Clan fans Hockey is For Everyone display

At this point today, or tomorrow, we should all be making our way to Nottingham for the 2020 EIHL Playoff Weekend. But we all know how cruelly that was taken away from us all. Fans, staff & players gutted to see a fantastic event disappear, all down to Covid19. But let’s not be sad, let’s be optimistic during these challenging times. Let’s believe that there will be a lot more fun times ahead. More ice hockey events to look forward to, more occasions like the Playoff Weekend to enjoy with our family and friends. This virus WILL pass and we can then get back to all the things we love doing. So let me tell you a story…..

It started with a tweet

A lot has been written and said about last years Playoff Weekend. It will probably be remembered by many by what happened off the ice, rather than on it. And let me be clear that’s taking nothing away from a fantastic spectacle of entertaining ice hockey where Devils, Giants, Flames and Panthers left it all on the ice, the Welsh side deservedly being crowned eventual champions. No, I am talking about how every teams fans contributed to making it the “Hockey is for Everyone” weekend. A brightly coloured celebration in April 2019, that many will remember in years to come, as the one where ice hockey proved that it was that inclusive sport where absolutely everyone is welcome. I have seen some describe that weekend of April 12th and 13th 2019 as a catalyst and turning point for that inclusion. I think to be fair that an awful lot had been done before that weekend by many teams and their fans, Cardiff Devils as an example. Personally I see the Playoff Weekend 2019 as simply building on the good work that many had done beforehand. Being totally honest I never saw what happened during the Playoff Weekend 2019 coming in a million years. The reaction and how the display by the Clan fans went viral and was supported was surreal. I still honestly can’t get my head round it a year later.

Clan fans show their support

So how did it start, how did it happen ? Well it started with Clan fan Linda Hancy asking on social media in February 2019 what kind of theme should be adopted by Clan fans for the forthcoming Playoff Weekend. This is a tradition. Whilst Clan seem to struggle to appear as a team at these events you could argue that the Clan fanbase always turn up. Like it or loathe it the Clan fans seem to always bring the party and the noise. I guess we always try to turn a negative into a positive. Positivity in adversity. As Scots we are used to it. Maybe one day our team will make it but that’s something as fans we can’t control. A rainbow theme was chosen as the theme, with Hockey is For Everyone behind that. Fans of every team were encouraged to get involved via social media posts. Despite a very positive initial social media reaction to this there were a few that did not think that this theme was appropriate and words were said, some very nasty words, that led to our Coo, Clangus, calling those words out. This led to many other fans across the league getting right behind the theme and the message.

Clangus showing support

So that display. How did it happen ? Well it all came about after the theme had been chosen. Linda approached me to ask could we do something to send a strong message out, perhaps a display. So I set to work on it. I remember discussing it with my family in the car on the way to a Clan game in February. Could we maybe do a rainbow display in line with the theme ? The original idea was to have coloured card and have that placed on each seat across 12 rows. Everyone would hold the card up during the anthem prior to the first semi final. However after more thought the worry was would everyone hold up their card at the same time ? Would some seats be vacant so the impact we wanted would diminish ? So the idea developed into cloth strips. By using cloth we hoped, fingers crossed, the rainbow display would be easier to carry, coordinate and have a more vibrant feel. Then it developed into having a white banner at the bottom, with the words “Hockey is for Everyone” so the message was clear. Would people “get” just a rainbow? Let’s make sure we send a much clearer message.



The banner takes shape

So cloth was ordered from eBay and my wife Heather set to work putting together the banner. Meanwhile Linda did a great job pulling together the theme idea on social media, raising awareness and getting people involved to help deliver it. It was truly a team effort. Without everyone’s support this display wouldn’t have happened, it is as simple as that. The display was taken down to Nottingham in my car and I parked at the NCP Maid Marion car park on the Friday afternoon prior to the weekend.

The banner gets rolled out in my back garden

Unfortunately around 4am on Saturday morning the NCP car park had a mass break in where many cars of fans saw their windows smashed, including mine. Despite that we had to carry on. The display was ready and we had to do it. We could not let this incident spoil our whole weekend.

The show must go on

We met outside the arena in Nottingham around 12 noon for the annual Playoff Weekend photo. Linda, number of others and myself helped take a individual section of the display into the arena. It was like a military drill as a number of helpers coordinated where every section of cloth should go and relayed instructions to each row. Everyone got involved, it was fantastic to see. So when the teams came out for that first semi final of Giants v Flames it was time. What happened next was never what we expected. Unbelievable.

The Hockey is for everyone display is revealed

Social media went crazy and fans of every team across the league shared and commented on the theme. The reaction was absolutely staggering and it was fantastic to hear so many magnifying the message. Hockey is for Everyone !

Devils show their support

Social media sends a message

By the Saturday evening, because of the huge exposure and success, there was a request from some that the display should return on the Sunday prior to the Final, despite it only being planned as a one off. So we did it again prior to that final and even got a mention of the campaign live on Premier Sports who aired the game. The message was clear and the job was done. In the following days that message continued to go viral and it was so good to see. Let’s be clear it was nothing to do with the display or the theme, I know everyone involved didn’t want personal credit, but it was to do with the acceptance that the hockey community were so much behind this. Was it a catalyst for other events in 2020 ? The Pride Weekends ? The themed jerseys ? I don’t know. Perhaps it played a part, who knows.

Parliament support

The message is out there

Let’s hope that sign of unity, shown by a large part of the EIHL fan base during that weekend a year ago, contributed to the clear message that Hockey is Absolutely For Everyone.

Much love, Cally