History

In the Beginning – Part 1

It’s almost 12 years since CrazyKennys.com announced it’s existence to the world of retail hockey, so for customers old and new here’s a brief CrazyKennys.com “potted history”.

CrazyKennys.com came into being on 20th January 2000 – I remember it well as the 20th January is also my birthday.
The aim was to become the U.K’s leading Ice and inline roller hockey mail order business.
Previously I had owned another hockey business, The Hockey Shop, started in 1993 in Sheffield

which was interesting, to say the least as I became the only Nottingham Panthers fan selling ice hockey gear in Sheffield – to Sheffield Steelers fans at that (the enemy) …..then again this was Hockey (and not football) – though I took plenty of ribbing, especially when “my lot” lost to “their lot” which was pretty often in those days.
Then In 1994 – 1995 the brand new Nynex Arena in Manchester opened it’s doors, the Manchester Storm joined the Superleague and my second “HockeyShop” opened up a few miles out of Manchester, in Altrincham, which was on the corner of Devonshire Road, a few hundred yards from the Altrincham ice rink.

Two years later and my third shop opened up on Lower Parliament Street in Nottingham, opposite to where the new Nottingham Arena was about to be built.

However, by October 1998 I’d sold off the shops and for the next 14 months I worked for the purchasing company, which in hind sight was a big mistake, one minute you’re working for yourself, the next you’re having to take orders and I hated it!!

Onto 20th January 2000 – I’d dealt with a shop in Vancouver called “Crazy Bennys” and so it seemed like a good idea to “adopt” part of the name and so CrazyKennys Ice and Inline Roller Hockey mail order company was born, selling Ice Skates, Hockey Helmets, Gloves, Pants, Shinguards, Sticks, Tape etc, in fact everything for the rookie hockey player to the top British Pro Player, we also sold NHL merchandise and memorabilia – especially the Toronto Maple Leafs gear – Go Leafs Go!!

Our motto then was “Right Service, Right Prices – Why Pay More” and today 12 years later this is still just as important, if not more so.

So, with our “dot.com” website launched, offering Hockey Helmets, Gloves, Sticks, Skates e.t.c. all competitively priced and ready for business…..with my previous business experience and contacts it was bound to happen and be a great success….wasn’t it – or was it?

Well yes but not before a very long 9 months of worrying and wondering if I’d made the right decision…………..but that’s another story – for next time.

In the Beginning – Part 2

The year was 2000, the millennium was now upon us and our brand new www.CrazyKennys.com website was up and running – offering a wealth of hockey equipment and NHL replica shirts all at very competitive prices.

We’d emailed potential contacts, sent out mailshots and I’d telephoned a host of “old friends” but to say business was slow was an understatement, nothing happened, Spring and Summer came and went and all of those potential customers out there either didn’t know or didn’t want to know who CrazyKennys were.

O.K. so almost 12 years on and I can now look back and now I know the reasons why business was so slow, also through experience, I know the answers to those problems that I faced then because that’s what experience does for you, that’s how life works, you learn from your experiences.

So, shall I share the answers to those problems, shall I reveal the secrets of what to do to succeed or maybe even more importantly reveal what not to do.

Not a chance!!

Have your own experiences, make your own mistakes and learn your own lessons.

I can tell you that in September of that year I started to advertise in a new glossy Hockey publication called “Face-Off”, anyone remember it?

Face-off was a magazine that, for the first few years, concentrated on the British hockey scene both Ice and Inline Hockey were covered, it also covered the NHL but initially the British scene was the priority.

It was an up market magazine with good articles, penned by professional writers that had a love for the game and probably had some sort of involvement in the game, either by being a supporter or maybe a programme editor or even a team manager, now that’s a thought.

Below is our original advert, some of you may recall our “Crazy Croc” logo that we used then.

Looking at the page you’ll see the good ol’ Ice Hockey Annual, it is still being published today, the next issue will be the 35th consecutive publication, well done to it’s creator Stewart Roberts, a very knowledgeable hockey person and a very nice guy.

You’ll also see 2 adverts for competitors, looks like they no longer exist anymore or at least I can’t find them on the web.

As I’ve already indicated, competitors come and go but CrazyKennys is here for the duration, 12 years on and still alive and kicking.

I do know that we used that same advert, albeit with a few amendments here and there, in every issue of the magazine until it’s untimely demise early in 2005.

Unfortunately the 2004/5 NHL didn’t happen, the season cancelled due to the players labour dispute, it was the first time the Stanley Cup was not awarded since 1919, interest in NHL hockey tailed off dramatically and Face-Off, now also sold in the U.S. and mainland Europe, paid the ultimate price.

Face-off Magazine, you did a good job, here’s to you.

Until the next time.

Regards

Ken

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