Tony Hand and Willie Dunn on board for next season

Tony Hand and Willie Dunn

Whitley Warriors are delighted to confirm that an agreement has been reached between the Whitley Bay Ice Rink owners and Tony Hand MBE for Tony to continue in the role of Head Coach for season 2024-25. The agreement also means that General Manager Willie Dunn will continue in his role for the same period.

Speaking about the agreement, Whitley Bay Ice Rink Management said, “We have been pleased with the outcome of this season given the huge change we faced last Summer. Tony and Willie have fitted into the Warriors operation seamlessly.”

“I’m delighted to continue on this journey at the Warriors,” Tony Hand told us. “This season was very much one of transition and we know what we need to do next year to improve things.”

“The season is not over and we are looking forward to the playoffs but the building work for next season will begin much earlier than last season. We have built a strong link with our juniors and we will continue developing this going forward.

“It has been a steep learning curve at the Warriors and we intend to learn the lessons of this season to build for next.”

Warriors GM Willie Dunn said, “I’m glad we have decided to stay on as I believe we have built some strong foundations but we’re under no illusions of the task ahead. We have developed strong links with sponsors old and new and we want to increase this for next season.

“Both Tony and I, as well as the entire team, wish to thank the sponsors and volunteers for their fantastic support. Coming into the role we were aware of the passion associated with Warriors fans and we have not been disappointed! They have backed the team consistently all season and we are extremely grateful for their continued support of us and Whitley Wolf!”