Main Entry: Mike
Pronunciation: 'mIk
Main Entry: bobble
Pronunciation: 'bä-b&l
Function: noun
Date: 1880
1: a small ball of fabric; especially : one in a series used on an edging (curtains with bobbles)
2: ERROR, MISTAKE;
Again, don't be fooled by the title, this is not a naff sixties band. They are in fact three stalwart Bees fans, who have sat on the bench in front of me at the 'Hive since I started watching the Bees. Indeed, since the Bees began. They can be recognised by their distinctive white and yellow bobblehats. Anyone who wishes to say hi to them, I'd advise against it. However, if you chose to ignore me, they sit in the Block 5 benches. Here, in Mike's words, is a brief discription of themselves:
'Back in the year that the Bees were created the primeval yelm also threw up three heinous creatures. One was tall and lanky with a funny shaped appendage on his head. Another was of medium height but rather spreading in the middle and he too had the same form of appendage. Finally the third was the female of the species and therefore more deadly, especially when there are Bison around.
The tall lanky one who eventually matured(?) to become Mike "Bobblehat" Blackmun was first introduced to the heavenly sport of ice hockey at the incredibly early age of 10. This was in the year 1951, 10 years after he had been born in Slough ([thinks].....had he remained in Slough he would by now be a Jets' supporter.....[thinks again].....thank goodness he moved away). In the early 1950s he was frequently to be seen at Wembley Ice Arena watching the likes of the Wembley Lions, the Brighton Tigers, the Harringey Racers, the Streatham Redskins and the original Nottingham Panthers. In those far off days the term "import" was unknown - in fact there were as many home grown players as there are at the moment in the Superleague!! At the time the GB National Squad was made up entirely of ex-patriot Canadians who had remained in the UK after the war.
Early memories of games include:
- the "manual" Zambonie - a line of up to 10 men with large brooms sweeping the ice in time to a stirring march
- a fracas around one of the nets during which the net was surreptitiously lifted slightly (they were not fixed as rigidly(?) then) and the puck slipped under the side - the light came on and to scenes of near riot the ref gave the goal(sort that one out Mr Toeman)
- goaltenders and players without padding or facemasks
- no plexi or netting around the rinks - so watch out!!!!!!!!
After some little time the urge to watch hockey was overtaken by the urge to watch girls and the flame dwindled - I stopped watching hockey too!!!
Many years passed and Bobblehat married Marion and met up with Frank and Shirley with whom they shared many interests. All four were Christians and regular church - goers. During one evening at a church home group meeting in 1987, it was decided to organise an outing for pleasure and relaxation. "Where can we go? What can we do?" came the cries. Bobblehat remembered reading somewhere that an ice hockey team had been newly formed in Bracknell and all the old and dormant feelings emerged( he remembered about ice hockey as well). "How about a trip to see an Ice Hockey game at Bracknell?" he said. And so Bobblehat and the Benchwarmers went to see their first Bees game. For the purists amongst you this was a game between the Bees and a team called the Basingstoke Beavers. What an evening it was. The queue to get in tailed back right under the tunnel and out the other end - two sides to the queue Bison on the left Bees on the right. We didn't know at that time who the opposition was and it was a glorious coincidence that we had chosen a local derby. Once inside we found our way to block 5 downstairs benchseats and after asking which team was which settled back to see Crapper and co. do a great demolition job on the Bison who all seemed about half the size of the Bees. We was hooked!!!!!!!
Christians we may be (and we do agree with the no swearing rule) but we have been known in our day to tap lightly on the plexi (Shirley is our leader in this) and ask politely one of the following questions:
"Can the ref please explain his decision?" (Ed. - Wel, it's normally closer to "Oy, Ref!")
"Can that rather less than pretty opposition player please stop doing something rather nasty to one of the Bees?" (Ed. - Well, it's normally something like "Oy, Priest!")
"Can that particularly good looking and wonderful Bees player stop messing about and put the puck in the net? (Ed. - Well, it's normally something like "Shoooooot!!!!")
We have seen the Bees progress from the old English League (what about that time when the Sunderland Chiefs turned up with just 9 players including the netminder) - through the National League 1 (only one season here before we were promoted) - to the old Premier League( one year earlier than Jamie's target) - to the Super League and we can truly say that in all our years of Bees Watching, Jim's team of 1996/7 was by far and away the very best Bees side we have seen!!!!
The Benchwarmers will be back for 1997/8 for the 10th anniversary. Good luck to Jim and the team."
So there you go. All of it from the horse's mouth, as they say.
Other favourite phrases of the Benchwarmers are:
"Come on Wacknull *, you've got the powerplay, now use it!"
"Nice one, Matty!" (About once every five seconds).
"Wahay!" (When we score, of course).
"Did you hear who got the second assist?"
* NB Wacknull is actually the correct pronunciation for Bracknell, in the local dialect.
Unfortunately, Frank and Shirly are both Oxford United fans, but I try not to hold this against them.
Benchwarmers astrology. Be amazed at just how accurate this stuff really is.