NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Durham Wasps

Durham Wasps

League:

British National League

Founded:

1947

Home Ice:

Durham Ice Rink

Capacity:

2860

Ice Size:

180ft x 80ft

City:

Durham, United Kingdom Image File history File links LogoDurhamWasps. ... The British National League is a defunct second-level professional ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. ... See also: 1946 in sports, other events of 1947, 1948 in sports and the list of years in sports. // Auto racing Wally Parks founds the Southern California Timing Association, to better organize drag racing. ... Statistics Population: 42,939 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ274424 Administration District: City of Durham Shire county: Durham Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Durham Historic county: Durham Services Police force: County Durham Ambulance service: North East Post office and telephone...

Colours:

White, Blue, and Gold

Head Coach:

Unknown

Ownership:

Unknown

The Durham Wasps was an ice hockey team located in Durham, England and was one of the UK's most well-known names in ice hockey. The team was bought by Sir John Hall and moved to the neighbouring city of Newcastle Upon Tyne in August 1996. The Newcastle team, after several changes, is now known as the Newcastle Vipers. Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... Statistics Population: 42,939 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: NZ274424 Administration District: City of Durham Shire county: Durham Region: North East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Durham Historic county: Durham Services Police force: County Durham Ambulance service: North East Post office and telephone... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 kmÂ² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq mi Population - 2006 est. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ... Sir John Hall (b. ... This article is about a city in the United Kingdom. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... League: Elite Ice Hockey League Founded: 2002 Home Ice: Metro Radio Arena Capacity: 4500 Ice Size: 198ft x 98ft City: Newcastle, United Kingdom Colours: Black, Gold and White Head Coach: Rob Wilson Ownership: Paddy OConnor, Paul Ferone, Rob Wilson The Mobilx Vipers are an Ice Hockey club based in...

The History of the Wasps

John Frederick James Smith known as "Icy", was a successful ice seller who decided to build an ice rink in Durham.

The rink opened sometime around 1940, and Icy relied on skaters to help out with the maintenance and protection of the rink. During wartime, men around Durham City were scarce, but there was an airbase nearby, Middleton St. George, and Canadian Airmen often came to the rink as ice hockey was very popular in Canada at that time, as it still is, and competition was a good way to boost morale. Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

The hockey at the rink became an attraction and there were other shows such as figure skating. Rockefeller Centre ice rink An ice rink is a frozen body of water where people can ice skate or play winter sports. ...

A mix of contemporary NHL superstars who were, at the time, in service with the Canadian Air Force, came to the rink. These included players such as Bobby Bauer, Woody Dumart, and Milt Schmidt. NHL can also be an abbreviation for National Historic Landmark or Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. ...

The rink had a number of wooden beams running across the middle of the roof to serve as support. This caused a number of problems for the players, though they were eventually able to adapt. Many people crowded in or around the rink, but Icy was not able to advertise the hockey due to laws by the War Office, which stated that no movement of military personnel was allowed to be advertised. Old War Office Building, Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ...

When World War II ended, many of the Canadians went home, but some remained and Durham's enthusiam for ice hockey continued. A new rink had to be built for Durham's skaters. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The rink, when it was completed with a permanent roof on the site of the old one cost just over £64,000. Money was saved by buying in a surplus of war coffins and bought many for the rinks seating and stands.

The nails going into the coffins would suggest the beginning and not the end, for the future to come.

The Durham Wasps began their prosperous start to hockey just after the war, and was started by Michael Davey of Ottawa, Canada, along with a few other Canadians, who after the war made their homes in Durham. Motto: Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Location of the City of Ottawa in the Province of Ontario Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario Established 1850 as Town of Bytown Incorporated 1855 as City of Ottawa Amalgamated January 1, 2001 - Mayor Larry OBrien - City Council Ottawa City Council - Representatives 8 MPs...

In the 1950s, Icy, inspired by the Wasps and the Riverside, started another Ice rink at Whitley Bay, their hockey team called the Bees to start with, then the Braves, and then the Warriors, the name which still survives to this day. Whitley Bay is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England. ...

The opening at Whitley Bay started a long lasting rivalry between the two places, and Icy arranged to have games across the border with Scotland on weekends.

Ice hockey remained popular in the sixties and seventies, but it exploded with popularity between the eighties and nineties, and the period from around 1982 to 1992 was one to remember for the Wasps. In this Period alone they won the Heineken Championship 4 times, the league championship 6 times, the Norwich Cup 3 times, and many other trophies like the Autumn and Castle Eden Cups' on many other occasions. The Durham Wasps dominated the British League for over 10 years. The British Championship is the most prestigious ice hockey cup competition in the United Kingdom, and also the longest established ice hockey competition. ... This is a list of the champions of British ice hockeys highest league (or leagues) since the inaugruation of the English League in 1931. ...

In a few years of their greatest era, the Wasps fell into financial difficulties, and the Rink as well as the Wasps were bought by John Hall, the owner of Newcastle United Football Club, in a plan to have a sporting excellency, and moved the Wasps to Sunderland, while the new Rink was being built in Newcastle. A replacement team was established in Durham called the Durham City Wasps who played in the English League and attracted crowds of between 600 and 1200 to the new cheap and cheerful brand of Durham hockey. After a season of playing out of the Crowtree Leisure Centre, the Newcastle United owned Wasps were taken to Newcastle to the New Telewest Arena. The Wasps were then re-named the Newcastle Cobras, and in the next few years changed hands from the Cobras, to the Riverkings, to the Jesters, and now the Vipers. Sir John Hall (b. ... For the Australian soccer club see Newcastle United (Australia). ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Wearmouth Bridge Sunderland (pronounced: , or ) is a former county borough now part of the City of Sunderland, in the county of Tyne and Wear in North East England. ... The Metro Radio Arena Newcastle is a 11,000 seat sports and entertainment venue based in Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England. ...

The Riverside Rink closed on the 8th of July 1996, and re-opened as a bowling alley around a year later.

The building is now earmarked for demolition following the closure of the bowling alley and health club situated in the former rink in early 2006. There is currently a campaign for the construction of a new ice rink in County Durham being run by the County Durham Ice Foundation, a pressure group made up of ice skaters, ice hockey fans and players. County Durham is a county in north-east England. ...

Honours

Notable Wasps Players

Defencemen Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...

Forwards Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ...

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ... Mike Blaisdell (born January 18, 1960 in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL and later in the BHL. He was selected 1st (11th overall) in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... Jonathan Weaver is a British Ice hockey player, currently club captain of Newcastle Vipers. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada_(bordered). ...

Contents

The History of the Wasps

Honours

Notable Wasps Players

External links

Contents

The History of the Wasps GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Honours

Notable Wasps Players

External links

The History of the Wasps