The Raiders are an

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

team based in

Romford Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Historically, Romfo ...

, participating in the National Division of the

National Ice Hockey League The National Ice Hockey League (NIHL) is a set of professional ice hockey leagues administered by the English Ice Hockey Association. It is currently the second tier of British ice hockey, below the Elite Ice Hockey League. Formerly called th ...

(NIHL), the second tier of British ice hockey. They were known as the Romford Raiders when they were based at the

Romford Ice Arena Romford Ice Arena was an ice rink located in Romford in the London Borough of Havering, England. The venue was built in the 1980s and at the time of opening in 1987 was equipped with a full range of facilities, including a cafe and arcade games. ...

in the London Borough of Havering. They were founder members of the

English Premier Ice Hockey League The English Premier Ice Hockey League (EPIHL) was an ice hockey league of 10 teams, all of which were based in England. Headquartered in Blackpool, the EPIHL was one of two professional ice hockey leagues in the United Kingdom (the other being th ...

but have competed in the NIHL since 2012. Their development team was the Romford Spitfires, which played in Division 2 of the NIHL before being succeeded in 2009/10 by the Romford Fury. The team moved to Leyton, East London, in 2013, when it adopted the new name London Raiders. Its team colours are white, gold and blue, and fans of the team are known as the Gold and Blue Army. The team returned to Romford in 2018, keeping the London Raiders name.

History

The club was founded in 1987 under the name

Romford Raiders The Raiders are an ice hockey team based in Romford Romford is a large town in east London and the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan ...

and coached by Gord Jeffrey, who went on to become a hero amongst the Romford fans. Some of the best-known players to play for the Raiders include Rob Stewart, Dave Whistle and Mike Ellis, all of whom went on to play and coach at the highest levels in the UK. The Raiders' first ever match was played on Sunday 13 September 1987, against the

Oxford City Stars The Oxford City Stars are an ice hockey team based in Oxford, England. They currently play in the NIHL South Division 1 The NIHL South Division 1 is the top-level league in the Southern Region of the British National Ice Hockey League setup. ...

. Romford's first captain, Erskine Douglas, also scored the Raiders' first ever goal. On 28 November 2010, during an English National League game against the

Bracknell Hornets The Bracknell Hornets is an ice hockey team from Bracknell, Berkshire, who play in the NIHL South Division 1. In 2009/10 they won the league playoffs. History Bracknell have been a part of the ENL since its creation in the 2000/2001 season pl ...

, Danny Marshall scored his 1,232nd point as a Raider when he assisted on a short-handed goal by Frankie Harvey. With that point, Marshall became the club's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Gord Jeffrey's long-standing record. In 2013, the

was sold by Havering Council to investors. The team subsequently had to move to

Lee Valley Ice Centre The Lee Valley Ice Centre is located in Leyton, in the Lower Lea Valley, London. Figure Skating, ice hockey and public skating sessions are all available at the centre. Redevelopment There are plans to rebuild the centre, plans which would impro ...

and became the London Raiders. On February 3, 2018, the Raiders' played their first game at their new home back in Romford, the Sapphire Ice and Leisure Centre. London would come back to win 5–2 against the Cardiff Fire in front of a sell-out crowd. Former Romford Junior Olegs Lascenko scored the team's first ever goal at the new venue, however, it was Cardiff's Jackson Price who scored the first goal overall.

Season Records

The following list details the Raiders' finishes in the league, and notes any playoff success.

League

Cups

Club roster 2022-23

(*) Denotes a Non-British Trained player (Import)

2021/22 Outgoing

External links

London Raiders Official Site

London Raiders statistics at Elite Prospects

References

{{British ice hockey Sport in the London Borough of Havering Ice hockey teams in London Romford Viking Age in popular culture