ROMFORD,U.K- The announcement that the English Premier League would be functioning with one less team for the 2008-09 season due to the Essex-based Chelmsford Chieftains being forced to pull out for financial instability, came as a great relief to fans who follow Essex-side and one-time rival Romford Raiders.
Speculation grew over the spring as news from Rom Valley way was non-existent. But despite fans fears it appeared it was business as usual this week (July 1) with a steady supply of news. First up was the announcement of returning Head Coach Rob Stewart.
Canadian-born Stewart is a veteran of 18 years in British hockey. Stewart began his career in the UK back 1990 with the Romford Raiders, spending four seasons scoring over 35 goals a season. Stewart went onto have a successful career in the UK with the Telford Tigers, Bracknell Bees and Belfast Giants. Stewart’s first taste of coaching came in 2004-05 season with the Sheffield Steelers in the Elite League. Stewart returned to the Romford Raiders in a playing capacity in 2006 before taking over as coach in the latter part of 2007, taking the Raiders to a 14 game winning streak and a 2007-08 playoff position.
Stewart’s first signings as coach came in the form of returning captain Danny Marshall, who returns for his 16th season. Marshall has spent all but one season at the Raiders briefly signing for bitter rivals Chelmsford Chieftains in 1998. Joining him is defencman Tyrone Miller. The stay-at-home blueliner has seen action right across the south east of England including stints at Guildford Flames and Slough Jets but always seems to return to the blue and gold of Romford having played for them on five different occasions since 2000.
As the exodus continues from former EPL side Chelmsford Chieftains one player making the short trip back to Romford is Scottish forward Scott McKenzie. The 22 year-old forward returns to Rom Valley after a season away at the Chieftains where he racked up 27 goals and 28 assists.
Continuing the British contingent came a block announcement of five players all return from last season. Grant Taylor, Michael Timms, rugged Shaun Wallis, youngster David Oliver and Ric Hughes. Joining them is the netminding tandem of Carl Ambler and Tom Chamberlain.
Ambler returns to the Raiders on the back of a successful season between the pipes despite a lengthy lay off through injury. New-signing Chamberlain joins from Elite league side Hull Stingrays. Chamberlain 21, backed up the Yorkshire side appearing in just eight games.
The last announcement came in the form of two import players. Top scoring Andrej Sporina and Canadian Mark Stewart. Sporina joins for his third season at Romford after spending a number of years in the Slovakian Liga 1 with VTJ Topolcalny.
Last season Sporina racked up an impressive 85 points on a team that until the last month of the regular season were third from bottom in the standings. Stewart is another player heading the short distance from the Riverside Arena where he iced for the Chieftains in the second half of the 2007-08 season.
Finally news is coming out of Essex, but a number of big signings still need to be re-signed. Speculation over Andruis Kaminskas going to Bracknell Bees continues and the possibility of defenceman Mark Williams heading to Slough Jets has Romford fans fearing the worst as they try to build on last season’s playoff run.
Contact the author at Kevin.oconnor@prohockeynews.com
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