Former GB ice hockey captain thanks family for MBE

Saffron Lane represented Great Britain's ice hockey team for 12 years

A former Great Britain ice hockey captain who was appointed an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours list has thanked her family for their support.

Saffron Lane, from Much Wenlock in Shropshire, won 52 caps for her country and represented Great Britain for 12 years, becoming captain in 2019.

She became interested in the sport when she started going to Telford Tigers games with her brother as a four-year-old and followed him into the game.

The 30-year-old, who retired in 2023, said that after some initial misgivings her parents "completely sacrificed their lives to take me up and down the country at silly o'clock" and to support her career.

Lane, who was known as Saffron Allen before her marriage to husband Dan last year, said she experienced "shock and confusion" when she received the news about the MBE.

When she was able to tell her parents, she enjoyed letting them open the envelope for themselves.

There were "a few tears and lots of surprise and shock," she said.

Lane said there was "always a bit of competition" with her brother and when he began learning to play she asked her parents to join him.

She recalled: "I think at the time my mum and dad tried everything to stop me going into ice hockey."

But she said she "ground them down" and also began her junior career at Telford.

She made her GB debut in 2011, but the following year suffered a serious spinal injury while playing in China.

"At the time I was told I wouldn't walk again, definitely wouldn't play again, that was out of the question," she said.

'Very lucky'

But within 14 months, she was back in the national team and she believes her perseverance was a "big contributing factor" in getting the MBE.

Again, she said her parents supported her all the way.

She said captaining her country had always been her goal and she was "very lucky to have the honour to do it for numerous years", but in January 2023 she announced her retirement.

She had represented her country at nine World Championship tournaments and three Olympic qualifiers, scoring 18 goals and contributing 20 assists

She finished with gold at the Women's World Championship Division II Group A in Spain.

Lane said: "That was the pinnacle and time to step back and enjoy other things in life."

Ice Hockey UK CEO Henry Staelens said she had been "a trailblazer for ice hockey in the UK".

He added: "Her leadership, work ethic and desire set a huge example to the younger generation [and] made her one of the most important players in GB history."