Billy Brennan

Last updated
Billy Brennan
Born (1934-01-13) 13 January 1934 (age 85)
Paisley, Scotland
Position Winger / Defence
Played for Ayr Raiders
Paisley Pirates
Paisley Mohawks
Glasgow Dynamos
Playing career 1951–1973

William Patrick Brennan (born 13 January 1934 in Paisley, Scotland, United Kingdom) is a retired ice hockey player who played in Scotland and for the Great Britain national ice hockey team. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.

Paisley, Renfrewshire town in the historic county of Renfrewshire in Scotland

Paisley is a town situated in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. Located on the northern edge of the Gleniffer Braes, the town borders the city of Glasgow to the east, and straddles the banks of the White Cart Water, a tributary of the River Clyde.

Scotland Country in Northwest Europe, part of the United Kingdom

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It covers the northern third of the island of Great Britain, with a border with England to the southeast, and is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, the North Sea to the northeast, the Irish Sea to the south, and more than 790 islands, including the Northern Isles and the Hebrides.

United Kingdom Country in Europe

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a sovereign country located off the north­western coast of the European mainland. The United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, the north­eastern part of the island of Ireland, and many smaller islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state, the Republic of Ireland. Apart from this land border, the United Kingdom is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, with the North Sea to the east, the English Channel to the south and the Celtic Sea to the south-west, giving it the 12th-longest coastline in the world. The Irish Sea separates Great Britain and Ireland. The United Kingdom's 242,500 square kilometres (93,600 sq mi) were home to an estimated 66.0 million inhabitants in 2017.

Contents

Career

Club

Brennan made his senior ice hockey debut as a 17-year-old defender for the Ayr Raiders on 21 November 1951 against the Paisley Pirates in the Canadian import dominated Scottish National League. Brennan played in ten games for the Raiders in the 1951–52 season, scoring one assist and one minor penalty, and helping them to win the league.

Paisley Pirates

The Paisley Pirates were founded in 1946 and are one of the oldest ice hockey clubs in Scotland and the UK. The Pirates were the epitome of the game in Scotland during the 1950s. In season 1953–54 they won the Autumn Cup, the Scottish Cup and the Canada Cup.

Canadians citizens of Canada

Canadians are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, several of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being Canadian.

Assist (ice hockey) Point awarded to players whose passes enabled a goal

In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal. The assists will be awarded in the order of play, with the last player to pass the puck to the goal scorer getting the primary assist and the player who passed it to the primary assister getting the secondary assist. Players who gain an assist will get one point added to their player statistics.

The following season, Brennan followed his coach, Keith Kewley, to Paisley. It was at Paisley that Kewley helped to convert Brennan into a winger and to establish himself in the team. Brennan helped Paisley to win the league in 1953–54.

Coach (sport) person involved in directing, instructing and training sportspeople

In sports, a coach is a person involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople. A coach may also be a teacher.

Winger, in the game of ice hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink. Nowadays, there are different types of wingers in the game — out-and-out goal scorers, checkers who disrupt the opponents, and forwards who work along the boards and in the corners. They tend to be bigger than centreman and smaller than defenseman.

When professional ice hockey collapsed in Scotland in 1960, Brennan went the amateur Paisley Mohawks in 1961 as player-coach. Brennan moulded the team into a major force of British ice hockey of the 1960s in the Northern League. Brennan introduced off-ice fitness programmes for the team in order to allow the best use of ice time for skills and tactical development. He took the team on short European tours during the 1960s, playing against teams from the Canadian Air Force. A number of the players from developed at Paisley during this time went on to achieve international recognition with the GB national team, such as his younger brother, Alastair Brennan, Billy Miller, Jackson McBride and Alistair McRae.

Player-coach Condition where a team player is also coach

A player-coach is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the squad and also play on the team.

Europe Continent in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere

Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Asia to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia.

Royal Canadian Air Force Air warfare branch of Canadas military

The Royal Canadian Air Force is the air force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2013, the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of 14,500 Regular Force and 2,600 Primary Reserve personnel, supported by 2,500 civilians, and operates 258 manned aircraft and 9 unmanned aerial vehicles. Lieutenant-General Al Meinzinger is the current Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Chief of the Air Force Staff.

By 1971, Brennan was playing with the Glasgow Dynamos. He retired from ice hockey in 1973 when his employment took him to Birmingham.

Birmingham Major city in the English Midlands, 2nd highest population of UK cities

Birmingham is a major city in the West Midlands, England and is the second-largest city and metropolitan area in England and the United Kingdom, with roughly 1.1 million inhabitants within the city area and 3.8 million inhabitants within the metropolitan area. This also makes Birmingham the 17th largest city and 8th largest metropolitan area in the European Union. Birmingham is commonly referred to as the nation's "second city".

International

Brennan was first selected to play for the GB national team as a winger in 1953 when he was 19 years old in Pool B of the Ice Hockey World Championships in Basle and Zurich. He went on to play for the team as a defenceman at the 1961 tournament in Switzerland, winning a silver medal. Brennan was again selected as a defenceman for the 1962 Pool A tournament in Colorado Springs in the U.S., where he also captained the team.

The IIHF World Championship Division I is an annual sports event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The divisional championship is played in two groups.

Ice Hockey World Championships Recurring international ice hockey tournament for mens national teams

The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European Championships, the precursor to the World Championships, were first held in 1910. The tournament held at the 1920 Summer Olympics is recognized as the first Ice Hockey World Championship. From 1920 to 1968, the Olympic hockey tournament was also considered the World Championship for that year.

Basel Place in Basel-Stadt, Switzerland

Basel or Basle is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine. Basel is Switzerland's third-most-populous city with about 180,000 inhabitants.

Brennan became the player-coach of the GB team for the 1965 and 1966 Pool B tournaments, held in Finland and Yugoslavia respectively. Brennan again appeared as player, and returned as a winger, for the GB team at the 1971 Pool C tournament.

Retirement

Brennan retired from ice hockey in 1973 when he 39 years old and he moved to Birmingham. In 1975, he moved back to Scotland to Aberdeen to take a job as a Projects Manager with a Norwegian engineering company. He retired in 1999 as their UK Managing Director.

Awards

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References

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