Hexagon Telford Tigers have released the following statement. Clearly, given our performance over the last few years no one associated with Telford Tigers will be happy at the moment. As a club we have always welcomed, whatever the flavour, feedback from any of the stakeholders associated with the club, and in particular our loyal fans.
The recent performances and results delivered within the National League, have not encapsulated much of what we all love about hockey in Telford and it has been hard-hitting for Telford fans, players and staff alike.
We have worked hard over the recent years to build a strong sustainable on-ice product and this season we faced unforeseeable challenges that we did not expect to encounter. The addition of two new teams entering the National League coupled with changes to players’ work and life commitments has left us inevitably suffering. Quite simply we are not an arena team with 2,000 seats per game.
It has been a difficult summer for player recruitment and losing players mid-season has been problematic, but off the ice the club remains in a strong position. As with every team in the National league, player recruitment continues to be an uphill battle which is truly frustrating as the club is actively looking to reinvest, and has the resources to do so, in the current roster. Teams in any sport will inevitably ebb and flow.
We are looking forward to the future, rebuilding a squad whilst developing players and providing a positive playing environment, allowing players to grow, learn and be challenged, bettering themselves each day.
As a club, we believe success for Telford Tigers should be measured by the way all our teams play, the trophies we win, the development of youth players breaking into our National team, and the respect and voice we give to our fans. Our club is a truly community-based club at heart and is a firm believer that fans are entitled to their opinions, positive or negative. They are the only reason we exist.
We want to hear what you have to say. On Tuesday 10th January, we will be holding a fans forum starting at 7:30pm in the bar at Telford Ice Rink. This will be an opportunity for fans to ask questions of both the club’s General Manager and Chairman.
To aid the smooth running of the evening, we kindly ask that any questions are submitted ahead of the evening. Please forward any questions to coach@telfordtigers.net before 12pm Tuesday. There will hopefully be time for questions from the room that follow naturally from the overall discussion.
The endless support we have seen from our fans has been incredibly uplifting and this support is as critical as ever at this time. We’d like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our fans for being the ‘extra man on the ice’ supporting both our teams on the road and at home and look forward to seeing that support continue.
Watch out for further details about new signings at Telford Tigers, visit: http://www.telfordtigers.net/news or catch up on Facebook or Twitter.
