on both sides of the rink give a small hint of what the arena used to be like and most of all the smell is what captures the senses.
The smell is hard to describe but most hockey players and fans that grew up at rinks like Kirkcaldy, Murrayfield, Whitley Bay and the old Nottingham rink will probably know what I mean. I think it may have something to do with the rubber floor tiles, damp and sweat from hire skates but I could be wrong.
If I am dreading the closure of Streatham Ice Rink then I can only imagine how the rest of the team and supporters will react when the time comes. People who have shed more blood sweat and tears than I have over my three years with the team.
People, who have met their partners, split up with their partners and even made love to their partners within the confines of the rink. People who have devoted their time, money and passion to a rink and a team to ensure that hockey continues in this part of the world.
These people will feel the pain of the closure like those in Durham did all those years ago.
There will be an ‘End of an Era’ game at the Arena on 18 December 2011 featuring some real Redskins legends from the past. This will be an emotional night of Streatham Ice Hockey and anyone who has been involved with the club or hockey in the UK should make every effort to send off one of the UK’s oldest ice rinks in style.
The current Redskins team are still scheduled to play in Slough on the same evening but are doing everything possible to change this. If the worst happens then we will board the bus in our kit with skate guards on and head straight to London to join the game in it’s latter stages. What a sight that will be as the current Redskins step straight of the bus on to the ice with guys from yesteryear that gave blood sweat and tears for that famous jersey in that famous rink.
I doubt there will be a dry eye in the house.
To keep an eye on player announcements and also read the ‘My Rink’ series of interviews that reflect on individual memories please visit the Streatham Redskins website: www.streatham-redskins.co.uk
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
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