Your First Ever Devils Game

[Finny]

As it's the 30th Anniversary tomorrow I thought it would be interesting to see how many people remember the first Devils game they went to.
When was it?
Who was it against?
Why did you go?
What do you remember about it?
What made you keep coming back?
etc

 

[James]

( You can find dates here - http://the-inferno.co.uk/devils-stats/ )
My first game was Vs Racers in the CC 10th Sept 2005. Think it was Voths first competitive home game. I got dragged along by Skippy who had been going on and off for a couple of years. Devils got 3 goals and three fights. I'll admit it was probably the fights more than the skill that got me back the next week, but the game itself kept me coming back. I didn't miss a home game that season and was a season ticket holder by the next (when the bbt finally opened).

 

[pjj365]

Does against Storm in 2000 or early 2001 (the memory goes with age) at MEN count?

Mid week game and Red Army seemed to outnumber Storm fans. About 10 of us on a corporate hospitality night and the host (an old school friend) and I were alone in all the hospitality boxes standing and joining in the National Anthem.

 

[Temme]

Great idea Finny!
14th December 2008 (im a newbie )
Sheffield Steelers
a friend from Aberdare suggested we give it a try (FarmerG @ The Inferno) as we had nothing else to do on a Sunday evening
This was the epic Latulippe/Finnerty scrap and the bench clearance... on our first ever game!
I can't lie about why I came back, watching the benches clear was great fun and it was a real cracking game of hockey.
All I can say is that this was probably the most expensive night of my life, I left that arena very drunk, had bought a jersey, around £400 of ice hockey equipment and IIRC a season ticket also

Great hockey memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[youngbob]

1993, the year our son started in the U12s
Wanted him to see how the professional game was played

Having only seen U12 games, and knowing nothing about ice hockey, we walked out when we thought the game was over - at the end of the second period....

But we were hooked, it was in the "golden years", I think we went 2 seasons without seeing a loss

And we got to see Lawless, McEwen, Hope, Moria, the Cooper brothers, Ruggles, Brebant and Heavey, and everyone who followed over 23 years!

 

[Electro]

As it's the 30th Anniversary tomorrow I thought it would be interesting to see how many people remember the first Devils game they went to.
When was it?
Who was it against?
Why did you go?
What do you remember about it?
What made you keep coming back?
etc

1990

Can't remember who the first game was against.

Friends encouragement.

Couldn't follow the black thing their chasing, the smell when the players rushed passed the netting.

Atmosphere, alcohol, girls.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JC23]

September 2002. My dad took me to a game as a birthday present for my 13th birthday because I'd become obsessed with hockey after watching Mighty Ducks and learning to skate.

My dad was a season ticket holder at the time, so I made 6/7 more games that season.

By the time I was 15 I was making every game, right up until I was 18 and moved away for work, I came back to the Devils back in 2012, and I think I've only missed a handful of games since.

 

[Gazza272]

24th March 1996. an 8-2 win against the Humberside Hawks. I think Randy Smith got a hat trick on the night and became my favourite player.

The other thing that struck me was the sheer size and aura around Mike Ware. Helped no end by the massive print of 'the Terminator' that adorned the wall of the WNIR near block 13 where i was sitting. I would love more of those that give the players a larger than life persona, the walls at the back of IAW are pretty bare, they could use some decoration in my opinion

 

[kettdevil1]

October 1989 against the Murrayfield Racers, I was wandering around town, bit bored and thought it might be fun. The £4.50 price was a bit off putting (I was a poor student at the time...) and I had no idea which team was which until the second period over the noise, the colour and the enthusiasm of the crowd.

 

[Vigs883]

1990's

Can't remember who the first game was against.

Friends encouragement.

Couldn't follow the black thing their chasing, the smell when the players rushed passed the netting.

Atmosphere, alcohol, girls.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Electro that sounded like a beat poem. I imagine you taking a draw off a cigarette between each line, dimly lit room, jazz echoes in the background...

 

[Paul Sullivan]

Helped no end by the massive print of 'the Terminator' that adorned the wall of the WNIR near block 13 where i was sitting. I would love more of those that give the players a larger than life persona, the walls at the back of IAW are pretty bare, they could use some decoration in my opinion

Delighted somebody remembers this. It was around 45 hours work start to finish! It was a blatant homage (ripoff) of my hero the legendary Dave Elston, Calgary Sun cartoonist. It was originally done for Eric Lindros in the Sun.

Waresy saw it first game it went up, and asked for it to be brought down to him. He immediately brought out a Sharpie and signed it 'Mike 'B' Ware'.

One of my all time favourite memories.

Will post a response to this great thread after a good think but thanks for that Gazza, brought back a great memory.

 

[Sheincar]

late 1993
Team went to Whitchurch High School; I had phone call from daughter saying tickets were £1 and did I want to go. Been TV fan ( those were the days!) for years, thought I'd see what it was like in real life. After all, I thought, if I don't like it at least it's only cost me £1. Got ST following season and 23 years, 3 rinks and £1000s later I'm still a huge fan.

 

[Ibbz9]

Southampton Vikings August 1987. 8 years old so went with my folks. Remember the crowd, the on ice entrance, and air horns!

 

[The_Crimson_Pirate]

Either 3rd Nov 1996 or 23rd Nov 1996. I know it was the Newcastle Cobras.
I was invited by a friend.
I can barely remember yesterday yet alone 20 years ago. Whatever it was I was hooked. Bought a shirt. Dug it out of the loft last night to wear tomorrow night.

 

[fridaysfingers]

Ashfield Islanders 30th Nov 1986!!
The week before was sat in the pub with my equally sports mad mate, i had watched play-off finals on Grandstand previously, and we decided out of curiosity to give it a try. Immediately hooked. The speed of the little guy wearing number 9 was the stand out memory plus i'm sure he would have shot the scoreboard once or twice!! The whole package was so different to what i was used to being a Cardiff City season ticket holder.
Tried to get tickets for the next game that night but couldn't and my mate worked in town so he had the pleasure of doing all the queuing for tickets until season tickets came out, i think mid season?

 

[Nott Simpson]

Nov 30th 1986 our very first home game against Ashfield Islanders. I had visit WNIR a few times during its construction and decided to take the whole family to the game nor knowing that they would all become hooked. Sat in block 1 behind the goal (zamboni end).

Went down to dressingroom area before face off to see the architect only for JL to come out with one or two other wiith a look of amazement on their faces as the WNIR was full. WHAT A NIGHT for the birthday of the CARDIFF DEVILS.

 

[He Drives A Car]

Ashfield Islanders, the first ever game.
A friend of mine was into american sports and persuaded me to go along.
Remember in those days the enthusiasm, noise (air horns - imagine probably 1000 of those going off every goal), the time warp, wig-wham-bang and the YMCA.
ST holder since 1986, traveller since 1989, supporters club member, and activist, went to every european game weve played, really want to get back into europe again (pleese).
My social life, romantic life are all the better for the Devils.
I wouldnt be the same person.

 

[Finny]

I'm sure it'll shock many people who think I'm only in my early 20s, but my first game was on 20th Nov 1988. My father had been going since the first season and having got a season ticket (in block 2 or 3?) I was allowed to take his friend's place as a late birthday present. Having no attention span I remember my parents making me take a bag with a drink, a months supply of sweets and a couple of books in case I got bored.
I loved every minute though and I must have read the programme from start to finish two or three times. We beat the Richmond Flyers 19-5 and I had already worked out that our best player was called Andrew Fletcher. Just 17 years old, the young brit scored a hat-trick and he was my new hero.
My dad did his best to explain on the way home that Andrew Fletcher wasn't our best player and the only reason he scored at all was because the opposition were very poor and all the other players were trying to set him up. But I wasn't having any of it and explained to my dad that by the end of the season he would be one of the top scorers on our team.
Andrew Fletcher never scored a Devils goal again.

 

[BostonBart22]

Nov 30th 1986 our very first home game against Ashfield Islanders. I had visit WNIR a few times during its construction and decided to take the whole family to the game nor knowing that they would all become hooked. Sat in block 1 behind the goal (zamboni end).

Went down to dressingroom area before face off to see the architect only for JL to come out with one or two other wiith a look of amazement on their faces as the WNIR was full. WHAT A NIGHT for the birthday of the CARDIFF DEVILS.

correct me if im wrong, sure i was sat in block 1 and sure the zamboni came onto the ice from the other end and not the cafe end.

 

[BostonBart22]

correct me if im wrong, sure i was sat in block 1 and sure the zamboni came onto the ice from the other end and not the cafe end.

oh and my first game was against our bitter rivals of the 80s telford, the only ticket i could get my hands on was sat with the 200 strong orange army of telford fans, but hey ho we won , cant remember the score but have never looked back.