BBC SPORT | OTHER SPORTS | Giants' short road to glory

By BBC Sport Online's Stuart Hughes

It was not the debut Belfast Giants had hoped for.

On 16 September, 2000, the Super League's ninth team travelled to the National Ice Centre for their first league game - and were beaten 5-1 by Nottingham Panthers.

Dave Whistle's side did not have to wait long to record their first league points, though.

Less than 24 hours later Kory Karlander fired a penalty shot past Brian Greer to give the Giants a 6-5 victory over Bracknell Bees.

After that morale-boosting win, Belfast's early months were frustrating.

The Giants were forced to play their first 15 games on the road.

"Home" ties were held in Coventry, Blackburn, Basingstoke and Milton Keynes while work continued on the new Odyssey Arena.

Crashed

The strain of such an itinerant existence took its toll. By the end of November, Belfast had won just four games and were languishing at the bottom of the league.

All that began to change when Belfast's new home opened in December 2000.

Belfast Giants coach Dave Whistle
Whistle happy: Giants coach roars his approval
Ayr Scottish Eagles crashed the housewarming party and won 2-1, but a week later the Giants claimed their first victory at the Odyssey, beating Bracknell 5-4 in overtime.

As Belfast found their form, an astute marketing strategy also began paying off.

The team's motto - "In the Land of the Giants Everyone is Equal" - highlighted their appeal to both sides of the sectarian divide.

Thousands of new converts to ice hockey snapped up tickets for every home game.

Curious journalists from around the world started knocking on the doors of the Odyssey Arena - renamed the "Big 'O'" by the club's PR team - to find out what all the fuss was about.

Love affair

Even the former American president Bill Clinton paid a visit.

Belfast ended their inaugural season a respectable sixth in the league and reached the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.

Heading into the next campaign, though, the big unknown was whether Northern Ireland's love affair with the Giants would continue.

The Odyssey Arena
The Big O: Belfast's hockey wonderland
But fears that the novelty value of ice hockey in Northern Ireland would begin to wear off were soon allayed.

Fans continued to flock to the Odyssey Arena and the Giants, led by top scorer Kevin Riehl, moved into an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

As the gap between the Giants and their rivals turned into a yawning gulf it became just a matter of time before the league title was sealed.

With the Challenge Cup and the play-offs still ahead, Belfast's season is far from over.

The team in white, red and teal have proved unstoppable so far and there could be more silverware in the trophy cabinet at the Big 'O' by the end of March.


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