Lee Valley Lions
| Lee Valley Lions | |
|---|---|
 |
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| City | Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, United Kingdom |
| League | NIHL Division 2 South East |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Operated | 1984-1995, 2005-present |
| Home arena |
Lee Valley Ice Centre Capacity: 1000 Ice size: 56m x 26m |
| Colours | White, Green and Blue trim (home) Green, White and Blue trim (away) |
| Head coach | George Alley |
| Captain | Nick Alley |
The Lee Valley Lions are an ice hockey team based in Leyton, east London where they play at the Lee Valley Ice Centre. They are the senior Ice Hockey team at the rink which they share with the London Raiders, Lee Valley Junior Ice Hockey Club, Eastern Stars and London Devils recreational teams and, the University of London Ice hockey Club.
They were originally formed in early 1984, and after a series of friendlies the 1984/85 season was their first in competition. They competed in Heineken Division 1 where they finished a credible 6th. The next season though the Lions dominated the league along with Solihull and Telford to come an agonising 2nd place on the last day of the season following a 6-7 loss in their final game at third placed Telford but, despite the disappointment the team ended the season on a high by winning the Division One Trophy.
After this narrow failure the Lions never reached the same heights again. Although in 1986 they recorded what probably remains the biggest win in the clubs history with a 3-2 victory over Premier Division Nottingham Panthers in the Autumn Cup.
In 1990 British Engine became the main sponsor of the Lions prompting a change in the teams colours from the original colours of white, green and blue to red, black and white (this remained the team colours until operations ceased in 1995) but the new sponsorship could not change their form as the Lions slowly descended the league tables until they disbanded in 1995 for financial reasons.
In 2005 the team was reformed by Junior Head Coach Eddie Joseph to compete in the English National Ice Hockey League, bringing back former player Nicky Braithwaite, ex-junior Paul O'Neill and ex-Haringey Greyhound Kwabina Oppong-Addai to go with juniors from the current system like James Scott Joseph and Grant Hutcheon.
In their return season the team struggled and failed to register any points, including close games with local rivals Haringey Greyhounds and the Cardiff ENL Devils. But inexperience showed against accomplished clubs like the Invicta Dynamos and Basingstoke Buffalo with only heavy defeats to show for their efforts. The Lions finished bottom of the league with a record of 0-20-0.
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