The history of fife ice arena

You might have guessed by now, but we’re not selling off our melted ice and our post was indeed an April Fool inspired by an article clipping from 1938 which referenced the act of hanselling, where well wishers placed coins under the ice as a token of good luck. You can find a photo of the original clipping below along with some more info on the inception of Fife Ice Arena and the birth of the Flyers.

Great Britain’s remarkable 1936 Olympic Games gold medal triumph sparked an ice hockey boom across the UK. Fife Flyers remain the only survivor from that explosion, and they still play out of their original barn and under their original name.

The Scottish hockey scene in the late 1930s was vastly different to the set-up we have today — the league included clubs such as Kelvingrove, Glasgow Mustangs, Perth Panthers, Falkirk Lions and Dundee Tigers.

In 1939 Scotland led Europe as far as the sport was concerned and plans were unveiled for up to 20 rinks north of the border with serious talks of a 10 team league. In the end, the outbreak of World War Two stifled the hockey boom not only here in Scotland but across all of the UK.

Fife Flyers made their public debut on 30th September 1938, but the first mention of hockey in Kirkcaldy can be found tucked away in the columns of the Fife Free Press dated 2 February 1938. It announced 30,000 ordinary shares at 1d each in a proposed new rink in the town — 25,000 shares were offered for subscription. On 17 February, plans to build the rink in the Gallatown were presented to, and approved by, Kirkcaldy Dean of Guilds Court. The one-storey building contained seating for 4,500 and would cost £37,000 to construct. To put that figure into context the town’s fire station, also opened that year at a cost of £15,000. The following article appeared in the Dundee Courier on Monday 19th September 1938.

The Rink was officially opened on Saturday October 1st and was the realisation of the dreams of Kirkcaldy and district skating enthusiasts. Already, the Fife Flyers had been practising hard for the opening of the season and the people of the town and district were eager to see them in action.

The opening ceremony was performed on the Saturday afternoon by Lord Elgin and in the evening the public got its first taste of the ice rink activities where the Fife Flyers faced off against the Dundee Tigers in an exhibition game whilst other ice sports were also on display.

The ice rink, measuring 195 feet x 97 feet, was of the full size required for ice hockey while it was sufficient for six full size curling rinks. The roof span of 145 feet, without any supporting pillars except those at the extremities, was the widest of its type in Scotland. The absence of intervening pillars ensured that spectators in all parts were able to view the rink in perfect comfort. The accommodation provides for 4,000 spectators. In the entrance hall there was a confectioner’s and tobacconist’s shop, general office, booking office and pay box downstairs, while upstairs were situated the boardroom and the manager’s room. Just beyond the entrance hall there was a snack bar and restaurant capable of holding some 200 persons. Behind this was the kitchen and a staff room. For club members there were skate changing rooms for ladies and gentlemen, while similar accommodation was also provided for non-members along with a skate hiring service. There was also a shop for the sale of boots and skates. Accommodation for the instructors and dressing rooms and spray baths for the ice hockey teams were provided. At the other end of the building, was the club room, bar and lounge, complete with public telephone.

The various furnishings had been tastefully carried out by Messrs Spears. The dining-room floor was covered with a brown pattern matting and the furniture was of natural oak and there was even monogrammed cutlery. Gaily-coloured linen curtains gave an air of freshness to the room. In the clubroom there was a tomato coloured carpet and the Parker-Knoll chairs were in white birch with dark green moquette. The curtains in this room were linen and bore a design by Dame Laura Knight. In the bar, the colour scheme had been reversed, the matting being dark green, while the chairs had tomato coloured rexine colourings. A band stand was provided and musical sessions would of course feature. First class instruction in the art of skating was available. Altogether, this new building was one of which the promoters and all concerned might well be proud. The building, plant, furnishing and equipment was estimated to cost some £40,000.

One part of the ice rink which remains to this day as unseen by most but is nevertheless of primary importance is the portion at the rear where is housed the apparatus for making the ice. To the uninitiated the place looks more like a section of the engine room of an Ocean Liner than anything else and when one realises that among other things the process requires 18 miles of piping, some 10 miles of which are underneath the rink floor, all of which has been replaced over more recent years, then one’s wonder only increases.