STORM BLITZ ISSUE #2 TUES 17 DEC 1996 Welcome to Issue #2 of STORM BLITZ, the new News By E-mail service provided by Inter The Storm. If you have any comments on Storm Blitz, please feel free to e-mail simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk any time. In this issue : * Lawless v Stormforce & Storm Issues * Storm beat Telford 9-1 at Nynex * Salford Reds back Storm * Hammond is back! * Nottingham Panthers v Manitoba University * Great Britain v Switzerland in Sheffield * Chad Penney - super scorer? * Mark Pallister * Who's next at the Nynex? * GB beat Manitoba at Blackburn * Newcastle beat faultering Ayr * Forthcoming Storm & GB fixtures * Next on TV & Radio - No more Sportsnet! * Yet another new Storm Web page goes online! * Coming soon on Inter The Storm * Get back issues of Storm Blitz * How to unsubscribe to Storm Blitz ------------------------- > LAWLESS v STORMFORCE & STORM ISSUES There have been some more developments with the match programme article that John Lawless cut. The story from the beginning can be found at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/lawless.html As yet I'm not sure how much of this I can broadcast but the lastest news is that John Lawless did attend the Stormforce committee meeting as requested but was very unhappy at being asked to do so. He felt that it was totally unnecessary for him to be there. There was only one point on the agenda for the meeting and it was the editorial issue. An agreement was eventually reached between the two sides but Stormforce are very unhappy with the situation and so is John Lawless. I cannot go into further detail yet until I get clarification of the facts and the go-ahead to announce more, but watch this space. There is another story developing unrelated to this issue which seems to imply that Storm are happy to be mediocre while the fans are still visiting the arena. The claim has been made that the two new players are not very good, but don't have too high wages. This was implied in a newspaper article in the North Manchester Express which contained an interview with a member of the Ogden's team. I haven't seen the article in question, so I don't wish to comment further until I have, but this has far-reaching implications if it is fact. Expect an update on both these stories after Saturday's game with Ayr when I'll be making a point of speaking to at least one of the Stormforce commitee about it. It may be that they do not wish any more of this to be broadcasted in which case I'll comply. > STORM BEAT TELFORD 9-1 AT NYNEX Chad Penney won man of the match and he well deserved it. He scored a hat-trick in the 9-1 defeat of Telford, which was played in front of just over 2500 fans - I think this was Storm's lowest Nynex crowd ever! Mark Pallister, who is supposed to be out injured until the new year, was playing for Telford, but they never really looked any good - after all they have been struggling in the Premier League. Apart from Penney's hat-trick, Jago scored along with Brad Zavisha, Mike Morin, Nick Poole and David Smith. There was a 9th goal but I've forgotten who scored that one just now. There were more penalties than we've come to expect from these challenge matches but not too many - Rubachuk stayed out of the box once again. > SALFORD REDS BACK STORM Salford Reds were the match night sponsors for the Telford game. It's nice to see this sort of "partnership" and I hope that Manchester Storm will return the favour and sponsor Salford over the summer. Rugby League is big in Manchester after football and now after ice hockey as well. They get crowds of about 4000-5000 and this should increase now that they have been promoted to the Super League. I hope Manchester Storm supporters who have never been to see Salford Reds will visit them during their summer season as it is another great family sport with a brilliant atmosphere! > HAMMOND IS BACK! Phew! Jon Hammond may not be everyone's favourite match night announcer, but he's much better than Dave "groan moan" Biggar. Please stick to marketing the club, Dave! Let's not be too hard on him, he was OK I suppose, but Jon Hammond can get the crowd going - even if it is a Manchester Wave! > NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS v MANITOBA UNIVERSITY Ceefax seems to have "lost" this result, so I'll hopefully bring it to you in the next issue of Storm Blitz #3! > GREAT BRITAIN v SWITZERLAND IN SHEFFIELD The GB game at Sheffield now faces off at 7.00pm not 7.30 meaning that I can no longer go. I had made a choice between Sheffield Wed v Man United and the GB game, chose the GB game, and then it faces off so soon that I can't possibly get from my work in Haslingden, Lancashire to Sheffield in time. Looks like it'll be Radio Sheffield commentary for me - 104.1FM 7.00pm! > CHAD PENNEY - SUPER SCORER? Chad Penney - what's going on? It is more than coincidence that just after nudging Chad on the bench at Blackburn last week and telling him to score some goals that he scored two that night, two the following Thursday and then a hat-trick against Telford! OK, these are lower league sides, but something must have gone right! It could also be that I have now got my signed Chad Penney photo and take it to the games waving it about attempting to convince the cameraman to film me with it. I even cheer and wave it about when he gets an assist. Is he inspired? Or has he just improved from mediocrity to something more like quite good? The Ayr game will explain further I hope... > MARK PALLISTER The Shropshire Star on Sarturday reported on Telford Tigers mentioning that Mark Pallister would be out injured until the new year - despite the fact that he played at Nynex on Monday. They also had an account of the court case involving Pallister, in which he was accused of kicking and punching a man who hit him on the head with a bottle. It turned into a seven-man brawl and was started by an argument over a woman in a pub, when the man that Pallister was accused of hitting began dancing with a particular woman on the dance floor. Pallister has been fined £2750 for his part in the incident, which happened in May this year. > WHO'S NEXT AT THE NYNEX? Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles - Saturday 21 December 1996 - Superleague. Since the last time Storm played Ayr Scottish Eagles at home, Eagles have got to the final of the Benson & Hedges Cup and subsequently lost out to Nottingham Panthers. There was also the infamous Ruggles v Kummu fight when the teams met in Scotland live on SKY. This game is also on SKY and Storm should have their new signing in the team for this game. The prediction for this game is...Manchester Storm 4 - 3 Ayr Scottish Eagles. > GB BEAT MANITOBA AT BLACKBURN Great Britain beat the touring Manitoba University in a challenge game at Blackburn 5-3 on Sunday. Two goals in the final 8 minutes for GB sealed the win. GB's goals were scored by Merv Priest (2), Rich Little, Ian Cooper and Steve Moria. > NEWCASTLE BEAT FAULTERING AYR On Sunday, Newcastle Cobras went back to second in the league after beating Ayr Scottish Eagles 7-3 in Scotland. It was 3-3 after two periods before two goals from Kelly Askew and one each from Justin Duberman and Markku Kyllonen sealed the victory. > FORTHCOMING STORM & GB FIXTURES WED 18 DEC - Great Britain v Switzerland (at Sheffield), Olympic Qualifier, 7.00 face off. SAT 21 DEC - Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles, Superleague, 6.40 face off. SUN 22 DEC - Cardiff Devils v Manchester Storm, Superleague, 6.30 face off. FRI 27 DEC - Manchester Storm v Cardiff Devils, Superleague, 7.30 face off. SAT 28 DEC - Bracknell Bees v Manchester Storm, Superleague, 6.00 face off. > NEXT ON TV & RADIO I've just been looking through the What's On TV guide for the next few weeks and Sportsnet, Granada TV's weekend sports roundup programme that features Storm matches has been replaced with Crosswits for the forseeable future - it's possible that it could just be a seasonal break and be back on Monday 6 January - we'll have to see. This is what IS on though: WED 18 DEC - BBC RADIO SHEFFIELD - Great Britain v Switzerland LIVE - 7.00 - 10.00pm WED 18 DEC - HTV WALES - Cardiff games featured plus briefly highlighted - 10.40 - 11.40pm SAT 21 DEC - SKY SPORTS - Manchester Storm v Ayr Scottish Eagles LIVE - 6.00 - 9.00pm SAT 28 DEC - SKY SPORTS - Sheffield Steelers v Nottingham Panthers - 6.00 - 9.00pm > YET ANOTHER NEW STORM WEB PAGE GOES ONLINE! Following on from Euphoria's Storm page, Mike Landers Storm page is now up and running currently containing match reports and some articles. You can visit this new site at: http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~plissken/index.html > COMING SOON ON INTER THE STORM The Stormforce pages will be getting a revamp soon - as soon I actually get some more information! Meanwhile there are 3 other new features soon to be launched. The first is to be called SPORT AROUND MANCHESTER and is exactly what it says it is. There will be a brief look at all the professional sports teams in Greater Manchester. Look out for this in the coming weeks. To be launched in the next few days is MISCONDUCT! - Storm Fans Views on the Storm. This will be a page for the outspoken views of the MISCONDUCT! team who have been waiting poised to get their views to the ice hockey world. Expect the launch of this soon! Finally, there will be a guide to Storm On The Net. If the large amount of Manchester Storm-related Web pages is confusing you, this page will sort it all out. The last count was 12 Storm sites if I'm not mistaken! > LATEST CHANGES TO INTER THE STORM Recently updated are LATEST NEWS with all the latest goings on, DECEMBER GUESTBOOK (offline version) with recent additions to the Guestbook, the CHALLENGE & FRIENDLY MATCHES page covering the Telford match. The REPORTS, RESULTS and LATEST SUPERLEAGUE TABLE pages have also been updated. There is now a report on the Fun Run on the STORMFORCE pages. The registration page for STORM BLITZ now has a note - now that I know what the problem with it is - that the form only works if your browser is e-mail enabled and you have entered the correct information in the options. > GET BACK ISSUES OF STORM BLITZ Issue 1 is still available. If you didn't get it, or want it again, send an e-mail to simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk and let me know! > HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE TO STORM BLITZ Easy! Send an e-mail to simon.sm@zetnet.co.uk 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 #2 *** INTER THE STORM can be accessed at: http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/3859/storm.html