Harringay Racers refers to multiple British ice hockey teams based in

Harringay Harringay (pronounced ) is a district of north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the New River, where it crosses Green Lanes by Finsbury Park, and Duckett' ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Harringay Racers

The first team to use the Harringay Racers moniker was founded in 1936 and initially played alongside Harringay Greyhounds at the

Harringay Arena Harringay Arena was a sporting and events venue on Green Lanes in Harringay, North London, England. Built in 1936, it lasted as a venue until 1958. Construction Harringay Arena was built and owned by Brigadier-General Alfred Critchley under ...

. Both sides entered the

English National League The English National League was an early ice hockey league in England. It was founded in 1935 by most of the teams who had previously competed in the English League. It was suspended during the Second World War World War II or t ...

, which Racers won in 1937/8. After a break during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the league resumed and Harringay were champions again in 1948/9. Following Racers' championship win, Greyhounds merged with the team. In 1954, the English National League and the Scottish National League merged to form the British National League. Racers were the first champions, but withdrew in 1958 when the Arena was sold to a foods group for use as food storage. They did not play again. A new team named Haringey Racers was founded in 1990, playing at Alexandra Palace. It disappeared in 1992, although Haringey Greyhounds briefly adopted the name in 2002.

London Racers

Haringey Racers formed again in 2003/4 under the name of the

London Racers The London Racers was a British ice hockey club based in London, England formerly members of the Elite Ice Hockey League. Although founded in 2003, it claimed to be a successor of the Harringay Racers club established in 1936. Due to a lack of ...

in the newly formed

Elite Ice Hockey League The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), sometimes referred to as the British Elite League or, for sponsorship reasons, the Viaplay Elite League, is an ice hockey league in the United Kingdom. Formed in 2003 following the demise of the Ice Hockey ...

playing their first season at Alexandra Palace and then subsequently at Lee Valley Ice Centre. The London Racers utilised the Harringay Racers lineage within their marketing. In their debut season, the team struggled, winning only 3 games in a 56-game regular season. The following season was more successful for the team, under the management of former London Knight Dennis Maxwell, they signed

Eric Cairns Eric Cairns (born June 27, 1974) is a Canadian former ice hockey defenceman and current director of player development for the New York Islanders. His last season (2006) was with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL. Playing career Drafted in the ...

and

Scott Nichol Scott B. Nichol (born December 31, 1974) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. On June 5, 2013, he announced his retirement to accept a job as the director of player development for the Nashville Predators, where he played from 200 ...

during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. The team would qualify for EIHL playoffs, however, they finished bottom of their group and failed to progress. The Racers third season seemed to continue the upward trend, as they were 6th out of 9 teams and in play off contention when a series of incidents involving the plexiglass at the Lee Valley Ice Centre forced them to deem their rink unsafe, and having failed to find a suitable replacement, they were forced to withdraw from competition and fold.

Haringey Racers

The Racers name would once again be used, this time by the Haringey Racers who joined 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 ...

in the 2013–14 season, playing out of Alexandra Palace. The team was owned by Dave Richards Jnr, the son of the Assistant Coach of the EIHL's London Racers. During their four-year tenure at Alexandra Palace, the team failed to make the playoffs, typically finishing mid-table. During the 2017 off-season it was announced, amid controversy, that the Haringey Racers would fold, and the newly formed

Haringey Huskies The Haringey Huskies are a United Kingdom, British ice hockey team based in London, England. The Huskies are members of the National Ice Hockey League, NIHL 2 South East Division and play their home games at Alexandra Palace. Formation The Engli ...

would assume the tenancy at Alexandra Palace. Racers owner Richards claimed that the team had been 'stolen' from him, by Team Manager Lou Scott and former player Lee Mercer - now the owner of the Huskies. The EIHA would later state that the Racers were unable to compete due to a "breakdown in the relationship between themselves and Alexandra Palace, which includes substantial monies still owed", and as such they approved the Huskies taking on the Palace tenancy.

References

; Bibliography *Martin C. Harris, ''Homes of British Ice Hockey'' ; Notes
A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey

External links

Official website
{{British ice hockey Ice hockey teams in London Sport in the London Borough of Haringey Ice hockey clubs established in 1936 Sports clubs disestablished in 1958 Harringay