STORM BLITZ ISSUE #5 FRIDAY 27 DECEMBER 1996 edition. If you have any comments on Storm Blitz, please feel free to e-mail inter.the.storm@poboxes.com any time. In this issue : * Cash-strapped Storm * GMR Sport live from Nynex * Much better but Storm lose 2-1 to Cardiff * Dave Latta * GB netminder goes to Germany * Cardiff win at Sheffield & Nottingham beat Bison * Peterborough Pirates future in doubt * Nottingham draw with Manitoba * Who's next at the Nynex? * Forthcoming Storm fixtures * Next on TV & Radio * MISCONDUCT! - The Prestwich Stormtroopers * Get back issues of Storm Blitz * How to unsubscribe to Storm Blitz ------------------------- > CASH-STRAPPED STORM I've now read the article from the Moston, Middleton< Blackley & Crumpsall Express, a free newspaper in North Manchester. Those that were dismayed by what they read certainly have a point. I'll let you draw your own conclusions - here is the article in full. Remember that this article was printed on 5 December and so was written before then, so it is about a month old: Manchester Storm fans will not be seeing an increased squad at the Storm Shelter. Nynex Arena general manager and Storm supremo David Davies said, "I'm not prepared to allow John Lawless to spend money we've not got. If he wants to bring in more players, he'll have to let some go. We've got a 5 year business plan and we're sticking to it." The Superleague requires teams to have a minimum of 17 skaters plus two netminders. But against TPS Turku in Finland, Storm iced only 14 skaters and two netminders. However, the team produced their best display of the season so far against one of the best teams in Europe who'd beaten Storm 6-0 in Manchester. But with not enough players to make up three lines and with Superleague teams like Cardiff, Sheffield and Newcastle icing up to 22 players, is Lawless being held back from putting out his strongest side? Said Mr Davies, "I'm surprised at the amount of cash being spent by other clubs and we've our own thoughts on whether it's a prudent thing to do. Newcastle, in particular, enjoy the limelight and are prepared to weather a large deficit in the initial years. But we're not prepared to do that. John Lawless is operating under the same budgetry requirements now as he was at the start of the season and nothing has changed." Lawless does have some cash available as a result of Mark Pallister leaving and he's currently negotiating with another player and is awaiting the return of a signed contract. But is a one-for-one system enough? Who's next to leave? The money saved by releasing Crawley, Hough and Dempsey has already been used up to bring in Vanstaalduinen. The other way of bringing in players, through a junior development system, has also been ruled out. Said Mr Davies, "The Nynex Arena is a multi-function stadium and is not just for ice hockey and because of this we cannot set aside ice time for any junior teams so we will not be developing a junior system here. We (Ogden Entertainment Services) do not see ourselves as a developer of new rinks either, because they don't last long. So we'll not be developing any further rinks where junior teams could play." Mr Davies is also critical of some of the players that Lawless has brought in. He said, "We're speaking to them about their attitudes and the way they're performing. We're disappointed with some of them, they've fallen short of the mark. But others, like Mike Morin and Nick Poole have proved they can play at this level," he added. And Mr Davies is also considering changes to the way players are bought. He said, "Like most clubs we tend to use the agent network to find players backed up by recommendations from coaches. We don't usually get to see them play before we sign them but next year we'll try to see players in action before we offer them contracts." It seems that the only way things will change is if crowd numbers start to fall. "At the moment thew crowds at the Nynex are being entertained but if there's a clear deterioration in numbers we'll have to re-evaluate things," said Mr Davies. So after three defeats in a row are Storm fans going to vote with their feet? > GMR SPORT LIVE FROM NYNEX GMR's Friday night sports programme between 7.00 and 10.00 was broadcast live from the Nynex and included reports on Storm's game against Cardiff taking place at that time. This is the first time that I am aware that GMR have featured Storm in this depth. > MUCH BETTER BUT STORM LOSE 2-1 TO CARDIFF In front of another Superleague record crowd of 13,091, Storm lost once again, but this time with a good performance that matched league leaders Cardiff Devils. The first period was scoreless, but Devils opened the scoring on 23.39. Storm equalised nine minutes later at 32.01 from a Brad Rubachuk goal before Cardiff restored their lead at 37.06. Storm tried their best to equalise but it wasn't to be. New netminder Eric Raymond played well and got Man of the Match, but his trick of abandoning the goal to go walkabout is done far too often for my liking! > DAVE LATTA Storm almost signed Dave Latta a couple of weeks ago, but he was unable to get a visa, even though his wife is British. This went against the advise received, and so the plan to sign him had to be abandoned. > GB NETMINDER GOES TO GERMANY Great Britain netminder Bill Morrison has left Kingston Hawks to join a German team just six weeks after joining them from Basingstoke. He played his first game for Ratinger-Loan in the German Elite League against Wedemark on 26 December. He impressed German club representatives while netminding for GB in the recent Olympic qualifying matches. > CARDIFF WIN AT SHEFFIELD & NOTTINGHAM BEAT BISON Jamie Leach was injured as Sheffield Steelers lost out to Cardiff Devils 3-2 after overtime on Thursday 26th. Cardiff were 2-1 up, but Steelers equalised to take the game into overtime and Cardiff scored the winner. All three Cardiff goals were scored by new signing Steve Thornton. Sheffield have sent a video of the Leach injury incident to the BIHA claiming that Leach could have lost an eye. Meanwhile Nottingham saw off Basingstoke away 4-1. > PETERBOROUGH PIRATES FUTURE IN DOUBT Peterborough Pirates' attempt to save money by quitting the Premier League and playing friendly cup games for the rest of the season with low budget teams from the Northern Premier League seems to have made little difference to their predicament. The breakaway will now not go ahead but their future fixtures are in doubt including this weekend's. Peterborough Pirates, a famous old ice hockey name, could have played their last game. > NOTTINGHAM DRAW WITH MANITOBA Eventually I discovered that the result of the game between Nottingham Panthers and University Of Manitoba was a 7-7 draw. Thanks to Ann Usher (Nottingham fan) and John Pretty (Steelers fan) for the following report: Injuries and GB duties meant Panthers - providing just nine of the 16 skaters that iced on their behalf - were grateful for the help of Solihull Blaze and Peterborough Pirates. (Laxdal 3+1, Chartrand +3, Dallman +1, Weber +2, Premak +2, Jenning 1, Darren Cotton 1, Olsen 1, Hadden +1, Jon Cotton +1, Hehr +1). For Manitoba (David Andrew 2+1,John Stroich 2+0, Mark Gaudet 1+2, David Stech 1+1, Mitchel Grant 0+1). Other guests included Steve Carpenter, Cassie Dawkins and Stan Marple. Panthers, in fact threatended to run away with the game early on, findng themselves 3-0 up inside the opening nine minutes. However, the touring Canadians battled backed to tie things up early in the second period before the game first swung one way and then the other, the home side eventually clawing their way back from 7-5 down. Jennings scored his first goal for Panther and Scott O'Connor was in the nets. > WHO'S NEXT AT THE NYNEX? Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles - Sunday 5 January 1997 - Superleague. AGAIN! Yes the Scottish will be back in Manchester as Ayr play Storm for the seventh time this season - the fourth at home! Overall the teams are fairly even with Storm having lost to Ayr home and away as well as having won home and away. Kummu will most probably be back but I can predict only a re-run of the the most recent game, except with Storm not conceding a last minute equaliser this time. The prediction for this game is...Manchester Storm 5 - 4 Ayr Scottish Eagles. Manchester Storm v Basingstoke Bison - Sunday 12 January 1997 - Superleague. Basingstoke are Storm's bogey team, as Storm are always expected to do well against them but rarely do. Bison humiliated Storm at the Nynex 8-3 in November after having lost away after overtime. The third meeting was away and that was also a Bison win, this time 6-4. I can see a storm victory at last, although it will be close. The prediction for this game is...Manchester Storm 4 - 3 Basingstoke Bison. > FORTHCOMING STORM FIXTURES SAT 28 DEC - Bracknell Bees v Manchester Storm, Superleague, 6.00 face off. SAT 04 JAN - Nottingham Panthers v Manchester Storm, Superleague, 7.00 face off. SUN 05 JAN - Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles, Superleague, 6.00 face off. > NEXT ON TV & RADIO SAT 28 DEC - SKY SPORTS - Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers - LIVE - 6.00 - 9.00pm > MISCONDUCT! - THE PRESTWICH STORMTROOPERS Inter The storm has recruited a trio of Storm fans from Prestwich called MISCONDUCT! They have got their own page and their outspoken views on Storm and the ice hockey world in general will be there for all to see. Visit the MISCONDUCT! page on http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/misconduct.html > GET BACK ISSUES OF STORM BLITZ Issues 1 - 4 are still available. If you didn't get them, or want them again, send an e-mail to inter.the.storm@poboxes.com and let me know which you want and I'll forward them on to you. > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE TO STORM BLITZ Easy! Send an e-mail to inter.the.storm@poboxes.com telling me that you don't want Storm Blitz any more. Also use this address if you wish to change e-mail addresses or if you have any comments. *** END OF STORM BLITZ ISSUE #5 *** INTER THE STORM can be accessed at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/storm.html