SOLIHULL, UK – Success is the overriding aspiration for any organisation, and this season, it has been achieved in abundance by the Renault Solihull Barons.
The Midlands outfit sealed the ENL North Division Two title last week with six games still to play, and the way they have gone about their business has been nothing short of admirable. Barons are still unbeaten heading into the final stretch of the season and in the process; have racked up a double-figure score line in no less than 12 of their 19 games to date. The meaning of ‘a big fish in a small pond’ has never been more accurately defined.
Once upon a time, Solihull Barons were giants of UK hockey. Although those days are long gone, this new wave of success has brought a real buzz back to the club, a feeling felt none more so than by General Manager Richard Thomas.
“It’s nice to taste this success after last year’s disappointment,” he confessed, “This club has a rich history and it feels good to be able to, in some part, bring back that former success with what we have achieved this season.”
“To have got the league sewn up with six games still to play has been really pleasing. It means that we can relax a bit more in our remaining games and start building towards the next campaign,” Thomas said of his club. “The whole squad have worked really hard and have deserved to be in the position they’re in now. There are really positive vibes running around the place at the moment, everyone is happy and looking forward to playing in the first division next season.”
Having already wrapped up promotion and the league title, Barons could easily be excused for taking the rest of the season lightly, but that won’t be the case.
“We won’t be taking our foot off the gas at all. Everyone in the locker room is completely committed to ending the season undefeated and then hopefully carrying on that form into next year,” Thomas expalined. “I’m quite confident that we will go the full season, but I think that the game at Sutton in three weeks time will definitely be the hardest test for us.
“They have gone from strength to strength and made a lot of changes to their roster, including a few recent signings from EPL sides.”
Barons themselves have a number of talented players in their ranks that all have higher level experience, including the division’s leading point scorer Dean Tonks, who previously played for EPL side Telford Tigers. This all round wealth of experience should stand them in good stead when facing Sutton’s new look side, and the difficult challenges they will undoubtedly encounter in the ENL North Division One next season.
The club only just missed out on promotion last season after losing a play-off with Trafford Metros. However, with Metros now rooted at the foot of the Division One table, it shows the sheer size of the task that would’ve presented itself had promotion been accomplished – a promotion that Thomas believes the club are more ‘ready’ for this campaign.
Barons in action
“I think we may have struggled in the first division if we had gone up last year, but this time around, I feel like we are really prepared to move up a league and hold our own up there,” said Thomas. “We were forced to play for almost two months on the road at the start of last season, and didn’t have any ice training for that period either, so that definitely didn’t help our cause.” “It will be important for us to hang on to key players like Dean (Tonks). We did manage to win the first seven or eight games of the season without him, but his signing really was the icing on the cake,” added Thomas.
“Dean is his own man and I’m sure he will consider all his options, but I’m confident that he will stay with us next season.”
Maybe it can be considered a somewhat poetic justice that Barons have enjoyed this successful season, not least for the benefit of their fans. Over the years, the club have consistently attracted large attendances that eclipse those of their fellow ENL teams and match, if not better, those recorded by most EPL sides too.
“We have a really hardcore fan base here at Solihull,” explained Thomas.
“Most ENL clubs get less than 100 a match, so for us to be getting a regular turnout of 300 or 400 is outstanding. However, the continuous support of our paying customers only really allows us to break even by the end of the season.”
“Our Chairman, John Butler, works really hard on promoting our games to get more spectators through the door, because at the end of the day, the players like to play in front of bigger crowds.”
Thomas, a self-confessed hockey nut, collapsed during the second period in an away encounter with Bradford Bulldogs on February 5 with a suspected heart attack, but such is his passion for the sport and his team, he discharged himself from hospital the next day in order to return to Solihull to attend the return fixture.
“A lot of the players were said to have not wanted to continue the game when I was taken ill because they must have been worried about me, but they carried on and saw the game out professionally, which I was very pleased about,” Thomas said of his teammates. “I am feeling better now, but it was a scare at the time. I live for hockey, so as soon as I had been released from hospital, I wanted to get back involved. It will take more than that to keep me away from the sport I love.”
Solihull can credit much of their success to their overwhelming support. The ‘Solihull Experience’ is a term that the club promote when trying to attract the attention of public. Having been to the rink myself, I can vouch for the intense atmosphere that is created, and that factor is sure to have been a real driving force that has helped the team to succeed this season.
“The ‘Solihull Experience’ really comes down to the level of intensity that you get down here. The fans are very vocal. As the rink doesn’t have any plexi-glass around the boards, it allows spectators to get right up close to the action, so it can make it an even more intense experience. It’s hard to explain. You have to come down here and feel it to believe it.”
Solihull Barons next game is at home to Sheffield Senators a week on Sunday (6 March) before the crunch trip to Sutton the following weekend. The Sheffield game has a face-off time of 6pm with tickets costing £5 for adults and £3 for children/concessions and car parking is free. To reserve seats on the coach for the trip to Sutton on 13 March please contact john.butler2@btconnect.com .
Incidentally, anyone who fancies a bite to eat can visit the Barons favourite restaurant, the Paprika Lounge, which is two minutes walk from the rink. A 20% discount on food and drink valid from Sunday to Thursday will be taken off the final bill on production of their advert found inside the Barons programme.
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