This season sees the Basingstoke Bison and Manchester Phoenix leave the Elite League for pastures new in the EPL.
Bison fan Anthony Russell and Ben Knight of the Official Manchester Phoenix Podcast spoke to UKHL about how the fans are taking to the move, what they expect in the EPL, if there is any animosity toward the EIHL and both give their frank opinions on Dave Simms.
Many thanks to both gentlemen for their time.
Manchester Phoenix Podcast
This Is Panic
“most manc fans were fed up with the elite league…”
really so why did they organise that “protest” to stay in it at playoffs?
I really enjoyed and had a lot of respect for the Pheonix organisation and how they managed to bring hockey back to greater Manchester, and really hoped that after the mothball season they would come back and go from strength to strength. Even after they announced the move to EPL i still thought “well hey they gave it a go, it didnt work out fair play to them” even though i didnt agree with the reasons given by the owners of Manchester.
As the months have gone on, i have grown sick and tired of the blatant BS that manchester fans are spouting, and alot of it is directed at Belfast, for whatever reason. Hopefully once the league starts it will be the last we hear from you. and im truely sorry i’ve had to say that
OK Jacko, what BS have Manchester fans been spouting about the EIHL?
I have no idea where you get the idea any abuse has been aimed at Belfast. Any abuse I’ve had to dish out has been at Neil Black and Simms and Sheffield’s display of unprofessionalism at the playoffs. It wasn’t a protest to stay in the Elite League, it was a protest against the Elite League’s rules and bias towards the Big 4 and lack of enforcement of Certain rules.
Well I ‘ardly think I deserve t’critisim being thrown ma way. Us Steelers are superior in every t’way. We run t’league and if you dont like it ya can clear off!
Perhaps BS was a bit strong, i dont profess to know the ins and outs of Manchesters financial situation, i dont even know the ins and outs of Belfasts, frankly i dont care, if there is hockey on a saturday night ill go watch it if not ill go watch Ulster rugby or go to the pub or something.
DC. Perhaps im being a bit precious, but alot of the annomosity from Manchester to the EIHL is along the lines of “we busted our arses to get to 2 finals and then get shafted by fixture congestion so we have to play both finals in Belfast and loose them both, but its ok cause the giants paid their team millions, at least in the EPL its an even playing field.”
I interpreted some of the cryptic clues left on some of the forums from certain Manchester fans as digs at the so called Big Spending Giants. I think people need to realise how many Giants players were on Uni placements last season and how much they are worth to the young players coming over from NA, i think you’d be surprised at the giants actual wage bill compared to some other so called smaller teams.
For me, having had a few days to think about it, what is actually annoying me so much is the Manchester fans, or the apparent majority of them anyway, telling us all how bad and corrupt the EIHL is. If the Giants were moving to EPL (impossible i know) id be trying to promote EPL hockey to the people who used to come to Belfast to see their own team play us, in the hope they might still come to belfast to catch a game against a team they dont see every week.
There is a good chance ill come to see EPL Pheeeeenix this season because i have a fair few friends there, as i do in most rinks up and down the country, but god help the first person to grumble near me lol
Jacko! It was official by the man himself than our owner Neil Morris was losing 135k before Christmas every year! Now unless you would be happy losing that amount of money every year It is not for you to criticise!
i spend more than that on a friday night.
i dont actually but i just said i did so it must be true.
He were losing t’money cos t’team were utter shite!
Fair enough Jacko. Think what happened was what happens when this sort of thing crops up, Hear half a story, shout loudly, find out the rest of the story, stew later.
The protests in Manchester about fixtures could be justifiable to some degree. We ended up having to double up on fixtures, and shoe-horn games in to a packed schedule to match the leagues needs. We did ask (apparently) for a bit of flexibility, but where denied. Having a specific cup final game would have helped the Phoenix with extra ticket money, but it was not to be, and the team ran out of puff.
With regards the university thing, I talked about it with a mate of mine who works on wage capping here in Japan in the A League, and that would have counted as payment in kind, as the club is picking up the tab, when foreigners usually have to pay, and unless the league declares it as apart from the cap, should be counted. He is a finance expert, and works hard to maintain a level field here in Japan.
Phonix will walk t’crappy ENL no problems, But come up t’big league and play w’big boys!