Call for UK Government to give ice hockey vital financial support

The Government has been urged to provide financial support for the UK’s top ice hockey, amid concerns for the future of the sport and its leading teams.

The 2020-21 season, due to start in September, has been shelved until December - but the Elite League has said that reduced attendances or staging games behind closed doors are both a non-starter.

Now a cross-party campaign at Westminster has urged the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to provide financial support to get it through the crisis sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

It includes Neale Hanvey, MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath who has spoken of the “worrying impact” on teams such as Fife Flyers who lost out financially as last season was curtailed - and won’t see fans rinkside again until late November at the earliest.

Fife Ice Arena, which is also home to curlers, skaters and many junior ice hockey teams, remains closed.

Fife Flyers coach on 'hunger' to get back to normality and 2020-21...

In his column in this week’s Fife Free Press, Mr Hanvey flags up the importance of helping the sport.

He said: “This is a sport that in normal circumstances provides at least £6m to the UK Treasury each year. To protect that income requires proper support.

“That’s why last week I joined a cross-party campaign to push the Chancellor to provide financial support for the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.”

He added; “We’re talking about a small measure of UK Government support to save a sport that boasts a bigger indoor audience than any other.”

All ten EIHL teams are committed to playing the 2020/21 season, but a final decision on being able to resume top-flight ice hockey games in December with crowds will be led by the guidance from the UK Government and devolved administrations.

Several teams have already publicly said that restrictions on attendances make the sport unviable.

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