Mancel is the first of our legends inductees.

Joint founder of the Wolves in 1993, Mancel

was the club’s first net-minder. The Wolves stature grew quickly as a club in the mid-nineties during those early years and Mance’s performances in the net were key to this. Around this time he also took up ice hockey and played initially in Sheffield.

 

He had several years out of the game which coincided with the Wolves becoming dormant in the early 2000s. Around five years ago Mance attended a one-off veterans training session organised by the Wolves and this reignited his passion for the game. It was clear that he was still a great netminder. He spent a season with our Timberwolves and also took up ice hockey again with the Nottingham Outlaws. During the 2012/13 season, Mance backstopped the Werewolves to a league and playoff double. He often recalls this as his favourite achievement in the sport.

 

Following this season he stepped back from the game a little, being used as an emergency goalie (and a very good one) throughout the next few seasons, and more recently being a regular feature on the expanding UK veterans circuit. Mancel is universally liked by all who meet him in British ball hockey and shows no sign of quitting the game anytime soon. It is worth saying without the seeds he sowed in those early days the Wolves would not exist today.