There has been speculation of late regarding the future of the Manchester Phoenix. Prior to the Playoff Finals weekend an official website report stated the Phoenix were;
” preparing to stand their corner and if necessary, battle all the way with six of the Elite League clubs who appear ready and prepared to cast adrift those clubs they see as the poor relations of the league”.
The robust support of the Manchester fans was also evident at the Finals weekend, they along with the Newcastle fans being some of the most vocal in the cries of “Six Team League You’re Having a Laugh”.
However it seems that following the league discussions of Monday 6th April, in which the 9 remaining teams gained apparent “agreement” on the future of the EIHL, Phoenix General Manager, Andy Costigan stated through ManchesterPhoenix.co.uk that;
“We’re also re-visiting all areas of the club budgets and cash-flow projections as costs and overheads are not always static and it’s very important that we get this crucial area of the business plan right before we go to press with other things.”
This led to speculation among fans that despite the leagues public announcement of league wide agreement, Manchester were still considering their situation.
The early signing of Tony Hand as coach for 3 seasons stated an intention by Manchester management to retain one of the EIHL’s foremost talent both on the ice and in recruitment. This season Hand’s team, despite only finishing 6th in the league, cleaned up in the post season awards dinner, with David Alexandre Beauregard lifting the player of the season award among other phoenix accolades.
Forum speculation re-ignited amid comments from Vipers GM Jamie Longmuir at the Vipers Fans Forum last Friday. With Newcastle being among the original “3 teams” that were reportedly “excluded” from league discussions back in March, Jamie states that he “had spoken with Phoenix owner Neil Morris on a number of occasions in the last few weeks”, and agreed that “it is looking likely [Manchester] would make the move to the EPL”. Longmuir went on to mention that a decision has not been made regarding how fixtures would be structured were Manchester to leave the league, with 4 home games and 4 away games per team not being an options “overly favoured by clubs”. (For further look at Longmuir, Ferone and Wilsons comments, see our blow-by-blow report from Newcastle)
Confirmation of Manchesters future is expected on Thursday night when owners face a full house of Phoenix fans at the Britannia Hotel for a “planning unveiling” in which the team are ” keen to offer our supporters a public chance to have their questions answered”. Fans from across the country will look on for news of exactly where Manchester will compete next season, the choices made could have various repercussions to the EIHL and EPL alike.
UKHL is hoping to bring you instant reaction from the Britannia Hotel on Thursday night.
