Liverpool Leopards

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Ice hockey team in Liverpool, England

Liverpool Leopards

City| Liverpool, England
Founded| 1948
Operated| 1948-55 & 1973-82
Folded| 1982
Home arena| Palace Ice Rink, Liverpool
Colors| Yellow & Black
Championships
Regular season titles| Midland Intermediate League 1951/52 English League North 1979/80

The Liverpool Leopards were a British ice hockey club, from Liverpool, England. They were formed in 1948 and played their home games at the Palace Ice Rink, Liverpool. The team competed in several leagues during their existence. The club folded at the end of the 1981/82 season.

## History

[edit]

### Midland League Years...

[edit]

The Midland Intermediate League was formed in the 1951/2 season and lasted for four years, with the Merseyside outfit competing in a four team competition with Grimsby Redwings, Blackpool Seagulls and the Nottingham Wolves. The Leopards won the inaugural title, which alongside their exploits in the C.W. Jones Cup and also winning the Blackpool Icedrome Trophy completed a magnificent "treble" in the 51/52 season, without doubt the city's most successful period in hockey.

### Southern League

[edit]

1973 saw a return of Ice Hockey in Liverpool with the Leopards reborn. The club took a place in the top flight of the English game, the Southern League but finished 6th in the seven team competition and propped up the league the following season.

1975 saw a dramatic improvement, however. The Leopards finished second and were only pipped to the title by local neighbours and the experienced side Altrincham. A 3rd-placed finish in 1976 continued an impressive couple of years before a 5th place in the Southern League's final season.

### English League North

[edit]

1978 saw a major restructure of Ice Hockey in the UK. The end of the Southern League saw the formation of the English League. Playing in the Northern division, Leopards finished second from bottom in the League's opening year.

Under the guidance of chief coach Bill Wilson and Swedish player coach Åke Alm, who had arrived from national champions Murrayfield Racers, Liverpool strolled to the 79/80 League title.[1] The Merseyside team won all 8 games,[2] and became the first team to go the entire season undefeated in the league after beating Sheffield Knights 19–0.[3] In the Icy Smith Cup (National Championship), Liverpool failed to reach the national final after they were knocked out by Blackpool losing 3–2 in the regional final.[4]

Charlie Birch, with a 91% save percentage over the season was named the League's Netminder of the Year and placed in the League's dream team alongside Bernie Butler, Frank Davies and Alan Mortimer. Alm was named Coach of the Year.[2]

80/81 saw Liverpool finish second to old foes Blackpool. Bernie Butler was once again a stand out player as he finished 3rd in the League's top scorers.

Liverpool's final season saw them complete the season in fifth place, with Butler once again making the league's dream team.

1982/83 saw another major restructure of the British game. The end of the English League saw the creation of the British Hockey League. Sponsored by Heineken, this saw the end of the regional leagues and the beginning of new national league structures, and even a TV deal with the BBC. Unfortunately the Leopards didn't get to take part in the new league structure, as they were disbanded in the summer before its inception.

## Liverpool Tournament

[edit]

The Leopards hosted an annual invitational tournament from 1949 to 1956. In its five-year existence, the home side won the "C.W. Jones Cup" twice (1951/2 & 1954/5). The club also finished runners up on two occasions.

## Honours

[edit]

Midland Intermediate League

* 1951–52

English League North

* 1979-80

Liverpool Tournament

* 1952, 1955

Blackpool Icedrome Trophy

* 1952

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Champions ... Now for the icing!". Liverpool Echo. 7 March 1980. p. 31.
2. ^ a b "Championnat de Grande-Bretagne de hockey sur glace 1979/80". www.hockeyarchives.info. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
3. ^ "Leopards Knock Spots off Opposition". Liverpool Echo. 11 March 1980. p. 13.
4. ^ "Leopards Skid Out". Liverpool Echo. 28 February 1980. p. 26.

* v
* t
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Ice hockey in the United Kingdom

Governing bodies|

* English Ice Hockey Association
* Ice Hockey UK
* Northern Ireland Ice Hockey Association
* Scottish Ice Hockey

Elite League|

* Belfast Giants
* Cardiff Devils
* Coventry Blaze
* Dundee Stars
* Fife Flyers
* Glasgow Clan
* Guildford Flames
* Manchester Storm
* Nottingham Panthers
* Sheffield Steelers

National Ice Hockey League|

| National League|

* Bees IHC
* Bristol Pitbulls
* Hull Seahawks
* Leeds Knights
* Milton Keynes Lightning
* Peterborough Phantoms
* Raiders
* Sheffield Steeldogs
* Solway Sharks
* Swindon Wildcats
* Telford Tigers

|

North Division 1|

* Billingham Stars
* Blackburn Hawks
* Nottingham Lions
* Solihull Barons
* Sutton Sting
* Whitley Warriors

South Division 1|

* Cardiff Fire
* Chelmsford Chieftains
* Invicta Dynamos
* Milton Keynes Thunder
* Oxford City Stars
* Raiders 2
* Slough Jets
* Solent Devils
* Streatham IHC

North Division 2|

* Altrincham Aces
* Blackburn Hawks 2
* Bradford Bulldogs
* Deeside Dragons
* Hull Jets
* Sheffield Senators
* Telford Tigers 2
* Widnes Wild

South Division 2|

* Basingstoke Buffalo
* Guildford Phoenix
* Haringey Huskies
* Invicta Mustangs
* Lee Valley Lions
* Peterborough Phantoms 2
* Solent Devils 2
* Streatham Hawks
* Swindon Wildcats 2

Scottish National League|

* Aberdeen Lynx
* Dundee Rockets
* Edinburgh Capitals
* Kilmarnock Storm
* Kirkcaldy Kestrels
* North Ayrshire Wild
* Paisley Pirates

Women's National Ice Hockey League|

| WNIHL Elite|

* Bracknell Queen Bees
* Kingston Diamonds
* Nottingham Vipers
* Solihull Vixens
* Streatham Storm

|

WNIHL Premier|

* Bracknell Firebees
* Cardiff Comets
* Chelmsford Cobras
* Kingston Diamonds B
* Milton Keynes Falcons
* Sheffield Shadows
* Swindon TopCats
* Whitley Squaws

Division 1 North|

* Grimsby Wolves
* Nottingham Vipers B
* Sheffield Shadows B
* Solway Sharks Ladies
* Telford Wrekin Raiders
* Widnes Wild Women

Division 1 South|

* Coventry Phoenix
* Oxford Midnight Stars
* Peterborough Penguins
* Slough Sirens
* Solent Amazons
* Streatham Storm B
* Swindon TopCats B

British University Teams|

* Birmingham Lions
* Bradford Sabres
* Bristol Lions
* Caledonia Steel Queens
* Cambridge University Blues
* Cardiff Redhawks
* Coventry and Warwick Panthers
* Edinburgh Eagles
* Huddersfield Ice Hawks
* Hull Ice Hogs
* Imperial Devils
* Kent Knights
* Leeds Gryphons
* London Dragons
* Manchester Metros
* Newcastle Wildcats
* Northumbria Kings
* Nottingham Mavericks
* Oxford University Ice Hockey Club
* Sheffield Bears
* Southampton Spitfires
* St Andrews Typhoons
* UCL Yetis
* UEA Avalanche

Competitions|

* League Championship
* British Championship
* Challenge Cup
* Ken Taggart Memorial Trophy and Memorial Bowl
* Knockout Cup
* Varsity Match

Player awards|

* Alan Weeks Trophy
* Best British Forward
* British Netminder of the Year
* Coach of the Year Trophy
* Ice Hockey Annual Trophy
* Player of the Year Trophy
* Vic Batchelder Memorial Award

Defunct leagues
and competitions|

* British Ice Hockey Association
* Ahearne Cup
* Autumn Cup
* British Hockey League
* British National League (1954–60)
* British National League (1996–2005)
* English League
* English League North
* English National League
* English National League (1981–82)
* English Premier League
* Ice Hockey Superleague
* Inter-City League
* Northern League
* Northern League
* Scottish National League
* Scottish Premier Hockey League
* Southern League

Defunct teams|

* Aldershot Bullets
* Ayr Bruins
* Ayr Scottish Eagles
* Blackburn Eagles
* Blackpool Seagulls
* Brighton Tigers
* Cardiff Rage
* Castlereagh Knights
* Dumfries Vikings
* Dunfermline Vikings
* Dundee Comets
* Dundee Tigers
* Durham City Wasps
* Durham Wasps
* Earls Court Rangers
* Edinburgh Capitals (SNL)
* Flintshire Freeze
* Fylde Flyers
* Harringay Greyhounds
* Harringay Racers
* Hull Pirates
* Hull Stingrays
* Hull Thunder
* Humberside Seahawks
* Isle of Wight Wildcats
* Kilmarnock Storm
* Lancashire Raptors
* Liverpool Leopards
* London Canadians
* London Lions
* London Knights
* London Racers
* Manchester Minotaurs
* Manchester Phoenix
* Manchester Storm (1995–2002)
* Medway Bears
* Milton Keynes Kings
* Moray Tornadoes
* Murrayfield Racers
* Murrayfield Racers (2018–2022)
* Newcastle Jesters
* Newcastle Vipers
* Niagara Ice Hockey Club
* Oxford Blades
* Peterborough Pirates
* Princes Ice Hockey Club
* Richmond Flyers
* Sheffield Lancers
* Sheffield Scimitars
* Sheffield Spartans
* Slough Jets ENL
* Southampton Vikings
* Stevenage Oilers
* Stevenage Sharks
* Stevenage Strikers
* Sunderland Chiefs
* Swindon TopCats B
* TDC Northern Stars
* Telford Tigers ENL
* Telford Titans
* Wembley Lions
* Wembley Monarchs
* Wightlink Buccaneers
* Wightlink Raiders
* Wightlink Tigers

Miscellaneous|

* Great Britain men's national ice hockey team
* Great Britain women's national ice hockey team
* British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame
* Ice Hockey Journalists UK

Related
IIHF
IIHF Continental Cup
IIHF European Champions Cup
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