Glasgow Real Ice Skating Palace

The Glasgow Real Ice Skating Palace was Scotland's first artificial ice rink. It opened in Glasgow on May 16, 1896.

It was first mentioned publicly on October 9, 1895, when a proposal to convert an existing theater into an ice rink was published in the Glasgow Herald newspaper.

The initial skating "season" lasted from May 16 to August 6, 1896. The rink was then closed for alterations, which transformed it into a theater for several months.

The rink re-opened on December 12, 1896, and remained in operation before closing its doors, supposedly just for the season, on May 1, 1897. The operating company later went into liquidation and the palace was converted into a cinema, thus bringing its days as an ice rink to an end.

Scotland's next artificial ice rink, Crossmyloof Ice Rink, would not open until 1907.

"Bandy" or "Hockey on ice" at the Palace
Several games, referred to as "bandy" or "hockey on the ice," were played at the rink and are now considered to be an early hybrid between bandy and ice hockey. A hockey-like puck was used and the rink's dimensions were closer to the size used for hockey than bandy. However, the players played with bandy sticks.

The palace played host to a four-game series between a selection from Glasgow and the London Bandy Club between June 6 and 8, 1896. The London Bandy Club won all four games by a sizable margin.

On July 3, 1896, the recently-formed Scottish Bandy Club played a match against the Glasgow All-Comers, a team composed of players from around the Glasgow area. The game's result has since been lost to time.

After the rink's re-opening in December 1896, it played host to a match between the Scottish Bandy Club and the Glasgow University Bandy Club on the 21st of the month. Time has also victimized this game's result.

The final game to be played at Glasgow Real Ice Skating Palace took place on April 23, 1897. It was a contest between Scottish Bandy Club's "A" and "B" teams. The B team won the match 3-2.

Game results

 * June 6, 1896: Glasgow 0 - London Bandy Club 10
 * June 6, 1896: Glasgow 0 - London Bandy Club 4
 * June 8, 1896: Glasgow 1 - London Bandy Club 8
 * June 8, 1896: Glasgow 0 - London Bandy Club 6
 * July 3, 1896: Scottish Bandy Club - Glasgow All-Comers ?
 * December 21, 1896: Scottish Bandy Club - Glasgow University Bandy Club ?
 * April 23, 1897: Scottish Bandy Club A 2 - Scottish Bandy Club B 3