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Streatham Redskins 4, Chelmsford Chieftains 9

And so to complete the Super South London Saturday of Transpontine sporting teams SPANKING Essex boys (sort of…): To the Temporary Streatham Ice Rink! …was the rallying call early on Saturday evening for Streatham Redskins Vs Chelmsford Chieftains.

I’m no expert on the hierarchy of Native North Americans. I was hopeful that a Redskin would score more points than a Chieftain in a game of Slightly Politically Incorrect Ice Hockey Top Trumps.

But what of the Temporary Streatham Ice Rink?

Saturday night is a hockey night in Brixton.

Blimey.

With the £26m new Streatham rink due to open on 18 November, these are the last days of ice hockey action in Brixton. I personally think that it’s all a bit of a shame. After all the folly in constructing the Mechano set up, it actually works rather well.

The location next door to the Rec makes perfect sense. The school kids back in the day jobs love skating at Brixton. The market has been shafted with a lack of parking provision, but then the gentrification of Brixton was never going to allow an old car park to exist within pissing distance of a Champagne and Fromage foodie paradise.

True to their word, Tesco and Lambeth Council are now within touching distance of the finishing line in the sporting contest that combines private capital as the provider for public leisure facilities.

The predicted collapse of the Streatham Redskins following the forceful removal from SW16 doesn’t seem to have happened. But the Skins are a STREATHAM club. They deserve to be back on home ground.

It is a bit of a bummer though that I can’t combine Brixton Topcats b-ball action at the Rec with a trip next door for the hockey.

Saturday evening in the Temporary rink was a final chance for me to see ice hockey in Brixton.

“Can we have Chelmsford to the ice please?”

…came the announcement as the advertised face off time passed.

Here’s hoping that the Essex boys hadn’t shot their load up in Streatham.

Chelmsford played an offensive game right from the first face off. An early 1-0 lead, yet still the drums of the Redskins kept beating. And so did the dullard conversation of a group of boozed up hockey ignoramus that rolled up shortly after the first puck was dropped.

The only thing worse that a hockey snob is a hockey virgin.

“When is half time? How many subs have they got? HANDBALL!”

It all got a little too much for the ice hockey elitist within. I took up a strategic position with the Essex Boys and Girls. At least my Puck Bunny flitting and flirting was consistent with my own lifestyle.

I stopped filling in the game sheet with the Skins trailing 6-2 at the start of the second. It was just good to be around hockey people once again; Brixton, Streatham, Chelmsford - whatever.

The Essex boys buggered off with a 9-4 away win, and I joined them back at Liverpool Street for the, um, return leg.

See you in Streatham, Comrades.