| Raiders IHC | |
|---|---|
| City | Romford |
| League | NIHL |
| Division | National League |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Home arena | Sapphire Ice and Leisure Centre[1] |
| Colours | White, Gold and Blue |
| Affiliates | Romford Buccaneers,NIHL 1 |
| Website | Romford Raiders |
| Franchise history | |
| 1987 – 2013 | Romford Raiders |
| 2013 – 2018 | London Raiders |
| 2018 – 2023 | Raiders |
| 2024 – present | Romford Raiders |
Raiders IHC is anice hockey team based inRomford, participating in the National Division of theNational Ice Hockey League (NIHL), the second tier of British ice hockey.
They were known as theRomford Raiders when they were based at theRomford Ice Arena in the London Borough of Havering. They were founder members of theEnglish Premier Ice Hockey League but have competed in the NIHL since 2012. Their development team was the Romford Spitfires, which played in Division 2 of the NIHL before being succeeded in 2009/10 by theRomford Fury.
The team moved to Leyton, East London, in 2013, when it adopted the new nameLondon Raiders. Its team colours are white, gold, and blue, and fans of the team are known as the Gold and Blue Army.[2] The team returned to Romford in 2018, keeping the Raiders name until 2024 when they reverted to Romford Raiders under former owner John Scott.[not verified in body]

The club was founded in 1987 under the name Romford Raiders and coached by Gord Jeffrey, who went on to become a hero amongst the Romford fans.
Some of the best-known players to play for the Raiders include Rob Stewart,[3] Dave Whistle[4] and Mike Ellis,[5] all of whom went on to play and coach at the highest levels in the UK.
The Raiders' first-ever match was played on Sunday 13 September 1987, against theOxford City Stars. Romford's first captain, Erskine Douglas, also scored the Raiders' first-ever goal.
On 28 November 2010, during an English National League game against theBracknell Hornets, Danny Marshall scored his 1,232nd point as a Raider when he assisted on a short-handed goal by Frankie Harvey. With that point, Marshall became the club's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Gord Jeffrey's long-standing record.[6]
In 2013, theRomford Ice Arena was sold by Havering Council to investors. The team subsequently had to move toLee Valley Ice Centre and became the London Raiders.[7]
On February 3, 2018, the Raiders played their first game at their new home back in Romford, theSapphire Ice and Leisure Centre. Raiders would come back to win 5–2 against the Cardiff Fire in front of a sell-out crowd. Former Romford Junior Olegs Lascenko scored the team's first-ever goal at the new venue, however, it was Cardiff's Jackson Price who scored the first goal overall.[8] In 2024, the team came under new ownership and returned to using the name Romford Raiders.[9][10]
The following list details the Raiders' finishes in the league and notes any playoff success.[11]
| SEASON | LEAGUE | P | W | T | L | OTW | OTL | F | A | Pt | RANK | POSTSEASON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 - 1988 | Heineken League Division 2 | 26 | 25 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 379 | 213 | 51 | Champion | Promoted |
| 1988 - 1989 | Heineken League Division 1 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 16 | - | - | 145 | 201 | 14 | 11 | Relegated |
| 1989 - 1990 | Heineken League Division 2 | 24 | 17 | 1 | 6 | - | - | 217 | 152 | 35 | 2 | Promoted |
| 1990 - 1991 | Division 1 | 40 | 23 | 2 | 15 | - | - | 293 | 245 | 48 | 4 | Qualification loss |
| 1991 - 1992 | Division 1 | 36 | 15 | 5 | 16 | - | - | 262 | 256 | 35 | 6 | Qualification |
| 1992 - 1993 | Division 1 | 32 | 12 | 4 | 16 | - | - | 221 | 239 | 28 | 5 | - |
| 1993 - 1994 | Division 1 South | 44 | 27 | 5 | 12 | - | - | 328 | 235 | 59 | 2 | |
| 1994 - 1995 | Division 1 South | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1995 - 1996 | Division 2 South | 22 | 16 | 0 | 6 | - | - | 178 | 75 | 32 | 3 | Final group South |
| 1996 - 1997 | English League South | 22 | 20 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 192 | 46 | 41 | 1 | Qualification South |
| 1997 - 1998 | English League South | 20 | 11 | 3 | 6 | - | - | 195 | 88 | 25 | 5 | Championship Round South |
| 1998 - 1999 | English Premier League | 32 | 12 | 3 | 17 | - | - | 155 | 168 | 27 | 8 | Did not make playoffs |
| 1999 - 2000 | English Premier League | 24 | 5 | 2 | 17 | - | - | 78 | 127 | 12 | 5 | Did not make playoffs |
| 2000 - 2001 | English Premier League | 32 | 21 | 2 | 9 | - | - | 174 | 106 | 44 | 4 | Champion |
| 2001 - 2002 | English Premier League | 28 | 18 | 2 | 8 | - | - | 169 | 79 | 38 | 4 | Qualification |
| 2002 - 2003 | English Premier League | 42 | 19 | 6 | 17 | - | - | 218 | 199 | 44 | 8 | Qualification |
| 2003 - 2004 | English Premier League | 32 | 21 | 2 | 9 | - | - | 198 | 131 | 44 | 3 | Qualification |
| 2004 - 2005 | English Premier League | 32 | 17 | 2 | 13 | - | - | 144 | 113 | 36 | 4 | Semifinal loss |
| 2005 - 2006 | English Premier League | 48 | 24 | 5 | 19 | - | - | 214 | 204 | 53 | 7 | Qualification |
| 2006 - 2007 | English Premier League | 44 | 14 | 4 | 25 | - | 1 | 175 | 234 | 33 | 9 | Did not make playoffs |
| 2007 - 2008 | English Premier League | 40 | 16 | - | 20 | 1 | 3 | 137 | 176 | 37 | 8 | Qualification |
| 2008 - 2009 | English Premier League | 54 | 22 | - | 24 | 5 | 3 | 197 | 259 | 57 | 6 | Quarterfinal loss |
| 2009 - 2010 | English Premier League | 54 | 5 | - | 46 | 1 | 2 | 147 | 370 | 14 | 10 | Did not make playoffs |
| 2010 - 2011 | English National League South Division 1 | 40 | 29 | 5 | 6 | - | - | 244 | 101 | 63 | 3 | Conference SF loss South 1 |
| 2011 - 2012 | English National League South Division 1 | 36 | 31 | 0 | 5 | - | - | 235 | 93 | 62 | Champion | Conference Final loss South 1 |
| 2012 - 2013 | NIHL South Division 1 | 32 | 22 | 2 | 8 | - | - | 205 | 115 | 46 | 3 | Semifinal loss South |
| 2013 - 2014 | NIHL South Division 1 | 32 | 17 | 3 | 12 | - | - | 142 | 128 | 37 | 4 | Quarterfinal loss South |
| 2014 - 2015 | NIHL South Division 1 | 36 | 9 | 3 | 24 | - | - | 120 | 191 | 21 | 8 | Semifinal loss South |
| 2015 - 2016 | NIHL South Division 1 | 36 | 11 | 2 | 23 | - | - | 135 | 174 | 24 | 8 | Quarterfinal loss South |
| 2016 - 2017 | NIHL South Division 1 | 28 | 11 | 4 | 13 | - | - | 92 | 105 | 26 | 5 | Semifinal loss South |
| 2017 - 2018 | NIHL South Division 1 | 32 | 16- | - | 13 | 2 | 1 | 121 | 106 | 37 | 4 | Conference SF loss |
| SEASON | LEAGUE | P | W | T | L | OTW | OTL | F | A | Pt | RANK | POSTSEASON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 - 1989 | Autumn Trophy | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | - | - | 43 | 62 | 5 | 3 | Did not make playoffs South & East |
| 1989 - 1990 | Autumn Trophy | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | - | - | 33 | 38 | 2 | 3 | Did not make playoffs South East |
| 1990 - 1991 | Autumn Cup | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | - | - | 45 | 70 | 2 | 5 | Did not make playoffs Group C |
| 1991 - 1992 | Autumn Cup | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | - | - | 38 | 66 | 4 | 5 | Did not make playoffs Group C |
| 1992 - 1993 | B&H Cup | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | - | - | 34 | 63 | 2 | 4 | Did not make playoffs Group B |
Source:[12]
(*) Denotes a Non-British Trained player (Import)
| Netminders | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Player | Catches | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | Contract | |||
| 32 | Bradley Windebank | L | (2002-07-24)24 July 2002 (age 23) | Harold Wood, England | 2018 from Chelmsford Mohawks | 22/23 | ||||
| 35 | Ben Clements | L | (1987-07-21)21 July 1987 (age 38) | Chelmsford, England | 2022 fromInvicta Dynamos | 22/23 | ||||
| 39 | Ethan James | L | (1999-03-18)18 March 1999 (age 26) | London, England | 2019 fromEssa Stallions | 22/23 | ||||
| Defencemen | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Player | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | Contract | |||
| 3 | Elliott Dewey | R | (1997-03-10)10 March 1997 (age 28) | Basingstoke, England | 2022 fromBasingstoke Bison | 22/23 | ||||
| 11 | Tom Relf'A' | R | (1998-02-24)24 February 1998 (age 27) | Frimley, England | 2021 fromSheffield Steeldogs | 22/23 | ||||
| 13 | Daniel Scott'A' | R | (1992-04-30)30 April 1992 (age 33) | Chatham, England | 2018 fromBasingstoke Bison | 22/23 | ||||
| 14 | Jack Cooper | R | (1996-07-03)3 July 1996 (age 29) | London, England | 2014 fromHarringay Racers | 22/23 | ||||
| 21 | Callum Wells | R | (1998-04-18)18 April 1998 (age 27) | Harold Hill, England | 2017 fromChelmsford Chieftains | 22/23 | ||||
| 43 | Ethan Reid | R | (2002-06-03)3 June 2002 (age 23) | Scotland | 2022 fromChelmsford Chieftains | 22/23 | ||||
| 55 | Sean Barry | R | (1994-03-20)20 March 1994 (age 31) | Chelmsford, England | 2017 fromChelmsford Chieftains | 22/23 | ||||
| Marco Pascale | R | 2003 (age 19) | England | 2022 fromRaiders IHC 2 | Two-Way | |||||
| Forwards | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Player | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | Acquired | Contract | |||
| 10 | Brandon Ayliffe | R | (1998-06-25)25 June 1998 (age 27) | Harold Wood, England | 2017 fromChelmsford Chieftains | 22/23 | ||||
| 12 | Mikey Power | R | (2000-06-20)20 June 2000 (age 25) | London, England | 2022 fromMK Lightning | 22/23 | ||||
| 19 | Harry Gulliver | R | (1999-09-14)14 September 1999 (age 26) | Essex, England | 2022 fromManchester Storm | 22/23 | ||||
| 29 | Jake Sylvester | L | (1997-10-21)21 October 1997 (age 28) | Chelmsford, England | 2017 fromChelmsford Chieftains | 22/23 | ||||
| 51 | Erik Piatak* | R | (1986-03-06)6 March 1986 (age 39) | Kežmarok, Czechoslovakia | 2019 fromDEAC | 22/23 | ||||
| 57 | Ashley Jackson | L | (1987-08-27)27 August 1987 (age 38) | Tunbridge Wells, England | 2022 fromInvicta Dynamos | 22/23 | ||||
| 63 | Aaron Connolly'C' | L | (1993-06-01)1 June 1993 (age 32) | Northfleet, England | 2018 fromBasingstoke Bison | 22/23 | ||||
| 86 | Tommy Huggett | R | (2002-07-13)13 July 2002 (age 23) | England | 2018 from Chelmsford Mohawks | 22/23 | ||||
| 89 | Blaho Novak | L | (1993-03-21)21 March 1993 (age 32) | Bratislava, Slovakia | 2022 from Unattached | 22/23 | ||||
| 95 | Jacob Ranson | R | (1995-08-09)9 August 1995 (age 30) | Romford, England | 2019 fromStreatham IHC | 22/23 | ||||
| 98 | Tjay Anderson | L | (2004-11-30)30 November 2004 (age 20) | England | 2021 from Raiders U18 | Two-Way | ||||
| Adam Laishram | R | (1997-04-08)8 April 1997 (age 28) | Ashburn,ON, Canada | 2022 fromMK Lightning | Cover | |||||
| Harvey Briggs | R | (2003-06-19)19 June 2003 (age 22) | England | 2021 fromStreatham IHC | Two-Way | |||||
| Adam Erskine | R | (2005-02-10)10 February 2005 (age 20) | England | 2021 from Raiders U18 | Two-Way | |||||
| Matthieu Gomercic* | L | (1997-07-21)21 July 1997 (age 28) | Winnipeg,MB, Canada | 2022 fromAtlanta Gladiators | 22/23 | |||||
| Team Staff | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Name | Position | Acquired | Place of birth | Joined From | ||||
| Sean Easton | Head Coach | 2017 | Chelmsford,England | Chelmsford Chieftains,NIHL 1 | ||||||
| 35 | Ben Clements | Player-Assistant Coach | 2022 | Chelmsford,England | ||||||
| 55 | Sean Barry | Player-Assistant Coach | 2022 | Chelmsford,England | ||||||
| Erin Rose | Physical Therapist | 2021 | England | |||||||
| Outgoing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Nat. | Player | Shoots | Date of birth | Place of birth | Leaving For | ||||
| 15 | J.J. Pitchley | R | (1994-01-28)28 January 1994 (age 31) | Romford,England | Bees IHC,NIHL | |||||
| 17 | Rio Grinell Parke | L | (1999-02-25)25 February 1999 (age 26) | London,England | MK Lightning,NIHL | |||||
| 24 | Ollie Baldock | R | (1998-01-15)15 January 1998 (age 27) | Chelmsford,England | Chelmsford Chieftains,NIHL 1 | |||||
| 36 | Callum Burnett | R | (2001-01-19)19 January 2001 (age 24) | England | Chelmsford Chieftains,NIHL 1 | |||||
| 91 | Lukas Sladkovsky | L | (1996-04-10)10 April 1996 (age 29) | Prague,Czech Republic | Peterborough Phantoms,NIHL | |||||