The GalxC Cooling Services Basingstoke Bison are pleased to confirm that our Off-Ice team for the 2022 / 23 season has now been finalised.
Equipment manager Gary Mitchell fresh from his summer work with the Great Britain Junior programme will once again be the backbone of support for the Herd squad and ensuring the players are looked after in a professional manner.
Gary will be joined behind the bench this season by long time Herd stalwart Tony Skinn’s.
Gary is currently looking for another member to join the Herd’s back-room team, any individual who would like to be put forward for the role should email hello@bstokebison.co.uk with their CV.
For the 2022 / 23 season we are joined by new team medic Nikki Duffin, Nikki is a qualified Sports therapist, Emergency Medical technician and Student paramedic who is looking forward to working with the players ensuring they are as injury free as possible during the course of a long season.
With Nikki’s appointment we say thank you and good luck to Phil Barratt who has supported the players for the last few seasons and long-time medic Glen Wells both of whom will not be back behind the bench in the 2022 / 23 season.
Behind the merchandise table the team of volunteers will once again be led by Carol and Gary Blakemore who’s help and support off the ice is invaluable to the smooth running of the match night, they will be ably backed up by Sharon Dudley, Gemma Shepherd plus our roving ticket sellers Marjorie Hide and Angela Mears.
The Herd this season are on the lookout for additional volunteers to sell fundraising tickets, if you are keen to help sell tickets or work for the club, again please email hello@bstokebison.co.uk to register your interest.
We also are pleased to welcome back Jo Loat as our official match night photographer and Hannah Driver our game night officials co-ordinator along with her team of off-ice officials Eleanor, Mark, Benn, Colette, Ken, Pete, Karl and Bob.
Also returning to help with coordinating the mascots and the Junior Bison is Sandra Young who this season will be assisted Dan.
Our Social Media will once again be made up of Keith Johnson, Anthony Russell and Oliver Mitchell with Mike Key working his magic with video footage as we look to re-instate Bison hockey on YouTube ably assisted by media students from Winchester University.
Match reports and general press releases will once again be written by Nigel Simmonds, Matthew Church and Simon Church
The final piece of our off-ice team jigsaw is the return of the “Voice of the Herd” Daren Bavister.
There’s more to a “Hockey Night in Basingstoke” than just ice hockey!
Bavy has become the face and voice of Bison hockey as he entertains the fans in his own inimitable style throughout the game. His tunes and banter energise fans and players alike.
Bison’s John Neville commented,
“Our sport doesn’t function without volunteers and its great news that everyone is back for another season of Bison hockey. In my eyes we have the best backroom and off ice staff in the league and without doubt having ‘Bavy’ behind the microphone is second to none as I really do believe he’s the best in the business and the catalyst to what makes our supporters night one of the most entertaining in ice hockey across the UK – we are fortunate to have him”.
The news keeps coming thick and fast now for the fans of the Herd as we start our ‘Stampede into 2022 / 23 Season’, with new and returning sponsors on board, players to be announced, fans just need to keep their eye on our social media channels and club website as we build to our first home game on 3rd September when we entertain Bees IHC in pre-season action.
#IsItSeptemberYet
