The future of ice hockey in Manchester.

So, lately I’ve seen a fair few people discussing the possible future of ice hockey in Manchester. Much of this discussion seems to be driven by the building of the new Co-Op Arena in the Eastlands area, and what this will mean for the much loved AO Arena at Victoria.

You see, having 2 20k+ capacity arenas in Manchester means that one, or both, will almost certainly be looking for more events. Indeed, they may look for a viable “anchor tenant”. And given the sports history of being played at the AO Arena, people have naturally looked to the Storm as a possibility.

Why not the AO Arena?

Now, being realistic, this is almost certainly not going to happen. Despite a new, state of the art building opening up just a few miles away, the AO Arena has spent most of the last 25+ years building up a substantial reputation as a major events venue. Artists love playing there. Fans love attending, so any new venue will have a fight on it’s hands.

But that isn’t the only reason. It’s been almost 20 years since a team played out of the AO Arena. And in that time a lot has changed internally. Firstly, the ice plant has been decommissioned. It’s old, it hasn’t been used in literally decades (Disney On Ice bring their own portable ice plant equipment), and the pipes would need replacing. The there is the fact that after the arena bombing, the works undertaken on the arena finally saw the removal of the centre ice scoreboard, which had hung there unused for many, many years. Add in the fact that the arena would need to invest in new dasher boards, plexiglass, penalty boxes, team benches, rebuild the locker rooms, upgrade the media suite & internal comms facilities, plus myriad other minor changes and it becomes apparent that the costs would far outweigh any income.

Because if we are being honest, even filling the approximately 9,000 seats in the lower bowl would be almost impossible without a major marketing push and a very successful (not to mention expensive) team on the ice. Even on a reduced capacity of say, 4,500 (which the Phoenix operated under) this would be a huge ask. And when you have that few bodies in the AO Arena, it doesn’t make for a great atmosphere.

Ice hockey in Manchester, a better option:

No, the realistic way to grow the game is replace the now ageing Altrincham Ice Dome. Originally meant to stand for just 5 or so years, the “temporary structure” is now in it’s 15th or so year of operation. And it is showing it’s age by all accounts. Hell, it was showing it’s age and lack of maintenance back when the Phoenix still played there, so I can only imagine how much further it has deteriorated. And base dof what I’ve read and been told, deteriorating is the best way to describe the way the rink is heading. Mould in the bathrooms and on the wooden roof trusses, non working toilet facilities, a general aura of disrepair and neglect.

Now, Planet Ice could invest in the building to improve it. And they very well might. But if I were a Storm fan I wouldn’t be holding my breath. Previous history shows Planet Ice will run the building into the ground and then either close it, or sell it to someone else who will struggle with the costs and ultimately have to close down.

What Manchester needs is a new building. And for me, the model that should be looked at is Cardiff. Ice Arena Wales is a 3,088 capacity, twin pad facility. It cost roughly £17m to build, and is frankly the best rink in the UK, bar none. Something similar located near to the M60, say near the Trafford Centre, or The Snipe Retail Park in Tameside would be, in my opinion, ideal.

The capacity would be about right, being more than enough for the Storm (or whatever team played there), with room to grow to a size that should be sustainable. And at that size, the rink can be used for other events, too. IAW has hosted MMA events, boxing, etc, and I would see no reason why a similar facility in Manchester couldn’t do the same.

And 2 pads means that the operator can keep the cash flowing from public skating whilst still operating hockey games at all levels (kids right through to senior pro) with minimal disruption. Plus there are the potential community benefits (especially at The Snipe for example). Getting local schools using the rink, community groups, etc.

Of course this wouldn’t be cheap, and would require significant private and public investment. But it’s a nice dream to have, and who knows. One day, it might just happen.

2 comments

    1. We definitely need something like this it would be amazing
      For the MANCHESTER STORM
      Also Altrincham aces
      Figure skating
      And many more
      But be best near trafford centre
      As for the best travel connections

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