Biddulph and Class of 2005 return for Anniversary Match.
The Lee Valley Lions have announced the final few players for their Legends’ team to take on the current Lions squad at Lee Valley this Saturday.
Firstly, coming back is hard nosed defenceman Brian Biddulph, who spent two seasons at Lee Valley between 1992 and 1995, joining from Medway Bears in the middle of the season. Biddulph, a former Streatham, Slough, Peterborough, Invicta and Chelmsford player, as well as a Great Britiain junior in his time in South London, scored 19 points in his 36 games for the Lions. During his time at Lea Bridge Road he also racked up a collossal 223 penalty minutes (191 of them in one season!). A colourful character and a popular figure around the dressing room, we’re glad to welcome ‘Biddy’ back to the den.
Biddulph in action.
Also coming back to bolster the squad are a group of players who reformed the team in 2005. Returning are Captain Darren Wakeling, Chris Goddard, Michael Ranby, Richard Hodge, Nicky Braithwaite, Romanas Fedotovas, George Alley & Scott Beeson. Wakeling and Goddard only spent one year with the team, but Goddard would go on to play for Haringey Greyhounds and Chelmsford Chieftains, Wakeling (along with Ben Osbourne and goalie Stefan Nubert) even guested for the Edinburgh Capitals when they visited then co-tenants London Racers in the Elite League.. Michael Ranby, a product of the Lee Valley Junior system has gone on to have a successful NIHL 1 career so far with Haringey, Streatham and most recently Chelmsford, winning the league, cup and playoff titles in his two years there. Hodge and Fedotovas have had two spells with the side, both becoming important players for the time in the last couple of years, although Fedotovas has moved on to Haringey this season. Alley, another junior product is now goaltending and under 18’s coach for the club and Beeson is the club’s leading points scorer in the modern Lions’ era, scoring 138 points in 105 games.
One notable absentee from this list is James Scott-Joseph, who will be playing for the current Lions team in the match. Scott-Joseph, son of Eddie is the longest serving player of the modern era and has played in every season since the side reformed, a total of 164 games. It will be the first time that Joseph’s junior and senior have played against each other.
The reformed side of 2005/2006
Although the side struggled in their first season back (they lost every game…), without the team reforming it is likely that the club would not be celebrating this birthday at all.
The game is this Saturday, the 30th at Lee Valley Ice Centre, face off at 5:15. Tickets for the game are £6 for adults, £3 for concessions and £15 for families. It will be a celebratory day and we look forward to seeing you at the rink.
You can talk abut the game on social media, using the hashtags #ComeToTheDen and #LeeValleyLions.