Freeze coach keeps cool

Feb 28 2003

Chester Chronicle

ICE HOCKEY: MARK Stokes is refusing to wield the axe at Flintshire Freeze in the wake of the worst season in the club's five-year history. After looking like play-off contenders at the end of November when they stood third in the table, the Freeze lost their next 10 games and slumped to fourth from bottom. It was hard to take for the Freeze faithful, who had watched their team make the league play-offs for the previous three years. But player-coach Stokes remains upbeat and blames his side's poor run of form on the crippling injury crisis which robbed him of several senior men during the second half of the season. 'It would be hard for any team to cope without four or five of their top players for such a large part of the season, and it certainly hit us hard,' admitted the Canadian. 'Our poor results came once we started to our lose players, although I can't fault any of the youngsters who came in. 'They've got to f ind out what it's like at this level and will be better players now for the experience, even though losing week in, week out was hard to take. They were thrown in at the deep end through no fault of their own.' Stokes added: 'One bad year in five isn't going to make me panic and suddenly have a major clearout at the club. I'm convinced we'll come back stronger.' * Freeze ended the campaign with an 8-1 defeat at Kingston Jets last Saturday, Steve Fellows netting their only goal. The club's last chance to salvage some pride comes later this month when they take on Blackburn Hawks in the two-legged M56 Cup. Freeze go to Blackburn Arena on Sunday, March 16 before the return leg at Deeside the following Sunday.

 

Freeze seek end to nightmare run of defeats

Tough times

Jan 24 2003

Chester Chronicle

ICE HOCKEY: THESE are testing times for Flintshire Freeze. Player-coach Mark Stokes has put his faith in the future but the youngsters rolling off the Freeze production line are struggling to adapt to the demands of the ENHL Northern Conference. There aren't enough experienced players left in the squad and when the Freeze go head to head with the top sides in the league, the gulf in class is all too apparent. Looking to end a run of three defeats on the spin, Stokes' selection options for the visit of Whitley Bay on Sunday were limited by injury and the absence of Flintshire's under 19s players, who were playing at Bradford on the same night. The result was an 11-4 defeat and although forward Aaron Davies returned from suspension Stokes' problems were in defence. The only recognised defencemen in the Freeze' 13-man squad were Steve Fellows and A ndy Richie, which meant bench coach Gary Shaw was kitted up to form an unfamiliar second-line defence with Danny Compton. * Freeze face a daunting return trip to Whitley Bay on Sunday(6.30pm). Any fans wishing to make the journey can board a coach which leaves Deeside Leisure Centre at 12.30pm (£5 per head).

Humiliation for Freeze

Dec 23 2002

Chester Chronicle

ICE HOCKEY: THE Flintshire Freeze faithful were subjected to another Deeside horror show on Sunday as Altrincham underlined their championship credentials with a performance that oozed confidence and class, sending the hosts to a 15-1 defeat With the previous week's 14-2 mauling at the hands of league leaders Sheff ield still fresh in the memory, the Freeze's second humiliation in the space of a week made for painful viewing. Indeed, it was ironic that Deeside's best crowd of the season so far should witness the home side's worst display of the 2002-03 The goals rained in at a steady pace throughout the night as the Freeze crowd were given little to cheer about. But they were on their feet in the final period as the bubbling ill-feeling between the two sets of players boiled over. With 14 minutes remaining, brawls involving Freeze brothers Matty and Danny Compton and the Aces' Tim Dempsey and Jason Hewitt saw all four players receive their marching orders. Coach Mark Stokes resisted the temptation to be drawn into a running battle with Dempsey but the Canadian's patience snapped 10 minutes from time. A punch-up with Altrincham's Aaran Richardson led to both players being sent to the dressing room. For the record, the Freeze shipped four goals in the opening period, Brian Worrall (2), Stephen Elliot and Billy Price doing the damage. Simon Hills, Steve Daly and Price netted in the second with Freeze captain Pete Founds bagging his side's only goal of the night. The Aces coped best with the third-period dismissals, taking the score from 7-1 to 15-1. Efforts from Hewitt, Price, Elliot, Greg Allen (3) and Worrall (2) ensured the Freeze signed off for the Christmas break on the lowest note possible. Said Stokes: 'What an absolute nightmare. That was a depressing defeat to say the least. The last two losses have been hard to take.' * The Freeze's next game is against Blackburn Hawks (A) on Sunday, January 12. They return to action at Deeside the following Sunday against Whitley Bay Warriors.

Freeze ready to lock swords with Scimitars

Dec 6 2002

Flintshire Chronicle Series

ICE HOCKEY: FLINTSHIRE Freeze will be looking to register a notable first on Sunday when Sheff ield Scimitars bring their unbeaten league record to Deeside (6.30pm). The Yorkshiremen have won every game in the ENHL Northern Conference this season but Freeze player-coach Mark Stokes is determined to halt the Scimitars bandwagon in its tracks. He said: 'We want to be the f irst side to beat Sheff ield this season but it's going to be very tough. 'They've been superb so far this season and have a good blend of experienced veterans and promising young players.' Five players from each team were dismissed when the two sides went head to head in Sheff ield last month amid ugly scenes three minutes from time. With the Freeze trailing 7-1, Stokes took his players off the ice and refused to complete the game as a protest against referee Blain Evans' handling of the contest. The Canadian picked up a gross mis-conduct charge for his troubles but is playing down the incident in the buildup to this weekend's return. 'What happened in Sheff ield was more to do with the referee than the players,' he said. 'The match was a month ago now and is history as far as I'm concerned.' The Freeze are still waiting to hear whether star man Aaron Davies has been cleared by the league over head-butting charges, brought against him following the recent victory over Bradford. Davies insists he is innocent but English Ice Hockey Association off icials will review video evidence of the incident before deciding the player's fate. Stokes expects to have a full squad to pick from.

Bulldogs will be a real test for in-form Freeze

Nov 22 2002

Chester Chronicle

ICE HOCKEY: FLINTSHIRE Freeze will take a full-strength squad to challenge Bradford Bulldogs this Sunday. The two last met in the league a fortnight ago when player/coach Mark Stokes was serving a one-match ban for taking his team off the ice before the end of a match against Sheff ield which became a 10-man brawl. Despite his absence and a slow start which saw them go 5-3 behind at home, Freeze woke up and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to finish 9-3 victors. 'We know it is going to be tougher at their rink on Sunday and we have to start strongly,' said Mark. 'Their rink is abysmal with poor lighting, low boards and it is in a bad way. They will also feel more comfortable in their home environment so we are going to have to be on top of our game. 'We are on a run of form and we want to keep going because we have some tricky fixtures coming up over Christmas so any momentum or form we have is going to be tested to the limit.' The 5-4 win over Blackburn Hawks last weekend pushed the Freeze back up into third spot in the ENHL Northern Conference and pleased player/coach Mark Stokes. Since his pre-season prediction that this would be a tougher league than the Southern Conference his young squad have picked up points all over the place to climb high in the league. 'The squad is doing really well,' he said. 'Sunday was a real derby atmosphere with a crowd of 700 really getting involved. 'It was tense and end-to-end from the beginning but thanks to a heroic performance from Dave Clancy in the net we hung on and snatched the winner near the end. 'The whole squad deserves credit. I asked at the beginning of the season for players to take more responsibility for things like goalscoring to take the heat off me as I get older.'

 

Freeze bite back with spirit

Founds steps up the class

Nov 7 2002

By Christopher Beesley, Ellesmere Port Pioneer

MOTORSPORT: AFTER completing their second season in the FIM Superside World Championship, Team Founds are confident of more improvements next year. A change in engine specifications to a 1080cc limit is also likely to benefit the Ellesmere Port-based outfit who already use a 1000cc four-cylinder, four-stroke Yahama. Driver Chris Founds said: 'The idea is to create a more defined class with engines that are more in tune with what is be produced today. 'The majority of teams have been running with big 20-year-old 1200cc engines. Hopefully, the new restrictions will help encourage more manufacturers to come on board and the existing machines can be modified rather than just going to scrap. 'Overall, the changes will make the class safer and easier to police. We've already done two years of development work so we won't have to make any major changes like some of the other outfits, but by no means have we done everything. We've got the reliability, we just want to make our engine a bit faster.' He added: 'The new rules should produce a more level playing field and I can't wait for next season. I think we had an above-average year but we were not as good as I would have liked as the competition was so high. 'I was disappointed to miss out on the South African round as it could have been a good points opportunity. But if I had gone, I might not have been able to fund the rest of the season.' Founds picks out qualifying in ninth place at Assen after originally being in 17th as his highlight of the season. But he also enjoyed the race at Silverstone and competing at Monza. As well as competing among the world's elite sidecars, taking part in the Superside Championship also threw up several light-hearted moments for Chris and his crew throughout the course of the season. He said: 'While returning home from Misano, we ended up helping out a Spanish lorry driver who had broken some part of his airbrake system. 'Fortunately, we had some spares in the back of our truck that we use for the bike and we were able to fit them to his vehicle. We were rewarded with six big water melons, which were very welcome in the Mediterranean heat. 'The last race of the season took place at the historic Imola circuit which is surrounded by hundreds of horse chestnut trees. 'They don't play conkers on the continent so their ground was covered with them and myself, Steve Webster and Steve Abbott enjoyed a trackside conker tournament to the amusement of our Italian hosts.' Team Founds also enjoyed meeting their German supporters' club in the village of Stemmer, situated between Hannover and Dortmund, en route from the World Championship rounds in Oschersleben and Assen. Chris said: 'Their hospitality was second to none and the whole village came out to see us. We are something of a novelty for them and over a 100 of our 300 fan-club members are based in Germany.' Although the season has now finished, the team will stay busy over the winter months and there is still plenty to do ahead of the start of the new campaign next March. Chris said: 'Our last race of the year was at the Festival of Sidecars but I've been asked by some sponsors to take the bike to exhibitions. 'I've got a few modifications still to do on the airbox and after racing for two years at this level, there are a few little things that you like to change.' Chris' brother Pete has yet to confirm whether he is able to commit himself as passenger for next season because he has taken up a work-sponsored mechanical engineering degree at Liverpool John Moores University. Chris said: 'Pete will stay on as an active team member but his studies mean that he is currently unsure whether he'll be able to compete over entire weekends. 'He'll give us a decision by December and if he is unable to take part as a passenger, I have a couple of other options to choose from. With the engine changes I've got to be looking for at least a top-eight finish and be pushing for the top-six placing.'

Freeze coach Stokes is ready to get physical

Oct 25 2002

Flintshire Chronicle Series

ICE HOCKEY: BILLINGHAM Bombers bring their explosive brand of ice hockey to Deeside on Sunday (6.30pm) to face Flintshire Freeze's young guns. The Cleveland outf it have bags of experience and, like Kingston Jets a fortnight before them, are expected to carry a substantial physical threat. The Freeze are desperate to return to winning ways after losing a bruising battle with the Jets, but player-coach Mark Stokes expects to have a full-strength squad to select from. 'We'll really have our work cut out against Billingham, ' he said. 'They've got their fair share of veteran players who know their way around the league. 'Although we lost 6-4 to Kingston, it was a great game for our fans and I expect more of the same this weekend. We want to make sure we get the right result this time and make it three wins from four.' The Bombers should include recent signing Mark Pallister, cousin of fomer England and Manchester United defender Gary, for the trip to Deeside. Pallister played alongside Stokes during Manchester Storm's debut season, and the Freeze's Canadian chief believes his former team-mate is a 'a huge addition' to the Bombers' championship challenge.

Depleted Freeze soldier on against Buffaloes

ICE HOCKEY: FLINTSHIRE Freeze will be hoping to make Grimsby slip up again on Sunday when they travel to the coastal town to challenge them in their second league match. Following their 17-1 home win over the Buffaloes, Mark Stokes will take a very different Freeze to face a very different opponent. 'We have lost a number of players for this f ixture which means the younger squad members have an opportunity to show what they can do,' he said. 'Robbie Hill is out for the season after badly breaking his wrist during Sunday's opener against Grimsby. 'He is having two operations on it this week and a metal plate inserted, but his rehabilitation will take a long time. 'We are also missing Pete Founds who is sidecar racing in Italy, Dave Costello has work commitments and Aaron Davies is on holiday, so the experienced and creative heart of the team will be missing. 'Add to that the fact that Grimsby will be in the mood for revenge and will not allow themselves to be brushed aside quite so easily and you see that we are really going to have to go for it.' The depleted Freeze line-up means that Stokes will have to promote some more youngsters to the line-up, but he feels this is a big opportunity for them. 'Some players who are going to get regular f irst-team action this season, like Danny Binns and Ian Williams, have been brought in slowly, getting a few games last season and brought along gently. 'But, as I've said before, in this game you either take it head on or you shy away, and there are some players still waiting in the wings who want to prove themselves. This Sunday they will have that opportunity.'

Founds brothers united by their need for speed

Sep 24 2002

CHRIS and Pete Founds are hoping to finish with a flourish when the World Superside Championship concludes at Imola. The dynamic duo, from Little Neston, have been competing at the highest level for the past two seasons in their family team and currently lie in 13th place in the championship after 11 rounds at venues including Valencia, Silverstone, Misano and Lausitzring in East Germany. Using a 1000cc bike capable of reaching 175mph, they have battled to a best finish of ninth and hope to match or better that on Sunday. Chris, 29, the bike's driver, said: "It has been a good season for us and we have managed to maintain 13th place all year so with a bit of luck, we will hold on to that or even move up a place. "To do that we will have to pull our fingers out and really try and finish with a bang, so to speak. Last year we qualified well, but someone took us out on the first lap, so we are doubly determined to do well." Pete, 25, the passenger, added: "A top 10 finish is what we have been aiming for all season and we did it once, so to match that would be tremendous for the team. "It is very close in the overall standings so we need the points to ensure a good finish. "In the last two races we have been out of the points after a crash and then an off day, so the pressure is on." Since the season started in march at Valencia, the boys say it has involved a lot of hard work alongside their dad, team manager Des Founds, mechanics Peter Graham, Ron Founds and Nick Gannon, PAs Sarah Brown and Julia Cleavely and marketing associate Hannah Founds. Pete said: "There are a lot of riders bunched between 10th and 16th place in the championship so we could easily be as high as 10th or as low as 16th. "That makes the racing really competitive and also pulls us to compete at a higher standard, because we are being forced to match or better so many other good teams. "We have been improving though as we finished 16th last season and we are a few places up on that which is good progress." Like all sidecar teams however, one of the deciding factors in how high they can place up the grid is finance. Chris said the team is operating on a budget of somewhere around £45,000 per season, taking into account running costs, transport to races and equipment. "We are lucky in that we have quite a few sponsors now that help us out and without them we wouldn't have got as far as we have now," he added. "Businesses like Trustland Contruction and the Village Hotel have been tremendous for us, as have all the others." Pete, who has just started a degree in mechanical engineering, agreed with his older brother and said: "It is so much easier when you don't have to worry about spending so much on petrol or something like that, or how to pay for the next practice session. "There are no factory sidecar teams as all the racers are privateers and we did not attend the race meeting at Kyalami in South Africa this year purely because of finance. "Our sponsors have been tremendous and we are always looking for more." One area where the lads, and their backroom staff, will have an advantage over their rivals next season is in engine size. For 2003, the maximum size will be 1000cc, which is what the boys already use. Chris said: "It means we have done the development work this season and found out what it feels like to ride a bike of this size, as well as enjoying some success against the bigger bikes. "That should put us right up at the front next season which will be an exciting one, because the reduction in engine size means there will be more overtaking and racing. "Hopefully we will be able to do more than hold our own and if we do well at Imola, it will really set us up in great shape." To find out more about Team Founds, visit their website at www.teamfoundsracing.com or contact Chris Founds on 07960 033265.

Freeze star quits to fulfil Premier Passion.

Flintshire Freeze's pre-season preparations have been hit by Marc Lovell's switch to English Premier league new boys Telford Wild Foxes.
The talented 20-year-old from Mancot, a graduate of the junior set-up at Deeside, is keen to test himself at a higher level and turned down a tempting offer from Freeze players -coach Mark Stokes to stay.
Said Stokes: " I was desperate to keep Marc so I managed to get an agreement with Manchester Storm who said he could train with them and continue playing for us.
"But his mind was made up and I'm very sad to see him go."
"Marc leaves with our best wishes and it's going to be hard to replace him. But the fact that he's joined a Premier league club shows the junior development programme at Deeside is a success."
The versatile Lovell, who was player of the season in 2001, told the chronicle.
"I've been involved in ice hockey at Deeside since I was eight and I've enjoyed every minute. Playing for my local team has been great but it's time I tested myself in the Premier league. The offer to stay was a tempting one, particularly as I could have trained with the storm. But I wanted to be playing matches at a higher level and that's what Telford could offer."
The Wild foxes played in the Southern conference last season but accepted the offer of promotion to the second tier of English ice hockey in the summer.
The Freeze meanwhile, Face-off in the Northern conference with a home match against Grimsby on Sunday, September 22 (6.30pm).
The Chronicle, Deeside edition Friday September 6, 2002.


Mark cutting a dash with ice breaker

Aug 6 2002

ICE HOCKEY: WHAT started as a one-year holiday has turned into 12 years of work and play for Mark Stokes. Mark, 35, has just started work as a sport development officer with the new sport and art initiative in Wirral. Originally from Vancouver in Canada, he arrived in Britain as a freshfaced 23-year-old to play ice hockey for Sheffield. He said: "I finished university in Canada and had the opportunity to come over here for a year and play hockey, so I decided to give it a go and have some fun. "That was then and now here I am 12 years later having played for Manchester Storm and represented Great Britain at ice hockey. "I never thought I'd be here now, but you never know how things will turn out." Mark arrived in Wirral fresh from the past four years as general manager of the Flintshire Freeze ice hockey team in Deeside. Starting from nothing, the Freeze now regularly get crowds of 600 people for their Sunday night games. "My job was to establish the semipro team and also work with youth development on teams at under 10, 12, 16 and 19 level," Mark explained. "In the time I have been there we now have a successful structure and a successful team who have come within a whisker of winning the competition each year, with a lot of the former junior players coming through to the first team. "That is great for the team and great for them because having that sort of success boosts their personality and confidence." He added: "I know I felt the same when I was playing in front of 15,000 for the Storm at the MEN Arena, and also when I represented Great Britain twice, but the success at Flintshire gives me the same feeling of pride and accomplishment." As the Freeze train in an evening, Mark is now looking to transfer his track record to Wirral. He will be responsible for providing and initiating sports-based activities around the five key areas for the Sports and Arts team, as well as developing any initial contact further. Mark said: "With the guidance of a training development officer, I will be looking to give opportunities to people to complete sport leadership courses and coaching qualifications. "That will allow me to create a network of coaches who I can call upon to help me and who can also put something back into their own area. "For me the key thing is to work in partnership with other people and agencies that are already making a difference across Wirral," he added. "The more people who can team up, the more productive we will be. "I prefer to work in a team environment and I look forward to that objective being realised."

ALTRINCHAM AVALANCHE TO BECOME FLINTSHIRE FURIES

Following ratification at the EIHA Women's Section AGM on the 9th June 2002, Altrincham Avalanche Women's Ice Hockey Club will be renamed 'Flintshire Furies Women's Ice Hockey Club' and will play all their 2002/2003 league games out of Deeside Ice Rink. The team will also be launching a new web site and logo.

The Teams first match under the new name will be against premier league team 'The Cardiff Comets' which will also be the first ever game between two Welsh Women's team's. The game will take place on Sunday 25th August 2002 at Deeside Ice Rink, F/O 18:45

The name change will take to effect after the 1st August 2002...................

Flintshire Freeze's players returned to pre-season training to be greeted with the news that Steve Fellows has been promoted to assistant manager.
Freeze player-manager Mark Stokes made the appointment earlier this week and is confident his 25 year old defenceman will handle the extra responsibility.

"Steve will continue playing but he'll also start working more closely with me and (bench coach) Gary Shaw," said Stokes.

"It's important I have someone who can succeed me one day because I'm not going to be around forever. Steve is maturing all the time and I think he's ready to make the step up."

An integral part of the Freeze defence since the side was formed four years ago, Fellows, who lives in Garden City, is a popular figure with the fans.

His speed across the ice has earned him the nickname "turbo" and he is regarded as one of the top defenders in the EHNL.
Stokes is hopeful of making one pre-season capture before the EHNL Northern Conference campaign faces off with a home clash against Grimsby on Sunday, September 22 (6.30pm).

And while there have been no high-profile departures over the summer, Bradford based forward Phil Brook has parted company with the Freeze because of travel difficulties.

The Chronicle, Deeside edition, August 9th 2002.