World of ice hockey comes together to raise £25,000 for Manchester attack families on emotional night in Altrincham

The world of ice hockey came together on Saturday to raise an incredible £25,000 for the We Love Manchester fund on an emotional night in Altrincham.

A sell-out crowd at the Silver Blades Ice Rink saw a Tony Hand-coached Manchester Bees team – featuring past and present Manchester Storm and Manchester Phoenix players – take on a UK All Star team, including players from clubs throughout the UK, that was coached by current Storm boss Ryan Finnerty.

All proceeds from the night – totalling £25,000 – will go to the British Red Cross fund set up for families of the victims of the Manchester Arena bomb attack.

Both teams wore specially designed playing shirts which will now be auctioned off to raise additional money.

The game itself saw fans treated to a memorable spectacle with players, old and new, uniting on the ice. The Bees eventually came out 9-6 winners.

There were many highlights on a night of memories, such as the applause that rang out around the rink in the 22nd minute, chosen in tribute to the 22 victims of the May 22nd attack.

And the crowd also came up with a spine-tingling version of Oasis hit Don’t Look Back In Anger, a song that has come to be so closely associated with the attacks and the way Manchester has responded.

Watch the crowd singing it:

Fans queuing around the block to get into the rink on Saturday night: