A number of recent developments and revelations have seen a grey cloud hanging over Milton Keynes ice hockey.
After a difficult two-year spell in the Elite League, Milton Keynes Lightning, the primary club in the town, made the decision to drop into the newly formed NIHL – acting as the new second tier of the sport in the country.
The decision to drop into the NIHL came as a result of difficulties running the club in the EIHL, with the club’s owners revealing a loss of £300,000 over the past two seasons at that level.
This was met with largely mixed reactions from the fan base, who believed so strongly in the potential for Elite League hockey in the town that a new consortium determined to bring it back has been formed.
The new consortium has had a number of discussions with the league as well as Planet Ice, who appear to be strongly backing a bid to bring a team back into the top tier of British hockey.
Despite managing to raise around £200,000 in capital in just six weeks, the group’s bid to join the league ahead of the 2019/20 season was rejected at a board meeting.
This has not deterred the board in charge of working towards bringing a team back to the top tier, but it has been a disappointing turn of events with so much momentum growing.
Former Lightning player-coach Tim Wallace has helped provide advice behind the scenes and appeared ready to take the new Elite League team forward had the bid been successful.
Despite this development, a number of revelations regarding the existing iteration of Lightning have come to light that has raised a number of serious questions over the future of the team, and the sport as a whole, in Milton Keynes.
Former players, such as Radek Meidl and Michael Fine have claimed on social media that a number of players have yet to receive their final payments from the club – with some also claiming they are yet to be reimbursed for flights and visas.
Former commercial manager Sarah-Jane Smyth has also claimed that she is awaiting a final payment.
This shocking news has seen some staff members decide to leave the club, with some walking away after many years of association with the Lightning as a result.
The ongoing uncertainty surrounding the club has also seen sponsors decide to step away, while previous sponsors have also emerged discussing their dealings with the club.
The revelations have unsurprisingly shocked and angered fans of the team, and fans of hockey in the town as a whole – putting the long-term future of the Lightning into question.
With mass exodus potentially taking place, both internally and externally, all eyes will be fixed on what happens next with either the Lightning or the ongoing attempt to bring a team into the Elite League.
