Sunday 1 May 2011

Braehead Clan

I saw a game at Braehead Clan on Friday 11th February 2011, when they comprehesively defeated Cardiff Devils in an Elite League match. It was a strange hockey venue in the sense that you have to walk through a shopping centre to get to the rink, which is situated on the edge of Glasgow.



The rink is called Braehead Arena.



The ice hockey is well advertised throught the shopping centre, like on the side of the escalators.



And underneath them!



Here is another hoarding.



Map of the rink.



Once inside the arena, but not in the seated area, there is a club shop table.



That area is out behind this end of the ice. My seat is toward the far end, on the left. Note the benches at the front of that side.



Here is a close up of them.



In the corner, heading round to my pew, we see over the ice, to the two tiered bank of seats opposite. Only the lower sections were open.



Here are the blocks of seats behind the goal, where we came in.



A similar shot, but slightly higher up.



From here we also look across the ice to the other side.



Down the near side now, the closed upper sections.



And the lower part, with lots of fans in the seats.



Same area, from the front, after the match.



Toward the middle, across the ice.



Moving on, looking toward the away end, on the left.



Here we see back down this side, from my seat.



The other way is the small pocket of away fans behind the goal, with more in the first bay, in the corner opposite.



Sit down! ;-)



Another view of the other side of the arena.



Cheerleaders on the closed top tier, on the other side.



In between one of the periods w've now headed round the other side, and here we see along it, from the 'entrance' end.



The Zamboni is out over the ice.



I don't know why, but hockey fans often take pictures of these ice re-surfacing machines.



Moving along we head toward the far corner of this side, & see over the ice from here.



These are the upper seats on this side, which concludes all our angles of Braehead Arena. not time to leave though.



Back on my side here is a close up of some daffodilled Cardiff fans opposite.



The visitors' flags hanging behind the goal.



One Cardiff follower takes his top off!



And others get ticked off by a steward.



And another, the man standing, takes umbrage with Breahead fans laughing & waving at him as he leaves early near the end.



I wasn't the only neutral there.



During the interval I asked this embarrassed looking home fans if i could take a snap of their shirts.



And did the same with these two Devils!



Now we turn our attention to on the ice, to finish.





There's more to hockey than fighting!



Game over.



Post-match handshakes.



Man of the match presentations.



And off the ice they come.



While Braehead celebrate their victory.



Thanking their fans.



And here is the final score. Time to go.

1 comment:

Bas said...

The first time that we were at the same game I think, funny it was at the ice hockey. I have seen quite a few Braehead Clan matches last season but still have to upload my pictures! This was one of the best Clan games of the season I think mainly because it was such a surprise result.