"Ice Hockey Team's Survival Fight" - Nottm Vipers

[Shaggy]

Our own lasses' team - the Nottingham Vipers - have made BBC News... but it's not all good, unfortunately - they're struggling just to survive.

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/6177807.stm

Wonder if there is anything the assembled Cage-ites can do to help?

[heja]

same for every single team around, any chance the cage-ites can help them too?

[chris22]

Just out of interest what sort of price is ice time at the NIC?

Chris

[Shaggy]

heja said:

same for every single team around, any chance the cage-ites can help them too?

Posting edited.

Why do I even ruddy bother? One of the biggest reasons this sport is heading down the toilet... because far too many people are too interested in either their own little patch or in scoring points with snidey comments.

Sorry, Vipers lasses... you'll be lucky to find any help around here...

[Doughnut]

shaggy said:

heja said:

same for every single team around, any chance the cage-ites can help them too?

Why do I even ruddy bother? One of the biggest reasons this sport is heading down the toilet... because far too many people are too interested in either their own little patch or in scoring points with snidey comments.

Sorry, Vipers lasses... you'll be lucky to find any help around here...

I understand your reaction, and applaud your efforts in helping various hockey teams in Nottingham, but I think the point Tim is trying to make (all be it with the usual blunt axe ) is that he plays for a rec. team, as do many other people. Where do we draw the line over who should get financial support? We can't fund everyone.

The cost is the main reason I didn't start playing rec hockey a couple of years ago. That and the fact there's no adult beginners' team at the NIC.

[Shaggy]

Jeez Louise... I ask a question - I 'wonder' out loud - and even that gets picked to pieces.

I don't know what the finances of the rec teams are like... nothing ever gets said. This has been a Nottingham ice hockey team in the news (and not 'just' the NEP) stating publicly that they are in dire straits - is it wrong to respond to that? If other teams are short of money, why do we hear nothing about or from them? Don't ask, don't get. Although it looks like a case of 'ask, still don't get' around here...

I'm not trying to make unflattering comparisons between rec teams and the Vipers (or anyone else for that matter) - but isn't it worth trying to help a team that produces players who recently won trophies in their league, who achieved promotion, who have players that get picked for regional/national teams? That's what these teams are all about, isn't it?

All I did was ask a question... if people don't like the question, why not either ignore it or just answer with a "No"? Rather than indulging in the ice hockey fan's #1 pastime - taking a swipe at someone else....

Like I said - no wonder this sport is heading down the toilet...

[charlish2099]

Rec teams are generally held up by the players paying there own fee's to cover ice time etc, do the vipers have sponsorship shaggy?

[quoththeraven]

shaggy said:

heja said:

same for every single team around, any chance the cage-ites can help them too?

Sorry, Vipers lasses... you'll be lucky to find any help around here...

It is a real shame that the Vipers are struggling for sponsorship, coming off a superb season that saw them promoted to the Premier League.

However what Shaggy kind of casts a light on is a wider issue for teams at the NIC that aren't the Panthers. All of them need plenty of sponsorship, as those who are not funded by the players themselves are funded by parents.

As the band Barenaked Ladies said, "If I had $1,000,000 ..."

[Doughnut]

Shaggy, I didn't say it wasn't worth helping the Vipers.

Tim was just making the point that there are lots of hockey teams around that struggle financially and get little or no help, and I think you over-reacted.

I know that supporting the amateur & semi-pro game is something you're passionate about, and I in no way see that as a bad thing. I wasn't trying to pick your question to pieces, just trying to put things in context.

Although it looks like a case of 'ask, still don't get' around here...

You started this thread less than 4 hours ago, you've had what could be seen as a negative comment from Tim and an attempt from me to put things in perspective, and already you're assuming this thread isn't going to help. Were you expecting some local millionaire hockey fan to come across this thread in that amount of time or something? Give people a chance.

P.S. Don't call me Louise

[Shaggy]

charlish2099 said:

Rec teams are generally held up by the players paying there own fee's to cover ice time etc, do the vipers have sponsorship shaggy?

Apparently not... and I quote from the article itself:-

"Yet despite such dedication the Vipers face serious problems because of a lack of sponsorship."

[charlish2099]

ahh sorry mate, my computer is slow and i could not open link.

[Higgy]

Nice to see the cages very own Becky Cooke bein interviewed in that artical, its a shame i didnt know what problems they faced, you must have serious dedication to want to pay to play

[MP]

higgy said:

you must have serious dedication to want to pay to play

I was under the impression that most players had to pay to play outside the top tier of the game.

That's why there's often plenty of passion and commitment in games outside the professional leagues.

Shaggy - take no notice of Tim (no one else does ;D) - he was trying to make a valid point but isn't the best practitioner of the English language!

[Rich]

Its the sad state the game is in. its always been a problem but is getting worse for sure. It becomes a battle of whos got the richest parents through Junior to pay for their kid to play. The vipers are very much in the same boat as a lot of teams, but NEED sponsorship definatly. To make 2 comparisons, the Lions and sheffield shadows both have sponsorship and a good group of people behind them. The Vipers need that aswell.

Dont get me started on the whole NIC thing because anyone who knows me knows what I think about the place but make the direct comparison- Sheffield shadows have 3 teams in ice sheffield (development, WD1 and WPL), the NIC cannot even manage one if this carries on.

It is true tho you expect to pay for it yourself, its not like funding has been withdrawn but for players who arnt in full time work its a lot of money!

[Higgy]

mountainpanther said:

higgy said:

you must have serious dedication to want to pay to play

I was under the impression that most players had to pay to play outside the top tier of the game.

Just goes to show why i never took it up then

[martinski83]

I'm not really sure how I could help them, but Becky did invite me to a game last season.

If the offer is still open I'll happily come down to support the ladies.

As for finances though, there is little I can offer. It's not because I don't want to, I'm just like everyone else on here.... A fan trying to make a living.

[Cooke#19]

Yes, we do need sponsorship. The rental of the rink has gone up to £200 for an hour and a quarter I believe. The Ashfield Avalanche (as far as I'm aware) have had to fold because of this. The NIC have requested 6 weeks booking beforehand also.

Because of the lack of sponsorship, we are holding fund raising events which you are all welcome to donate to, and it would be much appreciated. We have done a bag pack recently and pool competitions. We're hoping to have some parties as well, with all profits going to the club. We need to raise a lot of money, but unfortunately we can't do it on our own. The money we need to raise is heading towards the £10,000 mark and without the help of any local sponsors we won't be able to continue. We don't train till into the early hours of Saturday morning for nothing!

The manager, captain and coach have also done an on-air interview with the BBC today.

We have a game tomorrow in Newcastle, good luck to everyone playing up in Newcastle tomorrow... let's hope we can come out with a win!

Thanks to the BBC for coming down to our training session.


Becky

[Cooke#19]

www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2006/12/15/vipers_ice_hockey_team_feature.shtml

This link has the radio interview on as well.

Thanks,

Becky

[Zukiwskyfan]

heja said:

same for every single team around, any chance the cage-ites can help them too?

;D

[ted]

Yea I feel for the Vipers as well but Shaggy, What Tim was saying is hardly negative.

a fair few of us on here travel up the M1 on to even get on the ice till 10.30 every wednesday, pay £25 a month to all cram in 1 changing room, have the zamboni delay our start time by around 10 minutes every session and so on.

A couple more do it every wednesday AND thursday. On thursdays its a tenner an hour. When you factor travel time and petrol it becomes a lot more expensive.

Dont get me wrong Im not saying those that do so are any worse off than the vipers... I can see their problem. £200 an hour is stupid prices. Its easy to see how small rec teams just cant play out of it. I can see it being expensive at peak time but at 10/11pm? I hear there is some 3am slots available... bet they are still £200 a pop!

Seems ironic that the NATIONAL ice centre is pricing beginners out.

All the best to the vipers. I really do wish them well. There are lots of other teams in similar positions though that the BBC doesnt focus on.

[BJ]

Not a cheap sport by any means, I too know from experience.

Ice time is FAR too expensive, and hours available that get any way near affordable suck big time, especially when you have to travel to/from the rink an hour or more each way. Thank God for RED Bull!

As for sponsorship, Jeez, we fail dismally to come anywhere near the backing required to finance a half decent program for the national team, what chance do amateurs have?

[Shaggy]

bj said:

As for sponsorship, Jeez, we fail dismally to come anywhere near the backing required to finance a half decent program for the national team, what chance do amateurs have?

You'd be surprised.... when the Olympic Qualifiers fiasco came to light, GBSC (amateurs, remember) got £10k worth of firm sponsorship commitments inside of 48 hours - which IHUK ignored.


Look, guys.... I just posted this as an information point and to speculate as to whether anything could be done by the assembled Cage Forum - after all, just look at the amazing success of the Rink Rush! If people have preferences for other teams to get help, fair enough - I certainly didn't say that nobody else wasn't deserving... but why niggle? Makes me wish I hadn't even bothered....

[mike]

well im glad you bothered Shaggy,its a pitty after seeing the dedication , determination and bloody hard work that players ,parents coaches etc put in it would put any profesional footballer to shame.Maybe if the teams could get together and advertise when matches are on and results(i know,think it was you,have been letting others know) it might drum up some intrest ,possibly have a amature match pre panthers home games etc.

[moose]

Right, stick with me on this cos there is a point to my post.... My son has been able to represent GB in Canada. On each occasion, he had to pay for his own ticket, food and accommodation because funding was not available. His letter of congratulations on making the team informed him that although ice hockey and inline hockey was the fastest growing team sport in Great Britain, don't bother applying for lottery funding cos you won't get it. Seems a disgraceful situation to me when thousands of teenagers are taking a positive path in society rather than beating up old ladies on street corners and they can't get support from the National Lottery etc. but if you're rearing guinea pigs for food in Argentina they'll throw money at you.

[chris22]

£200 for 1 hour 15 minutes?!?!

I know demand for ice time is high, but my lord thats that highest I've ever come across! I really do have sympathy for them.