GB Issues!

[puck]

Taken from a THF discussion, this got me interested in our Brit situation. This weekend a lot of teams have lost key British players to GB duty. Manchester are perhaps the hardest hit, losing their goalie Murphy. Despite losing such a key player they have been told by the league that they can't replace him with Fone as Murphy isn't injured. Belfast have had their games this weekend cancelled due to the absence of Stevie Lyle and several other Brits. Manchester, without their starting netminder and their player-coach have not. I should point out for those who don't access THF that Manchester are playing Sheffield twice this weekend.

So, in terms of our situation here in Cardiff, are we pleased, given the league's failure to acknowledge GB duty by giving the rest of the league a week off, that we don't have any players in the main GB squad this year?

Personally, although I was surprised that some of our Brits didn't get more recognition when the GB squad was announced (Towe and Hill being prime examples), I am pretty happy that we don't have an away double-header without two of our guys. I feel for Manchester this weekend as I think Sheffield will capitalise on their lack of starting netminder and Hand being out too. I don't really want to get started on the league's decision not to let Manchester loan a better goalie for the weekend, but needless to say, once again, it seems that Sheffield have a hand in this. I'm just glad it isn't affecting us and we can go out to Basingstoke and Edinburgh and try to win these vital games.

 

[Koop11]

It is a shame that this minority sport cannot afford to miss weekends of domestic duty to avoid a clash with international duties but that is just the way it is right now.

Regarding Manchester’s situation, isn’t it funny they play Steelers that weekend. Having said that, I’m almost certain Manchester, when signing Murphy, would have been aware of this week in the fixture list and should have known all options available to them at the start of the year. That or the league has once again changed the rules mid way through the season.

The good news for us, in one respect, is that none of our squad have been called up so from a selfish point of view we won’t be as affected as other teams. Even better for us is the Basingstoke game that has been rescheduled for us this weekend means we play the Bison without their best player, Chambers.

 

[Gazza272]

Unless its a long term situation i agree with the leagues desicion on this. The Steelers are missing the majority of their big players for the weekend and i would think if we had a goalie going to GB that Adams would play Myers as he did for a long spell when Osaer was injured last season.


It's only one weekend and Manchester will be playing a team who are equally disadvantaged imo. So i cant see a case for manchester being angry really.


As for taking an international break it highlights how fragile the sport in this country is that we simply cant take a weekend off.

 

[Foxy]

I can understand teams not wanting to lose out on a weekends revenue but then how come Belfast have been allowed to cancel when other teams have been told tough get on with it?

That doesn't seem consistant.

 

[James]

the rules state 5 or more players on international duty and you can cancel. I think Belfast are the only team loosing that many.

 

[Gazza272]

I can understand teams not wanting to lose out on a weekends revenue but then how come Belfast have been allowed to cancel when other teams have been told tough get on with it?

That doesn't seem consistant.

I think its more a matter of some teams not being able to cancel games because they need the home income. hence why manchester are playing and basingstoke and Edinburgh.


If all these teams could afford to lose the income from gates we would have had a proper and professional international break like other countries do.


It's a shame our sport has to play games during international weeks

 

[Iceraider]

I think what James said was right, though I'm basing that on a couple of posts on THF. Also Gazza on your point, the league could still break for the week but teams could arrange friendlies against foreign teams (like Epinal) during this week so they would not lose significant revenue due to not having a game. Or seeing as how the BK cup is so pointless just play those fixtures on that weekend.

 

[Foxy]

I think what James said was right, though I'm basing that on a couple of posts on THF. Also Gazza on your point, the league could still break for the week but teams could arrange friendlies against foreign teams (like Epinal) during this week so they would not lose significant revenue due to not having a game. Or seeing as how the BK cup is so pointless just play those fixtures on that weekend.

I like that idea.

A couple of friendlies against foreign opposition would certainly be good. Always nice to see a different team on the ice.

As an aside who's in the GB squad from Belfast?

I can think of Thornton, Shields, Sample and Phillips who's the other?

 

[Iceraider]

Graeme Walton is the other. As most other leagues in the world take international breaks, hopefully it wouldn't be too hard to persuade a couple of teams to come over here. Or even for the more well off to perhaps go over there, give the fans a nice trip as well.

 

[Gazza272]

I think what James said was right, though I'm basing that on a couple of posts on THF. Also Gazza on your point, the league could still break for the week but teams could arrange friendlies against foreign teams (like Epinal) during this week so they would not lose significant revenue due to not having a game. Or seeing as how the BK cup is so pointless just play those fixtures on that weekend.

Yep i like both of those ideas, maybe now the league has seen what a headache it is to get games re arranged/cancelled they will adopt some of those polocies above.

 

[puck]

I think its more a matter of some teams not being able to cancel games because they need the home income. hence why manchester are playing and basingstoke and Edinburgh.


If all these teams could afford to lose the income from gates we would have had a proper and professional international break like other countries do.


It's a shame our sport has to play games during international weeks [/quote]


So, effectively, we come out the best in this situation. We don't have a home gate anyway this weekend, we haven't lost any players (I'm assuming that Matt Towe hasn't gone with the GB squad if he's not on the main team) and we get to play two other teams who are missing some of their players to GB, particularly Basingstoke without Chambers!!