New Hockey Franchise?

[sunbeam]

Apparently a decision has been taken to try to establish basketball and ice hockey teams. The authorities believe it will be a good way of establishing the new arena and give it an edge over the MEN.

Construction is going well and new teams could be established for 2008/9 season. If history is anything to go by, they'll win the league within a couple of years!

[spik]

Maybe a return of the Liverpool Leopards?

[keefe a.k.a Donk]

that looks pretty impressive... would love to see a manchester liverpool derby.... all this can only be good for ice hockey...

[carolle]

Looks very impressive

[ted]

I said to Keefe the other week after we flew back to liverpool airport that I hope liverpool dont set up a team!

I hate that city!

[Shaggy]

Very impressive arena, definitely.... I just can't help being somewhat cynical about the talk of a new ice hockey team (Leeds, Dublin, Glasgow, 2nd Belfast, London, etc etc....)

Is there any actual information on this stated intent re a team?

[Helen B]

The image of the projected inside of the arena looks very Sheffield-esque by that I mean it's got an inner concourse like Sheffield has, which would makes it easier to get around. Thats what I don't like about Nottingham and Belfast, they don't have an inner concourse so you can't watch the game while making your way back to your seat etc.

[ted]

helenb said:

The image of the projected inside of the arena looks very Sheffield-esque by that I mean it's got an inner concourse like Sheffield has, which would makes it easier to get around. Thats what I don't like about Nottingham and Belfast, they don't have an inner concourse so you can't watch the game while making your way back to your seat etc.

Though really you shouldnt be wandering around while the game is on

See what yea mean though, it does make it a bit easier to get around.

[Peacock]

helenb said:

Thats what I don't like about Nottingham and Belfast, they don't have an inner concourse so you can't watch the game while making your way back to your seat etc.

Thought it was bad form to be moving around whilst play was in progress?

[sunbeam]

ted said:

I said to Keefe the other week after we flew back to liverpool airport that I hope liverpool dont set up a team!

I hate that city!

That's why they want to change their image.

link1

link2

shaggy said:

Very impressive arena, definitely.... I just can't help being somewhat cynical about the talk of a new ice hockey team (Leeds, Dublin, Glasgow, 2nd Belfast, London, etc etc....)

Is there any actual information on this stated intent re a team?

Difference is though that they are building an arena and will need regular income to go alongside the highly impressive conference facilities next door. In that sense it is more like Belfast and NIC.

Potentially a Liverpool team could be huge. Does it look like a 10,000 seat arena to you? Seems no bigger than our's.

I just hope that they don't win the league before us as well!

[ted]

If anything... depending on if they have seating at both ends could be 10/11k? Looksa bit bigger than shuffs

[grumpyminer]

And when they start their team up we can have a thread 5 pages long moaning about them giving out freebies to fill the building (LOL)
;D ;D ;D


Seriously though, like I said on the "encouragement" thread... let's have more fans, more teams, bigger league, more fun.

[Ian]

I was up in Liverpool a couple of months ago and saw the new arena, it certainly looks a possible hockey venue. Someone was telling me about it, but I don't recall what they said the capacity would be. From the look of the actual part-finished building I would say around the same as the NIC but it is hard to tell.

I'd welcome a new franchise in Liverpool (let's face it, the state of British hockey, we ought to welcome new franchises in any major city) but I can't see it being a priority initially. The new arena is being built as part of the development for Liverpool to be 2008 Euro city of culture, mainly with a view to providing a concert venue between theatre and stadium size. Might be something for the longer term though, if anyone is willing to stump up the required finance.

[Optic]

grumpyminer said:

Seriously though, like I said on the "encouragement" thread... let's have more fans, more teams, bigger league, more fun.

amen

[Deleted]

Would be a great to have another new franchise in a big city, but one doubt, Liverpool is and will always be Football oriantated, and i think you d see a bit of interest for the first 2 years then it would die off, mind you Newcastle still get interest and they , like Liverpool are mainly Football too.

That does look a seriously impressive arena

[ted]

but... correct me if im wrong, Newcastle have always had a strong fan base as they have been around, in some form or other for a long time. North East is a great hockey hotbed really....

[Deleted]

ted said:

but... correct me if im wrong, Newcastle have always had a strong fan base as they have been around, in some form or other for a long time. North East is a great hockey hotbed really....

Yes because they had had numerous different teams over the years and of cause the great durham wasps, the north east do have a long tradition with hockey which helps

[grumpyminer]

There are over a million people in the Merseyside area, surely they don't all worship football.
If it is marketed correctly it will be successful

[Deleted]

There are over a million people in the Merseyside area, surely they don't all worship football.

You d be suprised

[sunbeam]

grumpyminer said:

There are over a million people in the Merseyside area, surely they don't all worship football.
If it is marketed correctly it will be successful

Could say the same about Manchester.

10,000 seats is too big even for Nott'm and Shuff. There is a danger the atmosphere would be poor and put new fans from re-attending. But then 5,000 seats is too amsll for gigs.

A real problem for ice hockey and b'ball in the UK major cities.

[Helen B]

peacock said:

helenb said:

Thats what I don't like about Nottingham and Belfast, they don't have an inner concourse so you can't watch the game while making your way back to your seat etc.

Thought it was bad form to be moving around whilst play was in progress?

I don't but I mean, if you're at the other side of the arena to where you want to be you can walk round when play has stopped and then stop and watch the game when it starts again. I remember standing at the bottom of the step once for about 4 mins because there were no breaks in play

[spik]

No real reason for a Sheffield type concourse I think. If your off for a burger , your gone.xx

Thats also the point regards hockey .We dont need 10,000 seaters. If it were not for the North East history element and travellers to the Newcastle Arena I believe it would struggle in a football hotbed. So would Liverpool survive so close to Manchester?

When we started in 80/81 in the old Inter-City League, the North East and Scottish sides played out the Northern Associations strong Northern league ( re-named English League North).
I think the Inter-City (re-named English League South) league came under the Southern Associations banner along with the Midland League that the Liverpool team played in.
Blackpool were the top side in that year, followed by the Leopards of Liverpool then Grimsby.
Deeside(in Wales),Sheffield Sabres, Bradford and Crowtree (Sunderland) made up the rest.
None of the Midland league played versus others in either the Northern or Southern Cups as they were the weaker of the leagues.Although Blackpool and Crowtree joined the new English league the following season and the British League another season on.

[Heanor Lair]

helenb said:

The image of the projected inside of the arena looks very Sheffield-esque by that I mean it's got an inner concourse like Sheffield has, which would makes it easier to get around. Thats what I don't like about Nottingham and Belfast, they don't have an inner concourse so you can't watch the game while making your way back to your seat etc.

The tin shed was deliberately designed like that so when Shuff go 1-0 down all the fickle Shuff fans and those given free tickets can get out of the arena quickly ;D

HL

[ted]

ha ha! Yea they can start to leave 5 mins early!

Course it does make it easier to see them sneaking out.

[sunbeam]

spikc said:

No real reason for a Sheffield type concourse I think. If your off for a burger , your gone.xx

Thats also the point regards hockey .We dont need 10,000 seaters. If it were not for the North East history element and travellers to the Newcastle Arena I believe it would struggle in a football hotbed. So would Liverpool survive so close to Manchester?

When we started in 80/81 in the old Inter-City League, the North East and Scottish sides played out the Northern Associations strong Northern league ( re-named English League North).
I think the Inter-City (re-named English League South) league came under the Southern Associations banner along with the Midland League that the Liverpool team played in.
Blackpool were the top side in that year, followed by the Leopards of Liverpool then Grimsby.
Deeside(in Wales),Sheffield Sabres, Bradford and Crowtree (Sunderland) made up the rest.
None of the Midland league played versus others in either the Northern or Southern Cups as they were the weaker of the leagues.Although Blackpool and Crowtree joined the new English league the following season and the British League another season on.

All those leagues......... surely they could've let us win one of them! ;D