YOUR Views from weekend in Nottigham

[Earnie]

Just brief comments.

Quarter final v Nottingham:
Our achievement was getting there not what we intended doing after that.
We put up a good display and the score would have been tighter with some better goal tending.
Blight was a star.

Bronze medal game.
Boys night out the night before made this a bit shameful. Coventry took it more seriously and thrashed us without Olsen. Goal tending first period was crap and improved a little when Myers replaced Whitley.

Belfast - Coventry game was dull. Devils started singing Silent Night it was so lacking in atmosphere.

Belfast - Nottingham final.
A cracking game. I started off neutral but eventually cheered for Giants as did most Devils fans. The referee infuenced the final outcome yet again.

Best, most fun fans - The Clan by far. Devils fans though numerous were subdued compared to previous standards.

My wishes - scrap the Bronze Medal game . Potty idea. The players are not interested , the fans are not interested in who is third ,fourth or even second. Only the winner counts for something.

 

[Budgie]

I agree with all of the above, but would add that we felt totally let down by the Devils performance in the bronze medal game, they all looked hung over and didn't care, even Coventry players laughing at them was humiliating. All this showed no respect for the Devils fans at all!

Not all mind you, Ben was amazing, as were Quiney, Hart and Blight but the rest hammered after a 3am night out.

Upset? Yup you bet ya :evil:

 

[Tredevil]

The 3/4 game was exactly as I expected it to be.... A waste of time! It was the game no player wanted to play in and therefore were never going to take it seriously. The Devils can't be blamed for being as unenthusiastic as the fans were in this game! Roll on 13/14 when hopefully the league will not listen to the fans who talk sense and not the ones who apparently wanted to see this game!!! Thank you Devils for the roller coaster 12/13 season!

 

[StevenBletsoe]

My View?

it shouldn't be in Nottingham every year. If the EIHL can't find a neutral venue then it should alternate between the Arenas on a three rotation.

Thommo said it in period 2 break, "they're on neutral ice, well obviously they are at home, but it is classed as neutral".

For me it gives Nottingham an unfair advantage. There is a tangible home advantage for all teams in EIHL as result will atest. I am also assuming that Panthers staff ran the music as it was based as such with penalties music.

For me, it is unfair on all other teams and actually reduces the achievement of the Panthers who have won the playoffs on home ice for the last three years, if this had been done on neutral ice it would have been a bigger achievement.

Either the EIHL need to rotate this game between Sheffield, Belfast and Nottingham or look to build relationships with Manchester Area, CIA (as was), the new arena in Leeds, the O2 and other arenas all around the country.

If they refuse to do this Nottingham will continue to win the playoffs of their home ice.

Rant Over

 

[Mooney#16]

I don't think any blame should be levelled at the Devils for the 3rd placed game. They showed it the respect it rightly deserved which was zero. Its the playoffs. You have one winner. Everyone else goes home with nothing. That's the point. It's a league sham to make up for the fact EIHL can't suck it up and ask EIHA if they want to play the junior final in Nottingham which would be far more relevant. It's a league balls up and no one else's. it's not the players place to justify political stupidity by turning up to a professionally pointless game where you will not risk your career or health so the league can keep the ticket prices up. Blame league. Not Devils.

 

[oldblock4]

I don't think any blame should be levelled at the Devils for the 3rd placed game. They showed it the respect it rightly deserved which was zero. Its the playoffs. You have one winner. Everyone else goes home with nothing. That's the point. It's a league sham to make up for the fact EIHL can't suck it up and ask EIHA if they want to play the junior final in Nottingham which would be far more relevant. It's a league balls up and no one else's. it's not the players place to justify political stupidity by turning up to a professionally pointless game where you will not risk your career or health so the league can keep the ticket prices up. Blame league. Not Devils.

Totally agree with this, don't think the fans expected anything more, especially after watching 3rd/4th placed game a few years ago!

This game is a waste of time and would be better to either incorporate EPL / NIHL finals on the Sunday or move the final to 1 or 2pm so its easier for fans to get home, especially by public transport.

The Devils did amazing to get to the playoffs, sadly lost on Saturday but against a Panthers side with a spare import on the bench and a bigger budget they should be proud of their performance.

If we had to play the 3rd/4th game, I would prefer a non contact game, on the last game of the season i wouldn't want anyone to be injured -either team.

The guys were shattered, they have played short benched for so long, some carrying injuries and a number of Brits stepping up have done us proud. If the league is stupid enough to put on a free bar in a casino until 5am, what do they expect?!!

 

[TheStub]

I don't think any blame should be levelled at the Devils for the 3rd placed game. They showed it the respect it rightly deserved which was zero. Its the playoffs. You have one winner. Everyone else goes home with nothing. That's the point. It's a league sham to make up for the fact EIHL can't suck it up and ask EIHA if they want to play the junior final in Nottingham which would be far more relevant. It's a league balls up and no one else's. it's not the players place to justify political stupidity by turning up to a professionally pointless game where you will not risk your career or health so the league can keep the ticket prices up. Blame league. Not Devils.

+1

The Devils treated the game as they should... As did the Blaze. We rolled our lines, resting the imports and giving our young Brits far more ice time than we have all season. That is the score effect you are seeing.

Neither team wanted to win. The Blaze hardly looked pleased to win, and the only player who had acting to celebrate was the Blaze backup.

Anyone who expected more needs to really consider their thought process. They have everything for the crest the day before. They owed us nothing on the Sunday. Why risk injury for a pointless game?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Tyke Devil]

Slightly off topic as not a view from this weekend as I couldn't attend but from the previous two weekends that I did attend (and in particular the 2012 weekend) I would find it hard to justify another trip. I just felt that the EIHL did the bare minimum for the supporters for the cost of the tickets. Even worse if you add in 2 days accommodation, travelling costs etc.

It seemed that it was a case of...go watch the games...then go away. We have no need or reason to entertain you other than put on the matches.

Despite the claims that Ice Hockey in the UK is a family orientated sport there is precious little put on for the supporters that turn up with young families. There is all that space in front of the main entrance to the Arena but all they have is a BBQ stall. Where are all the other attractions? Why no activities for the kids? (or older kids for that matter!).

Why no stalls manned by other sport organisations and clubs? Whether traditional British sports or other minority / American sports.

Heck..I don't know the answers but from talking to other fans at previous POFW's they all seemed to suggest that the finals have just become a cash cow for the EIHL.

Reading other forums it also appears that attendances were down again (certainly for fans other than the Home fans ) and that has been the trend for a few years.

I can only comment on the two years I have been and they were both in Nottingham. What was it like in the past at other venues?

 

[Sliput]

I don't think any blame should be levelled at the Devils for the 3rd placed game. They showed it the respect it rightly deserved which was zero. Its the playoffs. You have one winner. Everyone else goes home with nothing. That's the point. It's a league sham to make up for the fact EIHL can't suck it up and ask EIHA if they want to play the junior final in Nottingham which would be far more relevant. It's a league balls up and no one else's. it's not the players place to justify political stupidity by turning up to a professionally pointless game where you will not risk your career or health so the league can keep the ticket prices up. Blame league. Not Devils.

I also agree with this. The players should not have had to play this farce. Most Devils fans i spoke to expected nothing from this and even after were not upset at the way the game was played.

Although in our defence, the Devils played their best against Nottingham and gave everything where as Coventry would have had a lot more energy as they were woeful in their semi.

 

[Earnie]

Slightly off topic as not a view from this weekend as I couldn't attend but from the previous two weekends that I did attend (and in particular the 2012 weekend) I would find it hard to justify another trip. I just felt that the EIHL did the bare minimum for the supporters for the cost of the tickets. Even worse if you add in 2 days accommodation, travelling costs etc.

It seemed that it was a case of...go watch the games...then go away. We have no need or reason to entertain you other than put on the matches.

Despite the claims that Ice Hockey in the UK is a family orientated sport there is precious little put on for the supporters that turn up with young families. There is all that space in front of the main entrance to the Arena but all they have is a BBQ stall. Where are all the other attractions? Why no activities for the kids? (or older kids for that matter!).

Why no stalls manned by other sport organisations and clubs? Whether traditional British sports or other minority / American sports.

Heck..I don't know the answers but from talking to other fans at previous POFW's they all seemed to suggest that the finals have just become a cash cow for the EIHL.

Reading other forums it also appears that attendances were down again (certainly for fans other than the Home fans ) and that has been the trend for a few years.

I can only comment on the two years I have been and they were both in Nottingham. What was it like in the past at other venues?

Well the only other venue really was WEMBLEY and it was FABULOUS in comparison. Stalls all the way around the Arena and a huge market going on outside and clubs you never heard of attending with a magic atmosphere

 

[ice pie]

...
It seemed that it was a case of...go watch the games...then go away. We have no need or reason to entertain you other than put on the matches.
...

No different this year either... The fans were the ones creating the atmosphere and the fun - noone else. They could have put something on in the period breaks, or better still between the matches - it might have kept the excitement and momentum of the first game going, as no-one seemed to care who won the Belfast/Coventry game, even their own fans were pretty quiet...!

 

[TheStub]

...
It seemed that it was a case of...go watch the games...then go away. We have no need or reason to entertain you other than put on the matches.
...

No different this year either... The fans were the ones creating the atmosphere and the fun - noone else. They could have put something on in the period breaks, or better still between the matches - it might have kept the excitement and momentum of the first game going, as no-one seemed to care who won the Belfast/Coventry game, even their own fans were pretty quiet...!

I'd go as far too say the woeful match night team killed any atmosphere.

Awful music, way too much talking, all way too loud. What our team do so well is back off and let the fans carry it.

They killed "hands up for Hanson" with the music over the stop in play... if there was a time to do nothing it was then.

 

[TheStub]

Also, why can't they just play a song? Put it on, stop with the stupid really bad wedding DJ talking and let the fans build the atmosphere.

 

[Foxy]

I don't think any blame should be levelled at the Devils for the 3rd placed game. They showed it the respect it rightly deserved which was zero. Its the playoffs. You have one winner. Everyone else goes home with nothing. That's the point. It's a league sham to make up for the fact EIHL can't suck it up and ask EIHA if they want to play the junior final in Nottingham which would be far more relevant. It's a league balls up and no one else's. it's not the players place to justify political stupidity by turning up to a professionally pointless game where you will not risk your career or health so the league can keep the ticket prices up. Blame league. Not Devils.

I also agree with this. The players should not have had to play this farce. Most Devils fans i spoke to expected nothing from this and even after were not upset at the way the game was played.

Although in our defence, the Devils played their best against Nottingham and gave everything where as Coventry would have had a lot more energy as they were woeful in their semi.

I think you'll find there were a lot of fans upset even angry at the way the game was played. It was down right embarrassing and something we had payed good money for.

No it shouldnt have been there again it was a farce when it was played before. I'd rather watch the scot v eng kids game than that but why not a skills test from the two teams knocked out. That would be far more entertaining

 

[Gaz G]

I think anything to do with either team that gets knocked out in the semi is a bad idea. If I were a player who'd just lost a game that I had been working towards for months I certainly wouldn't want to having anything to do with something to effectively fill some time.

 

[Wannabe2]

Lets be honest here, the only reason for the mickey mouse 3-4th place game is because the league can say that you get 4 games for £75, as otherwise £25 per game is definately over the top, the fact that they think we are all mugs, and lets be honest people pay it. It shows a complete lack in foresight and loyallty to the very people who pay these leeches there wage. As for the play-offs giving home advantage to the same team year in year out, that really shows how amateurish this lot are. Wembley Arena are constantly showing ice shows at there gaff, so why isnt it put on there and be a truelly neutral venue, and lets be honest here Nottingham City certainly isnt the best city in the UK. Belfast i believe would be too expensive to the fans to fill it, but the same gags year in year out are beginning to wear a bit thin, but along with the main man of the league also making sure the teams wear his overpriced and inferior shirts, what hope is there for the future, you can only mug the same people for so long rant over. This post is in no way aimed towards the Panthers fans, as they have no say in where the weekend venue is to be played.

 

[Devil_Bluebird]

what about a select team from the other 6 teams in the league. Pick 4/5/6 players from 3 teams on one side (Braehead,Fife and Hull for example) and the other team has the choice to pick from the other 3 teams (Dundee, Edinburgh, Steelers). Will give some of the fans a chance to watch a few of their players in action, fans like the Sheffield Steelers.

 

[Ger-Devils]

They could have put the u18's national final instead?

Future players of the league etc?

 

[Wannabe2]

Charge £60 and give you 3 games, 1st game 12am, 2nd game 3pm, with the final Sunday at 3pm giving people ample time to get home. The final at Wembley used to be a reasonable time.

 

[Devil_Bluebird]

Charge £60 and give you 3 games, 1st game 12am, 2nd game 3pm, with the final Sunday at 3pm giving people ample time to get home. The final at Wembley used to be a reasonable time.

Bit early to have the game on then, most are sleeping at that time :lol: