Post by Steph Cowley on Mar 23, 2009 16:36:28 GMT 1
from www.coventryblaze.co.uk
Annoying, I'm not even sure I can make the game now
Blaze will play Newcastle in first leg of Quarter Finals at the Skydome this Saturday
The Cassidy Coventry Blaze have today confirmed that they will play Newcastle Vipers at the Coventry Skydome Arena this coming Saturday 28th March at 7.00pm. The second leg of the tie will take place in Newcastle on Sunday 29th March at 5.00pm. The aggregate score over the two games will determine who progresses to the final four tournament in Nottingham the following weekend.
With Blaze finishing the league season in 2nd place and the Vipers in 7th place, as the higher placed team, Blaze had the right to chose the date for their home game first. It had originally been scheduled that the home leg of the quarter final (against whichever team the Blaze were due to play) would take place on the Sunday at the Skydome and tickets for this date have been on sale for the last week.
Newcastle, however, have confirmed that they have no ice availability at their Arena on either the Friday night due to basketball, or the Saturday night due to a concert. Their only available date to play a quarter final tie is Sunday 29th March. The Vipers management contacted the Blaze and the league to advise that they would only be able to play in the play offs if Coventry were prepared to switch around the dates and play in Coventry on Saturday and Newcastle on Sunday. After much discussion throughout the night and early this morning, the Blaze have agreed to switch the games around and will now play the first leg of the quarter final at the Skydome on Saturday night.
“It goes without saying that this is not an ideal situation,” said Blaze Chairman Andy Buxton. “We’re already selling tickets for a Sunday game as we’d been advised by the league that it was fine to put our tickets on sale as we would definitely have the Sunday game.
“To a degree, I can sympathise with the Vipers in that they genuinely don’t have another option. It’s not like they are trying to gain an advantage from swapping the dates. Essentially, if they are going to take part in the play offs, they have to play at home on that Sunday and I don’t think that anyone really wants a team that has qualified for the play offs, to not be able to take part.
“From a playing perspective, Paul Thompson is fine with playing the first leg at home in that it gives us more of an advantage regarding travel. It’s just disappointing that we have to change the date having already organised so much for the game already – and it’s also disappointing that we won’t be able to have the second leg at the Skydome.
“We’ll now begin the process of contacting those people who have already booked tickets to make sure they are aware of and can make the Saturday date. Anyone who can’t will be able to get a refund on their tickets if they contact the box office.
“The main thing is that we didn’t want the situation dragging on. It had to be resolved quickly and it now has been. We now need all of our fans to get behind the team at our home game on Saturday and give us the best possible start before we go to Newcastle on Sunday. We are now even more determined to make it through to the final four.”
Tickets for the game are now available by calling the box office on 02476 630693 or by booking online through the Blaze website www.coventryblaze.co.uk
Coventry Blaze v Newcastle Vipers. Saturday 28th March 2009 at 7.00pm. Play off hockey. Don’t miss it.
The Cassidy Coventry Blaze have today confirmed that they will play Newcastle Vipers at the Coventry Skydome Arena this coming Saturday 28th March at 7.00pm. The second leg of the tie will take place in Newcastle on Sunday 29th March at 5.00pm. The aggregate score over the two games will determine who progresses to the final four tournament in Nottingham the following weekend.
With Blaze finishing the league season in 2nd place and the Vipers in 7th place, as the higher placed team, Blaze had the right to chose the date for their home game first. It had originally been scheduled that the home leg of the quarter final (against whichever team the Blaze were due to play) would take place on the Sunday at the Skydome and tickets for this date have been on sale for the last week.
Newcastle, however, have confirmed that they have no ice availability at their Arena on either the Friday night due to basketball, or the Saturday night due to a concert. Their only available date to play a quarter final tie is Sunday 29th March. The Vipers management contacted the Blaze and the league to advise that they would only be able to play in the play offs if Coventry were prepared to switch around the dates and play in Coventry on Saturday and Newcastle on Sunday. After much discussion throughout the night and early this morning, the Blaze have agreed to switch the games around and will now play the first leg of the quarter final at the Skydome on Saturday night.
“It goes without saying that this is not an ideal situation,” said Blaze Chairman Andy Buxton. “We’re already selling tickets for a Sunday game as we’d been advised by the league that it was fine to put our tickets on sale as we would definitely have the Sunday game.
“To a degree, I can sympathise with the Vipers in that they genuinely don’t have another option. It’s not like they are trying to gain an advantage from swapping the dates. Essentially, if they are going to take part in the play offs, they have to play at home on that Sunday and I don’t think that anyone really wants a team that has qualified for the play offs, to not be able to take part.
“From a playing perspective, Paul Thompson is fine with playing the first leg at home in that it gives us more of an advantage regarding travel. It’s just disappointing that we have to change the date having already organised so much for the game already – and it’s also disappointing that we won’t be able to have the second leg at the Skydome.
“We’ll now begin the process of contacting those people who have already booked tickets to make sure they are aware of and can make the Saturday date. Anyone who can’t will be able to get a refund on their tickets if they contact the box office.
“The main thing is that we didn’t want the situation dragging on. It had to be resolved quickly and it now has been. We now need all of our fans to get behind the team at our home game on Saturday and give us the best possible start before we go to Newcastle on Sunday. We are now even more determined to make it through to the final four.”
Tickets for the game are now available by calling the box office on 02476 630693 or by booking online through the Blaze website www.coventryblaze.co.uk
Coventry Blaze v Newcastle Vipers. Saturday 28th March 2009 at 7.00pm. Play off hockey. Don’t miss it.
Annoying, I'm not even sure I can make the game now
