YET ANOTHER Fixture Change

[ipiggott]

Coventry game scheduled for 20th January changed to Friday 19th January with 8.00pm face off.

PS - Already announced on Coventry website!!!!

[spik]

You are having us on...this is 3 in short space.

[carolle]

We have lost 3 of our 9 post christmas saturday games in the last 2 days.

[spik]

Let me guess........The 'Banana Splits' are back.

[spik]

and I will lose my job calling in sick after all the trouble again getting these days off only just to lose them again.

[carolle]

spikc said:

Let me guess........The 'Banana Splits' are back.

Nothing announced yet..but I`m sure we will hear the reason via the non panther grapevine soon.

[Shaggy]

I'm more tolerant than most of the NIC and it's foibles, but quite frankly - this is taking the p... extracting the urine!

[grumpyminer]

I can only make weeknight games one week in four, kind of makes my season ticket worthless!

[DerbyDave72]

grumpyminer said:

I can only make weeknight games one week in four, kind of makes my season ticket worthless!

I can't see what you and others are complaining about.

Season ticket holders had to purchase their tickets I believe before any fixture list was released. Surely there was no guarantee how many games would be played on a Saturday when season tickets were sold and also no guarantee that fixtures when initially announced that they would not be changed owing to Panthers not coughing up money to the NIC far enough in advance to guarantee dates.

The answer is you knew the deal when you bought the season ticket. It's a clear trend over the past few seasons that there are less and less games on a Saturday.

Suggest those that find that means they have to miss a few games just don't buy season tickets next season and buy from game to game. That's the only way to make Neil Black think about his arrangement with the NIC - can't blame the NIC IMHO.

[carolle]

Think alot are annoyed that its 3 games changed in 2 days and yet still no announcement from the club,

but Coventry have announced their away game change on their webpage.

[cal]

These Saturday night fixture changes are exactly why my husband and I didn't renew our season tickets this year. Sat in the same seats since the NIC opened but can't make weekday games so would be seriously out of pocket. Sad thing is after last year we just knew it was going to happen. That's £600 Mr Black won't be getting his hands on again.

[texpef]

DerbyDave yes ST's were purchased prior to the fixture list but,

1. the fixture list this year was VERY late due to all the changes and they still didnt get it right re: hull.
2. We were assured by NB that given the poor number of sat fixtures last year he would try to do more about it this season and hence by deduction we were to get more sat night games
and 3.
SATURDAY NIGHT IS HOCKEY NIGHT IN NOTTINGHAM, not monday or tues weds thurs or even friday which seems to be now the preferred deferred night, i started watching hockey for the great atmosphere on hockey night not some dreary rushed back for mid week feature. These midweek games are always a rush to make the face off time especially if you are working further afield than nottingham and hence makes a mockery of having a season ticket for a game you cant attend.

I was speaking to a friend a couple of weeks ago about renewing our season tickets which we didnt do this year and that it appeared things had improved with more effort on the ice, better results and an overall improvement on fixtures actually being on a sat night. Oh how things have gone down hill in such a short space of time, having spoke last night we both agreed it was the right thing to not renew and we wont be likely to again next season either. shame but panthers bring this on themselves...

[Doughnut]

I'm with Dave on this one. It's just business folks. There's no point getting all hot and bothered about it. After the last few years, I can't imagine why anyone thought this year's fixtures weren't going to change. If you don't like it, don't get a season ticket. It's that simple. I do sympathise with away fans who have booked travel and accommodation, and people who have arranged time off work though.

Also, if you want things to be different in future, then you can moan on here all you like, I'm sure many of you will do just that, but it won't make any difference. Poor season ticket sales might though.

wrt Saturday nights. Not everyone prefers Saturday night fixtures anyway, and not everyone thinks of Saturday night as "hockey night". I much prefer week night games. One of the main reasons I didn't get a season ticket this year is because I knew I'd miss too many weekend fixtures to make it cost less than buying individual tickets.

[texpef]

you might not like it doughnut but many especially long term fans have always watched hockey in nottingham on a saturday night which in my book makes it hockey night, if you prefer midweek then i suggest you are part of a very small minority...

[Higgy]

Get in i can go to that game now, i was due to miss it, im the only happy person i think

[texpef]

always winners and losers higgy, being a midweek game (and i see friday as midweek) i probably will save money by not being able to go, i suspect there will be more losers than winners on this one and most changes from a weekend fixture to a midweek one, heres hoping it hits both NB and NIC where it hurts... in their pockets otherwise this kind of poor will keep happening to panthers fans...

[DerbyDave72]

texpef said:

DerbyDave yes ST's were purchased prior to the fixture list but,

1. the fixture list this year was VERY late due to all the changes and they still didnt get it right re: hull.
2. We were assured by NB that given the poor number of sat fixtures last year he would try to do more about it this season and hence by deduction we were to get more sat night games
and 3.
SATURDAY NIGHT IS HOCKEY NIGHT IN NOTTINGHAM, not monday or tues weds thurs or even friday which seems to be now the preferred deferred night, i started watching hockey for the great atmosphere on hockey night not some dreary rushed back for mid week feature. These midweek games are always a rush to make the face off time especially if you are working further afield than nottingham and hence makes a mockery of having a season ticket for a game you cant attend.

I was speaking to a friend a couple of weeks ago about renewing our season tickets which we didnt do this year and that it appeared things had improved with more effort on the ice, better results and an overall improvement on fixtures actually being on a sat night. Oh how things have gone down hill in such a short space of time, having spoke last night we both agreed it was the right thing to not renew and we wont be likely to again next season either. shame but panthers bring this on themselves...

Completely understand where you're coming from and on reflection I do have some sympathy with your predicament. You're right, Neil Black did make some mutterings that there would be more Sat. games this season and the fixture list when released appeared to confirm that.

However with his arrangemnt with the NIC, this is only a statement of intent and unless he ploughs some of the profit into making a payment to the NIC earlier ( presently I believe a month or so before the game when it is then definite and tickets go on sale) things will never change. I know Panthers give the NIC a good reliable income but the NIC would survive without the Panthers and not vice versa unfortunately.

As Doughnut says a drop in season ticket sales might well make him think again. However it must be difficult to do what is best for everyone concerned and Neil Black is entitled to make a profit out of the business and obviously doesn't want to cause cash flow problems by paying the NIC too much up front.

Bit of a problem as I realise a drop in ST sales would afffect the club overall and so must he. However if nothing changes, I do think that before next season we should all realise that Saturday night is NOT necessarily Hockey Night in Nottingham - you're living in the past if you think it is and times change as we have to be realistic about the difficulties involved. We have a big Arena with lots of concert demands where tickets go immediately on sale and provide the NIC with income for those dates. If Panthers can't match that, you can expect to be shunted out to other days.

[DaveE]

higgy said:

Get in i can go to that game now, i was due to miss it, im the only happy person i think

You aint the only one mate.

But I can understand that people are getting upset with the game being changed from the normal Saturday night spot. I choose not to get a season ticket anymore mainly because I can't really afford it because I work most nights so it would be a waste of money, as I found out when I bought one last. Point is that if you think you can't get to all the games, I wouldn't bother buying a ST.

[Doughnut]

texpef said:

you might not like it doughnut but many especially long term fans have always watched hockey in nottingham on a saturday night which in my book makes it hockey night, if you prefer midweek then i suggest you are part of a very small minority...

I never said I didn't like going to the hockey on Saturday. I just find it a lot more convenient on a week night. I know that puts me in a minority, not everyone lives a 3 minute walk from the arena.

I know Saturday used to be hockey night in the "good old days", but the fact is it no longer is.

[carolle]

Guess I won`t be seeing a few of the games with the changes to weekday games

[carolle]

Panthers have confirmed 2 of the game changes but no mention of the 3rd game on March 17th.

[DaveE]

icehockey said:

Panthers have confirmed 2 of the game changes but no mention of the 3rd game on March 17th.

As long as it's the 17th rather than the 16th, then I don't mind ;D

[Spooks]

Easy solution really build another rink in Nottingham that holds say 4000 just for ice sports.

p.s Ice dancing is not a sport more of a waste of perfectly good ice time.

[texpef]

derbydave said:

Completely understand where you're coming from and on reflection I do have some sympathy with your predicament. You're right, Neil Black did make some mutterings that there would be more Sat. games this season and the fixture list when released appeared to confirm that.

However with his arrangement with the NIC, this is only a statement of intent and unless he ploughs some of the profit into making a payment to the NIC earlier ( presently I believe a month or so before the game when it is then definite and tickets go on sale) things will never change. I know Panthers give the NIC a good reliable income but the NIC would survive without the Panthers and not vice versa unfortunately.

Bit of a problem as I realise a drop in ST sales would afffect the club overall and so must he. However if nothing changes, I do think that before next season we should all realise that Saturday night is NOT necessarily Hockey Night in Nottingham - you're living in the past if you think it is and times change as we have to be realistic about the difficulties involved. We have a big Arena with lots of concert demands where tickets go immediately on sale and provide the NIC with income for those dates. If Panthers can't match that, you can expect to be shunted out to other days.

couple of points re this
When we spoke to NB earlier prior to the season start, he mentioned that he pays this so called bond up front to the NIC but the NIC have stated that they are not prepared to use this to guarantee dates only the fixtures ie no matter how much he pays up front the NIC will NOT guarantee him set dates, hence they can change the dates as the mood suits them which imho pretty much makes a total mockery of the fixture list, the panthers in particular (no wonder there isnt any advertising) and our sport in general if it gets treated with such contempt by what is essentially one of, if not the biggest supported club in the country.

As for the NIC surviving without panthers, well i am not sure, we DO provide a solid reliable regular income that sustains the NIC (more than any other ice sport that takes place, which i am assured was the purpose of building the NIC - not concerts - over the existing Nottingham Arena which the panthers did all right in without concerts etc thank you very much). As i see it its a mutual thing with a symbiosis occurring between the two organisations, or at least that is what it should be, it actually appears that the panthers are most definitely the weaker partner of the two in favour of concerts etc which could just as easily and in all probabilty be just as popular in midweek fixtures.

Oh and ask 100 fans which night hockey night is in nottingham and i think over 90% would say saturday so it most definitely is SATURDAY NIGHT IS HOCKEY NIGHT so does that mean the majority of nottingham fans are living in the past? Ask sheffield fans etc the majority will say sunday night is hockey night does that mean that they majority of those fans are living in the past too, dont be patronising please...

[Helen B]

I don't like how Arena's can just move dates like they do.
So far lucky for us we've had 1 game moved, no set date yet, but that was a Friday match next week, so I'm happy it's been shifted.

As for which night is hockey night, I wouldn't say Sheffield is traditionally a Sunday night, just traditionally on a weekend as this season we have a pretty much 50/50 split on Saturdays and Sundays. Hockey night in Nottingham to me seems to be any day of the week that the NIC fancies, which is starting to get like they're taking the p.