SWINDON, UK – This must be the mid-summer lull as news was thin on the ground this week, and nothing much in the way of credible rumours either.
However, the Phoenix, which can be relied upon to provide snippets and more on a pretty regular basis, came good again with a couple of interesting facts. Owner Neil Morris always seems ready to be put on the spot, and to his credit said he didn’t get to see the questions beforehand so doesn’t have time to prepare and formulate answers. You try doing that in front of an audience about a subject where you are privy to confidential information. Add to that old campaigner Jim ‘Tambo’ Piper who is not known to pull his punches, and although you get the rough with the smooth, so to speak, and by that I mean answers and not a comparison of the two gentlemen, you always get something to ponder.
So the ponderable that struck me this week was Morris’s claim that although the Phoenix wages budget would be about the same as last season, two or three other EPL teams will, come Judgement Day, have spent up to around a quarter more. That is an amazing figure, whatever it is, in percentage terms when you bear in mind the Manchester club are supposedly one of the better-off outfits and one of the few running in the black. No wonder people are saying the standard in the EPL is creeping up, one of whom is Morris himself who, while adamant last year’s title was not a one-off said of a repeat performance, ‘…it will be difficult because some teams are putting together some formidable line-ups.
OK, so enough of the Phoenix. Well, not quite because another choice morsel came out about, but not from, the club this week. While I am the first to admit to knowledge of football akin to my experience of brain surgery, I hear Eithad Airways, the National airline of the United Arab Emirates, has announced a ten-year partnership agreement with Manchester City FC. While that in itself probably excites little more than a groan from those of a footballing disposition who probably already know the first step is, or was for all I know, the re-naming of the stadium to reflect the patronage, in the longer term are coming some impressive sports and, not just football, training facilities. Apparently this multi-sporting zillion pound approach is already in place in cities like Madrid, but what caught my eye was the comment the sponsorship was hoped to include other local sports like basket ball and ice hockey.
Without getting into the pros and the cons of such schemes because at the end of the day it is sponsorship and advertising that makes the world go round and not, as scientists say, because it always has and so far nothing has stopped it, I wonder if say Ryanair could be tempted into a multi-billion pound investment in perhaps Telford or Basingstoke?
Yet more Phoenix-related news with the announcement Dean Holland, who played a couple of games for the Manchester side last season while with EIHL Newcastle Vipers, has signed for, er, dunno, because it’s another of those ‘undisclosed EPL side’ things although the Phoenix are probably in a list of, maybe two.
And there’s more: last week it might be remembered Andrew Sharp was reported to be considering an offer by the Guildford Flames. While this was substantially correct the Flames have confirmed nothing has been agreed. ‘At this time Andrew Sharp has definitely not signed with the club for 2011-2012,’ said a spokesperson.
Anyway, someone that definitely has signed on with the Guildford side is forward Andy Hemmings who joined part-way though the last campaign from the Bison and ended the season with a combined penalty average which put him in the top ten British penalty-takers.
Also signing on after half a season, but this time with the Phantoms, is GB Under-18 D-man Nathan Pollard who must almost complete the Peterborough side.
The last of the individual club news concerned the Steeldogs who have been working towards a closer relationship with EIHL neighbours the Steelers. After all with so much talent in such small a space it seems to us on the outside odd that more cooperation hasn’t resulted sooner. But without getting into the politics, it has not been a smooth ride for the Steeldogs and since his arrival Coach Andre Payette has been quite forceful in trying to secure a stronger local player-base and more opportunities for his squad as recently demonstrated when netminder Ben Bowns signed to a 2-way contract with the EIHL Hull Stingrays.
But, what great news it was this week that the two Sheffield teams have the makings of an agreement which should, for instance, reduce game-date clashes and improve training ties right up from junior level. As Payette summed it up: ‘We should work together for the greater good.’
And finally, over the last couple of weeks we have covered the known whereabouts of all last season’s EPL players, both Brits and imports, and where they will play, or not as the case may be, this season. That just leaves those who have not been released or re-signed anywhere, and don’t appear to have a placement be it in Britain or elsewhere.
There are in fact only four players, all imports, in this category, plus a couple of British oddities. The only news of Lithuanian Viktor Kubenko was he might return to his homeland and possibly retire while fellow Bison Ondrej Lauko is also not expected to return but despite a few rumours so far hasn’t appeared on any roster. Latvian Kriss Grundmanis of the Steeldogs is still missing and Peterborough’s Darius Lelenas from Lithuania is also not accounted for.
Then there are the Brits. James Hutchinson left the Phantoms for the EIHL Braehead Clan, and almost immediately left without an obvious destination. The Jets lost James Morgan and Paul Swindlehurst who were both signed by Pete Russell when he was in charge, and both left shortly after he did for the Wildcats. Looking at the Swindon roster there could be space to squeeze in another D-man, so perhaps one will resurface there?
Now while I am sure a name or two will turn up before the season kicks off, it did remind me of something my old Grand-pappy said when we were discussing it and which almost made sense. ‘Remember,’ he said, ‘you may be mourning the loss of a friend, but somewhere someone is rejoicing at meeting them.’
Well I wouldn’t quite put it like that because it sounds like someone has died and moved on, but I have to admit it is the sort of comment that could bring a tear to the eye of the emotional type, so maybe he has a point. For once.
For more EPL facts and figures, results and news and the graphic-enhanced version of this Roundup, why not try www.iceman-epl.com
Bill.Collins@Prohockeynews.com
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