Devils take over lease of IAW??

Ocko

Well-Known Member
#62
Why do you take everything with IAW so seriously?

The problems you talk about are high up Greenbank management, council and Devils management. You read into everything with an over the top dramatic assumption. Fans are excited about a lick of paint and some improvements. Why drag it down for whatever agenda you obviously have with the rink?
 
#63
Here's my take on the news:
First of all, we've been working on this for two years so my main take is that it's about time that this happened. When it became apparent that buying the arena at reasonable terms was not going to happen, we came back to Greenbank with this concept as a good way for them to stabilize the operations and as a way to gain some control in order to have an influence on our fan's game experience. That was a much bigger reason for taking this on compared to the small amount of money that we'll make for managing the rink.

I do think that there are many things that we can do to make the IAW a better place to watch the games and also a place that the people of Cardiff can come to enjoy what really is a very nice venue. Public skating is not being used nearly as much as it should (not even as much as in the BBT) and there simple things that can be done to promote the facility for other uses as well.

Because we don't own it, capital projects will likely be minimal because that would still be Greenbank that would need to fund that but I do know that Wi-Fi will be available right away. And no...there likely won't be 10,000 seats added on top or in the gantry!

Definitely a positive step for the Devils and our fans.
 
#64
Thanks again Steve for saving the Devils and congrats on this latest adventure, it may be worth looking into harnessing the waste heat from the condensers and selling this on to the CIP who need a bucket load of heating.
 
#65
Why do you take everything with IAW so seriously?

The problems you talk about are high up Greenbank management, council and Devils management. You read into everything with an over the top dramatic assumption. Fans are excited about a lick of paint and some improvements. Why drag it down for whatever agenda you obviously have with the rink?
I guess your aiming this little piece at me.

I’d like to have a Devils history to be one of sporting achievement and not one plagued by continuing uncertainty over the survivability. If fans are assuming the bar is going to get a lick of paint and then all troubles will then disappear, I’m not sorry, I don’t have that confidence. The IAW has deep financial woes, which if continue will leave its future in even more uncertainty, no matter what colour the bar or who may have shown a glimmer of interest.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

Kipper

Active Member
#66
Why do you take everything with IAW so seriously?

The problems you talk about are high up Greenbank management, council and Devils management. You read into everything with an over the top dramatic assumption. Fans are excited about a lick of paint and some improvements. Why drag it down for whatever agenda you obviously have with the rink?
Beyond tedious
 

Finny

Well-Known Member
#67
You believe some paint on the walls could only be achieved by the Devils organisation managing the facility ?
Yes. That's exactly the point. For someone who has been obsessed with the management of IAW since day 1 .... or at least user account 1 ..... I'm always amazed how much you dont understand basic details of the situation.

Previously, Greenbank were running the arena. They believed that by keeping the bar neutral they'd attract more day-to-day users into it and be able to hire it out more.
Now the Devils are responsible for its day to day use and trying to attract people in to hire it. If they think they can Devils-brand it and get extra business then they can do that.

You're consistent theme that the Devils' future is in danger is getting extremely tiresome. Maybe it's time to give it up and spend more time on something else. I wonder if we'll ever find out the real reason you seem so keen for the Devils and IAW to fail so a larger arena is built?
 

Finny

Well-Known Member
#68
Anyway, great news that the club are taking over its running. Wifi will be a huge boost for us and I'm guessing they'll be looking at improving the connection to the scoreboard so we lose the risk of the problems we had earlier in the season. Maybe they'll even finish the scoreboard corners in!

I too would love a Hall of Fame section and a bit of Devils branding in the rink. Not too much, but what they've done with the Devils dressing room and offices is awesome.
 

Slartibartfast

Well-Known Member
#69
Here's my take on the news:
First of all, we've been working on this for two years so my main take is that it's about time that this happened. When it became apparent that buying the arena at reasonable terms was not going to happen, we came back to Greenbank with this concept as a good way for them to stabilize the operations and as a way to gain some control in order to have an influence on our fan's game experience. That was a much bigger reason for taking this on compared to the small amount of money that we'll make for managing the rink.

I do think that there are many things that we can do to make the IAW a better place to watch the games and also a place that the people of Cardiff can come to enjoy what really is a very nice venue. Public skating is not being used nearly as much as it should (not even as much as in the BBT) and there simple things that can be done to promote the facility for other uses as well.

Because we don't own it, capital projects will likely be minimal because that would still be Greenbank that would need to fund that but I do know that Wi-Fi will be available right away. And no...there likely won't be 10,000 seats added on top or in the gantry!

Definitely a positive step for the Devils and our fans.
Welcome back Steve. I think anyone who has been a Devils fan and public skater over the years will see that this is great news. Since you guys took over we have had a much better building, a handful of trophies and financial security for the Devils. But despite the new building the public skating experience has not improved at all. If you can improve the rink like you have the Devils I think a lot of IAW customers will be very happy. The glass will always be half empty for some. Please don't let them dampen your enthusiasm .
 

Koop11

Well-Known Member
#70
I hope the new management don’t paint the area itself. It’s bright and fresh looking, helping the place look new. Perhaps add more banners along the side of the area (bench side) where there are currently two sponsor banners. It would be nice to see the large screen corners completed. I’m amazed a sponsor has wanted to jump onto that (maybe there are) as the clock is something looked at regularly during a game. I think a spot light or two for when the team hit the ice would be good also.


The public skating rink has scope for some colour. Perhaps this is an area the Devils and the other skating teams could advertise their respective clubs, attracting casual skaters to ice sports.


Personally I would love to see it more sports related bar, if not Devils/hockey exclusively. This doesn’t have to be a full paint job and carpet. Simply hanging some memorabilia around the place - things that can easily be removed for non-sports related functions. There certainly needs to be more serving areas in the bar to mitigate the long queues during period breaks. How about a bottle bar along that wasted wall that runs alongside the lift entrance.


Catering facilities need some investment. Alternative meals, more paying areas and more vending machines serving confectionary, hot drinks, and healthy snacks. Let’s not continue to be like contracting leisure centres who promote health and wellbeing yet serve just burgers, chips, chocolate and coke.


A lot of potential for improvements for not a ridiculous amount on money as I see it. Much of this will determined by the ambition of the new arena management and the flexibility is has been delegated to make changes.


P.S. we have arguably the best hockey rink/arena in the UK. Scope to improve, yes, but lets not knock it. We just spent 10 years in a tent!
 

Earnie

Well-Known Member
#72
How about the front desk staff and bar / cafe staff? I guess they and their training become the responsibility of Devils management?
 

matbur

Well-Known Member
#73
This might sound stupid but my girlfriend reckons a fair number of people queing up at the cafe only purchase hot drinks and the reason why they don't use the hot drinks vending machine is because it doesn't give lids and the lids in the cafe don't fit the vending machine cups.
 

pjj365

Well-Known Member
#74
This might sound stupid but my girlfriend reckons a fair number of people queing up at the cafe only purchase hot drinks and the reason why they don't use the hot drinks vending machine is because it doesn't give lids and the lids in the cafe don't fit the vending machine cups.
The simple things to fix can make it so much better
 

SteveKing

Well-Known Member
#77
Ted, I'm no expert on British politics (or Canadian for that matter) but I'm guessing that Brexit will require a little bit more than hanging pictures and adding Wi-Fi!

Appreciate the thoughts and comments on here. Lots of work to be done so please bear with us as we work through different projects but our views on things are very much in line with what's been discussed on here. We want the Devils to have a home that befits our proud franchise and our wonderful fans. Sometimes small touches go a long way and Todd and his crew are in a much better position than Greenbank to understand what those are.
 

Mooney#16

Well-Known Member
#78
I think the best thing I could say reference the IAW is it simply is not a welcoming place. For WNIR and BBT faults they were exactly what it said on the tin. An ice sports arena or to me an ice hockey rink. IAW right now to me feels like a repurposed warehouse. That building needs to join up with its core identity not some stuffy white collar ideal.

To me the area of greatest concern is the cafe. It's a horrible space to be in. Confined. Boxed in and made claustrophobic but an extraordinary amount of access doors. If as a parent my kids wanted to go skating I'd hate being restricted to that area for up to two hours. It's a shocker. I'd go as far as potentially swapping the location of the cafe and skate hire.

The bar needs a face lift. Simple as. It's a sports arena. It should have a sports bar. I don't need a pretentious looking plastic fantastic. I wanted a bar that speaks to me about why I'm in the building in the first place.It should serve as a walking talking hall of fame in itself to not just hockey but achievers in all of ice sports that have come through Cardiff. In short make it a place full of history, atmosphere and above everything with a welcoming and exciting feel not a touch anything and we might kill you atmosphere.

And just one request. Any chance of revisiting the benches debate ie is full length benches definitely off the agenda.
 

dave

Well-Known Member
#79
I think the best thing I could say reference the IAW is it simply is not a welcoming place. For WNIR and BBT faults they were exactly what it said on the tin. An ice sports arena or to me an ice hockey rink. IAW right now to me feels like a repurposed warehouse. That building needs to join up with its core identity not some stuffy white collar ideal.

To me the area of greatest concern is the cafe. It's a horrible space to be in. Confined. Boxed in and made claustrophobic but an extraordinary amount of access doors. If as a parent my kids wanted to go skating I'd hate being restricted to that area for up to two hours. It's a shocker. I'd go as far as potentially swapping the location of the cafe and skate hire.

The bar needs a face lift. Simple as. It's a sports arena. It should have a sports bar. I don't need a pretentious looking plastic fantastic. I wanted a bar that speaks to me about why I'm in the building in the first place.It should serve as a walking talking hall of fame in itself to not just hockey but achievers in all of ice sports that have come through Cardiff. In short make it a place full of history, atmosphere and above everything with a welcoming and exciting feel not a touch anything and we might kill you atmosphere.

And just one request. Any chance of revisiting the benches debate ie is full length benches definitely off the agenda.
Mooners on the hall/wall of fame point I agree fully and the plan we put forward a few years ago was just that. So it would recognise the devils plus folks that have had a difference in ice sports..
 

august04

Well-Known Member
#80
I think the best thing I could say reference the IAW is it simply is not a welcoming place. For WNIR and BBT faults they were exactly what it said on the tin. An ice sports arena or to me an ice hockey rink. IAW right now to me feels like a repurposed warehouse. That building needs to join up with its core identity not some stuffy white collar ideal.

To me the area of greatest concern is the cafe. It's a horrible space to be in. Confined. Boxed in and made claustrophobic but an extraordinary amount of access doors. If as a parent my kids wanted to go skating I'd hate being restricted to that area for up to two hours. It's a shocker. I'd go as far as potentially swapping the location of the cafe and skate hire.

The bar needs a face lift. Simple as. It's a sports arena. It should have a sports bar. I don't need a pretentious looking plastic fantastic. I wanted a bar that speaks to me about why I'm in the building in the first place.It should serve as a walking talking hall of fame in itself to not just hockey but achievers in all of ice sports that have come through Cardiff. In short make it a place full of history, atmosphere and above everything with a welcoming and exciting feel not a touch anything and we might kill you atmosphere.

And just one request. Any chance of revisiting the benches debate ie is full length benches definitely off the agenda.
The bench issue is one of the first questions I would have asked with this new arrangement. Can we change it? It looks so crammed in there, we all said it was ridiculous back in the day and that hasn’t changed. A job for the off season hopefully.
 
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