Todd Kelman - 4000 and counting podcast

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
#21
To a person of reasonable intelligemce , if it was meant to be too small for ice hockey it is reasonable to conclude it would also be too small to be repurposed.You are in the industry yet produce a very odd last paragraph!
It’s only odd if you don’t understand the meaning, so I’ll post it

Repurposing is the use of something for a purpose other than its original intended use. Repurposing an item can be done by modifying it to fit a new use, or by using the item as is in a new way.

Or your limited by your knowledge.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#22
Only 3 other bakers are baking more than us, one of those bakers are baking crap bread and it shows big time , the other two are pretty good bakers although so far one of them are loafing about and are medium slice, the other one are not happy having been toasted on their last adventure. So that only leaves Bread of Heaven, Feed me till I want no more.
 

Earnie

Well-Known Member
#23
Mazzoak:
I don’t need a lesson from you of all people on the meaning of ‘repurposing’.
I suggest you read my message more slowly and absorb its meaning properly.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
#24
Mazzoak:
I don’t need a lesson from you of all people on the meaning of ‘repurposing’.
I suggest you read my message more slowly and absorb its meaning properly.
Well you questioned my intelligence with a stupid statement, what do you expect. You could have asked what purpose, no you chose to go with that comment. It’s a building, it has a structure, you could employ Bob the Builder, maybe knock a few walls down etc etc. It would make a great indoor BMX track or go kart or a Tesco’s.
 

kingmo19.1

Well-Known Member
#29
On the topic of bread, you can’t really beat a toasted sourdough with loads of butter!

On the topic of ice rinks in the South Wales region, let’s not forget, the WNIR could accommodate 2.5k (and Devils fans showed previously that could be sold out) moving to a 3.1k arena was hardly that ambitious!

Todd took belfast from nothing to some decent 5k and 6k crowds - I’d have 100% confidence he could do that in Cardiff given the opportunity and I’m 100% sure he’d like to try if it were an option!
 
Last edited:

Slartibartfast

Well-Known Member
#30
Putting aside the arena topic and the obligatory argument between someone and Mazzoak, I thought it was a really interesting pod cast. You got to hear about the human side of hockey and some of the difficult decisions hockey managers have to make. It also gave an insight into how Todd thinks about recruitment. It was also interesting to hear how crap some players had it on mickey mouse teams. Thankfully those days have gone (well certainly in Cardiff anyway).
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
#31
On the topic of bread, you can’t really beat a toasted sourdough with loads of butter!

On the topic of ice rinks in the South Wales region, let’s not forget, the WNIR could accommodate 2.5k (and Devils fans showed previously that could be sold out) moving to a 3.1k arena was hardly that ambitious!

Todd took belfast from nothing to some decent 5k and 6k crowds - I’d have 100% confidence he could do that in Cardiff given the opportunity and I’m 100% sure he’d like to try if it were an option!
Shouldn’t have to wait too long for the announcement that he’s building a larger facility then..........
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#32
On the topic of bread, you can’t really beat a toasted sourdough with loads of butter!

On the topic of ice rinks in the South Wales region, let’s not forget, the WNIR could accommodate 2.5k (and Devils fans showed previously that could be sold out) moving to a 3.1k arena was hardly that ambitious!

Todd took belfast from nothing to some decent 5k and 6k crowds - I’d have 100% confidence he could do that in Cardiff given the opportunity and I’m 100% sure he’d like to try if it were an option!
We didn’t move from the WNIR to IAW as you know, we moved from a dump that often had 12-1500 in it with a owner that didn’t give a rats arse, and a council who also didn’t care if we had a home or if we didn’t as we were a non entity to them. We could have possibly had a bigger capacity Arena but the size of the building was limited as the council were giving this land to the venue as long as the builders built it at their expense. This would have meant no second pad for public skating, recreational teams, junior teams, ladies team, sledge hockey, disco nights etc, and in our fight with the council we needed all these people on board with us to get the place built in the first place, the IAW was never built just for the Devils, it was only built for all ice users and without them it would have been kicked into touch without a doubt. At the time Todd was not on the scene and maybe never was going to be, we achieved the best home the Devils had ever had, we went from crowds of 1200 ish in a shit hole to a 3,100 seater IAW with good people fighting for months on end, giving up their precious time, and some losing money to attend meetings to fight the good fight, so please don’t say their fight was hardly ambitious, it’s easy to moan when you don’t know the ins and outs of a particular situation. Very good passionate people got our gaff built Edinburgh, Durham,Hull, Newcastle etc could have done with a SORAC, (save our rink action committee ) Happy Hockey Days.
 
#33
We didn’t move from the WNIR to IAW as you know, we moved from a dump that often had 12-1500 in it with a owner that didn’t give a rats arse, and a council who also didn’t care if we had a home or if we didn’t as we were a non entity to them. We could have possibly had a bigger capacity Arena but the size of the building was limited as the council were giving this land to the venue as long as the builders built it at their expense. This would have meant no second pad for public skating, recreational teams, junior teams, ladies team, sledge hockey, disco nights etc, and in our fight with the council we needed all these people on board with us to get the place built in the first place, the IAW was never built just for the Devils, it was only built for all ice users and without them it would have been kicked into touch without a doubt. At the time Todd was not on the scene and maybe never was going to be, we achieved the best home the Devils had ever had, we went from crowds of 1200 ish in a shit hole to a 3,100 seater IAW with good people fighting for months on end, giving up their precious time, and some losing money to attend meetings to fight the good fight, so please don’t say their fight was hardly ambitious, it’s easy to moan when you don’t know the ins and outs of a particular situation. Very good passionate people got our gaff built Edinburgh, Durham,Hull, Newcastle etc could have done with a SORAC, (save our rink action committee ) Happy Hockey Days.
Wannabe2 I get that you and others put a lot of time, money and effort into the fight for the rink, and to keep hockey in Cardiff but it seems like you take it as a personal attack every time someone mentions that we could do with a bigger capacity rink/different rink.
You also contradict yourself in your post, unless you are trying to say that we may have been better off with a bigger capacity but firstly, didn't have the land to build it and secondly didn't know if it would be a half empty building (or worse).
Personally I think moving to any new arena being built is doubtful in the near to mid term future and we will have to like and love what we have got, which as said is the best we've ever had

I did listen to the podcast, and it sounds like Todd thinks he would be able to sell a bigger arena. I think he's a great talker and could listen to him telling stories all day, I think he'd be happy telling them all day too
 

kingmo19.1

Well-Known Member
#34
We didn’t move from the WNIR to IAW as you know, we moved from a dump that often had 12-1500 in it with a owner that didn’t give a rats arse, and a council who also didn’t care if we had a home or if we didn’t as we were a non entity to them. We could have possibly had a bigger capacity Arena but the size of the building was limited as the council were giving this land to the venue as long as the builders built it at their expense. This would have meant no second pad for public skating, recreational teams, junior teams, ladies team, sledge hockey, disco nights etc, and in our fight with the council we needed all these people on board with us to get the place built in the first place, the IAW was never built just for the Devils, it was only built for all ice users and without them it would have been kicked into touch without a doubt. At the time Todd was not on the scene and maybe never was going to be, we achieved the best home the Devils had ever had, we went from crowds of 1200 ish in a shit hole to a 3,100 seater IAW with good people fighting for months on end, giving up their precious time, and some losing money to attend meetings to fight the good fight, so please don’t say their fight was hardly ambitious, it’s easy to moan when you don’t know the ins and outs of a particular situation. Very good passionate people got our gaff built Edinburgh, Durham,Hull, Newcastle etc could have done with a SORAC, (save our rink action committee ) Happy Hockey Days.
Hi Wannabe, maybe I didn’t make myself clear - I’m not debating the good fight the fans of Cardiff had to secure the BBT to remain in existence - I’m simply referring to numbers. If the Devils fans previously filled out a 2.5K arena not that long ago (aside from the BBT), an upgrade to a 3.1k arena was hardly ambitious in terms of additional fans considering the general catchment was already there. I’m also not attributing the word ambitious to the new owners - simply that the 600 additional capacity was not a massive jump so hardly a too difficult target to achieve.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
#35
Manchester Storm held the record for the maximum attendees in a game, I’m sure we all know what happened to Manchester. Sometimes size matters, sometimes it doesn’t. Nobody is going to lay several millions of their children’s inheritance on a punt. The Devils owner group had the opportunity to purchase the IAW from Greenbank and refused. I’m afraid any approach to the people involved in building the new Arena may fall on deaf ears. If there was an opportunity to grow based on a sound financial base, then why not go forward. Mr King‘s business is lending businesses who cannot raise capital the tradition way, up to $100 million, so investing money into the IAW via the Devils would be right up Mr Kings alley, only Mr King isn’t, which isn’t a criticism, I’m simply highlighting his specialist skills to demonstrate why a larger capacity rink won’t be an option as it’s obvious it’s too much of a risk. Mr King is a highly talented financial expert, well respected in his profession, so if he’s not putting his money in, there’s a very very good reason......
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#36
Hi Wannabe, maybe I didn’t make myself clear - I’m not debating the good fight the fans of Cardiff had to secure the BBT to remain in existence - I’m simply referring to numbers. If the Devils fans previously filled out a 2.5K arena not that long ago (aside from the BBT), an upgrade to a 3.1k arena was hardly ambitious in terms of additional fans considering the general catchment was already there. I’m also not attributing the word ambitious to the new owners - simply that the 600 additional capacity was not a massive jump so hardly a too difficult target to achieve.
With all due respect you made yourself loud and clear mate, believe me it was very clear,saying we filled a 2,500 rink not too long ago which happened to be a minimum of 15 yrs ago, and believe me it wasn’t a sell out too often, and then was due to being in the centre of the city centre with apparently cheque book hockey, which is a far cry from being where we are now, which isn’t exactly Mermaid Quay. Anyway your wording of hardly ambitious, and not too difficult a target to achieve, when we were close to being up the creek without a paddle is nothing short of insulting. Anyway you have your views and that’s fine, I have mine which are also fine, we are poles apart that’s obvious so keep hoping that a perfect home will drop out of the sky. And when it does I will be as happy as anyone.
 

Slartibartfast

Well-Known Member
#37
In the words of the stoic philosopher Epictetus "He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things he has not, but rejoices for those that he has".
Personally I really love our arena and after recently skating in the shed that they have waited a decade for in Bristol I think we are really lucky.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
#38
Who knows what ambitions Todd has or which direction the club will go. Could never change, although the club does seem to have a need to scratch the itch that is the CHL success, that’s gonna need cash........
 

kingmo19.1

Well-Known Member
#39
With all due respect you made yourself loud and clear mate, believe me it was very clear,saying we filled a 2,500 rink not too long ago which happened to be a minimum of 15 yrs ago, and believe me it wasn’t a sell out too often, and then was due to being in the centre of the city centre with apparently cheque book hockey, which is a far cry from being where we are now, which isn’t exactly Mermaid Quay. Anyway your wording of hardly ambitious, and not too difficult a target to achieve, when we were close to being up the creek without a paddle is nothing short of insulting. Anyway you have your views and that’s fine, I have mine which are also fine, we are poles apart that’s obvious so keep hoping that a perfect home will drop out of the sky. And when it does I will be as happy as anyone.
Ok, one final attempt to make things super crystal clear, here goes …..

The thread is debating the values of a new arena and could we utilise a larger venue.

As previously implied, we are not starting from a zero fan base, we have a history of pretty decent numbers circa 2.5K at the WNIR, not always but we hit that a fair few times.

Nobody is talking about the BBT or the fight that went on to secure it - I was there and part of it. I’ve been a fan since 1988.
Yes the BBT had a smaller capacity than the WNIR we all know that.

My point was, with the IAW being a 3.1k venue, it’s not much of an uplift from our previous biggest crowd, so it shouldn’t be a great shock that with good owners, a successful team that we’ve now filled it.

There’s a decent fan base to build from in Cardiff and I’m sure the numbers could be higher still if we had a larger venue. Suffice to say, we could probably sell additional tickets now for some games had we a bigger capacity.

So please don’t hark on about the BBT and the fight for it - you’ve completely missed my point going down that route.
 

Samael

Well-Known Member
#40
I'd love to see a bigger capacity rink/arena and l have no doubt TK would fill it. If the organisation is to grow then so must the facilities and fan base. I also have no doubt a lot of the people who post on here on a daily basis will moan due to casual fans being at the game and ruining their enjoyment. There are a lot of selfish short sighted people on here who talk about the club and IAW as if it's their personal property.
 
Top