ICE STORM ON RADAR FOR A BIG SHEIKH-UP
Now with the financial backing of Mansour and the local council a new venue is on the cards to be built in the Sport City complex which also encompasses Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium and the surrounding outstanding Campus with its various training pitches and learning centres.
If plans are approved a state of the art ice dome will eventually sit alongside other impressive sporting stadia which include the velodrome, the home of British cycling, the National Squash Centre, a tennis centre and an athletics track.
A Storm insider told Sunday Mirror Sport: “We’re having a fantastic time at the moment – the club is back up and running but we need a bigger venue. We’re regularly selling out at Altrincham and some of our fans are missing out.
“There is talk about a new home being built around the Etihad complex. Lots of sports are already there and it would be great if ice hockey could join them.
“We hear that Sheikh Mansour is a big ice hockey fan attending games in his own country and has been made aware of our predicament.
“Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a new stadium right on his Manchester City doorstep?”
Along with ice hockey and football, Sheikh Mansour also hopes to widen his influence in other sports like horse racing, basketball, volleyball and handball.