6-582: British League The Ayr Bruins were an ice hockey club based in Ayr , Scotland , between 1939 and 1992. Established in 1939 under the name Ayr Raiders , the club played their home games at the Ayr Ice Rink (Beresford Terrace) between 1939 and 1972 and at Ayr Ice Rink (Limekiln Road) between 1974 and 1991. The Bruins played one season in the Northern League before withdrawing, and returned to
12-633: A major reorganization of the league structure led the two remaining divisions to split into different leagues; resulting in the dissolution of the British Hockey League and the creation of the Ice Hockey Superleague to replace the premier division, and the British National League to replace division 1, respectively. Durham Wasps and Whitley Warriors were the only two teams to consistently feature in
18-677: The Ayr Raiders in 1989 and suffered relegation from the Premier Division at the end of the 91/92 season. The club moved to Paisley in 1992 where they were known as The Bruins . After facing financial difficulties, the club dissolved in late 1992. More recently, Ayr was represented by the Ayr Scottish Eagles between 1996 and 2002 at the Centrum Arena . British Hockey League The British League
24-848: The league in 1969. They continued to play until the closure of the Ayr Ice Rink, before returning again in 1974. The side won the Icy Smith Cup (now the British Championship ) in 1976 and became a charter member of the British Hockey League 's Premier Division in 1983. They made another appearance in the British Championship final in 1989 but suffered a 6–3 defeat to the Nottingham Panthers . The Bruins changed their name back to
30-547: Was sponsored by Heineken until 1993 and during this period was best known as the Heineken League . The league changed format several times. The top level was originally split into three regional sections and combined as the Premier Division in 1983. Divisions One and Two were also both formed in 1982, there was also a short-lived Division Three. Division Two was reformed as the English League in 1987. In 1996
36-836: Was the top-flight ice hockey league in the United Kingdom from 1982 until 1996, when it was replaced by the Ice Hockey Superleague and the British National League . Note that the league never had 'hockey' in its title. The league replaced three regional leagues: the Inter-City League in southern England, the English League North in northern England and the Northern League in Scotland and NE England. The league
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