Hull Arena

For the Canadian ice arena, see Robert Guertin Centre.

Hull Arena
Interactive map of Hull Arena
Former namesHumberside Ice Arena
LocationKingston Park
Kingston Street
Hull
HU1 2DZ
England
OwnerHull City Council
OperatorHull Culture and Leisure
Capacity2,000 (seated)
3,750 (including floor)[2]
Field size60 by 30 metres (197 ft × 98 ft)[3]
Construction
Opened13 September 1988 (1988-09-13)
Renovated2020–2021
Construction cost£2.6 million
BuilderHoulton Construction[1]
Tenants
Hull Seahawks (NIHL) (2022–present)
Hull Jets (NIHL 1 (North)) (2013–present)
Hull Stingrays (EIHL) (2003–2015)
Website
Official website

Hull Arena (originally Humberside Ice Arena and known locally as the Hull Ice Arena) is an ice rink, in the city of Kingston upon Hull, England. It offers an Olympic-sized pad of 60 by 30 metres (197 by 98 ft).[3] It is also used for other sports, trade fairs and as a concert venue, for which it has a maximum capacity of 3,750.[2]

History

Planning and construction

The building had a protracted development, with planning disputes delaying construction between 1982 and 1986. A first iteration of the arena was budgeted at £5 million in December 1982 and originally planned to be built on the site of a car park along Ferensway in the city centre, intended to be a joint venture between the county of Humberside and the city of Kingston upon Hull.[4][5] However, Conservative Party opposition councillors at Humberside County Council criticised the planned arena as being too costly and unnecessary,[6] as well as fearing that the Ferensway site could be prone to traffic and parking problems,[7] and in November 1983, the ruling Labour Party voted in a secret ballot in favour of cancelling this first iteration of the arena.[8]

A second iteration of the arena, a mixed-use site budgeted at £3.5 million, was announced in January 1985 to be built near Humber Street as part of a regeneration scheme centred on the city's old docklands, with Humberside County Council stepping back from running the arena and instead awarding Kingston upon Hull City Council £1 million in grant funding for its construction.[9] These plans did not materialise as a result of further Conservative opposition following a change in county council composition in the 1985 elections to no overall control.[10]

A third iteration, now only an ice rink with a seating capacity of 2,000, was announced in 1986 on the site of the Kingston Clinic on Beverley Road, which was to be constructed at a budget of £2.5 million and operated by Humberside County Council. As a result of this change of plan, Hull City Council was made to return their £1 million grant to the county council.[11] These plans were abandoned by the county council after lengthy delays emerged and after city councillors criticised the location of the arena as being a "hair-brained cockeyed scheme",[12] and after plans to build the arena on The Circle cricket ground on Anlaby Road were ruled out,[13] the city council offered the county council the use of a site near Albert Dock that had been previously selected in 1985.[14][15] In November 1986, approval was finally granted by Humberside County Council for the construction of the arena at the city council's preferred site, seating 2,000 and budgeted at £2 648,000.[16]

The building's ceremonial cornerstone was unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II during a royal visit to the city on 18 July 1987.[17][18] It was inaugurated on 14 September 1988 by former Olympic figure skating champion John Curry.[19]

Refurbishment

The venue closed in March 2020 for renovations worth £1.5 million, which ended up lasting a year and a half.[20][21] The ice sheet was relaid, while the locker rooms and lavatories were renovated. A new lighting rig consisting of eighty spotlights and a clearer sound system were also installed.[2]

The building is nonetheless viewed as outdated and in need of replacement. A new ice rink was considered as part of the former redevelopment of the former Co-operative Building on Albion Street,[21] however plans to incorporate it into the new real estate development were dropped by Hull City Council in favour of an urban park in October 2021.[22] A 2021 publication pegged the Arena's yearly attendance, which has varied depending on the caliber of resident ice hockey teams, at 147,000.[20]

Ice sports

Hull Arena has been the home of all ice hockey teams within the city, including the Humberside Seahawks, Hull Thunder, and Hull Stingrays of the BNL, the Hull Stingrays of the Elite League, and the Hull Pirates of the NIHL.[23] The current teams include the Hull Seahawks of the NIHL and the Hull Jets of the NIHL North 1.[24][25]

Other events

The Arena hosts boxing events for the Matchroom Boxing promotions stable with Hull boxers Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle amongst those to compete.[26] It was previously used to hold such events in April 1997,[27] March 1998[28] and June 1998[29] with boxers including Paul Ingle, Clinton Woods, Howard Eastman and Scott Harrison competing.

The Arena has also hosted WWF/WWE pro wrestling on multiple occasions, such as the Hart Attack '94,[30] Full Metal '95 and Wrestlemania Revenge 2005 tours.[31]

The 2011 edition of the World Masters darts tournament was played at the arena.[32]

Among music acts who have appeared at the Arena are the Arctic Monkeys,[33] Faithless,[34] Kings of Leon,[35] Oasis,[36] Robbie Williams,[37] Ed Sheeran[38] and The Libertines.[39]

References

  1. ^ "1987 – Hull Ice Arena & Indoor Bowls". Houlton Construction. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Hull Ice Arena (Hull, England)". Mondo Stadia. No. 22. Stockport: Buxton Press. February–March 2022. pp. 36–39. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Hull Arena". Eurohockey.com. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  4. ^ Hansford, Christopher (14 December 1982). "Hull plan for £1m. ice rink". Hull Daily Mail. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Ice rink hopes sky high". Hull Daily Mail. 21 April 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Hull arena heads the priority list". Hull Daily Mail. 7 September 1983. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ O'Neill, Michael (15 September 1983). "Hull arena 'cover-up' alleged". Hull Daily Mail. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Hansford, Christopher (22 November 1983). "Geraghty attacks rink vote". Hull Daily Mail. p. 6. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Hansford, Christopher (22 January 1985). "£3.5m. plan for arena, super rink". Hull Daily Mail. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Labour enraged by threat to rink plan". Hull Daily Mail. 13 September 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "£2.5m. Ice rink now set for Beverley Road site". Hull Daily Mail. 4 June 1986. p. 7. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Ice arena plan given Tory blast". Hull Daily Mail. 1 August 1986. p. 2. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Stockburn, Paul (7 April 1986). "Circle site for ice arena ruled out". Hull Daily Mail. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "City offers Marina site for ice rink". Hull Daily Mail. 7 October 1986. p. 25. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Ice rink site chosen". Hull Daily Mail. 12 February 1985. p. 4. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Langton, Graham (25 November 1986). "Go-ahead given for city ice arena". Hull Daily Mail. p. 5. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ Critchley, Sue; et al. (18 July 1987). "Smiles for a royal joker". Hull Daily Mail. p. 4. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "Platinum Jubilee Stories: Opening of Hull Ice Arena". Hymers Alumni Community. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  19. ^ "Ice to see you, to see you... ICE!". Hull Daily Mail. 14 September 1988. p. 1. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b "Hull Ice Arena to reopen after £1.5m refurbishment". BBC News. 29 October 2021. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  21. ^ a b Kemp, Dan (13 October 2020). "'Forgotten' Hull Arena left in sorry state as doors remain shut". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  22. ^ "Hull council drops ice arena and adds 'urban woodland' to redevelopment". BBC News. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  23. ^ "Fixtures and Results". Hull Pirates. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  24. ^ "Hull Seahawks – NIHL Hockey Team". Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  25. ^ "Hull Jets Ice Hockey Team". Hull Jets. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
  26. ^ "Event". BoxRec. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  27. ^ "Event". BoxRec. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  28. ^ "Event". BoxRec. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  29. ^ "Event". BoxRec. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  30. ^ "WWF - 1994 Results". The History of WWE. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  31. ^ "WWF - 1995 Results". The History of WWE. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  32. ^ "Winmau World Masters 2011" (Press release). Winmau Dartboard Company. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  33. ^ Thomas, Helen Meriel (9 March 2018). "We heart Hull: 10 great things the city has given the world". NME. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  34. ^ "Faithless to go on UK arena tour". NME. 7 November 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  35. ^ "Kings Of Leon announce huge UK tour". NME. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  36. ^ Hutchinson, Charles (3 July 2002). "Few thrilling moments from a becalmed Oasis". The Press. York. p. 11. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Fletcher, Tracy (19 February 1999). "True Brit". Hull Daily Mail. p. 53. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Ed Sheeran Tour Recap: Live at Hull Arena, Hull, UK: 06 November 2012". Ed Sheeran. Archived from the original on 29 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  39. ^ Jones, Craig (24 September 2017). "Pete Doherty puts on a show-stopper as The Libertines rock out Hull Ice Arena". Hull Daily Mail. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
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