Members of the Great Britain Supporters Club dressed according to the "British summer" theme - this time back home instead of at the arena.
photo: Ian Offers
When the fanzone is closed, supporters have to get creative. And for Great Britain’s ‘Fifth Line’, the notoriously noisy GB Supporters’ Club, that meant recreating a slice of World Championship life in the back garden.
Alan and Annette Petrie have been running trips to every GB international tournament since 1993 until the pandemic prevented them from going to Riga. With almost 30 years of unbroken support, it would take something different to keep that streak going.
“About five or six weeks ago we decided to do this,” Annette said. “It’s the first time since 1993 that we haven’t been able to go to the World Championship. We couldn’t do anything about that, but we thought we had to do something.
“To start with, we just planned on having a few friends in the garden to watch the games with us. Then the rules changed, and we thought if we were allowed 30 people, why not invite 30?”
That’s the maximum permitted to gather outdoors under current regulations in England, which prompted a new challenge for a supporters club with about 600 members. A weekend event grew into something bigger.
“We travel away each year and we know so many of the people who come on the trips,” Alan added. “There are a lot who have been coming since the 1990s, so it was difficult to whittle the numbers down. In the end we decided to keep going and have people for the midweek games and again next weekend.
“We were doing our GB Staycation online, quizzes and raffles and things like that, and we just wanted to add another dimension to it.”
A home-made World Championship
Saturday afternoon saw the grand opening of the back garden fanzone. Modelled on what British fans enjoyed during trips to Budapest and Kosice in recent years, Alan and Annette set up a marquee where people could gather to watch the action. The garden was bedecked with the flags that usually greet Britain’s players when they come onto the ice and there was even a Portaloo for that authentic festival feel. Apart from hockey, ‘British Summer’ was the theme of the weekend, with fancy dress encouraged. Outfits took in everything from Wimbledon tennis and the Henley Regatta to the ever-present threat of famous British drizzle.
On the ice, GB had a hard time of it against Russia but a 1-7 loss did nothing to dampen the party spirit. While Russia’s players reflected on the expectation that they must win every game, British fans have a different relationship with their team – and different measures of success and failure.
Alan and Annette Petrie have been running trips to every GB international tournament since 1993 until the pandemic prevented them from going to Riga. With almost 30 years of unbroken support, it would take something different to keep that streak going.
“About five or six weeks ago we decided to do this,” Annette said. “It’s the first time since 1993 that we haven’t been able to go to the World Championship. We couldn’t do anything about that, but we thought we had to do something.
“To start with, we just planned on having a few friends in the garden to watch the games with us. Then the rules changed, and we thought if we were allowed 30 people, why not invite 30?”
That’s the maximum permitted to gather outdoors under current regulations in England, which prompted a new challenge for a supporters club with about 600 members. A weekend event grew into something bigger.
“We travel away each year and we know so many of the people who come on the trips,” Alan added. “There are a lot who have been coming since the 1990s, so it was difficult to whittle the numbers down. In the end we decided to keep going and have people for the midweek games and again next weekend.
“We were doing our GB Staycation online, quizzes and raffles and things like that, and we just wanted to add another dimension to it.”
A home-made World Championship
Saturday afternoon saw the grand opening of the back garden fanzone. Modelled on what British fans enjoyed during trips to Budapest and Kosice in recent years, Alan and Annette set up a marquee where people could gather to watch the action. The garden was bedecked with the flags that usually greet Britain’s players when they come onto the ice and there was even a Portaloo for that authentic festival feel. Apart from hockey, ‘British Summer’ was the theme of the weekend, with fancy dress encouraged. Outfits took in everything from Wimbledon tennis and the Henley Regatta to the ever-present threat of famous British drizzle.
On the ice, GB had a hard time of it against Russia but a 1-7 loss did nothing to dampen the party spirit. While Russia’s players reflected on the expectation that they must win every game, British fans have a different relationship with their team – and different measures of success and failure.
The garden gnome supports Team GB and the Nottingham Panthers and gets decorated for various events.
photo: Ian Offers
“I can’t speak for everyone, but I think that the fans that travel with us have seen all sorts of highs and lows,” Alan added. “There’s been some heartache – that loss to Lithuania on the last day when a win would get us promoted – and sometimes expectations weren’t as high as we would like.
“So that tempers it a bit. Now we’re in the top division, we know we’re not going to be able to compete at the same level as some of the top teams but the team and the fans have a very close relationship.
“We all go to the tournaments, normally, and we have meet-ups or Zoom calls with the team. It’s like a mirror. They give 100% on the ice and the fans are the same. It doesn’t matter if we’re winning, or if we’re losing heavily, we’re still going to stand up and support our team.”
A 30-year journey
As GB’s fortunes have improved on the ice, so the supporters club has grown. Alan and Annette first sampled World Championship action back in 1991 when Britain returned to the international game. By 1993, and the promotion campaign in Eindhoven, there was a bigger group following the team and the 1994 top-division campaign saw the official launch of GBSC.
“For a long time, everything was very limited because we played at such a low level,” Alan recalled. “But over the last 8-10 years it’s really snowballed and that’s mirrored in our membership.
“When we started the club for that Pool A campaign, we only had about 150 members. Now we’re close to 600. Of course, the success of the team helps, but it’s heart-warming that some of the people who went to Eindhoven in 1993 are still coming back after all these years – and after some tournaments where we struggled to win a single game. I guess we must be doing something right.”
Change of culture
In Britain, hockey has limited TV coverage and for most fans the arena experience is fundamental to watching the game. So the 2020/21 season, with the rinks closed to spectators and hockey played exclusively in specially streamed series has been a culture shock.
“It’s definitely hard to adapt,” said Annette. “Personally, I find it really difficult to watch hockey on TV. It’s just not the same, you don’t have the atmosphere and that’s a big part of it for me. That’s what we wanted to get back at the weekend.
“I think Alan adapted better than me – like a lot of men, he’s used to watching any sport on TV! But I’m just used to watching it in the arena and that’s been a big difference for me.”
Hopefully next season will bring a return to normality. Once the rinks reopen, Alan and Annette are looking forward to resuming their journeys with GB – and continuing to travel around during the season, cherrypicking games that involve British internationals.
And there might be a new recruit for the supporters’ club. “One of our neighbours turned up unexpectedly during the game against Russia,” said Alan. “He’d never seen a game of hockey before and even though we were down 1-6 when he arrived, he thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.
“Maybe we’ll take him to Finland next year!”
“So that tempers it a bit. Now we’re in the top division, we know we’re not going to be able to compete at the same level as some of the top teams but the team and the fans have a very close relationship.
“We all go to the tournaments, normally, and we have meet-ups or Zoom calls with the team. It’s like a mirror. They give 100% on the ice and the fans are the same. It doesn’t matter if we’re winning, or if we’re losing heavily, we’re still going to stand up and support our team.”
A 30-year journey
As GB’s fortunes have improved on the ice, so the supporters club has grown. Alan and Annette first sampled World Championship action back in 1991 when Britain returned to the international game. By 1993, and the promotion campaign in Eindhoven, there was a bigger group following the team and the 1994 top-division campaign saw the official launch of GBSC.
“For a long time, everything was very limited because we played at such a low level,” Alan recalled. “But over the last 8-10 years it’s really snowballed and that’s mirrored in our membership.
“When we started the club for that Pool A campaign, we only had about 150 members. Now we’re close to 600. Of course, the success of the team helps, but it’s heart-warming that some of the people who went to Eindhoven in 1993 are still coming back after all these years – and after some tournaments where we struggled to win a single game. I guess we must be doing something right.”
Change of culture
In Britain, hockey has limited TV coverage and for most fans the arena experience is fundamental to watching the game. So the 2020/21 season, with the rinks closed to spectators and hockey played exclusively in specially streamed series has been a culture shock.
“It’s definitely hard to adapt,” said Annette. “Personally, I find it really difficult to watch hockey on TV. It’s just not the same, you don’t have the atmosphere and that’s a big part of it for me. That’s what we wanted to get back at the weekend.
“I think Alan adapted better than me – like a lot of men, he’s used to watching any sport on TV! But I’m just used to watching it in the arena and that’s been a big difference for me.”
Hopefully next season will bring a return to normality. Once the rinks reopen, Alan and Annette are looking forward to resuming their journeys with GB – and continuing to travel around during the season, cherrypicking games that involve British internationals.
And there might be a new recruit for the supporters’ club. “One of our neighbours turned up unexpectedly during the game against Russia,” said Alan. “He’d never seen a game of hockey before and even though we were down 1-6 when he arrived, he thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing.
“Maybe we’ll take him to Finland next year!”