CC Final
- Thread starter Rempel16
- Start date
Whilst I think it’s very unfortunate that the CC is not now at a neutral venue, you have to consider where else could it have been held that is economically viable? How many areas in the UK have an ice plant to start with? Some will say Manchester but you aren’t going to fill that for a CC final, unless if was Nottingham and Sheffield who made it but there is no guarantee of that as has been proved.
If it had been Nottingham, we’d all be saying that same thing. Arguably it would be worse as Nottingham has the advantage of home ice each year with the playoff finals. Remember, Nottingham have won the CC cup many times in the last several years so are always going to be one of the favourites to make the final. Ironic that they haven’t this time.
This begs the question whether the final format should have been kept as it was, i.e. a home and away legs.
For whoever is the other finalist, last night’s result is not the one you wanted. Sheffield on home ice with 8000 fans behind them is a much tougher prospect than an inconsistent Nottingham team. The ‘away team’ are going to be underdogs with the ‘home team’ having their own ice as an advantage but on the slip side, all the pressure is then on the Steelers.
Let’s hope tonight that we have a much smoother second leg that Nottingham did and get ourselves to a final. When you consider the season we had last year, making a final would be a huge achievement in itself.
If it had been Nottingham, we’d all be saying that same thing. Arguably it would be worse as Nottingham has the advantage of home ice each year with the playoff finals. Remember, Nottingham have won the CC cup many times in the last several years so are always going to be one of the favourites to make the final. Ironic that they haven’t this time.
This begs the question whether the final format should have been kept as it was, i.e. a home and away legs.
For whoever is the other finalist, last night’s result is not the one you wanted. Sheffield on home ice with 8000 fans behind them is a much tougher prospect than an inconsistent Nottingham team. The ‘away team’ are going to be underdogs with the ‘home team’ having their own ice as an advantage but on the slip side, all the pressure is then on the Steelers.
Let’s hope tonight that we have a much smoother second leg that Nottingham did and get ourselves to a final. When you consider the season we had last year, making a final would be a huge achievement in itself.
We're the designated Away Team: http://www.eliteleague.co.uk/challenge-cup-final--p195042
Opening up the home and away blocks before the finalists were known was pretty stupid. The least they should have done is kept the main block or two off sale and given them directly to the finalist clubs to sell.
Of course, as this is the EIHL and the finalists are only known a week before the Final, the logistics of this would have been pretty hard.
Of course, as this is the EIHL and the finalists are only known a week before the Final, the logistics of this would have been pretty hard.
