Flames Vs Devils - League - 2nd Apr 22

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
Sports are rarely level playing fields, look at F1, always the top 3 budgets competing, repeating year after year. No different in Hockey, every fan pays the same ticket price, whether you support Mercedes or Williams, Sheffield or Fife, it’s never the same playing field. Which is why I’ve criticised, mocked or been harsh as for some reason some fans, particularly those of top teams, just don’t seem to get it.
 

moggy#9

Well-Known Member
Sports are rarely level playing fields, look at F1, always the top 3 budgets competing, repeating year after year. No different in Hockey, every fan pays the same ticket price, whether you support Mercedes or Williams, Sheffield or Fife, it’s never the same playing field. Which is why I’ve criticised, mocked or been harsh as for some reason some fans, particularly those of top teams, just don’t seem to get it.
Oh come, that's false equivalence. Sure, teams in any sport are going to have different amounts to spend. But what is going on in the elite league is like a football team starting a match with less than 11 players or an F1 team saying "we haven't got any spare parts to fix our car, but we're going to enter this beat up ford fiesta we found in the car park". A level playing field is about equivalence of opportunity not of outcome.
 

matbur

Well-Known Member
Sports are rarely level playing fields, look at F1, always the top 3 budgets competing, repeating year after year. No different in Hockey, every fan pays the same ticket price, whether you support Mercedes or Williams, Sheffield or Fife, it’s never the same playing field. Which is why I’ve criticised, mocked or been harsh as for some reason some fans, particularly those of top teams, just don’t seem to get it.
I get what you're saying, but I think you're missing my point. Yes, there is a disparity in resources amongst teams like F1, but in professional sport, once on the race track, football pitch or whatever the sport, when the action starts there is a level playing field - the same rules and conditions apply to all.

That just hasn't been the case in the EIHL this season, when you have teams starting matches short-handed.

If that's a direction the league feel they want to continue in, then that's their prerogative, but sooner or later, fans (of all teams) who're expected to cough up thousands on tickets, travelling, jersey auctions and everything else that goes along with following a team, are eventually going to start feeling pretty short-changed by it and will ultimately vote with their feet.

I'm not criticising the Devils here, this is a league issue and I don't think I'm being unfair in my views. I'm usually positive and very supportive of the league, particularly given challenges it has faced in recent seasons.

I want the EIHL and its teams to be strong and have growth, but this is an issue bubbling away which needs to be addressed or it will undermine and damage what progress the league have worked to achieve in recent years.
 

terry hunt

Well-Known Member
I am a bit concerned about the criticism aimed at the club.We are all frustrated this season and i expect so are our owners.
I am certain we have the best ownership/management group we have ever had.
Our coach has been forced to play with major difficulties.The injury to Dupont must have been a big blow and i hope we will see the best of him next year.I am a pretty grumpy old git but when i calm down i check our situation.We are 3rd in the table and only recently have we been out of the running for the title.We lost in the cup final to a better team but we are still in the playoff race.
All the years i have followed the Devils we have not won trophies most years but i have loved it just the same even though i have complained.
I think we are the only EIHL club owned by non British people but they are as passionate about our club as any of us.
I like to follow the news worldwide and know that Canada has had a bad time with Covid so their businesses have been struggling to survive.
At least our group have conducted themselves with dignity unlike the constant whining of British business.
I think they have earned our support for what they have done for this club.
Unless you would prefer the ownership of Phillips/Ragan etc etc so be careful what you wish for.
 
I don't think anyone is blaming the owners or management, personally I'm pissed off with having more people stood on our bench at games in suits than we've got fit d men, that's plain crazy, whatever du ponts injury is, it's taking longer to heal than randy smiths broken neck did in 96. That's one hell of an injury he must be carrying. The management must have assumed mcnultys injury wasn't as bad as was first thought or they'd have been naive not to bring a d nan in as it's been a known fact mikersons been playing injured for months and at his age things take longer to heal than a lammon whose had surgery and busted a gut to get back playing. We can only hope lessons have been learned from the actions the only two teams above us have taken, they have done whatever it takes not to find themselves in the position we find ourselves in right now, I know some feel they've taken advantage in some way, but that is sport, whatever it takes to win attitude, imo that attitude will take every bit of silverware between those two this season, rule books are written to be bent and broken, Sheffield have done that time after time, I'll never trust that organisation NEVER, so I'd be playing by their rules listening to their fans bleating about us not playing the game fairly
 

august04 2.0

Well-Known Member
I am a bit concerned about the criticism aimed at the club.We are all frustrated this season and i expect so are our owners.
I am certain we have the best ownership/management group we have ever had.
Our coach has been forced to play with major difficulties.The injury to Dupont must have been a big blow and i hope we will see the best of him next year.I am a pretty grumpy old git but when i calm down i check our situation.We are 3rd in the table and only recently have we been out of the running for the title.We lost in the cup final to a better team but we are still in the playoff race.
All the years i have followed the Devils we have not won trophies most years but i have loved it just the same even though i have complained.
I think we are the only EIHL club owned by non British people but they are as passionate about our club as any of us.
I like to follow the news worldwide and know that Canada has had a bad time with Covid so their businesses have been struggling to survive.
At least our group have conducted themselves with dignity unlike the constant whining of British business.
I think they have earned our support for what they have done for this club.
Unless you would prefer the ownership of Phillips/Ragan etc etc so be careful what you wish for.
Do you really expect Brodie DuPont to be back on the ice next year with the Devils?! Never in a million years.
And I haven't read a single post wanting a change of ownership so not sure what this ‘careful what you wish for’/ Philips/Ragan comment alludes to?
 

moggy#9

Well-Known Member
Do you really expect Brodie DuPont to be back on the ice next year with the Devils?! Never in a million years.
And I haven't read a single post wanting a change of ownership so not sure what this ‘careful what you wish for’/ Philips/Ragan comment alludes to?
Maybe my memory is failing me, but most of the comments seen to be around whether what Belfast and Sheffield have done is within the rules, the need for changes in the roster rules, and the need for reform of league management. This forum is incredibly appreciative of what our owners have done for the club. If only the rest of the league was as professionally managed.
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
Do you really expect Brodie DuPont to be back on the ice next year with the Devils?! Never in a million years.
And I haven't read a single post wanting a change of ownership so not sure what this ‘careful what you wish for’/ Philips/Ragan comment alludes to?
Agree with you on both points. No chance will Dupont be on the devils roster next season and i certainly haven’t seen any devils fans wanting a change of ownership!
In football terms (apologies for the fans that hate football) but what’s happening at Wrexham at the moment reminds me of what we’ve had at the Devils ( Ryan Reynolds might be a little more famous than Steve tho. I said might) there’s such a feel good factor around that club and the owners just get it. I expect Belfast and Sheffield to share the trophies amongst themselves this season but I still wouldn’t swap our owners for theirs.
 
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matbur

Well-Known Member
@terry hunt Unsure whether you are alluding to my comments specifically but if you are, I'm not having a go at the Devils but rather questioning the direction the league is heading in.

FWIW I think our owners and staff have been pretty much faultless in driving the team's ambitions.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
Oh come, that's false equivalence. Sure, teams in any sport are going to have different amounts to spend. But what is going on in the elite league is like a football team starting a match with less than 11 players or an F1 team saying "we haven't got any spare parts to fix our car, but we're going to enter this beat up ford fiesta we found in the car park". A level playing field is about equivalence of opportunity not of outcome.
Ok, what about Italy in the Six Nations, no Italian watches in any anticipation of winning the grand slam, for that matter a game win is rarity.
There have been instances of F1 teams struggling with components and running less chassises, potentially impacting their season.
Football, always the same top teams competing for top spot, lower clubs all competing amongst themselves to finish better than previous years without expectation that they’d ever win their league title.
You could argue the EIHL rules regarding player roster size has clearly given every team a level playing field. As far as I’m aware to date, no formal complaint has been lodged from any EIHL club regarding these teams breaking the rules. Which is why l don’t get Steve coming here to defend the integrity of the Devils, surely complaining to the league is more appropriate.
 
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Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
I get what you're saying, but I think you're missing my point. Yes, there is a disparity in resources amongst teams like F1, but in professional sport, once on the race track, football pitch or whatever the sport, when the action starts there is a level playing field - the same rules and conditions apply to all.

That just hasn't been the case in the EIHL this season, when you have teams starting matches short-handed.

If that's a direction the league feel they want to continue in, then that's their prerogative, but sooner or later, fans (of all teams) who're expected to cough up thousands on tickets, travelling, jersey auctions and everything else that goes along with following a team, are eventually going to start feeling pretty short-changed by it and will ultimately vote with their feet.

I'm not criticising the Devils here, this is a league issue and I don't think I'm being unfair in my views. I'm usually positive and very supportive of the league, particularly given challenges it has faced in recent seasons.

I want the EIHL and its teams to be strong and have growth, but this is an issue bubbling away which needs to be addressed or it will undermine and damage what progress the league have worked to achieve in recent years.
As far as I’m aware all clubs agreed to these changes and to date no formal complain has been lodged by any club of rules being broken.
I don’t remember a season that the league finished with the previous years lowest league position came back top of the league. When it’s been discussed on the Inferno who will finish the season at which position, it’s always been the usual 4 teams with the rest always at the lower end.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
Do you really expect Brodie DuPont to be back on the ice next year with the Devils?! Never in a million years.
And I haven't read a single post wanting a change of ownership so not sure what this ‘careful what you wish for’/ Philips/Ragan comment alludes to?
Nobody, except me ;) hinted at foreign ownership coming into the Devils, so accepting that as a form of put up & shut up is a bit misguided. There are people around who potentially would take the club, hint hint. So yeah I’m with you on Terry‘s opinion. I‘m certainly not trying to disrespect the owners or wishing to change them when l say this, their earning a very good income from the Devils and so they should, which is why l find the “Doing it because their fans“ a bit cringing, I’ve no doubt they enjoy the attention they receive when they’ve visited and they certainly love Ice Hockey, even our poorly run beer league, but have no illusio being fans isn’t the only motivation to buy a hockey club half way around the world.
 
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bozman

Active Member
we lost a game of hockey , no one died all teams win all teams lose, all teams get injuries, we have by far the best owners in the league who would have done as much as they can, so just chill out everyone and enjoy it
 
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