I was just wondering if anyone in Wellington or the County could let me know the results of the meeting that was held in February regarding the new arena in Wellington.
Several public meetings being held around the County this month to receive input, support or otherwise on a possible new arena. It is needed badly but the timing couldn't be much worse with other pressing needs as well and an ever watching taxpayer base. I say go for it (800 -1000 seats) with reasonable standing room (200) and make the site in Wellington. I say Wellington as the consultants report raised a possible more central location i.e. Bloomfield.
Are they going to put a special spot in the corner for the alcoholics? Better yet why don't they put in a bar so the fans can drink out of glasses instead of brown paper bags!
Brilliant deduction Sherlock! The only people that like Wellington are from Wellington! I don't go to the games there anymore because of the rotten way I was treated there the half dozen times I went. It is interesting how much you guys think of yourselves though.
You let one bad apple spoil the bunch. When I used to be in Wellington, I met some good people from Wexford and I hope, haven't given them reason to think otherwise I think, that they feel the same way. You call us arrogant, but we just have a passion to win.
I can't say I really agree with your assessment that Dukes fans are only from the County. I'm from Kingston, and I now live in Halifax. I never lived nor had a cottage in the county, but I must say the Dukes are my favourite junior 'A' team in Canada.
Any community that gets 20% of their population out to games on a regular basis deserves a bit more respect then you seem to be giving it.
I am not talking about one bad apple..............a lot of people won't go there for the same reasons. There is no need to treat fans from opposing teams like crap. When I am there I feel that I can't even cheer for my own team without your fans jumping all over me. It is easier for me not to go. I can watch the game on pointstreak. Somtime you should just stand back and watch and listen and you would see what I mean.
It is a good thing that the Dukes get 20% of their population out to the games because if they were depending on other fans they would be SOL. It is very obvious that most of their fans are from Wellington and any team would die to have that. We have a small amount of local fans and we get quite a few fans from out of town to cheer their teams on and not once has anyone came to me and said that they don't feel welcome in our arena.
i have to agree with cash. wellington is the only rink in the east i will not go to. if they played in the counties other arena (picton) i would not hesitate to go see a game. a new arena in wellington with better seating ,dressing rooms etc would be nice.it may take a few years to get financing in place but baltmore has just built a very nice arena and it is smaller in size compared to wellington.
I agree with Cash ... I don't like going to games there either. And with the reserved seating you are forced to sit smack dab right in the middle of these people ... it is not fun and don't dare show that you are cheering for the opposition ... also, I don't think any other arena/ team in the league would stand for their fans harassing the visiting goalie like they do there. Whiskey corner has to go in the new arena ...
"Whiskey corner has to go in the new arena". That is hilarious, just so hilarious I still haven't stopped laughing. We could do with some more of that humour. Oh my God, I'm going to bust a gut. Can't harass a goalie, been to an NHL game lately?
Cash and other have described the typical experience of watching the "home" team in a small community facility including the ever-present off the wall fan or two. The Dukes get tremendous support from their fans and the local community which means the home side always outnumbers the visiting side. It is probably the only rink where fans stake their claim to a seat with a blanket. Other teams should be envious of this support!
You see a similar thing in Picton when the Pirates play and in other places as well. The recent Empire series between Napanee and Campbellford is another example. The Campbellford arena was filled with loud cowbell ringing supporters howling at the refs and players. The proximity of the spectators to the ice surface only enhances the effect.
The Dukes would benefit from a more modern facility but these things take a lot of money and local support from both businesses and people. Napanee pulled it off however they are a larger community with a couple of strong well established businesses that really helped the community fund raising effort.
The Vees will start next season in a brand new facility equipped with all the amenities media room, offices, work out room but NO RESTAURANT / BAR! Will it be too sterile, too impersonal, too foreign? Time will tell.
I wonder if a new DukeDome would upset the atmosphere the team currently enjoys at home.
Whiskey Corner is what fans of hockey would call the home rink advantage. As Dukester said, have you been to an NHL game? I know that when the Sens played Emery the whole crowd was chanting EMERY. What about in Montréal. Wellington without Whiskey Corner, as Dukester said I still haven't stopped laughing.
Wellington rink was a bad experience unfortunately
March 4 2008, 1:56 PM
I,m not a Wellington hockey fan, However I do love our Jr A. Game.I have had the opportunity to travel to almost all the venue's. I have to say objectively that the Wellington facility is substandard by a large margin(based on my travels). Couple that with this personal experience: I was visiting my father who lives in the Quinte area and i suggested we go to a game in Wellington. We thought it would be a fun father son time, wrong. Much to our dismay when we got there we found blankets covering empty seats and no explanation as to why? I asked about why this was allowed(not for me so much as my Veteran Father). I was told these were season ticket holder seats only hmmmm ok. What really bothered me was that no one in what was the regular seating areas who saw Seniors standing would give up a seat to a senior or veteran. I thought (as a public Service) the announcer could ask younger people in the crowd(that had regular seating) to offer there seat to a senior(especially since i keep reading in this column about how nice Wellington folks are. This experience along with the substandard facility I'm sorry to say turned me off Wellington for good. My Father passed away last month so moving forward I'd like to see Seniors offered a seat(via the public address system) unless they choose to stand of course.
Our Jr. A game is truly alive and well and i look forward to watching as much as I can in person (except one town).
DefenceWins (Login DefenceWins) Registered Members
Sieve! You Suck!
March 4 2008, 6:57 PM
"Whiskey Corner has got to go"... Pretty tame if you ask me compared to Division 1 College games
I have recently became much more interested in the Junior A game after broadening my horizons and leaving the South to watch hockey. The East has much to be proud of as the are probably the only division where the last place team can beat the best team on any given night.
As for the talks about fans, yes Wellington does have some fans that aren't the most polite people in the world. It happens in every rink though. I personally love "whiskey corner" because it adds another dimension to the game and the opposition is intimidated by it. I believe that to be successful you need to have a good fan base and Wellington has proven that they can not only fill their own barn, but the great fans also will travel to other teams venues to cheer on their beloved team.
As was said earlier, fans in Wellington do have the blankets all over the rink. People pay for those seats, so why is it such a big deal? I know teams in the south would love to have the fan support which the Dukes enjoy so much.
As for saying all Wellington fans are rude, I have to disagree. I was late getting to a playoff game against the Eagles and I asked a man who had a blanket down if I could sit with him. He gladly offered me the extra spot which his wife had reserved for her, but she was unable to attend the game. I was even offered the blanket to sit on, which to me shows a lot of class to let a complete stranger sit on.
Dukes fans are very passionate about their team and when they lose, the players take a lot of criticism. Surely though, you know all of those fans will still be back for the next home game. Almost reminds me of the Montreal Canadiens!
I love the Sieve you Suck video too! It's all in good fun....but.... there is a big difference between yelling from the stands and standing right behind the goalie and doing it.
,,,,,,,and by the way I got a good tip from another fan the other day. They told me to stand in the warm room in Wellington. The staff are very nice and you avoid being harrassed while watching the game. Good luck in the next series.........................Kingston!
DefenceWins (Login DefenceWins) Registered Members
Only Speaking From Experience!
March 4 2008, 10:44 PM
I only have one thing to say about the fans in Wellington... "Any of the other OPJHL teams would love to have the fans that the Wellington Dukes have!!! These are committed fans that travel with their team... arrange to take bus loads of people with their syrup cans full of pennies for out of town games.
Cash
Of the 28 posts on this topic you've posted 8 times whinning about how you were treated poorly by the Wellington fans. Here's a thought for you, maybe if you were'nt the only fan supporting your team on the road you would'nt be surrounded by rude fans, there is strength in numbers you know. I've been to Wellington games on the road and we cheer all we want, why, because there's usually 20 to 50 of us sitting together. Think of like being a Red Sox fan in Yankee Stadium and wanting to cheer your lungs out, how many cups of beer do you think you might wear?
Watching a game in Wellington is quite an experience, nothing like that I've seen, and I hope they don"t change a thing.
As for the fans getting on the goaltender, tell him he's got 2 choices wear ear plugs, or stop the puck, that usually shuts them up.
Cash should go to the OHL Belleville Bulls game and see the goings on behind the goalie, with the devil on a pole hanging over the goalies head! He needs to get out and around more.LOL
