Ice hockey was forced on the local population, and then shifted onto the ratepayers to pay for by Humberside County Council, a pet idea from the then leader Terry Geraghty. At a time when Hull City didn't even have a shirt sponsor and were on the bones of their arse financially. City even had 'Humberside' on their shirts at the time with no payment from the ruling council and Geraghty appeared on the pre season team photograph all in attempt to get them to back the local football club, but Geraghty had other ideas. It has traded under a succession of different names because it has continually gone bust and is incapable of standing on its own two feet. I do remember the very early days of icehockey in this city because a family member worked there at the time and it was nothing more then a jolly for the councillors. Ticket sales were laughable, therefore freebies were everywhere, and still attendances were pathetic and the plug should have been pulled after the first season and not handed over to be subsidised by the ratepayers. If it has attracted an audience, then fair enough and good luck to it and them but it must not be forgotten that this imported sport was heavily subsidised by the ratepayers at a time when other long established sports clubs in this city were left high and dry until a change in council policy.
After a delay to clear the blood off the ice, it finished Pirates 4-6 Steeldogs in a sold out arena. Cracking game, cracking atmosphere by all accounts.
Because of the way the fixtures work, one player couldn't make the second game of the weekend, as he wouldn't get back in time for his shift on the bin lorries. Point being, plenty of the players put in a full weeks work before training and then playing two games a weekend. The fans are well regarded by the owners, who do what they can to make it a pleasurable experience. For all the stuff you mention, football could learn a lot from them.
I don't know the capacity without googling, but it was announced as a sell out earlier today, although I noticed a fan saying that there were some empty seats. https://twitter.com/Pirates_MNL
Oh. Ignore my posts. I've just realised this is an ice hockey team, and not a thread about Assem and Ehab.
Since then the council has bought us a brand new stadium which helped us reach heights we never previously thought possible, meanwhile they let the ice hockey team dissolve and only generous private benefactors have made their return possible. Swings and roundabouts.
Sounds like Hull City pre KC and the selling off of Hull Telephones. Don't remember football ever being on the rates.
