Cardiff Devils v Murrayfield Racers... What happened?
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
The memory of a distraught Stephen Cooper sitting on the steps after missing his penalties will always remain with me.
Brian Dickson smoking on the bench during the penalty shots was a sight to behold as was the relief on the faces of the players whose names wren't on the list I had handed the referee.
OJ
Brian Dickson smoking on the bench during the penalty shots was a sight to behold as was the relief on the faces of the players whose names wren't on the list I had handed the referee.
OJ
It was my first season watching the Devils and clearly I thought it was always like this.... :lol:
As Finny said the final was a culmination of the rivalry that had grown throughout the season. I remember one of the last games of the regular season being switched to a Friday night as it was due to be shown in highlight form on Grandstand the next day. The WNIR was absolutely packed with fans - the attendance must have been way over the allowed 2500 - and the atmosphere as good as it has ever been.
I was standing on the staircase by the cafe and it was clear, talking to some Racers fans before the game, that they saw this as the opportunity to put us in our place. We had won the league the week before, slightly anti-climatically against Peterborough, but this was going to be the big showdown.
The Racers had some agricultural imports, Chris Kelland, Brian McKee and one other whose name escapes me and from the start they tried to bully us off our game. It was the first game I remember which felt like a playoff game rather than just a normal league game. Despite intense pressure we stood up to them and eventually humiliated them 12-4 (I think) to show that we fully deserved the lague title. The next day the Daily Telegraph did a 2 page spread on the Devils and we were shown in our full glory on Grandstand.
I always felt that humiliation spurred the Racers on to perform as well as they did at Wembley.
Thankfully for us, it wasn't enough!
As Finny said the final was a culmination of the rivalry that had grown throughout the season. I remember one of the last games of the regular season being switched to a Friday night as it was due to be shown in highlight form on Grandstand the next day. The WNIR was absolutely packed with fans - the attendance must have been way over the allowed 2500 - and the atmosphere as good as it has ever been.
I was standing on the staircase by the cafe and it was clear, talking to some Racers fans before the game, that they saw this as the opportunity to put us in our place. We had won the league the week before, slightly anti-climatically against Peterborough, but this was going to be the big showdown.
The Racers had some agricultural imports, Chris Kelland, Brian McKee and one other whose name escapes me and from the start they tried to bully us off our game. It was the first game I remember which felt like a playoff game rather than just a normal league game. Despite intense pressure we stood up to them and eventually humiliated them 12-4 (I think) to show that we fully deserved the lague title. The next day the Daily Telegraph did a 2 page spread on the Devils and we were shown in our full glory on Grandstand.
I always felt that humiliation spurred the Racers on to perform as well as they did at Wembley.
Thankfully for us, it wasn't enough!
[The Racers had some agricultural imports, Chris Kelland, Brian McKee and one other whose name escapes me and from the start they tried to bully us off our game.]
Their other two imports towards the end of that season were Steve Moore (Defence) and Jim Mollard (Forward) - both decent players, I thought, neither of whom was averse to a bit of rough stuff. Didn't do 'em any good though, either at the match when the League Trophy was presented at the WNIR or at Wembley!! Good memories.
Their other two imports towards the end of that season were Steve Moore (Defence) and Jim Mollard (Forward) - both decent players, I thought, neither of whom was averse to a bit of rough stuff. Didn't do 'em any good though, either at the match when the League Trophy was presented at the WNIR or at Wembley!! Good memories.
Here is a nice little site.....brings memories flooding back!
http://ukhockeypics.piczo.com/?cr=4
Bit off topic, but does anyone remember the night Durham flew down and their flight got diverted to Birmingham? They got to the rink about 10pm, we had all been in since about 6pm. In the warm up they skated around throwing Cadburys Boost bars to the crowd as a PR measure (they were sponsored by boost at the time), only for some of us to throw them back at them! We went on to stuff em too!!
Shame Murrayfield didn't do the same as they were sponsored by Smirnoff! :lol:
http://ukhockeypics.piczo.com/?cr=4
Bit off topic, but does anyone remember the night Durham flew down and their flight got diverted to Birmingham? They got to the rink about 10pm, we had all been in since about 6pm. In the warm up they skated around throwing Cadburys Boost bars to the crowd as a PR measure (they were sponsored by boost at the time), only for some of us to throw them back at them! We went on to stuff em too!!
Shame Murrayfield didn't do the same as they were sponsored by Smirnoff! :lol: