Fife Flyers: Team has to build on legacy of a cup final appearance

Four wins in five seasons is a remarkable record, one that Fife Flyers found impossible break in the 2023 final staged last Wednesday.

The gulf between the teams was there for all to see. Giants a first placed team, Fife in eighth; Giants with 6500 fans, Fife with 700.

It was always going to be a huge challenge - getting to the final exceeded initial goals, competing for it was frustratingly undermined by some killer errors which halted two push backs just when Fife needed a steady hand on the tiller.

Their mistakes were ruthlessly exploited by a Belfast side which bristles with talent and depth, and operates, on and off the ice, to a level well above Fife, so giving them a three-goal start was simply the worst possible start.

Flyers had to avoid a run and gun game. They ended up in one before the first period was out.

While they worked hard offensively, they were poor in their own zone, and the two short handed goals conceded at key moments were devastating setbacks.

But, throughout it all, a near 700-strong support from Fife brought the party to this impressive arena.

They could easily have sat in silence as the gap between the teams became a gulf. Instead they stuck behind their team right to the final buzzer. It was as impressive a display of support as I’ve seen in Fife for many seasons.

With few exceptions, they were decked out in club colours for a trip which, for the majority, meant an early start and two ferry crossings on the same day, the last one getting them back to Scotland the wrong side of midnight. For those who flew there was a special message of good luck from the cabin crew on an EasyJet flight as it touched down in Belfast. Being there, rinkside, regardless of the cost and travel, was important to them.

They hoped for a better outcome - a closer game for a start. They deserved one too in return for their outstanding support.

But in defeat they sang into the night as everyone wound down from what was still a memorable midweek trip across the Irish Sea.

Todd Dutiaume, head coach, who has been p[art of many great nights in his time with the c;ub, said” “They were wonderful tonight,” he said. “I’m glad we gave them some moments to cheer about, but also apologise on behalf of myself and the guys - we wanted to give a better account of ourselves. We felt the belief in the crowd and on the bench in the second period. The comeback was on, but we ran into a team that just rips teams apart.”

The team’s preparations were solid. They were in the city by Tuesday lunchtime, skated that evening and were back on ice at breakfast time on Wednesday, watched by the media.

They returned late afternoon suited and booted for the biggest game of the season - for some, of their careers. They were also joined by their families and partners for what was a very special night in one of our finest cities.

And it was all fantastic, except the result.

Dutiaume said: “The cup was a hell of a run within excitement along the way. Getting to the final was an incredible achievement - something I tried to relate to the team - but when you get here, your are not satisfied with that. Your aspirations change.”

And that is key to where Fife go from here.

The past few seasons have been a tough watch as the club has posted back to back last places, and struggled on and off the ice.

So much has changed and improved this season - much of it behind the scenes to restore those foundations. The cup final was a glimpse of what the team can deliver - and do so with a bit of flair too.

That has to be the starting point when it comes to planning next season, and the one beyond.

Kirkcaldy remains a hockey town, but one which may have become worryingly indifferent to the sport and the team but which will still mobilise in significant numbers - and 700 fans travelling midweek in a cost of living crisis is no mean feat - when the stakes are raised.

The noise and spectacle created by the fans who packed out their allotted corner of the arena now has to transplanted into Fife Ice Arena every match night.

Flyers should be playing to at least 2000 fans every night, not the 1000-plus who have become the core audience. A winning team is key to that - and one which entertains as much as it grafts - but if Glasgow Clan can pull in full houses across an utterly wretched season, why are Flyers flatlining?

The cup final has to be a turning point which sees the bar raised across every aspect of its operations on and off the ice.

The pyrotechnics deployed pre-game are unlikely to be staged at Kirkcaldy - not without burning the eyebrows off the first three rows of spectators - but the whole match night experience can be inspired by what was arguably the best build up to any cup final I have ever seen in this sport in the last 35 years.

The journey to Belfast may not have yielded silverware - not even runners-up medals as there were none - but if it sparks the move to the next level then its legacy will live on long after the sea legs have worn off.