This is why i love the game

[Sheincar]

Was fascinated by the sport since I saw it on Grandstand - black & white tv days. Remember it as countries so guessing at World Championships or Olympics.

We were living in Gloucester when the team started & weren't really aware there was hockey in Cardiff when we moved back home in 1988. Then in 1993 some of the players visited Whitchurch High offering the kids tickets for £1 and the rest is history. ST holder every year following except for "that" season.

 

[BBW]

Quick newbie question without a wish to pull this off topic as I think it's a great thread.

I've only been watching for 2 years - what was "that" season?

 

[Sliput]

Great thread.

I saw my first game in 1983. My friend and i went to the rink to go ice skating (Solihull) but the session had been cancelled due to a hockey match, just for something to do we decided to go in anyway...30 seconds into the game and i was hooked. Despite losing the team several times and teams moving to Telford/Sheffield and Coventry i remained a Solihull fan until 2002/2003 when MK took over ...was about to walk away from sport when i went to Cov V Cardiff and spotted a very cute looking player from the Devils ..my friend and i decided to go to ONE Devils home game in 2003.......for the next five years we never missed a home game, which was a 4 to 5 hr round trip !!
Nowadays due to work and petrol prices away games are a lot cheaper but special moments , like CCup final, fans singing @Dont stop me now' this year at the finals remind me just how magical this sport is

 

[Finny]

Ok, brief explanation without hopefully upsetting anyone:

'That' season was 2001-02. At the end of the previous season the club had got into financial trouble with Bob in charge and it suddenly become public knowledge that the players hadn't been paid for the final couple of weeks/months of the season. I think Rhythm posted on THF it was a total of £70k.

Bob refused to pay them, the fans refused to support Bob and when the ISL kicked Bob out of the league he applied to join the BNL. Initially he was accepted, then with fans protesting over him having hockey-related debts he was rejected and in the end Bob pretended to sell the club to Brian Candy and they joined the BNL.
The majority of fans refused to support this and protested outside the rink with crowds dropping from 2500 the season before to less than 100. The team unsurprisingly finished bottom of the league losing most games around 12-0 (so like last seasons' Edinburgh Capitals team).
At the end of the season the club was sold to Chris McSorley (sort of), most of the fans returned and the club played the following season in the BNL.

 

[BBW]

Ok, brief explanation without hopefully upsetting anyone:

'That' season was 2001-02. At the end of the previous season the club had got into financial trouble with Bob in charge and it suddenly become public knowledge that the players hadn't been paid for the final couple of weeks/months of the season. I think Rhythm posted on THF it was a total of £70k.

Bob refused to pay them, the fans refused to support Bob and when the ISL kicked Bob out of the league he applied to join the BNL. Initially he was accepted, then with fans protesting over him having hockey-related debts he was rejected and in the end Bob pretended to sell the club to Brian Candy and they joined the BNL.
The majority of fans refused to support this and protested outside the rink with crowds dropping from 2500 the season before to less than 100. The team unsurprisingly finished bottom of the league losing most games around 12-0 (so like last seasons' Edinburgh Capitals team).
At the end of the season the club was sold to Chris McSorley (sort of), most of the fans returned and the club played the following season in the BNL.

Thanks Finny

 

[TheStub]

Ironically I knew Brian Candy prior to all that, and my Devils following skirted that period.

 

[CardiffdevilsCaswell]

Wow i had no idea the devils went through such a turbulent time, I have been a fan for the last 2 seasons but i too am hooked! I started out playing an old hockey game for my xbox and started following the NHL, then out of nowhere i randomly googled "british ice hockey" to see if we had a league and the rest is history. Quite glad "That" season was before my time though!

 

[drainage]

My then boyfriend (now a long term ex !!) said "heard they are playing ice hockey in Cardiff fancy going along ? " that was Dec 1986.

Took my sister with us - to be honest the attraction at the time was something different to do on a Sunday night !!

We are in that pic that shows fans queuing round the rink, saw the Grimsby bench clearance in the early days (that hooked us!!) we went to Tilburg to watch them and saw a certain Mr Lyle ice and stun us all and then the team stun us further and have laughed, cried, moaned, cheered and celebrated with the team ever since.

Have seen some great games and players in last (nearly) 25 years and waxed lyrical to anyone who listens about what a great sport it is ......fingers crossed to many more years doing the same.

Top thread - lets look on the bright side and put a smile on our faces eh !

 

[devilsnewbie]

I went to one game down the old WNIR and that was that but then about 2-3 years ago my best friend suggested we go to watch a game. She didnt really like other sports and we wanted to try something different. Boy did we get different. I've since defected from Cardiff Blues and their new 'home' to solely watch hockey as my sepctator sport (Still watch the internationals tho like a good welsh girl )

I think it took about 2 games and that was it, we were completely hooked. The atmosphere you can get in a big plastic tent is unreal!! My parents and brother came to a few games last year when the ruggers was off because of the snow. They've now started to get the bug. First playoff finals was 2010 and we havent looked back since.

Met loads of really great people down then rink and i'm sure ill meet many more. Can't wait for the new season and all the highs and lows it may bring

 

[CornwallTaffy]

About 10 years ago on one of my frequent visits to see elderly parents in Porthcawl, I had seen an article in the Western Mail about the Cardiff Devils. I decided to pay a visit to the old WNIR at the bottom of St.Mary Street, on the way back home to Cornwall. The Devils were playing Sheffield. The atmosphere was terrific and the viewing was great, I could see every inch of the ice, no stairs, rails or posts in the way. I got a seat right behind the Cardiff players bench. Matulik, Sacratini and I think MacWilliam were playing. I subsequently sat in that block on many occasions. Sadly parents no longer alive but I try to time my visits to family or business in Wales to coincide with taking in a game. I must admit to spending far too much time reading interesting threads like this and every other item on the Forum and of course log in to just about every game I can’t attend on the MNL. Thanks again to all you guys who keep us exiles in touch with our roots.

 

[Tyke Devil]

Wonderful post by Drummer-Sean. Really puts the "off-ice" events into a proper context.

Myself & the rest of the family. Well..we have only been watching the Devils since November last year. We had arranged a trip to New York for my 40th Birthday and I managed to get three tickets for Pens @ Rangers (we are Rangers fans) at MSG while we were there.

Thought it would be a good idea to take Mini-Tyke Devil to an Ice Hockey match or two before the trip to New York. So we did. She got hooked, as did I and the other half.

Think we only missed one home game after that. Just plain loved it. Also, it is sport that all three of us enjoy equally. I'm also a big football supporter but that is of little interest to the other two.

I enjoy my Rugby but things get a bit tense during the 6-nations. I am English, the other half is Welsh and Mini-Tyke Devil? Well, she was born in England but raised in Wales since she was around two years old so she gets to support both teams. (She actually supports whichever team is winning...Glory hunter! :roll: )

We all love the atmosphere in the BBT...it truly is a family sport and what a fantastic weekend we had in Nottingham with all the other hockey fans, despite the end result. Best weeked we have had as a family in years!

I honestly cannot think of a better place to be on a Saturday/Sunday evening than down the BBT cheering on the Devils. (well, except maybe in a purpose built, two pad Ice Arena cheering on the Devils on a Saturday/Sunday evening)

Well, that's my story. I hope that I can tell it again in another 20 odd years or so!

 

[ledgend777]

Like a few others, my first interest in ice hockey was playing the old EA Sports NHL games in the 90's. I vaguely remember seeing the Devils on the news when they were winning titles regularly. However, as my family / friends had no interest in ice hockey, it wasn't until the 07/08 season I saw my first game.

My girlfriend's sister invited us out for a meal for her birthday and then onto the ice hockey after in the Skydome. Cov happened to be playing Cardiff Devils so we went along and I loved it. It was a challenge cup game and we drew 2-2 so I must be in a small minority of 1. my first game being an away game ... and 2. my first game being a draw. Also - not sure how many people can beat this but as it was the season we had a ridiculous amount of injuries and I only seen them win 1 out of the first 11 matches I went too!!

It didn't put me off though and I've been to 90% of home games since plus the occasional away game in Cov and the last 3 playoff weekends

 

[Mark666]

Best thread ever. A welcome break from the rest of the last few weeks hockey talk.

I watched Telford Tiger a few times when i was in Scouts (95?). When i moved to Cardiff a few years ago i remember seeing an advert for Hockey Night it Cardiff and wanting to check it out. 6 months of no job and no money later i picked up a £5 ticket through a mates work. That was at the end of the 08-09 season and since that Sunday evening i've missed very few home games (Elite and ENL) and last year took in a few away matches (here's hoping we can get a romantic ice hockey Scotland double header next season too).

My girlfriend loves it and almost everyone we bring to a match ends up coming regularly afterward. Met some great people and had unbelievable memories and fun times through hockey. Cant wait for the next season.

YEAH!

 

[thunder_rd]

Totally Agree great thread!
A pal of mine was a contractor on a building site that was to become WNIR.
In the final weeks of completion, my pal just kept going on about this ice hockey team playing out of the rink. "they are a bunch of loonies crashing around at a rate of knots, and they are only practising". Got tickets for the first game. Ashfield Islanders. 32-0 sat by the penalty box. Lost my voice, never changed, still wearing out the bellows, hooked from day one. Lucky enough to have watched some NHL games. But the Devils is my weekly fix. Met some great people. Watched fantistic players. Looking forwards to many more seasons. Lord Stanley permitting! Well he should be close to God by now!

 

[voth26]

ooops finny your right typed 80's by mistake still been watching for around 20yrs roll on another 20

 

[StevenBletsoe]

My Father worked for British Rail and a load of the Younger YTS workers there started to attend the games during the first year of The Devils, got into it through them at the age of 12/13 during the growth years. Attended the best game ever at Wembley against Murrayfield, can anyone remember that we went through the entire weekend without scoring in that one goal (thankfully the penalties were taken in the other one). Actually had the pleasure of being John Lawless' Milkman as he lived on Island Farm in Bridgend whilst working for a local Dairy Company when I was 15. Used to stand right by the entrance at the WNIR next to the away fans. Got into a really heated arguement with an opposition player when his glove got stuck between the boards and the netting and he thought that I deliberately moved it so that he couldn't get it back. Watched the Devils away to Swindon Wildcats, Solihull Barons, Durham Wasps, Murrayfield, Fife & Ayr. Rail travel was free for dependants. Learny some very interesting tricks including Bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale and Male Contraceptive Devices.

Moved to West Yorkshire with the family but am back into this Devils obsession now with my own 11 year old and watched them home to Coventry over Christmas and away at Hull and Sheffield towards the end of the season.

As we are moving back to South Wales in 3 months me & Chris are really looking forward to watching a lot more hockey next season.