Greyhounds find new homes

LONDON, UK – When Haringey Greyhounds folded ahead of their final league fixture of 2009/10 against Cardiff, it was perhaps a fitting end to a disastrous season. As with any tragedy however, there are always survivors.
With an almost spooky parallel of fate, the legendary greyhound dog track a few miles away in Walthamstow had also recently shut its doors after nigh on 75 years of operation. Greyhounds were seemingly a cursed species in North London.
The ‘Save our Stow’ campaign by dog racing aficionados in protest at the closure of their beloved stadium was in stark comparison to the meek almost apologetic acceptance from all but a handful of stalwarts involved with the less famous ice hockey club from Alexandra Palace.

Only four ENL South 1 clubs showed interest in the remnants of the tattered Greyhounds squad with forwards Michael Ranby and Scott Beeson securing deals with the Streatham Redskins and Invicta Dynamos, whilst defensemen Alastair Band and Liam Doyle moved   to Bristol Pitbulls and Romford Raiders respectively. Despite finding new clubs, the pain of last season still lingers amongst these former Hounds.
“It was really disappointing to have put in all that effort throughout the season only for it to be taken away and put into the history books” said 21 year old Alastair Band. “Nick Rothwell brought in a couple guys to try and help save the team from relegation, but they weren’t the right kinds of players for what was needed. We struggled scoring goals and we really needed some players to do that”
Fellow defenseman Liam Doyle shared Band’s frustration. “The end of last year was hugely disappointing and frustrating” he added. “Technically we folded with one regular season game to go, we would have had a chance to stay in the league through the 2nd place playoff”
“It was gutting for myself and the few guys who worked so hard just to get the team to finish the season particularly Tim Partington (Team Manager), without Tim the club would probably have folded much earlier”
Doyle’s emphasis on the word ‘few’ is no casual slip of the tongue. The Greyhounds iced thirty two players over the season but by the end they were struggling to put together two lines and had serious goaltending issues. Games were one sided and painful for both the players who had turned up to battle and also the hardcore of Haringey fans following the team.
“When you only have a handful of guys you can count upon it will always be difficult” said team top scorer Scott Beeson. “Practice time was not used effectively and commitment was a real issue for some. By game time we were poorly prepared and the lines could never settle”
Keeping your individual stock high on a losing team can be a challenge for even the best players, and from the thirty two registered with the Greyhounds in 2009/10, just under half are unregistered with league hockey teams in 2010/11. An association with a losing team doesn’t always bode well for a players CV and there is mixed opinion as to whether prospective coaches take such facts into account.
“I had the opportunity to play a couple of games with Romford last year in the EPL due to them struggling with injuries” admitted current Raider Doyle. “I also spent most of December and January practising with the team which meant everyone involved at the club got to know me a little”

“I also had the chance to play there full time last year but due to work commitments, commitment to Haringey and coaching changes I decided that it was not a good move at the time”
“I do think with out my time at Romford last year it might be different story and there is definitely a stigma with being part of a losing team. The failures at Haringey last year were due more to the players we didn’t have, rather than the ones we did so it’s unfortunate for the handful of guys that were more than good enough to play in this league”
It is a sentiment backed up by former team mate Michael Ranby. “Obviously in my case having played for two struggling clubs in Lee Valley and Haringey, it doesn’t look great when you are searching for a new club in the summer”
“I skated with a few clubs in the off season but I was lucky that Streatham were really keen to sign me and take a chance on me. I think coaches are wary about where a player has come from, but you just have to put yourself out and show them on the ice”
One of the most surprising moves of all the ex Haringey players was the switch of Beeson to current league champions Invicta Dynamos. Head Coach Kevin Parrish often tends to recruit from leagues above or from rival clubs so his pick up of the Greyhounds top scorer came out of the blue.
“Overall I think I had an advantage due to my scoring record albeit in a struggling team” said Beeson. “I also agree that there can be a stigma towards players coming from lesser rated clubs but Kevin has shown some faith in me and I am a big believer that if you put your head down and work hard, you are bound to progress”
Each of the former Greyhounds have settled into their new surroundings well, and at many games some former Haringey fans have made the effort to support their former players.
Arguably the player who has made the biggest impact for his new club is Michael Ranby. The 21 year old centre has racked up the ice time on the second line and power play units scoring ten goals and seventeen assists in his opening fourteen games for the Redskins. Streatham have had a good start to the season, upsetting some of the better financed clubs along the way. The team currently sit in 6^th position in the league but have games in hand over the teams above.
With good size and speed Ranby has endeared himself to the vociferous Redskins fans, with some all action performances and dropping the gloves when needed.

“The team has had a good start to the season” said the Chingford based forward. “The guys have really helped me fit in and the spirit is good here, I am getting lots of ice and although the goals have dried up in recent weeks, I think we can have a good season down at the High Road”
“Barry (Spours) has shown faith in my ability and the fans have been right behind me from the start. So far, I have to say it has been a good move for me”
Also starting to win over some critics is Dynamos forward Beeson. Playing on the Mo’s third line, Beeson has been forced to be a little patient for his chance but has come into his own in recent weeks, grabbing some goals to boost his confidence and show the Mo’s fans what he is about. The Dynamos have a depth of quality players and are flying high in second place in the standings this year. Like Ranby, Beeson has all the physical attributes to be a quality player at this level, and perhaps above, given the right guidance and coaching.
“Invicta has been a much needed bit of fresh air” said the 24 year old winger. “If I am honest it has taken me a lot longer to settle in and get to the level I know I can play. I would say I am still only at 80% but it’s starting to click”
“Unlike at Haringey, I have a specific role to play on this team rather than playing as a scorer, but I am grateful to be playing on a team with the talent it has, and more importantly to be playing with players who are committed, overall I am very pleased and as I said before, just grateful for the opportunity”
For Romford defenseman Liam Doyle, the season has also been going well. Despite a few slip ups the Raiders sit in fourth place in the table and Doyle has been virtually an ever present for the team.
At 26, Doyle is the oldest of last season’s Greyhounds squad currently playing in ENL 1, and he believes good times are around the corner at Rom Valley Way.
“I’m really enjoying the season so far” explained Doyle. “We have a great group of players and a fantastic spirit on the team along with great skill. It has been a much bigger change than I imagined”
 
“Playing with the expectation to win every game is the main difference which is taking some getting used to after the last few seasons, but the chance to play in a team with a lot of good players is something I am thankful for and hopefully it will help me improve”
Of all the players, Bristol defenseman Alastair Band is the only one facing another relegation struggle. The Pitbulls currently sit in tenth position, six points behind Milton Keynes in ninth, but they still have a long way to go with over half the season still remaining. Up until a recent wrist injury, Band has been clocking lots of minutes on the Pitbulls blue line and playing a prominent role on the team. He believes that Bristol have enough in their locker to avoid the drop, and that the situation is far removed from that at Haringey last season.
“Admittedly things aren’t going as well as they could be at Bristol” conceded Band. “It is a team stacked with experience and youthful exuberance. The youthful side of the team has yet to realise their potential and that they can be good enough to play at level if they consistently put in the the effort every shift”
“The older guys, well they’re just old (laughs). Having said that though the two oldest guys in the league are, arguably our best defence man in Drew Chapman, and our top scorer in Alan Armour, who still looks damn fine at his age”
“There is a definitely a stronger overall team here at Bristol than we had in Haringey. Haringey had a few players who were at the right level but a lot of players that just weren’t up to it. I think everyone on the team has the potential to do a job in this league, it’s just about standing up and being counted every shift”
So whilst the players have moved on, what of the Haringey Greyhounds? With the closure of their spiritual home Alexandra Palace for refurbishment in the summer of 2010, team owner Rothwell mothballed the club but has vowed to return with a rebranded version in 2010/11. With the Palace set to re-open in a matter of weeks with a new ice pad, boards and interior, how will the new North London Hounds look by the time September 2011 arrives?
History is not on Rothwell’s side in the case of senior league hockey at the Palace. Barring a few highlights, it has been largely a disappointing display since it’s inception in 1990. The Greyhounds had play-off success at ENL 1 level in both the late nineties and in 2006/07, but an ill timed foray into the EPL in 2000 put paid to future success.
The North London Hounds will find themselves in ENL 2 at the start of next season, a level they will share with local rivals, the Lee Valley Lions. The bulk of last seasons Greyhounds squad are playing there at present and it will be interesting to see if those players switch back to the Palace or even if Rothwell will have them in his revolution.

An online article in the Hornsey and Crouch End Journal has been the only source revealing Rothwell’s plans for next year and this has shed a small light on the owner’s intentions.
“When I took over at the Hounds last season I envisaged a new programme of ice hockey, but we have to be realistic and acknowledge that this is a 10 to 15 year plan” he is quoted as saying.
“What we don’t want to do is sign older player’s who couldn’t quite cut it in ENL 1, that can’t be allowed to happen. It’s about attracting players from all across north London into the sport, and then we can take it from there”
A good sentiment but in practice this may be difficult. The current ENL 2 sides in the area are not pulling up trees and the best young players will be attracted to the likes of nearby Romford Raiders or even further afield in Bracknell or Slough. Not for the lack of effort, Haringey and Lee Valley Junior development have seldom produced large swathes of talent with only the odd one or two players making an impact, in short the talent pool is small and keenly contested.
If anyone can make it work then it is Rothwell. He has played the game for many years in the UK, he has contacts reaching across the country and his media work with Sky television only cements this. He also works in London and therefore has an understanding of the city and its workings. The capital is a frustrating nut to crack in terms of crowd numbers and also sponsorship for sporting teams. All those people, all those business opportunities, but yet they are so hard to grasp for minority sports.
Starting from the bottom and working upwards is the logical and most sensible step for the Hounds and those that have played for the club agree.
“Growing up and living in the area I hope that the team can come back and have the stability which has been lacking for so many years” maintains Doyle, who has had numerous spells with the club. “I truly believe they can have a successful club there with good crowds to support a senior team and a junior club that can produce good players”

“I don’t think anything more than ENL 2 when they return is possible and the club has to be allowed time to grow naturally and cannot be forced to higher levels before it is ready as has happened before”
“Most importantly there has been many years of being managed poorly and it needs people willing to work really hard who wont quit when the going gets tough and put in the huge effort it takes to run a successful hockey club”
It is an opinion shared by Beeson, although he points out that ENL 1 has another aspect to be considered. “I do think the Hounds could work and although we lost a lot I did enjoy my time there. The club should definitely build from ENL 2 as the problem has been player’s commitment levels and also money these days, without money you really will struggle in ENL1 so ENL2 would be a much better fit”
Band however believes that Rothwell is the key to the success, and thinks there are positives vibes emanating from the Palace already.
“With Rothwell behind the operation and rumours of Mark Gouett running the day to day stuff I think anything is possible there” he explained. “With the right marketing and a successful on ice product I see no reason why the ‘Hounds cant get back to the top of ENL1 as they were a few seasons ago. I think the ENL set up is the right place for Hounds to start out in, and probably stay in”
“The league gets better and more competitive every year. With promotion and relegation in place each team will eventually find their right level”

Time will tell how things will work out at Alexandra Palace with the North London Hounds, but at least their former players are still keeping the club’s name alive this season.
An even better omen could be along at Walthamstow, where recent rumours suggest that the dog track could return from the hands of housing developers under proposals backed by London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Both sets of Hounds back from the ashes? Let’s hope so.
Contact the author david.carr@prohockeynews.com