TWO of the region's ice hockey clubs have been warned they face expulsion from the sport if they go ahead with a charity match.

The Whitley Warriors club invited Glenn Mulvenna, director of hockey at the crisis-hit Newcastle Jesters, to put together a team for the match, to aid players hit by the team's problems.

Former Newcastle players, including North-East-born favourite Shaun Johnson and Hilton Ruggles, were to play alongside nine Jesters players in the game at Hillheads, Whitley Bay, next Wednesday.

But Ice Hockey UK (IHUK), the sport's governing body in this country, has warned of strong action should the game go ahead.

As part of a pay dispute, which has been going on at Newcastle since February, the Ice Hockey Superleague has banned the club from registering players or gaining international transfer cards for new signings.

IHUK general manager Jill Short said: "Should they play against our instructions, both Whitley and Newcastle stand a very good chance of being thrown out of hockey altogether by the International Ice Hockey Federation."

She said the players would also face strong punishment, which would likely include being banned from ever playing for Great Britain.

Mulvenna said: "I'm hugely disappointed. There was an effort being made to help out the guys and it had nothing to do with the ownership, it was strictly for the players - a chance to maybe help them out a bit to get them through these tough times.

"I think hockey loses out on this one."

Whitley owner Chris Wylie could not be contacted by The Northern Echo.

Mulvenna will be joined by some of this season's squad for a talk-in event for fans at Pravda, on Newcastle's Quayside, starting at 8pm tonight.