In the Summer of 2005 a group of hockey fans got together and started to play Recreational Ice Hockey in Sheffield.  As ice time was at a premium in Sheffield it was decided to look further a field to try and get ice time so that skating and stick handling skills could be improved.  A few of the players had skated at Sutton Ice Zone and it was decided to approach the rink  Management.

Sutton-in-Ashfield lies south-west of Mansfield, 14 miles north-west of Nottingham and close to Junction 28 of the M1 motorway.  It has a population of about 45,000 and one ice rink which is 24m long x 22m wide and nowhere big enough to play a proper hockey match.

After a few weeks a number of local youngsters had heard about the hockey training and made enquiries about taking part. By the turn of the year a dozen or so young hockey enthusiasts were turning-up wanting to learn about hockey and it was decided by the original players that something needed to be done.

Sutton Sting was established to provide the youngsters of Sutton with the opportunity to experience ice hockey.  The Club was founded by Bob Saunders, Ian Johnson and Gary Apsley in April 2006 and within six months the Club has set-up four teams training on two evenings a week.  Bob played for the Sheffield Steelers in the early ‘90s and provides the Club with a Head Coach.  Ian and Gary have been joined by a host of parents and volunteers and together aim to develop the Club for the whole Community to enjoy and be proud of.

Rocket Ron Shudra with Sting Head Coach Bob Saunders

The Club development plan has been devised around a simple adage – “let the kids play and enjoy themselves”.  So far with more than 75 EIHA registered players the biggest issue facing the Club is the availability of ice time as each team has only forty minutes of ice time each week.  This is not enough for any team, especially when you are training on a rink the size of a ‘back-yard’ rink!  Having said that, the Sting players are learning, and week-by-week the skill and ability level increases slowly but surely.

Since that first Sunday in April the Club has grown week on week.  In May the first Sponsorship deal was secured when Construct Nine Limited donated a much need £1,000 to the Club

The Sting became affiliated to the EIHA in June and hope to compete in the Junior Leagues in the 2007/8 Season.  In July and August the Club arranged three training sessions at Ice Sheffield where all members were able to practice their skills for the first time on the Olympic sized ice pads.  The Club applied for and was awarded the first grant of £1,177.00 by Nottinghamshire County Council in August.

Throughout the summer the Volunteer force grew leading to a further Level 1 Coach joining the Coaching Staff in early September.  At the end of September all Members and Officials of the Club were registered with the EIHA.

The second Club Meeting was held on 21 September and the decision taken to arrange joint training sessions and challenge games with other Clubs.  The Clubs first joint training session was held at Bradford on October alongside Manchester Phoenix juniors.  Since then trips to Telford, Coventry, Hull, Grimsby, Sheffield and Solihull have shown the Sting what will be required of them if they are to compete in a league next season even if all the games will have to be played away from Sutton.

With the prospect of a new (Grimsby sized) rink being built in time for the 2008/9 season, the Sting has a real goal to work towards and the prospect of home games is enough of an incentive for players, staff and parents alike.

 Until then, joint sessions, challenge games and occasional visits to nearby Sheffield or Nottingham will be the only chance the Sting players will get to play on the full ice surface.  The Sting organisation are finding out just how welcoming and supportive the other junior clubs are when it comes to putting on games and events so that boys and girls can play and enjoy their hockey – and long may it continue…….

2006 was a very eventful year for the EIHA’s newest ice hockey club.  Sutton might have one of the smallest ice pads in the country but the kids who skate on it don’t mind.  Not only are we learning about hockey, we are learning about life through teamwork, discipline and effort.  Together these basic skills will hopefully help provide our kids with inspiration and guidance on their road in life.