MANCHESTER Phoenix fans were given a stark choice by the club's owners last night.
They were asked to choose between mothballing the team for a season or playing out of town while a new ice rink is built - probably at Eastlands.
The club's managing director Neil Morris told a 500 strong meeting at Manchester Town Hall that it was no longer financially viable to play ice hockey at the M.E.N. Arena owing to the high cost of rental.
Morris invested '250,000 last season after re-launching ice hockey in the city following the demise of Manchester Storm.
Agreement
But attendances failed to reach the 3,000 break-even figure, and over the last six months the club has been searching for new ways of maintaining the sport in the city.
In Monday's M.E.N. Sport, Morris announced that Phoenix had reached agreement with Manchester City Council's development agency East Manchester Limited to find a site for a new public skating facility, which would also seat 3,000 spectators.
A commercial backer is also in place to fund the development. The trouble is that it will not be up and running until the 2005-6 ice hockey season.
Last night, Morris asked Phoenix fans to vote on whether to split home games between Ice Sheffield and Deeside next season, or whether to put the team into hibernation for a year until the new ice rink is up and running.
Morris said the decision was entirely up to the fans, who were asked to vote at the meeting and online at www.manchesterphoenix.co.uk. The result will be announced on Friday.
However, Morris and his commercial manager Mark Samaru warned that the consequences of playing at Sheffield and Deeside would be dire if sufficient fans did not turn out to support the team.
Phoenix would need at least 50 per cent of last season's average attendance at the M.E.N. Arena of 2,250 for the team to continue doing business - and even then the club would make a substantial loss.
Morris said: "This is not my decision. It's up to the fans. This is our club and you are the customers and you need to be involved.
"If we get it wrong this time there will be no second chance."
Another heavy financial loss would divert funds away from the much-needed public skating facility, and the majority of speakers were in favour of putting the team on hold for a season.
Phoenix fan Cynthia Chmielewski, of Reddish, said: "It is more important to get this new ice rink off the ground than to play hockey next season.
"I'll miss it, but if we have to mothball the team for a season then we should do it. We need our own ice and we need young people to start playing ice hockey."
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The next 15 months are obviously going to make or break ice hockey in Manchester. So far NM has had my total support and has delivered. I and we would be failing him if we now fail to support him in his decisions. If and I think from the threads so far indicate, the team is sidelined for the forthcoming season this presents us as an organisation the oppurtunity to prepare for things to come. Now is the time to start organising the structure to junior development at the new rink! Now is the time to link up with all the other potential ice users to maintain the momentum with the council to ensure our new home is built ready for us to take on the 2005/06 season.
as a long standing supporter of ice hockey in manchester
the need of the clud to survive us up most
and by puting the clud on ice for a year the repputation of the clud is keeped
and manchester will have ice hockey back in full swing for 05/06 season
This is an extremely tough decision to be made but to me there must be only only one option that is to mothball the team for the comming season. To risk the future of Ice Hockey in Manchester on sufficent fans attending out of town matches would be madness. We have risen from the ashes and proved we are back now we have a little matter of incubating our ice rink nest egg for a year. Let's do it and do it well once hatched it will grow into something good for all Manchester Ice Hockey Fans.
Right, whose starting the Phoenix Phantasy Hockey for this year then!:-)
Sadly the commercial side of selling ice Hockey in england`s second city is dire or they would not have reached a decision of driving one hour to home games.I think that they would rather have 5000 fans paying B#12 for adults B#8 for kids instead of 10000 fans paying B#7 for adults B#3 for kids Half price fun,twice the commercial revenue from drinks etc.It`s a family sport that a family could afford but sadly since Kurt K left so did the demise of a great product that should be advertised everywhere TV,radio,billboard,newspaper,bus,wherever.I feel that no ice hockey this year,no ice hockey ever.Stop blaming the fans.We turn up,we pay but not for second rate hockey.When you realise this the doors will open to many fans old and new.
on such an important issue only one comment shows exactly what ice hockey means in manchester