A Fresh Start: GB Men’s Ball Hockey Ushers in New Leadership

A New Era for GB Ball Hockey

The Great British Ball Hockey program has recently undergone a significant change in its top positions. To further understand the processes behind this decision and what comes next for Great Britian Ball Hockey, the ISBHF reached out to the newly appointed Director of Operations and Head Coach of the Men’s Team to learn more about the path forward.

Top Down Shake-up

Alisdair Howie has recently stepped into the role of Director of Operations, where he will oversee the entire Great Britian (GB) international Programme. He will ensure that the programme follows a consistent standardized process to maintain the professionalism of their organization. Alisdair plans to create and foster a professional environment at tryouts, nationals, and GB team camps, thereby instilling in the players a professional attitude where “the only thing the players need to worry about is their personal fitness, preparation and play.” By establishing this framework for the GB International program, the players, coaches, and managers will be better prepared and more focused to compete with the best at the ISBHF World Championships.

One significant responsibility Alisdair has is to appoint the coaches for the international teams. Just a few days before his arrival, Ball Hockey UK announced the departure of their Men’s Team Head Coach George Gortos. George has been involved in ball hockey his entire life, serving as a Team Canada player, coach, and as the ISBHF President and is an ISBHF Hall of Fame inductee. The decision was announced as a mutual parting of ways between the programme and the coach, leaving the international community shocked. Shortly after this announcement, Luke Browne was appointed by Alisdair as the new head coach.

The ISBHF asked Alisdair what led him to this decision. He stated, “I have worked closely with Luke as the Team Manager to his Head Coach role for two Under 23 Great Britain teams and have seen him develop in the role, learning and improving along the way to a point that he coached a Great Britain team to their first ever junior international game win. Luke brings along a number of great attributes with him, most notably the respect that he has from the players and his ability to motivate them.”

Luke Browne Takes the Position

With high praise from Alisdair, the ISBHF then reached out to Luke Browne to ask him about his new role. Luke first got involved in ball hockey at the age of 14 when a friend of his introduced him to the game. He was a part of the first GB junior team ever in 2012. Luke has gained coaching experience nationally by helping coach the Nottingham Wolves and then progressing through several GB teams. He began as the U18 Assistant Coach, then became a co-Head Coach of the Women’s Team, and is now the Head Coach of the U23 Team at the 2025 World Juniors.

Luke believes that his development as a coach at various levels has provided him with the tools to adapt to players at different stages of their development. His long-standing relationship with Ball Hockey UK enables him to garner the respect of the players and extract the best from each individual. Luke attributes his success now to his experience working with several influential coaches, whose passion, knowledge, and work ethic have helped shape him into the leader he is today.

When asked about the departure of the previous coach and why he believes he was next in line, Luke stated, “From my perspective, the transition was about continuity and momentum. I already have a strong relationship within the GB set up, which will make that shift smoother, but I also recognize the importance of putting my own stamp on the team.” When the change happened, Luke believed that his ability to provide stability to the team and clarity for the players made him a prime candidate for the role.

Luke recognizes the new pressure he faces, and when asked about his vision for the team, he responded with purpose. He said he wants to create a high-performance environment, reflecting Alisdair’s goal of professionalism, where every player understands their role and is held to high standards. Luke’s goal is to keep developing the depth of players selected to the Men’s Team and build a culture where hard work, accountability and belief in oneself and their teammates are non-negotiable.

With a clear outline of team culture and expectations set out by the new head coach, the next step is addressing how to close the gap between GB and the rest of the top-tier nations. While recent GB Men’s teams have shown flashes of competitiveness, Luke recognizes that brief moments of success are not enough to build a lasting foundation for the future. Luke insists that the gap between GB and the rest of the top-tier teams is not as big as many people think; however, to close that gap, he emphasizes, the team must establish a clear identity: “one that plays with pace, discipline, and the confidence to go toe-to-toe with anyone in the world.”

Inside the Room

Of course, a new direction is not only about the coach’s philosophy — it also depends on how the players respond. For that perspective, we turned to GB’s most recent captain. Tom Cole co-captained the Men’s GB Team at the 2025 ISBHF World Championships and has been a part of the GB international system since he was 16. When asked about how the players feel about the recent and sudden change, Tom said, “There’s definitely a sense of optimism around the group right now. Luke Browne’s appointment as head coach is a significant boost. I’ve seen firsthand how much passion and knowledge he brings to the table. He knows what it takes to compete at this level, and he’s got the trust of the room straight away.”

Tom believes that with new leadership, there’s always an adjustment period. However, his job as co-captain is to “make sure we adapt quickly, buy into the plan, and keep our focus on winning the next shift, the next battle, the next game.” It is safe to say from Tom’s answers that Luke has the confidence of the room and of the players; however, there is still a long way to go for Team GB.

The Road Ahead: Challenges and Hope

With an admittedly disappointing result from the last ISBHF World Championship and being sent back to the B Pool, Luke and the GB squad have their work cut out for them. The team will have to battle their way back to the A Pool if they want to measure themselves against the sport’s truly elite. While there is no shortage of optimism surrounding Luke’s appointment and Alisdair’s structural changes, the reality remains that Great Britain has struggled to compete at the highest level consistently. Professionalism and culture alone will not close the gap — results will. Until GB proves it can translate vision into victories, the program will remain on the outside looking in at the world’s top tier. Still, with fresh leadership and a group eager to respond, the possibility of turning a setback into the start of real progress cannot be ruled out.

All photos used in this article were taken by Barcud Photography, a volunteer for Great Britian Ball Hockey