BLACKBURN Hawks bring the curtain down on an eventful season with play-off games away to Bracknell Bees today before ending with a home game against Guildford Flames tomorrow at the Arena (face-off 6pm).

Only a remarkable sequence of results could see Hawks finish top, but captain John Haig reckons his unfancied side have continued to confound their critics to the death and hopes to end the marathon season on a high note.

"The whole season has been one of major achievement for the team, given the finances we have compared to some," said the Scottish skipper who finished top British scorer in either division.

"I've obviously enjoyed a personal-best season playing with Steve Chartrand and Oleg Sinkov, but the team as a unit has a great deal to be proud of.

"People were still slating us just before the play-offs, saying we'd been half-a-season wonders, but we proved them wrong again, didn't we?

"We beat Milton Keynes, the best team in the group, and what's more we beat them convincingly and we were seconds away from winning at Guildford before they got a late equaliser.

"It would be nice to wind things up with two more wins this weekend and we're well capable of beating both the sides we play."

With uncertainty surrounding the future of Kummu and the possibility of new teams being formed, rival clubs are sure to be eyeing the talent in Hawks' roster.

"We've all got to wait and see what happens," continued Haig, "the boys were all on one-year deals this season and it's inevitable that other teams will look at the success we've had and want our best players to play for them.

"Most of the lads are well capable of playing in any Premier League, but not many of the teams will know what direction they're going in until the structure is known."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.