Nottingham Lions

[Shaggy]

As many people on here know, as well as being a Panthers supporter and a Mod here on the Cage, I also help out the Lions (off-ice stuff only). So I've found what I've been reading on this thread over the past couple of days to be somewhat disturbing, to say the least.

I'll admit up front that I don't know what the hell is going on. I've always stayed completely away from 'team stuff' - I'm no player, no coach, no expert... so I've always left those who are to get on with it and I've just helped out where I can. So I'm not going to make any judgements on the facts/allegations either way... but as a Mod on this forum, I'm somewhat uncomfortable with the way this has all suddenly blown up, and by the way it's been carried out.

What we appear to have here are no less than 4 separate ex Lions players and 2 ex supporters, all using the same login (and allegedly another ex Lion using a very similar one) all of a sudden mounting a blitzkrieg attack. Now maybe these people are all who they say they are - maybe not... maybe any or all of their allegations are completely accurate - maybe not... I really don't know. But the way this has been done - viewed dispassionately, this smells a bit. The strong similarities in posting styles between some of these allegedly-different people don't help to dispel suspicion either.

So, with my Mod hat on... I'm going to ask the person or persons posting under this "formerlion" login (and the "formerlion1" as well) to act a little more responsibly and not abuse the hospitality of this forum so much (come on - multiple users on one anonymous login? Somewhat dodgy-looking, wouldn't you say?).
If, for example, some of those posts truly have come from Chris Colegate or Mark Corfield - guys, you know me... you've seen me at Lions games for years now. PM me your numbers if you want, and I'll give you a call. Hell - if you want a face-to-face meet, I'm sure that can be arranged. Because right now... I don't know what to believe, and if I'm confused by all of this, you can bet that just about everyone else reading this thread is.
And we haven't even heard from the Lions management/ coaching staff yet... I don't imagine they're going to be all that happy and will have plenty to say... and the last thing we want on here is a flame war. So... before we have to take the unpleasant step of locking threads or banning users or some other such drastic action... can we call a halt to the trench warfare, please?

[formerlion]

Looks like the Lions have made it official about Whyatt's release on their website. Brief. Rushed?

To further my earlier post. I wonder if any of the current players/management are ashamed or embarrassed about the treatment of Nick and others. Nick was always very popular in the dressing room, and often dropped his gloves to jump to his team mates defence!

There have also been rumours thrown around that the current coach is quite happy with the teams position in ENL2, and they are not overly fussed on pushing for immediate promotion, stating 'more travel involved' if they were in ENL1, and more of an opportunity for ENL2 standard players to gain experience?

As the senior team for all Nottingham Juniors to aim towards this is a terrible mentality to have. Lions has always been a great development platform for young players to work towards, gaining great experience before moving on. Likes of Bullas, Neil, Graham, Lacho, Ward, Bowley, Soar have all become the players they are with good coaching and mixing it with the older lads. When young prospects now start hitting 16,17 they will be looking to play their hockey elsewhere rather than an ENL2 team with no ambition!
All team spirit seems to have been lost. Gone are the days of poker nights or raising money for charity by doing the 3 Peaks Challenge?

Time to get it sorted out!

[Yotes]

Aug 16, 2012 21:15:55 GMT formerlion said:

Well he is on the picture of the first training session that they released last week ..... so I would say something is happening.

Maybe he was just using the ice time in preparation for the new season, probably not a huge number of opportunities for the Brits to get a skate until all the imports show up.

[Pucky]

Aug 16, 2012 23:21:31 GMT Yotes said:

Aug 16, 2012 21:15:55 GMT formerlion said:

Well he is on the picture of the first training session that they released last week ..... so I would say something is happening.

Maybe he was just using the ice time in preparation for the new season, probably not a huge number of opportunities for the Brits to get a skate until all the imports show up.

It's happened in the past, Marc (and other players) have iced pre-season.

[formerlion]

Hi Shaggy. I have only posted once as has Mark and we both signed off on it. Some of the other lads asked if they could voice an opinion and I was happy to share the log in. What I would say is that if you wish to post please use your name.

As you say Shaggy the current goings on are very disturbing, the aim of my discussion was not to create a huge forum denate but to make people aware of the p@*s poor treatment of people who have given years to that club, many more years than the current coach.

Please post responsibly, use your name or set up your own log in.

Chris Colegate #7

[mjblack]

Full story here with comment from Nick Whyatt:

michaeljblack.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/lions-fire-whyatt.html

[Shaggy]

Just to let people know... apparently Matt Bradbury is on holiday at the moment (down south for a couple of weeks) and will be back sometime next week. This would probably explain why he didn't do anything in person (don't think his wife would be too chuffed with him if he spent half the holiday on the phone instead of with her & the kids!) and instead had someone else handle it. That will probably raise the question of whether any decision should have been left until after he got back off holiday... there are probably arguments either way on that one.

Exactly what is going on, I still don't really know... there are always two sides to any story, and previous experience would suggest that until we've heard the other side it would probably be a bit premature to get out the pitchforks and flaming torches.

So... probably more on this sometime next week (my guess would be later in the week rather than earlier, but who knows?).

[humbucker]

Hi
I think when a former player describes other players as rec when they have obviously come through the junior system is rather arrogant and egotisical when the person who, supposedly, went to Manchester spoke of the team not being able to string two passes together, was this team still icing the very experienced, long serving players who no longer play for the club? From last season i believe Blackburn were the only team that did not concede points to Nottingham. The players or former players appear to have belonged to a quite chummy group and obviously the best of friends and will remain so I presume? The slagging off of the coach and his assistants appear to border on a personal and well coordinated vendetta of players of yesteryear and just maybe the club might be better off without these particular players. By the way didn't Alan Levers decide to go rather than being released against his will, which he was not? I think that the club should continue with a dignified refusal to get dragged into open warfare a war of words that no one will win in the end. One day the bleating will stop and then perhaps the team can just get on with bringing through the 'non rec' players from the juniors. I mean no disrespect to the rec hockey fraternity I just felt that the term was used in a derogatory fashion for both them and the Nottingham club that these ex players loved. I would think that the coaching team for the Lions have quite impressive CVs having coached at GB level both nationally and internationally and I have no doubt that many of the ex players have limited understanding of what coaching and true player development is all about, of course I could be wrong there and await the inevitable correction if that is the case? Panthers don't you just love to hate them? Bringing in such as Nicky Balchin, a good coach as well as an ex Panther was a useful exercise and surely players such as Simon Hunt and others including Dan Green bring in a wealth of top level experience, players who have reached the pinnacle of success at the highest level in the UK. The past players have a great deal of hockey experience I grant you but a link with the Elite is no bad thing in my book. I enjoy hockey and have done since the 80s and I have seen times like these with the Panthers and other sections within club hockey so perhaps when enough crying on shoulders has occurred and these ex players move on to wherever the serious business of re building can begin because as we all know all teams during a transition have a tough old time, sometimes made tougher by events.

[Wolves 66]

Now official. Marc Levers is on a Lions / Panthers 2 way deal.

[humbucker]

Hi
A good move bringing in Marc Levers a player who came through the Nottingham system went on to play with the Lions during their one season in the EPL when an all British team of young players took on teams with imports and vastly more experienced senior British players. That season, although not successful in other than player development terms players such as Marc, Geoff Woolhouse, and Phil Hill went on to play at the highest level in British hockey. That same EPL season provided a team that went on to perform so well when they dropped back a league due to the experience provided by that on year step up. Good to see Marc back and plenty to look up to for the new young players stepping up to the Lions.

[sheffspartans]

The Sheffield Spartans are very pleased to announce the signing of the ex Nottingham Lion Nick Whyatt.

www.sheffieldspartans.co.uk/team-news/spartans-capture-lion/

[lukethomas]

Good morning all.

I’m afraid this is a shameless post in search of your hard earned cash!

On Sunday 2nd September, I will be taking part in a bike ride from Lincoln to Nottingham in support of the Nottingham Potential scheme, a charity set up by Nottingham University to help local young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their academic potential.

This ‘short’ distance cycle is just a small part of the Nottingham Life Cycle, which will see the Vice Chancellor of Nottingham University and his team cycle over 1,100 miles from Cape Wrath in the North of Scotland to Dover on the South-East coast of England. For further information on the cause, or to follow the progress of the team on their journey, please visit www.nottingham.ac.uk/supportus/currentfundingpriorities/theuniversityofnottinghamslifecycle/theuniversityofnottinghamslifecycle.aspx.

I have set up a Just Giving account. If you have a few spare pennies that can be donated to a good cause, please visit my sponsorship page at www.justgiving.com/Luke-Thomas9

[oscarwightman]

Not sure how to quote but, in response to humbucker... We played in the EPL for 3 seasons... 2000 - 2003, not 1... Not ever so sure of the relevance as to what is happening here though!

I rarely post here but have to say to some former lions, commenting anon is not on, grow some!

However, Chris, Corf et al may be a 'chummy group' but they/we put a great deal of time/love/money into the club and it is frustrating to see it at such an apparent low ebb...

I am sure there is a plan (transition is always difficult) but the lions always seemed to work best when there was a good mix of experienced (ENL/EPL) 22-32 year olds, some 'young guns' destined for the panthers and a few draftees from local clubs (or down for uni).... More importantly, it worked best when we were all having fun - no amount of youtube ('cringe!) channels/corporate events will stop the Lions from just being a bunch of guys paying to play, attracting parents and a few loyal fans (unless the Panthers fold)...

It is a stepping stone/development team and the best way to develop is to play with those experienced ENL/EPL players week in week out at top table ED1 Level (not a few panthers that may play in 1 in 4 games) - without those players, you just cannot compete with the other wiley old foxes in the league and thus get demoted thus lose the attraction to the good young players!

Anyway, Lions is always a contentious topic as there were always those of us who played for fun and those whose end goal is the panthers!

Oscar

[Shaggy]

Good luck to the Nottingham Lions who open their 2012-13 league season today with an away trip to Fylde Flyers.

[Shaggy]

And the Lions get their first win, beating Fylde Flyers 7-4.
Good start!

No scoring or other details yet...

[Shaggy]

Details now up on the Lions website:-
nottinghamlionsenl.com/2012/09/lions-off-to-flying-start-at-fylde/

[Rob Scott]

Good result for the Lions and a hat trick for debutant Ollie Betteridge.

Cracking picture of the 16 year old recieving a case of Stella for his MVP.

nottinghamlionsenl.com/news/

[Shaggy]

And a favourite home-away-from-home for Nottingham hockey fans just became more involved:-
nottinghamlionsenl.com/2012/09/the-castle/

[Shaggy]

As the time is drawing closer...

Sadly not for the Nottingham Panthers... but Nottingham legend Simon Hunt is making his return to Nottingham ice this weekend, having come out of retirement to sign for the Nottingham Lions this summer (original article here: nottinghamlionsenl.com/2012/07/number-13-is-back-in-town/)

I know that there are a lot of Panthers fans who still regard 'the pocket battleship' as one of their favourite ever players (eh, Texpef? ) - in fact, I was talking to one such at the Dundee game on Sunday, and when I mentioned this she nearly jumped out of her seat with glee!
So for those who never saw him play - or for those who did but would like to see him again... this Sunday, after the Panthers match, the Lions will be hosting the ENL Hull Stingrays in the Olympic Rink, face-off scheduled for 7:15pm.

Now I'm sure there will be those who will say that this is nothing more than a gimmick... not having been to the training sessions, I couldn't say from personal experience... but apparently Hunty has kept himself in shape, and I'm told is as "feisty" as ever... even down to allegedly being somewhat physical with his team-mates during training... now if he'll rough up his own team, what the hell is he going to do to the opposition? And apparently that slapshot of his is still working...

That plus a few faces that may well be seen in Panthers jerseys in the next few years... it's worth a watch, wouldn't you say?

[pantherdman]

Forget the lions, sign huntie up for the panthers first team, he'd show em how to handle cletus and agay47.

Wish I could go and see this, if he plays a few games I'll definitely get to one, old time hockey!

[Shaggy]

Lions beat Hull 8-0 tonight.

#13 Simon Hunt got at least 2 goals (I'm not sure - I didn't see any of 'em!) and the MoM award.
Good home debut...

More details will be found in the next day or two here:-
nottinghamlionsenl.com/

[Shaggy]

As promised, more details (including all of the scorers) are now up on the Lions website:-

nottinghamlionsenl.com/2012/09/hunty-bags-a-brace-as-lions-hit-eight-past-hull/

[Shaggy]

Lions went up to Blackburn today, to play the Blackburn Eagles... our lads did us proud again, won 7-0.

Next home game is Sunday 30th September, hosting Deeside Dragons - face-off 7:15pm. No Panthers game home or away... hopefully see many of you there?

[oldman]

Sept 22, 2012 23:03:14 GMT Shaggy said:

Lions went up to Blackburn today, to play the Blackburn Eagles... our lads did us proud again, won 7-0.

Next home game is Sunday 30th September, hosting Deeside Dragons - face-off 7:15pm. No Panthers game home or away... hopefully see many of you there?

Can we swap squads?

[pantherdman]

Is hunt playing on the 30th?