Fixture changes
- Thread starter fanta80
- Start date
This is crazy - couldn't they have just said whoever's playing Hull have a free night rather than change everyone's fixtures!? Call me crazy - but that makes sense to me. Personally, I've benefited slightly as I believe we had a home double header on the weekend of Sept 25/26 when I'm away, but now I only miss one home game instead, but I feel sorry for anyone whose made plans for away games that have now been re-scheduled or have arranged things around the original fixture list. What a joke.
I know it is all about the cash flow, but those new dates are much worse for the Devils - and not from an opponent view (but, we are playing the same teams over and over) but from a business view.
How many Sunday fixtures? We don't have a single Saturday home game that month. We even end up playing a Thursday league game.
Maybe Finny can help me here, but how much does the gate reduce with a Sunday game compared to a Saturday.
I know my other half (who was considering buying a season ticket based on the original fixture list) will be picking and choosing when she goes, and I doubt that she will be going to many of them.
I was also looking at organising a works night out, but no-one will want to go on a Sunday.
Hopefully the league will be compensating the Devils organisation for the loss in revenue. Perhaps we should have an arena where we struggle to get ice time - we may actually get a decent fixture list then.
How many Sunday fixtures? We don't have a single Saturday home game that month. We even end up playing a Thursday league game.
Maybe Finny can help me here, but how much does the gate reduce with a Sunday game compared to a Saturday.
I know my other half (who was considering buying a season ticket based on the original fixture list) will be picking and choosing when she goes, and I doubt that she will be going to many of them.
I was also looking at organising a works night out, but no-one will want to go on a Sunday.
Hopefully the league will be compensating the Devils organisation for the loss in revenue. Perhaps we should have an arena where we struggle to get ice time - we may actually get a decent fixture list then.
Ok, I know I am on one - blame being over tired.
Why the whole sales destruction of the fixtures list? We have only lost one team. That is a limited pot of fixtures. Yes, this has some impact - but not a 100% re-write. You go through the fixture list and highlight the Hull ones...then see where you can move your pegs. Perhaps I am slow, but I would love to have been at that meeting...
I am just hoping that Belfast games wont move, as most teams will have booked a fair amount of travel to Belfast already. If the fixture on the 9th of October has moved, I will be invoicing the league.
I suggest anyone who has lost out due to these changes sends an itemised invoice to the Elite League. It may not get too far, but if we spank them for being incompetent enough they may actually start behaving like a professional organisation (I know, I know - I am really dreaming now).
Mind you, what can we expect. The fixtures are usually put together badly.
Why the whole sales destruction of the fixtures list? We have only lost one team. That is a limited pot of fixtures. Yes, this has some impact - but not a 100% re-write. You go through the fixture list and highlight the Hull ones...then see where you can move your pegs. Perhaps I am slow, but I would love to have been at that meeting...
I am just hoping that Belfast games wont move, as most teams will have booked a fair amount of travel to Belfast already. If the fixture on the 9th of October has moved, I will be invoicing the league.
I suggest anyone who has lost out due to these changes sends an itemised invoice to the Elite League. It may not get too far, but if we spank them for being incompetent enough they may actually start behaving like a professional organisation (I know, I know - I am really dreaming now).
Mind you, what can we expect. The fixtures are usually put together badly.
Before i get my head bitten off, i do wholly agree with much of whats been said. The new fixtures list is a bit of a wind up.
Just to level out the arguement, If you look at the ECHL league in America which is better league than ours really - They tend to play the same team 3 nights in a row before moving onto the next. And they dont tend to be just weekend games. I understand there are different reasons and circumstances but just pointing out the 3 games against the same team in 3 days is the norm over there. Makes 4 times in a month seem a lot less extreme.
(never thought id see the day i was arguing on the site of Elite Towers! lol)
I do agree i'd prefer to have an 'easier' start than Belfast and to have the fixtures evenly spread out over the season.
Sadly we dont live in a perfect world though.
I do agree that the seeming total overhaul of the fixture list is a bit excessive when all was really needed was a few minor tweeks.
Just to level out the arguement, If you look at the ECHL league in America which is better league than ours really - They tend to play the same team 3 nights in a row before moving onto the next. And they dont tend to be just weekend games. I understand there are different reasons and circumstances but just pointing out the 3 games against the same team in 3 days is the norm over there. Makes 4 times in a month seem a lot less extreme.
(never thought id see the day i was arguing on the site of Elite Towers! lol)
I do agree i'd prefer to have an 'easier' start than Belfast and to have the fixtures evenly spread out over the season.
Sadly we dont live in a perfect world though.
I do agree that the seeming total overhaul of the fixture list is a bit excessive when all was really needed was a few minor tweeks.
Thread starter
#30
It isnt as easy as giving teams a night off. Some teams had double headers with Hull and therefore lose a whole weekend. Midweek games can now be rescheduled to weekends if possible. A change to the playoff format could mean the league season having to finish an extra week early meaning a re-write there. I understand its annoying but take as an example the Devils. Without a rewrite it would have been a blank opening weekend with the loss of Hull and nobody wants that so early in the season. On the subject of Belfast trips id be fairly sure they would stick to their dates both for supporters and teams benefits. Also they are given very strict dates so im sure they wouldnt have much flexibility to change them anyway
Since we've moved down the Bay we actually get slightly better attendances on Saturdays. But only by an averge of 60 last season.
The one thing I would say is that we to tend to get bigger attendances against the lesser teams on a Saturday.
i.e. the occasional fans will go watch a game against Coventry or Sheffield whether it is on a Saturday or a Sunday. But they might only watch Edinburgh or Newcastle (and in the past Hull) on a Saturday.
Though we play all Sunday home games in September they are all against teams who should be a big draw anyway.
The one thing I would say is that we to tend to get bigger attendances against the lesser teams on a Saturday.
i.e. the occasional fans will go watch a game against Coventry or Sheffield whether it is on a Saturday or a Sunday. But they might only watch Edinburgh or Newcastle (and in the past Hull) on a Saturday.
Though we play all Sunday home games in September they are all against teams who should be a big draw anyway.
At first I thought it would mean we moved to midweek games, but then we still have two in the first month.
However, in the official PR of HockeyFest postponement it mentions that the playoff fixtures may be changing too.
Perhaps we are going back to the original playoff system that was planned to be brought in this year. I think it was top 6 qualify and then you play a mini-group stage with more home games if you finished top 3.
I was really looking forward to giving that system a go, and would be delighted if it was back. It would mean though that the season finished earlier than planned, and perhaps that is why there are so many changes instead of just giving teams a game off where they should have played Hull.
However, in the official PR of HockeyFest postponement it mentions that the playoff fixtures may be changing too.
Perhaps we are going back to the original playoff system that was planned to be brought in this year. I think it was top 6 qualify and then you play a mini-group stage with more home games if you finished top 3.
I was really looking forward to giving that system a go, and would be delighted if it was back. It would mean though that the season finished earlier than planned, and perhaps that is why there are so many changes instead of just giving teams a game off where they should have played Hull.
This stinks. Devils shafted again by the league to suit the likes of panthers and steelers.
If they move the Belfast away game i'll never go to another away game. I've already paid for flights and a non-refundable hotel room. I'll also consider whether I give the elite league jokers any more of my money by attending the play-offs.
There! Toys well and truly out of the pram.
If they move the Belfast away game i'll never go to another away game. I've already paid for flights and a non-refundable hotel room. I'll also consider whether I give the elite league jokers any more of my money by attending the play-offs.
There! Toys well and truly out of the pram.
I'm wondering whether we might have got lucky with these changes now.
Dundee have signed another fighter, and you can bet for their first couple of games they will be going out trying to send a message to the rest of the league. Plus all their players will be wanting to show who is the best fighter.
If we played them in the first month I could see one of two of them turning into a farce. Hopefully this will now happen against other teams and by the time we play them they will have got it out of our system.
Also, it might be best we play Belfast early on before they have time to gel. And though there are rumours that Sheffield might be signing a final import soon - I think they are more likely to be in a mess early on that after a month or so. Brand new coach who hasn't seen their team play before - might take them a while to get going too.
Of course it could go the other way and we start off terrible and losing lots.
Dundee have signed another fighter, and you can bet for their first couple of games they will be going out trying to send a message to the rest of the league. Plus all their players will be wanting to show who is the best fighter.
If we played them in the first month I could see one of two of them turning into a farce. Hopefully this will now happen against other teams and by the time we play them they will have got it out of our system.
Also, it might be best we play Belfast early on before they have time to gel. And though there are rumours that Sheffield might be signing a final import soon - I think they are more likely to be in a mess early on that after a month or so. Brand new coach who hasn't seen their team play before - might take them a while to get going too.
Of course it could go the other way and we start off terrible and losing lots.
Holl_5 said:
*yawn*
It's a shame we won't be playing Dundee, Braehead and Newcastle as the first 6 games...looks like we've been shafted by the league to suit...erm...the league?!
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Me thinks Gaz needs to start the Official Complaints Thread 2010-2011 soon.
It's a shame we won't be playing Dundee, Braehead and Newcastle as the first 6 games...looks like we've been shafted by the league to suit...erm...the league?!
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Me thinks Gaz needs to start the Official Complaints Thread 2010-2011 soon.
If you are in the league you should sign up to be able to fufill your fixtures regardless. It should then be the responsibility of the team to secure a contract with the rink they want to use to be able to do this.
It seems the Devils get messed around more than most because they have flexibility when they can play.
I wasn't specifically blaming the Steelers alone. Maybe i'm just looking for something to blame and in the past our fixtures have been arranged around what suits the arena teams so they are an easy target. i guess its more the way the league is run and the Panthers and Steelers seem to have the biggest say of all the clubs in that. We just seem to get messed around a lot as a club and just seem to accept and take it. I mean I could accept a few changes due to the sad loss of Hull but nearly every fixture for the first 2 months?
I really hope the Belfast away game on 9th october isn't changed as I have already spent the best part of £100 which I won't get back if it is.
I really hope the Belfast away game on 9th october isn't changed as I have already spent the best part of £100 which I won't get back if it is.