Shropshire Star

Telford Tigers fired up for derby double

Boss Tom Watkins is aiming to get one over on some old friends when Telford Tigers take on Solihull Barons in a weekend double bill.

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The Tigers travel to the Barons tonight (face-off 5.15pm) before hosting the return fixture at the Telford Ice Rink tomorrow (6pm), in the latest instalments of a Midlands rivalry which stretches back to the 1980s.

It carries even more spice for head coach Watkins, who has coached several members of the Solihull team.

He explained: “There are a number of their players who I know personally, who previously played here before moving on. To be honest, I’ve probably coached most of their team, at some point or another.

“It’s always a fun weekend when you are playing against your local rivals. There is a lot of shared history between these two clubs. I think the derby fixtures are really important for the fans.

“Solihull have got a lot of lads who are local to this area and I’ve no doubt they will be up for it, as will our players. We’ve got a full strength squad for the game.”

Telford and Solihull first faced off in the British Premier League during the 80s. After several years apart, the rivalry was rekindled when the Tigers dropped back into the National League last year.

Watkins is hopeful his team can build on last Sunday’s 8-4 home win over the Sheffield Steeldogs, a win which moved them to within one point of the NIHL Moralee Conference summit.

A full house of around 1,200 fans packed into the Ice Rink for the game and Watkins is hopeful of drawing a similar crowd tomorrow night.

He said: “The game with Solihull this time last year got a packed house. We had one last week against Sheffield and the supporters made a lot of noise, which helps the players.

“These always feel like special games. I expect it will be a physical contest. Our focus is on trying to finish the year on a high.”