New ownership for UK's oldest ice hockey club
A North American-based group have promised to "restore the pride, energy and identity" of Fife Flyers after completing a takeover of the UK's oldest ice hockey club.Former Cardiff Devils and Israel forward Max Birbraer is the Flyers' new president and general manager, having led the takeover process.The club say they are close to appointing a new head coach and will provide further updates as they attempt to build "a competitive and committed roster".The Kirkcaldy side finished bottom of the Elite Ice Hockey League last season.In a statement, the club said: "We're proud to announce that a new chapter has officially begun for the Fife Flyers. "A North American-based group has financed and installed a new management team to operate the club, led by Cardiff Devils legend Max Birbraer. The transition is complete - and the hard work begins now."It is an honour to lead the UK's oldest and most iconic hockey team. Our mission is clear: to restore the pride, energy and identity of Fife Flyers hockey - both on and off the ice."This is a people's club. Fife is the beating heart of Scottish hockey and its supporters are the soul of this organisation. Your loyalty, your voice and your passion will shape everything we do."We are here to build something special - a first-class hockey experience that reflects the grit and character of this town. Under this leadership, we will lead with transparency, we will compete with pride and we will always listen."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Irish League odyssey for European football groundhoppers
Groundhopping is proving a popular attraction for Irish League football clubs, with more people travelling from outside the UK to visit involves attending football matches at as many different grounds as enthusiasts from the Netherlands and Germany are among those visiting Northern Ireland as football tourism extends to these Christmas, Dutch football groundhopper Mathijs Kros celebrated the festive season in Belfast, with four Irish League games in a row, including the Steel and Sons Cup Final on 25 December. He is a big fan of Irish League football."I like the banter in the stands and the fact that there is a real connection between the players and the fans if you go to a game," he said. 'The grounds have a soul' "The previous year, I was looking at my boring Christmas dinner in the Netherlands and thinking: 'Next year I will be in Belfast'," he added."This season, I was able to go to the Steel and Sons Cup Final on Christmas Day, the north Belfast derby between Crusaders and Cliftonville on Boxing Day, the east Belfast derby between Dundela and Harland and Wolff Welders on 27 December and a game involving Portstewart and Knockbreda Parish on 28 December."I had all my Christmases at once."Mr Kros has supported Cliftonville FC in the Irish Premiership since 2013 and makes the trip to Northern Ireland four times a season to attend games. Wouter Schollema, also from the Netherlands, has visited various stadia in Northern Ireland for more than a decade and is the author of a book about the history of football in Belfast."What I like most about the Irish league is that it is still the pure football, the grounds have a soul and stories attached to them," he said. "The Premier League in England is expensive and it is plastic fantastic."He has taken in a game in each of his 25 visits to Belfast."I went to Loughgall last year for their game against Crusaders, as it was the smallest settlement in Europe to have a top-flight club - it was a brilliant experience."He also visited Belfast last year with 20 people and visited a number of grounds. From Bologna to the Brandywell Groundhopper Ross Lee, from Paisley in Scotland, has visited more than 700 stadia in 26 countries, with his partner Nicola Stevenson visiting more than Lee said this had included trips to grounds in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Friday, the couple will be at the Brandywell in Londonderry to take in Derry City's League of Ireland Premier Division fixture against Galway United, fresh from a trip to Bologna FC in Italy's Serie A, last month."In the Irish League, I have been at Glentoran's ground, The Oval, which is a mecca for groundhoppers, as well as Linfield, Harland and Wolff Welders, Coleraine and Portstewart," he said."I have also been at the grounds of Bohemians and Sligo Rovers in the League of believes the two leagues are "more authentic" than the likes of the Premier League in England and the Bundesliga in Germany."You get more craic and the grounds are more interesting."Mr Lee said trips were also about exploring the history and culture of a place. This is also highlighted by Chris Lee, the English author of a new book, Shades of Green, which saw him groundhopping across the island of Ireland while charting its "rich football history"."I love [Glentoran's ground], the Oval, that's my favourite stadium in Europe," he said."It's a time capsule, so unique."Cliftonville's Solitude ground is special too, with that old stand. "It's the oldest football ground on the island of Ireland and where the first international penalty was taken – and missed." Berlin to Belfast John Moore takes supporters on tours of Glentoran's stadium, the Oval, and said that hardly a week passes when there is not a group of groundhoppers from Europe visiting."They are mostly Dutch, Belgians, Germans and French," he Moore said there had been an upsurge of groundhoppers at the Oval in recent years."With the international football break, the Irish League still goes on, and people can take in a couple of games," he said relatively cheap flights from some European cities to Dublin and Belfast helped. Sam North of Footy Adventures visits stadia across the UK and Europe, documenting it all on social has made six visits to Northern Ireland since June North said his content relating to the Irish League had garnered millions of views from all over the world."I absolutely love it. I think the one drawback of doing it in other parts of the UK would be that the countries are so big, but within Northern Ireland, it is all so close," he added."The passion is so good and the local fan base is incredible."Mr North said that as well as groundhoppers being attracted by the "old school" feel of some stadia in Northern Ireland, the physical element of some play was also "a throwback to how football used to be". Fund for improvements More than 40 football clubs in Northern Ireland can now apply for money from a £36.2m fund which was initially announced 14 years aim of the Northern Ireland Football Fund is to improve sporting facilities for players and supporters. An estimated £200m is needed to bring facilities in Northern Ireland up to the required North welcomes the funding for stadia, but he said it was important that the character of grounds in Northern Ireland is retained in any refurbishment."I just hope they can keep the history of the grounds as they are right now, but maybe give them a few modern touches."
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
Bradford families feel pressure as care subsidy is scrapped
Thousands of vulnerable people in Bradford could see sharp rises in day care charges from next month, prompting fears many may be forced to cancel lifeline Council has approved plans to phase out a long-standing subsidy known as the "discretionary buffer", which determines how much support the authority gives before people must start paying for their own it could see some users' weekly care bills rise by up to £58 – over £3,000 a year, according to council authority has said everyone affected would get a full financial reassessment before being asked to pay more, but affected families have urged the council to reconsider the end of the subsidy. About 4,000 people - mainly older adults and those with learning disabilities who live, and are cared for, at home - are expected to be affected by the new rules. Bradford's 25% discretionary buffer, introduced over a decade ago, allowed individuals needing day care to retain more of their income before charges kicked in. The authority said its arrangements had been "generous", but its own financial pressures had forced a the buffer would bring the city in line with other West Yorkshire councils, and was expected to raise £5.6m annually towards the cash-strapped authority's £133m adult social care council said the buffer would not be removed all at once, but would be phased out over two years - with 50% to go in July this year and the rest in July 2026. However, affected families have said the delay offered little comfort, with a recent public consultation revealing that 17% of respondents feared they would have to cancel their day care services if the charges went through. Nearly 70% of respondents said they would need to cut other household spending or total care hours, while over half expressed concern about the toll on their mental and physical health. Jo Brearton, a full-time carer in Bradford, told the BBC that if the subsidy was lost, she would have to cancel the only day of external care her 26-year-old son, Danny, received each weekDanny, who is autistic and has complex needs, attends a day centre in Keighley every Friday. Ms Brearton said that single day provided variety in his weekly routine and gave her a rare moment of respite - and its loss could be devastating."That leaves me and Danny at home 24-7," she explained."That one day off from Danny I have, I don't think it's a lot to ask."When that Friday session is gone, that's his routine blown out of the water."He'll be thinking, in his own way, 'why aren't I going?' But he can't explain to me how he's feeling and what he's thinking." 'Sugarcoat the pill' Ms Brearton said the contribution for Danny's care could jump from £21 to £71 a week under the changes."They might say, 'we'll just do it by 50% this financial year', but that's still an extra £100 a month for me. Next year, it will be £200 a month," she said."Where am I expected to find an extra £2,000 a year?"Ms Brearton said the proposed phased introduction of the changes was the council "trying to sugarcoat the pill"."The council has mismanaged budgets for years. They are now saying, 'we've subsidised you, we're not doing it any longer'. Then they just pull the rug out from your feet," she stated. Ian MacBeath, the Labour-run authority's strategic director for adult social care and health, said the phased approach "gives people time to make adjustments to their living expenditure so they're more able to manage that financial increase".Speaking at a meeting of the decision-making executive, Mr MacBeath acknowledged the changes would have a "significant financial impact" on some he said: "The council's financial position means we've got to consider this in order to be fair to all residents."Mr MacBeath added that more social workers would assess any cases where people felt pressured to cancel services, to ensure "no one's safety is compromised".Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's executive member for healthy people and places, said the authority had to make a "difficult decision", but she was "reassured" there would be enough safeguards in place to reduce the burden on opposition politicians have expressed concerns over the loss of the Party councillor Neil Whitaker warned that some people "didn't fully understand the increases, or what would happen if they couldn't pay".He suggested that decision-makers "might not have a full picture of the financial challenges people are facing", and urged better overall communication of the changes and their as she braced for the change to get under way in July, Ms Brearton said: "They say they recognise the burden on families, but all they're doing is piling on even more stress." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
20 minutes ago
- BBC News
South Hams leisure centres set to get solar panel upgrades
A Devon council is planning to install solar panels on three of its leisure centres to help make them more financially Hams District Council said it would install the panels at facilities in Ivybridge, Dartmouth and authority said work to install panels on a fourth leisure centre, Quayside Leisure Centre in Kingsbridge, had already environment was a "key priority" and the leisure centres were one of the biggest contributors to the council's carbon footprint, it said. The upgrade would reduce energy bills, helping to make each of the centres more financially sustainable, the council said. It estimated the project would cut about 90 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Julian Brazil, lead member for community services, operations and leisure at the council, said: "The environmental benefits from installing the panels are huge."The installation of the panels will also lower the effects of rising costs for all three centres, which are a threat to many facilities like ours. "The panels should help to keep membership and entry prices as low as possible for users."
