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Post by belak on Oct 24, 2006 12:21:10 GMT
Elliott clearly said there were two reasons why Giants refused participation:
"The first was the playing standard. With just ten imports this season we are stretched with three lines as it is and teams in Europe play with four lines.
"You also have to play three games in three nights and in those circumstances you leave yourself open to humiliation and also injuries.
"The other part is purely financial. It is a very expensive weekend and Nottingham have more resources than we do to afford that."
The financial aspect wasn't the primary reason for not taking part, so to all the Giants fans claiming this was the main reason, please stop as the wording in the article was a direct quote from Elliott.
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MP
Paul Adey
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Post by MP on Oct 24, 2006 12:49:48 GMT
Elliott clearly said there were two reasons why Giants refused participation: " The first was the playing standard. With just ten imports this season we are stretched with three lines as it is and teams in Europe play with four lines.
"You also have to play three games in three nights and in those circumstances you leave yourself open to humiliation and also injuries.
"The other part is purely financial. It is a very expensive weekend and Nottingham have more resources than we do to afford that." All of those points are entirely valid - I find myself in agreement with them. As he said, Panthers have the financial resources to take part in the CC - whether it's wise given the limitations of the bench is perhaps another matter. Thing is.... people appear to be assuming that our poor performance at the weekend is as a direct result of the Continental Cup trip. Proof, anyone? No, no proof Shaggy - but a worrying co-incidence. Let's hope that come a week on Sunday we'll have seen some convincing performances and hopefully results to match - and put Coventry and Sheffield in their place along the way! Then the idea of a CC hangover can be happily dismissed. In the meantime I remain a tadd uneasy about it...
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Post by belak on Oct 24, 2006 13:03:02 GMT
All of those points are entirely valid - I find myself in agreement with them. As he said, Panthers have the financial resources to take part in the CC - whether it's wise given the limitations of the bench is perhaps another matter. The issue regarding finance is fair enough, but that wasn't the first point raised. If the Giants only reason for not partaking in the CC was they simply couldn't afford it, then I wouldn't have had any reason to post an objection. The fact is however that Elliott's first reason for not participating was not being able to compete <only 10 imports> and he then mentions about " humiliation" I thought the whole point of sport was about competion? *edited for typos*
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Paul Adey
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Post by MP on Oct 24, 2006 13:16:56 GMT
I thought the whole point of sport was about competion? Within reason, it surely is - though games between badly mis-matched teams in any sport don't really do anyone much good. John Elliot makes a pertinent point - with a short bench and small wagecap it's going to be very hard to compete effectively. Humiliation is a real possibility - even without being humiliated players may find their confidence dented as a result of being out played.
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Post by belak on Oct 24, 2006 13:25:31 GMT
I thought the whole point of sport was about competion? Within reason, it surely is - though games between badly mis-matched teams in any sport don't really do anyone much good. John Elliot makes a pertinent point - with a short bench and small wagecap it's going to be very hard to compete effectively. Humiliation is a real possibility - even without being humiliated players may find their confidence dented as a result of being out played. And so the sport in this country remains nothing more than a beer league.
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Doughnut
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Post by Doughnut on Oct 24, 2006 13:26:29 GMT
I think the risk of injuries when playing 3 lines against a higher quality 4 lines for 3 nights in a row is a much more valid complaint than players getting upset over losing to better opposition.
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Paul Adey
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Post by MP on Oct 24, 2006 14:02:46 GMT
And so the sport in this country remains nothing more than a beer league. "Beer League" sounds a bit cruel, but the cold fact is there isn't enough support for the game in the country at large to support hockey at a higher level than we have now.
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Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Oct 24, 2006 14:12:49 GMT
Thing is.... people appear to be assuming that our poor performance at the weekend is as a direct result of the Continental Cup trip. Proof, anyone? No, no proof Shaggy - but a worrying co-incidence. Coincidence. Two events which, despite appearances, are actually unconnected. A coincidence could be exactly what this was. We can speculate and suspect all we like.... but we've got absolutely nothing more than speculation toindicate that the CC could have caused this last weekend's slump. Not anywhere near enough, I say, to reject the idea of Continental Cup participation.
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Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Oct 24, 2006 14:14:54 GMT
And so the sport in this country remains nothing more than a beer league. "Beer League" sounds a bit cruel, but the cold fact is there isn't enough support for the game in the country at large to support hockey at a higher level than we have now. No, there isn't. But there is reason to believe that maintaining some kind of presence in Europe can be beneficial to the British game - the chance to recruit a better class of import, for a start.
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Post by darrenw on Oct 24, 2006 15:54:39 GMT
Would there be any mileage in bidding to host any future CC campaign in Nottingham?
That way we would be cutting expense & travelling time whilst also attracting high level European opposition to play in the UK which, it is to be hoped, would bring big crowds to the NIC and possibly some media attention to the sport (You can hope!).
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Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Oct 24, 2006 16:08:20 GMT
Would there be any mileage in bidding to host any future CC campaign in Nottingham? That way we would be cutting expense & travelling time whilst also attracting high level European opposition to play in the UK which, it is to be hoped, would bring big crowds to the NIC and possibly some media attention to the sport (You can hope!). TOTALLY unconfirmed - but I heard that the Panthers had tried to do that very thing... but couldn't get the ice time. Make of that what you will....
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Post by texpef on Oct 24, 2006 16:49:35 GMT
true shaggy coincidence yet it seems to happen every single year to whichever team enters the competition from england.... make of that what you will...
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Post by spik on Oct 24, 2006 18:55:58 GMT
Panthers entered in 1999 and I think feared well nearly winning through to the next round.We finished 6th in the league of 8 teams that season.Finished bottom of our play-off group,thus did not qualify to the semi's. Not trying to make any point here really, I can't remember our form after returning but it was played in WALES funnily enough. The others as stated were in 2004 and 2006. Have Cardiff and Sheffield who have entered many times into Europe got a slant on this one?
IF we had a good organising body from the past (some hope) a few pennies towards our domestic winners entering and thus helping with costs (if it helps promote GB hockey) would for sure help. But thats not going to happen.So all I can say is , apart from the league winners being the just team who should enter. Anyone in their place should be allowed to do so if they felt equipped to do so. As long as we don't end up sending the celler dwellers which would be going a stage too far.
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Post by spik on Oct 24, 2006 18:58:10 GMT
Sorry...'faired well'...is what I meant to say.
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Shaggy
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Post by Shaggy on Oct 24, 2006 19:04:58 GMT
Sorry...'faired well'...is what I meant to say. Or possibly "fared well"....?
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Post by spik on Oct 24, 2006 19:23:09 GMT
...cor, I'll have to go back to skool. Or type that 'I will use the spell check next time'...100 times.
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MP
Paul Adey
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Post by MP on Oct 25, 2006 11:19:22 GMT
Would there be any mileage in bidding to host any future CC campaign in Nottingham? If Panthers were playing in that round then I'd think it would be viable. I may be wrong, but I think the NIC have previously expressed an interest in staging a round. Not sure about the practicalities though. With a multi-purpose arena, it's always possible that other events will have booked the required time slots long before the dates of the CC are known, resulting in no ice time being available.
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Post by supermattytrickett on Oct 25, 2006 21:16:19 GMT
The choice of venue matters very little as Rouen and Amiens have showed in the past two seasons.
You could take ice to the Moon, but as long as you're lining up against experienced opposition relentlessly rolling four lines, then just why bother?
All this season's jaunt has done is ingrain a losing mentality into the players that had up to that point not tasted a regular-time competitive league/cup defeat.
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Post by DWD on Oct 25, 2006 21:29:10 GMT
On a quick note. Our (Belfast) CC Hangover of 5 games was a bit of a set back.
We missed out on the league title that season by 1 point..
had we won just ONE of those games, well...
Given that choice I'd have happily passed on the CC for the league title.. and avoided the bankrupcy in that too.
DWD
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Post by texpef on Oct 25, 2006 22:16:15 GMT
well getting there DWD thats 3 on the bounce....
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