Introducing the London North Stars

LONDON, UK – As the new season appears over the horizon a very special charity game will take place in South London as the London North Stars select team take on the freshly re-branded Streatham IHC in a fixture that should ensure a big turnout from hockey fans in the capital.

The game will celebrate the retirement of former Streatham defender David Carr, raise money for Breast Cancer Care with Wightlink Raiders Sports Therapist Tori Coles as guest of honour, and provide this seasons Streatham team with arguably the toughest pre-season fixture of any team in the NIHL.

Pro Hockey News writer and now retired player Carr has put together a team of former team mates and fan favourites to give Nicky Chinn’s men a tough workout and Streatham fans the chance to see some old heroes in action.

100% of the ticket money raised will go to charity and more details on the game that faces off at 5.30pm on Saturday 3rd September can be found by clicking here.

Below David gives a run down on his select team to take on a Streatham side containing some impressive talent and coached by former GB international Nick Chinn.

Introducing the London North Stars goalies…

I have had the pleasure of playing with some great goalies over the years with Jamie Thompson at Oxford and of course Wridey at Haringey (and then of course Streatham last year) both being standouts, plus many more characters and great guys between the pipes. I’ve always liked goalies because they save me when I screw up, and every single one has had a good personality.

There are only two spots however and we have two former Streatham goalies who I still talk to and I am sure that the fans will enjoy watching…

Shane Kemp #30

Kempy has had two spells with Streatham and is currently skating with London Devils. He is a classic goalie with a cheeky chappy personality mixed with a glint in his eye (like all goalies) that suggests he could set fire to a building at any time if someone upsets him.

My favourite Kempy moments were always his stick throwing antics during training where he tomahawked his stick over the plexi glass in a rage after letting a goal in – then had to get off and walk around the old rink to retrieve it. Streatham fans will also remember fondly his regular sea sickness on the Wightlink ferry.

I know Kempy will be keen to show he still has the moves to stop the current team so I am pleased he agreed to play in the game.

Stefan Nubert #33

I have known Stefan a long time now and he did amazingly well to keep playing after heart surgery a few years ago.

He is a clever guy and recently got interested in football after jumping on the Welsh bandwagon at the Euros. If only we had known he liked football we could have had even more interesting chats on the long bus journeys over the years.

Stefan is playing mainly because he is the only guy with a car worse than mine so it makes me look good off the ice. On the ice he is my favourite type of goalie, gets stuck in and is quite happy to blocker the opposition players in the face and get involved in a ruck at the slightest excuse, another classic goalie trait, quiet off the ice and a nutter on it – like Ron Hextall. He is a good guy, loves the game deep down and I am glad he agreed to play.

Introducing the defence…

Playing in defence isn’t the most exciting role in the team but you develop your own pleasures whether it’s a finely executed poke check or a long breakout pass. I’ve played with some great guys on the blue line over the years and to be honest most of them (other than the current Streatham team) are no longer playing.

Andy Cox #9

Coxy will probably want to play forward but even if he is on defence he will still be itching to get up front at every opportunity. When I first met Coxy in Oxford he had three balls, well actually it was a hernia but he showed us it all the time and took ages to go and get it fixed.

He is a real character and an underrated player, despite the fact he made it in the show with his legendary assist for Edinburgh Capitals against Cardiff Devils as a guest player for the Elite league outfit. He has good hands, has always been a strong skater and is as committed to the team as the best of them.

Away from the ice I once went to Belgium with Coxy for a tournament. He was supposed to play defence but spent most of the time going coast to coast and got his comeuppance a few days later when he crashed his car (with us in it) into a ditch near Antwerp after falsely believing a tram was heading towards us – Russ Stevens thought it would be funny to scream ‘TRAM’ and Coxy’s reaction was to quickly spin the steering wheel 90 degrees. Thankfully we all survived thanks to a helpful team mate and a tow rope. Who says Belgium is boring?

Dom Hopkins #28

The Dominator used to be one of those players I hated playing against, mainly because standing in front of his slapshot is not for the faint hearted. When he played for the Isle of Wight it was the worst as the size of the rink meant you were in the line of fire at all times.

When he signed for Streatham I thought that was great news as I wouldn’t have to face him again. Not for the first time in life I hadn’t thought the whole thing through. Now he was on our team I would have to stand in front of the net every single practice as part of the shorthanded unit defending Dom’s signature powerplay move. Jeremy Cornish described Dom’s shot as NHL standard and the only one I’ve seen harder on the ice was a guy called Tom Brown who I played with at Billingham.

Dom keeps himself in great shape and you wouldn’t think we are pretty much the same age to be honest – he is a bronzed muscular mountain. My favourite moments of Dom are when he breaks out into a really wide smile which sounds odd, but he is quite a quiet guy so if he is chuckling away to himself it means something genuinely amusing has just happened.

Stewart Tait #19

Taity is another player who I didn’t really like playing against before I met him. I always thought he was a real pain in the a*se on the ice and probably off it too. He signed for Streatham when the team were really struggling and made his debut in the last ever game at the old rink. Decent timing to be fair. We won that game and Taity played a big part in helping turn the team around.

If you look at his points then it wouldn’t tell the story but he gave the team everything when on the ice. As a defensive partner he is brilliant, always encouraging you through the games and is brave as a lion – as the scars on his face show. I loved playing on the same team as him and we sat next to each other in the changing room for the two seasons before he left, laughing at the same jokes and wondering why the younger lads didn’t understand them.

Taity always wanted us to skate out to Money for Nothing by Dire Straits, which I thought was a good choice but no one else did. Even Warren said ‘It’s not the eighties anymore’ when we suggested it, which coming from him I found quite a stinging rebuke. I don’t think Taity got the chance of the send-off he deserved when he left Streatham so I hope he gets a loud cheer at the game.

Ed Koral #25

Captain Ed Koral was introduced to me as I walked through the door of the old rink in 2009. I knew the name from the back of his jersey but not the person, but after the first season we all knew who he was. I hope he doesn’t take this the wrong way but I always felt like Ed was a reluctant Captain who stepped up to the plate when the club needed someone to.

He led a team of youngsters and misfits/journeymen (me included) to safety that year and never let us drop our heads during the heavy defeats and played so many minutes that first season. His stamina and drive were unbelievable that year and we had a great team spirit.

Ed was an exclusive feature in Pro Hockey News after landing a job at Dan Marashi’s Shisha Lounge in Balham. Dan is also a great guy and played for the team at the time.

But Ed’s most infamous moment came at Bristol when he slipped in the shower and cracked his head open in one of the filthiest facilities known to man. The incident was so bad that notorious Streatham hard man Tomas Valko let out a little squeal of horror. It was a long wait in Bristol that evening while he went to A&E, nice four hour delay for us all on the team bus. Thanks Ed

Fred Carnegy #15

Fred didn’t play too many games with us but when he did it was often partnering Ed. Possibly because Fred and Ed rhymed? Probably. Fred is the kind of hockey player I love having around, someone who is comfortable unfurling the Financial Times on a hockey bus trip and talking about subjects other than strictly women, fighting and parties.

Fred is one of those annoying hockey players who can take time out from the game then come back as if nothing happened. He has been joining in with the training sessions recently to get into some kind of state to play in the game on the 3rd, but I reckon he would have been fine just turning up on the day. Streatham could have really done with Mr Carnegy playing a little more in recent years but everyone has to make their own life choices I guess – where were you Fred?!.

Fred is also notable as being the only player I can remember who has dropped the gloves after someone has hit me. It was actually an innocuous check by Scott Beeson in a pre season game against Lee Valley that knocked my front tooth out. I desperately searched the ice for the tooth and turned round to see Fred had already dropped the gloves with Scott and was going for it.

I hope Fred and Ed enjoy playing in the game and the Streatham fans enjoy seeing two of the older guys lacing them up again… maybe they will make a comeback if they impress?!

Introducing the forwards…

Ive spent most of my career watching the forwards make my life difficult and never passing back to the point. No wonder my goals tally is so low!

I actually started life as a forward and played as a centre at Haringey in the EPL. Not a lot of people know that, and that’s probably for the best.

Darren Elliott #77

Darren is sometimes referred to as Mr Oxford and not only because of his toned body and winning smile (when he has his false teeth in). One of my favourite moments was a game in Cardiff when he skated out on warm up with a scouse wig under his helmet left over from the Xmas panto.

He has shown unbelievable loyalty to the Oxford club over the years and resisted cash to move elsewhere, even when times were tough and the team were struggling. Darren is a guy with a good heart and good skills. His family are all great too and his late father Norm was one of the genuine characters around the league until his passing.

When I left Oxford back in 2008 I was absolutely gutted and Darren was the first to come across and give me a big hug when I needed it, a true captain on and off the ice. I class him as a good mate and whilst we don’t see each other very often these days, it’s great when we do.

Michal Oravec #24

Michal played at Streatham a few seasons ago and was extremely popular with the boys in the room. He first turned up and trained with us a few times and looked a bit rusty, but when he got into his flow he was absolute class. The day he left was a sad day in the room. His style of play reminds me of an orca, circling around gracefully with the puck ready to pounce.

We shared some good stories on bus trips over the years and he loves dogs, as do I. Recently I was looking through some old pictures on my laptop and I have one of Michal posing staring at a cheeseburger in a take away shop in Gosport. I cracked up laughing as it was in reference to us calling former team mate Eddie Temple ‘Cheeseburger’. This is a total in-joke that will not translate well for 99% of readers.

Michal is also famous for turning up in pre-season with a sun bed tan and then claiming he had simply been gardening in Romford over the summer. This earned him the nickname ‘Garden’ which replaced ‘Mr Burns’ from the previous season. Michal is a top bloke and will be a threat in the game.

Jakub Klima #62

Klima will need no introduction to most fans as he has been a proven goalscorer in the league since he arrived at Chelmsford back in 2011. He had two spells at Streatham, the first of which he was named league player of the year, which is no mean feat given we were a mid table side.

I shared a ride with Klima a few times and his humour is infectious much like Michal. He worked at Nandos when he was at Chelmsford and provided Pro Hockey News with a great exclusive of him wearing their chicken suit dishing out flyers. He has since combined hockey with setting up his own business as a painter/decorator, so has done very well for himself as well as recently becoming a father.

My favourite Klima memory was when his Czech sat nav took us the wrong way back from Gosport and we ended up in what I now know was the South Downs National Park. We nearly crashed a few times and even when we got near London we missed the turn off for the M25 and ended up seeing the sights of the city before eventually getting home 5 hours later or whatever it was. Still good chat despite the detours. Jakub has signed for MK this season and I hope he gets that smile back on his face… starting in the charity game.

Jamie McIlroy #4

A really popular player with Streatham fans during his time with the club, Mac is another in the team who wears his heart on his sleeve (anyone noticed a pattern here) and is as committed as the best of them.

Happy to drop the gloves when needed, Mac is one of those guys who is feisty in training and has that competitive mentality every team needs. Macs close to the bone Social Media activity may be offensive to some – well most, but it sometimes hides the solid values that he has.

At heart he is a proper family man with the discipline that perhaps comes thanks to his career in the RAF. In essence he is a great guy, a mans man, who has a good heart and is refreshingly honest in a sport where people sometimes don’t have the balls to be.

Mac claims we first met at Oxford one summer around ten years ago but I don’t remember sadly which really irks me. What I like most about players like Mac is that he plays because he loves the game, cares about the jersey he is wearing and the fans paying the money to watch. Not everyone is like that and I am pleased he is travelling across from Belgium to play in the game – an amazing gesture from him.

Barry Spours #10

Barry was the guy who signed me for Streatham back in 2009 and we have spent a lot of time together. As a coach he was emotional and put his heart and soul into the team and did so much to help Streatham be the club it is today. I remember playing against him the year before and thinking he looked like a wild man with his non-stop work rate, long hair and grey beard.

Barry still plays multiple times a week with the Streatham Nightwolves and is still hockey mad. Many players from his generation just gave up as soon as the last pay cheque came in, but he is still going strong, loves the game and has so many great stories to tell.

One of my favourite printable moments with Barry was driving back from the French Alps after playing in a tournament at Alp D’Huez. It had been a great week and we were driving along the motorway back to Calais and Barry was telling us about his big money move from Nottingham Panthers to Humberside Seahawks.

It was a funny story but none of us realised that we were being chased by the French police for (allegedly) speeding, and when we finally noticed and pulled over they were fuming that we had ignored them. They went crazy at us but let us off after a 20 minute bollocking in French to which we all played dumb, despite me having a solid C in GCSE French. Didn’t they know how interesting Heineken era stories are?!

Phil Manny #48

Phil joined us from Cardiff after getting a job in London and was a popular member of the team with players and fans alike. Joe Johnston calls him boring in jest (maybe not) but I always thought he was a good laugh.

Guess what… Phil also wears his heart on his sleeve and is a typical Cardiff boy who knows his hockey and can be tough when he wants to be. When he was on a line with Jimmy Mac it was like watching the bash brothers as they wound each other up talking about chirpy face cages and just generally snarled a lot on the ice. No one needed to motivate them!

We had few good nights out when Phil lived in London and I find him to be completely genuine and a top man.

One of his favourite places to eat in London was Bodeans which is a BBQ restaurant owned by one of my friends Andre Blais, also a top guy and a hockey player with London Devils. Phil was a massive fan of the place and always wanted to go there, but it had one drawback. A service charge added on the bill! If there is one thing that makes Manny angrier than a chirping face cage it’s a service charge… so beware if you ever go to dinner with him. I am delighted Phil is travelling across from Cardiff for the game and I hope the Streatham fans give him a big cheer.

Alan Armour #13

Arms needs no introduction to most hockey fans in this league and despite retiring at least three times he is still playing league hockey!

Arms is one of those players who doesn’t take himself seriously but still has all the skills that made him a junior international and carve out a senior career with a number of clubs. He has lots of tricks up his sleeve and amused all of us by getting one of the toughest guys to play in the UK, Jeremy Cornish, to ride his stick down the ice after scoring. Corny did this in retaliation to Arms doing the same thing in a previous fixture and then somehow avoiding a pasting for his efforts!

Arms is a big dog fan and an emotional guy who wears his heart on his sleeve which are two qualities I like in a player, he is also one of the worst drivers I have ever seen. When we played together at Oxford he had as many mad ideas as me so we instantly hit it off and I’m pleased he is travelling to London to play.

Alan Green #16

I first saw Alan as a tiny little kid playing for England under 14s with my brother Adam, and it was a quirk of fate that we should become team mates many years later in Oxford.

Alan has always been a quality player for the Stars with great speed and athleticism combined with good puck control and an eye for goal. He is a proper Oxford lad and also played for Slough, Wightlink and Chelmsford over the years.

We played together in Paris in a tournament which we won and also went over to Lake Placid via Montreal to a hockey camp along with another top guy Jacob Smith. Alan has a quizzical look he gives you as if to say ‘what the f*ck is going on’ and I saw it lots of times on that trip – especially involving an incident with a lost bat flying in the rink and someone screamed it had rabies as guys were firing pucks at it, and one conversation where a guy we played with told us his job was ‘pumping gas’ – an alien concept to us Brits.

It makes me burst out laughing whenever he pulls that face and you know eventually a big smile will break out after a few seconds.

Lee Mercer #7

I first saw Merc play as a rosy cheeked kid playing in the Fife tournament, and once again hockey threw us together later in life at Haringey.

Like all proud Scots, Merc loves wearing his kilt to Scotland games and has made his home in England. He was also probably the only person with a Dundee FC sticker on his car in North London for a few years.

A former GB junior international Merc has good hands and is a tough old boy, despite his old age. We were line mates at the Palace and called ourselves ‘Northern Rock’ which still has a ring to it.

Later when he became coach of the Haringey Greyhounds, Lee was first to give me a call to be on the team and we enjoyed many amusing car journeys listening to the tales of now team owner Dave Richards. A real character, Dave loves a good story (most are unprintable) and he would rattle off a load of anecdotes in his cockney accent while Merc would just sit quiet and occasionally call ‘bullsh*t’ when it suited.

The pair of them kept things upbeat when the games on the ice weren’t much fun, and both of them made me smile.

Tickets for the game are priced at £10 adults and £6 concessions and the ice has kindly been donated by the Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre and the EIHA have organised all of the insurance and waived their fees. This means that every penny raised will go to Breast Cancer Care.

Come on down to Streatham Ice Rink at 5.30pm on September 3rd and you are sure to have a good time. Game worn London North Stars jerseys (design below) will be available to bid for at auction on the night with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Care.