Gridning the Rumour Mill

There have been some rumblings about possible issues with the future of the ENL set up in Cardiff. At the core of it the suggestion is that Paul Ragan / The Club wants to cut back spending and that the ENL set up will be cut or suffer and we’re worried there will be big issues if this is the case.

Simple things like where do the under 18’s go when they’re too old to play in that league? Will juniors want to play in Cardiff knowing that they won’t get a chance for the club they love? Will parents fund their kids sport to know nothing will come of it when they grow up? There are plenty of potential issues to look at.

The whole set up has proven to be very valuable it is to the Elite team. It’s one thing that Cardiff has always been very good at, developing youth players and progressing them to the top team or other teams in the league/Europe/NA.

Over the years, players like Stevie Lyle, Nicky Chinn, Jason Stone, Nicky Lewis, Neil Francis, Lee Cowmeadow, Phil Hill, Jonathan Phillips, Matt Myers have come through the ranks ( to name but a few) and today’s current crop who are with the Elite team who’ve come through Cardiff Junior system before heading to North America before coming back and joining back up with the Devils - Sam Smith, Adam Harding are prime examples of this as well as other ENL players who’ve been brought in this year.
Another through the Devils Junior system is Ben Davies, he was a huge part of the ENL team before making the step up to the Elite League team. Another name is Joe Miller - current top scorer at Basingstoke Bison and tipped for an Elite league move this season.
Two others who’ve stepped up from the junior ranks is Corey Watkins and Steve Fisher. Two older players who’ve stepped up from the ENL to help an injury ridden Devils back in 2010 were Andrew Shurmer and James Manson..

The work between all coaches which has been done over the last 6 years is in danger of being unwrapped and what will the club have to show for it down the road? Nothing?

At the moment, we have U10’s to ENL1 playing. U18’s will either go to ENL2 or ENL1 depending how much they’ve progressed. ENL2 is a future development team for ENL 1 and the players get the chance to step up when ENL1 players get the Elite call up. I would say the junior development is worth more to the Devils than the Elite team itself in terms of British players as to be honest; they’re the core of this team. Imports come and go so the club should know from previous years how much value is in the junior system.

We have to ask the question why has this decision come about? (If the rumours are true)

Is it Money issues?

If this is the case, let fans help with certain things such as fundraisers and any other way they can get involved. The ENL devils are run on one if not the smallest budget in the ENL 1 league and to be competing year in year out it shows how great a set-up we have with the resources made available.

Does the Club see no value in the ENL set up?

This is so short sighted it’s unreal. So you get rid of development for Welsh/British players and have to then bring in players from other teams, pay to house them, pay more in wages it just doesn’t make sense why this attitude has come about. How will the Elite team be able to compete with the arena teams when it comes to signing Brits on high wages? We just can’t compete and there is so much value in the ENL that this set up needs to be saved. We can’t afford to lose our future prospects due to no team to play for or the attitude of pay to play. This season has shown how valuable the ENL is for the Devils when the kids have had to step up due to so many injuries with imports and they’ve not let the Devils down once.

Is the club not making money from the ENL?

Well if you’re trying to make money off hockey, you’ve picked the wrong sport to do that I’m afraid. The ENL is not about making money; it’s about increasing the value of the clubs history around the world in terms of junior development, helping the Elite team as the ENL is a feeder club which is great to see.

In summary to our minds the ENL set up must stay and operate as they are now even if it means fans helping/sponsors coming in to cover the costs of running the teams. There’s plenty of willing fans who would help to keep this going as well as many ways to raise funds for the ENL. All the club has to do is ask fans to help support this. If the owner wants a good future for the club in terms of junior players making the top grade, it’s a MUST that we keep this going.

Simply put without development, you have no team especially for the future, With looking to bring the import levels down at Elite League level meaning we will rely on our local players more in a market where a talented Brit can demand top money. So we’d say, Please think before you act. There's more to sport than making money. Yes the Devils are a business but without a product for the future, we are going nowhere fast.

You can join the discussion here http://www.the-inferno.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6004