Moaning to the Great One

LONDON, UK – Positivity is a rare trait often scorned in British ice hockey. The negative vibes can engulf and even destroy the best of us, however if you step back and take a look around, sometimes it is better to appreciate what you have got, rather than what you have not.
 
It is the summer of 2005 and I am sitting with a good friend of mine in Wayne Gretzkys restaurant in Toronto stuffing my face with poutine and drinking ale, when there is a furore at the door. Dozens of Canadian kids in baseball caps and wearing their hockey team jackets rush towards a well dressed middle aged man and his entourage.  I say to my friend; ‘that’s not Wayne Gretzky is it’? But before I get an answer, it is clear that the ‘Great One’ has entered the building.

 
I remain calm and finish eating whilst Gretzky moves into the adjoining room and calm descends around us. Twenty or so minutes later we go to leave and my friend spots Gretzky and two of his buddies sat at a table in an empty cordoned off dining area. Before I can say anything, words have been exchanged and I am beckoned across to sit next to the greatest living hockey player on the planet. An English hockey player intrigues them and the questions start, who do you play for? ‘Oxford’, Why are you in Canada? ‘Holiday’, Do you want a photo? ‘Too right’.
 
Then they open up a little; ‘We were approached by a few people to get involved with hockey in the UK, a team in Manchester I think, you heard of them? How is the league over there?’ For the first time a response did not roll off the tongue, I started speaking without thinking. Did I mention the dedicated hockey community? The enthusiastic volunteers and the passionate fans? The shiny new arenas and the young British prospects coming through?
 
None of these got a mention as I steamed straight in with all the reasons why investing in the UK would be a bad idea. Less than reputable governing body, teams going under mid season, leagues changing names every few years, rinks under constant threat of closure, in fact to be honest Mr Gretzky and friends, I would suggest that if you have any spare investment, you would be better setting your cash alight like the K.L.F did, rather than invest in hockey in my country.
 
Of course nothing I said was of any relevance to them, after all it was just some tourist spouting off, however I now look back on that exchange with regret. For my own part I would have liked to give Gretzky and friends a nice glowing report on my country and the small hockey community here, and if I was to have a beer with them again I would have stayed away from the negatives and focused on the positives. After all, I am not their financial analyst, I am nobody in their world and my opinion on UK hockey was simply that, an opinion, not some forecast to which they would base an international business plan upon.
 
Positivity comes hard to a cynical mind, and especially one to whom history has provided plenty of ammunition. Of all my former clubs either as a junior or a senior player only one – Oxford City Stars – is still competing in 2010/11, Durham and Sunderland no longer exist and Billingham and Haringey are currently homeless awaiting refurbishments to their rink. Haringey are expected to be rebranded as the North London Hounds on their return, so I can technically add their name to clubs that are consigned to history.
 
It is ironic that my current club also faces uncertainty and upheaval at this present time. Streatham Redskins may be one of the oldest names in British Ice Hockey but history spares nobody – as the ill fated Wasps fans are well aware, and the best the Redskins and their fans can hope for is a temporary facility in Brixton next season. As ever I will believe it when I see it, but at least there is hope. In the legendary hockey movie Slapshot, Reggie Dunlop keeps his players spirits up by promising them a wealthy benefactor is moving the team to Florida from gritty Charlestown at the end of the season, but in the Redskins case, the promised land is a disused car park in one of London’s most notorious areas, and even that is not 100% certain.
 
Brixton is a perfect case in point. Whilst acknowledging that the situation may not be perfect, if Lambeth council can erect an ice rink capable of hosting ice hockey within zone 2 and close to the Underground, then this will be the best news London hockey has had since London Knights took over the London Arena in the Docklands many moons ago. How great it was, to see a hockey team plaster their logo all over the Docklands Light Railway and get coverage in the mainstream London Press.

It would be fantastic to see various Redskins adorning the walls of Brixton Underground station, as potential fans ride the escalators. Then when the permanent rink opens back in Streatham, perhaps some of the new fans picked up in Brixton will follow the team south down the A23, to join the noisy hardcore.
 
Now I can’t make any promises. I may change my mind, but I pledge today to remain as positive as possible during my remaining coverage of the English National League and British hockey on this outlet. I don’t mind admitting that I can get down as much as anyone and in fact it was only a couple of weeks ago that I came home in a right huff following a game, vowing to quit hockey, throw my skates in the bin and never set foot in a rink again.
On reflection it may have been the steaming present my sausage dog Roy had strategically placed in my hall-way that pushed me over the edge on that occasion, but I finished writing the ENL round-up that evening and it made me feel better.
 
So if you managed to make it to the end of this rambling article then congratulations, you may not understand the point of it and probably with good reason, but if you are like me and quick to criticise, slightly bitter and keen to point out flaws at every opportunity, please join me from this day forth in standing back, taking a deep breath and thinking…. things could be worse. We could be living in Bangladesh, with no hockey and a high flood risk.
 
I doubt I will ever be a happy clapper, but I won’t readily pour scorn on positivity. To do so achieves little and to be honest negativity is tiring.
   
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com