So, the dinner is cooking, the beer is flowing, and its time for my Xmas report on the club.
Half way grading: B+.
Overall, I've been very impressed with the team this season so far. They are definately the best set of guys to suit up in the club colours since we formed. In Smurph we have a likely candidate for best Phoenix nettie (so far), and he seems to be getting more comfortable with each passing week. The big man, Brett Cloutier is rapidly becoming the clubs franchise player. Dominant on the ice (witness his 3 punch demolition of Rumun Ndur, and spanking of Andrew Sharp), and immensely popular off it. And in Beauregard, Tony has unearthed yet another superb forward, indeed, Beau is probably the find of Tonys coaching career.
The only downer, from my persective is the tendancy of late for us to run a bit 'hot and cold'. I'm sure its just a mid season blip, but time will tell on that.
And finally, a fond farewell to Dewi. Its allways a bugger when a player leaves during the season, but he is rightly putting his family first. Fare thee well Dewi, you will be missed.
Happy Xmas all.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Andrew Sharp...an update.
Well, it seems that someone in EIHL Towers has used common sense, and dealt with the Andrew Sharp incident.
The leagues biggest tit has been awarded a 20 game suspension, with a further season to follow should he ever be adjudged to have commited any of the same offences again after the suspension has lifted.
A quick breakdown:
Spearing to Head/Neck 1+5
Reckless use of Stick: 5
Physical Abuse of an Official: 1+3+5
Serves the tosspot right.
All that needs to be done now is for the steelers to show some class and gas him (although I ain't holding my breath).
Apparently he will travel with the Steelers to the Dome today and sit with the fans, who undoubtedly will treat him like a hero for the most part. More fool them if they do. I personally wouldn't want to sit anywhere near him.
The leagues biggest tit has been awarded a 20 game suspension, with a further season to follow should he ever be adjudged to have commited any of the same offences again after the suspension has lifted.
A quick breakdown:
Spearing to Head/Neck 1+5
Reckless use of Stick: 5
Physical Abuse of an Official: 1+3+5
Serves the tosspot right.
All that needs to be done now is for the steelers to show some class and gas him (although I ain't holding my breath).
Apparently he will travel with the Steelers to the Dome today and sit with the fans, who undoubtedly will treat him like a hero for the most part. More fool them if they do. I personally wouldn't want to sit anywhere near him.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Bit of a round up.
So, Its been a bit quiet on here the last couple of weeks, so here goes....
Thursday vs the Caps. Twas a pretty good game. We took a deserved win, although that total ass-clown Coenen did his level best to ruin the game with some truly rubbish calls. Seriously, the man is an embarassment. As I said to my good buddy Russ, if the main talking point of the game even when you win is the refs display of ineptitude, then there is a serious problem.
Personally, I couldn't put it better than Tambo, who said 'Coenen is a good lino'. Says it all.
Other than that, the opening goal for us was a thing of beauty. Smooth passing move down the ice, finished with a precision shot. Stunning.
Sunday: I missed it. I was otherwise engaged at a friends 18th birthday party (I know, a party on a Sunday? I was amazed myself, but c'est la vie). And I missed 2 hat tricks, including young Adam Walkers first in the EIHL, and summerfields first taste of ice time for the season. Bugger.
Now on to some more ranting. The crowd on Thursday was pitiful. I know it was midweek, and bastard freezing, and it was the Caps again, but still. Maybe 600 folks in there (and thats being optimistic). Swathes of ST holder seats unused (for a game on the ST). Thank fuck that Sky were not there. We, as a club and a fanbase, need to do more to get folks down to these midweek games, for the sake of the clubs finances if nothing else.
And now onto Andrew Sharp. In Cardiff on Sunday he proved once more what a useless piece of shit he is by sparking a mass brawl and raxcking ujp 121 pims after the game had finished, including being called for spearing (twice). This lad might be a Brit, but he is an embarassment to the hard working Brits across the league with these actions.
And the silly little tosser dosen't ever seem to learn. Shit, Cloots handed him is arse the other week, yet he comes back for more. If the Steelers have any class left, they will ditch this moron, and give is spot to a young Brit who deserves the chance to show their skills, not thuggery and stupidity to a wider audience.
And the video of his 'antics' have made the BBC website, onc emore confirming in the minds of the general public that our sport is nothing more than fighting on ice. Fucking Wanker. Really, he is a grade A cunt. The sooner the game is rid of him, the better, but given that this is the Steelers, I'm sure they will spin it somehow to make him the victim.
Aaaaand breathe,,,,,,
Thursday vs the Caps. Twas a pretty good game. We took a deserved win, although that total ass-clown Coenen did his level best to ruin the game with some truly rubbish calls. Seriously, the man is an embarassment. As I said to my good buddy Russ, if the main talking point of the game even when you win is the refs display of ineptitude, then there is a serious problem.
Personally, I couldn't put it better than Tambo, who said 'Coenen is a good lino'. Says it all.
Other than that, the opening goal for us was a thing of beauty. Smooth passing move down the ice, finished with a precision shot. Stunning.
Sunday: I missed it. I was otherwise engaged at a friends 18th birthday party (I know, a party on a Sunday? I was amazed myself, but c'est la vie). And I missed 2 hat tricks, including young Adam Walkers first in the EIHL, and summerfields first taste of ice time for the season. Bugger.
Now on to some more ranting. The crowd on Thursday was pitiful. I know it was midweek, and bastard freezing, and it was the Caps again, but still. Maybe 600 folks in there (and thats being optimistic). Swathes of ST holder seats unused (for a game on the ST). Thank fuck that Sky were not there. We, as a club and a fanbase, need to do more to get folks down to these midweek games, for the sake of the clubs finances if nothing else.
And now onto Andrew Sharp. In Cardiff on Sunday he proved once more what a useless piece of shit he is by sparking a mass brawl and raxcking ujp 121 pims after the game had finished, including being called for spearing (twice). This lad might be a Brit, but he is an embarassment to the hard working Brits across the league with these actions.
And the silly little tosser dosen't ever seem to learn. Shit, Cloots handed him is arse the other week, yet he comes back for more. If the Steelers have any class left, they will ditch this moron, and give is spot to a young Brit who deserves the chance to show their skills, not thuggery and stupidity to a wider audience.
And the video of his 'antics' have made the BBC website, onc emore confirming in the minds of the general public that our sport is nothing more than fighting on ice. Fucking Wanker. Really, he is a grade A cunt. The sooner the game is rid of him, the better, but given that this is the Steelers, I'm sure they will spin it somehow to make him the victim.
Aaaaand breathe,,,,,,
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Well then.....
That was an interesting game on Sunday, wasn't it?
Not sure what was going on with the reffing (which, it seems is becoming a regular occurence). There was more thna just a bit of doubt over Cardiffs 4th goal (everyone barring mr Ref could see the goal was clearly off its moorings, but c'est la vie...).
And I don't want to get started on Brad Voths behaviour (That is a whole separate posting in and of itself).
But the scoreline did reflect the game. Cardiff brought their A Game, we brought our zzzzz game. Seriously. We didn't really wake up until the Voth incident, by which time it was far to late to make any real difference to the result.
Had a nice chat with Kenton in the VIP lounge afterwards though. He really is a nice man.
And I broke my promise not to get my jersey signed by asking Sir Tony to stick his autograph on the back of it. Shit, the man passed 4,000 points... I couldn't not get it could I?
Not sure what was going on with the reffing (which, it seems is becoming a regular occurence). There was more thna just a bit of doubt over Cardiffs 4th goal (everyone barring mr Ref could see the goal was clearly off its moorings, but c'est la vie...).
And I don't want to get started on Brad Voths behaviour (That is a whole separate posting in and of itself).
But the scoreline did reflect the game. Cardiff brought their A Game, we brought our zzzzz game. Seriously. We didn't really wake up until the Voth incident, by which time it was far to late to make any real difference to the result.
Had a nice chat with Kenton in the VIP lounge afterwards though. He really is a nice man.
And I broke my promise not to get my jersey signed by asking Sir Tony to stick his autograph on the back of it. Shit, the man passed 4,000 points... I couldn't not get it could I?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
A bit of a moan.
Yes, I'm going to have a bit of a moan.
So, after the Menace wa sholding up some silly, humorous signs behind Hull players in the penalty box last night, the 'bitching brigade' pop up on the forum and revive an old thread about his 'antics'.
'It shows a lack of class', 'We should be friendly', etc.
Well boo-fucking-hoo. I don't think it shows a lack of 'class'. Its a bit of harmless fun. Nowt more. By all means, if a opposition player complains, stop doing it, otherwise, carry on. It all adds to the entertainment factor.
And as for being freindly... fuck off. I want us to be intimidating. Not just the players on the ice, but the fans as well. Not to the extent we develop a reputaion such as that held by Coventry and sections of the Sqeelers, but enough to make the opposition feel uncomfortable in the Dome. One of my worst nightmares is returning to the old Storm days of 'We don 't boo the opposition, we just cheer louder for our team' bollocks.
We need to make the Dome a fortress. Teams should worry about coimng there to play us.
So, if you don't like it, tough. If the club backs down I will be seriously dissapointed in them, and trust me, I'll let Neil know.
So, after the Menace wa sholding up some silly, humorous signs behind Hull players in the penalty box last night, the 'bitching brigade' pop up on the forum and revive an old thread about his 'antics'.
'It shows a lack of class', 'We should be friendly', etc.
Well boo-fucking-hoo. I don't think it shows a lack of 'class'. Its a bit of harmless fun. Nowt more. By all means, if a opposition player complains, stop doing it, otherwise, carry on. It all adds to the entertainment factor.
And as for being freindly... fuck off. I want us to be intimidating. Not just the players on the ice, but the fans as well. Not to the extent we develop a reputaion such as that held by Coventry and sections of the Sqeelers, but enough to make the opposition feel uncomfortable in the Dome. One of my worst nightmares is returning to the old Storm days of 'We don 't boo the opposition, we just cheer louder for our team' bollocks.
We need to make the Dome a fortress. Teams should worry about coimng there to play us.
So, if you don't like it, tough. If the club backs down I will be seriously dissapointed in them, and trust me, I'll let Neil know.
round up time
So, I have been a little tardy this week, not doing a round up of the Belfast game, so here it is:
Briefly, this was a cracking game. Sky in attendance, decent sized crowd, and an agonisingly narrow loss, in the last 30 seconds of the game. Gutted. solid performance though.
Now to this weeks game.
We beat a flat looking Hull side without ever getting out of 2nd gear really. 5-0 is a hell of a score to run up without even trying. If we had actually turned on the gas we could have easily got to double figures without a doubt.
Having said that, it was a soild way to bounce back after 3 defeats on the trot, a run of games that brought out all the miserable doom mongers over on the forum, claiming that the season was done with, etc. For fucks sake, it was 3 games. If we lost 5 or 6 on the trot, then by all means complain, but we were without our starting NM and main play maker for 2 of them, and the other was a narrow loss (see above). You just can't please some people it seems.
Other bits:
The crowd last night was disapointing. Yes, I know it was a Saturday, and Man U were on the telly, but still... less than 1000 in the building (I'd hazard a guess at about 700). I know that the opposition would ahve been part of this. Hull just are not the kind of 'draw' taht Notts, or shuff are, but the large number of empty seats were still sad to see.
The VIP Lounge is starting to fill up nicely as well, both before and after the games. If you haven't been down there yet, please do so. You can even find me and say 'Hi!' (or give me some earache if you prefer).
Also, it looks like we may have a winner for the pre-game pub. Uluru is ticking most of the boxes at the minute. Beer on tap? Check. Nice atmosphere? Check. Sky Sports? Check. You will find me and a couple of others in there from around 3.30 on most gamedays. Come join us.
And thats yer lot. I'm off to listen to Chinese Democracy now. 14 years is a fucking long wait for an album.
Briefly, this was a cracking game. Sky in attendance, decent sized crowd, and an agonisingly narrow loss, in the last 30 seconds of the game. Gutted. solid performance though.
Now to this weeks game.
We beat a flat looking Hull side without ever getting out of 2nd gear really. 5-0 is a hell of a score to run up without even trying. If we had actually turned on the gas we could have easily got to double figures without a doubt.
Having said that, it was a soild way to bounce back after 3 defeats on the trot, a run of games that brought out all the miserable doom mongers over on the forum, claiming that the season was done with, etc. For fucks sake, it was 3 games. If we lost 5 or 6 on the trot, then by all means complain, but we were without our starting NM and main play maker for 2 of them, and the other was a narrow loss (see above). You just can't please some people it seems.
Other bits:
The crowd last night was disapointing. Yes, I know it was a Saturday, and Man U were on the telly, but still... less than 1000 in the building (I'd hazard a guess at about 700). I know that the opposition would ahve been part of this. Hull just are not the kind of 'draw' taht Notts, or shuff are, but the large number of empty seats were still sad to see.
The VIP Lounge is starting to fill up nicely as well, both before and after the games. If you haven't been down there yet, please do so. You can even find me and say 'Hi!' (or give me some earache if you prefer).
Also, it looks like we may have a winner for the pre-game pub. Uluru is ticking most of the boxes at the minute. Beer on tap? Check. Nice atmosphere? Check. Sky Sports? Check. You will find me and a couple of others in there from around 3.30 on most gamedays. Come join us.
And thats yer lot. I'm off to listen to Chinese Democracy now. 14 years is a fucking long wait for an album.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
The referees a !@£$*#
Right, I've had a couple of days to calm down and think about this posting (Be forewarned, this one might contain some offensive language):
On Sunday night, we were effectively robbed of any chance of defeating the Steelers by the most one sided, inept display of officialdom I have witnessed in my entire hockey watching lifetime.
I don't really ever complain about the refs. Its a hard job, and they get enough shit off the fans as it is. On Sunday Marco Coenen was fucking diabolical. As in game spoilingly bad. I have honestly never heard so much vitriol spewed forth by my fellow fans as I did on Sunday.
Ignoring the washed out goal (which everyone, including the Sheffield players) thought was in, he appeard to be suffering froma rare form of myopia. Seriously. You want examples? Here are a choice few:
Brett Clouthier gets wrestled to the ground just behind the play. Neither Coenen or his assistants apparently see anything untoward in this.
A Sheffield player (whose name I forget), checks one of our players on the back of the neck, into the boards right infront of Mr Cun...I mean Coenen.....no call.
Kyle Bruce throws a solid, legal hit with his shoulder....and gets 2 for elbows.
And thats just 3 incidents (throw in Bruce getting 5+Game for fighting at the end, with no Steelers player being penailsed, Dunn getting a 10min misconduct for disputing a call against him, and numerous other...and the controversial goal that wasn't).
Needless to say the players were pretty incensed, and as for Neil Morris...I have never, ever seen him so upset (even during the dark days) about something to do with the team. He was absolutely livid in the Loungs during the period breaks. And don't forget, he has acccess to replays regaridng incidents and goals... lets just say he felt a little 'cheated'.
And now I'm getting angry again myself, So I'll sign off for now....there is more to come from me on this subject.
On Sunday night, we were effectively robbed of any chance of defeating the Steelers by the most one sided, inept display of officialdom I have witnessed in my entire hockey watching lifetime.
I don't really ever complain about the refs. Its a hard job, and they get enough shit off the fans as it is. On Sunday Marco Coenen was fucking diabolical. As in game spoilingly bad. I have honestly never heard so much vitriol spewed forth by my fellow fans as I did on Sunday.
Ignoring the washed out goal (which everyone, including the Sheffield players) thought was in, he appeard to be suffering froma rare form of myopia. Seriously. You want examples? Here are a choice few:
Brett Clouthier gets wrestled to the ground just behind the play. Neither Coenen or his assistants apparently see anything untoward in this.
A Sheffield player (whose name I forget), checks one of our players on the back of the neck, into the boards right infront of Mr Cun...I mean Coenen.....no call.
Kyle Bruce throws a solid, legal hit with his shoulder....and gets 2 for elbows.
And thats just 3 incidents (throw in Bruce getting 5+Game for fighting at the end, with no Steelers player being penailsed, Dunn getting a 10min misconduct for disputing a call against him, and numerous other...and the controversial goal that wasn't).
Needless to say the players were pretty incensed, and as for Neil Morris...I have never, ever seen him so upset (even during the dark days) about something to do with the team. He was absolutely livid in the Loungs during the period breaks. And don't forget, he has acccess to replays regaridng incidents and goals... lets just say he felt a little 'cheated'.
And now I'm getting angry again myself, So I'll sign off for now....there is more to come from me on this subject.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Its another review of the weekend!
Well, its a simple, decriptive title....
So, a narrow (and by all accounts undeserved) loss in Notts on Saturday, tempered by the news that Big, Bad, Brett Clouthier annihilated Rumun Ndur. Big time. So total was the annihilation, that the big man had a pretty useless hand apparently for the next nights game.....
...Which was an unexpectedly big win over Cardiff. Most folks (well, tose of us who were in the bar anyways) had this down as an odd goal thriller. Boy were we wrong. 6-2 is a stunning result over a team as physical and tough as Cardiff.
And thats it. I really don't have much more to say.
Oh, except that I was actually deeply disapointed in the size of the crowd on Sunday. I guess some fans are becoming more 'choosy' as to which games they attend. Should be better on Sunday, with the Squeelers in town, but still...
The Sarah Walmsley Experience.... you'll love it.
So, a narrow (and by all accounts undeserved) loss in Notts on Saturday, tempered by the news that Big, Bad, Brett Clouthier annihilated Rumun Ndur. Big time. So total was the annihilation, that the big man had a pretty useless hand apparently for the next nights game.....
...Which was an unexpectedly big win over Cardiff. Most folks (well, tose of us who were in the bar anyways) had this down as an odd goal thriller. Boy were we wrong. 6-2 is a stunning result over a team as physical and tough as Cardiff.
And thats it. I really don't have much more to say.
Oh, except that I was actually deeply disapointed in the size of the crowd on Sunday. I guess some fans are becoming more 'choosy' as to which games they attend. Should be better on Sunday, with the Squeelers in town, but still...
The Sarah Walmsley Experience.... you'll love it.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
The Plot thickens...
Information now shows that Frejhuset Ab are listed as bankrupt in Sweden.
It could be nothing (ie the company name is being used as a 'holding name'), or it could point to deeper problems....
More as we get it.
It could be nothing (ie the company name is being used as a 'holding name'), or it could point to deeper problems....
More as we get it.
Interesting little morsel...
It has been brought to my attention via THF (The Hockey Forum, for those who don't know), that a number of EIHL directors resigned over the summer and were replaced by people and companies not involved with any specific clubs. Our own Neil Morris was one of them.
The new directors make for quite an interesting read though (thanks to a bit of an investigation at Companies House):
First up is 'Twillingx Ltd'. Based in Cardiff, they appear to be owned by a Cardiff based Brit, and a Swedish gentleman (Mr P. Hemden, and Mr A Christiansson respectively). No details as to the nature of the business are given. Listed as 'Other'.
Secondly we have a Swedish buildings company, 'Frejhuset Ab', who appear to be involved in the manufacture and construction of 'modular buildings'. Based in Malmo.
And Finally we have another Swedish gentleman, named Mr Lars Ake Olsson. There are no further details given for him.
Now, to me this is interesting in the extreme. Presumably, to be granted seats on the EIHL Board of Directors, some money has been invested in the EIHL/shares in EIHL Ltd have been purchased. If this is the case, then it explodes the myth that the clubs run the league on thier own.
Could this mean that there is to be further investment in the EIHL?
EDIT @ 2pm:
It appears that Twillingx Ltd are operating out of a building which is owned by Tomas Enerston under the name Engerstrom which may be a non anglicised version of his surname), erstwhile former owner of the Basingstoke Bison, and that he may be involved in the company also. There is also some speculation that one of the companies involved (most probably Twillingx) could be bankrupt, but I have no verification of this.
Whats worrying is that Enerston may be involved
The new directors make for quite an interesting read though (thanks to a bit of an investigation at Companies House):
First up is 'Twillingx Ltd'. Based in Cardiff, they appear to be owned by a Cardiff based Brit, and a Swedish gentleman (Mr P. Hemden, and Mr A Christiansson respectively). No details as to the nature of the business are given. Listed as 'Other'.
Secondly we have a Swedish buildings company, 'Frejhuset Ab', who appear to be involved in the manufacture and construction of 'modular buildings'. Based in Malmo.
And Finally we have another Swedish gentleman, named Mr Lars Ake Olsson. There are no further details given for him.
Now, to me this is interesting in the extreme. Presumably, to be granted seats on the EIHL Board of Directors, some money has been invested in the EIHL/shares in EIHL Ltd have been purchased. If this is the case, then it explodes the myth that the clubs run the league on thier own.
Could this mean that there is to be further investment in the EIHL?
EDIT @ 2pm:
It appears that Twillingx Ltd are operating out of a building which is owned by Tomas Enerston under the name Engerstrom which may be a non anglicised version of his surname), erstwhile former owner of the Basingstoke Bison, and that he may be involved in the company also. There is also some speculation that one of the companies involved (most probably Twillingx) could be bankrupt, but I have no verification of this.
Whats worrying is that Enerston may be involved
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
A belated weekend review.... and other stuff.
Yes, I've been away from my PC for a few days, so here is the belated review of the weekend (well, Sunday anyways):
Quite a good game really. Some sloppy play from both teams, but also some excellent play. Highlight was actually a Hull goal... Kalmikovs absolute bullet from the blue-line was a grade-
A highlight reel goal if I ever saw one.
Nice to see the Lounge filling up more. Seriously, If you ain't tried it, come on down either during the pre game warm up, or in the period breaks. The beer costs the same as at the kiosk, they do warm Vimto (Mmmmm), and it has heating, which being honest will be bloody vital come December/January.
Also, I has a wonderfull chat with Matt and Becky (and my trusty sidekick/drinking buddy/all round mate Russel) from FMM on the tram on the way down to the rink, pontificating as usual on the state of the game (I was, that is, not them). And no sooner do I profess my admiration for Scott Neil, and state how secure the Caps are... then they only go and bloody announce that they are having to effectively 're-budget' to guarantee survival. D'oh! Guess I jinxed them.
And the Bison have their 3rd owner in a little over 2 seasons, with Planet Ice stepping in to replace Tomas Enerston after the clubs latest finacial crisis. Rough times ahead for all, methinks.
And a big thnaks for all the feedback on the last posting.
The Sarah Walmsley Experience: It's going to be bloody.... funny.
Quite a good game really. Some sloppy play from both teams, but also some excellent play. Highlight was actually a Hull goal... Kalmikovs absolute bullet from the blue-line was a grade-
A highlight reel goal if I ever saw one.
Nice to see the Lounge filling up more. Seriously, If you ain't tried it, come on down either during the pre game warm up, or in the period breaks. The beer costs the same as at the kiosk, they do warm Vimto (Mmmmm), and it has heating, which being honest will be bloody vital come December/January.
Also, I has a wonderfull chat with Matt and Becky (and my trusty sidekick/drinking buddy/all round mate Russel) from FMM on the tram on the way down to the rink, pontificating as usual on the state of the game (I was, that is, not them). And no sooner do I profess my admiration for Scott Neil, and state how secure the Caps are... then they only go and bloody announce that they are having to effectively 're-budget' to guarantee survival. D'oh! Guess I jinxed them.
And the Bison have their 3rd owner in a little over 2 seasons, with Planet Ice stepping in to replace Tomas Enerston after the clubs latest finacial crisis. Rough times ahead for all, methinks.
And a big thnaks for all the feedback on the last posting.
The Sarah Walmsley Experience: It's going to be bloody.... funny.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The future of the game.......
Given the black clouds forming above Basingstoke this past week, there has been much debate as to what is the best way forward for the sport in the UK.
Some folks feel that all teams should drop to the level of the EPL (4 imports only), and anyone who can't survive this/stomach it...tough.
Others think there should be no change, and that everything is rosy... it isnt.
I personally advocate a 3rd way. Its called compromise (a dirty word in British hockey circles).
Here's my plan:
British Premier League:
8 Imports. Wage cap of £250k.
Teams:
Sheffield Steelers (N)
Nottingham Panthers (S)
Newcastle Vipers(N)
Hull Stingrays(N)
Manchester Phoenix(N)
Coventry Blaze(S)
Cardiff Devils(S)
Belfast Giants(N)
Edinburgh Capitals(N)
Beasingstoke Bison(S)
Guildford Flames(S)
Bracknell Bees(S)
Milton Keyenes Lightning(S)
Peterborough Phantoms(S)
Fife Flyers(N)
Dundee Stars(N)
These teams would be broken into 2 conferences: 'North' and 'South' (indicated above by an 'N' or an 'S')
You would play everyone in your own conference twice home and away, and the other conference once home and away (eg Manchester would play Sheffield 4 times, Nottingham 2 times), for a 24 game regular season. Play offs would be the top 4 from each conference, with the final 4 playing at the play off weekend.
Below this would be and English Premier League (consisting of the remaining current EPL sides, plus 3 or 4 of the larger ENL sides) playing with 3 imports. Below that would be The ENL (an d a Scottish league) playing with no imports.
Yes, this would piss off some fans ('I don't like conferences', 'Why is my team not in the BPL/EPL/ENL', 'Too many imports', 'Not Enough Imports'), but frankly, any league set up you can create is going to anger/upset someone. Thats just how it is, sadly.
Thoughts?
Some folks feel that all teams should drop to the level of the EPL (4 imports only), and anyone who can't survive this/stomach it...tough.
Others think there should be no change, and that everything is rosy... it isnt.
I personally advocate a 3rd way. Its called compromise (a dirty word in British hockey circles).
Here's my plan:
British Premier League:
8 Imports. Wage cap of £250k.
Teams:
Sheffield Steelers (N)
Nottingham Panthers (S)
Newcastle Vipers(N)
Hull Stingrays(N)
Manchester Phoenix(N)
Coventry Blaze(S)
Cardiff Devils(S)
Belfast Giants(N)
Edinburgh Capitals(N)
Beasingstoke Bison(S)
Guildford Flames(S)
Bracknell Bees(S)
Milton Keyenes Lightning(S)
Peterborough Phantoms(S)
Fife Flyers(N)
Dundee Stars(N)
These teams would be broken into 2 conferences: 'North' and 'South' (indicated above by an 'N' or an 'S')
You would play everyone in your own conference twice home and away, and the other conference once home and away (eg Manchester would play Sheffield 4 times, Nottingham 2 times), for a 24 game regular season. Play offs would be the top 4 from each conference, with the final 4 playing at the play off weekend.
Below this would be and English Premier League (consisting of the remaining current EPL sides, plus 3 or 4 of the larger ENL sides) playing with 3 imports. Below that would be The ENL (an d a Scottish league) playing with no imports.
Yes, this would piss off some fans ('I don't like conferences', 'Why is my team not in the BPL/EPL/ENL', 'Too many imports', 'Not Enough Imports'), but frankly, any league set up you can create is going to anger/upset someone. Thats just how it is, sadly.
Thoughts?
Thoughts on Thursday
So, Thursday night saw the first visist of Sky TV to the Dome this season....... and also the smallest crowd so far.
Certainly there were a couple of factors as to why the crowd was smaller than usual: 1, it was a mid week game and 2, the oposition. Not being rude to the Caps, but for those folks who will pick and choose games would put Edinburgh towards the bottom (if not at the bottom) of their list of games.
Which is a pity as it was a hell of a game. 4-0 up by the first period break, with a hat-trick for Beau to boot. A spirited fightback from the Caps, who frankly had nothing to play for but pride, and some good clean hockey throughout (PIMS were very low for both teams).
And I like the new stage area. Speaking to NM before face off, this is to be a permanent feature at the rink now, with a number of other events planned.
Now for my only real complaint of the evening.... The useless bloody rink staff. The figure skaters were late leaving the building, as apparently no one from the rinks staff was willing to have them leave the ice when their session was supposed to have finished, meaning that we were still outside some 15mins after the supposed doors time. And I guarantee you, if we over-ran and the figure skaters had to wait, they would kick up an almighty fuss.
Other bits:
The wheels seem to be coming off in Bisonland, with the club being skint already, despite a cash injection a little over a month ago. This sad situation really illustrates just how tough things are for our sport in the current economic climate. Makes me thankful that things all seem ship-shape for us (ther eyou go, I've fucking jinxed us good and proper now).
And keep your eyes peeled.
The Sarah Walmsley Experience is coming.
Soon.
Certainly there were a couple of factors as to why the crowd was smaller than usual: 1, it was a mid week game and 2, the oposition. Not being rude to the Caps, but for those folks who will pick and choose games would put Edinburgh towards the bottom (if not at the bottom) of their list of games.
Which is a pity as it was a hell of a game. 4-0 up by the first period break, with a hat-trick for Beau to boot. A spirited fightback from the Caps, who frankly had nothing to play for but pride, and some good clean hockey throughout (PIMS were very low for both teams).
And I like the new stage area. Speaking to NM before face off, this is to be a permanent feature at the rink now, with a number of other events planned.
Now for my only real complaint of the evening.... The useless bloody rink staff. The figure skaters were late leaving the building, as apparently no one from the rinks staff was willing to have them leave the ice when their session was supposed to have finished, meaning that we were still outside some 15mins after the supposed doors time. And I guarantee you, if we over-ran and the figure skaters had to wait, they would kick up an almighty fuss.
Other bits:
The wheels seem to be coming off in Bisonland, with the club being skint already, despite a cash injection a little over a month ago. This sad situation really illustrates just how tough things are for our sport in the current economic climate. Makes me thankful that things all seem ship-shape for us (ther eyou go, I've fucking jinxed us good and proper now).
And keep your eyes peeled.
The Sarah Walmsley Experience is coming.
Soon.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Bison battered and beaten.
Another good weekend at the dome, with the Bison being dispatched 5-2.
Pretty good game overall, but we lacked the vital spark present in the past few weeks (probably due to Jacobsen leaving and not playing on Sat night).
Nice fight in the first between Cloots and Pasty boy. Needless to say Cloots took the win easily, pretty much stripping Pasty of all his upper body gear. Indeed, Pasty b oy went pretty damn quiet after that. Not sure why he wasn't penalised for illegal equipment mind. He very clearly had no fight strap on his jersey...
Anywho, on to the pub review:
The VIP Lounge, Altrincham Ice Dome. (Season Ticket holders only I'm afraid).
And very pleseant it is. Not a huge selection of beers etc, but it does give you a nice view of the Phoenix bench during the warm up. And the lovely ladies behind the bar already know what Russel and myself order... which is nice. Also, you get some exclusive ST holder only treatment, such as Richard Allans exclusive, live, 'Ones to Watch', along with his score predictions.
And thats it for now. I have a rotten cold and need to rest.
Pretty good game overall, but we lacked the vital spark present in the past few weeks (probably due to Jacobsen leaving and not playing on Sat night).
Nice fight in the first between Cloots and Pasty boy. Needless to say Cloots took the win easily, pretty much stripping Pasty of all his upper body gear. Indeed, Pasty b oy went pretty damn quiet after that. Not sure why he wasn't penalised for illegal equipment mind. He very clearly had no fight strap on his jersey...
Anywho, on to the pub review:
The VIP Lounge, Altrincham Ice Dome. (Season Ticket holders only I'm afraid).
And very pleseant it is. Not a huge selection of beers etc, but it does give you a nice view of the Phoenix bench during the warm up. And the lovely ladies behind the bar already know what Russel and myself order... which is nice. Also, you get some exclusive ST holder only treatment, such as Richard Allans exclusive, live, 'Ones to Watch', along with his score predictions.
And thats it for now. I have a rotten cold and need to rest.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Its been a quiet week...
No reports from last weekend, as I didn't go to the game.
Tony has brought a new guy in, and we should get a look at him on Sunday, dosen't seem to be a 'like for like' replacement based on his stats, but you never know.
As usual, there will be a 'pub crawl' report on Sunday night, this week focusing on the 'VIP Lounge' in the rink itself!
And finally (cos I have a cold and can't be arsed at the mo), looks like Jacobsen got some measure of karmic payback, with the CHL players going on strike.....hahahahahha, serves him right. Twat.
Tony has brought a new guy in, and we should get a look at him on Sunday, dosen't seem to be a 'like for like' replacement based on his stats, but you never know.
As usual, there will be a 'pub crawl' report on Sunday night, this week focusing on the 'VIP Lounge' in the rink itself!
And finally (cos I have a cold and can't be arsed at the mo), looks like Jacobsen got some measure of karmic payback, with the CHL players going on strike.....hahahahahha, serves him right. Twat.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Good Times/Bad Times...
Lets start off with the good stuff:
3 points from the weekend! A Penalties loss in Newcastle (probably some kind of karma at work there) for 1 point.......
then we beat the Squeelers on penalties! It feels soooooo good to beat them, 2 weekends on the trot even! Absolutely blinding game. End to end hockey, outstanding netminding from both teams, and some solid physical play. A little bit of handbags in the 1st, but nowt to write home about.
But we beat the Squeelers!
YES!
Now the bad shit.....
Grant Jacobsen has 'done a bunk' and buggered off back to the CHL. We ain't the first club to suffer this kind of shoddy treatment from CHL based 'pro' (and in this case, that is a term I use loosely). Happens every season. They come here, at no small exp-ense to British clubs, get a months worth of training and money, then do a sudden 'I got a better offer....BYE!' type phone call, leaving us short manned and out of pocket.
And sadly, with the NA leagues operating outside of the IIHFs control, we can't even pursue any kind of contractual claim against either him or his new club.
Bastard. Never even gave the club an oportunity to improve its terms to him.
Personally, I hope he injures himself. Will serve the git right. (Yes, I'm pissed off. More about the wasted expenditure for the club than anything else).
Grrrr.
3 points from the weekend! A Penalties loss in Newcastle (probably some kind of karma at work there) for 1 point.......
then we beat the Squeelers on penalties! It feels soooooo good to beat them, 2 weekends on the trot even! Absolutely blinding game. End to end hockey, outstanding netminding from both teams, and some solid physical play. A little bit of handbags in the 1st, but nowt to write home about.
But we beat the Squeelers!
YES!
Now the bad shit.....
Grant Jacobsen has 'done a bunk' and buggered off back to the CHL. We ain't the first club to suffer this kind of shoddy treatment from CHL based 'pro' (and in this case, that is a term I use loosely). Happens every season. They come here, at no small exp-ense to British clubs, get a months worth of training and money, then do a sudden 'I got a better offer....BYE!' type phone call, leaving us short manned and out of pocket.
And sadly, with the NA leagues operating outside of the IIHFs control, we can't even pursue any kind of contractual claim against either him or his new club.
Bastard. Never even gave the club an oportunity to improve its terms to him.
Personally, I hope he injures himself. Will serve the git right. (Yes, I'm pissed off. More about the wasted expenditure for the club than anything else).
Grrrr.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
That was bloody close...
Well, it looks like the Edinburgh Capitals won't be the easy points that they have been in previous seasons, if last night is anything to go by. They came down here and made us work fucking hard for the 2 points, giving us our 2nd shoot-out win in just 5 games played. Thank the Gods of Hockey we got Beauregard. I sincerely doubt that there is a better penalty shot taker in the EIHL.
Slightly disapointing crowd size, but given it was A: The Capitals (never a draw for us), and B: Saturday (not our usual game night), this was somewhat to be expected.
And I got my shirt! Yay! Anyone wants to chat to me, just look for the guy with 'LEARNED 1' on the back of his jersey. That would be me.
I will also freely admit to having spent much of the pre-game drinkies making jokes and generally having fun at the expense of 'the Honourable Sarah Walmsley'....more to come on this front...hehehehehehe. Keep 'em peeled is all I will say.
No pub crawl this week, as Russ, Matt, and myself just couldn't be arsed. Next week should see a trip to 'The Malt Shovel', though, which will come with a full report.
Slightly disapointing crowd size, but given it was A: The Capitals (never a draw for us), and B: Saturday (not our usual game night), this was somewhat to be expected.
And I got my shirt! Yay! Anyone wants to chat to me, just look for the guy with 'LEARNED 1' on the back of his jersey. That would be me.
I will also freely admit to having spent much of the pre-game drinkies making jokes and generally having fun at the expense of 'the Honourable Sarah Walmsley'....more to come on this front...hehehehehehe. Keep 'em peeled is all I will say.
No pub crawl this week, as Russ, Matt, and myself just couldn't be arsed. Next week should see a trip to 'The Malt Shovel', though, which will come with a full report.
Friday, September 19, 2008
That bloody woman....
Yes, its another rant......
So Sarah Walmsley has now gone to the Local Government Ombudsman to try and stop the entire Altair development from being built.
She claims to have collected 43 individual objections, which she clearly feels should have been enough to stop planning permission being granted. 43. Out of how many resident in Altrincham? Hardly the views of the 'majority'.
Fact is, this woman is a serial NIMBY, having lodged complaints against all the recent Altrincham town centre developments (Tesco, the cinema/restaurant complex). A fact she seems unable to grasp is if you buy a house near to, or in, a town centre you will have higher than average levels of traffic, noise, and pollution.
If, by some bizarre hapenstance, she ever gets her way, I hope she is prepared to explain to all the upset kids who will lose their skating and hockey why exactly this has happened to them: 'I'm sorry kiddies, I know you all enjoyed your lessons, but my opinion was more important than yours'.
Hmm, something thells me we have not heard the last of this odious woman.
So Sarah Walmsley has now gone to the Local Government Ombudsman to try and stop the entire Altair development from being built.
She claims to have collected 43 individual objections, which she clearly feels should have been enough to stop planning permission being granted. 43. Out of how many resident in Altrincham? Hardly the views of the 'majority'.
Fact is, this woman is a serial NIMBY, having lodged complaints against all the recent Altrincham town centre developments (Tesco, the cinema/restaurant complex). A fact she seems unable to grasp is if you buy a house near to, or in, a town centre you will have higher than average levels of traffic, noise, and pollution.
If, by some bizarre hapenstance, she ever gets her way, I hope she is prepared to explain to all the upset kids who will lose their skating and hockey why exactly this has happened to them: 'I'm sorry kiddies, I know you all enjoyed your lessons, but my opinion was more important than yours'.
Hmm, something thells me we have not heard the last of this odious woman.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Post game musings....
...Well, we lost.
Or, to be more exact, thanks to a (literal) minute of madness from the D in the 2nd period, we lost what was, up to that point a pretty tight game. There were plenty of positives to take from it though. Beauregard looks sharper each game, and is starting to gel with Tony. The 2nd line looks like it will give defences some real hard nights throughout the season. And the PP looks liek a massive improvement on last seasons.
Negatives....well, the D still are not in sync yet. Smurph needs to learn when to kill the puck and when to play it (ie not when the oppositions forwards are bearing down on you), and thats it really.
Now, the much vaunted 'new' ice.............
Well, it certainly looked good from the stands. Pretty painted sponsor logos, clear lines, and a nice uniform finish. Down at ice level however, and the 'mend and make do' nature of the job became apparent. The ice had clearly been cut down to a level above the old markings, as the patch of sand that was visible infront of the timekeepers/announcers box was still fairly visible. The corner of the pad infront of block 11 is grey, not white (sand showing through I assume), and the gap round the boards has been filled in, but bizzarely not painted, so in places there is a brown.grey strip nearly and inch and a half wide around the base of the boards. And it looked soft.
Personally, I think we will be ina similar situation regaridng the ice in a couple of months. The current work hasn't really address the fundamental problems with the ice. I feel that the whole pad needs redoing, and I mean the whole pad. Take it right down to the sand, and start again. But Silver Blades won't do that (too much lost revenue).
And I still don't have my crested ST holders cup jersey. Ordered through White Magic on the web before the season started, and I wouldn't really be annoyed at waiting 3 weeks, but folks who orederd through the club office, or from Matt and Becky on the desk after I did ahve recieved theirs already. Went to the shop to ask where my order was....... and they had no idea. I admit I got a teeny little bit angry (no shouting, mind, just a very clipped tone), when no explanoation was forthcoming, but thankfully the ever wonderful Mags from the office is looking into it for me.
Oh, and the pub this week was the Faulkners. Nice beer, clean toilets, but not a very welcoming atmosphere. definately a 'local pub for local people'.
Or, to be more exact, thanks to a (literal) minute of madness from the D in the 2nd period, we lost what was, up to that point a pretty tight game. There were plenty of positives to take from it though. Beauregard looks sharper each game, and is starting to gel with Tony. The 2nd line looks like it will give defences some real hard nights throughout the season. And the PP looks liek a massive improvement on last seasons.
Negatives....well, the D still are not in sync yet. Smurph needs to learn when to kill the puck and when to play it (ie not when the oppositions forwards are bearing down on you), and thats it really.
Now, the much vaunted 'new' ice.............
Well, it certainly looked good from the stands. Pretty painted sponsor logos, clear lines, and a nice uniform finish. Down at ice level however, and the 'mend and make do' nature of the job became apparent. The ice had clearly been cut down to a level above the old markings, as the patch of sand that was visible infront of the timekeepers/announcers box was still fairly visible. The corner of the pad infront of block 11 is grey, not white (sand showing through I assume), and the gap round the boards has been filled in, but bizzarely not painted, so in places there is a brown.grey strip nearly and inch and a half wide around the base of the boards. And it looked soft.
Personally, I think we will be ina similar situation regaridng the ice in a couple of months. The current work hasn't really address the fundamental problems with the ice. I feel that the whole pad needs redoing, and I mean the whole pad. Take it right down to the sand, and start again. But Silver Blades won't do that (too much lost revenue).
And I still don't have my crested ST holders cup jersey. Ordered through White Magic on the web before the season started, and I wouldn't really be annoyed at waiting 3 weeks, but folks who orederd through the club office, or from Matt and Becky on the desk after I did ahve recieved theirs already. Went to the shop to ask where my order was....... and they had no idea. I admit I got a teeny little bit angry (no shouting, mind, just a very clipped tone), when no explanoation was forthcoming, but thankfully the ever wonderful Mags from the office is looking into it for me.
Oh, and the pub this week was the Faulkners. Nice beer, clean toilets, but not a very welcoming atmosphere. definately a 'local pub for local people'.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Pre game banter....
So, today see's the begining of a special pub-crawl around Altrincham (to be undertaken by Russell, Matt, and myself) as a replacement pub for pre match drinkies is sought.
After spending the last 2 seasons ensconsed within the welcoming walls of The Station Hotel, we have returned this autumn to find the soul ripped out of the place. The walls still carry all the sports memorabillia, but the Sky TV and plasma screens have been removed! Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a first....a Sports Bar with no Sports.
And last orders is now 8.30pm.
Bollocks to that.
I will report back later withy my findings.
Oh yeah, 6 points from 3 games. Sweet. Makes tonights game a 'top of the table' clash.
After spending the last 2 seasons ensconsed within the welcoming walls of The Station Hotel, we have returned this autumn to find the soul ripped out of the place. The walls still carry all the sports memorabillia, but the Sky TV and plasma screens have been removed! Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a first....a Sports Bar with no Sports.
And last orders is now 8.30pm.
Bollocks to that.
I will report back later withy my findings.
Oh yeah, 6 points from 3 games. Sweet. Makes tonights game a 'top of the table' clash.
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
New season, same problems....
...on the 'official' club forum.
Some folks come on and quite rightly ask if any details are available yet regarding the clubs offer on Sunday to offer a discount for the next time that the Vipers visit us.
Cue the usual suspect jumping in feetfirst, flaming said poster for daring to ask for something the club offerd. One even saud 'Who would wnat to claim a discount anyway?'...how about someone who has to make sacrifices and budget very tightly to get their weekly hockey fix, numb-nuts. Not all of the people we see each week in the Dome have the disposeable income that you clearly do.
I mean, the club offered to discount people, so how is asking about this wrong? Or is it another case of the forum nazis refusing to allow our club (who never get anything wrong, honest) to be criticised or held to account over a problem they are involved in?
Plenty of folks I know won't visit the officila forum anymore because they are sick and tired of the relentless 'the Club is Brilliant, don't you dare say otherwise' attitude of a significant (in terms of post count not actuall numbers) portion of the users on there.
Shit, the whole 'you can't say that' attitude is one of the reason this blog exists. I got sick of taking flak for speaking my mind (even to the extent of club officials contacting me at one point over the content of one of my postings).
Phew, rant over.......
Some folks come on and quite rightly ask if any details are available yet regarding the clubs offer on Sunday to offer a discount for the next time that the Vipers visit us.
Cue the usual suspect jumping in feetfirst, flaming said poster for daring to ask for something the club offerd. One even saud 'Who would wnat to claim a discount anyway?'...how about someone who has to make sacrifices and budget very tightly to get their weekly hockey fix, numb-nuts. Not all of the people we see each week in the Dome have the disposeable income that you clearly do.
I mean, the club offered to discount people, so how is asking about this wrong? Or is it another case of the forum nazis refusing to allow our club (who never get anything wrong, honest) to be criticised or held to account over a problem they are involved in?
Plenty of folks I know won't visit the officila forum anymore because they are sick and tired of the relentless 'the Club is Brilliant, don't you dare say otherwise' attitude of a significant (in terms of post count not actuall numbers) portion of the users on there.
Shit, the whole 'you can't say that' attitude is one of the reason this blog exists. I got sick of taking flak for speaking my mind (even to the extent of club officials contacting me at one point over the content of one of my postings).
Phew, rant over.......
Sunday, September 07, 2008
What a friggin palaver......
So, its the first home game of the season. The game is balanced 4-4 at the end of the 2nd period.
Then we have an hours delay whilst the Vipers bitch and moan about the state of the ice at the end they have to defend for the 3rd period. Now, I'm not insinuating that the Vipers were after getting the game abandoned, but..........
Yes, the ice was poor, but allegedly, one of the Vipers players claims it was 'down to the sand' in the patch which was in question. Right. It was rough for sure, but nowhere near the sand.
Personally, the Vipers looked like their hearts were not in the game after we levelled it at 4-4, and seemed to be looking for the cheap ways to get something (anything) from the game from that point onwards. Given how the Vipers players were twatting about on the ice after being asked by the announcer to leave for re-surfacing (ie not leavbing and acting like idiots), they can't have been that fussed. But, c'est la vie.
We had penalty shots instead. And we took the win.
Big credit to Adam Walker, who took his 2 shots calmly and efficiently. Adam is the recipient of this weeks 'Balls of Steel' award.
And don't get me started on the reffing....Darnell was shocking tonight, missing blatant infringements left, right and centre. I shall refrain for posting more for fear of descending into a shower of expletives.
Then we have an hours delay whilst the Vipers bitch and moan about the state of the ice at the end they have to defend for the 3rd period. Now, I'm not insinuating that the Vipers were after getting the game abandoned, but..........
Yes, the ice was poor, but allegedly, one of the Vipers players claims it was 'down to the sand' in the patch which was in question. Right. It was rough for sure, but nowhere near the sand.
Personally, the Vipers looked like their hearts were not in the game after we levelled it at 4-4, and seemed to be looking for the cheap ways to get something (anything) from the game from that point onwards. Given how the Vipers players were twatting about on the ice after being asked by the announcer to leave for re-surfacing (ie not leavbing and acting like idiots), they can't have been that fussed. But, c'est la vie.
We had penalty shots instead. And we took the win.
Big credit to Adam Walker, who took his 2 shots calmly and efficiently. Adam is the recipient of this weeks 'Balls of Steel' award.
And don't get me started on the reffing....Darnell was shocking tonight, missing blatant infringements left, right and centre. I shall refrain for posting more for fear of descending into a shower of expletives.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
One game in.....
.....and the numpties are already trolling about the official forum:
(Phoenix have gone from 3-0 up to 3-3, still with plenty of the game remaining)
'blabla' (quite apt for someone posting shite like this): Another useless bunch at the phoenix then! Woohoo a great season awaits! Not!!!
What a tosser. The idiot isn't even at the fucking game, yet thinks he can sum up how the entire season will pan out.
Every fanbase has folks like this. Complete tossers who love to hide behind their forum handles, passing comments that they know will annoy/irritate other, far more sensible users. Personally, I'd restrict his access until he/she/it can promise to behave themselves.
Anyways......first home game tomorrow. Should be a goodie. Newcastle have some exciting looking players on their bench, and a nettie who could be this seasons Fankhouser (ie shit hot one night, plain old shit the next). Prediction: an odd goal in 3 win for the Phoenix.
(Phoenix have gone from 3-0 up to 3-3, still with plenty of the game remaining)
'blabla' (quite apt for someone posting shite like this): Another useless bunch at the phoenix then! Woohoo a great season awaits! Not!!!
What a tosser. The idiot isn't even at the fucking game, yet thinks he can sum up how the entire season will pan out.
Every fanbase has folks like this. Complete tossers who love to hide behind their forum handles, passing comments that they know will annoy/irritate other, far more sensible users. Personally, I'd restrict his access until he/she/it can promise to behave themselves.
Anyways......first home game tomorrow. Should be a goodie. Newcastle have some exciting looking players on their bench, and a nettie who could be this seasons Fankhouser (ie shit hot one night, plain old shit the next). Prediction: an odd goal in 3 win for the Phoenix.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Well, thats the pre-season done with......
And it wasn't bad. 7-5 win over the Panties, who despite icing their back up nettie, still looked pretty threatening going forwards.
Big plus from tonight was that when the game got physical (and it did get fairly physical for a 'friendly') our new guys didn't l;ook like they would be pushed around too easily. Seriously, Jacobsen looked like it would take a mountain to move him if he gets set infront of the crease.
And Walker......well, if he carries this form into the regular season, he might get the Team GB call up he desires. Looks like last season has really lit a fire under his arse.
Bad points: The ice. Looked like shite, seemed to play like shite. Far too many odd bounces for my liking, and the patches looked amatuer. Real bush-league stuff. But it was cold in there. Which is good. Might mean the ice holds up better when it has been sorted.
The refs new kits.....oh dear. I can see all kinds of comical problems when teams are wearing black/dark jerseys. The tracky from JJB look just does not work.
Oh, and the Panthers coach parked right in the middle of the carpark. Not the best place to put it, but I'm sure they will be told for next time.
Big plus from tonight was that when the game got physical (and it did get fairly physical for a 'friendly') our new guys didn't l;ook like they would be pushed around too easily. Seriously, Jacobsen looked like it would take a mountain to move him if he gets set infront of the crease.
And Walker......well, if he carries this form into the regular season, he might get the Team GB call up he desires. Looks like last season has really lit a fire under his arse.
Bad points: The ice. Looked like shite, seemed to play like shite. Far too many odd bounces for my liking, and the patches looked amatuer. Real bush-league stuff. But it was cold in there. Which is good. Might mean the ice holds up better when it has been sorted.
The refs new kits.....oh dear. I can see all kinds of comical problems when teams are wearing black/dark jerseys. The tracky from JJB look just does not work.
Oh, and the Panthers coach parked right in the middle of the carpark. Not the best place to put it, but I'm sure they will be told for next time.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Predictions time......
Yes, everyone does predictions at this stage of the season, but I thought I'd do some that are a bit 'different'.......
Dumbest comment from a club spokesman: This is probably the easiest category to make a prediction for. In terms of 'dumb' comments, one man stands head and shoulders above the rest. He is a titan in the realm of inane banter. A leviathan of boneheadedness. Ladies and gentlemen, I predict that the dumbest 'official' comment will be uttered by none other than Dave 'I bleed teal and orange' Simms.
Most comedic player: This one is a bit tougher. I've narrowed it down to 2 players. And lets be honest, it could only be one of these two. So, take your pick from the 'Pasty' Jeremy Cornish, or the 'Donkey' Andre Payette.
Most irritating, ungrateful little shit: I predict the winner of this particular title will be Mark Thomas. He really is irritating. Seriously. He must have studied Vezio Sacrattini tapes for months to become as irritating as he has. And as for ungrateful, well, he has been known to pass, shall we say, uncomplimentary comments about the Phoenix and its set-up before now (allegedly- Ass covering legal rep). Twat.
Foregone conclusion: My prediction here is thus: Tony Hand to announce he still can't decide if he wants to retire or not at the end of season do. We all know he will 'consider his options', and we all know he will keep on playing.
And finally, a serious one:
League standings come end of season: Squeelers to win the league, Panties to choke, Giants to get off to a flyer then fade, Blaze to be there or thereabouts, Phoenix to improve, Vipers to underachive, Devils to stay pretty much the same, Bison to plod along, Capitals to do better than expected, Stingrays to lose (and fight) a lot.
Dumbest comment from a club spokesman: This is probably the easiest category to make a prediction for. In terms of 'dumb' comments, one man stands head and shoulders above the rest. He is a titan in the realm of inane banter. A leviathan of boneheadedness. Ladies and gentlemen, I predict that the dumbest 'official' comment will be uttered by none other than Dave 'I bleed teal and orange' Simms.
Most comedic player: This one is a bit tougher. I've narrowed it down to 2 players. And lets be honest, it could only be one of these two. So, take your pick from the 'Pasty' Jeremy Cornish, or the 'Donkey' Andre Payette.
Most irritating, ungrateful little shit: I predict the winner of this particular title will be Mark Thomas. He really is irritating. Seriously. He must have studied Vezio Sacrattini tapes for months to become as irritating as he has. And as for ungrateful, well, he has been known to pass, shall we say, uncomplimentary comments about the Phoenix and its set-up before now (allegedly- Ass covering legal rep). Twat.
Foregone conclusion: My prediction here is thus: Tony Hand to announce he still can't decide if he wants to retire or not at the end of season do. We all know he will 'consider his options', and we all know he will keep on playing.
And finally, a serious one:
League standings come end of season: Squeelers to win the league, Panties to choke, Giants to get off to a flyer then fade, Blaze to be there or thereabouts, Phoenix to improve, Vipers to underachive, Devils to stay pretty much the same, Bison to plod along, Capitals to do better than expected, Stingrays to lose (and fight) a lot.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Some pre season promo work....
Spotted this on my way home from work today.
Edited to add on 28/8/08: This poster was on Ducie St. There is also one on Station Approach (on the empty unit between CEX and Cafe Nero), and apparently one is also on Great Ancoats st (presumably on one of the many dereclict shopfronts).
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Wage caps.....
Yup, I'm still on a roll at the minute. Plenty of things for me to write about before the season starts.
So, onto the wage cap issue........
Since its inception, the EIHL has maintained a 'gentlemans agreement' regarding the amount of money its member clubs may spend on players. This has officially been a sum in the region of £210k per annum, give or take a few hundred here or there.
After it became increasingly obvious over the past few seasons that certain clubs were blatantly icgnoring this agreement (allegedly to the tune of 40%), during this summers hiatus, a new wage capping system was drafted and introduced. It should be noted that this was done after a number of EIHL member teams allegedly (that word again) threatend to resign from the league unless action was taken.
Anyways, the new system introduced was this: There are now 2 'tiers' to the wgae cap. Tier 1 has a weekly allowance of £7k and 10 imports. Tier 2 has a cap of £6k and 11 imports.
The idea behand this is that by running with 11 imports (obviously lower paid ), plus 6 or so Brits, the lower budgeted teams would have a roster allowing for '3 line hockey', thus giving themselves a depth of roster which should/would negate the higher budget teams more expensive players.
At least thats the theory. We won't know if it works until the season is done and dusted.
However, some people would like everyone to believe that this is another example of the EIHL trying to wreck British Hockey. And the rationale for this thinking? There will be approximately 6-7 more imports in the game than last season.
Well hold the back page! 6-7 more imports! Ye Gods, the whole of British hockey is doomed!
Not.
For sure, its not an ideal situation. But given that the big clubs were never going to bring their spending down to the level of the smaller ones (and seriously risk losing their grip on the games upper levels), as long as the EIHL is self governed, this compromise id likely to be as good as it gets.
The upshot of this action (which the anti EIHL brigade seem to ignore) is that it could make teams which ahve been essentially whipping boys into something a bit more substantial, which might help these clubs actually get arse on seats and some much needed cash into their coffers.
Got an opinion? Let me know.
So, onto the wage cap issue........
Since its inception, the EIHL has maintained a 'gentlemans agreement' regarding the amount of money its member clubs may spend on players. This has officially been a sum in the region of £210k per annum, give or take a few hundred here or there.
After it became increasingly obvious over the past few seasons that certain clubs were blatantly icgnoring this agreement (allegedly to the tune of 40%), during this summers hiatus, a new wage capping system was drafted and introduced. It should be noted that this was done after a number of EIHL member teams allegedly (that word again) threatend to resign from the league unless action was taken.
Anyways, the new system introduced was this: There are now 2 'tiers' to the wgae cap. Tier 1 has a weekly allowance of £7k and 10 imports. Tier 2 has a cap of £6k and 11 imports.
The idea behand this is that by running with 11 imports (obviously lower paid ), plus 6 or so Brits, the lower budgeted teams would have a roster allowing for '3 line hockey', thus giving themselves a depth of roster which should/would negate the higher budget teams more expensive players.
At least thats the theory. We won't know if it works until the season is done and dusted.
However, some people would like everyone to believe that this is another example of the EIHL trying to wreck British Hockey. And the rationale for this thinking? There will be approximately 6-7 more imports in the game than last season.
Well hold the back page! 6-7 more imports! Ye Gods, the whole of British hockey is doomed!
Not.
For sure, its not an ideal situation. But given that the big clubs were never going to bring their spending down to the level of the smaller ones (and seriously risk losing their grip on the games upper levels), as long as the EIHL is self governed, this compromise id likely to be as good as it gets.
The upshot of this action (which the anti EIHL brigade seem to ignore) is that it could make teams which ahve been essentially whipping boys into something a bit more substantial, which might help these clubs actually get arse on seats and some much needed cash into their coffers.
Got an opinion? Let me know.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The ice at the Dome....
Wow, I'm on a roll this weekend, ain't I? Anyways on we go......
There was a posting this past week on the official forum from 'Fan Liason' (aka Tambo with his official hat on), which dealt with the significant amount of bitching and moaning on the forum regarding the poor state of the ice in the Dome. Effectively it told, not asked, the fans not to complain on the forum as it caused problems between the club and the rink.
Fair do's.
Problem is, the ice at the Dome is piss poor at best. Holes in open ice, a bloody big gap around the base of the boards, and more liquid water than solid ice most of the time. Hardly condusive to putting on a greta game of hockey.
Now, Fan Liason reccomends complaining direct to the rink. Which we could do, but in all honesty (having seen rink management and staff in action), this would be like pissing in the wind.
Also, the thread has been locked before I could launch one of my infamous rants on it, so I will now address a few points from the posting:
1: ' What people have to remember is that people see the ice at its absolute worst after 500 or so public skaters have done their damdest to cut holes in it or make pretty patterns. When there are these mega skates, it does turn the rink into something resembling a swimming pool but there is no chance for the ice crew to do their job while it is being used in this way ,so they have to wait until after the paying public have gone home. This often means working very late to prepare for the next day. If you go to the dome early morning before the masses I think a lot of you would be pleasantly surprised.'
Err, I'm sure the ice is pretty good at 6am. Problem is, we don't face off til 5.30pm, which is 11.5 hours later....after the '500 or so' public skaters. And as for the staff only being able to work at night....absolute bollocks. Anyone can look at the Domes timetables and see clearly marked times during the day when the staff are supposed to do ice cuts, etc between sessions. This is where the ice marshalls (you know, the teenagers in the Silver Blades jackets having a laugh with their mates who are spraying novice skaters with ice, and flying past them at speed trying to make them fall over) shpould do their job and get everyone off the ice. But they don't. I've even seen one state that they don't want the hassle of people complaining that they are being taken off the ice so the cut can happen...err, its aafter the session has uspposedly finished, moron. Of course, if you have been and arrived st the start of a session, you will often see skaters from the previous session still leaving the ice after the new session has started. Shit, we even had a the doors delayed a few times last season as the Phoenix volunteers were clearing public skaters out, whilst the rinks staff did bugger all.
2: ' I can assure everybody that the staff are working on it nearly every night and are hell bent on providing ice up to the standard required. '
What they should be doing right now is a full melt and relay of the ice pad. The sand base needs releveling, the markings need repainting, and the ice needs freshening. It should not be a case of trying to mend the current ice.
Phew...thats it I think.....for now!
There was a posting this past week on the official forum from 'Fan Liason' (aka Tambo with his official hat on), which dealt with the significant amount of bitching and moaning on the forum regarding the poor state of the ice in the Dome. Effectively it told, not asked, the fans not to complain on the forum as it caused problems between the club and the rink.
Fair do's.
Problem is, the ice at the Dome is piss poor at best. Holes in open ice, a bloody big gap around the base of the boards, and more liquid water than solid ice most of the time. Hardly condusive to putting on a greta game of hockey.
Now, Fan Liason reccomends complaining direct to the rink. Which we could do, but in all honesty (having seen rink management and staff in action), this would be like pissing in the wind.
Also, the thread has been locked before I could launch one of my infamous rants on it, so I will now address a few points from the posting:
1: ' What people have to remember is that people see the ice at its absolute worst after 500 or so public skaters have done their damdest to cut holes in it or make pretty patterns. When there are these mega skates, it does turn the rink into something resembling a swimming pool but there is no chance for the ice crew to do their job while it is being used in this way ,so they have to wait until after the paying public have gone home. This often means working very late to prepare for the next day. If you go to the dome early morning before the masses I think a lot of you would be pleasantly surprised.'
Err, I'm sure the ice is pretty good at 6am. Problem is, we don't face off til 5.30pm, which is 11.5 hours later....after the '500 or so' public skaters. And as for the staff only being able to work at night....absolute bollocks. Anyone can look at the Domes timetables and see clearly marked times during the day when the staff are supposed to do ice cuts, etc between sessions. This is where the ice marshalls (you know, the teenagers in the Silver Blades jackets having a laugh with their mates who are spraying novice skaters with ice, and flying past them at speed trying to make them fall over) shpould do their job and get everyone off the ice. But they don't. I've even seen one state that they don't want the hassle of people complaining that they are being taken off the ice so the cut can happen...err, its aafter the session has uspposedly finished, moron. Of course, if you have been and arrived st the start of a session, you will often see skaters from the previous session still leaving the ice after the new session has started. Shit, we even had a the doors delayed a few times last season as the Phoenix volunteers were clearing public skaters out, whilst the rinks staff did bugger all.
2: ' I can assure everybody that the staff are working on it nearly every night and are hell bent on providing ice up to the standard required. '
What they should be doing right now is a full melt and relay of the ice pad. The sand base needs releveling, the markings need repainting, and the ice needs freshening. It should not be a case of trying to mend the current ice.
Phew...thats it I think.....for now!
Running a hockey team isn't as easy as some folks think....
As is the norm for the summer months, every hockey club in the country has been taking a long hard look at its finances and making important decisions for the forthcoming season as to how much income it needs to meet its expenditure.
The most obvious signifier of the need for most, if not all, teams to increase their cash flow has been the rise in 'game day' ticket prices. Pretty much every EIHL team will be charging more for 'walk up' sales than they will be for pre-booked sales. The amount varies (between £1 and £2 depending on the club), which isn't a whole lot. For most teams this will be an extra couple of hundred quid at the most.
However, to listen to most of the online fanbase, this increase is tantamount to daylight robbery! Fans on forums the length and breadth of the country are up in arms ('How can they do this! It's not fair!'), with a few souls daring to pop their head over the paraphet and defend the action.
Yes, no one likes to see a price increase, but given the rate of inflation, price rises are inevitable. Its a simple equation: increased expenditure = increased income required to maintain status quo. Thats all there is to it. The clubs are not being greedy as some folks suggest. Nor have they taken the decision lightly. They have made a purely financial decision, designed to help them keep on putting a team on the ice week in, week out.
But what pisses me off the most is the sheer number of people who seemingly cannot see this. Some are complaining about the inconvenience of making an advance purchase (which, in my experience is always more convenient than queing up at a box office waiting for them to serve everyone...especially as at most rinks you have to queue outside, which isn't ideal in mid January), some about how it will 'kill the club' (give me a break....most regualr supporters buy in advance or have a season ticket, so won't be affected), and some are just using it to have yet an other pop at the clubs they just don't like.
Fact is running a hockey team is expensive. People have to accept this and move on. I remember the uproar when ticket price moved above £10 (some 8 seasons ago). Then when the moved above £12, and now £15. Prices are what they are. Most clubs offer way of getting cheaper tickets. Move along people
The most obvious signifier of the need for most, if not all, teams to increase their cash flow has been the rise in 'game day' ticket prices. Pretty much every EIHL team will be charging more for 'walk up' sales than they will be for pre-booked sales. The amount varies (between £1 and £2 depending on the club), which isn't a whole lot. For most teams this will be an extra couple of hundred quid at the most.
However, to listen to most of the online fanbase, this increase is tantamount to daylight robbery! Fans on forums the length and breadth of the country are up in arms ('How can they do this! It's not fair!'), with a few souls daring to pop their head over the paraphet and defend the action.
Yes, no one likes to see a price increase, but given the rate of inflation, price rises are inevitable. Its a simple equation: increased expenditure = increased income required to maintain status quo. Thats all there is to it. The clubs are not being greedy as some folks suggest. Nor have they taken the decision lightly. They have made a purely financial decision, designed to help them keep on putting a team on the ice week in, week out.
But what pisses me off the most is the sheer number of people who seemingly cannot see this. Some are complaining about the inconvenience of making an advance purchase (which, in my experience is always more convenient than queing up at a box office waiting for them to serve everyone...especially as at most rinks you have to queue outside, which isn't ideal in mid January), some about how it will 'kill the club' (give me a break....most regualr supporters buy in advance or have a season ticket, so won't be affected), and some are just using it to have yet an other pop at the clubs they just don't like.
Fact is running a hockey team is expensive. People have to accept this and move on. I remember the uproar when ticket price moved above £10 (some 8 seasons ago). Then when the moved above £12, and now £15. Prices are what they are. Most clubs offer way of getting cheaper tickets. Move along people
Songs in the key of Phoenix...
Hopefully, this is the first of many 'Songs..' posts. The aim is quite simple: Songs which could/should/are used by the Phoenix, which relate in some way (however tenuous) to the club.
Entry #1: 'Firehouse' by Kiss.
Why? Because I always thought that the Dome should ahve a nickname like 'the Firehouse', or 'The Pyre', in keeping with the whole 'Phoenix' theme. And it rocks. 'Call the Firehouse, whoo hoo, YEAH!'
Entry #1: 'Firehouse' by Kiss.
Why? Because I always thought that the Dome should ahve a nickname like 'the Firehouse', or 'The Pyre', in keeping with the whole 'Phoenix' theme. And it rocks. 'Call the Firehouse, whoo hoo, YEAH!'
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Looking forwards to the new season.
Well, tis but a week til the pre season games, then the 2008-2009 EIHL season will be underway.
And I'm damn happy that the EIHL is still around. Sure, it ain't perfect (far from it infact), but it functions. And Its lasted longer than certain elements of the British hockey fraternity expected/wanted it to.
Plus, I'm positive for the Phoenix. The signings made look good. Neil seems confident (or did when i saw him in Ikea). All we need now are a few simple things....like decent ice at the Dome. And better tactics than 'get the puck to Tony and see what he can set up'. Hopefully, with us running enough imports for 3 lines, the Brit lads will come on some more during the season, as seeing them on the ice always lifts the crowd.
And I'm damn happy that the EIHL is still around. Sure, it ain't perfect (far from it infact), but it functions. And Its lasted longer than certain elements of the British hockey fraternity expected/wanted it to.
Plus, I'm positive for the Phoenix. The signings made look good. Neil seems confident (or did when i saw him in Ikea). All we need now are a few simple things....like decent ice at the Dome. And better tactics than 'get the puck to Tony and see what he can set up'. Hopefully, with us running enough imports for 3 lines, the Brit lads will come on some more during the season, as seeing them on the ice always lifts the crowd.
New season, new look.
Yup. The Pyre is now a blog. And the reason for this? I got tired of updating the old style site, and it was looking very tired.
Give me a while and I'll have the domain (thepyre.icefans.co.uk) pointing here. Honest. I'm not that lazy......often.
Give me a while and I'll have the domain (thepyre.icefans.co.uk) pointing here. Honest. I'm not that lazy......often.
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