Crap Match Report

Streatham Redskins 10, Milton Keynes Thunder 1

To Streatham Hub! [URGH] …on Sunday evening for my first ice hockey at the new SW16 rink. A check of the date on this blog post, and nope - it’s not 2003. No worries, Comrades. I never doubted that the new rink would get built eventually.

Honest.

I also never doubted the MASSIVE size of the behemoth Tesco Extra next door - the hard finance that has made the whole Streaham Hub possible.

That’s one of a helluva back scratching thing going off there. I doubt even if the Enormo-aisles at the Tesco Extra could stock a back scratching stick big enough to justify the size of the S106 arrangement.

Guess who came off best?

Every little helps, Comrades.

The new Streatham Ice and Leisure Centre (to give it it’s full name) is almost hidden away behind Tesco. But once you are inside it’s actually rather ACE. Admittedly I didn’t have a dip in the pool below before face off. Village changing rooms [URGH] and I go together about as well as village life and I.

But about that new rink.

WOH.

“Thank you for coming”

…commented a hockey old boy I as entered the new barn. And the hockey game hadn’t even started yet.

Best thing about new #Streatham rink? Buggy Park that doubles up as a Brompton storage device. Nice.

— Jason_Cobb (@Jason_Cobb) December 8, 2013

One side of the 1,000 capacity rink has a steep bank of seating for spectators. There’s no such thing as a poor view of centre ice, wherever you are sitting.

Top tip: head for the heights if you want to make the most of the heat emitting powerful lights hanging down.

All around you smells and feels fresh. This is hardly a surprise with the ‘skins taking to the ice for only the third time in the new building. The atmosphere is already in place, seamlessly transported from the old barn, via the Temporary Streatham Ice Rink in, um, Brixton.

It’s like old time hockey has never gone away in Streatham.

Truth be told and the old rink was a bit of a dump. Years of neglect and waiting for the great leap forward and the green light for that nice Mr Tesco led to a run down rink. Any thoughts of nostalgia for a freezing old barn with poor lighting were soon forgotten.

Streatham skated out to the ice on Sunday against Milton Keynes Thunder with high hopes of the first home win at the new Hub.

It was good to hear The Boys are Back in Town once again as the ‘skins took to the ice. It was even better to hear the old / new goal horn sound an almighty HONK!!!! just 12 seconds after face off.

‘skins scored a second only 33 seconds later, and then a third soon followed. It didn’t help that the Thunder had arrived in Streatham short-benched with effectively only two lines to ice.

Blimey. @streathamhockey 2-0 up after 45 seconds. Not the type of game you'd want to liveblog.

— Jason_Cobb (@Jason_Cobb) December 8, 2013

The home team went in 3-1 at the end of the first.

Thunder made hard work of even a five on three power play in the second. The sums simply didn’t stack up.

There’s probably some hockey mathematical equation relating to the number of players on the bench and the + or - goal difference. 5-1 to the ‘skins come the buzzer at the end of the second seemed about right.

A fantastic three man flowing move down the ice at the start of the third made it six for the ‘skins.

‘cos you can never have too many assists on the game sheet.

The lack of available bodies out on the ice for the Thunder wasn’t helped when an away player body-checked a board.

Whoops.

‘skins hit double figures, and that first Hub home win was always going to happen.

It ended 10-1 to the ‘skins, a historic moment and a half-decent game for the proud Transpontine club. I cycled back past Tesco - the lights were on but no one was at home.

You wait ten years for a Tesco Extra to be built and it’s bloody closed, just when you find yourself needing those party poppers.

The good ‘ol hockey game…