County included in hockey team's new name for first time

Berkshire Bees have been based in Slough since 2020

Berkshire’s highest ranked ice hockey team will use the county in its name for the first time.

Berkshire Bees have played at Slough Ice Arena since 2020 following a move from Bracknell after the John Nike Leisuresport Complex shut down.

The NIHL National League club had been known as Bees Ice Hockey Club after the move and the Bracknell Bees before that.

A fan, player and director said they were hopeful the name change will give the club a stronger identity.

Steve Merry has been a fan of the club since it was formed in the late 1980s

Steve Merry has been a fan of the club since it was first established in 1987.

"As a fan we all like to sing and chant. I know the fans have been trying to think of songs all year long but I think this will give us some identity and a place where we belong,” he said.

The club’s home arena can accommodate between 800 and 850 fans. It is also used by the Slough Jets, who play in Division 1 South, a league below the Bees.

Berkshire Bees director Graeme Bower said the name change was made after the club assessed where its supporters are based.

Defender Stuart Mogg says the updated name is "important" for the club

"We have spent two years analysing where we get our fans from and increasingly we got more people from the Slough and the surrounding area," he said.

“But we got plenty of people from Bracknell, Windsor, Maidenhead, Wokingham and we seem to be stretching further into Berkshire than we were when we were in Bracknell. We want to represent the whole of the county.”

Mr Bower said the club has made a “lot of noise” about its support and that ice hockey is currently the most watched indoor sport in the UK.

Bees defender Stuart Mogg said he thought the change is “important”.

He added: “When we left Bracknell and the rink closed we lost a bit of identity…being able to appeal to the whole of Berkshire is massive for us.”