1969-70 turned out to be the Dynamos
most successful season ever. They won the play offs, are finalists in the Icy Smith Cup final held over until the start of
next season and were invited to Dundee for the Angus Challenge Cup game as the most popular team to visit Tayside during the
season.
Their early season
form was not so impressive, however, and on their big date – held over Cup Final from 1968-9 – they did not fare
too well. Despite recording their first ever win at Murrayfield, the margin of their defeat at home ensured the return of
the Icy Smith Cup to Edinburgh after an absence of four years.
At that period in
the season Dynamos were situated about mid table, having lost points due to goal keeping inexperience, and the situation was
not eased when they lost the services of Tyson, McCafferty and Ormond. Jimmy Purcell was also unavailable on many occasions
due to pressure of work. However the situation took a turn for the better in December, when the NIHA allowed them to register
Ian Nelson, thus ensuring greater experience in the vital net minding spot.
The first game of
the New Year against the Mohawks set the pattern for the rest of the season, and the team went from strength to strength.
Though losing the early season league match against the Paisley crew, they more than atoned in the next five meetings with
their “traditional enemies”, winning four and drawing one. Four of the games were played at Crossmyloof , and
the significant increase in the attendances at the rink must be due in some measure to the tremendous entertainment supplied
by these local rivals at almost every meeting. Into the bargain, Sunday evening hockey is proving a worthwhile change, and
Dynamos are building a most substantial and vociferous support, which gives the impression that Crossmyloof is an ice hockey
rink, not just a slab of ice – albeit Europe’s largest – where blokes hit a puck around.
Having disposed
of Paisley in both play offs and the Icy smith Cup, Dynamos were due to meet top dogs Racers in both twoleg finals but only
the play offs were completed.
In the first leg
at Murrayfield, Glasgow grabbed a sensational 7-2 lead, and in the week following this result a bit of needle developed between
the respective managements. Murrayfield maintained that the season had gone on too lon, and wished to postpone the Cup Final.
Glasgow, however, wanted all competitions completed and were willing to play in midweek to do so. Racers eventually got their
way, with the proviso from the Association, that care should be taken that such a situation does not arise again.
Whether Dynamos
were over confident going into the second leg, or upset by the previous weeks bickering, I do not know, but, with Lovell,
returned from the injured list, leading them, Racers really turned on the heat and gradually whittled down the five goal deficit
to tie the aggregate at 8-8. Then , with only a couple of minutes to go, Dynamos finally got the clinching goals.
With a really successful
season behind them, and a team that is regularly playing grand combined hockey, Dynamos look a good bet to be among the honours
again next season
Report by
Farquhar Matheson in the !970-71 Ice hockey Herald Annual
