New Arena

Mooney#16 · Jan 1, 2015

But then you can throw in the arena scheduling issue. The eliteleague now has the bizarre situation teams competing for the leading trophy not on an even playing field due to the conference system. In a conference system the leading trophy should be the play offs. Due to the multi purpose all singing all dancing arenas and the teams that play out of them having zero flexibility on fixtures and not having financial stability to cope with a competitive variation they shoe horn it into being meaningless.

So the arenas of 8-10,000 capacity and the rigidity of their business also offers up a road block to league development and expansion. Big isn't necessarily best. It's a very one sided single topic argument you're peddling.

Ocko · Jan 1, 2015

Off topic but completely agree with your point Mooney about the play offs and conference system. The league cannot be the main prize if it's not an even playing field. The other conference is undoubadly easier. Which is fine, that will always happen. If the league is structured that way you have to make the play offs longer and harder and actually worth something. If the EIHL still want their big pay day from Nottingham, have a structure the Canadian major junior system where they have the Memorial and Presidents cup. Best of 7 play offs and then a separate grand final with 3/4 teams.

chillee · Jan 1, 2015

Yes l agree but your assuming the "league" in its current format will remain. Like l hinted, ambitious plans & the future, winds of change.

Ocko · Jan 1, 2015

What else will it be chillee? What format do you think it will take? Rather than attempt to be cryptic, get to the point!

Mooney#16 · Jan 1, 2015

Unless those winds of change are going to see Nottingham, Sheffield, Belfast, Braehead along with the rumoured Wembley franchise have a strong enough financial structure to face a first round elimination in the play offs and strong enough working relationship with their venues to afford short notice fixtures changes or cancellations then those winds will be short lived.

There is a misguided arrogance to the arena teams they are the future but they have to address their negative impact also. Growth has to be all encompassing not just the sections you wish which is where I disagree with Black, Smith, Odyssy and to an extent TK also.

Wannabe2 · Jan 1, 2015

chillee said:

Firstly this new venue will be eons away, secondly it won't have a ice pad believe me,and thirdly where do you think the devils would play for the next 4/5 yrs, probably with your insight still in the BBT. Our rink had to be down the bay, did you know that, there was European funding but the bay had to have Water, Snow, and Ice sports. I do take umbridge to your attitude, having been one of a group of people who have spent the last fringing 9yrs fighting for this facility, and still fighting and losing money in work when it would have been so much easier to say f- - k it. People like you do my friggin head in, thankfully you lot are far and few. 3,100 people will love our beautiful home, and they are the people that matter, not some fly by night person who knows jack all about what we have been through to get our new home. Believe me the Council could not have given a toot to whether we had a new home or not, all they were concerned about was getting John Lewis in Cardiff. Everything else to do with our club as far as they were concerned was hassle, that is until they found out who they were messing with, and how determined we were to keep our proud club alive. So next time you want to knock the very hard work people have put into this 9yr nightmare, take a step back and realise Devils fans are getting something they will be proud of, and as I have already said it's about these lovely people and not you.
Happy New Year.

jimmy snels · Jan 1, 2015

It's amazing chillie you only pop up to say something negative. Where have you been on the game threads?! Too much winning for you is it?

Personally i do wonder if 3100 will be enough long term but I'd rather a seat, good sightlines, a home not made of blue tarpaulin ffs!! SORAC did a fantastic job so engage your brain a minute and think what else could have been our future

chillee · Jan 1, 2015

Wannabe, you need to read what l have written, you've repeated most of it, yet you get upset with me. Whilst l agree with you the hurdle or mistake was not making the rink a financially attractive viable multi functional complex that would attract financial investment and make it attractive to the council, the city and the public 9 yrs ago. Whilst l applaud your fan sentiment having a club with no vision or capability to move forward was never going to attract anybody except the likes of Ragan. The council and Welsh business have historically failed to understand the basic fundermentals of business and growth. This has though now made Wales and Cardiff recently an attractive opportunity. Let's hope it's not ignored as in previous years. I want the Devils to be a successful long term team, we have the owners, the manager and we need to keep them in Cardiff.

chillee · Jan 1, 2015

jimmy snels said:

I enjoy watching hockey, l have little interest in the finer details of the team or players performance. I watch Cardiff as I'm near, l hold no fan loyalty l'd happily watch a Nottingham v Sheffield game if l was visiting either city at the time or any other team & have done in the past.

Budgie · Jan 1, 2015

Come on now guys, stop squabbling, You can read a post in two ways, positive or negative!

I personally think Chillie is just saying it as it is, and is actually positive about out situation.

Now kids, play nice :?

Wannabe2 · Jan 1, 2015

chillee said:

I would stick to the Nottingham v Sheffield games if I was you, we are a different breed down here . We are very happy thank you, we are Welsh and our mentality suits us, but thanks for being concerned. Goodnight have a great new year, because we sure will.
Happy Hockey Days.

Sheincar · Jan 1, 2015

chillee said:

Sheincar said:

In another country, doing what l do for people. If griping is frowned upon on here, then I'm in good company.

But you're griping about things which are out of our control!!

chillee · Jan 1, 2015

Do l really need to point out this is a discussion forum. Not beyond everybody's control. I'm Cardiff born and held season tickets at the old arena and watched Cardiff over 20 yrs ago.

Mooney#16 · Jan 1, 2015

When you are coming from a stand point of an arena I can see perfectly well why you are of the opinion you are but these are two fundamentally different type of facilities. A large multi purpose arena has to sell itself via versatility to a multitude of different users. Versatility in size, shape and facilities. But they are selling use to a relatively small amount of available operational time so the charges are high but efficiency low.
The new rink/arena is just that effectively. A rink or rather two. It will trade for far higher percentages of time avail via all the different rink users. It has a far more guaranteed income that can be budgeted for. It doesn't need to be stealing a march on the Motorpoint as they aren't really competing although they can if they choose.
Whilst you are saying mistakes I would counter you're seeing success from a narrow viewpoint. Success will rest in that facilities profitability and no one can speak as to that yet.

Ocko · Jan 1, 2015

And most of all, and we must not forget (myself included) that this is for all rink users. Should there be a concert/other event which means that any rink user be it junior/rec/public skate/figure cannot use it at a particular point then the whole purpose of the facility is defeated. It is an ice facility and not really an arena. This is not a rink just for the Devils.

chillee · Jan 1, 2015

No its not an arena just for the Devils, but limiting it's capacity to Devils levels is a mistake, proven by the fact a need has been identified for a 12,000 seater arena within the city. Top level arenas require far greater capacity just to compete in attracting events.

Ocko · Jan 1, 2015

But the fact that there are plans for a new arena mean that long term, should the club outgrow its forthcoming surroundings, have an alternative. I'd prefer a 3,100 seat rink with the option of a 12,000 seat eventually.

Mooney#16 · Jan 1, 2015

The remit of this project was never for the arena to rival the Motorpoint though. It was for an ice sports venue and complex. It meets the remit. The mistake is believing it was going to be anything other than an ice rink.

Ocko · Jan 1, 2015

chillee said:

It hasn't been limited to the Devils though. It's limited to ice sports, which is exactly what it was designed for. Figure skating, curling, junior hockey, rec hockey and public skating don't need 10,000 seat arenas. It's perfect for the other users, just not for anything outside of this remit; which I'm sure if you ask any of those users will be more than fine by them when they have decent ice time for once.

Finny · Jan 1, 2015

chillee said:

Where would you have put this 12,000 seat arena?
How would the extra cost have been funded?

New Arena

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