SOLIHULL, UK – Finishing a full league season unbeaten in ice hockey is as rare as a British gold in the Winter Olympics, but for the Renault Solihull Barons, it has become very much a reality.
The 2010-11 undefeated Solihull Barons (Keith Davies)
Although those days are a distant memory, this season’s achievements have been more than remarkable for a club that was nearly put out of business just a few years ago. Head Coach Darren Bellerby has certainly written himself into a new chapter of Barons history after this term, but rather than get carried away, he remained calm, cool and philosophical about it all. “We would have taken this at the start of the season that’s for sure. Winning the league and getting promoted was the main aim, but the unbeaten season has just added to it. If we do really poorly next season and come straight back down it will all be for nothing, so there is a lot of work to be done between now and September.”
Bellerby is still relatively new to coaching at senior level, with only his three seasons at the Barons under his belt. But he has had lengthy spells coaching at junior level with the Barons, Coventry Blaze and old Birmingham side when they were up and running.
“It has been a lot of hard work. From where I came from in my coaching career with junior teams to stepping into the senior level has been a big learning curve. I have got some big players on board, so if I am struggling with anything, I am not afraid to ask them. They have helped me out a lot the last two or three seasons. Every year you think you have got it right and then you go away and think there is something else you could’ve added to it or something you could have done differently, it’s all part of improving. You pick up a bit more of the puzzle as you go along.”
Champagne corks popped (Keith Davies)
“Our fans are fantastic. I came down here to a game when it was the old EPL days when just 47 people were watching the game. Now we are playing at a much lower level of hockey and we’re getting three, four, five hundred to each match and they can sway a game. There is no two ways about it, the fans that come down here are die-hard supporters; they’ve followed the Barons for years.
“We have also probably taken more away support to games than they (other teams) have seen in their rink all season. Take the Sutton game for example; we took over 100 people from Solihull. There are teams in the Elite League that don’t take that sort of away support, so it has been great.”
The Barons have crushed all who have stood in their path this season, racking up double figure score lines in 14 of their 24 games. But despite the manner of his side’s dominant season, Bellerby doesn’t have such lofty ambitions for next term and admits he will have to dip his toes into the transfer market to compete.
“Our main ambition will be just to stay up. Mid table would be great for our first season in that league, but obviously it depends on what new players come along, but we are pretty optimistic about staying up there. I have players contacting me that I haven’t spoken to that want to know what is going on here next season. No one is really going to commit themselves when they are already at a team, but when we open the trials up, that’s when you will see who is generally prepared to come and play here, though I wouldn’t have to trial an imported player to play in this league if they’ve played at a higher level or are already established here.
“It is the same principal as football. However big your budget is, it decides your season and what players you can afford to bring in. The good thing about attracting players to this club is that we have a good fan base. We have got support down here that an EPL side would be proud of.”
Although bringing new players in will be important for Solihull, the main focus is sure to be on the attempts to keep hold of the most talented players already at the club, and that applies to none more than the league’s runaway leading point scorer Dean Tonks.
Dean Tonks nets again (Keith Davies)
Losing Tonks may be inevitable, with Solihull unable to offer a wage package to compete with that of a foreign or Elite League club. In spite of the financial shortcomings, Bellerby remains optimistic about the positive effect being promoted could have on the club’s bank balance.
“I would like to think that we are going to get some extra sponsorship from somewhere. Companies like to sponsor winning teams, and we have done that this season, so hopefully someone will come in. Saying that, I do think the derby games will bring in extra revenue as well. Games against Coventry and Telford, if they stay in that league, should draw big crowds.
“Hockey is very dear. It is a minority sport unlike football. It’s not the sort of sport where there are people throwing money at it, but a lot of the people who do come down here do get hooked on it. Local sponsorship has helped, but we are still a ‘pay to play’ team, but obviously with a decent sponsor, we could go a lot further.
The Barons will now head into the summer vacation with heads held high after their triumphant season, before they return in the autumn, ready to launch their assault on the ENL North Division One.
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