Text Box: Ely Roller Hockey Club. – The early years. Ely Roller Skating Club, assisted by Ivan Cook and Terry Malloy from Cambridge Roller Hockey Club, organised a special Roller Hockey trial session at the Paradise Sports Centre in the spring of 1999. A regular Saturday training session was established, initially run by Terry and Ivan until Tony Noble took over towards the end of the year. To begin with, the club had no goals, or keepers kit, and sticks and balls were on loan from Ivan. Terry Malloy managed to locate a pair of unused goal frames, but these were extremely rusted from having been stored outdoors. Furthermore, without modification to enable the goals to fold, they could not be stored inside at the Paradise Centre either. Local businessman Ian Allen kindly modified the frames and arranged for them to be shot blasted and prime painted. By the end of 1999. Ely had played friendly games against other clubs but, teams were still unready for serious league competition. The first part of the following year was spent promoting and developing the club until, in September 2000, the club entered the Eastern Counties League with Minors and Intermediates teams. 2001 got off to an excellent start, with B&W donating a smart team strip, and a lottery grant being awarded to purchase keeper’s kit etc. Ely players are now competing in County, and Regional sides, and a newly formed Under 11s side won the club’s first ever cup. The club continues to attract new members and will be entering a wider variety of teams for the forthcoming season’s competition. Below is a variety of pictures taken during this developmental period. (Click on the picture to see the full sized image).

Ely Hospital Sunday Parade 2000

A trip to the Beeb

Midget & Sam 1999

Sam & Chris 1999

 

Ely Minors September 2000