Why isn't Hockey big in Britain or France?

[Siamese Dream]

he's probably right in a sense. All the wealth in US is tied up in a small section of the population while in UK & definitely France, it's more spread out.

I can assure you, life for an ordinary person like myself life is much more comfortable in the United States than it is here, your money gets you a lot further.

What about that article that has been posted on here that ice hockey actually started in England? It started on frozen lakes so it must be cold enough. Even Charles Darwin was a hockey fan!

Yes, more than a century ago. The UK is now one of the most densely populated countries on the planet, with many big towns and cities, towns and cities = heat

 

[3 Minute Minor]

I can assure you, life for an ordinary person like myself life is much more comfortable in the United States than it is here, your money gets you a lot further.

That's the thing, an ordinary person in the States doesn't have money or are 1 trip to the hospital away from being in massive debt.

 

[Siamese Dream]

That's the thing, an ordinary person in the States doesn't have money or are 1 trip to the hospital away from being in massive debt.

No, what I'm saying is an American family working similar jobs with with the similar annual income as mine would own a house twice the size and have 2 (better) cars, fuel is triple the cost here of what it is there, they have a lot more disposable income than us because stuff is cheaper

I don't contest that the US has a lot more relative poverty and inequality than the UK, but to say that it isn't a wealthier country is just incorrect

 

[3 Minute Minor]

No, what I'm saying is an American family working similar jobs with with the similar annual income as mine would own a house twice the size and have 2 (better) cars, fuel is triple the cost here of what it is there, they have a lot more disposable income than us because stuff is cheaper

I don't contest that the US has a lot more relative poverty and inequality than the UK, but to say that it isn't a wealthier country is just incorrect

That's a generalization though. Having similar annual income as yours won't get you a house twice the size, 2 cars, etc. if you live in the big cities.

Most of USA's population is in the big cities where a huge percentage of the population is living under the poverty line.

Don't get me wrong, money will get you further in US than it will in the UK based on the cost of living, but there are a bigger % of people that struggle in the US than the UK.

 

[Lynx54321]

The size and price of houses in the USA are generally bigger and lower respectively but that's purely because of the size of the place. You go anywhere where there is less space and more demand though like in most cities and the trend will reverse.

You also have to take into account that although they pay a lower percentage of their income in tax over in the USA there is no NHS and such which we take for granted over here.

I'm not disagreeing with your point by the way, your probably right just adding a couple notes.

 

[Jonimaus]

Regardless of anything, a point was made that UK and France had to have rich people donating equipment for them to play, which was one of the most laughable comments I've read on any forum ever. Money has nothing to do with the lack of hockey interest in those countries. They have more than enough money to get a hockey culture started given time and money, if they wanted to.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Regardless of anything, a point was made that UK and France had to have rich people donating equipment for them to play, which was one of the most laughable comments I've read on any forum ever. Money has nothing to do with the lack of hockey interest in those countries. They have more than enough money to get a hockey culture started given time and money, if they wanted to.

Yeah, we have money, and millions of it is given by governing bodies to "sports" like orienteering, and a lovely big fat 0 to ice hockey

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

Yeah, we have money, and millions of it is given by governing bodies to "sports" like orienteering, and a lovely big fat 0 to ice hockey

LOL...what is orienteering??

 

[Siamese Dream]

LOL...what is orienteering??

Walking in a forest and reading a map, literally

Apparently they do timed team competitions and stuff, but when I did it with the army we dawdled and had some banter while following a clever person who led the way with the map and compass

But people take it seriously enough to wear spandex while doing it, so it must be a real sport

 

[AlanHUK]

with the UK it seems that for a sport to be big sky have to get behind it.

considering their article on the NHL draft didn't bother mentioning a british born player was taken in the first round I think it might take a while for that to happen.

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

with the UK it seems that for a sport to be big sky have to get behind it.

considering their article on the NHL draft didn't bother mentioning a british born player was taken in the first round I think it might take a while for that to happen.

Wow, I didn't even know that. Who is it and did he acutally grown up in Britain?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Wow, I didn't even know that. Who is it and did he acutally grown up in Britain?

Brendan Perlini. Left England when he was 11

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

Brendan Perlini. Left England when he was 11

Cool..would he play for Britain or Canada in international play?

 

[3 Minute Minor]

Cool..would he play for Britain or Canada in international play?

already played for Canada at the U18s

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

already played for Canada at the U18s

If the British national team were any good he might consider playing for them.

 

[Siamese Dream]

If the British national team were any good he might consider playing for them.

If the Welsh national football team were any good, Gareth Bale might consider playing for them

Oh wait...

 

[3 Minute Minor]

If the British national team were any good he might consider playing for them.

It's more of a culture thing. In a country like Canada playing for the national side in hockey is a huge deal while in GB half the hockey fans could give a **** about the national teams as they're satisfied watching imports come over from the ECHL & lower leagues to play in their domestic league, regardless of the effect on the homegrown player development.

 

[BladesofSTEELwFIRE]

It's more of a culture thing. In a country like Canada playing for the national side in hockey is a huge deal while in GB half the hockey fans could give a **** about the national teams as they're satisfied watching imports come over from the ECHL & lower leagues to play in their domestic league, regardless of the effect on the homegrown player development.

True plus the British national hockey team is going nowhere. I don't think they've competed in division 1 in a zillion years!

 

[Siamese Dream]

True plus the British national hockey team is going nowhere. I don't think they've competed in division 1 in a zillion years!

They've been in Division 1 ever since it has been called that

 

[Siamese Dream]

It's more of a culture thing. In a country like Canada playing for the national side in hockey is a huge deal while in GB half the hockey fans could give a **** about the national teams as they're satisfied watching imports come over from the ECHL & lower leagues to play in their domestic league, regardless of the effect on the homegrown player development.

It's hilarious with the football, whenever England get knocked out of a major tournament everyone moans about foreigners in the EPL for about 2 days, then it's back to supporting clubs like Arsenal with their 1 English player in the starting 11 (if that)

 

[Urbanskog]

Considering their article on the NHL draft didn't bother mentioning a british born player was taken in the first round I think it might take a while for that to happen.

Nathan Walker (Australia) was born in Britain as well.

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

I can assure you, life for an ordinary person like myself life is much more comfortable in the United States than it is here, your money gets you a lot further.



Yes, more than a century ago. The UK is now one of the most densely populated countries on the planet, with many big towns and cities, towns and cities = heat

Sweeping generalisations. It depends where you live and how you spend your money. Living in the Berkshire/Oxfordshire region for much of my life, it is an expensive life, with property prices being such that i'm probably not capable (at least in the next 15-20 years) to move onto the property ladder in the area (at least, onto anything i would consider acceptable). Yet, move away from this overpriced commutting hub and there are some very affordable, livable places. Yes, the UK is expensive, but context needs to be applied.

An ordinary life in the UK isn't significantly worse than an ordinary life in the US. Define ordinary and it depends on the location.

Secondly, the UK is extremely densely populated, but it's actually still fairly rural. A good portion of the population still lives in "ruralish" areas. Suburbs or urban sprawl s much different here to other places. London aside, England has no significant cities globally with no large populations. It's really exaggerated how many people live in the city city.

Korea ... now Korea is densely populated. Smaller land mass, smaller population, but it has an astronomical % of it's population living in a few cities that are extremely close together. Those who live in the countryside aren't rich and they aren't overwhelming in numbers. Meanwhile, the UK has considerable wealth living on the verge of or outside the cities.

Finally, the UK has an extremely mild weather system. Why people moan about it i cannot comprehend, it's literally almost perfect. The Korean weather is just as cold, if not colder in winter, and exponentially hotter in the summer. You can argue that hockey isn't prevalent in the UK due to the absence of strong winter weather, but towns and cities = heat certainly isn't a meritious conclusion to anything.

 

[Siamese Dream]

towns and cities = heat certainly isn't a meritious conclusion to anything.

Yes it is, many decades ago Britain used to get some quite harsh winters by our standards, with prolonged periods of cold temperatures and snow, now we're "lucky" to get a couple of days of snow a year. We haven't had a truly awful winter since the famous Winter of Discontent in the late 70's. Why? Massive population growth and the use of motor vehicles. A town doesn't have to even be that big to give off heat. Last year in Swindon there were massive starling murmurations over the town, they had come because it was too cold for them in the countryside

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

Yes it is, many decades ago Britain used to get some quite harsh winters by our standards, with prolonged periods of cold temperatures and snow, now we're "lucky" to get a couple of days of snow a year. We haven't had a truly awful winter since the famous Winter of Discontent in the late 70's. Why? Massive population growth and the use of motor vehicles. A town doesn't have to even be that big to give off heat. Last year in Swindon there were massive starling murmurations over the town, they had come because it was too cold for them in the countryside

British weather is still extremely moderate, with no strong changes at either end of the spectrum. It may be getting warmer, but how is this point related to anything hockey wise? It's not siginificantly warmer and it certainly doesn't detract from sport participation of hockey.


Furthermore, having lived between Reading and Oxford for the majority of my life (working and socialising in both), i can tell you the winters are still cold enough, the summers variably enough.

Not that i entirely understand what point you were originally trying to make, but the points of attack used to support it are a little hyperbolic or imply naivety relative to conditions elsewhere. Certainly an ordinary fellow in the United States certainly doesn't have much, if at all, of a better life than someone residing in the UK. Each faces their own set of difficult circumstances.

 

[Siamese Dream]

British weather is still extremely moderate, with no strong changes at either end of the spectrum. It may be getting warmer, but how is this point related to anything hockey wise? It's not siginificantly warmer and it certainly doesn't detract from sport participation of hockey.


Furthermore, having lived between Reading and Oxford for the majority of my life (working and socialising in both), i can tell you the winters are still cold enough, the summers variably enough.

Not that i entirely understand what point you were originally trying to make, but the points of attack used to support it are a little hyperbolic or imply naivety relative to conditions elsewhere. Certainly an ordinary fellow in the United States certainly doesn't have much, if at all, of a better life than someone residing in the UK. Each faces their own set of difficult circumstances.

It's related to the point that apparently ice hockey was invented in Britain and played on frozen lakes, which don't become frozen anymore. Like I said in my lifetime it has only happened once, when a few years ago we were able to travel to somewhere in Oxfordshire to skate on a lake that did freeze, maybe you know the place. Yes many lakes do freeze over a little bit sometimes, but the ice is never thick enough to be safe to skate on.

The comparison in standard of living between the US and the UK is not relevant to hockey, it's just a response to someone who said that the UK is the wealthier country, which is just incorrect no matter what facts you look at, though it is true that there is greater income inequality in the US.