Written for Marathonbet's sport news and features blog - 2013 See here for the original post
Missing the NHL? Here’s a sport that will knock you bandy!
It’s not the most well-known sport in this neck of the woods, but Bandy actually has roots firmly within English history. Workers were often encouraged to take part in the sport to prevent them from spending too much time in the pubs. Even Queen Victoria’s Prince Albert couldn’t resist playing goalkeeper in a famous exhibition match in 1853 at Windsor Castle.
At first glance you wouldn’t be alone in mistaking it for ice hockey, but the game’s similarities actually lie more with football. Bandy is played on ice with sticks and skates, but that is where its relations with ice hockey stop. It requires a rink the size of a football pitch with 11 players on each team, and unlike ice hockey, goalkeepers may only use their hands and feet to defend their goal. Instead of a puck, bandy players chase a small orange plastic ball that was traditionally carved out of cork.
While many Nordic NHL players credit their success to playing bandy in their early years, there is a definite divide between fans of ice hockey and its predecessor. The aggressive physical contact and body checking so strongly identified with ice hockey is what makes it a more credible sport, most avid fans would argue. Fights between players are commonplace in NHL and that must be part of the appeal, as NHL is widely viewed across the world. In stark contrast, many of the world’s communities have not even heard of bandy.
Bandy is criticised for its lack of aggression in some quarters, often dubbed as hockey’s ‘fat sister’. However, bandy fans claim a stronger form of athleticism is involved, due to its extremely fast pace and larger ice rinks. On average, a bandy player will cover 7 to 11 miles per 90 minute game. Players require more stamina and agility as there are fewer substitutions available than ice hockey. A similar comparison could be drawn up between clashing advocates of football and rugby union; where different strengths, skills and fortitudes are required.
With ice hockey dominating North America, and mild winters in Britain (hard to believe that at the moment!) not producing the same scale and strength of ice as it used to, bandy is most popular in the Nordic countries. Naturally frozen lakes and fens, large enough to host the football pitch-size rinks are commonplace in Scandinavia. There is only one purpose built bandy ice rink in whole of the USA.
Russia and Sweden completely dominate the international bandy scene with third place left for other countries to squabble over. This concentration of success is arguably a strong factor in bandy’s limited recognition elsewhere. Russia is due to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, yet still campaigns for bandy to be admitted into the games.
Whilst bandy’s duopoly struggles in an international format, the sport thrives at a local level within the two forerunning nations. Both Russia and Sweden have a regional, tiered league system in which players have the chance to earn 6-digit wages playing in the highest divisions.
2013 will see a first in bandy history when the Svenska Bandyfinalen (Swedish Bandy Final) is played indoors with heating – much to the spectators’ delight! The newly-built Friends Arena in Solna will host the hotly anticipated event, as well as finals for Women’s and Youth leagues. Bandy teams and their fans will hope that the predicted success of these events will help to promote and introduce their sport to other countries.
With the necessity of massive, sturdy, year-round frozen football pitches removed – the sport is more easily hosted elsewhere. Potentially exhibition games can tour internationally and maybe even league games played elsewhere with a similar approach to the NFL/Wembley and NBA/O₂ Arena collaborations.
This week sees big fixtures in both Sweden and Russia’s premier leagues, Elitserien and the Super League respectively.
george scerri 