BLOG: Talking Clan Towers 8 – with Gareth Chalmers
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I’ve wanted to let the dust settle for a few days and reflect before typing this up. Obviously it’s been a very difficult week with the news that Ryan won’t be returning as head coach for 2017/18. I just want to summarise a little about the man and what he has done here at the Braehead Clan over the past four years.
Ryan joined the club back in the summer of 2013 from the Sheffield Steelers. It’s fair to say the club was in some turmoil when he arrived. Andy McLaughlin has just become full time, Kirsty Longmuir had departed her role as General Manager and I wasn’t set to join until early October. The organisation had come off an eighth place finish and had come through a very difficult year on and off the ice.
Ryan joined the club, along with Kevin Bergin and straight away steadied the ship. Obviously with no GM in place and no one with hockey admin experience someone had to step up – and Ryan did that. He and Bergy were organising housing, cars, equipment, ITC’s, work permits – they were 24/7 to ensure the club was ready for the 2013/14 season.
There really aren’t many head coaches like Ryan Finnerty, for those that don’t know Ryan the way I do, he an absolute workaholic – he’s constantly on the go. He has bleed for the Braehead Clan, his players, his colleagues and his friends he’s made here in Glasgow – he will do anything he can to get in front and win. He has gone beyond his role as head coach, he has got involved in many aspect of the day to day running of the club and has been a superb support to me. There are not many coaches that would be willing to do this and it’s certainly going to be a challenge to replace that, even if we can.
I am a firm believer that the head coach in any organisation is the most important person, the head coach is literally the captain of the ship and in Ryan we’ve had someone that led with passion and drive that has allowed us to progress to where we are today.
We’ve had four good years with Ryan at the helm, our first POFW appearance, three Gardiner Conference titles, runners up in the EIHL and Champions Hockey League qualification. Who remembers that superb trip to Ingolstadt and being up 1-0 to a DEL club on the road. Then that outstanding night at Braehead where we saw off Ingolstadt 6-4 – it’s one I am sure none of us will ever forget. From day one Ryan has been a credit to this organisation, it hurts that we collectively haven’t been able to deliver the silverware he and everyone associated with the club now deserves. However this is sport, these difficult decisions sometimes have to be made and it’s onto the future.
It’s the start of a new chapter for the Braehead Clan and Ryan Finnerty. He has the excitement of a wedding in Sweden during the summer, then the patter of tiny Finnerty feet arriving in September. Ryan is an integral part of our history, he’s a guy everyone here will always have the upmost respect for. Wherever he ends up we hope he finds the success that he deserves and will always be welcome back at Braehead – just don’t come back and haunt us now!
Myself and Ryan have had our ups and downs over the past four years, we haven’t always agreed on everything, we’ve fought, we’ve fallen out but ultimately we both have wanted the best for this great hockey club.
All the very best from everyone at the Braehead Clan to Ryan, his fiancé Emma and little one heading into the future. On a personal level thank you Ryan!
Gareth Chalmers
Hockey & Operations Director
