Surbiton Spotlight:
Barry Middleton on Coaching the M1 & EHL
By Ollie Fitch
Ollie Fitch interviews Men's 1s Player-Coach Barry Middleton about joining Surbiton and the upcoming EHL competition being hosted at the club...
Firstly, welcome to Surbiton. What were your main reasons behind taking up your new role as player/coach here?
We live locally and we had a baby in February so the travel and being able to prioritise time with the family was a massive factor. Also, the direction the club are wanting to go in, trying to make club hockey much more professional was very exciting for me. There are lots of exciting players at the club and spending time on the pitch trying to help them improve is what I enjoy doing.
How has your first pre-season at the club gone?
Preseason has gone well for us. We have managed to get an understanding of how we want to play in a short space of time. The players have been brilliant and have invested into what we are trying to do and have brought high levels of intensity to each session so far.
What are you most looking forward to about the season ahead?
I am excited to see the team evolve over the season. I believe there is great potential in the squad and we can play some really exciting hockey. The EHL is obviously something we are all looking forward to massively.
Moving onto EHL, what does it mean for Surbiton as a club to be hosting such a prestigious event?
It is a great honour for the club to be selected to host the EHL. We now want to put on a great show so that we get the chance to do it again in the future. There are so many hockey players, young and old at the club and we hope to capture the interest of others in the area. It is great that they will get the chance to watch so many amazing players over the four days and hopefully be inspired by them.
We have history with Waterloo Ducks, in EHL competitions. What are you expecting from them?
I expect them to be a very strong team. They will be very dynamic with good technical players and I am expecting a great battle.
For someone new to hockey, what would you say the biggest difference is between the England Hockey play-off finals that we have held over the last two years and the EHL?
I would say the biggest difference is the atmosphere at the event. The EHL always brings lots of true fans from clubs across the continent and they really make a great atmosphere to play hockey in. There’s always lots of noise with huge cohorts of traveling fans and importantly it is really fun to play in front of.
How have your experiences in the EHL helped shape you as a player?
I have always enjoyed playing in the EHL. The atmosphere and the excitement of something different brings out the best in most people and I always look forward to challenging the best players from around the world in these games.
On the whole, we have got quite a young squad, and for a few, it will be their first EHL campaign. What should they expect?
They should expect there to be a great atmosphere in the crowd and an intensity on the pitch that you don’t get every week. Our challenge will be to channel our excitement into playing at an amazing intensity but with calmness at all times.
What is a realistic aim for the club this season in the EHL and how will it lay the foundations for the rest of the season?
We believe we can go and challenge the best teams. The EHL gives us a great focus for the early part of the season and the intensity of the games should give us a great base level to test ourselves against for the rest of the season.
Image credit: GMW Sport Photo