Howard’s way in MK

MILTON KEYNES, UK – Milton Keynes Thunder will line up with a new coach this season as experienced defenseman Simon Howard takes control of the team. Pro Hockey News caught up with the British Hockey stalwart to discuss the past and present.
 
There are only a handful of players still lacing up the skates in UK hockey that have experienced the highs and lows of the sport in this country like Simon Howard. The 37 year old blue liner will line up in 2011/12 for his 20th season of senior hockey, spanning over 600 games and representing nine different teams.

The Thunder finished the regular season strongly last year before being edged out of the play-offs by Chelmsford Chieftains in the quarter finals. Howard played a big part in the team’s success providing experience and composure in defence, and he believes it took time for the team to fulfil their potential across the season.
 
“We had the slow trigger fast bullet syndrome as it was essentially a new team” admitted the London born defenseman.
 
“We didn’t quite gel, we lost a few games by the odd point and before we knew it we are behind the eight ball.   The season changed when Maros (Stefanco) joined us and gave Rosco (Ross Bowers) a partner to work with.   We could score goals and every now and again we played good defence but not enough to make a top 5 place”  
 
“By the time the play-offs came round the team was firing, and the two games against Chelmsford could have gone either way. I know pushing them that hard in those games prepared them better than the other top four sides for the later rounds, so in some ways we played a part in their success”
 
“In all seriousness, it takes time to gel as a team and again it comes down to the instant success versus progress argument.   If we start the upcoming season like we finished the last we will be a good team however we need to be more consistent and reduce the common defensive errors”  
 
“We have some good young players but we do not have the same depth of players like the teams above, and to some degree around us, so we need to play smart to win games and learn to be stingy, not to give up odd man rushes and win our one on one battles.   Any player skilled or not can work hard so there are no excuses really”
 
This is only the second time Howard has taken on a coaching role, with the only previous experience being in charge of Chelmsford whilst the club were in the English Premier League in 2006/07. The Chieftains struggled during that campaign and the subsequent one as they failed to cope with higher spending teams in the league.
 
It could be argued that taking charge of the Thunder could give Howard the same difficulties due to the presence of former EPL teams like Romford, Wightlink, Invicta and ironically Chelmsford all now competing themselves in UK hockey’s third tier. However Howard believes that the task at the Thunder is markedly different from his spell at the Riverside, and believes that the presence of the former EPL teams does have some advantages.
 
“I certainly see the Thunder role as very different from my time at Chelmsford in that the Thunder is a development team whereas the EPL is a professional league in the guise of a development league” explained the 5’ 11” veteran.
 
“Chelmsford carried a lot of baggage with old players that the management insisted were signed for a variety of reasons so it wasn’t really a team I could call my own. When Nolan Smith then took over in year two it was tough having a much smaller budget and very few players to choose from in comparison with other teams”  
 
“I hold Nolan in the highest respect for everything he has done in Chelmsford, as a boss and a friend; he is a straight shooting guy with so many qualities which are rare in life.   Also, giving players like Tom Long, Scott McKenzie, Danny Cox an opportunity to play even if we didn’t win every game has paid dividends and Chelmsford can now enjoy two of those guys as key players”
 
“Too many clubs are short sighted and demand instant success, sadly I feel it’s a geographical and cultural issue for teams in the South East and I cannot see Romford, Chelmsford, Invicta or Streatham coming back to EPL.   They just will not consistently produce enough talent that wants to put the effort and time into the game that the players from the North and Midlands will”  
 
“This is not a slur on any of these clubs or the players playing and it saddens me to see this especially with Streatham who for so long produced so many great British players. On the positive side the rivalry between the sides is good and makes great viewing for the spectators whilst keeping the budgets healthy for the owners. This year the Thunder will have a coaching team where I can share workload and involve others which is a lesson learned from Chelmsford”  
 
“Daryl Morvan, Jamie Randall and Sam Fairhurst will all have roles from off-ice training to bench coaching allowing me to spend more one on one time with players developing skills and passing on my knowledge of the game. In some ways it’s more like a management role in football with a great coaching team to support decisions and carry out the tasks within our training sessions”
 
Howard’s assessment of the game in the South East of England is not without foundation. He himself grew up playing hockey in South London, graduating through the ranks of the famous Streatham Junior system before making his senior debut for the Redskins in 1988 against Solihull Barons at the tender age of 15. This was a golden age in British hockey in the old Heineken league and following just two seasons with the Redskins, Howard opted to move north to join the newly formed Milton Keynes Kings, in a move that would influence the rest of his hockey career.
 
“Well it was not the best rink for a debut” laughed Howard, referring to the now 80 year old High Road rink in Streatham.
 
“Back then playing for the Redskins and the club was all I cared about. Streatham is steeped in history and has players who made the hockey hall of fame including my coach Thomas “Red” Imrie. I remember training everyday but Monday and playing three games a weekend and captaining the junior teams up to the day I left Streatham, when it closed for financial reasons”  
 
“Joining MK was a world apart from London, the first day I turned up the rink the paint was still wet.   Co-incidentally not much has changed as even the carpets are the same original ones that were once freshly laid in 1990”  
 
“The arena was amazing and one of the first of its kind, we were sponsored   by Pepsi, coached by Mike Sirant from Manitoba and for the first time in my career we were playing systems and doing off -ice training. A steep learning curve but an amazing wake up call”  
 
“In 1990 the English league boasted scores of 16-13; I think I still have a team photo with that score line in the background.   We had a net minder that wore glasses off-ice and none on. We also had Paddy Scott who scored goals for fun.   Great times but far too long a story for one interview!”
 
Howard played for MK for six consecutive seasons in a period that saw the Kings compete in the top tier for the first and only time in their history. In 1996 he joined the big budget and short lived sensation known as the Swindon Ice Lords. The Wiltshire side oozed talent and swept all before them, culminating in a British National League Play-Off win over the Fife Flyers at the Nynex Arena (now known as the M.E.N. Arena) in Manchester.  
 
Howard ranks this win with the EA Sports sponsored Ice Lords as one of his career highlights alongside title wins with the Kings, European Championship medals earned with Great Britain, title success with the MK Lightning, his testimonial and of course scoring a rare goal in his final game for the Lightning at Coventry in the Play-Off final weekend.
 
Following his time with the Ice Lords, Howard began to move clubs with rather increasing frequency but there was still one place he continued to call home.
 
“Moving around from club to club was not a choice as so much a necessity” explained Howard.
 
“MK closed so I signed at Peterborough, who also folded so I went to Swindon, who also folded so I went to Telford before two great years in Guildford. MK was always my home and I always lived there during those years and commuted which was hard”
 
“I lived in MK for nearly 12 years until I moved after my retirement from the Lightning (Howard played for the team for four years until the 2005/06 season) as I felt I needed a clean break from the club and city. It can sometimes become very consuming being part of a hockey team and the breakaway has been good and I now appreciate both the rink, team and town more now I have been away for a few years”
 
The lessons Howard has learnt and his experience with the sometimes chaotic and unpredictable world of UK hockey leads him to be cautious about the future of the league he now finds himself in. The English National League was entertaining, largely competitive and fiercely contested last season and most fans and officials were positive about the progress that has been made in recent seasons.
 
The stakes and finances may be lower than those that brought players such as Barclay Pearce, Karry Biette and Mark Cavallin to the ill-fated Ice Lords all those years ago, but Howard says the league must be cautious as it develops and that his own team must not lose the mental battle before setting foot on to the ice.
 
“There is a clear divide between the top four and the rest in both their budgets, depth of players and the fact they are all number one teams from their clubs” said the Thunder coach.  
 
“There is a danger the ENL will lose its identity in exchange for the personal glory of a few clubs but what alternative does the league have? Chelmsford are driven by their success from last year and signing Clarkey and Dwayne is great for them.   However, last season I saw glimpses of the Thunder competing against these teams”  
 
“It’s as much a mental aspect to how you approach games. For example, a player who works hard and makes the right decisions need not be the most talented player.   I have played on teams expected to win and we lost”
 
“I have played on teams expected to lose and we didn’t. If a team and each player commits to the game plan, works hard and wins their individual battle you stand a more than equal chance of winning no matter how talented the team across for you is on paper”
 
“If we go into games without the fear of losing then we will win more times than lose. If we prepare poorly, work less than 100% and play in fear of making a mistake then it will be a long season.   Being a winner and having the winning mentality is hard, if it wasn’t then everyone would win”
 
“If you go into games knowing you have prepared as best as possible and you are willing to sacrifice your personal goals for the team you stand a chance against any team on any single night”
 
The development of players is a subject that has divided observers of British hockey for years and the debate happens at not only a national level but a local one as well. The Thunder are one of four teams in the ENL South that act as ‘second teams’ to a bigger partner, with the other three being Bracknell, Cardiff and Slough.
 
The EPL side Milton Keynes Lightning has used players that have played for the Thunder and vice versa, however Howard is keen to strengthen ties and try to return to the Thunder’s original ethos, but acknowledges that it will be a tough task.
 
“The Thunder team in its original formation was meant to be the stop gap between junior and senior hockey however it has not produced anywhere near the players it should have done by now.   It’s a shame that there is not a great pool of juniors ready to step up into the Thunder although we have maybe two or three who will feature this year”
 
“Looking at a long term strategy I would love to see at least four of the current Thunder players in the Lightning however it takes a lot to make the step up and play regularly. It’s hard for the Lightning too as they play in a results driven league dominated by high spending teams who buy a team rather than develop a team organically”
 
“I have spoken to several players this summer and explained I will give them all the ice time they need to develop and guidance to make the step up, the rest needs to come from themselves, from a passion to love the game and commit to hard work”
 
Passion is a must for a guy still putting on the skates at 37 and Howard returned from a break away from the sport last season as a player for the Thunder. Following the coaching experience at Chelmsford and some time to get his enthusiasm back, Howard played 24 times for the side last campaign and is aiming for more this time.
 
“You know when you are old as I don’t need to wear a half visor” laughed Howard, who is one of only a handful of players skating without facial protection in the ENL.
 
“In fact I have not worn a visor since I was 16, and thinking about that makes me feel even older. Last season was the first time I skated regularly for four years since leaving the Lightning so it was hard.   In summer league and pre-season I had very little confidence and my legs seem to have forgotten how to skate but as the season rolled on it felt like just another season”
 
“Unfortunately I hurt my knee early on and missed a chunk of the early part of the season but I still made the boys laugh by trying to do an end to end rush. For a defenseman it’s all about positioning, making sure your younger defensive partner does the skating and being near the gate on the bench so you don’t have to jump the boards”
 
“I know I can’t skate as fast as the young guys so I stick to winning my one on one battles and giving the puck to the guys with younger legs and an eye for goal”
 
Talking about players with an eye for goal brings the topic nicely on to the Thunder squad for the new season. The first player to be announced was young Slovak sniper Maros Stefanco who proved a big hit with the team last season. Goals are an important ingredient of any team however Howard is hoping that he can get the players he needs, and is happy with those that have committed so far.
 
  “Maros was key for us, as was signing and making Matt Roberts Captain” admitted Howard.
 
“Jamie Randall is back and is in my opinion one of the best two ways players in the league. Most of our young guys are back on board and our net minders, however we may need to make one or two additions should a couple of our senior players decide to not play due to commitments or play elsewhere”
 
“Right now I would love those guys to commit but no-one is under contract, we don’t pay players and they all have jobs and other commitments so the decision needs to be the right one, not a selfish reason or a fear of losing games or not being a top four team. I would rather not have a player on the team if they felt they could not put the team first”
 
“Right now we have to plan and think towards the future and my efforts are focused on helping our young players make the next step up with lots of ice time.   We will hold ongoing trials in July and we will start to skate early and off-ice sessions start shortly too”
 
“My philosophy will be to give any British player a chance to play if they commit to hard work and our systems, if there are any players outside the club who want an opportunity then I feel we can offer them a great opportunity to develop”
 
The Thunder will start the season as underdogs, however with a solid base of players, committed sponsors, a dedicated manager in Dave Fairhurst and a support staff of equipment manager Chris Roberts (described by Howard as the AA of hockey) and physio Nefra Germain, the Thunder will once again provide a threat.
 
“Working with the Thunder feels more like hockey back when I first started” says Howard.
 
“Real people giving up their time freely and young players who are hungry to improve, maybe at 37 that’s what makes me want to still be a part of it”
 
Contact the author: david.carr@prohockeynews.com