It is not Mr Hicks week:

[loveday]

First Hicks gets temporally 'demoted' as an Elite ref and now Belfast have issued the following statement on their Web Page to his Company:- definitely not his week!!

Replica Shirts - Update (Wed 4th Oct)

Coors Belfast Giants General Manager, John Elliott today announced that he has given CH Sports Ltd 48 hours to respond to repeated requests for a definitive date that replica jerseys would be available in Belfast or the order will be cancelled and an alternative supplier will be brought in.

Elliott said “We have many fans that have paid for jerseys at the start of the season and the delay in delivery is unacceptable for everyone. We have been trying to get a definitive date for delivery from CH Sports for weeks now but they seem unable to commit to anything concrete. The money collected from jersey sales has been kept separate from the business account. I would ask fans to bear with us on this matter until we get a response from CH Sports. If after this, any fan is still unhappy with the outcome then you may cancel your order by contacting the office on 028 9059 1111 and a full refund will be given. We apologise for the inconvenience that this delay is causing, we have fans and sponsors alike who are waiting for the jerseys and we simply cannot continue on this path where we are waiting indefinitely. ”

[charlish2099]

Does Hicks actually own the whole company?

[Nemesis]

Yes.

[LUFC]

Did i miss something drastic? i mean why has hicks been demoted or held back from being elite league ref etc?

As for CH Sport, great designs and all but suck on the quality and delivery of shirts.

Took me picking up atleast 4 shirts before i found one that all the badges and lettering was stuck on and looked decent. if i was in charge of shirts ide go see those guys that have the NHL sewn up good old brit company Reebok (yes they are now part of addidas solamon but still work on their own entity with being sole equipment and shirt makers for NBA, NHL and NFL)

[Heanor Lair]

The most gratifying aspect of Hicks being demoted is not the fact that the Elite League reconize how poor he is, after all a blind man on a galloping horse could see that, but the fact that he has been demoted, with Hicks being a big mate of Andy French, and having the 'protection' of French.

It looks as though finally that French's status in the Elite League is now being questioned, and about time too. French along with the Chairman was making our sport a laughing stock.

HL

[Milkman™]

heanorlair said:

French along with the Chairman was making our sport a laughing stock.

HL

We should start a list, where would you put GM and DS ?

[jay87]

why do Belfast hate Hicks?

[martinski83]

I think Mike Hicks, like all officials, has probably just had too many off games together. It happens and I don't think he can be branded a poor official just because of it.

Referees are always the common reason why one team wins and the other loses, and they're also the biggest complaint of players and coaches alike.

What Ed Courtenay has said this week about Hicks is really no different to what every football manager says about referees who they feel haven't given them a fair run. The same can be said of leading tennis players who feel that even the now automatic line judge can be wrong.

Alot of us, and I'm not saying I'm perfect at all, see the game through rose tinted spectacles and it annoys us immensely when right before our eyes we see a slash or a spear before our eyes, right in front of our seat, and 3 officials can pick it out. It's even more annoying when moments after a 50:50 puck is deemed to be elbowing or worse hooking againt one of our players.

The point is, we don't all stand up when it happens to an opposing player and create a fuss and booo and hisss the referee.

Folks, that's hockey... We sing when we're winning but when we're down we always point at the referee.

Now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury....

;D

[MP]

martinski83 said:

Folks, that's hockey... We sing when we're winning but when we're down we always point at the referee.

Now, ladies and gentlemen of the jury....

;D

One of the problems is the referee (and linesmen) have subjective decisions to make - "If in their opinion....."

That explains why partisan spectators coaches etc tend to blame the officials - they really do see the game differently.

Michael Hicks made a promising start as a referee in the top flight but quickly lost his way - I always felt he was intimidated by teams like the Racers and didn't get a proper grip of games as a result.

[newham]

martinski83 said:

I think Mike Hicks, like all officials, has probably just had too many off games together. It happens and I don't think he can be branded a poor official just because of it.

You don't think he can be branded a poor official because he keeps performing badly?

[LUFC]

So the reason he was demoted was due to inconsistancy together with complaints from coaches?

Or is there another reason ive missed?

[ted]

pretty much... but not just that, Kirkham must not think very highly of him whatsoever. I imagine its Kirkham who holds most sway in these matters

[martinski83]

newham said:

martinski83 said:

I think Mike Hicks, like all officials, has probably just had too many off games together. It happens and I don't think he can be branded a poor official just because of it.

You don't think he can be branded a poor official because he keeps performing badly?

I think that one is down to individual interpretation. Mike Hicks has had a few off games come at once but I'm certain he'll bounce back. By the same rationale, Wayne Rooney has not been playing his best football recently and sections of the media are calling him poor amongst other things.

Maybe in your eyes Michael Hicks is a load of tosh, and maybe you feel the same about Wayne Rooney. That is down to YOU.

I personally like Mike and think he is a good official, but that doesnt mean to say that I don't think he gets things wrong... they all do, and so did Simon Kirkham in his day.

Martin

[Chickun]

Does anybody know who the referee was last Saturday against Cardiff? IMO he was pants

[Nemesis]

Dave Cloutman.

[LUFC]

IMO hicks was always intimidated by players, thus swaying his actions/calls. This intimidation never helped his game, so when he was under pressure every call he did then became scrutonised, not helping the guy.

Some games he was very good, others ive seen he's been poor, same with most officials over the past few seasons.

But every game i see him officiate i have a tendancy to turn to my g/f and without fail mention how i guarantee a fight on his watch. you could argue that they happen in most if not all, but imo i mentally note that he is a walk over official, transparent when things turn ugly, then it gets out of hand and he then over reacts thus clouding his judgement and causing the game to become a farce, seen that several times under his officiating.

[MP]

chickun said:

Does anybody know who the referee was last Saturday against Cardiff? IMO he was pants

LoL!

It just goes to show how we all see the game differently.

As Nemesis said, Dave Cloutman refereed the Cardiff game - can't say as I've been a fan of his in the past but thought he called a very good game on Saturday. If he keeps calling games like that then I hope we see him more often.