plan to see the club through to the end of the season, if fans were willing to help through pledging donations. This they did and the club successfully completed the season, finishing in 3rd place in the league, winning the EPL cup and finishing runner up to Slough Jets in the play-off final. For the 2008–2009 season Dwight Parrish returned to the Manchester Phoenix and was replaced as head coach by the previous season's captain, Adam Bicknell. During the season, Bicknell recruited Peter Russell as a bench coach, after Russell had been released by Swindon Wildcats. Bees finished the season in 5th place in the EPL before going out of the play-offs in a two-legged quarter final to Slough Jets, 7–5 on aggregate. Bees reached the semi-final of the EPL Cup, where they lost 6–4 on aggregate to Peterborough Phantoms who went on to take all four trophies on offer for the season, leaving the Bees with no trophies for the first time in 5 seasons. During the 2008–2009 season, Eleftheriou and Robinson announced that they would not continue to run the Bees beyond the end of the campaign. This was announced mid season in an effort to allow time for a new owners to be found and make the relevant arrangements with John Nike Leisuresport, who would issue the operating licence. Unfortunately, with parties interested, deadlines came and went and were extended, but no deal could be reached. At the last moment in the absence of any alternative owner, Eleftheriou and Robinson announced that they would continue with revised budgets, rather than see the club fold. Unfortunately, by that stage the majority of the team had signed elsewhere, while coach Adam Bicknell announced that he was to retire to play local league football instead. With little time to build a new team, Bees recruited Claude Dumas as player coach, after his club Telford Tigers announced that they were to mothball. Dumas recruited three imports from the French Elite League, forwards Michal Pinc and Jaroslav Cesky, along with Dutch international defenceman, Chad Euverman. Euverman announced after the start of the season that he would not be joining up with his new team and was soon replaced by the previous seasons fans' favourite, Andrius Kaminskas. Only two EIHA trained players returned from the previous season, Ryan Watt and Danny House. As well as being joined after the start of the season