Chalmers hopes to see funding extended
WITH the news that Elite League ice hockey would receive a £ 4m boost to coffers, the mood was slightly tempered by the fact that the three Scottish clubs wouldn’t qualify under the conditions set by Sport England and DCMS. The pursuit, meanwhile, goes on.
The EIHL confirmed the five English teams in the 10- team league would be the recipients of the cash, despite the league making the application on behalf of all the member clubs, and are working to help Fife Flyers, Glasgow Clan and Dundee Stars, as well as Belfast Giants and Cardiff Devils get their share. The money is part of a “Winter Survival Package’, which saw many sports benefit from government funding, but in the case of the Scottish teams, separate funds have been made available to the Scottish Government and Clan’s chief operating officer, Gareth Chalmers, has been working to obtain these.
“We welcomed the very positive news last week that the DCMS and Sport England had made £ 4m available to the EIHL,” Chalmers said. “As suspected, during that period it has been confirmed that this funding is only for the English clubs and does not include the Scottish EIHL clubs.
“Omar Pacha, Dundee Stars’ general manager, and I have
been in regular contact with Sport Scotland during the past six months and they have provided us with plenty of good assistance and guidance in an unprecedented time for the club and league.
“Sportscotland are fully aware of the financial package that we would require, either for starting a season in early 2021 or seeing us through to a return to the ice in autumn 2021. We’ve had discussions with them over the past week, and, like ourselves, they are now just waiting to find out from DCMS what funding will be made available for Scotland.”
Ice hockey effectively stopped back in March and other than a handful of games south of the border, the sport has struggled to get going again since.
The Elite League statement revealed the funding would only be available if a season can be played, perhaps starting in January. It is understood Clan are looking at the feasibility of playing, but no further information was available beyond that.
EIHL chairman Tony Smith has vowed to help the teams who have been left out.
“We’re not losing sight of the fact that we applied for help as one Elite League across four nations,” he said. “Our next steps are to try to secure similar possibilities for the remaining five teams.”