Nottingham Panthers Win the 1986 Norwich Union Autumn Cup

The 1986 Norwich Union Autumn Cup Final will forever be remembered as one of the defining moments in the modern history of the Nottingham Panthers. It was an event of firsts, a showcase for British ice hockey, and a night that ended a 30-year wait for major silverware.

A Historic Stage at the NEC

For the first—and ultimately only—time, the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham hosted a major British ice hockey final. Nearly 6,500 fans packed the arena, creating an atmosphere rarely matched in the sport’s history. The game was broadcast live on television, and although the venue was hailed as a major success, it hosted the event only once more, two years later.

Still, for the Nottingham Panthers, its legacy lives on.

Panthers Return to Glory

After their rebirth in 1980, the Panthers had waited six long years for a major trophy. Under coach Alex Dampier, the team travelled to Birmingham to face the formidable Fife Flyers in a one-game, winner-takes-all final.

Fife entered the game in exceptional form. They had won all eight of their group-stage games, finishing four points clear of the Murrayfield Racers. Nottingham’s route came through the English section, capped by a remarkable 15–9 aggregate victory over the Whitley Warriors in the semi-final.

Everything was set for a classic—and it delivered.

A Back-and-Forth Battle

The Flyers struck first, taking the lead just 2:32 into the opening period through Jimmy Jack. But Nottingham hit back quickly when Fred Perlini, signed only two weeks before the final, levelled the game at 5:09. Perlini had been brought in to replace top goalscorer Jamie Crapper, and he wasted no time making an impact.

The period continued at a frantic pace. A power play goal from Gordon Latto restored Fife’s advantage at 13:48, but the Panthers equalised again through Jimmy Keyes. After twenty minutes, it was 2–2, and the game was already living up to the occasion.

The second period was no calmer. At 27:36, Kurtenbach put Nottingham ahead for the first time, only for Stoyanovich to race coast to coast and score on a wrap-around to make it 3–3 by the end of the middle frame.

In the third, young British forward Nigel Rhodes—the reigning British Player of the Month—gave the Panthers a 4–3 advantage. But once again, the Flyers refused to go away. A slip between Kurtenbach and goaltender Cox gifted Stoyanovich a breakaway, and he buried the chance shorthanded to tie it 4–4 with just 6:42 remaining.

After sixty minutes of unforgettable drama, nothing separated the teams.

A Fitting Overtime Hero

Sudden death overtime began with tension at its peak. The Panthers’ last major trophy had come in 1955–56, a full thirty years earlier. Their rebirth squad of 1980 had been the foundation for everything—but they were still waiting for their defining moment.

Just 1:53 into overtime, they found it.

Layton Eratt, one of the original 1980 Nottingham Panthers and a former Sheffield Lancer who helped form the club’s new era, scored the sudden-death winner. It was the perfect poetic finish: an “original” securing the club’s first major trophy of the modern age.

The Panthers triumphed 5–4 in overtime, sparking celebrations that echoed far beyond the NEC.

Legacy of a Classic

The 1986 Norwich Union Autumn Cup Final remains one of the greatest nights in Panthers history—a dramatic, emotional, hard-fought victory that symbolised the rebirth of the club.

Fife’s goaltender Andy Donald earned the Flyers’ Man of the Match award, and rightly so, after an outstanding performance that kept his team alive. But the night belonged to Nottingham and to Layton Eratt, whose winning goal became one of the most iconic moments in British ice hockey.

Thirty years after their previous major honour, the Panthers lifted a trophy once more—and a new chapter in club history officially began.

Alumni

You can also listen to Podcast interviews from the Panthers Alumni of former players here:

Nottingham Panthers

Mark Twaite  Episode S1E02 
Graham Waghorn  Episode S1E06
Randal Weber  Episode S1E07
Jamie Leach  Episode S1E010
Frankie Killen  Episode S1E12
Jimmy Keyes  Episode S1E13
Paul Adey  Episode S1E16
Fred Perlini  Episode S1E20
Craig Melancon  Episode S1E21
Gavin Fraser  Episode S1E22
Kenny McKie  Episode S1E25
Selmar Odelein  Episode S2E01
Steve Carpenter  Episode S2E06
Paul Blahyj  Episode  S2E12
Scott O’Connor Episode S3E03
Greg Hadden Episode S4E02
Barry Nieckar Episode S4E06
Kenny Macdonald Episode S5E07