A "MIRACLE ON ICE" - 2014 STYLE
Over the summer we had the very sad news of long-time London/Romford Raiders GM Mick Cahill passing away after a long battle with his illness. The hockey community was no doubt rocked by this and influenced London Raiders owner Olly Oliver to re-access his future with regard to running a hockey team - he had also had health issues to deal with in the past).
Running a team is no doubt costly and time consuming at the best of times and the London Raiders suddenly found themselves with no manager, no owner and no money with just a few weeks to go until the start of the new season. What was needed was a modern day "Miracle On Ice"...
Here, Raiders new supremo JOHN SCOTT takes up the story:
The 2013 2014 season, it would be fair to say, had been a difficult one for the Raiders players, management and fans. The move to Lee Valley was undertaken after the threat of the closure of Rom Valley Way had been hanging over the team’s head for many years. Former owner Ollie Oliver assisted by Manager Mick Cahill had been planning and negotiating the move for some time before the eventual move, not helped by the relatively expensive overheads at Lee Valley.
Ollie bravely decided to go ahead despite the numbers not stacking up financially and it was obvious the move was very much reliant upon the sort of fan numbers that the Raiders hadn’t even had at Romford for a few years. The atmosphere started to go down hill fairly soon when the move to Lee Valley was completed as the losses bit hard. Ollie and wife Joan funded the loss for a long time and was eventually forced to cut the budget. That decision resulted in the cutting of 5 players, the very popular Peterborough 5 as they came to be known. That clearly helped reduce, but was never likely to turn around a significant deficit. It did however add the poor atmosphere and morale within the fan base, but the short bench performed miracles winning seemingly unwinnable games and managing a great deal of praise from opposition fans.
Early in 2014 Ollie stunned many of us by announcing that he was going to run the team again in the 2014-2015 season. Most involved with the team and the sport were shocked that he was going to have another shot at making Lee Valley a profitable venue for the Raiders. The basis of that decision soon became evident as he assembled a group of team volunteers to start to plan a very different campaign.
The team included myself, Kevin Davis (Ollie’s trusted team equipment guy for many years) and Alan White, the game night manager at Romford. More marketing, advertising, local sponsorship were planned and discussed at a number of meetings in the closed season. This went hand in hand with discussions with Lee Valley management to discuss how we could work better together and how we could break free of the late face off times on a Sunday that seemed to stifle the attendance figures. Mick Cahill, ex owner and long time team assistant was a notable absence from this committee as he battled poor health and in the later months his recovery from major heart surgery.
By the end of July the rink negotiations were complete, marketing experts had been consulted and Ollie reported on many promising meetings with possible sponsors as he set about the leg work in attempting to involve the local businesses and community. It had certainly been obvious that the first year at Lee Valley had been approached as a re-located Romford team. This season was to be much more focussed on being a Lee Valley team and getting the locals to "buy into" the entertainment on offer.
It was starting to look quite optimistic but despite lots of promise the required funds were still not obvious and the necessary sponsors just didn’t materialise. The management team were secretly becoming concerned that the season would be another bundle of problems for the owner especially as registration fees and other deposits were becoming due with no finance forthcoming and the owner understandably unwilling to risk his own money again.
My holiday to the beautiful Island of Kefalonia couldn’t have come at a better time. The last week of July and first week of August with sun, a pool and……… a laptop to keep up with new signings being announced by Danny Marshall and the Romford Recorder, and a bit of hockey promotion! Not everyone’s choice of relaxation! Like all holidays it went far too quickly and all too soon I was sitting back in my office at 7-30am on Thursday 7th August when an optimist (or someone who knew me well) called. Ollie’s voice was soon pretty familiar but his tone was not as he passed on through wavering words that our mutual friend and advisor Mick Cahill had succumbed to a complication with his recent heart surgery.
We both joined the hockey world in mourning that day and not a lot of work was done as word soon passed from shocked friend to friend. Hockey had lost a widely respected man and Romford had lost a man who for many years had helped hockey to exist in the town.
The email at my work PC the following day did not surprise me in the least but did make me wonder whether I wanted to sit in that seat again if mornings were going to continue like this. Ollie revealed that Mick’s passing made him reconsider his own priorities and as a result he would not be going forward with the team this year. My concerns during the previous weeks meant that I wasn’t even tempted to ask him to reconsider. The writing had already been on the wall and this was not a decision likely to be reversed.
So on Friday 8th August I learnt that we had 4 weeks to get a team on ice by September 6th September. I suspect few publishers wouldn’t print my next thoughts.
I’d been responsible for publicising and covering pretty well all Raiders news since Mick’s eloquent language and skills had been side lined in hospital. So when I suggested to Ollie that we hold back on the news till I had looked at the options available he gladly agreed. He sounded to me like a man with a weight removed from his shoulders.
He kept the players in the loop to try to ensure no itchy feet made our nightmare become a recurring one. My fellow management team Kevin Davis and Alan White were soon briefed. Danny was to keep the players sweet and let them know that I was on the case and investigating any possible way of keeping the team running. In promoting the idea it probably helped that Danny could remind them that I had run the team in similar circumstances before. In reality I knew that I was never again going to run it the same way and a completely different proposition was in my mind that they may not have been so confident of.
The EIHA’s Gary Dent was kept in the picture and he offered words of advice and their support to give Raiders as long as possible to notify of their intention to compete.
Lee Valley management were next on the list to make sure that they were not victims of the gossip mongers and discussions took place to assure them that the management team, minus Ollie, were looking at what could be salvaged. They reassured me of their support but tempered with a reality that they would need as much notice as possible to re-let the ice if the team was to pull out of competition.
Budget numbers were gathered from all sources. Kevin brought me up to date with the previous year’s equipment and expenses bills. Lee Valley gave me the proposed ice fees and some options for lower cost with gate share. Ollie’s secured sponsors dropped away unfortunately demonstrating that so many sponsors in this sport do so out of personal allegiances with the owner and nothing to do with getting any business from their "investment".
So the mother of all spread sheets was started and it dealt with all 30 weeks of the season, 2 pre season training weeks and 3 post season play off weeks. Every role of stick tape, every travelled mile, every "chuck a puck" was forecast and plugged into the season long model. The figures were always worst case scenario and the optimism that had prevailed when I planned my stint in 2009 was discarded for reality and unfortunate experiences.
The projected end of season loss almost ended the exercise on the first night. What it did however was gave a scale to the problem, a dimension to the task and the job essentially began when the task had been defined.
What unravelled over the next few days would simply have not been possible without social media, the internet and modern communication and most importantly some of the most loyal support in the sport. The stalwarts of the Raiders previous decade were contacted and emotions sampled, dedication questioned. We needed to raise, one way or another over £30,000 and combine that with an increase in average attendance of a further 60 people per game. All whilst we were still getting used to dealing with this without our guidance, Mr Cahill, to call upon.
One week later and on Friday 15th August the suffering fans at London learnt that not only had they lost their good friend Mick, but their team for the last 26 years was on the brink. We announced that Ollie was stepping down since that would allow us to go public and start with the process of seeking new sponsors, fans pledges, anything to raise the missing funds.
Facebook almost instantly let 700 followers know of the plight and nearly 300 members of the supporters club facebook. The Hockey forum multiplied that many times over. The race was on. And appeals for assistance in any form were broadcast.
Reorganising the way shirts were sponsored created a doubled income opportunity and our shirt sponsorship ace Mel got to work with her normal energy and managed to sell virtually all of them in record time to narrow the gap by £10,000. It was an incredible effort in an incredibly short time and Raiders fans from years ago, sometimes living in other countries now, stepped forwards with offers. That was helped significantly by our shirt and graphic design man Paul Windebank designing a great retro shirt which quickly went on facebook display and received glowing praise from all corners. Even opposition fans were threatening to buy them!
Fans pledges started rolling in from numerous £20 donations to a good number of monthly commitments for several hundred pounds each. Close to another £7,000 taken off the gap. All the while negotiations for improved terms with Lee Valley were undertaken. However each time the books appeared closer to balancing point, another expense would crop up, or a figure we had used awaiting firm data would be reviewed upwards.
Deadlines for the EIHA and the rink were approaching and getting to the finishing post on time was looking harder each day so approaches were made to some of the companies my own business trades with. Highlighting again the personal nature of sponsorship another £2000 was raised from Calorex Heat Pumps, Airforce Ventilation and others. Raider’s long term ally and sponsors Actual Removals were back with their usual generous sponsorship support.
Assistance was not just financial as numerous calls and emails poured in from Oxford’s fans committee representative Richard Carpenter, the Telford fans committee, Scott Mckenzie with his experiences of the Telford model. From our own league offers were made by Invicta and Chelmsford and if ice time could be made available challenge games were proposed as fund raisers.
Tony Smith from Rhino contacted us with a most unexpected and generous offer on shirts and short covers which helped significantly with the set up expenses. It out us closer but still close to £10,000 adrift.
The final obstacle was leapt over as discussions with the local council resulted in a sympathetic donation of £7500. The "premature" loss of Rom Valley way had been the catalyst for this season’s disaster and Havering’s Leisure Department are keen for a team structure to be available for the new rinks own sustainability so investing in a group willing to provide that made a great deal of sense to the Borough’s finance committee.
The team was within touching distance and it was felt that 2 weeks of suffering were enough and a fans management committee was assembled, and where better than in a pub on the outskirts of our nearest rivals Chelmsford, bizarrely the central location for all those involved in a meeting about the ex Romford team.
That lengthy evening the full business plan was revealed and I believe that most were surprised at the level of costs involved, not least of which our player coach who I am sure thinks I am elaborating when I explain how many hundreds of pounds are spent each season on leg tape! Fund raisers DAF and Mel and Graham, registration secretary Joanne Cahill and Daughter Georgia, Stats man Dave Leach and assistant Coach Alan Blyth joined myself and management committee members Kevin Davis and Alan White and all listened to the way in which the deficit had been trimmed. Over a pint of Wibbler’s Apprentice the decision was unanimously taken that we were close enough to get it to work.
The following day the intention to compete was announced to the EIHA, the rink, and the fans Facebook account. Danny was to advise all the players that it "was on", and they could throw away all the hockey contact lists they had been thumbing for the past 2 weeks. It was stressed that we were just close, and that on-going fund raising was still required and assistance at every opportunity to increase the fan base and sponsorship was necessary.
The structure for the running cooperative was establish and Alan White proposed a company structure and we slowly added to eventually establish 7 main areas of operation and staffed these according to our knowledge of the talent available. Things had gone well in a very short space of time and it was clear we were all buzzing on the adrenalin of success!
Just a week later and all our feet were re-anchored as a huge gathering of Raider’s faithful were joined by family, players present and past, and hockey officials to celebrate the life of Mick Cahill.
A team strip formed a guard of honour and wet eyes blinked rapidly. A lengthy, emotional and sometimes entertaining service reminded us of the camaraderie shared at Romford as thoughts often wandered from grief to the happiness Mick would have shown at the continuation of his favourite team. Possibly the longest such service I have ever been to, but it certainly didn’t seem that way. The fond and funny recollections from family and the team littered the service and as I am sure Mick would have appreciated there were many tear cheeked but smiling and laughing fans leaving the chapel. It added to the determination to keep his team going and re-established our direction.
Thursday 28th and the first of two pre-season training sessions. It seemed very unlikely this would have been possible just 3 weeks earlier and the back office had been busy whilst the players champed at the bit to get skating. Players old and new mingled, relieved faces mixed with the bright eyed and bushy tailed youngsters keen to take part in their first senior season with proud parents sipping coffee to help with the long night. I am sure it was not the best training session ever held by Danny Marshall. But it felt it.
The preparations continued with the organisation of a meeting the players event and volunteers recruitment session, continued player registrations, contract writing, programme design, poster design the list goes on and on. The meet the players event went well with well over 150 present to hear and meet the new signings and sup a beer and swap stories with the returning stalwarts. The management structure was discussed, volunteers threw their hands up and the warm glow was put down to the constructive attitude and not the amber nectar and Pinot Grigio.
The squad was still a little thin so when a flashing facebook message popped up from the Cardiff lads Danny Marshall was texted in a flash. Some additional experience was a great bonus at this late stage and Wilkinson, Deacon, Manny and Brabon quickly agreed to come and bolster our numbers. A great bunch with a fantastic attitude and humour and their addition, especially when we had so many early suspension to cope with was invaluable.
As 6th September approached and the first league game against Cardiff loomed a seemingly endless list of task continued to present themselves, with player registrations, shirt supplies, pucks and sticks. Last minute photos and text messages saw the final player approved just 2 hours before face off. Missing players from the bans running over from last season hit hard and with registration teething problems the squad looked dangerously small.
The same could not be said of the crowd on that first fixture. Several teams had no game and, sympathetic to our plight, travelled to see the season’s first fixture and swell the gate to around twice the size of last season’s average. Much hand shaking, back slapping and congratulation greeted the team officials but that was soon forgotten as Cardiff took an early two goal lead, their familiar lines taking full advantage of our summer legs and uncertain line combinations. The resilience off-ice soon spread on ice and a third period hat trick from Jakub Klima stole the points in a 6-4 win and the ghost of 2009 was buried and a relieved tear was fought back.
As the team prepare for their 4th fixture and 3rd home game (against Oxford) the work still goes on. Danny Marshall and assistant coach Alan Blyth keep the team progressing and assess any new recruits. Extra fans are pursued through a mixture of local event sites, voucher offers, school and scouts promotions. Commercial sponsors are sought for long term relationships and the prospect of long term stability is a feature of the promotion as a result of the fans cooperative committing to a multi year involvement. But most important is that each target is beaten week on week and the spread sheet numbers move closer from the red to the black with each passing home gate.
A change in mentality was required, to consider ourselves as a Leyton team and not just a relocated Romford team. If we want the area to "buy into" hockey we needed to "buy into" the area. A commitment to build a long term fan base at Lee Valley is fundamental to the plan even though that for those planning to return to Romford that fan base will probably be left behind when the new rink at Romford is completed.
And that return to Romford will no doubt be the ultimate aim of many of the fans as the demolition of the Rom Valley Way facility started in the middle of September. Meetings with Havering council this week reveal that the new leisure centre is due to be opened in February 2017. The plans look great and whilst the seating capacity is not much over 800, a total capacity of around 1000 should be adequate for NIHL and arguably EPL level in the future. Close to the town centre, and complete with 25 metre and kiddies pools the promotion of future Romford teams should be easier than ever before.
There will be those that expect the Raiders to pull out of Lee Valley and head home at the soonest opportunity but that’s is not how I see sustainable hockey at this level. The idea may seem a little ambitious and idealistic but the plan is to move forward with the current management structure and over the next 3 seasons introduce local people to the fans committee. Introduce a number of assistant posts and basically create a duplicate team off ice. Then when the new Romford facility becomes available the committee can split, with half staying at Lee Valley and those that wish to return "home" doing so as the brand new facility starts planning for competitive hockey. What better for both teams to have a rival within 15 miles capable of providing great well attended derby games?
What better? Well I guess for both teams to have great junior development set ups producing the sort of standard that Romford did before the rink was demolished would be another target and enticing back the great coaching and development system that made that happen.
Lee Valley may of course have other more grand ideas. They are due a twin pad facility, perhaps as soon as 2 years time, with Olympic size ice and a 3000 seater arena. One hopes that their planners allow the new facility to be built before the old one goes. I have no doubt that the organisation I see at Lee Valley Park will insist that happens. So the decision to move back to Romford may not be as simple as some fans presently think. A facility like the one planned by Lee Valley looks ideal for EPL and Elite action and the region could start to rival some of the traditional hotspots for both players and supporters.
Back to the present and recent past. It’s been a heck of a 7 weeks. Starting with some pretty low lows, but seeming to climb all the way to the first game and win. There are so many people out there to thank for financial support, verbal and emotional support, time and effort, dedication and enthusiasm. Many of them are mentioned in the preceding words. I will no doubt have missed some off the list so apologies to them. In fairness there was little chance that full credit could be given to so many people. Reading something similar to a telephone directory would not be fun.
To the players, thanks for sticking with us and making the first few weeks a lot of fun.
To my family thanks for indulging me and putting up with this laptop glued to my face for virtually every waking hour and for believing the assurances that it will be very different when the management structure kicks in. For my sake and the sake of future committee members I hope that planned load shedding and sharing works. Running a team on your own can take more time than any one working person possesses. Fans that spend their time complaining about their team need to ponder that fact and maybe offer to shoulder some of that load."
Big thanks to John for taking the time to share those experiences with us here at Ice Hockey Review.
We wish London Raiders all the very best of luck for the 2014/2015 National Ice Hockey League South 1 season .
