The road to EIHL 2005-2006 - An interview with Neil Morris - News

The road to EIHL 2005-2006 - An interview with Neil Morris

Sunday, 13th February 2005

The end of the Elite League 2004-2005 season is looming large, and with just seven months until next season, thoughts are turning towards the start of EIHL 2005-2006. Richard Allan caught up with Neil Morris to find out what this means for the Manchester Phoenix.

Richard Allan:
The Elite League recently announced that the seven British National League teams have been inivited to join the Elite Ice Hockey League, resulting in a potentially enlarged league for next season. How likely is it that Phoenix will be back in competition ready for EIHL 2005-2006?

Neil Morris:
At this point in time we have made a personal commitment to the Elite League that Manchester Phoenix will be back ready for the new season. We are confident and positive that we will be in a position to publicly confirm this commitment within the next few weeks. We've been as much a part of the Elite League Executive Board this season as we were last season, our team's slot in the Elite League is ready and waiting for us, and we intend to fill that slot next season. Whether the seven invitees decide to join the Elite
League still remains to be seen - both the BNL and EIHL seasons are still ongoing, so I don't expect any major developments on a league level until the off-season, but no matter what happens the plan is to have Manchester Phoenix back on the ice in our new rink ready for the new season.

RA:
What can you tell us about the progress on a new rink? How far away from some form of announcement are we?

NM:
As you know, I'm very positive that the new rink will come to fruition on time, but other than that I can't say. One of the reasons for all the cloak and dagger stuff is that we have signed legal confidentiality agreements with all of the councils that we have been in discussion with. We want to be able to talk about the progress and we want to keep our fans in the loop but we simply can't. I'm sure that all those who have followed ice hockey in Manchester over the years will understand that Mancunian ice hockey doesn't have too great a reputation with local authorities, and it's a hard job to rebuild some of the bridges, so we need to tread carefully and give the councils and partners the respect that they deserve. We have to behave in a 'whiter-than-white' way, we have to be so professional in the utmost, that we can't risk jeopardising any of our progress by discussing it publicly without the full agreement of all parties. It's still early in the year, and with the predicted build-time on a semi-permanent structure we still have a comfort zone of time in which to make sure all the details are spot on before we go ahead. Once all the details are checked, the paperwork signed and the agreements honoured, we'll be singing from the rooftops all the information we can!

RA:
Ex-Phoenix coach Paul Heavey has recently joined Sheffield Steelers, following a stint at Paisley Pirates. Will he be back in Manchester next season? Have any players been contacted with a view to forming next season's squad if the team goes ahead?

NM:
Paul and myself have got on very well, and at the end of last season we gave Paul an open contract - if Phoenix iced this season then he would be our coach, but if we mothballed then he had the right to go continue his coaching career where he saw fit, and as a result he took up an offer from Paisley Pirates and coached there this season. Sheffield Steelers recently found themselves in a position where they wanted a new coach, and they extended an offer to Paul that I was happy to see him accept - Paul's a great coach and it's good to see him back in the Elite League. Naturally we would welcome Paul back at Manchester, but it's worth saying that we're currently being contacted by a very high calibre of coaches and players who are wanting to come to Manchester next season, so Manchester will take the best coach that's available to us at the time we're ready to recruit and if that's Paul then of course he'd be welcomed back with open arms. There are some Phoenix players that we have a great belief in, and when their contracts expire at their current clubs then we will be looking to open talks with them about coming back to Manchester. But we're also looking at brand new players who have never been on these shores before, and the NHL lockout is proving to be a real boon for the Elite League too, so who knows!

RA:
The recent Inline Hockey Clinic in association with BIHPA was an event designed to bring Phoenix closer to inline hockey and to take a look at their junior system. How are plans coming along for Phoenix's own junior development system?

NM:
The Junior Development Programme has been particularly difficult for us at Phoenix this season with us not icing our own Elite team. Aaron Davies is on board as our Junior Development Officer and he's been doing a lot of work to make some real progress, he's been talking to a lot of people and getting the infrastructure in place. Aaron's been given a wide remit to get the job done and I'm happy with the progress he is making. The first hockey clinic proved very successful and we're planning on running more of these, preferrably about once a month, perhaps more frequently. Malcolm Tilley of the British Inline Puck Hockey Association is doing some great work with us and we're keen to fully develop our partnership and bring the junior development programme to fruition when the time is right and the work is done. Over the coming months we will be holding trials with the intention of filling the rosters for our new junior teams - the Under Tens, Twelves, Fourteens, Sixteens and Eighteens. We at Phoenix are very excited about the future and you can expect lots of new and exciting talented players coming up through the system, and eventually icing for the the Elite team one day, just as our young British players did last season. And I think you would agree, they all did us proud last year.

RA:
How are the current Phoenix projects being funded? Has the season ticket money been dipped into or is that fund still intact?

NM:
Everything is being funded personally by myself, Mark Samaru the Commercial Director, and one of our founder sponsors who has asked to remain nameless for now. The season ticket money is sitting in a locked account, it's totally untouched and will remain so. That money, whilst sat in the bank, gives us a solid basis - it gives us credibility with our partners and with the councils, it proves that there is support there from the fan-base and illustrates that our cause is a worthwhile one. So Mark and I have been backing the Phoenix personally since the mothballing, and we'll continue to do so until the club is fully back in business and the team is shaping up to take to the ice.

RA:
A lot of Phoenix fans are experiencing some frustration at the lack of news coming from the Phoenix office. What's the view like from your side of the desk?

NM:
I know that the fans are disappointed at the lack of news, but I want to be able to give a concrete announcement rather than drip-feeding our fans because they deserve more than that. The only news that the fans really want to hear is about the new venture, and because of the confidentiality agreements that's news that we just can't give. And I find that so frustrating - I can't share my views or aspirations with anyone! But I totally respect the views and wishes of our partners and I intend to uphold those wishes. I thank each and every fan who made a stand with us when we brought the team back, and I'm so sorry that I can't share each step of this journey with them, but I'm sure they'll be happy with the final outcome. For what it's worth, I really do appreciate the strength and support of the fans, we've been through so much together and I couldn't wish for a better set of fans. It's all about belieiving in where we're going and when you stop believing you stop going! The fans have been outstanding, the success of Phoenix is rooted in the fans. We will do this, and we will do this together. Keep the faith!