Fife Flyers
| Fife Flyers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| City | Kirkcaldy, Scotland |
| League | Elite Ice Hockey League |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Home arena | Fife Ice Arena |
| Colors |
White, Gold and Blue |
| Owner(s) |
Kirkcaldy Ice Hockey Club Fife Flyers Limited |
| Franchise history | |
| 1938–Present | Fife Flyers |
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The Fife Flyers, established in 1938, are the oldest professional ice hockey team in the United Kingdom. The team has a history of success through the ages, with over 60 Scottish and British cups and titles to their name.
History
The Fife Flyers were founded in 1938 and made their debut against the Dundee Tigers on October 1, 1938, falling by a score of 4-1. Shortly after, the club took on Kelvingrove and the Perth Panthers, tying 2-2 and losing 8-1 against the former and winning 4-1 against the latter.
The outbreak of World War II put hockey in Scotland and the UK as a whole mostly on hiatus from 1940-1945, though some challenge matches were staged at Kirkcaldy Ice Rink, in Fife's case, during the war.
After the war, Fife played in the Scottish National League until 1954, winning the league in 1949 and 1950. The Flyers also won the Scottish Autumn Cup in 1948 and 1950. The Scottish League then merged with the English National League in 1954 to form a countrywide British National League. The all-British league proved to be a disaster for both Fife and the majority of the Scottish sides, as the Flyers along with all other Scottish teams aside from Paisley withdrew from the competition after its inaugural 1954-55 season. Having no suitable league to play in, the Flyers lay dormant until 1962.
The club was resurrected in 1962 when the Scottish League, a fully-amateur loop, was created. They won the league in 1964 and lost in the finals the following year. Fife also fared well in a variety of tournaments during the mid-to-late 60s, winning the Skol Cup four times, and the STV Trophy, Directors Trophy, and the Coca-Cola Trophy once. The most prestigious of the club's tournament victories were the two BBC Grandstand TV Trophy titles, earned in 1964 and 1967.
The Northern League was formed in 1966 and the Flyers were included as participants. They won the league in the 1977 and 1978 seasons. The club also claimed the Northern Autumn Cup four times during the 1970s; in 1972, 1975, 1976, and 1978. The greatest achievement of the decade was the Flyers Icy Smith Cup titles in 1977 and 1978. On both occasions they defeated the Southampton Vikings to become British champions.
Fife continued playing in the Northern League through the 1981-82 season. The British Hockey League was then formed for 1982-83 as the first national British competition since the ill-fated British National League had met its demise in 1960. The Flyers played in the league from its inception until its final season in 1995-96.
After the BHL folded, Fife joined the second-level British National League, where they played from 1996-2005. The club won the league in 2000 and 2004 and lost to the Swindon IceLords in the inter-league final in 1997. A reserve team also played in the Scottish National League while the top team participated in the BNL.
The Flyers joined the Northern League, a competition comprised of teams from Northern England and Scotland, for the 2005-06 season after the British National League met its demise. The top club also joined the Scottish National League that year. Fife enjoyed success in both the Northern and Scottish leagues, winning the former in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2011 and the latter in 2006, 2007. Fife also won the one-off Scottish Premier Hockey League in 2008 and the Celtic League Cup - a multi-national competition between Scotland and Ireland - in 2009 and 2010.
In late June 2011, the Fife Flyers were confirmed as having been accepted into the EIHL, replacing the Newcastle Vipers for the 2011-12 season. The Flyers struggled in their first season in a top-tier British league since 1996, finishing in last place and failing to qualify for the playoffs. They fared far better in their second season in the EIHL, recording a second-place finish in the Gardiner Conference before losing to the Nottingham Panthers in the playoff quarterfinals. Fife's third season in the league saw them take seventh place in the regular season, and reach the semifinals of the playoffs.
Elite Ice Hockey League Record
| Season | League | Conference | Playoff | Challenge Cup | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | EIHL | 12th | Group | |||
| 2012-13 | EIHL | 7th | Gardiner | 2nd | QF | QF |
| 2013-14 | EIHL | 7th | Gardiner | 3rd | 4th | QF |
| 2014–15 | EIHL | 8th | Gardiner | 2nd | QF | QF |
| 2015–16 | EIHL | 6th | Gardiner | 2nd | 4th | QF |
| 2016–17 | EIHL | 6th | Gardiner | 3rd | QF | Group |
| 2017–18 | EIHL | 7th | Gardiner | 1st | SF | QF |
| 2018–19 | EIHL | 6th | Gardiner | 3rd | QF | Group |
| 2019–20† | EIHL | 10th | Group | |||
| 2020–21†† | EIHL | Cancelled | Cancelled | Cancelled | ||
| 2021–22 | EIHL | 10th | QF | |||
| 2022–23 | EIHL | 9th | Runners-up | |||
| 2023–24 | EIHL | 8th | QF | |||
† Note the 2019–20 season was cancelled in March 2020, with Fife having played 49 games, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The league and play-offs finished without a winner and the above stat line reflects the Flyers' position at the time of the cancellation.
†† Note: The 2020–21 Elite League season – originally scheduled for a revised start date of 5 December – was suspended on 15 September 2020, because of ongoing coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The EIHL board determined that the season was non-viable without supporters being permitted to attend matches and unanimously agreed to a suspension.[1] The season was cancelled completely in February 2021.[2]
Facts
First Game: October 1, 1938, vs Dundee Tigers
First Captain: Les Lovell Snr
First Goal Scorer: Norman McQuade
Honors
- Celtic League Playoffs: 2008/09, 2009/10
- Celtic League Cup: 2008/09, 2009/10
- British National League: 1999/2000, 2003/04
- Grand Slam: 1977, 1999/2000, 2005/06, 2006/07
- British Champions: 1976/77, 1977/78, 1984/85, 1998/99, 1999/2000
- Scottish Premier Hockey League Champions: 2007/08
- Scottish Premier League Play-off: 2007/08
- Northern League Play-off: 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11
- Northern League Champions: 1976/77, 1977/78, 1996/97, 1997/98, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2010/11
- Challenge Cup runners-up 2022–23
- Autumn Cup: 1949/50, 1972, 1975, 1976, 2005, 2008
- Grandstand Trophy: 1964/65, 1966/67
- Spring Cup: 1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77
- Anderson Trophy: 1938/39, 1946/47, 1948/49, 1949/50
- Airlie Trophy: 1953/54
- McPherson Trophy: 1939
- Silver Jubilee Trophy: 1948
- Coronation Cup: 1948/49
- Scottish League: 1939/40, 1948/49, 1949/50, 1963/64, 1990/91, 1995/96, 2005/06, 2006/07
- Scottish Cup: 1984/85, 1993/94, 1994/95, 1997/98, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2008/09, 2009/10
- Skol Cup: 1964, 1964/65, 1965/66, 1967/68, 1970/71, 1972/73, 1975/76, 1976/77, 1977/78
- Scottish Canada Cup: 1949/50
- STV Trophy: 1964/65, 1965/66
- Directors Trophy: 1965
- Cola-Cola Trophy: 1965
- Slapshot Trophy: 1977 (beat Murrayfield Racers 3-1)
- Angus Challenge Cup: 1975/76 (beat Dundee Rockets 8-3)
- Evening News Trophy: 1975/76 (beat Murrayfield Racers 9-1) 1976/77 (beat Murrayfield Racers 8-3)
- Forth Challenge Trophy: 1983
- Northumbria Cup: 1976/77
- Taws Trophy: 1990/91
- Christmas Cup: 1999/2000
- Caledonia Cup: 2002/03, 2003/04
- Findus Challenge Cup: 2001/02
Images
Verne Gregor, Pep Young, Andy Napier and Joe McIntosh of Fife Flyers in the 1960s.
The club in 2014-15.
A program from March 5, 1953.
