Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2007 | Page 59

SPORT AND LEISURE
and has a large membership
ranging from 10- to 80-yearolds. Qualified Clay Pigeon
Shooting Association coaches
are available for lessons and
club guns can be hired. All
island gun clubs host corporate
events, visiting clubs, and
even stag and hen parties. An
introductory shooting session
will cost about £30, including
gun and equipment hire.
Gun ownership on the Island
is as high as anywhere in the
country, but let’s get one thing
clear: gun law in the UK is pretty
strict. To buy a shotgun in Britain
you need to hold a Shotgun
Certificate. Application forms
are available from your local
police station, where you will
probably need to demonstrate
that you have good reason
to own a gun, for example
membership of a clay shooting
club. Owners are required to
keep guns in a secure place,
such as a steel gun cabinet
bolted to a wall, and ammunition
must be stored separately.
You need to be over 17 years
of age to hold a Shotgun
Certificate; if you are less than
17, you can apply with the
signed permission of a parent.
A shotgun certificate is valid
for 5 years and there is no limit
to the number of shotguns you
can acquire, provided they are
securely stored when not in use.
Shotguns start at about £100.
If you are thinking of taking up
the sport of shooting seriously,
insurance is not compulsory,
but public liability cover is
recommended. Many shooting
clubs offer insurance as part
of their membership benefits.
But even if you do not hold a
shotgun certificate or insurance,
you can still shoot clays at
approved venues such as clay
grounds and practice ranges.
The best way to enjoy the
sport is to follow the codes,
so start with some instruction
from a professional coach,
who will cover all you need to
know about shooting safely.
Contacts:
Keith Trigg : Isle of Wight
Gun Club - 07885 493341
Gary: Cheverton Clay
Pigeon Shooting Ground
07754551541 (Daytime) or
01983 567777 (Evenings)

life

The
Wightlink
Raiders
By Andy Shire

The Island's professional
ice hockey club the
Wightlink Raiders
have started their new
season at Ryde Arena
with a new look team
and some encouraging
early results !!
The Raiders are under new
ownership this season with four
local fans running the team on a
strictly 'not for profit' basis. They
also have a new player coach in
former Superleague legend Les
Millie who is hoping to revitalise
the fortunes of the Island side.
For the last two seasons the
Wightlink Raiders have been
languishing at the foot of ice
hockey's second tier league,
the English Premier League but
with nine new players coming
in during the summer hopes are
high for a place in the higher
reaches of the league this year.
Among the new signings
are three Slovakians.
Forward Robert Franc and
defenceman Milan Kabat
have both impressed with
their early performances but
it's netminder Slavomir Sojak
who's already become a hero
at Ryde Arena with some
stunning early season form in
the Raiders goal. Many are
already hailing Sojak as the
best netminder in the Premier
League. The Raiders fourth
'import' player is big Canadian
Jason Coles who has been
with the club for a number
of years and who is also a
former Raiders player coach.
The main goal for the Raiders
this year is a spot on the end
of season play offs which
take place in April. To do
this the team need to finish
in the top 8 in the league, an
achievement which is certainly
not beyond them. The Raiders
have already thrashed old
rivals Telford Tigers 9-1 this
season and also ran the

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reigning league champions
Bracknell close in September.
With no outside funding
the team r VƖW2F