Streatham future no clearer after talks

LONDON, UK –  In much the same way that Scottish people are always described as brave in the media, English people could reasonably be described as apathetic. As an Englishman myself, I have followed the characteristic route of my countrymen throughout my life. If something has annoyed me, I will write a whinging letter. If someone has upset me, I will bitch about it in private to friends, or silently simmer in my own company using internet forums as an outlet.
 
In short, I am not a man of action. I look on with disdain, at people bothering to march on the streets of London for a cause they feel strongly about. I frown at people who can be bothered to form resident committee’s or action groups. The only time I have shown any principles was a ludicrous boycott of Sugar Puffs cereal, and this was not because they taste revolting and are a step towards diabetes. Oh no, not for me the sensible principled stand based on sound moral reason, but the fact they released an advert of the Honey Monster donning a Newcastle United shirt, which was enough for a ten year ban of their product in Carr Towers.    
 

It has been a long time coming, but on Wednesday something finally clicked inside my selfish mind that made me head down to Streatham on the train. I have seen a number of ice rinks close in my thirty years on this planet and to be honest I have had enough. Every rink I have played at has either closed or has been threatened with closure, and for what?
 
Durham ice rink, once home of the mighty Durham Wasps was shut down and turned into a bowling alley. Sunderland ice rink, home of the Chiefs and a multitude of hockey teams was closed down to be turned into an indoor football pitch. Billingham ice rink, closed for refurbishment at present. Will it reopen ?
 
It isn’t even a case of the North getting stitched up. In London, Alexandra Palace is under constant threat of closure due to the ice plant being left to rot. Richmond rink shut in 1992 with promises of a replacement (no sign as yet), and Lee Valley is probably the only stable ice rink in the capital despite being the least used.
 
The room was packed with people, sat at tables facing a panel on a stage. The panel consisted of the local councillors and a host from ‘Streatham Action’. A loose agenda was followed until the moment we had all waited for arrived, the ice rink proposals. In essence the message was that there was no message. Tesco who own the rink basically call the shots and given the fact that their representative didn’t show up, it was pretty much the equivalent of holding an Iraq enquiry without Tony Blair present.
 
The major positive of the evening was the representation of the hockey teams at the meeting. In a country where sportsmen and women are often derided for their selfish attitudes, how refreshing it was to see not only the Redskins fans in numbers but also players from all the different teams that play out of Streatham including our imports. The councillors really got a taste of the frustration and anger from the users of the ice rink, including me and my big mouth (apathy, what apathy?). The outstretched arms of a young figure skater pleading with them to think of the local youth struck a chord with many in the room, as did the articulate words from various representatives from the women’s and junior hockey clubs.
 
The oddballs were there in force, as were the political enemies of the panel, however if nothing else, the panel can be left in no doubt of the strength of feeling from the ice users of the Streatham ice rink. The Redskins and their fans put up a good showing and we made up a significant percentage of the room. The main issue revolves around whether Tesco will build a new rink, before they demolish the old one. In the mean time the old High Road facility edges closer and closer to being condemned as a safety risk and many people urged the council to oversee repairs and maintenance to ensure its longevity. The problem is the council do not own the rink, Tesco do, and they are responsible for its management. Much scribbling and note taking took place from the councillors on the panel, so hopefully they can feed that back to Tesco. I am sure I was not alone in coming away with the impression that the council are quite powerless to take on such a large corporation, and it seemed that whilst well meaning, the council seem toothless in this respect.
 
Tesco have a board meeting in March which could ultimately decide the future of not only the existing rink in Streatham, but also any plans for the new rink. I would urge all hockey fans to sign the petition below regardless of where you live. The UK has lost far too many rinks for Streatham to lose its ice continuity.
 
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/keep-streatham-skating.html
 
Please also visit the Streatham Action website to register your support:
 
http://www.streathamaction.org.uk/
 
The train home stunk of vomit and urine, but for once at least I felt I had put in some effort for a cause I actually feel quite strongly about. I may not be able to play for much longer, and I don’t even live in South London, but ice hockey is a gift to any child who grows up playing it and I hope that the children of Lambeth and indeed South London do not lose this valuable sporting avenue in the future.
       
Thanks for reading and stay safe.
 
Carrsy
 
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com