MIRACLES DO HAPPEN “I am very happy to announce that continued negotiation with Lee Valley’s management has found a solution and the Raiders’ organisation is delighted to confirm its place in NIHL South 1 for the 2013/14 season. We need to have a chat with the EIHA but our current intention is for the team to be known as the London Raiders, with logo and team colours otherwise unchanged. “When we said a month ago that although we’d tried really hard to get the Raiders on the ice, we hadn’t succeeded, we were being 100% honest. However, with Ollie’s blessing I continued the dialogue one-on-one with Lee Valley’s General Manager and I’d like to thank their whole management team who have worked with us in a positive and constructive manner to reach this agreement. Ollie met with the Lee Valley people today and I’m pleased to say that an agreement has been reached. We may need to iron out some final creases but there are no show-stoppers. “Since our previous press statement, I have been in constant contact with Lee Valley’s GM, Alan Seabrook. Clearly, it was as important to Lee Valley as it was to us to find a way forward and I have to say that Alan, and rink manager Steve Smith, have really juggled with their commitments to accommodate the Raiders. Quite simply, Lee Valley could comfortably live without us but I’d like to pay tribute to Alan and Steve for sticking with it when it would have been easier to just close the door on us. “I also want to thank Andrew Rosindell, MP for Romford and his assistant, Paddy Mullarkey, who have been tremendously supportive throughout and especially Simon Parkinson and Guy Selfe from Havering Council who have worked with me since last autumn to find a solution. Most of all, I’d like to thank Ollie and Joan who have worked tirelessly to get sponsorship but are still essentially underwriting this gamble. The supporters, friends and sponsors who have stuck with us in these trying times have been brilliant so our thanks to them too. “I’ve kept Marsh updated with all the developments and he’s done his best to keep the player pool aware of where we are. Strictly speaking, the easy bit is over. We have a place to play. The first really tricky bit is now Danny’s; building a team several weeks after everyone else has started, and with some of the players you want already on the move. After that, we all have a part to play in making the Raiders a well-supported, competitive team who will play attractive hockey and win more than they lose. We need existing Raiders’ supporters to come on this journey with us, but we also hope to attract some new fans and new sponsors from around our new home. “A new website is being commissioned but for now, thanks to our friends Graham Ford, John Scott and Lee Power, we’ll be giving updates on the existing website, on the Raiders’ Facebook page and in the Romford Recorder” Mick Cahill
Posted on: Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:28:29 +0000
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