NEWS: Ice rink rethink for Glasgow Clan

Braehead Arena have announced they will convert the ice centre into an Olympic sized swimming pool at the end of the ice hockey season.

The 3,500 seater facility is home to Glasgow Clan, Scotland’s No.1 pro ice hockey team, who are pushing for a play-off space in this year’s Premier Sports Elite League.

However, when the final buzzer sounds the organisation will be swapping ice-skates and hockey sticks for diving boards and water-wings.

“We were scratching our heads trying to think how to attract people to the building after the Hockey season and then realised the answer was starring us in the face – just let the ice melt and open a swimming pool,” said Clan Commercial Director Gerry McLaughlin, who has his 100m and 200m swimming certificates.

Olympic gold medalist, Tom Daley was booked to perform on the opening night, but the British high diver was forced to pull out after discovering that the pool will only be four inches deep.

Instead, his appearance has been replaced with a “Swim with the Clan” event which will see Glasgow ice hockey players teaching swimming lessons and introducing the world to the new sport of “Water Hockey” – a game very similar to the ice version but utilising a floating foam puck.

Glasgow Clan Head Coach, Malcolm Cameron, was due to head back home to Canada for the summer, but expressed his delight over the ice rink re-think:

“It’s a game changer,” he said. “I’m actually a really good swimmer. I can do front, back, breast and butterfly strokes. It’s just a shame that the pool is going to be colder than a penguin’s pecker.”

He’ll be joined by Clan’s Cody Sol, who has been recruited as a life guard:

“You bet your bottom dollar there’ll be no running or bombing while I’m on the job,” he added. “And I’ve got no problem giving anyone 5 mins in the penalty box for heavy petting or peeing in the pool” said the six-foot-five defenceman while wearing nothing but red shorts and water wings.

To book your swimming session at Braehead Ice Centre visit the website at www.MumImCold.com