Streatham Storm
Streatham Storm is a women's ice hockey team.
A women's hockey team has been in existence at the Streatham Ice Arena since the 1950s. The first team was known as the Streatham Felines, then later the Streatham Strikers. The Strikers played in the national premier league for thirteen extremely successful years, rating second place for several years running. Unfortunately, in a common story for ice hockey, the strikers folded in 1993 due to lack of funding.
After an absence of three years from the ice rink, a trio of dedicated people with passion and enthusiasm for their sport reformed a women's team under the new name of the Streatham Storm. Sally Taylor (Manager) and Rob Taylor (Head Coach) are still with the Storm. Sadly, Ruth Poppe (treasurer) emigrated to South Africa in 2000 and was later killed in a horse riding accident in 2001.
Starting in the summer of 1996 with just four players, the team soon developed into a squad of 25. The team has a real mixture of players in terms of both experience and age. We have former GB national team members mixing with novice players in their first season, together with an age range of twelve to over forty.
The season of 1996-97 was a training and consolidation year. Sheer hard work and enthusiasm by all players enabled the team to enter the Southern Section of the Division 1 for the first time in the following season.
On 4th October 1997, Streatham Storm played their first ever league game in Chelmsford - and won 7-1! The 2004-05 season saw a massive influx of new players and the team had their best season so far. The team won the Division 1 South league and were promoted to the Premier league, they also reached the semi-finals of both the Challenge Cup and the Swindon tournament (losing both 1-0 to Bracknell) and won the D1 playoff-weekend in Sheffield. In addition, it was agreed that a second team could be started which would play in Division 1 South.
2007/08 season and a new coach is ready to take over the Premier team. New players are coming to the club, and new objectives has been outlined to start a new chapter of the history.
On the 18 December 2011, Streatham ice rink closed its doors after years of being threatened with demolition. The site developers, who are building a supermarket, are rebuilding a new ice rink within its plans. A temporary ice rink has been erected in Popes Road, Brixton (on the site of the demolished car park), and Streatham Storm moved to its new home in January, beating Bracknell.
