MK dropping out of elite league
- Thread starter Welshy74
- Start date
It’s such a hard thing developing players of such an expensive niche sport.
What doesn’t help developing player is the nature of short term contracts in the EIHL.
For example MK spent a lot of time developing Hook to be an EIHL player for years to come. Had a storming last season and show cases his talent. Come the summer he leaves for Belfast. I’m guessing Belfast offered him more money than MK could afford (I’m not having a dig at Hook as it’s a short career and Belfast is a great club & city).
The only ones who benefitted from MK hard work developing Hook are; are Belfast, Hook & hopefully team GB.
MK did all the hard work and they don’t really have anything to show for it.
What doesn’t help developing player is the nature of short term contracts in the EIHL.
For example MK spent a lot of time developing Hook to be an EIHL player for years to come. Had a storming last season and show cases his talent. Come the summer he leaves for Belfast. I’m guessing Belfast offered him more money than MK could afford (I’m not having a dig at Hook as it’s a short career and Belfast is a great club & city).
The only ones who benefitted from MK hard work developing Hook are; are Belfast, Hook & hopefully team GB.
MK did all the hard work and they don’t really have anything to show for it.
It is a difficult call but for me, the problem is not with the EIHL but in the moribund structure that is currently in place beneath the top league. The move next season to a ten team ‘championship’ might well help to solve the problem. I a, with Temme on the top league’s role, whilst in an ideal world it would be good to have a developmental aspect, I am not sure how practical it is. I remember when we had Archie Nelson and others on the bottom line and whilst it was great to see younger players on the ice, the game has changed a lot and I think that it is asking too much to expect players to develop whilst taking the pressure that comes with playing in the EIHL at the moment.
The problem has been that the second tier became stagnant and then collapsed leaving a chasm between Tier 1 and 2, whilst I am disappointed to lose MK from our league, the bigger picture is that this will help create a 10 team Tier 2 that is going to be much stronger than what is present at the moment and with a number of EIHL GB vets reaching retirement, it means that players in that league will have genuine hope that the EIHL is no longer a closed shop, instead, if they prove themselves at Tier 2, they will have the opportunity to progress. That is as it should be.
Attention now should shift to Tier 3, I occasionally take in games at this level and whilst it is always fun to see Perry Doyle et al play.... this is not the future and we do desperately need more fresh blood. I have been massively impressed with what Hendo is doing in Cardiff and if this can be replicated elsewhere then you begin to have an escalator up the leagues.
Whilst cutting import numbers might seem a good option on the surface, I am not sure that the sport is ready for it.
The problem has been that the second tier became stagnant and then collapsed leaving a chasm between Tier 1 and 2, whilst I am disappointed to lose MK from our league, the bigger picture is that this will help create a 10 team Tier 2 that is going to be much stronger than what is present at the moment and with a number of EIHL GB vets reaching retirement, it means that players in that league will have genuine hope that the EIHL is no longer a closed shop, instead, if they prove themselves at Tier 2, they will have the opportunity to progress. That is as it should be.
Attention now should shift to Tier 3, I occasionally take in games at this level and whilst it is always fun to see Perry Doyle et al play.... this is not the future and we do desperately need more fresh blood. I have been massively impressed with what Hendo is doing in Cardiff and if this can be replicated elsewhere then you begin to have an escalator up the leagues.
Whilst cutting import numbers might seem a good option on the surface, I am not sure that the sport is ready for it.