WHCR 106.9FM Stingrays Fans Forum - February 2013

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WHCR 106.9FM Stingrays Fans Forum - January 2013

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WHCR 106.9FM Stingrays Fans Forum - November 2012

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 WHCR 106.9FM Stingrays Fans Forum - December by FBlockBlog 

Stingrays Fans Forum Pt.2: Stingrays reveal financial details

Hull Stingrays owners Mike and Sue Pack were greeted by a packed Hull Arena bar tonight at the Stingrays first fans forum of the year ahead of the 10/11 Elite League campaign and were open and frank about the clubs past, present and future. 

The pair tackled a large number of issues ranging from seating arrangements at the Hull Arena to finances and, while the initial tone of the forum was concerning to the 150+ crowd, there were shoots of positivity that eventually sprouted from the meeting.

Mike Pack opened the meeting by revealing the basics of the Stingrays business plan. In short, last season the club projected costs of £380k, made up of £170k in ticket sales and £180k in other income with a shortfall of £30k which the two owners would cover themselves. 

Unfortunately, the reality was that the clubs costs rose to £430k, partially due to replacing injured players, and, while its ticket sales rose to £180k, the income from other things such as 50/50 tickets, merchandise sales and sponsorship reached just £100k, leaving the Packs to foot the enormous £150k bill.

A huge credit should go to the couple for sticking by the team in such circumstances, especially given that previous owners have simply bailed at that point, leaving the club in the lurch. Of course, that means that next season they have to get it right because as the Packs spelled out, there is little or nothing left for them to give the Stingrays financially. 

Going forward into next season the business model has changed somewhat. Once again they project that the clubs costs will be around the £380k mark, however, instead of accepting that they would be required to put in £30k at the end of the year they have increased expected ticket sales to £190k, a £10k increase, and put up other income to £190k, also a £10k interest. The important thing about these figures is that the Packs no longer want to put in any more significant money, that means they must work hard to sell £10k worth more of tickets and increase their income from other sources by £90k on last year and £10k on the projected figure from last year. 

While the silver lining was that the Packs have been working so hard in the two months since the season finished that they are beginning to work towards the figure for extra income, which is the main reason they had no time to reveal the ten plus signings Sylvain Cloutier has made.

Something which has made the £190k target little harder to achieve, or at least has made the couple work that bit harder, is that Excel Laminating, the company which has put thousands of pounds into the club for seven years now, will not be the teams main title sponsor this coming season. Although they may be involved in sponsorship elsewhere within the club, their seven year association as title sponsor, the second longest ever behind Wella and Basingstoke according the Sue Pack, will come to an end. 

The search for a replacement company has begun and although the owners refused to name names, it is thought that they are close to agreeing a deal with an unnamed company that will significantly boost their chances of reaching the £190k figure.

Reaching the all important £190k on both sides will not be easy, however, the Packs stressed that with a lot of hard work and innovative ideas from everybody it is realistic and achievable.

Stingrays Fans Forum Pt.1: British core are back

After an agonisingly long wait Sylvain Cloutier finally officially revealed seven of his signings for the Stingrays 10/11 Elite League season tonight at the Stingrays Fans Forum, amongst which were British five re-signings and two new arrivals, Chris Korchinski and Joshua Mizerek.

The British players re-joining player-coach Cloutier, who was present alongside bench coach Bobby Haig and defenceman Stephen Burns, next season is backup netminder Andrew Jaszczyk, siblings Lee and Craig Mitchell, and local forwards Lee Esders and Matty Davies.

It was also revealed that the Rays will be going with just ten imports of an allowed 12 next year, meaning the five returning British players will have added impoteus and importance in the upcoming season.

Excitement continues to build in Hull

The building for possibly the most anticipated Excel Hull Stingrays season yet continued last week as new player-coach Sylvain Cloutier made a whistle stop tour of his workplace for the next two years.

Cloutier visited Hull to meet a number of next season's squad and attended a hugely successful fans forum, where he, and players James Hutchinson, Shaun Thompson, Matty Davies and Pavel Gomenyuk, spoke to fans about the upcoming season.

At a packed Hull Arena bar Cloutier re-iterated his excitement for the upcoming season, admitting that the season can't come quick enough:

"I can’t wait to get going. I am extremely happy with the guys we have signed so far, we have done really well on the recruiting and we have a really good group and a good mix. We are going to have three solid lines.

"We want to compete every night. I have put a team together to do that and I know we are going to give Sheffield, Coventry, Nottingham and Belfast their money's worth."

With just over two months until opening face-off, Cloutier has signed 14 of next season's squad, and with a further two import spots signed but unannounced, he is left to search for the team's final two signings, a Brit and an import.

As revealed on their agents website earlier in post-season, Matt Reynolds and CHLer Mike Beynon have both signed for unnamed Elite League teams, and with Cloutier's admission that two imports have been signed and sealed for next season, the two Canadians could be set for two of the three remaining slots, with an player announcement expected this Wednesday.

Reynolds, a forward, and Beynon, a defenceman, would presumably leave the Rays searching for an import blueliner, in order to fill three lines of defence, and, alongside that assumption, Cloutier announced at the forum that the final import will be tough, and will help forward turned defenceman Adam Knight with the team's enforcing duties.

But with a Brit yet to be announced, that tough player could yet be British, although sensible money would go on enigmatic British trained forward Slava Koulikov returning for a sixth season, especially given the lack of British players willing to fight Canadian heavyweights on a regular basis.

Should the final import be a tough defenceman, it would leave the Rays defence looking somewhat weak however it is believed that Cloutier has great faith in the abilities of British defencemen Craig Mitchell and particularly James Hutchinson, who is coming from a treble winning season in the EPL.

Finally, the club announced that the team will have a new equipment manager for next season, with former Newcastle equipment man Tim Blake joining the team, further bolstering the Stingrays off-ice staff following the appointment of Jon Kynaston as Commercial and Community Development Officer.

The excitement in the Stingrays camp and amongst the fan base is growing in anticipation of Sylvain Cloutier's first game in charge of the team, which is expected to come on September 8, with the fixtures announcement expected in July.

Photo Courtesy: Arthur Foster