Retro: From top flight to grassroots for Fife Flyers

As with the current situation, the summer months passed with fans not knowing when they would see their team ice again.

But, ominously, back in 2005, for a period of time it was feared there would be no Fife Flyers at all.

At the end of May, with the British National League collapsing, the Kirkcaldy side were left stunned when their application, along with those of Dundee Stars and Guildford Flames, were turned down by the EIHL hierarchy.

The reasons for Fife’s rejection appeared to be based around the Elite League’s unwillingness to ditch its 10-team format, with EIHL chairman Eamon Convery telling the FFP: “We are continuing forward with the current nine club set-up, which will become 10 should Manchester ice a team.

“That was the decision of the board of directors.”

With Flames then electing to join the English Premier League, Flyers and Stars began talks to set up a Northern Premier League that would slash the number of import slots to four per team.

Club spokesman Stuart Scott said: “The old Heineken League had three imports and was very successful.

“At that time Flyers were regularly playing to crowds of 3000 plus. Fans had a connection with the team because 15 of the 18 players were local lads and the quality of the three imports was generally good.”

Discussions suffered a setback when both Hull and Paisley decided to ice elsewhere, before the door to joining the Elite League was unexpectedly opened again, ever so slightly, when Manchester Storm’s hope of icing a team fell apart, but it proved to be a false dawn, provoking the very real fear that there would be no ice hockey in Kirkcaldy in 2005/06 - or ever again.

NPL talks collapsed, an emergency meeting to discuss the future held in Dundee was attended by many Flyers fans, before the lengthy saga finally came to an end when it was announced at the end of August that the club would compete in the amateur Scottish National League, with Kirkcaldy Kestrels being “absorbed” in the process.

A spokesman said: “This is a chance for the club to develop its links with the local community.

“All through our spell in the BNL we were proud of the fact that our British players were local and we have the chance now to continue taking that local talent to the next level.”

Replacing the outgoing Mark Morrison as Head Coach was fans’ favourite, 32-year-old Todd Dutiaume, who turned down offers to play in the EIHL to hang up his skates and take his place in the Kirkcaldy hot seat.

“This is one of the biggest decisions I have had to make,” he said, “it’s a bit of a gamble taking a year out of playing but it’s a decision that I am committed to and I’m excited about the challenge.”

Over 1000 curious fans turned up to the Fife Ice Arena to watch their team get off to a flying start to the SNL season as a 13-3 thumping win over Dundee Stars was followed, away to the same opponents 24 hours later, by another victory – this time by 7-0.

And it was at amateur level that Flyers would stay for the next six years before they finally made a return to the EIHL in 2011.