Premier League City

[Pleximan]

Exciting times ahead for the city of Cardiff on the sporting front. With the new ice arena having been given the green light with outright planning consent there are very exciting times ahead for the Cardiff Devils.
Hopefully trophies will soon be heading back to Cardiff over the next few years with banners to go up in the rafters of the new arena to join the historic ones.

With the success of Cardiff City FC winning The Championship, promotion to The Premier League and the fabulous open top bus parade with The Championship Trophy in the sunshine and enjoyed by thousands of people lining the streets and enjoying that unforgettable occasion, it got me thinking.

Cardiff is really the place to be in the Elite League, top imports who sign for the Devils will join a strong Devils roster already boasting what is already shaping up to be possibly the best Brit contingent in Elite League.
The Devils players on their off days can enjoy going along to Cardiff City Stadium to watch Premier League football, Cardiff City versus the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and the big south wales derby with Swansea City, huge games being watched by a world wide audience.
This something that the likes of Nottingham Panthers, Sheffield Steelers, Belfast Giants and Coventry Blaze simply cannot offer, though congratulations to Hull Stingrays who also can.

Sheffield have their football teams struggling in The Championship with Sheffield Wednesday scrambling to avoid relegation, and Sheffield United languishing in League 1. Nottingham Panthers have the best prospect with Nottingham Forest in The Championship over Notts County in League 1, and Coventry Blaze have Coventry City with all kinds of worries at the bottom end of League 1.
Belfast Giants have....well....ummm....yes and Dundee, Fife, Braehead and Edinburgh offer.....Scottish football, while Hull Stingrays can also offer The Premier League with Hull City.

Cardiff is an exciting place to be with a top Elite League team soon to have a new modern arena within an exciting complex and Cardiff City in The Premier League on a worldwide stage. This overall package is something that the cities of Nottingham, Sheffield, Belfast and Coventry just simply cannot match.

Exciting times ahead for Cardiff!

 

[Jones72]

Don't forget the rugby...for god's sake, don't forget the rugby.

 

[Finny]

Rugby kind of negates the argument, as the better club sides are in Belfast, Scotland and England.

However, Cardiff will suddenly be a big name thanks to Premiership football. I also believe that the Premier League will be shown on primetime in the states? In which case it might well help us attract new import signings over the coming seasons.

 

[KaneDevils]

I also believe that the Premier League will be shown on primetime in the states?

Correct! Fox sports always has live prem football every week, as do others.

 

[chris592]

Will Cardiff being in the PL effect the Devils attendance? I'm sure there are a few who go to both, but with the increased prices in the PL will people start making the choice to go to one over the other due to the cost?

The original poster on this thread highlighted the fact that Belfast don't have a PL team, which is very true, and apart from some semi-pro footballs teams Belfast's biggest draw for sporting fans would be Ulster rugby. I actually believe this to be a good thing for the Giants, we are a decent sized city but have few major sporting teams that attract a big crowd. The Giants have filled a gap there, and we have attracted some large crowds because of that.

possibly the best Brit contingent in Elite League

Id say Nottingham and Sheffield come the new season will have the best Brit packs around.

 

[Finny]

Will Cardiff being in the PL effect the Devils attendance? I'm sure there are a few who go to both, but with the increased prices in the PL will people start making the choice to go to one over the other due to the cost?

Quite possibly. There probably will be some people who decide to go to the City instead of the Devils, but there is also the chance it could work in our favour.

For me, there won't be any change as I have already paid for my City season ticket and it was the same price as in the past - and I'm sure that is the same for a lot of City/Devils fans.

Being in the Premier League means there are actually less games for the City next season, so less chance that game days will clash. I don't know what the ticket prices are for next season, but if they do put them up then the Premier League may be too expensive for some people, especially families, and the Devils could end up getting their business instead.

Plus, with our season tickets already sold out there will only be a couple of thousand City tickets available for each game.

I also wonder whether the City will now be attracting big multi-national companies as sponsors and so the Devils might be attract the smaller, local sponsors that can't afford to sponsor Premier League football.

 

[WelshHabsFan]

Finny actually makes some great points there. What's needed then is a great marketing drive. The Devils brand needs a resurgence this summer; I know the new arena comes in next year but they need to push themselves now. Plus a better slogan than; 'Come see the Devils - we're cheaper than the soccer'.

If we don't do that, then the displaced roundballers will go to Newport County.