KIHC hotseat for former Fife Flyer Venters

A star of the side in the mid 90s-00s, Venters’ new role is a culmination of a lifelong attachment to the Fife Ice Arena.

"I played for the Flyers from 1996-2005 then I went back for a year later on,” he says.

“I worked it out and I think I've had 37 involvement with the rink because I started playing with the beginners when I was five years old.

“I played in the juniors and I was only ever at the Fife Flyers I then quit for a few years before the Kirkcaldy Kestrels reformed in 2009 then played again.”

His involvement behind the scenes began when he became assistant coach of the Kestrels.

“After that my son, Ryan, began to play in 2015 and I started helping out at Learn To Play on a Saturday afternoon, then in 2018 a position came up at the club to become the Junior Representative.

"That was my first involvement with the committee.”

Venter first task after taking over from Ian Keddie, who will now act as treasurer, – “the club is in a far better, and more positive, position than it was when he took over. I have big shoes to fill” – is helping to create the new Elite Academy which is a partnership between KIHC and the Flyers.

It’s a key objective and a big deal,” he says.

“I know (Flyers Head Coach) Todd Dutiaume from playing with him and (club owner) Tom Muir was running the club back then.

“They were both welcoming and positive. They want nothing more, as do the fans, than a local Brit to be putting on that Flyers strip week in, week out.”

In the short term, Venters is just looking forward to getting his young players back on the ice.

”We've got dates now, we're opening again on April 26, and I'm the type of guy who likes to keep things positive, so we'll get there.

“My parents got me into the sport. It's my boyhood club. I've been a fan, a player, a coach, then on the committee, now the Chair.

“It's an absolute passion of mine and I'm the proudest man in Kirkcaldy.”