LONDON, UK – Sweat is dripping from my body as we pass bullet ridden houses and war torn buildings, the mini bus is hot and the occupants are restless. A sad forlorn face stands up at the front of the bus and points out the sights one by one as we weave between traffic, but it is the announcement of the ice rink that pricks my ears up, for this is not Streatham High Road (I know that’s what you were thinking), but Sniper Alley in Sarajevo, Bosnia.
Redskins in Brixton%3F
With the spectre of pre season looming and the prospect of heavy skating sessions ahead, a nice holiday in the sun is a way of putting thoughts of the inevitable pain and vomiting to the back of my mind. Still this doesn’t stop me hopping off the bus and dragging the long suffering missus to check out Bosnia’s premier ice rink. The prospect of visiting an ice rink in a strange place is one that usually interests me, and visits to facilities in Cape Town, Durban, Bangkok, Cairns and Sapporo have proven to be interesting for a nerd like myself.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the concrete monstrosity with the 1984 Winter Olympic rings displayed proudly on its shell, was nothing more than a concert venue, and after a long winded conversation with a carpet seller outside, it became obvious that our tour guide got it wrong, and that the ice rink is actually located on the other side of town. The menacing eyes of the missus told me that it was perhaps best to let this plan go.
So with an ice rink free holiday under my belt, I now find myself back in London with pre-season training staring me straight in the face. I suspect I am not the only one dreading the ladders and squats that are planned in the lead up to the first game of the season. As Terry Wogan constantly says on the annual BBC Children in Need appeals; “It’s all for a good cause”, and the sentiment applies to our rigorous on-ice preparation, minus the lovely Pudsey the Bear waving from the stands and Cheryl Cole gyrating in hot pants, of course.
To ease myself into the world of pain planned by Spoursy (Redskins Head Coach), I figured a late night skate with the Streatham Night-Wolves would do the trick. It was clear after 15 minutes that the second wind I was relying on to get me through the session had decided to blow elsewhere, and it felt like I was skating at altitude, such was the effort to move. Upon leaving the ice at the ungodly time of 1.45am I have to say that I was pining for a return to Bosnia. The enthusiasm of recreational hockey players always astounds me, and the smiling faces around the locker room in the early hours of Saturday morning is testament to that joy of playing that they exude.
In other news it seems that the temporary rink planned by Lambeth Council to act as an interim between the High Road closing and the new permanent facility opening, is likely to be located in Brixton. To be honest, just the name Brixton has most people in the UK thinking of riots, gun battles and ‘no-go’ zones, but I can safely say that it isn’t as bad as its reputation dictates. To illustrate the point I can tell you that I used to play football regularly down there, and if the ball ever went over the 15 foot fence, the local youth on the other side were more than happy to fetch it for you… for a pound. So you can class Brixton as an enterprising area if nothing else.
In all seriousness, depending on the quality of the facility this rink could prove to be London’s most popular venue for skating and hockey. Ignoring the postage stamp size Sobell rink in Finsbury Park and the bizarre low roofed Queensway rink in Bayswater, the temporary facility in Brixton would be the closest rink to central London capable of hosting competitive hockey. Add in excellent public transport links via Tube, bus and National Rail and you have a potential goldmine. The big issue is how good it will be and issues like car parking.
Old rink last orders
I remember the first time I played at the High Road rink in 2003. It was the Redskins first game back in league hockey for over a decade and I was part of the visiting Oxford City Stars side. Aside from the obvious pleasure of winning the game, I have to say it was an honour to play in such an occasion. The one thing that struck me most was the smell of the place. I don’t know if it’s those weird black rubber tiles that ice rinks cover their floors in, dried sweat in the death wellies (hire skates) or just the fumes of a vintage Zamboni, but old rinks have an aroma that reminds me of hockey. It is probably the fact I watched and played hockey at the old Riverside Rink in Durham as a kid, but Streatham rink smells like Durham did and I will miss it when it’s gone, I don’t know if ‘foisty’ is the right way to describe it but it sounds acceptable to me.
Back to pre season preparations, I have decided to get back on the bike in a bid to find that second wind. Regular readers from last season will recall when a Kiwi dressed as wonder woman vomited on my shoe whilst I waited for the traffic lights to turn green, and I am pleased to report that thus far my Puma’s remain clean. There is no better place to cycle than along the River Thames in the sunshine and I am hoping it can do the trick, though the proof will be when the season starts.
Are you still reading? If so then thank you, my anecdotes clearly do not bore you completely to tears. By the end of the season you may have changed your mind!
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com
