Oxford Blades

Last updated

The Oxford Blades were an English ice hockey team based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. They competed in the English Premier Ice Hockey League during the 1998-99 season and folded halfway through the 1999-00 season.

Ice hockey team sport played on ice using sticks, skates, and a puck

Ice hockey is a contact team sport played on ice, usually in a rink, in which two teams of skaters use their sticks to shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into their opponent's net to score points. The sport is known to be fast-paced and physical, with teams usually consisting of six players each: one goaltender, and five players who skate up and down the ice trying to take the puck and score a goal against the opposing team.

Oxford City and non-metropolitan district in England

Oxford is a university city in south central England and the county town of Oxfordshire. With a population of approximately 155,000, it is the 52nd largest city in the United Kingdom, with one of the fastest growing populations in the UK, and it remains the most ethnically diverse area in Oxfordshire county. The city is 51 miles (82 km) from London, 61 miles (98 km) from Bristol, 59 miles (95 km) from Southampton, 57 miles (92 km) from Birmingham and 24 miles (39 km) from Reading.

Oxfordshire County of England

Oxfordshire is a county in South East England. The ceremonial county borders Warwickshire to the north-west, Northamptonshire to the north-east, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, Wiltshire to the south-west and Gloucestershire to the west.

Contents

The Blades were formed after a year without senior men's hockey in the town. Following the dissolution of the Oxford City Stars, Mike Kellond created the Oxford Chill. Due to the failure of the Ice plant at Oxford, Kellond moved the team to Swindon where they became known as the Swindon Chill.

Oxford City Stars

The Oxford City Stars are an ice hockey team based in Oxford, England. They currently play in the NIHL South Division 2.

Following a move back to the university-town, the club's concessions from the council for the ice costs were lost along with the majority of its players.

A group of ice hockey-loving businessmen created the Oxford Blades, bringing in former Stars' coach Sid Cabby as managing director in January 1999. Due to a sponsorship deal, the club was known during their debut season as The City Motors FOX Blades. The club's only full season saw them have four head coaches: Geoff Copping got things underway and Erskine Douglas provided a solid structure and programme for a few weeks before leaving for Chelmsford Chieftains. He was replaced by Daryl Morvan and then by late signing Mark Budz. The club lost every game during 1998-99 and finished bottom of the league. However, the club won the sportsmanship trophy for finishing top of the fair play league with a total of 386 penalty minutes during the course of the league season.

Chelmsford Chieftains

The Chelmsford Chieftains are an Ice Hockey team based in Chelmsford, Essex that are currently playing in the NIHL South Division 2. Since the team was founded in 1987, the Chieftains have played their home games at the Riverside Ice and Leisure Centre.

The 1999-00 season would prove to be their last, as the club ran out of money and played their last game on 23 January 2000, which saw them lose 16-3 at home to the Isle of Wight Raiders. All league statistics from the season were expunged.

Results

1998/1999 season

DateOpponentVenueResultCompetition
N/A Blackburn Hawks AwayLost 13-2English Cup
N/A Blackburn Hawks HomeLost 6-2English Cup
N/ASolihull BlazeHomeLost 20-2English Cup
N/ASolihull BlazeAwayLost 15-1English Cup
N/ASwindon ChillHomeLost 9-1English Cup
N/ASwindon ChillAwayLost 14-4English Cup
N/A Wightlink Raiders HomeLost 14-4English Cup
N/A Wightlink Raiders AwayLost 11-2English Cup
Saturday 10 October 1998 Chelmsford Chieftains AwayLost 14-2English League
Saturday 17 October 1998Swindon ChillAwayLost 9-2English League
Sunday 18 October 1998Swindon ChillHomeLost 9-2English League
Saturday 24 October 1998 Wightlink Raiders AwayLost 17-4English League
Sunday 25 October 1998Solihull BlazeAwayLost 18-2English League
Saturday 31 October 1998 Romford Raiders AwayLost 13-2English League
Sunday 1 November 1998 Wightlink Raiders HomeLost 13-3English League
Thursday 5 November 1998 Chelmsford Chieftains AwayLost 12-2English League
Saturday 7 November 1998 Milton Keynes Kings AwayLost 20-1English League
Sunday 22 November 1998 Invicta Dynamos HomeLost 8-0English League
Sunday 29 November 1998Swindon ChillAwayLost 8-2English League
Saturday 5 December 1998 Wightlink Raiders AwayLost 15-5English League
Sunday 6 December 1998 Blackburn Hawks HomeLost 11-3English League
Sunday 13 December 1998 Chelmsford Chieftains HomeLost 7-2English League
Sunday 20 December 1998 Blackburn Hawks AwayLost 19-2English League
Sunday 3 January 1999 Romford Raiders HomeLost 15-2English League
Saturday 9 January 1999 Invicta Dynamos AwayLost 9-6English League
Sunday 10 January 1999 Milton Keynes Kings HomeLost 8-4English League
Saturday 16 January 1999Solihull BlazeHomeLost 20-7English League
Sunday 17 January 1999 Blackburn Hawks HomeLost 9-5English League
Thursday 21 January 1999 Milton Keynes Kings AwayLost 21-1English League
Sunday 24 January 1999Solihull BlazeHomeLost 15-1English League
Sunday 31 January 1999 Wightlink Raiders HomeLost 14-7English League
Saturday 6 February 1999 Romford Raiders AwayLost 11-3English League
Sunday 7 February 1999 Romford Raiders HomeLost 7-6English League
Sunday 14 February 1999 Chelmsford Chieftains HomeLost 14-5English League
Saturday 20 February 1999 Blackburn Hawks AwayLost 19-2English League
Sunday 21 February 1999 Invicta Dynamos AwayLost 14-2English League
Sunday 28 February 1999 Milton Keynes Kings HomeLost 11-3English League
Saturday 6 March 1999Solihull BlazeAwayLost 14-5English League
Sunday 7 March 1999Swindon ChillHomeLost 7-4English League
Sunday 21 March 1999 Invicta Dynamos HomeLost 12-1English League

1999/2000 season

DateOpponentVenueResultCompetition
Saturday 4 September 1999 Chelmsford Chieftains AwayLost 6-2English League
Sunday 5 September 1999Swindon ChillAwayWon 7-6English League
Saturday 11 September 1999 Cardiff Rage AwayTied 7-7English League
Sunday 12 September 1999 Romford Raiders HomeLost 8-3English League
Saturday 18 September 1999Swindon ChillAwayLost 8-2English League
Sunday 19 September 1999Isle of Wight RaidersHomeLost 9-3English League
Saturday 25 September 1999 Romford Raiders HomeWon 5-3English League
Sunday 26 September 1999 Invicta Dynamos AwayLost 7-4English League
Sunday 10 October 1999 Cardiff Rage HomeWon 9-3English League
Saturday 16 October 1999 Romford Raiders AwayLost 9-6English League
Sunday 17 October 1999Isle of Wight RaidersHomeLost 4-3English League
Sunday 24 October 1999 Invicta Dynamos HomeWon 6-5English League
Saturday 30 October 1999 Chelmsford Chieftains AwayLost 13-3English League
Sunday 14 November 1999 Invicta Dynamos HomeTied 5-5English League
Sunday 28 November 1999 Chelmsford Chieftains AwayLost 12-3English League
Saturday 4 December 1999Isle of Wight RaidersAwayLost 21-4English League
Saturday 11 December 1999Swindon ChillAwayLost 11-2English League
Sunday 2 January 2000 Romford Raiders AwayLost 8-4English League
Saturday 8 January 2000Isle of Wight RaidersAwayLost 14-6English League
Sunday 9 January 2000 Chelmsford Chieftains HomeLost 7-1English League
Sunday 23 January 2000Isle of Wight RaidersHomeLost 16-3English League

Related Research Articles

Arkansas RiverBlades

The Arkansas RiverBlades was a short-lived minor-league ice hockey team located in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Guildford Flames ice hockey team based in Guildford, Surrey, England

The Guildford Flames are an ice hockey team based in Guildford, Surrey and they play their home games in the Guildford Spectrum. They compete in the top-tier of hockey in the United Kingdom, the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Toledo Storm

The Toledo Storm was a minor league professional ice hockey team in the ECHL from 1991 to 2007. The Storm played their home games at the venerable Toledo Sports Arena along the eastern banks of the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The team colors were red and white, similar to the Detroit Red Wings, their NHL affiliate for fourteen of their sixteen seasons. The Storm would win six division titles, two Henry Brabham Cups and two Jack Riley Cups as champion of the East Coast Hockey League. The franchise suspended operations following the 2006–07 season after they were sold to Toledo Arena Sports, Inc. The Storm returned to the ECHL for the 2009–10 season as the Toledo Walleye.

Sheffield Steelers Ice hockey club in Sheffield, England, UK

Sheffield Steelers is a professional ice hockey team located in Sheffield, England. It was formed in 1991 and plays its home games at the FlyDSA Arena. It is currently a member of the Elite Ice Hockey League. The club's main (title) sponsor is Sheffield Window Centre.

Basingstoke Bison Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke, England

The Basingstoke Bison are an English Ice Hockey club from Basingstoke. They currently compete in the National Ice Hockey League and have previously been members of the Ice Hockey Superleague and its successor the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Calgary Hitmen ice hockey team

The Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League (WHL). They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner as well as the inspiration for the team's name. Established in 1994, the team has been owned by the Calgary Flames hockey club since 1997. They are the third WHL team to represent Calgary, preceded by the Centennials and Wranglers.

The British National League (BNL) was the second tier of the professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom between 1996 and 2005. Although no formal promotion and relegation existed during its period of existence, it was considered to have been a standard below that of the Ice Hockey Superleague and above that of the English National Ice Hockey League and the Scottish National League. Fife Flyers and Guildford Flames were the only two teams to consistently feature in the BNL during every season of the league's history.

Women's ice hockey in Great Britain is administered by the English and Scottish Ice Hockey Associations. It is one of the fastest growing areas of the game.

Fife Flyers ice hockey team

Fife Flyers Ice Hockey Club is the oldest professional ice hockey club in the UK, established in 1938. The Flyers play their home games at Fife Ice Arena in Kirkcaldy which has a capacity of just Over 3000. The arena is home to not only Fife Flyers, who play in the Elite Ice Hockey League but also to Kirkcaldy Junior Ice Hockey Club. Traditionally many of the Flyers' players have come up through the junior ranks to play at a "professional" level.

Ayr Scottish Eagles Ice hockey club in Ayr, Scotland, UK

The Ayr Scottish Eagles were a professional Scottish ice hockey club, from Ayr, Scotland. They were formed in 1996 and played their home games at the Centrum Arena. The team competed in the Ice Hockey Superleague and the club's main (title) sponsor was Barr Construction. The club folded during the 2002–03 season after a move to Braehead Arena.

Swindon Wildcats ice hockey team

The Swindon Wildcats are a professional ice hockey team based in Swindon, Wiltshire, England. They play in the National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) South Division 1. Since their inception, the Wildcats have played their home games at the 2800-capacity Link Centre in West Swindon. The club was founded in 1986 as the Swindon Wildcats, shortly after the opening of the Link Centre.

Telford Tigers

The Telford Tigers are a National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) ice hockey team that formed in 1985. After initially closing in 1999, a new team, under the name 'Telford Wild Foxes', was formed in 2001; and re-adopted the original name in 2005.

Columbus Chill

The Columbus Chill was a professional ice hockey team that played in the East Coast Hockey League from October 1991 through the 1998–99 season. They played at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum in Columbus, Ohio. The Chill left Columbus in 1999 and relocated to Reading, Pennsylvania, with the impending arrival of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League. The Columbus Chill are now known as the Reading Royals.

Bristol Pitbulls

The Bristol Pitbulls are an ice hockey team representing Bristol, England, currently playing in the NIHL South Division 2. However, due to the closure of Bristol Ice Rink in 2012, they currently play all of their home games at Oxford Ice Rink.

Canisius Golden Griffins mens ice hockey Canisius College mens hockey team

The Canisius Golden Griffins men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college ice hockey program that represents Canisius College. The Golden Griffins are a member of Atlantic Hockey. They play at the Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York across the street from KeyBank Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. Canisius won an automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship after winning the Atlantic Hockey title in the conference playoffs, but lost in the first round to top-ranked Quinnipiac.

Billingham Stars

The Billingham Stars are an ice hockey team from the town of Billingham in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham. They are currently members of the National Ice Hockey League playing in its Moralee Conference. The Stars play their home games at the Billingham Forum.

The 1992–93 season, was the Guildford Flames first ever year of Ice Hockey. They competed in the English League Division One. Guildford's first ever competitive game was a 12–1 away victory at the Sunderland Chiefs on 17 October 1992. Due to the Guildford Spectrum not being completed in time for the start of the season, the Flames trained at Slough. The Guildford Flames played the majority of their away fixtures in the early stages of the season, using Alexandra Palace in North London when home fixtures were unavoidable.

The 1993-94 season, was the Guildford Flames second year of Ice Hockey. They competed in the British League Division One South. They played in front of the fifth best average home attendance (1,977) in Britain.

The 1996–97 season, was the Guildford Flames' fifth year of ice hockey. Despite the fact the Guildford Flames advised with the setting up of the new top league in British Ice Hockey - the Ice Hockey Superleague, they opted to become members of the lower British National League. The unsettled Flames suffered from the loss of both their general manager and managing director and the five-year-old club, under coach Wayne Crawford, struggled through the campaign with a turnover of 41 players.

References

    International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

    The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.