‘Fantastic feeling’ for Clarke

CHELMSFORD, UK – Rookie Player Coach Gary Clarke ended the season on a high as he led his team to Play-Off glory against bitter rivals Romford Raiders at the weekend. In an exclusive interview with Pro Hockey News Clarke reflects on a successful season in Essex.
 
More than a few eyebrows were raised last summer when it was announced that Gary Clarke was to take over the coaching reigns of the Chelmsford Chieftains. The prolific winger had been tearing up the English Premier League for years with his clinical eye for goal and was by no means washed up at 32 years old.

 
After 40 odd games of ENL hockey and tonight a convincing 6-2 win at the home of the league champions Romford, Clarke emerges sweating from the victorious Chelmsford locker room sporting a wide smile.
 
Clambering up the steps past a mob of happy Chieftains fans he sits on one of the many vacant plastic chairs and nonchalantly rests his skates on the seat below, surveying the ice pad his team have just won the Play Off final on moments before.
 
“Fantastic” is the only word the softly spoken former Milton Keynes and Basingstoke man can use to describe his emotions as the steam continues to rise from his sweat top.
 
“There is no better way to finish the season and I always remember playing with Nick Poole in Milton Keynes and he always said there is no better feeling than winning the last game of the year”
 
“He is right, there is no better feeling and just looking around the place now at how happy everyone looks it makes me happy too”
 
Clarke had every right to be feeling cheery, especially as his side had failed to bring any kind of advantage to the second leg of the Play Off final, after labouring to a 4-4 tie the night before in a game where Romford looked the stronger team both physically and as a goal threat.
 
Most neutral observers would have placed their money on the Raiders for the second leg, especially on home ice and having scored a morale boosting last minute equaliser the evening before.
 
“It was always going to be tough here” said Clarke, before pausing to wave to a few excitable Chieftains fans stood a few yards away.
 
“We knew it would be tough but I knew the last two times we had played here, we lost the last game by a single flukey goal from the a long way out, and we won the time before that”
 
“In all honesty at home you can get carried away with the emotion and lose focus on the systems and I knew that all of the players would realise coming into this rink that you have to be smart, you have to play smart and take your chances when they come”
 
“I think mentally we were prepared a lot better today and I knew that would be the case, and once we got our noses in front we would be ok”
 
The final buzzer brought a Play Off title for Clarke and his men, but for one man it would bring down the curtain on a reasonably long hockey career in the UK. Arguably the man celebrating most fervently with the fans at the end of the match was man of the match Tom Long, who sets off on a new adventure with the Royal Marines this summer and has called time on his hockey playing days.
 
“First and foremost we hope Tom stays safe” said Clarke, who started his own senior career back in 1994 with his hometown team Telford Tigers.
 
“Before this year I didn’t know Tom off the ice but obviously I do now and he really is loved by the players, coaching staff and the fans in Chelmsford and it is not hard to see why”
 
“It doesn’t matter who we are playing or what the score is he always wants to give 100% so for him to finish on a high note like this, well he thoroughly deserves it”
 
Clarke himself can be pleased to finish the season on a high note, especially given the disappointment of losing out the league title to Romford in the regular season. Chelmsford lost out by just two points in the title race with away defeats to Wightlink Raiders, Invicta Dynamos and Cardiff ENL Devils costing them dearly.
 
Chelmsford were one of the busiest recruiters in the off season with Clarke bringing in talent from as far afield as Oxford and Bracknell to try and replace some of the departed stars of last year’s Play-Off winning team.
 
Unfamiliar with the league and of course many of the players, it has been a steep learning curve for the rookie Player Coach and he cracks a wry smile when asked to reflect on his first season in the ENL.
 
“Different is the word I would use to describe it” admits Clarke, with his faint Shropshire accent becoming stronger as he smiles.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect if I am honest and then losing the league by a single game was really tough to take, but then it’s a competitive league and it’s getting better year on year standard wise”
 
“I have thoroughly enjoyed it and the guys have took on board what I have tried to bring and hopefully they have all enjoyed it too as that’s the main thing”
 
Clarke is no stranger to large passionate crowds having played for MK Lightning for so many years, not to mention a spell at Guildford Flames, so to see hundreds of Chieftains fans make the trip down the A12 for the game tonight came as no surprise.
 
“The fans have been great and have stuck with us all year” explained Clarke, whilst gazing at the now circling Zamboni in front of him.
 
“There is a high level of expectation in Chelmsford and rightly so. If you look at our roster there are a lot of talented guys and I would like to think we have shown the fans some attractive hockey over the year”
 
“We try to play hockey the right way, we don’t goon it up and we try to play with the puck on our sticks so it’s great to see all the fans here tonight and it was always going to be a barn burner”
 
With his interview over Clarke steps up, breathes in the cold air of the rink and walks towards the patient Chieftains fans armed with replica shirts and marker pens. A joyous night awaits for all of a Chelmsford persuasion including the on looking Director of Hockey Dean Birrell, whose decision to bring Clarke into the fold appears to be vindicated.
 
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com