Manchester Phoenix
| Manchester Phoenix Ice Hockey Club | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| City | Manchester, England (2007–2015) Deeside, North Wales (2015– 2016), Blackpool (2016 - 2017), Widnes (2017) |
| League | English Premier Ice Hockey League |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Home arena | Widnes Arena (2017) |
| Colors |
White, Black, Red |
| Owner(s) |
 Neil Morris |
| General manager |
(N/A) – Neil Morris |
| Head coach |
Tony Hand, MBE |
| Captain |
Luke Boothroyd |
White, Black, Red
Manchester Phoenix were a semi professional ice hockey team from Greater Manchester, England. The club was formed in 2003 as a result of the efforts of supporters group Friends of Manchester Ice Hockey to bring top-level ice hockey back to Manchester after Manchester Storm folded in 2002.
Phoenix were founder members of the Elite Ice Hockey League upon its formation in 2003, playing in the 17,500 capacity Manchester Arena. The cost of using such a large facility proved financially untenable, and Phoenix suspended playing operations in 2004 pending the construction of a smaller purpose built ice facility. Construction of the Altrincham Ice Dome commenced in 2006, and the club returned to the Elite League for the 2006–07 season. After three seasons in the EIHL, the club joined the English Premier Ice Hockey League on 30 April 2009.
Since being in the EPIHL, the club have been fairly successful, having won two league championships and one playoff final with multiple appearances at the playoff finals weekend.
Unfortunately, since 2015 the club have been without a home rink within Greater Manchester and finally played their home games at Widnes Ice Arena, following spells at Deeside Ice Arena, North Wales and Fylde Coast Ice Arena, Blackpool.
The club folded on 31 January 2017 after an unsuccessful meeting with potential investors.
In 2002, the Manchester Storm, once the best-supported Ice Hockey club in Europe, ran into serious financial trouble and was folded. Initially fans protested against SMG, the company who owned the Manchester Evening News Arena as it was perceived that troubles had arisen due to SMG's disinterest in continuing to house the Storm at the Manchester Evening News Arena. This soon turned into a rally in support of the team and a supporters group known as 'The Friends of Manchester Storm' was established after Gary Cowan, the owner of the Storm officially announced he was finalising the organisation's operations due to unsustainable debts. Once it became clear that the Storm were not to return, FOMS changed their name, becoming the 'Friends Of Manchester Ice Hockey', or 'FOMIH'.
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