Alex Archer
Encyclopedia
Alexander "Sandy" Archer (1 May 1911 – 29 July 1997) was an ice hockey
right winger
who played in the English National League
for the Wembley Lions
. He is best remembered as a member of the Great Britain national ice hockey team which won gold at the 1936 Winter Olympics
(see Ice hockey at the 1936 Winter Olympics
).
Archer was born in West Ham
, London to Scottish parents. They moved to Winnipeg
, Manitoba
, Canada when he was 3-years-old. It was in Manitoba that Archer learned to play ice hockey and football
. As well as being a Manitoban All-Star twice for ice hockey, Archer also played for the Manitoban All-Stars against a touring side from the Football Association of Wales
in 1929 and against a touring side from the Scottish Football Association
in 1935.
In 1993, Archer was inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame with the rest of the 1936 Olympic British ice hockey squad who had not previously been inducted.
and 77 assists
. Archer was also selected to the All-star A Team in 1938, 1939 and 1940.
Due to a fractured skull Archer's playing career came to an end in 1945 and he became a coach
– first for Wembley and then for Nottingham Panthers
and Murrayfield Racers
. As a successful coach he was selected to coach the All-star B Team in 1947 and then again in 1948.
to the International Ice Hockey Federation
as they claimed he had not been released from the Association. Initially upheld by the IIHF, the complaint was suspended for the duration of the tournament and subsequently overturned. He went on to play in all seven of the games of the tournament and scored two goals.
Archer won two further medals with the GB team, winning silver medals at the 1937 and 1938 Ice Hockey World Championships
. Archer retired from ice hockey in 1945 after he received a fractured skull in a game for GB against Sweden.
Archer played 24 times for GB, scoring 14 goals and 10 assists.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who played in the English National League
English National League
For the current league see English National Ice Hockey LeagueThe English National League was an early ice hockey league in England. It was founded in 1935 by most of the teams who had previously competed in the English League. It was suspended during the Second World War, but returned in 1946...
for the Wembley Lions
Wembley Lions
The Wembley Lions were an English ice hockey team.The team were founded in 1934 but showed a continuity with the London Lions team which had played at various venues since 1924. The Wembley team were based at the newly built Empire Pool which they shared with the Wembley Monarchs until 1950.The...
. He is best remembered as a member of the Great Britain national ice hockey team which won gold at the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
(see Ice hockey at the 1936 Winter Olympics
Ice hockey at the 1936 Winter Olympics
At the 1936 Winter Olympics, Great Britain won the men's ice hockey competition. While only one player on the team was born in Canada, nine of the thirteen players on the roster grew up in Canada, and eleven had played previously in Canada.-Medalists:...
).
Sporting career
West Ham
West Ham is in the London Borough of Newham in London, England. In the west it is a post-industrial neighbourhood abutting the site of the London Olympic Park and in the east it is mostly residential, consisting of Victorian terraced housing interspersed with higher density post-War social housing...
, London to Scottish parents. They moved to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada when he was 3-years-old. It was in Manitoba that Archer learned to play ice hockey and football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. As well as being a Manitoban All-Star twice for ice hockey, Archer also played for the Manitoban All-Stars against a touring side from the Football Association of Wales
Football Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
in 1929 and against a touring side from the Scottish Football Association
Scottish Football Association
The Scottish Football Association is the governing body of football in Scotland and has the ultimate responsibility for the control and development of football in Scotland. Members of the SFA include clubs in Scotland, affiliated national associations as well as local associations...
in 1935.
In 1993, Archer was inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame with the rest of the 1936 Olympic British ice hockey squad who had not previously been inducted.
Club career
Archer returned to England to join the Wembley Lions for the 1935–36 season. He played for the Lions for the next five seasons scoring a total of 82 goalsGoal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
and 77 assists
Assist (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...
. Archer was also selected to the All-star A Team in 1938, 1939 and 1940.
Due to a fractured skull Archer's playing career came to an end in 1945 and he became a coach
Coach (ice hockey)
Coach in ice hockey is the person responsible for directing the team during games and practices, prepares strategy and decides which players will participate in games....
– first for Wembley and then for Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
and Murrayfield Racers
Murrayfield Racers
The Murrayfield Racers were an ice hockey team in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1952 changing their name to the Racers in 1966. The team won the British Championship 4 times in 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972...
. As a successful coach he was selected to coach the All-star B Team in 1947 and then again in 1948.
International career
Archer was selected to play for the Great Britain team at the 1936 Winter Olympics. However, this led to a complaint from the Canadian Hockey AssociationHockey Canada
Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
to the International Ice Hockey Federation
International Ice Hockey Federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
as they claimed he had not been released from the Association. Initially upheld by the IIHF, the complaint was suspended for the duration of the tournament and subsequently overturned. He went on to play in all seven of the games of the tournament and scored two goals.
Archer won two further medals with the GB team, winning silver medals at the 1937 and 1938 Ice Hockey World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
. Archer retired from ice hockey in 1945 after he received a fractured skull in a game for GB against Sweden.
Archer played 24 times for GB, scoring 14 goals and 10 assists.
Awards
- Two time Manitoban All-star.
- Olympic gold medalist in 1936.
- World championship silver medalist in 1937 and 1938.
- Named to the English National League All-star A Team in 1938, 1939 and 1940.
- Named as coach to the English National League All-star B Team in 1947 and 1948.
- Inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.