Romford Ice Arena

Romford Ice Arena was an ice rink located in Romford in the London Borough of Havering, England. The venue was built in the 1980s and at the time of opening in 1987 was equipped with a full range of facilities, including a cafe and arcade games. The venue closed in April 2013.

Romford Ice Arena pictured in 2005.

It was the home of the Romford Raiders ice hockey team. The first game at the ice rink took place on Sunday 13 September 1987 as the Romford Raiders defeated Oxford City Stars 9-6 in front of 479 spectators. David Jones (Oxford City Stars) scored the first goal of the game, however the Raiders' first goal was scored by Erskine Douglas. In addition to ice hockey, the arena had resident professional figure skating coaches. The rink was also used for public skating, as a conference centre and a party venue. The building was owned by the London Borough of Havering Council and leased out.

In December 2007 the ice rink featured in the BBC Christmas ident.

In 2011 it was reported that Romford Ice Arena was going to be demolished and rebuilt with additional features such as a gymnasium and swimming pool,[1] but ultimately it was decided to simply renovate the existing building.

In April 2013, the Ice Arena closed permanently. The building is being replaced with a Morrisons superstore, and a new leisure centre is to be built in Romford town centre, on Western Road. The new leisure centre will have an ice rink, as has already been confirmed. Work has already begun on the new Morrisons and will be opened in the near future.[2]