British Home Tournaments
Following the dissolution of the British National League after the conclusion of the 1959-60 season, Great Britain was left without a hockey league in existence.
To keep the sport of ice hockey alive in the country, the remaining rinks/teams organized tournaments throughout the year, known colloquially as either "rink" or "home" tournaments. Altrincham, Blackpool, Brighton, Durham, Southampton and Whitley Bay are some notable locales which still retained rinks/teams.
The tournaments were generally organized in a format where the visiting teams all played games against the hosts, and the team which recorded the best result earned the right to play the home side in a final. Sometimes a simple round-robin was played, with the first-place finisher claiming the tournament. Some visiting teams (notably Streatham, Richmond, and Harringay) no longer had rinks of their own, making the tournaments one of the few opportunities for them to get on the ice.
A fully-amateur Scottish League was set up for the 1962-63 season. However, home tournaments remained the sole source of competition in England. In 1965-66, the Coca-Cola Championship, a four league circuit comprising teams from both England and Scotland, was contested. The competition did not fare well, with the schedule being left uncompleted and no winners being declared. The same year, the Icy Smith Cup (which later came to be regarded as the British Championship) was played, made up of teams from Northern England and Scotland.
The Northern League was established for the 1966-67 season. It contained teams from Northern England and Scotland, who also competed for the Icy Smith Cup. Home tournaments would however remain the only competitions in Southern England until the establishment of the Southern League in 1970.
Known Home Tournaments
- Altrincham Tournament
- Angus Challenge Cup
- Ayr Summer Tournament
- BBC Grandstand TV Trophy
- Blackpool Icedrome Trophy
- BIHA Cup
- Brighton Cup
- Brighton Tournament
- British Cup
- Charles Bell Trophy
- Cobley Cup
- Crossmyloof Tournament
- Directors Trophy
- Dunelm Trophy
- Kirkcaldy Tournament
- London Tournament
- Northern Tournament
- Northumbria Cup
- Provost Barbour Challenge Trophy
- Scottish TV Trophy
- Skol Cup
- Southern Cup (Southampton)
- Southern Cup (Wembley)
- Spring Cup
- Whitley Cup
All-star teams
The all-star teams were chosen by a panel of captains, coaches, referees, and reporters. They only included the English Home Tournaments, but players from Scottish sides were eligible for selection to the teams.
1960-61
No team selected.
1961-62
| A Team | Position | B Team |
|---|---|---|
| Ray Partridge, Brighton Tigers | Goaltender | Glynne Thomas, Southampton Vikings |
| Red Imrie, Brighton Tigers | Defense | Billy Brennan, Paisley Mohawks |
| Johnny Carlyle, Brighton Tigers | Defense | Jimmy Mitchell, Altrincham Aces |
| Jimmy Spence, Altrincham Aces | Forward | Jackie Dryburgh, Brighton Tigers |
| Ian Forbes, Altrincham Aces | Forward | Mike O'Brien, Brighton Tigers |
| Harry Pearson, Brighton Tigers | Forward | Dave Lammin, Altrincham Aces |
| Ian Forbes, Altrincham Aces | Forward | Johnny Carlyle, Brighton Tigers |
1962-63
| A Team | Position | B Team |
|---|---|---|
| Ray Partridge, Brighton Tigers | Goaltender | Glynne Thomas, Southampton Vikings |
| Red Imrie, Brighton Tigers | Defense | Johnny Carlyle, Brighton Tigers |
| Roy Shepherd, Brighton Tigers | Defense | Bill Sneddon, Murrayfield Royals |
| Jackie Dryburgh, Brighton Tigers | Forward | Jimmy Spence, Altrincham Aces |
| Rupe Fresher, Brighton Tigers | Forward | Ian Forbes, Altrincham Aces |
| Bert Smith, Altrincham Aces | Forward | Harry Pearson, Brighton Tigers |
| Johnny Carlyle, Brighton Tigers | Forward | Ian Forbes, Altrincham Aces |
1963-64
| A Team | Position | B Team |
|---|---|---|
| Glynne Thomas, Wembley Lions | Goaltender | Derek Metcalfe, Durham Wasps |
| Bill Sneddon, Fife Flyers | Defense | Red Imrie, Brighton Tigers |
| Art Hodgins, Wembley Lions | Defense | Billy Brennan, Paisley Mohawks |
| Jimmy Spence, Fife Flyers | Forward | Les Lovell, Brighton Tigers |
| Ian Forbes, Fife Flyers | Forward | Rupe Fresher, Brighton Tigers |
| Sam McDonald, Fife Flyers | Forward | Gordie Merrit, Brighton Tigers |
| Ian Forbes, Fife Flyers | Forward | Red Imrie, Brighton Tigers |
1964-65
| A Team | Position | B Team |
|---|---|---|
| Glynne Thomas, Wembley Lions | Goaltender | Derek Metcalfe, Durham Wasps |
| Red Imrie, Brighton Tigers | Defense | Bill Sneddon, Fife Flyers |
| Billy Brennan, Paisley Mohawks | Defense | Roy Shepherd, Brighton Tigers |
| Jackie Dryburgh, Brighton Tigers | Forward | Jimmy Spence, Fife Flyers |
| Rupe Fresher, Brighton Tigers | Forward | Terry Matthews, Whitley Bay Warriors |
| Sam McDonald, Fife Flyers | Forward | John Baxter, Brighton Tigers |
| Billy Brennan, Paisley Mohawks | Forward | Red Imrie, Brighton Tigers |
Later
No teams were selected in 1965-66 and 1966-67. Starting in 1967-68, the team was chosen from a pool of Northern League players.
References
- ↑ 1961-62 British All Star Team on ihjuk.co.uk
- ↑ 1962-63 British All Star Team on ihjuk.co.uk
- ↑ 1963-64 British All Star Team on ihjuk.co.uk
- ↑ 1964-65 British All Star Team on ihjuk.co.uk