Official Club Statement

[fenderbassman]

total waste,,,twenty six years as a fan,protests out side the old rink,and now again ,is this what we fought for ,do not think so, so many things are up the creek. :RAWK ,was mr phillips, wrong maybe not,

 

[Wannabe2]

total waste,,,twenty six years as a fan,protests out side the old rink,and now again ,is this what we fought for ,do not think so, so many things are up the creek. :RAWK ,was mr phillips, wrong maybe not,

Ditto Ditto plus 7 yrs fighting for a new rink, ready to leap of the seven bridge now,both of them.

 

[Gohabsgo]

Given how some posters like Welshtom have been shouted down for stating what they've heard (looking at you Have Hope #35) and daring to go against the masses, I'll post and run, but I have the utmost respect for Gerad for his work throughout the years, but he should have taken that pay cut when he was forced to retire.

Easy for me to say when it's not my money. Anyway, all the best to him in his "new role" and for the future, I'm sure he'll be a success wherever he ends up next season. PR disaster without question for the club.

Will be interesting to see how the players respond to this change, I highly doubt Brent is liked by the players (as evidenced by Didiomete's comments today on twitter) and that's a concern.

 

[Ocko]

Where has it actually been said that G rejected a pay cut? So far only one poster who no one has heard of has mentioned it. It's a bit more deep rooted than a decline of a pay cut IMO.

 

[nmase20]

absolutely disgusted is all I can. makes me question going to another game this season. People can argue back the team but I think I would rather not put another penny in PRs pocket after this one.
Final straw.
Will be very interesting to see how recruitment goes over the summer. especially regarding Brits.
The devils havent had a great start to the season but how many years have they punched well above their weight? so we have one bad start to a season and G gets this? im sorry but im lost for words.
Well done PR and Brent you have tarnished what was a great club.

 

[drainage]

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!!!!

Not sure if you are being provocative or not but I think you will find for a lot of people it's the manner that this has been done that's the issue

I never expected G here beyond this season so the fact he wouldn't be a coach was a given for me , I have no idea who has what agenda and yes I want my team to do well and yes I can accept things change otherwise I would still be mourning the day we lost John Lawless, Bill Taylor, Shannon Hope , Brian Wilkie , Archie Nelson etc etc

However the last few weeks have been shambolic for this club and may yet prove to leave lasting damage that's what's unforgivable as well as seemingly treating a long standing servant or two with what seems to be barely a backward glance

If the team performs well then yes I guess people will acknowledge it but the whole episode made a club I love look shoddy

 

[Angelic_Devil]

absolutely disgusted is all I can. makes me question going to another game this season. People can argue back the team but I think I would rather not put another penny in PRs pocket after this one.
Final straw.
Will be very interesting to see how recruitment goes over the summer. especially regarding Brits.
The devils havent had a great start to the season but how many years have they punched well above their weight? so we have one bad start to a season and G gets this? im sorry but im lost for words.
Well done PR and Brent you have tarnished what was a great club.

I totally agree! :twisted: :evil:

 

[Russky]

I'm a fan with "Moral values" what about you??
Wether you agree with Gerads dismissal or not there is a right and wrong way to go about things and as a fellow human being I would not want to be humiliated and degraded the way Gerard has been by Mr Ragan & Mr Pope.

As a sponsor of the club for many years this has left a bad taste in my mouth and sadly will be ending my sponsorship at the end of the season (due to the fact I've paid up front in full)
I for one don't want to be associated with an organisation that treat people in this manner.
Marcus Howells (mh flooring Ltd)

I'm with u on this one Marcus, totally agree.

 

[Sheincar]

This was rumoured in the middle of last season by my reckoning. Now it's happened.

Managing someone out of their job is a horrible thing to do, especially if that person has a home and a family. Think of the added stress, uncertainty, the attitudes of your colleagues, not least how unvalued and betrayed you'd feel. A hideous practice that speaks volumes of anyone who employs the tactic.

Anyway, as the man himself says, at least there is an end to the uncertainty about this. It's a dark day, but it's done now. He will be judged on results, and I will be watching with some interest, but hoping this is actually a positive change.

Tomorrow is judgement day.

As an aside, best of luck to Cudds who seems to have helped the NIHL Devils punch above their weight for some time. Hopefully the new pairing will be a true partnership.

I'll be getting my coat now..

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

Flatly denied by Ragan & Dope at the fans forum last January.

 

[showboat]

OMG, looks like G dug his heels in here , so offered is a mickey mouse role and having to see
these 2 coach , joke, cudds is lucky he inherited good players over the years as his coaching
is pretty dire, i think someone mentioned jobs for the boys ?, black cloud over the bbt, WD

Welcome to the forum Showboat.

Cheers, just a question, where is Shannon in all this mess ? has he a say. WD

 

[houdini]

OMG, looks like G dug his heels in here , so offered is a mickey mouse role and having to see
these 2 coach , joke, cudds is lucky he inherited good players over the years as his coaching
is pretty dire, i think someone mentioned jobs for the boys ?, black cloud over the bbt, WD

Welcome to the forum Showboat.

Cheers, just a question, where is Shannon in all this mess ? has he a say. WD

Apparently Shannon signed over the cardiff devils intellectual property to Ragan on the understanding Ragan would give it to the supporters club. Ragan then stuck two fingers up as soon as Shannon signed on the dotted line. I heard that straight from the horses mouth!

That unfortunately is what is dragging this club down.

 

[Chris]

Actually I think Ragan made the right decision there. Giving that lot to the fanbase would have been a disastrous move. Again, maybe not the right way to do it I suppose, but that at least was the right decision.

 

[jodysstillagirlsname]

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?

Now I don't agree with the way that this has been handled and if it is true about G and Franny then the club should have been more transparent and told the fans what was going on and just put Brent in charge for the rest of the season. I think we should all get behind the players for the rest of the season and if it just remains as bad as it is then vote with our feet next year.
I think PR and Pope have been put in a very awkward position, time will tell if they have done the right thing. let's see how the players respond to all this nonsense.

+1

We live in a litigious culture and the last thing the Devils finances need now would be a costly court case - Yes the whole process possibly could and probably should have been handled better than it has been, but it it what it is. Let's move on.

The job all of us Devils fans have to do now is stick by the team.

Post under your own name Brent

 

[jodysstillagirlsname]

OK, confession time: I haven't been to games for a couple of years, but I still follow the club and have an emotional attachment after first going to games in 1990.

The whole situation is really messy, and it doesn't look like anyone is innocent. But I can see why PR wants to make a change; he is financing a club (that really shouldn't be competitive due to its facility) with a view to challenging for honours, and that isn't even close this year. The start has been not far short of disastrous, and LaCosta's injury aside, that must come down to the coaching and/or the players.

I can understand everyone's affection for G, he's been magnificent for the club over the years, and he doesn't deserve the messing about. But think about it: PR could have just sacked G and sent him on his way, killing the testimonial dead. They've at least come to an agreement that prevents that.

There is a hugely militant group amongst the fans - much to their credit, I might add, where campaigning for the new rink is concerned. But let's be honest, it is PR's club, not the fans', and as such he will do what he sees fit, whether the fans like it or not. In many ways he's caused his own problems by promising a team that will really challenge when the circumstances make that really difficult. He would almost have been better off saying 'we're not going to be as strong as Sheff/Nott/Belfast, but we're going to be competitive and hard-working and hopefully entertaining' and anything else is a bonus until the new rink and increased income are available. But he's made that statement and the the team aren't delivering.

I'm not an apologist for PR; I don't know him other than what I read on here or in the Echo, and he's obviously got some things wrong, but it's his club - not the fans, not G, not Pope or anyone else.

His other companies are financing thus getting tax breaks

 

[jodysstillagirlsname]

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.

+300

 

[ASHIPP]

No people management skills, no media skills, no integrity.

A catastrophic disaster for the future of our great Club.

Good luck with player recruitment and sponsorship next season and not forgeting vital season ticket holder sales.

Oh and what happens if the team loses any more games? Only got Belfast twice this week so the new coaching team better get with the programme.

 

[jodysstillagirlsname]

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!!!!

The Devils were also there before Ragan and Pope and will hopefully be there long after the muppets have gone

 

[jodysstillagirlsname]

No people management skills, no media skills, no integrity.

A catastrophic disaster for the future of our great Club.

Good luck with player recruitment and sponsorship next season and not forgeting vital season ticket holder sales.

Oh and what happens if the team loses any more games? Only got Belfast twice this week so the new coaching team better get with the programme.

Yep its a fickle owner we have #twat

 

[Wagstaff]

My two penneth for what it's worth......
The Devils management have successfully divided its own fan base, there were already many who had shouted on here for G's head to roll, there are also many that hold him in high regard.
So where do you go now, do you stay away in protest and watch the club fold due to lack of ticket sales and sponsors pulling out or do you get behind the team and support them whilst automatically cheering and financially supporting the group of people you detest.
I don't know where I would stand! But for those who support G & Franny maybe it's time to put your voices to good use and your creative side to put a song together to sing every time a goal goes against you to make your point, then a minutes applause throughout the 55th minute of every game.
For this who are not in support.......... Learn the meaning of the word morality!

As for sending G to Coventry (no pun intended) we have our own G in charge, a man who bleeds bluer than the shirt that the players wear, a man who has just had a weekend that Will take a lot of beating, so I can't see that G would fit in with a red heart, it would be a job out of necessity not one of blood.

All in all, a right bloomin mess, I hope you can come through it and carry on being one of the most vocally annoying group of fans to visit the dome for many seasons to come!

 

[Jones72]

a minutes applause throughout the 55th minute of every game

Oh man...that is just a thing of beauty!!

Maybe not applause...but a chant..."G...G...G...G..."