Telford Tigers have announced their intention to launch a ..

Following a ruling from the English Ice Hockey Association that junior
development must cease at under-18 rather than under-19 level, Tigers
team manager David Candlin has applied to run an English National
League (ENL) team as well as the current English Premier League (EPL)
side. This will create a stepping stone for those coming out of the
youth teams between under-18s and the EPL Tigers.

"We have made a formal application to put a new team into the ENL,"
said Candlin. "All clubs have to be voted in at the league's AGM on 9
June, but we have received provisional approval from the league that
our plans are acceptable.



"We are really happy to be putting this in place as it is something we
have wanted to do for a long time. The ENL and EPL teams will give a
potential pool of up to 40 players that head coach Claude Dumas can
call upon as there are no restrictions to under-21s playing up from
ENL to EPL within the league rules.

"We want it to be a farm team for the Tigers. Of course where a more
mature player can offer some genuine development to the younger
players, I'm sure the coaches would be looking to add them. But the
ENL team will be predominantly a development team. These lads are
still very young and have a lot to learn and that's what this team is
there for."

The decision to add a second team was only made following a show of
support from the county's junior development set-up.

"I want to say a big thank you to the junior club for helping us to
realise the potential of our plans because they have been so
helpful," added Candlin.

"Creating an ENL team has actually brought both clubs together and we
have worked very well to put these plans in place. Hopefully this good
relationship will long continue. It is nice that we have a common
goal."

The chairman of Telford Junior Ice Hockey Club, Kerry Allen, said: "As
a club it was unanimous from the committee and at all age groups to
support the Tigers' plans.

"The majority of players coming out of under-18s are not ready to play
at EPL level. A lot of those, given another couple of years, would be
capable of bridging that gap. For the under-18s who can make it up
into EPL and possibly Elite, the ENL gives them progression to make
that step.

"Now in Telford we will have teams all the way up from under-8s to the
EPL Tigers, and when our lads have to leave the junior club they have
somewhere to go. It can only benefit the sport in Telford."

An ENL team is something that Tigers coach Claude Dumas has wanted for
some time, to help bring a steady stream of young players through to
the senior side.

Dumas said: "The Elite league is a professional league, and the EPL
has become more so in the last two years. ENL gives younger players a
platform to play at a higher level and move towards the senior team.

"The problem has been that there has been nowhere for players coming
out of junior development to go. Milton Keynes and Peterborough and
others have had a second senior team and it was something that was
missing here.

"We knew that there were players not quite ready to make the first
team, but this gives them the opportunity to carry on enjoying the
sport and play at a higher level."

Former Tiger and last year's assistant manager Jason Parry has been
named as the ENL side's first coach.

Parry, who last year helped to coach the Telford under-12s as well as
the under-19s, said: "I see it as a good chance to develop the
under-18s, who I also hope to be coaching, as well as the under-19s
players who will be moving up.

"This will be a development team for the Tigers and the idea is to
pass on some of the things I have learned from Claude over the past
few years, and develop these kids ready to go on with the Tigers.

"Also we will keep people in the sport who may otherwise be lost to
hockey. I wasn't good enough for the Tigers at 18 or 19 and I needed
to play ENL to learn my role."

Dumas added: "Jason is very highly regarded in Telford and knows the
younger players. He will create a good link between us throughout the
season."

Chris Bolus once wrote in <55rq5357nq8v4rpjp93pi9l2t832schmnq.TakeThisOut@4ax.com>..
..
>On 27 May 2007 07:11:00 -0700, benrobertsmith.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>>Following a ruling from the English Ice Hockey Association that junior
>>development must cease at under-18 rather than under-19 level,
>
>This (IMO) stupid idea is down to our crazy child protection laws, which
>are going to hit all sports at almost every level. They're saying an
>under-18 is still a child (have you met any of them?!) and therefore is
>not alowed to change with an over-18. (Apart from anything else, this
>does not sit happily with the age of consent at 16 - not relevant here
>but it shows what an ass this law is).

Doesn't that in theory affect places like swimming pools and the like
then? My local pool has communal changing rooms.
--
David Morris