: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:49 pm  

So does Ice Hockey.

Although in europe the football teams tend to move around rather than play in just one stadium - italy germany spain.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:55 pm  

Hockey no longer has a National Stadium

The stadium was taken over by MK Dons for 4 years, who now have their own Stadium.

English Hockey decided that the necessity for a National Stadium was unfounded for our sport (yes, im a hockey player!) and have thus decided the 8k seated stadium is to be demolished and returned to the ownership of English partnerships.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:16 pm  

Noticed a passing mention to 'rugby' on the Yahoo sport section under Olympics.

Also though the Stadium will continue to be used by 'runners, jumpers & throwers' the LODA and the Ms Jowell know that it could become a 'white elephant' without an alternative major sport tenant or tenants.

As the major football clubs have turned the place down - upgrading to allow loads of boxes for the 'prawn sandwichs' and for pens to hold in the 'mob' would cost loads of extra dosh - as anyway they would not be willing to host atheltics, as top level football demands prestine pitches. In addition the roofs would need to be 'rebuilt' to cover the seats over the 'disused' running track - this would hasve been a very major cost negative for football - estimate £200-£250 million - to meet.

Hence the idea of trying to get the RFL involved......though perhaps not as a true 'national stadium' as the post 2012 plan is to reduce capacity to around 30/35K but rather as 'national/south-east Centre of RFL excelance.

.......will watch developments with interest as still believe we could get increased 'support' by baseing 'London' Superleague at this venue with it's much better public transport links. Also it will see RL returning to it's first post-war roots at the nearby Hackney Marshes which the majority of the current QRL fan may not remember or even know.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:17 pm  

ExiledFromHull wrote:

Hockey no longer has a National Stadium

The stadium was taken over by MK Dons for 4 years, who now have their own Stadium.

English Hockey decided that the necessity for a National Stadium was unfounded for our sport (yes, im a hockey player!) and have thus decided the 8k seated stadium is to be demolished and returned to the ownership of English partnerships.

I bet your parents are really proud though it does explain why you are exiled from Hull
I find it hard to believe that Hockey doesn't need a national stadium. It always seems to be well supported and one of the sports GB does well in in the olympics.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:32 pm  

Sorry - confession time here!

Im a GB Olympic hockey player who went to the Sydney Olympics! (honest!) - so my parents are proud!

Hockey just isnt well supported enough. There is a degree of apathy amongst the hockey paying public in the UK whereby only 4k is an average crowd for an international.
People just cant be arsed to watch hockey - which is a shame.

Most Premier League clubs in the English League can accomodate this (Reading/Cannock/Beeston) so English Hockey just host the internationals around the country.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:32 pm  

...the operative word is 'did'......could that be because hockey dumped it's national stadia idea.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:35 pm  

yep - they dumped the idea fairly quickly!

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:41 pm  

ExiledFromHull wrote:

yep - they dumped the idea fairly quickly!

shame really. I remember many moons ago a challenge laid at the door of the Lensbury (Shell employees) club hockey team by the "Lensbury Gnomes" veterans rugger team....the hockey team survived the rugby fairly well, but there were plenty of sore shins/ankles/knees on the Gnomes after the Hockey game
Always thought Hockey was a very skillfull game (if a bit poncy)

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 5:07 pm  

Always thought Hockey was a very skillfull game (if a bit poncy) [/quote]

Go to an ice hockey game and you certainly will NOT find it poncy

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 6:46 pm  

Go to an ice hockey game and you certainly will NOT find it poncy

You could tackle a train head on with the poncy padding they wear in Ice Hockey. I've seen more aggression in dancing on ice.

Try taking a field hockey ball to the knackers with just a skirt on. Thats a mans game. or or

North Americans are bloody soft