Kirkcaldy Ice Hockey Club youngsters gain Scotland recognition

The boys – who train and play at Fife Ice Arena – all impressed selectors enough at national development days, held monthly in Dumfries since last September, to book their respective places for Scotland within three separate age group teams.

"These are very good achievements by all the youngsters,” Fife Redwings ice hockey team manager Kerry Ann Beveridge, 35, whose netminder son Aaron Gild has been picked for Scotland under-12s, told the Fife Free Press.

"They have worked hard at club level all season.

"The initial referral for Scotland came from their coaches at Kirkcaldy, who put their names forward to the Scottish Ice Hockey Association for national trials where they really had to excel to earn their places.”

The aforementioned Aaron will join fellow Fife youngsters Harry Hudson, Charlie McLean, Ben Spears, Ryan Venters and Jackson O’Neil in representing the under-12s at a conference in Riga, Latvia, this August, with a training day followed by a tournament over three days before they fly back to Scotland on Monday, August 14.

Also going to Riga, as well as a second conference in Dumfries on May 21 and 22, are under-14s Finlay O’Neil, Caiden Forbes, Callum McLaren, Ross McEwan, Cole Wallace, Cole Giannandrea and Barri O’Hare.

And going to Dumfries and also a separate event in Bratislava, Slovakia, are under-16s Joe Somerville (missing from photograph) and John Haig.

A GoFundMe page has been set up by the club to support the under-12s’ travel costs for going to Riga. Donations can be pledged at https://gofund.me/ff6e439d

Beveridge, of Kirkcaldy, added: “It is very important that enough money is raised to get the boys there because it’s going to be an experience that will live with them forever.”

Joining the boys at the respective conferences will be Kirkcaldy under-16s assistant coaches coaches Kyle Horne and Aaron Gregor, under-12s assistant coach Alan O’Neil and under-14s team manager Barry O’Hare.