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28/01/2012 - Raiders finally find the answer 

Milton Keynes Thunder made the long road trip to the Isle of Wight knowing they had beaten Raiders both at home and away this season. Raiders saw Thunder as their bogey team and had prepared well for this encounter, and from the off they were constantly on the offensive. Thunder defended well for the first ten minutes but two quick goals saw Raiders with a 2-0 lead at the break. Three Raiders goals in five minutes at the start of the second saw Thunder change netminders but also lose influential player coach Simon Howard through injury. The home team was full of confidence by now and two more Raiders goals made it 7-0 before Harrison Goode got Thunder on the scoreboard. A Steve Maile breakaway goal was the only Thunder highlight of the final period as Raiders brought their tally to 10. Bad day at the office this certainly was and Thunder will need to snap out of it before the visit of high flying Chelmsford Chieftains next Sunday.

09/01/2012 - Disappointing Loss for Thunder 

Milton Keynes Thunder went down 3-1 to in form Bracknell Hornets on Sunday after a disappointing performance on home ice. After a goalless first period, Hornet’s player coach Danny Hughes evaded the Thunder defence to race clear and beat Milton Keynes goalie Dave Cassidy for the opening goal of the night as the visitors created far more scoring opportunities. Thunder Man of the Match Jamie Randall grabbed an equaliser four minutes later when he netted a rare short handed goal to leave the match finely poised going in to the last period. Despite creating more chances in the final frame, a quick double salvo from the visitors sunk Thunder. First Alan Lack was able to coast through the Thunder defence to restore the Hornets lead, before Tony Barclay doubled the advantage just 40 seconds later. Despite several scrambles around the Hornets goal in the closing minutes Thunder were unable to find a way through and were left empty handed at the final buzzer.

09/01/2012 - Good performances but no points

Thunder faced their toughest weekend of the season playing in Cardiff on Saturday and in Invicta on Sunday. A double away game weekend is always difficult but having to play the two teams that are furthest away in different directions made the road trips even tougher. Thunder play well in both games and delivered solid team performances, never giving up even in the final shift after 120 minutes of road hockey. Cardiff came out on top on Saturday but the 5-1 scoreline didn't reflect the game, the many dubious decisions allowed Cardiff plenty of opportunites with a man advantage. four powerplay goals made the difference. There was nothing between the two teams on Sunday, in a game that saw Dynamos just get home with a 6-4 win, Thunder were unlucky not to pick up at least a point.

10/12/11 - Romford Raid the Thunderdome

With both teams missing players, this last meeting between Thunder and Romford Raiders was the closest yet between the teams. The previous 3 encounters had seen easy wins for Romford but this game was 3-3 early in the third period and the visitors had to fight for the win, eventually taking the points with a 3-6 win. Despite the loss, this was a much better performance from Thunder against arguably the best side in ENL1. Rob McGregor, making his full game debut between the pipes, had a good solid game and young Ryan Gadeke stepping up from Storm U18s to make his Thunder debut showed that he is a player for the future with a composed game on the second line. Thunder goals came from Steve Maile and two from Maros Stefanco.

27/11/11 - Thunder Down Defending Champions 

Thunder snapped a three game losing streak to beat defending champions Wightlink Raiders 5-4 at the Thunderdome on Sunday. In a tight end to end game it was Thunder that showed more heart and desire and they were rewarded with both points for the second time against Raiders this season. Goals came from Mark Turner, David Coffey, Connor Goode, Harrison Goode, with Simon Howard wrapping the game up with just of 2 minutes to go.

24/11/11 - Player Release

Following an incident in the second period of our game last Saturday against Invicta Dynamos, MK Thunder have taken the decision to release forward Jack Robinson. MK Thunder will not tolerate violent conduct and therefore Robinson's place on the team has been withdrawn. Coach Simon Howard and Manager Dave Fairhurst issued the following statement; "We cannot condone any such action by any player that brings the game into disrepute." "It's a shame for any young player to be banned, however we believe especially at ENL level where players are either developing or playing for free, we cannot be seeing injuries caused with intent to harm which can effect your every day life, work or family."

Robinson leaves the club with immediate effect, and has also been informed of the disciplinary decisions from the EIHA.

21/11/11 - Tough Weekend

Thunder had their toughest weekend of the season playing league leaders Chelmsford Chieftains and perennial title challenges Invicta Dynamos. Saturday saw Dynamos visit the Thunderdome for the first time this season and they left with a comfortable 2 points having won 10-4 against a Thunder team that started brightly and had a good first and third period, but a five minute spell in the second swung the game completely with 5 Invicta goals conceded.

Sunday and Thunder were in Chelmsford for an even bigger test. Despite taking the lead and playing some disciplined hockey, Thunder were gradually worn down by a quality Chieftains side that ran out 9-2 winners.

14/11/11 - Disappointing Defeat for Thunder

Milton Keynes Thunder’s season hit a bump on Saturday, as they went down 3-1 to a hard working Bracknell Hornets side. An even opening period saw both teams create chances, but Hornets player coach Danny Hughes was the only player to find the back of the net. The former Isle of Wight forward capitalised on a mistake by Thunder in the Bracknell end, and raced clear to beat Milton Keynes puck stopper Dave Cassidy after 14 minutes. 

Thunder came back strong in the second period, out shooting their opponents 20 to 7 but found Hornets netminder Mark Petch in fine form. Milton Keyne’s winger Joe Edwards pounced on a loose puck in front of the Hornets goal to equalise four minutes in to the period, but neither side was able to grab a lead before the second break as a slew of penalties against both teams broke up the flow of play.

A sluggish start to the final frame allowed Bracknell to grab their second goal of the game, as Graham Bellamy managed to scramble the puck through traffic to score after Cassidy had already made three key saves to keep the Hornets at bay. Despite piling on the pressure, Thunder were unable to level things as Hornets workmanlike defensive effort continued to frustrate Simon Howard’s team. With just over a minute remaining Thunder opted to pull Cassidy in favour of an extra skater, but were unable to break through the Bracknell defence before Hughes was able to complete his brace and wrap up a 3-1 win for the Hornets with an empty net goal.

07/11/11 - No fireworks in Bristol, but Thunder blow out the Jets

Saturday saw Thunder make the trip to Bristol for a tough game against the Pitbulls. Missing four senior players, Thunder started brightly but failed to take advantage of their early dominance. Pitbulls eventually got going and made Thunder pay with 2 goals in the opening period. Things got worse in the second, with Thunder finding themselves 6-1 down by the second break, Maros with the only goal. Thunder changed netminders for the final period with Rob McGregor making his debut between the pipes, whether this change sparked the rest of the team is open to debate but Thunder upped several gears and controlled the period, winning it 2-0 to finish the game 6-3 down, Connor Goode with both goals. Rob shut out Pitbulls for the period and made some important saves earning him the man of the match beers.

Sunday we were back home to take on Slough ENL Jets for the third time in four weeks, both previous encounters were very close and this game was no different. For once it was a low scoring game, but there were numerous chances at either end as the teams attacked at every opportunity only to find both netminders in top form. It was Slough who took the lead in the opening period. Thunder equalised in the second with a powerplay goal from Harrison Goode to set up a frantic final period. It looked like stalemate until six minutes from time when Thunder found themselves facing a 5 minute penalty kill following Matt Roberts ejection from the game. The defence came up big and kept Jets out. Penalty over and Thunder went all out for the win, and with just 28 seconds left Connor Goode scored the winner. Not often you see a 2-1 result in ENL, but this game had everything and gave Thunder the 2 points they needed to maintain 6th place.

30/10/11 - Thunder come from behind to secure point

Thunder had to come from behind to secure a point against rivals Streatham on Sunday as they continue to fight to keep their spot among the leagues top 8. After beating the London side 6-0 in the capital during the opening weekend of the new season, hopes were high Thunder could grab a valuable two points against the travelling Redskins, but new signing Jaroslav Pavlus and veteran forward Norman Pinnington helped the visitors grab an early lead. Jamie Randall’s close range finish cut the Streatham lead in half, but a powerplay effort from Liam Rasmussen restored the two goal cushion before the first intermission.

Peter Molnar further extended the visitors lead three minutes in to the second period, when the Slovak forward found himself given too much space by the home defence. Leading scorer Maros Stefanco brought Milton Keynes back within two goals of their opponents before the second break, finding the back of the net after a neat pass from Jamie Randall set the Slovak winger through on goal.

The home side came out fighting in the final period, with Harrison Goode reducing the Redskins’ lead to 4-3 with just two minutes gone. The two sides traded a number of chances throughout the period, with both Thunder goalie Dave Cassidy and opposite number Will Sanderson called on to make a number of saves, before Pavlus second goal looked to have earned the visitors a hard fought victory just over six minutes from the end.

22/10/2011 - Defence strengthened. . . .

With the unexpected departure of Pavol Valko early in the season, Thunder have moved quickly to replace him and strengthen the defence with two signings.
Firstly, Jake Florey has signed full time for Thunder. Jake started the season on a two-way with Basingstoke U18s, but both clubs agreed that his development would be helped more by playing at a higher level full time. Jake has played both at Conference and England level and is one to watch for the future. Jake will be wearing #26

Replacing Valko as our import defenceman is another Slovak, Vladimir Hubka. Vlad has a wealth of experience having played in the Czech, French and Slovak leagues and is a no nonsense player with a powerful shot and good hands. Although not big, he has a very physical presence and will add steel to our defence and help our younger Dmen develop. Vlad will be wearing #53 and makes his debut against Chelmsford Chieftains today.

16/10/2011 - Final Minutes so costly. . . .

Cardiff is always a difficult place to get a result, the ENL Devils have turned the 'Blue Tent' into a fortress in recent years. After a 3-3 draw between the teams in September, Thunder travelling looking to gain at least a point for their troubles. Things didn't start too well, Devils went 1-0 up early on, but from that moment Thunder got themselves into the game, held the first period to 1-0 and drew the second period 0-0. All the action happened in the final period, Devils re-took the lead before a bad mid-ice hit saw Thunder's young import Maros Stefanco assited from the ice with a bad knee injury and Devil's Lee Duance ejected from the game for kneeing. The 5 minute powerplay gave Thunder the chance they needed and by the end of it Thunder were level at 2-2. Joe Edwards and Tom Mboya with the goals. A mix up on an change then gave Devils the man advantage as Thunder took a 'to many men' penalty and they converted to make it 3-2. Back came Thunder and Grant Bignell equalised minutes later to set up a tense finish. Both teams had chances, but with less than two minutes to go it was Thunder who made the mistakes and gifted Devils two goals. So Cardiff take the points where a point a piece would have been a fair result.

09/10/2011 - Thunder edge out the Jets 

Despite a lacklustre performance, Thunder managed to take both points against a determined Slough Jets side at the Thunderdome on Sunday with a 6 - 5 win. Ryan Bainborough put in a fantastic display between the pipes for Slough as Thunder convincingly outshot the visitors 52 - 16, whilst sloppy defensive play at the home end allowed Jets to score simple goals that they should never have been in a position to finish. Thunder never got in front in this game until the sixth goal, finding themselves playing catch up for 54 minutes of the game. Scorers for Thunder were Man of the match Joe Edwards with 2, Jamie Randall with 2, and one apiece for Harrison and Connor Goode.

03/10/2011 - Disappointing Weekend for Thunder 

After a tremendous victory on the Isle of Wight the week before, Milton Keynes Thunder were brought back to earth with a bump last weekend. With their import defenceman having left the club during the week, Thunder were also missing Simon Howard and Matt Roberts from defence and had to reshuffle lines to compensate. Romford Raiders took full advantage on Saturday and scored nine unanswered goals to romp home to a comfortable 9-0 victory. Although Thunder had good chances, they couldn't find a way past Gray in Raiders goal.

Sunday was always going to be a close tough game against a vastly improved Bristol Pitbulls side, but one that Thunder really should have won. Instead they were hesitant in front of net at both ends and took far to many penalties giving the visitors plenty of opportunity with the extra man (or two on three occasions!). Bristol did not squander the gifts presented to them and left with a 5-3 win. Tom Mboya, Maros Stefanco, and Joe Edwards scored for Thunder.

27/09/2011 - Valko leaves Thunder

Pavol Valko has left Thunder and returned home to Slovakia having failed to agree terms with the team.

24/09/2011 - Thunder 'raid' the Isle

Thunder travelled to the Isle of Wight on Saturday and picked the pocket of the Raiders, coming away with a fantastic 4 - 1 win. Raiders dominated possession and took an early lead, but Jack Robinson levelled soon after with his first goal for Thunder. Harrison Goode and Mark Turner combined to put Thunder ahead before the first break. A goalless second period followed as Thunder soaked up the pressure, man of the match David Cassidy was superb between the pipes and Thunder's defence were always there to clear the rebounds and block shots. As Raiders pressed forward in the last period looking for the equaliser, they left gaps which Thunder's forwards exploited on the break away as they had done all night. Connor Goode and Maros Stefanco made sure of the win with the third and fourth goals for Thunder. This was a brilliant display of road hockey - soak up the pressure and hit on the break. Raiders will have a lot more respect for Thunder next time the two teams meet!

18/09/2011 - Devils escape with a point

Thunder came within 24 seconds of beating their Welsh visitors on Saturday night. Despite going behind to Cardiff in the opening period, Thunder were the better team over the sixty minutes. Martyn Snape scored the equaliser within a minute of the Cardiff goal, before Jamie Randall put Thunder ahead in the second. Cardiff pulled it back to 2-2 going into the final period, but Harrison Goode put Thunder ahead again and they looked like holding onto the 3-2 lead. Cardiff pulled their netminder for the extra skater with over a minute to go, and went on all out attack. With just 24 seconds of the game to go, Cardiff found the equaliser.

17/09/2011 - Tesco Wolverton sponsor Thunder's Man of the Match Beers

Tesco Wolverton have generously agreed to provide the beers for all Thunder home games this season. We are very grateful to the store manager for agreeing to the sponsorship and look forward to welcoming Tesco staff to our games this season.

11/09/2011 - City Stars get the physical edge over Thunder

Despite out shooting Oxford 50 - 40 on Sunday, Thunder fell foul of the referee who seem intent on filling the game sheet with penalties. 21 minor penalties and 3 powerplay goals against saw Thunder come out on the wrong side of a 5-2 scoreline. Thunder rallied from 4-0 down in the third with a brace from Maros giving us faint hope but Disco Douglas had a great night between the pipes for Oxford and the lads couldn't get past him again.

10/09/2011 - Thunder dominate Hornets

Thunder cruised to a comfortable 9 - 2 win over Bracknell Hornets at the Thunderdome on Saturday. After a tight opening period which ended 2-1, Thunder stepped on the gas and six unanswered goals later the game was over. A late consolation for Hornets brought a swift response from Thunder to finish 9-2. Maros got 3, Connor 2, and one apiece for Mailer, JR, Snapey, Nidal.

04/09/2011 - Thunder take it out on Redskins

After a disappointing opening game on Saturday, Thunder made the road trip to Streatham needing to put right the shortfalls of the night before. Well, they certainly did that, coming away with a 6-0 win. The team performance was unrecognisable from the Romford defeat, with all lines sparking and playing a solid two way game. Goals from Stefanco (2), Randall (1), Bignell (1), Connor Goode (1), and Maile (1) backed up with a fine defensive performance highlighted by a 37 shot, shut out from David Cassidy gave Thunder a comfortable road win.

03/09/2011 - Thunder fail to spark against Raiders

Even the shroud of mist that descended over the ice pad within 5 minutes of the start of each period could not hide a poor opening performance from Thunder. Things didn't look too bad with Thunder down by a single goal at the end of the first. But an error strewn second period gifted the game to Romford, who were 0-5 up by the second break. Raiders netminder Gray put in a fantastic performance which made things even worse for Thunder as, even when they got their game together , they couldn't get past Gray. Looking at shots on goal, it wasn't that one sided, but another brace from Raiders gave them a comfortable 0-7 win. 

31/08/2011 - Thunder sign EPL forward

The signing of forward Mark Turner from Sheffield Steeldogs completes the Thunder's recruitment of players for 2011 - 2012 season.

Commenting about the signing, Coach Simon Howard said: "Mark is a product of the very talented Sheffield organisation and has experience at both EPL and ENL north level". "Very much a two way player, Mark will bring us both valuable experience and great speed". "Mark probably breaks the mould of your average hockey player as he is studying for a Phd at Bedford University therefore we can expect him to be a clever player who makes smart decisions". "As the Thunder looks to gel and develop as a team I will look to Mark to bring all his experience from his time with the Steeldogs to guide our younger players through a tough season".

30/08/2011 - Thunder sign import Defenceman....

MK Thunder are delighted to have secured the signature of young Slovak defenceman, Pavol Valko. Twenty year old Pavol joins us having spent the last two seasons playing for Motala in Sweden. Those who follow the EPL might recognise the name Valko, Pavol's father (of the same name) played for Romford Raiders in 2007/08.

Coach Simon Howard had this to say about the signing: "Pavol joins the Thunder on a strong recommendation from our very own Maros Stefanco and has experience from both his junior days in Slovakia and two seasons in Sweden. Pavol, although relatively young, is an accomplished and composed player who will contribute at both ends of the ice. With the departure of two senior defencemen I thought it was important to add an import defenceman who can bring the puck out of defence and add a new dimension to our game. Pavol will also help develop our younger defencemen develop their skills and will act as a good role model for them. I am delighted to have Pavol on the team and look forward to seeing him in action this weekend as we start our season with two tough games against a strong Romford team and possibly one of the hardest away trips to South London to face the Redskins".

26/08/2011 - Thunder sign future star....

MK Thunder are pleased to announce the signing of one of the brightest prospects to have come through the junior system in Milton Keynes.
17 year old Tom Mboya began his playing career at the age of seven and has been recognised as a natural talent at every age group, representing the South West Conference at U11, U13, U15, and U17. Conference success led him to play for England at 13s, 14s, 15s and 16s with him being awarded player of the tournament in Latvia whilst with the England 15s. Tom has trials next week for GB18s.
Coach Simon Howard is particularly pleased that Tom decided to stay in Milton Keynes and play his first full senior season with Thunder as there had been other higher league clubs keen on securing his signature. "Tom is one of the most naturally gifted youngsters I've seen" said Howard "Although at full season of senior hockey will be a challenge for Tom at his age, he showed in the few games he played for us last season that he can handle the pressure and produce the goods on ice".
"I'm looking forward to working with Tom and helping with his development, I'm am certain he will become an excellent player at higher levels than Thunder in the future".

15/08/2011 - Another new face....

21 year old Joe Edwards joins Thunder from our local rivals the Oxford city Stars, he grew up playing through the junior system at Slough, returning to Oxford to play ENL. Although young, Joe has already had EPL experience with both Slough Jets and Basingstoke Bison and brings his fast skating style to Milton Keynes to continue his development under coach Simon Howard.

Coach Howard said "I heard a lot of good things about Joe from Darryl Morvan and it didn't take long watching him on ice to make my mind up that he'd fit well into our young forward lines". "For some reason things didn't work out for him in Oxford, but their loss is our gain". "Joe is very quick, has great hands and vision and I'm looking forward to helping him progress in his hockey career".
 

13/08/2011 - Thunders' young forwards re-sign for this season

We are delighted to have three of our key young forwards re-sign for the coming season. Harrsion and Connor Goode, and Martyn Snape are all fired up and ready for the challenge ahead.

Coach Simon Howard commented on the signings; "I am delighted to have Haribo, Conner and Snapey back in the team for this season".
"Three young players who all showed me last year that they have a great future if they want to work hard for it. The Goode brothers are both tenacious characters and have worked hard on their fitness and strength this summer. Haribo is a naturally strong skater, has great vision and finesse and can score too. Conner is a more powerful and direct player who can also score goals but strength lies in work he does in the corners and is as good as any player of his age in the ENL. Snapey for his size has great soft hands and is a natural finisher and can be a 20 goal a season player in the ENL. All 3 have great potential, natural skills and an eye for goal but now they need to add more positional awareness and become two way players who can play solid defensively too. As with a lot of the players its now a time to shine and to lose the tag of being the young guys and step up this season and turn their potential into reality".

09/08/2011 - Steve Maile signs for Thunder

MK thunder are very excited to announce the signing of 27 year old forward Steve Maile from Cardiff ENL Devils.

Steve is an all action power forward with a 100% work rate and doesn’t stop skating, never giving D men a shift off. He finishes all his hits and will be a real fan favourite. He has won a championship at ENL level and has extensive EPL experience around the league, including 5 years with the Peterborough Phantoms. Steve has also played internationally for England.

Coach Simon Howard said, "I’m delighted to get Mailer, I’ve played against him a few times and he’s the kind of guy you look for when you're on the ice because you know he’s coming for you at some point". "He’s a gritty player that plays the puck very well and his experience will prove a real asset to our young forward lines". "I think Thunder fans are going to love him, he plays our style of game for sure, and displays the 'never say die' attitude that Thunder are known for".

Starting at the back..

We are delighted to announce that our netminding duo of Mark Woolf and David Cassidy are returning for the upcoming season. Simon Howard had this to say about his choice of goalies; "I felt that at the beginning of last season with a lot of ice time and with no second option to give Mark a rest the team was vulnerable and as a result weaker at the back. Cass really impressed everyone by joining us at the back end of last season and his performances and attitude gave us the opportunity to rest Mark without effecting the team's confidence".
"This season we have more options and more competition to see who starts each game which is a great position to be in as a coach. Both netminders have their own natural strengths which lends itself to playing against certain opposition. In Mark we have one of the most respected goalies in the league, a guy who is a natural shot stopper and experienced in pressured situations which helps enormously in both games, training and as a natural team leader. With Cass we have a young, ambitious guy who quietly goes about his work and can play the puck well. His natural height and butterfly style closes down the angles and make it difficult for teams to score in smaller rinks".

The Thunder will rely on younger Dmen this season with the return of David Coffey and Nidal Phillips to join the more experienced Matt Roberts and Sam Fairhurst. "Coffey was a young player who always impressed me as a junior and has great potential, but has had limited ice time over the last couple of seasons. He now has a chance to really step up and shine. I believe we are already seeing a more mature player and one that has greatly improved his fitness over the summer and his determination to play. With a little more game time and some guidance along the way from senior players around him Coff will be a great player in the ENL and big part of our D this year".

Nidal Phillips is in his second season after a chance last year to step up from under 18s. "Nidal can be a physical player and is a tall, natural athlete and a good skater who will learn quickly from being put into more key game situations. Again, last year, even though he sat on the bench for large parts of the season, when he was called upon he did a great job and importantly he has the confidence needed to succeed at this level. Young British D men are like gold dust so it will be a key task this season to get both of these guys playing solid hockey and turning them into more players who can represent this club for the long term. As with all D men game experience is invaluable and this season with the departure of 2 of the older dmen these two younger guys have a great chance to develop their skills and bring the team both younger legs, a greater desire to play and enthusiasm which at times was seen to be lacking last season".

With the season seemingly coming closer and closer we are still considering the option of an import Dman or even a two way versatile import. We have several players who will join us over the next few weeks for trials and will make a final decision in August.

New Coach's first announcement

Since becoming Head Coach, Simon Howard has been busy talking to players and putting together his coaching team for next season. In his first press release Howie shares his thoughts so far;

"As head coach I am delighted to be able to give a little back to the Milton Keynes Thunder after so many happy years playing within the organisation.
After an indifferent start to last season it was encouraging to see the team end on such a high and almost pull off a shock result in the playoffs against the eventual champions Chelmsford. What becomes apparent at ENL level is that due to the commitments of everyone involved away from the team, I felt it was vital to assemble a coaching team who will all work closely together and share responsibilities. With Dave continuing his sterling work organisation off ice and game day management, the coaching team will exist of Jamie Randall, Sam Fairhurst and Daryl Morvan with myself overseeing the operation".

"The ENL should be a place for young and upcoming players to gain valuable amounts of consistent ice time and allow them to experience playing in a variety of roles. Within our new style of set up I will hopefully be able to spend more time with individuals within practise time to develop their skills and knowledge of the game with the aim of them making the next step up to EPL hockey. With a new team often comes new changes in player personal and we are building toward the start of next season with some familiar faces and more than likely a few new ones too. However what will be clear is that we are starting with a clean slate and with no preconceived ideas or bias towards players so it will be up to each and every one of them to play and train hard and earn the right to wear the shirt. I believe we have some exciting young talent, players who could, after another couple of seasons, make the transition to EPL and give the Lightning a solid home grown base of players to choose from".

"With a clear divide between the top 4 in ENL South Div1 and the rest of the teams in the league, and with teams around us like Slough looking to make an impact, it will be a great achievement for the team to finish in the top 5 or 6. I think its really important to manage expectations around any new season and as the ENL has become even more competitive than last year the Thunder will need to be more consistent than last year, more tactically aware as a team, and as physically fit as possible. Its already a great sign that Sam and Mark Woolf, with the help of fitness instructor Tom Roles, are starting an off ice program early to ensure that we start the season as fit as possible which may well win us vital points against other teams early in the season".

"The shape of the team is starting to unfold and I can announce, in addition those already mentioned, that we are very pleased to have the services of Matt Roberts as both a key defence man and our new team captain. I believe Matt brings many great leadership qualities and demands the respect of the dressing room, two factors which are going to be key in a tough season".

More signings will be released soon.