Blog | 9gc

Players, Clubs, Contracts & The Quakers

December 13, 2012 by

Well it’s been a very busy week for me, especially with my 9 Hockey Management situation with Jesse Schultz and the Braehead Clan. Jesse’s decision was very much a surprise to me, as well as Kirsty Longmuir, Jordan Krestanovich and Neil Black. Jesse has decided to join the Rapid City Rush who I would class as one of the best organisation’s in the Central Hockey League.

From the moment Milano Rossoblu decided to release Jesse, he’d made me aware he wanted to return to Rapid City after such a successful season during 2011/12. However at that time the Rush didn’t have a free roster spot so decided not to make a move. So I started talking to a number of European teams, Braehead confirmed their interest, terms were agreed and a contract was signed and returned.

Everything proceeded normally as they do in these situations, Jesse went through his visa application process and flights were booked. So when I received his email last week to say he was no longer joining the Clan, I was far from impressed.

Unfortunately in hockey business these things happen, however it’s how clubs and players manage them that is important. Jesse hadn’t advised me that he was negotiating directly with Rapid City, so that in theory can damage my relationship with Braehead. He’d committed to a contract with the Clan, they’d made a financial investment in him (visa, work permit, ITC, flight costs), rightly so they weren’t happy.

Even as an agent I believe it is imperative to stand by what is right, even if a client of mine is wrong! If a player has been ‘screwed’ by a club I would always stand by my client. However these situations work both ways, if a player ‘screws’ a club over, the club rightly should pursue this further and ask for compensation or even block the transfer through the relevant governing bodies.

At no time was the two week notice period invoked by Jesse that is standard in most British Elite League contracts. This obviously works well for clubs wanting to release guys, but at the same time plays straight into a players hand. In Europe the majority of teams would have to buy a player out of his contract if they wanted to release him or vice versa if a player wanted to leave a club he would possibly have to buy himself out of his contract.

I have no issue at all with Jesse joining Rapid City, they are a great organisation and a successful one at that, however ethics must come into matters such as these. I understand losing players while under contract is becoming more and more of an issue with for a number of European clubs and especially Central Hockey League clubs.

From discussions I’ve had this week we may see this escalated to the IIHF, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey for some sort of agreement or regulation. I do think it’s important going forward purely for players and clubs to understand where they stand plus to do’s and do not’s.

At the weekend I am heading to see Darlington FC take on Durham City AFC in the Ebac Northern League Division 1. Having been born in Darlington, I have always kept a lookout for their results during their days in League 2 and the Conference National.

However following relegation to the Conference North at the end of last season, the club went bankrupt due to varying financial constraints. A consortium was formed to buy the club with the hope of keeping them in the Conference North, however the Football Association took the decision to demote then four divisions to the Northern League.

When the opportunity came up to invest in the club through the Community Interest Company that had been setup, it was an opportunity I felt 9gc couldn’t pass up. We’d previously invested money in Conference National club, Ebbsfleet United, but the opportunity to do something ‘closer to home’ was something I decided to pursue.

Darlington 1883 FC, as they are now officially know as, are currently top of the Ebac Northern League Division 1 four points ahead of Spennymoor Town as they look to get promoted to the Evo-Stick Northern Premier League Division One North at the first attempt.

If you’re around the Durham area on Saturday, get down to New Ferens Park for 3.00pm to see Darlington take on Durham City.

Filed Under: Blog

Ijshockey in Nederland

November 4, 2011 by

In my work as an agent I get the unique opportunity to go to places I would never visit unless there was Ice Hockey team there. Two weeks ago I ventured back to The Netherlands for the third time to pay a visit to some of my clients and contacts who play for the Smoke Eaters Geleen and Tilburg Trappers. I’d previously been over twice during the 2008/09 and 2009/10 season’s to catch up with some of my contacts there as well as speak to a number of my clients – I feel it’s an important part of the service I provide.

I set off on the Friday and had taken the decision to fly from Durham Tees Valley Airport rather than Newcastle, due to the fact it was considerably cheaper and the flight times worked around my timetable a lot better. For those that haven’t flown out of ‘Teesside’ in recent times, it’s pretty eye opening when compared with other UK airports – dilapidated is an understatement. They seem to have a lost a lot of business, especially from the low cost airlines. The day we flew out, there were only three flights, two to Aberdeen and our flight to Amsterdam Schipol. From what I could see the next day again there was only three flights, again to Aberdeen and Amsterdam! Durham Tees Valley is a good little airport, but it needs a lot of investment and asking passengers to pay an ‘airport service charge’ on departure was definitely something I wasn’t expecting.

For those that haven’t visited The Netherlands and in particular Amsterdam I would highly recommend, it’s a great city and there is a lot more to it than what it’s reputation suggests. The first game we were off to see saw the Amsterdam Capitals take on Tilburg in the Beker Cup which is pretty similar to the Challenge Cup in the UK. The Jaap Edenhal in Amsterdam is about 3 miles out to the east of the city and is not ideally situated. Ice Hockey in Amsterdam has a pretty turbulent history, enjoying a bankrolled spell of success in the early 2000’s to having to withdraw from the Eredivise two years ago when their financial backer pulled out. Amsterdam returned to the top level of Dutch hockey this year as the Capitals which is backed by Holland’s ‘Tony Hand’ in Ron Bertling.

The rink in Amsterdam has a capacity of around 4,000 and the particular night we were there was a decent circa 600 crowd which was swelled by a good following from Tilburg. The game was a non entity, it is apparent that right now without any imports, Amsterdam are going to struggle all season. They are currently bottom of the Beker Cup table and are being beaten by the three Belgium team’s who were the whipping boys of the Eredivise last season. The final result was 0-18 to Tilburg and pretty eye opening, former Cardiff Devil, Dundee Stars and 9HM client Jay Latulippe picked up 2+4 and rarely had to break into a sweat. I have a lot of time for what the people in Amsterdam are trying to achieve, i.e. build from the bottom with a sound financial plan but they’re probably doing more damage than good right now, in my mind if they can’t afford two or three imports they would have been better off staying in the Erste Division (2^nd level in Holland and comparable to ENL).

After a day and a half in Amsterdam, we travelled down to Tilburg which is roughly one hundred miles south of Amsterdam and about thirty miles west of Eindhoven. For those that know a little bit about Dutch hockey, you’ve more than likely heard of Tilburg. The home town Trappers are probably the most well know Dutch Ice Hockey team and you can see why. Tilburg, like Ayr, Durham, Kirkcaldy, Nottingham lives and breathes hockey. The IJssportcentrum in Tilburg is a superb facility and certainly something I am very envious of after years of living in hope of a new rink in Gateshead. Everytime I have been to Tilburg the rink has been near on full and it was no different this time. Tilburg were playing Geleen with the two teams being joint top of the Beker Cup table.

Geleen are coached by former Humberside Hawks and Swindon Ice Lords forward Chris Eimers and another little plug, boast 9HM client Shawn Collymore. On paper Geleen are looking very strong this year and will likely be battling with Tilburg and HYS Den Haag for the Eredivise title. People always ask me what sort of level the Eredivise is and what it is comparable to in the UK, I would say it terms of quality it’s probably half way between the Elite League and EPL. It was starting to become a good league in recent years but like a lot of European leagues it has been hit hard by the economic downturn. This season the NIJB (Dutch Ice Hockey Federation) have brought in a new points system limiting imports and trying to drive further development of Dutch players which in the short term has weakened the Eredivise but will hopefully stop the boom and bust mentality the Dutch hockey has had over the past decade.

The game was a great spectacle for Dutch hockey, end to end, with a great atmosphere from the 2,500 strong crowd. Everytime I have been to Tilburg I have seen quite a comprehensive Trappers victory so it was a surprise to see them lose this one 0-3. Geleen played a superb road game and certainly look like they will be strong contenders for any silverware on offer this season. One player that really stood out was Ian MacDonald who has a stint with the Nottingham Panthers last season, he scored a very nice goal and looks to have settled into live in The Netherlands very well. Overall a very worthwhile trip from a business perspective, I always enjoy getting away and watching hockey in different countries and it allows me to network with my clients and contacts. If you haven’t had a chance to catch any hockey in The Netherlands I would highly recommend it for a mini break abroad.

Next I am off to Italy to catch some Serie A1 and A2 games so no doubt I’ll be blogging again when I get back.

Follow Gareth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/garethchalmers.

Special thanks to Fintan Planting for the photo: www.9pm.nl.

Filed Under: Blog

What next for North East hockey?

August 31, 2011 by

This coming weekend will see the Fife Flyers take on the Dundee Stars in their inaugural Elite League game. It will be the Flyers first ‘pro hockey’ game since the collapse of the British National League in 2005, while I am genuinely delighted for the Flyers organisation and their fans, there is also some disappointment hiding in the background. While in theory it wasn’t a planned replacement, the Flyers have taken the place of the Newcastle Vipers in the Elite League. It was a personal disappointment seeing the Vipers fold last season but the right decision for the club, the credibility of the sport in the North East as well as the Elite League as a whole. Personally I think adding the Flyers is huge for the Elite League, like North America, British Ice Hockey has hockey markets and Kirkcaldy is certainly one of those. I believe the Flyers in time will become a very strong Elite League organisation.

Back to the North East, a number of people have recently asked me what my thoughts are on the future, not only if the Vipers will have one but what it holds for Ice Hockey in the North East. Right now I do believe we are at a crossroads for the sport in the area, a fundamental mistake was made back in 1995 when the Newcastle Sporting Club decided to purchase the Durham Wasps and since then hockey in the area has been on a downward spiral. A lot of decisions made going back to the mid nineties has seen the area slip from it’s hotbed status it had then to currently boasting only two third division but proud teams in the Whitley Warriors and Billingham Stars. Credit must go to the Warriors and junior clubs who have continued to fly the flag for the North East despite the changing environment around them.

Looking towards the future, I do think the Warriors and the Stars need to be supported. These two organisations are the future of Ice Hockey in the North East as things currently stand. While I appreciate that English National League hockey is not to everyone’s taste, maybe the only sustainable level in the North East going forward is ENL. I don’t foresee Elite League hockey returning to the area anytime soon, it has been shown that without a new facility it just isn’t viable in it’s present format. English Premier League hockey isn’t an option either in it’s current form, due to it’s geographical proximity to the south. The Vipers investigated the possibility of going EPL in the summer of 2009, however it just wasn’t an option for the EIHA standpoint, or viable financially viable for the Vipers or the other EPL members clubs.

For the Vipers the future is very much open right now. People have suggested to me that if Ice Hockey were to return in Newcastle it should return under a new image, that’s something I strongly disagree with. Even through the ups and downs of the Vipers throughout the nine year history, one aspect was that the name became the most recognisable link associated with Ice Hockey in Newcastle going back to the opening of the Newcastle Arena in 1995. To the general public, potential sponsors and the local media there is nothing more damaging to the credibility of a strange North American sport than constantly changing names. In Newcastle, there has been four team names in a period of fifteen years, taking into account the Vipers we’re in existence for nine of these. We worked hard to build a recognisable image for the Vipers, the club has history which no other Newcastle based club could previously boast and that is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted.

Upon deciding to remove the Vipers out of the Elite League in April, the possibility of ENL hockey was investigated and this could well be an option for the near future. In hindsight it’s something maybe that should have been attempted for this season so those that wanted to support it could, while appreciating there would be a number of people who wouldn’t want to watch ENL. In the short to medium term with Elite League or EPL hockey not really being a viable option, I do think the North East’s interest must be invested in the local ENL teams. Obviously we now know there was an attempt to put professional hockey into Whitley through Derek Campbell which unfortunately failed to materialise and I know of a consortium who investigated putting Elite League hockey back into the Metro Radio Arena, but to produce a competitive product worthy of the high rental costs, projections were a £250k loss in year one! Taking into consideration the economic downturn, that just isn’t feasible for anyone at the present time.

Something that has been mentioned time after time is the fact that the North East is screaming out for a new ice facility and it’s something I believe will happen. There is currently a working group of people who’ve been involved in different aspects of hockey in the area trying to press ahead with regards to assisting and driving forward possible projects. In addition to the dormant Gateshead project, I am aware of another ice rink project in the pipeline but with the majority of current facilities losing money all major outlay on such buildings are currently pending.

While it’s probably the lowest point for North East Ice Hockey in fifty years, I do believe there will be some benefit comes out of the current situation. Hockey in the area has always been built on the people and the rivalries; it isn’t a cash rich region in terms of disposable income so whatever happens in the future an affordable and entertaining product must be put on the ice and if that is in the ENL or in a new Northern Premier League so be it!

Follow me on Twitter: @garethchalmers

Filed Under: Blog

Trip to Northern Italy

March 18, 2011 by

It’s been a hectic couple of weeks so this is the first time I’ve had an opportunity to write a blog. Three weeks ago I was out in Italy visiting Rob Wilson who’s had a very successful first season with Neumarkt Egna in A2 (the second tier of Italian Ice Hockey). Rob’s been interested in heading to Europe for about three years now and personally I felt he should have left sooner than he did, he turned down an offer from Fassa two years which really he should have taken looking back. However, Rob started a project in Newcastle with Paul Ferone and Paddy O’Connor which they felt they could make work but due to the delay in the Gateshead rink being built they financed it longer than they should have done, and lost a considerable amount of money along the way.

Back to Italy, Rob has taken a Neumarkt Egna team who finished bottom in the Italian A2 last season to second spot this season. They really shouldn’t have done that as Gardena and Vipiteno who finished first and third respectively spend big big money. So testament to Rob he coached Neumarkt who are low to mid table budget team to one of their most successful season’s in their history. Neumart have just moved into a brand new 1,500 capacity rink which is absolutely superb, it’s very frustrating seeing a village of 3,000 people with a new rink costing 5 million euros when the Vipers have been trying to move into our own facility for six years now in a catchment area of 2.5 million people. Furthermore Neumarkt have two big A2 rivals in Eppan (where Mike Ellis has been coaching) and Kaltern who are both within a twenty minute drive which is surreal to be honest and in addition Bolzano one of Italy’s biggest clubs are only fifteen minutes up the road.

It became apparent to me when I was in Neumarkt the difference between hockey in the UK and on the continent. In the past I hadn’t really taken notice of hockey in Europe but through my agency work I’ve had to. I arrived into Neumarkt on the Friday evening after a twelve hour journey which took me from Newcastle to Stansted a connecting flight onto Venice, I caught a train to Verona a quick change and then onto Ora. I arrived two hours before Neumarkt’s third game of their quarter final playoff series against Kaltern – their fierce local rivals. I arrived at the rink, very impressive building mostly a pine structure but with superb sightlines. Like most European rinks there are no seats and everyone stands down one side with a wall of sponsors on the other side. One thing I noticed straight away was the amount glass and natural light that they’d designed the building to allow, certainly different to most UK facilities and something I much more preferred than some of the dull and dark rinks we have.

Rob came and met me before the game and first thing he said to me: “This isn’t like Whitley Bay is it?” – an understatement if there was ever one. We sat for about half an hour talking about how he’d done there, the Italian game, what was happening in the UK and obviously the on going Vipers struggles. The game even in the second tier in Italy is faster and more technical than the Elite League. The physical aspect of the game isn’t anywhere near the UK but with it being such a big game against their local rivals, both teams certainly threw their weight around. One of the subjects we discussed was enforcers, even in A1 in Italy teams wouldn’t ever consider signing a player solely to fight and in theory they don’t have to as teams go out and try to beat each be playing hockey. There are no intimidation tactics and even the supporters frown upon any sign of fight breaking out.

Neumarkt beat Kaltern that night 3-2 in a typical scrappy playoff game, I then went to the game in Kaltern on Sunday which Neumarkt unfortunately lost 6-4. The rink in Kaltern I’d heard about before heading to Italy. Like a lot of the older rinks in Italy, it was outside but in recent times they’d put a timber roof over the top but still fifty percent of the rink is open to the elements which made it very interesting and very cold! Neumarkt never recovered from the loss in Kaltern and due to serious injuries to Rob’s best two players, one being my client Jussi Heikkinen, they just had too few bodies and ended up losing the series 4-2. Rob has enjoyed his first season in Italy and it’s been the best move for him, he lost a six figure sum trying to make the Vipers work which I find crazy but understand why and what they were trying to do. I have a lot of respect for Rob, he was a player I always admired in Sheffield. There are those people that don’t like him or have time for him but that’s life, one thing I will say about Rob is he is very passionate about his hockey – he lives and breaths it.

All in all a very enjoyable trip, Neumarkt is in Northern Italy where all the hockey is played there. It’s in the Bozen area which is not fair from the Austrian border and a beautiful area of the southern Alpes. The four days I spent there made me realise what a long way we’ve got to go in the UK. The likes of Nottingham and Coventry are superb businesses but the rest struggle from season to season. In Newcastle this season our guys have had five sticks to last them all season, in Neumarkt their star player has seventy sticks – that says it all!

Follow Gareth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/garethchalmers

Filed Under: Blog

Now the busy period is over

February 7, 2011 by

I didn’t have an opportunity to write a blog last week as I had all the mayhem of the transfer deadline to deal with. It’s a busy period for agents throughout the world as teams look to make last minute changes whether that’s to help with their playoff push or they’re getting ready for a relegation battle. It was quite a frantic period this year with a number of teams making changes.

Edinburgh brought in netminder Jens Van Poucke from Belgium outfit the White Caps Turnout in addition to Jan Safar from HYS Den Haag and Blake Royle from Deuil Garges in France. The Belfast Giants brought in highly experienced Latvian defenceman Kaspars Astasenko who looks like he could be a good addition for Doug Christiansen, while the Nottingham Panthers made a deadline day move for Jeremy Van Hoof from the Guildford Flames (the least said about the last move from me the better).

Talking about Nottingham, the Vipers again defied the odds last night and came away with another win against the Panthers. Having been beaten 15-0 at the National Ice Centre last weekend, I don’t think there was many expecting anything from the game and rightly so. Running a business as we all know can be very difficult, especially a sports entertainment business. You constantly have to keep your paying customer entertained and that exactly what Nottingham had done the week before – no issues on that front from myself. However there were certain examples during the night that probably crossed ‘the line’. I am sure this would have been in the back of the players minds going into last night’s game, they were hungry and they wanted to make Nottingham pay. As I’ve said before, credit to Danny and the players who have all been first class since the club hit it’s issues back in late November.

After the game I spoke to Rob Wilson in Italy as he still likes to hear how the Vipers are doing. Rob took his first coaching job outside of the UK last May and has done very well with Neumarkt Egna in Serie A2. The Wild Goose as they’re known to the locals have exceeded expectations this season having finished bottom of the league last season. Rob went to Italy knowing it would be a very difficult job and having competed with teams with budgets three times his, Neumarkt have upset the odds by finishing second behind Gardena and in front of Vipiteno who they beat 7-5 last night. Rob and Neumarkt are now heading into the playoffs and I hoping he can finish the season off in style with a championship. Rob is someone who I have a lot of respect for after what he achieved on the ice and what he tried to achieve off the ice in Newcastle.

Congratulations to 9HM client Miroslav Bielik who won the Belgium Cup with the White Caps Turnout on Saturday. Miro who has previously played with the Guildford Flames and Hull Stingrays in the UK as well Pontebba in Italy is currently in his second season with Turnout. This season has seen Turnout and HYC Herentals join six Dutch clubs in the North Sea Cup. The Dutch league is quite a step up from the Royal Belgium Championship, so the two Belgium teams have found it difficult but have started to find their feet recently. So Saturday’s cup final was an opportunity for both team’s to show what they’re made of so I was delighted to see Miro get something out of a difficult season. I do think Turnout and Herentals will come away with some valuable experience from the North Sea Cup, especially the young Belgium players. Here are some photos from the final from the fantastic Fintan Planting.

Another disappointing home defeat for Ebbsfleet at the weekend, going down 0-3 to Farnborough which saw them leapfrog the Fleet into 2^nd place in Conference South. The Fleet are still in the mix for promotion at the end of the season and hopefully they can keep the pressure up on Braintree in the coming weeks. If you’re around the Kent area tomorrow, the Fleet are in action against Eastleigh (7.45pm kick-off) with tickets still available.

A great result for Tommie and the Tigers against Slough last night. They’ve been through a tough couple of weeks, so to win on home ice against a team stacked with talent like Adam Calder and Jan Krajicek came as a major boost to the whole organisation. Slough have a very good coach in Peter Russell, someone who is one of my clients and I believe has a big future in the game given the chances. The Sheffield Steeldogs are visitors to Telford tomorrow night (7.30pm face-off) with tickets now on sale.

Has everyone had their annual fix of the Ice Hockey Annual yet? If not get one today, well worth a read. Available here priced at £9.45 which is the cheapest price you’ll find anywhere on the internet.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: 9gc, Ebbsfleet United, Miroslav Bielik, Neumarkt Egna, Newcastle Vipers, Nottingham Panthers, Rob Wilson, Telford Tigers

Time for Warriors to step up?

January 24, 2011 by

Since my last blog we’ve had the Vipers fan forum which I thought went well, those people that continue to support the club it is greatly appreciated and those that have decided no longer to, I can understand your decision. The club have been very fortunate that the Elite League have agreed to support the club for the remainder of the season, while it’s to their benefit I think everyone connected with the club appreciates what is trying to be done especially when jobs and more importantly season ticket money is on the line. Obviously it’s pretty common knowledge now that there is a restriction on the Vipers signing any imports, which I can understand from a league perspective. However, if we are going to continue getting the level of custom through the door that we have been doing, we need to remain competitive and it concerns me that with so few players it could be asking a lot of the current bunch of guys. It is a shame as we’d worked hard on trying to bring Darius Lelanas from Peterborough and I’d almost agreed a deal with TPS Turku in Finland to take three or four of their prospects/veterans on a loan agreement which would have been at no cost to the club other than flights and accommodation.

The aim for the rest of the season is obviously to put an entertaining product on the ice while Jaimie continues to look for investment. As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, the players have been outstanding this season and again on Saturday they came up with the goods and I am sure anyone that was there would agree it was a highly entertaining game. When you compare the two rosters as they currently stand, the Vipers shouldn’t stand a chance against anyone other than Edinburgh but the guys continue to turn up every night and give their all which has to be highly admirable in the current circumstances. The club have a big week ahead with a unexpected Challenge Cup semi-final on Wednesday against Nottingham (7.00pm face-off). Even though Nottingham on paper should have no issues making the final, I am sure the guys will give a very good account of themselves in the home leg on Wednesday, tickets are still available by calling 0191 477 4100.

Congratulations to the Whitley Warriors who won the English National League North Division 1 last night following a 4-1 win against the Telford Titans. That’s back-to-back league titles for the Warriors and Leachy has again done a very good job, so well done to everyone connected to the Hillheads club. However it’s a pretty sad state of affairs when a team has won a league title by the end of January. That’s not the fault of the teams in ENL North nor can the blame be pointed at the Warriors, the top and bottom of it is that it’s time for the Warriors to move up. I don’t think there will be a better time with question marks rightly being asked about professional hockey in the North East, I think the Warriors may have an opportunity here. They got some work to do though as attendances have slowly declined over the past ten to fifteen years. I know right now people will be reading this asking to where though? The EPL is the answer, they are very much open to expansion into the north as they’ve shown interest in the Vipers twice during the past four years but the Vipers are currently committed to the Elite League model and while at Whitley Bay won’t entertain EPL hockey for varying reason’s. Rumours are starting to gather pace in the North East that when the renovated Billingham Forum opens later this year, that the Bombers have shown interest in the EPL which would be superb for the area and a major step forward. In terms of Elite League hockey, until a suitable facility is built there isn’t much of future in the North East at that level.

Talking about the Elite League, I know many question how long the league in it’s current format will last. The EIHL is only as strong as it’s weakest team, however I still believe that it’s the best league the UK has seen in the modern era for overall balance. The sport is no different off the ice to what it was during the Heineken and Superleague era’s. There were clubs having financial difficulties in both those era’s and constant debates about import quotas and the governing body, so nothing has changed in thirty years. The Elite League actually does a lot of things right in my opinion, they’ve utilised some very good revenue streams like the playoff shirt auction and the all-star game which have been innovative and forward thinking. I think in the medium to long term, the league has to look at gradually dropping import quotas to around eight, seven, maybe six and I think that will happen. Since Paul Ragan has become involved with the EIHL, I’ve heard some very encouraging snippets of information. Proof will be in the pudding.

Last week was a rollercoaster ride in terms of football, after the disappointment of again failing to beat local rivals Newcastle United at home, Sunderland supporters we’re shocked to learn last Monday that Darren Bent had requested a transfer. Obviously we now all know that he’s signed for Aston Villa for an initial £18M rising to a possible £24M. While it’s a very good deal for SAFC in the current financial climate, I am worried about the loss of Bent. While he isn’t the best footballer and that’s likely to be one of the reason’s he’s constantly overlooked for England, he still has the natural ability to find the net which we all know is priceless in today’s game. While I wish him all the best with Villa you have to question his motives in heading to the Midlands. From where I am sitting it looks like a move sideways rather than up, in terms of SAFC it’s onwards and upwards with hopefully Europa League football next season.

A disappointing 2-1 home defeat for Ebbsfleet at the weekend against Kent rivals Bromley, however the Fleet are still 6^th in Conference South and hopefully come the end of the season we’ll be in the running for promotion back to the Conference Premier. If you’re around the Kent area tomorrow, the Fleet are in action against Thurrock (7.45pm kick-off) with tickets still available.

The Tigers had a mixed weekend against two of the EPL’s bigger team’s in Basingstoke and Slough. Following two losses, Telford have now slipped out of the playoff positions with Bracknell beating Swindon last night. Tom now has two games this winnable games this weekend against Sheffield and Swindon and fingers crossed they can come away with a four point weekend. The Wildcats are visitors to Telford on Sunday (5.45pm face-off) with tickets now on sale.

Follow Gareth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/garethchalmers

Special thanks to Paul Lynch for the photograph of Whitley Bay Ice Rink: www.lynchography.com

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Darren Bent, Ebbsfleet United, Elite League, Newcastle Vipers, Telford Tigers, Whitley Warriors

Turbulent times on Tyneside

January 14, 2011 by

Stressful times recently, but thankfully the news that we had been hoping for came out of Monday’s Elite League board meeting that the Vipers would see out the season. It’s been a very turbulent season on Tyneside, since late November we’ve been battling to keep the club alive on a weekly basis and looking back I would say we were all skeptical that the club would last long after Christmas.

However we’re now in mid January, we’ve come through the worst period and we can now start planning going forward. Huge respect must go to Jaimie, Danny and all the players who have handled the situation very well. Jaimie has his critics and rightly so in some circumstances, however knowing where the club was five years ago and where it is now we wouldn’t have come this far without Jaimie. That’s testament to what he brings to the table. A lot of people will just look at the fact that the club have gone from winning the playoffs in 2006 playing in a 5,000 seat multi purpose arena to a struggling outfit who have seen attendances gradually drop season after season. No matter who was financing and running the club, this was going to happen, in reality the club should have folded after it’s first Elite League season. I am sure there will be more about that at Monday’s Fan Forum (7.30pm at the NewcastleGateshead Hilton).

At first I didn’t think Danny was doing a great job, but since early December he’s really bought me around. What a lot of people forget is the fact that he’s a first year coach, in the worst situation in the league, with no money, poor facilities and has been up against it on a daily basis from the start. When the financial issues raised their head in early December, a lot of coach’s would have buckled and jumped ship. Danny didn’t do this, we made him aware of the situation and respect to him, he dug in deep, wanted to make things work and got his players bought into what he wanted. That could be his making as a coach. There will be people reading this thinking well what about the four imports that left. All I would say to that is look at Edinburgh as an example, I don’t think they’ve handled their situation well at all internally and in the public domain, that’s why they are down to three imports this weekend – in addition the Capitals off ice issues aren’t anywhere near as bad as the Vipers.

The fans in Newcastle in the majority have been excellent during yet another period of uncertainty – I had hoped those days were behind us following the previous two occasions. I don’t have any issues with those that have taken the decision not to support the club or attend games, whether that’s because of Whitley Bay, past season’s, club communication, standard of play etc. Fans of Ice Hockey in Newcastle have been through their fair share of up’s and down’s as have Cardiff, Hull, Sheffield supporters. If you’re unhappy with something no one expects anyone to part with their hard earned cash, but for those that have supported the club in the past and the present it is appreciated. Personally I question whether hockey will ever work in Newcastle but for everyone who has stuck with it through the good times and the bad times hopefully a new investor is just around the corner.

Myself and Jaimie spoke to Scott Neil after last Saturday’s game at Whitley Bay and he asked how we’d managed to keep a hold of the majority of the team, we explained and even gave him some advice going forward so it was very encouraging to see that he’d spoken to the fans after Sunday’s home game against Sheffield. I respect Scott and the Capitals as until you’re in a position like the Vipers, Capitals, Stingrays have been in recent years, really you don’t understand. Scott has worked hard to make Ice Hockey work in Edinburgh but like the Vipers situation I personally feel there are a number of factors working against him and any possible success. Right now the Vipers and Capitals are not Elite League organisations and maybe their futures are at a more sustainable level.

I was very disappointed to lose Dale Mahovsky who decided to take up an offer in North America. Dale was a real find for the club coming straight out of CIS hockey and despite being in his first pro season had been a model player on and off the ice since his arrival. While it has been disappointing to lose imports, the club have never stood in anyone’s way if they wanted to move onto pastures new. Their employment in hockey is what pays for their bills, so no one should blame any players in these situations who decide to look after themselves. As a collective the players stuck with the club longer than some other would, so personally I would like to wish them all the best for the future.

Big weekend on a sporting front as I am putting myself through the pain of the Wear Tyne derby on Sunday. Like myself, a lot of Sunderland supporters are smarting still from the embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Newcastle at St. James in October. Newcastle are doing a lot better this season than I thought they would. Even as a Sunderland supporter, I am totally bemused still by their decision to part company with Chris Hughton and bring in Alan Pardew, in my eyes not a great decision. So off to the SOL on Sunday with European aspirations starting to grow, but knowing Sunderland it won’t go well.

Follow Gareth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/garethchalmers

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Dale Mahovsky, Elite League, Newcastle Vipers, Sunderland

Looking forward to the year ahead

January 7, 2011 by

Firstly happy new year, I hope everyone had a good festive period and are now looking forward to the year ahead.

For the Vipers, post Christmas turned out well with unexpected wins in Hull and Belfast. The result at the Odyssey was a huge one for the club considering it was two league points but more importantly a place in the Challenge Cup semi-finals. A major boost to the club on the ice and for the business considering the recent issues with the ownership and cash flow problems. Looking back at the start of December I personally would never have thought that the club would be around right now, never mind in a big semi-final like it is. That’s testament to Jaimie, Danny and all the players who have stuck together and worked hard which is why the club is still here today. The Vipers will be playing Cardiff or Nottingham in the semi with the dates almost confirmed, I don’t think we’ll get past either of those but the additional revenue and effect on confidence for the players are much more important at the present time.

Cardiff are a runaway train at the moment aren’t they? Brent Hughes was telling me the other day that the Devils defence was one of the best D’s he has ever came up against, saying that their gap control was their strong point. Cardiff didn’t start the season well and I wrote them off, but fair play to G and Franny they’ve got their team playing extremely well and other than Sheffield I can’t see anyone matching them for the league championship.

As many of you’ll already know I’ve had a lot of involvement with Ice Hockey in Newcastle over the years and one guy I gained a lot of respect for Rob Wilson. Born in Toronto, Rob doesn’t see himself as Canadian, his father was from Glasgow so he sees himself as British first and Canadian second. Rob is one of the most passionate people in the sport and wants to see it do well in the UK, he personally invested a substantial six figure sum into the Vipers, what I would call crazy but he wanted and still wants hockey in the North East to do well. I got him his job in Italy with Neumarkt Egna in the second league which is a move he should of made two or three years ago. The team he joined have been a bottom end team for sometime now and played in an outdoor rink. However, this season they have moved into a new purpose built rink (in a village with 5,000 people) and are a club going places. Neumarkt are one of the lower budget teams in A2, but despite this he’s taken them into second with the team just above him having a much superior budget. They’ve still got a chance of winning the championship there and I really hope he gets his rewards this season as I think he is someone who deserves it.

Follow Gareth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/garethchalmers

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Cardiff Devils, Challenge Cup, Neumarkt Egna, Newcastle Vipers, Rob Wilson

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