As Joe Cocker would say ‘we get by with a little help from our friend’ and the Eagles were lucky we had friends who were prepared to guide us through the minefield of setting up and operating Scotland’s first ever university club.
Brian Murdoch
More like a big brother than a friend, as he always kept us right. Brian was the registrations secretary for the Scottish Recreational Ice Hockey Conference (SRIHC) as it was called then, a role he still carries out today in the current set up. At times I am sure Brian grew weary of our ability to make a right hash of registrations, but he was always there for us to help us make sure we could get our team insured and on the ice. Brian also is part of the Paisley Blackhawks who will feature in the rivalry chapter, due in December.
Stewart Quinn ‘Quinny’
In the early days Quinny would train with us; he also guested for the Phoenix a couple of times. He was known for his comedy and use of the word ‘raj.’ One of my fondest memories of Quinny was on the day of the first Phoenix game which he guested in for us. My cousin Keith and I grabbed a lift with him (side note Quinny also taught me to drive in second year of uni; I passed first time) and basically comedy ensued from the moment we left Edinburgh until we got back, which was just as well because Dumfries was some trek.
Danny McMillan, Heather Stanley & Lindsay Brownlee
When we first started as a club we had to use Stirling from time to time for home games. Being a new club and not having really having a clue about off ice officials it was a god send to get the help of Danny McMillan and his team. Danny, SRIHC treasurer, had an arrangement with Stirling rink to let all teams use the pad on Sunday evenings and many a time we organised a game against whether it be for Eagles or Phoenix. The great thing about the deal was it came with a tremendous off ice crew, who were always friendly and helpful. I honestly have no idea how we would have managed those early home games without them.
I am sure there are more people we could refer to, as there is always somebody out there prepared to give a new club a leg up. One thing is for certain, Joe Cocker hit the nail on the head.