Official Club Statement

[Gazza272]

Need some help here.
In the Press Release, Pope claims to have been on the bench the last time we won a championship.

I can only find him on the bench during the 07-08 season. Which wasn't a great season
We won the Knockout cup(!) in 06-07 season, when he was player coach at Romford.

Have I missed a championship?

Brent was bench coach for the tail end of the 06/07 season (first in the tent)

He was bench coach for the final for the British Knockout Cup and the playoffs.I think he had left Romford half way through the season. He was definitely there for the end of ours though. Because the following season was the one with fake sponsors, unknown owners and Brent as GM.

Gerad though was phenominal in that run in 06/07 though as soon as he took over He galvanized what was a really talented bunch of players who were stiffed on bonuses, had to play half a year without home ice and then had to play out of a blue tent.

I've never been as heartbroken as a fan than when we lost that playoff shoot out. Gerad deserved that trophy more than anyone. It was the catalyst for his coaching career here but sadly was also a forewarning for the problems to come at him in many guises.

It's a sad sad day that he is no longer coach of this hockey team.

 

[Imagine]

OK cheers for clearing that up.

Hardly a ringing endorsement of his coaching ability (not meaning from you) by just being on the bench when they won at the tail end of the season.

Ah well. Be interesting to see how he coaches a room full of players with allegedly very little, if any, respect for him.
I think I'll be watching from afar though, and maybe taking in some other hockey along the M4.

 

[davew]

Yesterday we had an email from cdra about the foodbank, yet something as important as the club seems to be received with silence. Can we expect a response from the "official" supporters club on this matter?

 

[Earnie]

A question:

Will G be going on away games?

 

[helloimclaire]

I feel for G and Franny, gutted for them. They shouldn't be treated the way they have done, no matter what results we have been getting on game nights. But how the team played against Giants and then against Blaze on the double header weekend was fantastic. It was like a completely different team had signed up for the Devils. Now who was that down too? Pope? G then as a bench coach? The team wanting to prove to everyone they can play like the Devils should be? I heard and saw Pope taking charge of the bench with G silent next to him. Doesn't that say something? If changes need to be made, then so be it. I don't care who owns the team or who runs the bench. All I care about is that players, staff, fans etc all should be treated with respect and the team wins/plays to the best of their ability. So people who won't be going to any more games or not re-hewing their season tickets next season. Thanks for being so called loyal fans. I get you're all angry with how G and Franny have been treated but now our focus should go back to the players who are probably going to playing their hearts out for those two and for us fans. To prove to us to stick by the on ice team if anyone. Stay positive fans.

 

[J.B]

Surely his new role is just something made up to keep him at the club until the testimonial. Is the actual game soon or at the end of the season? If soonish, I'd imagine he'd be off after that.

As for Coventry wanting him, we have the best record in the league at the moment??

 

[phil PLT]

From what I heard weeks ago, G and Franny had lost the dressing room.I also heard that Ross left because he didn't like the way the Devils were asked to play.
The later I think was backed up by G himself when in his statement on Ross leaving he said that he thought his coaching style couldn't get the best out of Ross and it was best for both parties to part company.
I wonder if it was any coincidence that when Brent was on the bench for those three games that the Devils produced their best form of the season? .

Ok, lets look at that from another angle, wasn't it Max that was quoted in a national paper just recently that he fully supported G, this doesn't sound like a Coach that has lost the dressing room.
I wasn't at the away game in Coventry, but come on, playing them at home the following night that was the worst Blaze team ever to step out on the ice at the BBT.
I fully accept that Ragan owns the team, sadly :cry: however he has made more cock-ups than anyone I know. How much crap did he come out with last season on twitter, that he eventually stopped putting snippets of Devils information on there because the majority was BS.
And the guy has made so many U-turns already this season in statements that I hope he never drives down a motorway or he could be in serious trouble WD

 

[Ocko]

Taking away how badly a guy with a young family, who has given 9 years of service to the Devils has been humiliated publicly, how damaging is this to the club in the future.

I have sometimes thought G and Franny have been a bit over rated in their recruitment of players because it is an element of luck and agents - there is no real scouting programme after all..... BUT how many players and agents we rely on are going to be loyal to G (and rightly so IMO). Will this spell the end of players like Richie, Max, Ben, Myers, Mac, Blight Batch etc and their connection to the club? Clearly it wasn't PR or Dope they came back for and with the exception of the Cardiff boys, hardly grew up dreaming of playing for us either so where will that leave us in the future with them? Someone like Richie IMO is completely irreplaceable but could soon be on his way. Or the agents who we have built relationships with?

I remember that after the Philips era we struggled to sign certain players such was our bad reputation. Its not like PR has received glowing recommends from previous players either. Jon Pelle springs to mind.

I think the real damage to the club won't be fully played out until next year.

It's just sad that after all these years playing under budget, under strength, in sub standard facilities with a crap boss that Adams won't get the opportunity to lead us out in the new rink, something I'm sure he would have been looking forward to.

 

[Sheincar]

From what I heard weeks ago, G and Franny had lost the dressing room.I also heard that Ross left because he didn't like the way the Devils were asked to play.
The later I think was backed up by G himself when in his statement on Ross leaving he said that he thought his coaching style couldn't get the best out of Ross and it was best for both parties to part company.
I wonder if it was any coincidence that when Brent was on the bench for those three games that the Devils produced their best form of the season? .

Ok, lets look at that from another angle, wasn't it Max that was quoted in a national paper just recently that he fully supported G, this doesn't sound like a Coach that has lost the dressing room.
I wasn't at the away game in Coventry, but come on, playing them at home the following night that was the worst Blaze team ever to step out on the ice at the BBT.
I fully accept that Ragan owns the team, sadly :cry: however he has made more cock-ups than anyone I know. How much crap did he come out with last season on twitter, that he eventually stopped putting snippets of Devils information on there because the majority was BS.
And the guy has made so many U-turns already this season in statements that I hope he never drives down a motorway or he could be in serious trouble WD

Add to that Lord's tweet from Monday Retweeted Andrew Lord (@AndrewLord17):

Thursday!!! Best group of guys I've been on a team with in my career. Stay behind us devil's fans and we will rock that tent #believe

 

[fried egg]

From what I heard weeks ago, G and Franny had lost the dressing room.I also heard that Ross left because he didn't like the way the Devils were asked to play.
The later I think was backed up by G himself when in his statement on Ross leaving he said that he thought his coaching style couldn't get the best out of Ross and it was best for both parties to part company.
I wonder if it was any coincidence that when Brent was on the bench for those three games that the Devils produced their best form of the season? .

Ok, lets look at that from another angle, wasn't it Max that was quoted in a national paper just recently that he fully supported G, this doesn't sound like a Coach that has lost the dressing room.
I wasn't at the away game in Coventry, but come on, playing them at home the following night that was the worst Blaze team ever to step out on the ice at the BBT.
I fully accept that Ragan owns the team, sadly :cry: however he has made more cock-ups than anyone I know. How much crap did he come out with last season on twitter, that he eventually stopped putting snippets of Devils information on there because the majority was BS.
And the guy has made so many U-turns already this season in statements that I hope he never drives down a motorway or he could be in serious trouble WD

Add to that Lord's tweet from Monday Retweeted Andrew Lord (@AndrewLord17):

Thursday!!! Best group of guys I've been on a team with in my career. Stay behind us devil's fans and we will rock that tent #believe

Has Regan tweeted his support for G and Franny in the past,like Max did?
As for Lord he is saying best group of guys (players),not best club he has been at.That could mean he's not happy with the coach or the management,could even be both. I'd guess that players are aware of what is going on and by asking the fans to stay behind the team he believes that things will improve.Let's hope they do..

 

[scorchio]

As has been said by someone else, I now expect to see G coaching elsewhere next year, maybe Coventry as they are poor at the moment too. I would also expect Faulkner and a couple of others to follow him.

Shambles.

Coventry have been poor in the challenge cup,but in the league we are above the panthers,wouldn't regard that as poor league form.played 8 games and won 6

 

[DevilDom]

The way G has been treated is very poor and I really feel for him. There was only ever going to be one winner once this all started and unfortunately it was not G. Whether a change was needed or not I think the timing and the way it has been handled is terrible and has made the club look very poor. I only hope it doesn't damage our future recruitment chances or lead to an exodus of our British talent.

One way we can all show our support for him is to make his testimonal events as successful as possible. We may have not been the best team during G's reign (bar one year when PR cost us the title) but we have always had a team to be proud of and a coach held in the highest regard by almost all his peers. A man who's integrity and dignity cannot be questioned and a man who has given 9 years to the club in often extremely difficult circumstances deserves this at the very least.

I'm trying to find a silver lining to all that has been going and I finally came up with one. At least we now have a coach who the owner will back to the hilt. After all he won't want to be proved wrong will he? Expect a top rate signing to be announced soon to try and paper over the huge cracks in the way this has all been managed.

 

[Superhan]

Irrespective of your thoughts about how the situation has been handled, when such an impasse is reached there is usually only one inevitable -albeit sad- consequence. The players, however, surely deserve all the support they can get in a time of uncertainty. The on-ice staff should not pay for the off-ice politics. I am sure there are many lessons to be noted from this, but I for one plan to continue supporting the team regardless how the league table looks. I know it is frustrating but the players deserve the support of their fan base in their attempt to turn things around. Hopefully going forward the focus can be on what should matter most to the fans: hockey.

Sent from my HUAWEI Y300-0100 using Tapatalk

 

[phil PLT]

Interesting tweet from Jordan Fox
They say hockey is a small world!!
Jordan Fox ‏@Foxjordy 47m
I was told last year by a players that Pope was trying to move in on G's job. Only matter of time in the owners ear. #norespect

 

[Burgy]

So Pope finally gets what he wanted and is now Head Coach.

I've never seen it so bad to see someone try so hard to muscle their way from DVD commentator to now head coach.

Lets hope for the remainder of the season he is more successful than his Romford Days.

Between Brent and Regan they really have made this once great club a complete laughing stock recently.

 

[Marty]

I can obviously see what the general opinion of this announcment is, but what will the opinon of it be if we start getting consistent wins and good perfomances?

 

[schulersagoodun]

....... this week has been a shambles for the club and i really feel sorry for the players who are being messed around by drastic changes. No wonder their performances are not good.

Yet another excuse for our poor performances since September.......this week's changes !

 

[welshtom92]

I think everyone needs to cut this loyalty to G Crap and give pope a chance instead of slating him before his even coached a game, all i know is that the 3 best performances we have had is the 3 games where pope was on the bench, i think everyone has underestimated the influence he had in those game, its plain for everyone to see how our special teams improved in those games, as soon as pope is off the bench they go to shit again, in those games we proved how good of a team we actually are, people whi said blaze were crap, perhaps it was us who played well, we suceeded where others failed in taking ginand out of the game at the bbt, and if it wasn't for a contriversial penalty shot against belfast we would have at least taken a point against them, we were hard hitting and tough in those games, pope sent quiney out to get keefe when conboy got knocked out, isn't that what we want as fans? None of this happened under G and franny. All u fans out there moaning about boycotting the team, what kind of fans are you? Do u support cardiff devils? Or do u support gerad adams? The devils were there before G and they will be there after hes long gone so grow up and get over it!!!!

 

[schulersagoodun]

M..........
...... Wonder who will be blamed when the team lose games now?

With Franny's resignation I doubt G will be back next season. Be prepared to lose some of our best players too. .....

I should imagine...the person who brought the team together.

Just how many 'best' category players do you think our bottom but one team in the EIHL has got. After last season's mediocrity we should have changed all the imports...instead of having half of them back! I'm sure that Ben Davies would go somewhere else next season without the changes. After all, Adams promised imports that would 'look after' each other. But again Ben skates and works enough for any two of our imports.....still frequently gets hammered .....and no one helps him out. He deserves better....but the coach has given him little.
As for losing players next year...there are only three I would be disappointed to lose.....Myers, Richardson and our MVP over the last 14 months...Ben Davies

 

[davew]

I think everyone needs to cut this loyalty to G Crap and give pope a chance instead of slating him before his even coached a game, all i know is that the 3 best performances we have had is the 3 games where pope was on the bench, i think everyone has underestimated the influence he had in those game, its plain for everyone to see how our special teams improved in those games, as soon as pope is off the bench they go to shit again, in those games we proved how good of a team we actually are, people whi said blaze were crap, perhaps it was us who played well, we suceeded where others failed in taking ginand out of the game at the bbt, and if it wasn't for a contriversial penalty shot against belfast we would have at least taken a point against them, we were hard hitting and tough in those games, pope sent quiney out to get keefe when conboy got knocked out, isn't that what we want as fans? None of this happened under G and franny. All u fans out there moaning about boycotting the team, what kind of fans are you? Do u support cardiff devils? Or do u support gerad adams? The devils were there before G and they will be there after hes long gone so grow up and get over it!!!!

wins against a short benched poorly playing blaze and a narrow loss to a giants team who probably didn't get out or third gear?

Regardless of who the coach is, would you treat or want to be treated as G has?
G is hardly to blame for La Costa's injuries or the fact that we haven't got the greatest back up in Myers. As I posted sometime ago G is a scapegoat, and has been dumped on by an MD who wants the job....