The new Basingstoke Bison director of hockey says a major sponsor is needed to keep the team in the Elite League.

Harry Robinson told the BBC "we'll have a level of hockey we can afford" after financial difficulties led to a change of ownership at the club last week.

"If we find a commercial sponsor we'll hopefully stay in the Elite League," he said. "That will mean a big sponsor.

"We're going to be financially sound. We'll never go through a situation again where the team is at risk."

The Bison have courted financial disaster on several occasions in recent seasons.

Previous owner Tomas Enerston departed in October, to be replaced by Robinson and Basingstoke rink operators Planet Ice.

Planet Ice representative John Neville agreed that the team could be forced to drop down a league if new revenue streams did not emerge.

"There's always a possibility we could be in the league below," said Neville.

"It depends how the supporters and business community take it.

"We're here as Planet Ice to put some stability back in, and make the city proud of being the main ice hockey town south of Birmingham in England."

Neville admitted players had required reassurances over issues such as salaries and housing when Planet Ice assumed control of the Bison.

"We've tried to give them reassurances that they are going to get paid week in, week out," he said.

"We've been working hard this week to secure vehicles and accommodation for the guys, restructure the wages and try to work out what's been going on, and how we can move forward.

"[We must] make sure the players are here - if we don't have players, we don't have a team. That is my priority, to make sure the players are happy."

Player-coach Eric Braff revealed that difficulties over payments and housing had compounded the Bison's woes on the ice, which resulted in a 12-game losing streak to start the season.

"Hockey's a mental game as much as physical," said the Canadian defenceman.

"When you've got guys not being paid, evicted from their houses and stuff like that, it takes a toll on your mind.

"[The change in ownership] is definitely a step in the right direction for the Bison. A couple of weeks down the road everything will be settled, and we can get on and play some hockey."

While Braff held optimism for the future, he was scathing about his team-mates' performances in Saturday's 5-2 home defeat by Newcastle Vipers.

"It's the flattest opening 20 minutes I've seen this team play," he said.

"I don't know if it was our preparation, but it cost us the game.

"We won at Nottingham, and we think Newcastle are going to come in here and lay down for us.

"That was definitely not the case, we got it handed to us tonight.

"I was beside myself, we looked like a pee-wee team out there, making terrible decisions with the puck."

Basingstoke have two more back-to-back home games in which Braff will look for a considerable improvement.

The first is against Cardiff on 8 November, followed by the visit of Edinburgh on 15 November.

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