Chelmsford Chieftains Ice Hockey Club's Karl Goebel is to retire at the end of this season.

Goebel has been with the club since August 1991, having played his first game against Basingstoke Bison.

He has played in 404 games for Chieftains, his only club since coming to the UK and has scored 632 points (210+422).

Karl, 31, who is married to Jeannette and has a daughter Karen, lives in Witham and has recently taken up a new job at Stansted Airport.

John Blundell, public relations and marketing director, said: "Karl Goebel will be greatly missed by Chelmsford Chieftains, its players and its fans, as his name has been synonymous with Chelmsford Chieftains since he arrived.

''My overriding memory was my first glimpse of Karl at my first hockey match in 1992 against Basingstoke, a game Chieftains won by a huge margin.

''I felt that he had the same sort of approach to defence as the late Bobby Moore had as a footballer, calm and authoritative.

''With Rick Smith and Mark Stokes they formed a remarkable trio of imports and saw Chieftains to promotion to BD1 in 1992 under coach Brad Doshan.

''Karl's partnership at the end of that season with Mike Whitelaw will live long in Chieftains' fans' memories.

On behalf of everyone here at Chieftains, I thank Karl for his loyalty and the memories he will leave us. We wish him and his family every success and happiness in the future."

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