For clarification from the Devils' Todd Kelman:
Although we are hosting the Cup Final in Cardiff, it is meant to be a neutral venue, so tickets are meant to be split 50/50 between the fanbases of the 2 finalists. In the 2 previous seasons in Sheffield, capacity was not an issue, neither game was close to a sell-out, but we know that at less than half the size, IAW will sell out.
Season Ticket Holders - The Devils assume you will all want to go if we progress to the final. YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING ON MONDAY JAN 23rd. We have 1,250 season ticket holders (including about 100 corporate season ticket holders or sponsors as we might call them). We have held back 1,250 to give our season ticket holders the right to purchase first.
Non-Season Ticket Holders - You will need to book on Monday or "pre-book" as the story says. It means the same thing for this, you are booking your right to guarantee yourself a ticket for the Cup Final if the Devils progress. I know you will not be happy with there being only 200 spots for non-season ticket holders, but I felt that our season ticket holders and sponsors should get a seat guaranteed if they want it if the Devils progress. I know this is unpopular with non-season ticket holders, but this is an added benefit for being a season ticket holder or sponsor. They are paying the same price as everyone else if we advance, the additional £2 booking fee will be added at the time of purchase.
Elite League's Input - This was 100% my decision and my format for trying to make this as fair as possible for the 2 teams and their fanbases making the final and also for Devils season ticket holders/sponsors. Don't be angry at the EIHL Board, they had no input to this whatsoever. The Devils bid for the right to host the Challenge Cup and we are paying the EIHL for the right to do so. Part of the agreement to host it was to make it a 50/50 split for tickets between the two fanbases. The £2 booking fee would have been added to the ticket at checkout and instead, we opted to use it to allow fans to book a seat in advance.
Why didn't I put all of the tickets on sale at once and let everyone have an equal chance? Because I want to ensure the arena is full and that the two finalists' fanbases get tickets before neutral fans wanting to attend. This is not a scam to make £2 extra from 3 sets of fans, this is not a way to piss off our non-season ticket holders if we do advance to the final. Trust me, this was analysed and thought out to ensure it was as fair as possible for all 4 teams. I can admit, the only unfair part of this is to Devils non-season ticket holders, but I decided myself that I wanted to give my season ticket holders first refusal of tickets if we advance knowing full well how non-season ticket holders would feel about it.
This is not the easy way out, trust me, the office staff will have a ton of more work to do it this way. Instead of having all the bookings done by the fans themselves, we will be calling 3,000 people to manually process their bookings. The easy way would have been to put tickets on sale at the same time for everyone and let the fans sit wherever, but that wasn't what I wanted. I want to put on a great show and a great final regardless of who is in the final and whether it is the Devils or the Giants playing the Panthers or Steelers, I want the fanbases of the two finalists to get the opportunity to be in attendance first. Devils fans have won a Challenge Cup with us two seasons ago and if you were there, you will remember how special it was. I want the two finalists and their fanbases to have that same opportunity. Obviously I hope we get there, but if we don't, then we will still put on the best Challenge Cup Final we can.
If you are still mad, if you still think I am a fool for doing it this way, let me know. My email is
tk@cardiffdevils.com - I might not be able to respond to everyone and I might not agree with you, but I am always willing to listen to feedback (good or bad). But this is how it is going to be and I am not changing the process. This is as fair as possible for the 4 fanbases and hopefully if the Challenge Cup is in somewhere like Braehead or Belfast in the future, they will consider our fanbase as well as their own and follow a similar model.
- Todd Kelman