News

The Play-Off Finals Weekend is coming up soon, and the Phoenix fans will be there en masse.  Phoenix's Fan Club Organiser and Travel Coordinators Mag and Dave Pullen have informed us that over 200 seats in the Phoenix block have been sold, which is pretty impressive for a team that won't even be there.  How does it feel to see such a turn-out for a team that's not icing this season?

In some ways it feels quite sad, with us not being there, but it does make you feel very proud that these people support the Manchester Phoenix even when we are unable to ice a team. Without trying to be sickly we really do have a great bunch of people that support this club!

The Phoenix fans are waiting with baited breath for an announcement regarding a new Phoenix rink.  How far away from making that announcement are we, and how many stages are there still to go through before that announcement can be made?

Although it would seem that everybody in the world is waiting for the announcement, we simply can not divulge any information yet. If I was forced to answer today then I would have to say I do not have anywhere that is commercially viable to play in Greater Manchester, however next week my answer may be different.  I know people are fed up of waiting, but guess what - so am I!   Projects of this size take time and there is a massive amount of work to do.  Ask our Commercial Director Mark Samaru, he is working his butt off to make this happen. But that doesn't stop us getting hassle from some of our fans - of course we expect to be receiving some casual enquiries and that's what is happening, but there are times when people cross the line.  To the guys that I met in Manchester on Saturday night, give me a break - I was having a meal with my partner Karen, and jumping straight in and saying you have checked and there is no planning going through is just sad. We are not trying to build an extension on the back of the house, we're trying to build an ice rink so the processes are different!  Common business sense says that you don't reveal all the details of any development plans until all the elements are in place and just for the record phase one is semi-permanent,  which is a totally different proposition with planning. Sorry to be sharp but you guys were rude on Saturday night and that is out of context with our fan base, I know we are all frustrated but courtesy costs nothing.

The recent inline hockey clinic with the British Inline Puck Hockey Association was the start of a process of junior development, and Phoenix have just announced the plans for player trials this summer for junior players.  How will the Junior Development System be structured, and how important that a strong system is put in place? 

We intend to play five teams below the Elite Team Under 10s, 12s, 14s, 16s and 19s. These squads will hopefully provide us with the talent for the future Phoenix Elite league squads. I believe that any of the Phoenix teams will be a match at all age levels. Watch this space!

In the last interview, you mentioned that the Phoenix office is receiving plenty of interest from players wanting to come to Manchester for next season.  How are the preparations for building the new squad going?

Well at this point Andy Costigan is busy doing what he does best, which is tracking down good calibre players and starting to put together the backbone of what could be our squad for next season. Obviously he will be waiting for us to appoint a coach before he starts finalising any contracts.

On a league level, there is plenty of rumour and speculation doing the rounds on the various online forums about how the league will look next season, which teams will be playing in which league, who will be in overall control, and so on.  Is there anything you can tell us about any potential additions to the league that may be coming aboard this off-season?

I'm afraid that you will have to wait for the official press release on this one!  Needless to say, most of the rumours our of the mark, even the ones that come from supposedly from within the clubs...

Doesn't all this confidentiality wear you down a bit?  Do you ever wish you could just shout from the rooftops all the details of what's going on?

Yes, err yes...yes...yes and yes. But that's business and there are good reasons for this and I do understand.  If there ever comes a day when I don't want to go on with this I will tell everybody, until then you can rest assured that I'm sticking with this project all the way.  To the fans I say: stay with this project, stay with us and we will deliver one day that which many believe can not be done.

And finally, the EIHL this season has seen a wide range of talent and skills on display.  Are there any players out there that have caught your eye, players wouldn't mind seeing in a Phoenix shirt next season?

Now you know I am not going to answer that!  As you know it turns the job into a Dutch Auction -  it also allows our competitors to block our negotiations. But they might be one or two or three or four or so.....