New Cardiff indoor arena ….
- Thread starter kingmo19.1
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As much as l think the iaw was a missed opportunity in terms of capacity and seemed rushed/unfinished when it opened, I'd rather live in a caravan than a tent.
It's a pity the capacity wasn't 5-6 thousand, l think we would have grown into that sort of size quite nicely as a fan base, but it is what it is. Hopefully if we ever have a new home, it's larger, planned better ie adequate parking and good public transport access and has a better finish, seats that don't feel like they are made of wheelie bin plastic for example and a sound system that doesn't sound like it was bought off the back of a lorry from Splott market.
It's a pity the capacity wasn't 5-6 thousand, l think we would have grown into that sort of size quite nicely as a fan base, but it is what it is. Hopefully if we ever have a new home, it's larger, planned better ie adequate parking and good public transport access and has a better finish, seats that don't feel like they are made of wheelie bin plastic for example and a sound system that doesn't sound like it was bought off the back of a lorry from Splott market.
The IAW is a great place to watch hockey! Could it have been a bit bigger, maybe (with hindsight) Only because the Devils have become a hot ticket in town! Its a great problem to have!
Tim Leiweke is Anschutz Entertainment Group, These guys owned the ill fated London Knights. I remember going to a London Knights game with thousands of empty seats at the London Arena, nobody wants a huge arena unless you can fill it.
Of course if they build it and host a NHL Global Series game there... I'd be okay with that lol
Tim Leiweke is Anschutz Entertainment Group, These guys owned the ill fated London Knights. I remember going to a London Knights game with thousands of empty seats at the London Arena, nobody wants a huge arena unless you can fill it.
Of course if they build it and host a NHL Global Series game there... I'd be okay with that lol
A few have asked what I mean by flaws; I feel the whole design is wrong. I get the majority of people in this forum are happy with the view from their seat but is that enough? I don’t think so.
I use the rink for two reasons, as a Devils fan and also as a manager and player of a military team, so I’ll talk about it from that sort of users perspective. It’s not our home rink, we don’t work like that but we tend to have a camp per year at the facility (mostly because the team like a night out in Cardiff). Almost all of our first team players are NIHL1/2 or SNL so have obviously been to a number of rinks. The general consensus on Cardiff is that it’s just alright if the ice availability is there, now the second pad is not used the ice availability is worse than the BBT days. The second pad (when operational) is shite and no one wants to use it, it’s way too small and the ice is crap from public skating. If there is no ice on the main pad available we look elsewhere. The fact it’s shut down proves it’s pretty much redundant and can’t justify costs - that whole pad is completely pointless and a white elephant. The changing rooms are also ridiculously small. You can fit around 7 players in it. Those changing rooms are used for both pads so it’s an issue for both. There is only really one good changing room to be used.
I get IAW looks pretty, shiny and new if your interaction is limited to watching the Devils but for everyone else it’s very, very average at best. Its usability is so limited. We would’ve been better off with a single pad and putting all energy and thought into making a really good single pad rather than a show pony of a twin pad rink. We might’ve been able to have a capacity that has an option for growth, bench sizes that conform to IIHF standards that aren’t bloody annoying to use, changing rooms without pillars, the catering is terrible, shop too small, the list could go on.
IAW doesn’t know what it wanted to be. We wanted something like Ice Sheffield but bigger. Ice Sheffield, whilst much smaller in capacity is immeasurably better. It’s in constant demand and has successfully managed to operate two pads for a number of years.
I know Wannabe and people associated with SORAC take offence to criticism of IAW but the reality is that a lot of money was wasted on it through badly thought out design and ideas. Hockey people (who have played the game) didn’t build or design that rink and it shows.
I’ll hear the it’s better than nothing, better than the BBT etc etc, but the long term viability of the rink is in the balance because it has not proved to be a success as a facility.
I use the rink for two reasons, as a Devils fan and also as a manager and player of a military team, so I’ll talk about it from that sort of users perspective. It’s not our home rink, we don’t work like that but we tend to have a camp per year at the facility (mostly because the team like a night out in Cardiff). Almost all of our first team players are NIHL1/2 or SNL so have obviously been to a number of rinks. The general consensus on Cardiff is that it’s just alright if the ice availability is there, now the second pad is not used the ice availability is worse than the BBT days. The second pad (when operational) is shite and no one wants to use it, it’s way too small and the ice is crap from public skating. If there is no ice on the main pad available we look elsewhere. The fact it’s shut down proves it’s pretty much redundant and can’t justify costs - that whole pad is completely pointless and a white elephant. The changing rooms are also ridiculously small. You can fit around 7 players in it. Those changing rooms are used for both pads so it’s an issue for both. There is only really one good changing room to be used.
I get IAW looks pretty, shiny and new if your interaction is limited to watching the Devils but for everyone else it’s very, very average at best. Its usability is so limited. We would’ve been better off with a single pad and putting all energy and thought into making a really good single pad rather than a show pony of a twin pad rink. We might’ve been able to have a capacity that has an option for growth, bench sizes that conform to IIHF standards that aren’t bloody annoying to use, changing rooms without pillars, the catering is terrible, shop too small, the list could go on.
IAW doesn’t know what it wanted to be. We wanted something like Ice Sheffield but bigger. Ice Sheffield, whilst much smaller in capacity is immeasurably better. It’s in constant demand and has successfully managed to operate two pads for a number of years.
I know Wannabe and people associated with SORAC take offence to criticism of IAW but the reality is that a lot of money was wasted on it through badly thought out design and ideas. Hockey people (who have played the game) didn’t build or design that rink and it shows.
I’ll hear the it’s better than nothing, better than the BBT etc etc, but the long term viability of the rink is in the balance because it has not proved to be a success as a facility.
OK I read all your post, I put this to you, we move to a 15,000 arena, we get limited use of arena for the Devils and no ice time for anyone else.
I believe the second pad was only meant to be for public skating and figure skating, curling etc it was not set up as a second hockey pad.
Any ice hockey would be on main pad, so pad 2 was fit for purpose and In use up until covid hit.
You stated the second pad is a white elephant but from first opened till covid hit it was used constantly but with cost now spiraling and any form of refrigeration uses the most amount of electric it's understandable its not up and running just at the moment.
If we went in to new arena you wouldn't get the use of any ice nor would huskies, fire and comets.
I believe the second pad was only meant to be for public skating and figure skating, curling etc it was not set up as a second hockey pad.
Any ice hockey would be on main pad, so pad 2 was fit for purpose and In use up until covid hit.
You stated the second pad is a white elephant but from first opened till covid hit it was used constantly but with cost now spiraling and any form of refrigeration uses the most amount of electric it's understandable its not up and running just at the moment.
If we went in to new arena you wouldn't get the use of any ice nor would huskies, fire and comets.
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The main pad is olympic size which is huge. We could have had 2 pads the same size that were both regulation but both operable. The changing rooms are poorly designed and could have been set out properly. If I recall correctly the shop was meant to be bigger but a late change made them put a lift pit through it taking up all the room. Personally I ise the shop loads for kit and whatever he doesnt have in the shop he gets for me within a few days. I visit lots of UK rinks and a few abroad every season with the Juniors and our rink is better than most but there was a wasted opportunity to make something a lot better than we actually have
I completely agree, if we moved to a big arena it would definitely not be used for anyone other than the Devils. I never said that would be a good thing for anyone other than the Devils.
I think saying the second pad is ‘used constantly’ is a stretch. Public skating isn’t anywhere near as busy as it should be or used to be. Curling has never happened. Figure skaters have always used the big pad. The pad was doomed from the outset. No useable changing rooms and the pad being smaller than it was meant to be (it was meant to be the same size of the BBT but they got it wrong). The second pad was shoehorned in to sound good but the reality is that it was at the expense of the main pad being a truly great facility and has proved utterly useless.
I think saying the second pad is ‘used constantly’ is a stretch. Public skating isn’t anywhere near as busy as it should be or used to be. Curling has never happened. Figure skaters have always used the big pad. The pad was doomed from the outset. No useable changing rooms and the pad being smaller than it was meant to be (it was meant to be the same size of the BBT but they got it wrong). The second pad was shoehorned in to sound good but the reality is that it was at the expense of the main pad being a truly great facility and has proved utterly useless.
D
That's what almost makes it worse, we had years to plan and a perfect example of a rink in Ice Sheffield that is great for public skates, fans and players alike. We could have done a carbon copy of Ice Sheffield with more seats and it would have been perfect.
As for the shop that others have mentioned, outside of game days it's hit and miss whether it is open, and I would never use it anyway until it came into new ownership. Corky seems annoyed to have customers in there and unless you have some rapport with him already he is incredibly off-putting for customers.
As for the shop that others have mentioned, outside of game days it's hit and miss whether it is open, and I would never use it anyway until it came into new ownership. Corky seems annoyed to have customers in there and unless you have some rapport with him already he is incredibly off-putting for customers.
Us Devils fans seem to have very short memories. WNIR was a rat infested hole and the changing rooms were not particularly big. The BBT had dreadful sight lines. The showers used to be constantly blocked due to some design fault in the plumbing so your feet would be in 2 inches of slimy foul water. The ice was frequently in a terrible state and there were slopes and gaps around the board edges that you could lose a skate blade in and areas of ice were frequently coned off because of some problem or other.
IAW has an Olympic ice pad, 3 bars, great sight lines, great ice and the best gantry in the world (for Kingmo). Yes the second pad has turned to roller but think what the owners have had to contend with. No income due to Covid and now record electricity prices. I don't blame them for sticking with roller for now at least.
I skated in Bristol again this week. To add to the dysfunctional lockers there is now a coned off area where the ice has melted and the rest of the ice is in a terrible state. Its like the BBT all over again.
In the words of the great philosopher Oprah Winfrey "If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
IAW has an Olympic ice pad, 3 bars, great sight lines, great ice and the best gantry in the world (for Kingmo). Yes the second pad has turned to roller but think what the owners have had to contend with. No income due to Covid and now record electricity prices. I don't blame them for sticking with roller for now at least.
I skated in Bristol again this week. To add to the dysfunctional lockers there is now a coned off area where the ice has melted and the rest of the ice is in a terrible state. Its like the BBT all over again.
In the words of the great philosopher Oprah Winfrey "If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough."
Thread starter
#34
IAW as a facility is night and day compared to the BBC and the Gantry is an absolute stunner!
Unfortunately the building lacks the most important thing - SOUL !!!!
The BBT for all its faults had SOUL by the bucketful and when that place was rocking it was amazing!
The BBT and WNIR felt like ‘our rink’ and ‘our home’. The IAW just feels like a sterile facility.
Unfortunately the building lacks the most important thing - SOUL !!!!
The BBT for all its faults had SOUL by the bucketful and when that place was rocking it was amazing!
The BBT and WNIR felt like ‘our rink’ and ‘our home’. The IAW just feels like a sterile facility.
