The history of the Manchester Storm
(Pocket PC version)

 

2001 season
Yet more changes at the Storm franchise ... and a troubled year for the League as a whole. The team was sold again and was bought by Salford businessman Gary Cowan.

For the first time in the team's history the Club was not owned by the MEN Arena's management company. Gary appointed Daryl Lipsey (below) as the Head Coach and General Manager.

The League shrank in size to just seven teams with Cardiff and Newcastle departing the ISL. The season structure changed too - the ISL opting not to run an autumn cup due to the loss of B&H as a sponsor.

On the ice it proved a difficult season with the team failing to make the final four in the Challenge Cup and finishing in last place in the League.

The play offs proved to be the highlight of the year. A unique combination of results sent the Storm to the play off finals. They beat Ayr Scottish Eagles in the semi final and were 3-2 up against Sheffield with three minutes to go in the final. Steelers equalised, overtime couldn't split the teams but Sheffield came out on top after the "best of five" penalty shots.

2002 season
It was a season that promised so much but ended in crisis. With lessons learned from season 01/02 Coach Daryl Lipsey was ready to ice his strongest squad ever.

Off ice events though started to dominate. The season started but never finished. A cash crisis led to some early fixtures being cancelled whilst rental agreements with the MEN Arena were worked out. Once that was settled the club walked a financial tightrope for just a few weeks until the team's owner put the club into liquidation. Despite a huge effort from fans to raise money to save the team the club folded in November 2002.

Daryl Lipsey (Head Coach) was the only member of staff to remain with the club throughout. Daryl started as a player / assistant coach in season one.

So many people contributed to this great team that came from nowhere to battle it out with the best in the UK and Europe. Who in early 1995 would have believed that within 18 months 17245 people would watch a game of ice hockey in Manchester? Who in that audience would have believed that by the Autumn of 2002 the team would fold due to a shortage of income.

The Manchester Storm



1995 - 2002.

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