Red Hockey CEO Wayne Scholes believes this season’s cut-throat English Premier League is “proof the long-term plan is working” for Telford Tigers.
Sunday night saw Telford overcome Swindon Wildcats 3-2 in a dramatic overtime encounter, lifting them to eighth in the early EPL standings.
But that start is a far-cry from last season, when The Tigers steamrollered the league to lift the title with an 18-point gap to second place.
Mr Scholes – whose involvement with Red Hockey has brought on board Manchester, Bracknell and Deeside – is happy with the make-up of this year’s league.
He said: “The important thing to realise is that unless we build a sustainable model for all teams, then Telford will just be a great team, winning every week.
“That will do nothing for the sustainability and long-term viability of the Tigers. For me, do I want the other teams to raise their game and challenge us every week? Of course.
“Do I want teams to beat us every week? As a fan, definitely not. But if we lose some games, then that means the plan is working and the overall structure is improving. That is what we want.”
Telford’s victory over Swindon was their second successive home win, following a four-game losing streak.
Across the rest of the league, however, the top four teams are all within three points of each other.
Mr Scholes added: “What we all need from a sustainability standpoint is better teams, with better quality, and we’ve got that. When you get that, then you get more people in the stands.
“Once you have that, then you’ll get more interest from sponsors, which increases relevance in the TV and media market. Then that interest creates extra revenue from sponsors.
“But the whole premise is built on a foundation of having good hockey. If you don’t have that, then you won’t get the fans, or the sponsors, or the media attention.”
The focus on security at Telford remains a long-term target for the Red Hockey boss, who wants the club to become commercially manageable.
“The intention with The Tigers has always been sustainability, and a feeling of security,” he said.
“I want a team that is here forever, regardless of whether I am around. If, God forbid, anything happened to me, then the club would have to be sustainable.
“The only way to do that is to put the resources in place, which will allow us to build a lasting model going forward.”
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