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Inducted
into the Hall of Fame in 1993. Originally from Belfast,
Ian Wight’s earliest memory of ice hockey was at the age of eight, in
the King’s Hall and he was hit on the head by a puck. That childhood incident
didn’t however turn him off sport – far from it. A keen football
fan, he was horrified when his parents sent him to Campbell College –
a solid rugby establishment. He continued to play soccer whenever he
could and eventually had an ‘illicit’ professional trial with
Ulster. He also gained a county cap at field hockey as a schoolboy. In 1979 Ian founded the Wight Company, later
renamed Orbit International, as a sponsorship agency for several
organisations, including Whitbread’s, the brewers and distributors of
Heineken in the UK. In the early 1980s, he received a presentation from
the BIHA on ice hockey, around the time he had been commissioned by
Whitbread’s to find a sport that would be attractive to 18 to 24-year
olds. After watching a game at Streatham with BIHA Frederick Meredith,
Ian realised ice hockey was the very sport Heineken were seeking. Over the following ten
years, he put in an enormous amount of time at every level of the game
to ensure its success. Former BIHA secretary Pat Marsh, who worked
closely with Ian, said, “Without him, we wouldn’t be where we are
today. He was hooked on hockey from the start. What stands out in my
mind is that he grasped the game so quickly. His enthusiasm, ideas and
forthright personality sold the game to television, to Wembley and, of
course, to Heineken.” For his role in securing and nurturing one of the longest run sponsorship deals in domestic hockey history, Ian Wight was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a sponsor’s representative. Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris – April 1993. |
