Hottest Ticket

Within just a few short months the Devils had become the hottest ticket in the Welsh capital. Their home match with the Deeside Dragons in early February 1987 saw crowds of hockey fans queuing around the block when tickets went on sale in sub-zero temperatures on the Monday night before the Sunday game. Although the fixture was played in the middle of Wales’ Five Nations rugby campaign, fans had been gripped by the new spectacle and demand was sky-high.

It was a bit different inside the building in those days. There was no plexi-glass - just netting, and the sin-bin areas had no glass or any tall divide. Indeed, you could even say that the WNIR was more of a nightclub than a sports arena! Disc-jockeys Phil, Eddie and Heather would frequently put on the fancy dress gear and take to a stage placed across the sin bin area to lead the YMCA during the interval break and sometimes players from both home and visiting teams would come out of the locker rooms just to see 2,500 fans joining in. It was always a great night out!

Although the Devils’ first season was exciting, the games lacked the competitiveness that was needed to sustain interest. However, that all changed in the playoffs.

An easy 10-4 win over Grimsby was never actually completed as a late bench clearance led to an abandoned match, albeit the result stood. Cardiff’s small squad then took their place for the final against Aviemore Blackhawks on May 3rd 1987. After taking an early lead, the Devils collapsed and found themselves 7-1 down before beginning a comeback. With three minutes to go Lawless cut the Blackhawks lead to 9-8 but it wasn’t to be as Aviemore snatched an insurance marker and ran out 10-9 winners.

The hockey season may have ended with a defeat, but the potential was clear enough to allow Lawless to start building the club big time.