Statement from Scott Neil on Gardiner Cup, position of club and Fans Forum

18th October 2009

"The Gardiner Cup tournament was the biggest and most ambitious project the Edinburgh Capitals have ever undertaken and it proved to be an exciting and wonderful event.
 
"The funding, logistics, finance and organisation was a huge task and I am delighted and proud with the way the Capitals organisation delivered the event that I hope will have long term benefits for the team and sport.
 
"A big thank you has to go to all three of our guest organisations, The Hamilton Bulldogs, Toronto Marlies and Belfast Giants who were very professional on and off the ice throughout the tournament.  It was great to see the organisation, professionalism and dedication of their operation and they were a pleasure to work alongside.  The hockey witnessed by the fans was fantastic and is a measure of the calibre we should be trying to emulate for our young kids coming through the junior ranks. This unfortunately, will not be achieved until more ice time can be committed to junior programs and a greater emphasis is placed on the time, dedication, effort and coaching that is required from all parties to reach that level.  Everyone in the sport needs to rise to the challenge and build a platform that can at least give our kids a chance of being the best they can be.
 
"Without naming individual people, everyone involved from the three guest clubs and especially those from our own Capitals organisation ensured the successful running of the event so I would like to say Thank You for the hard work, dedication and effort that you all put in to delivering a high profile event for Edinburgh.  It truly was a magnificent effort from people who care for the sport.
 
"Depending on finances we would all like to think we could deliver another Gardiner Cup tournament to Edinburgh on the same scale as this years event. I believe that with the people we had working on the various areas behind the event we have learned a lot and could easily promote a bigger and better tournament next time around.  We made our hosts very welcome and did everything we possibly could to ensure that they left Edinburgh with the best possible impression and this is not only a credit to the people who worked tirelessly behind the scenes but to you the fans who contributed the most to a great weekend. 
 
"We have a great team of people working in Edinburgh and I think we can match most organisations for the effort, committment, dedication and desire that we put into our club and that includes our recent guests.  What is evident is that we lack investment and financial support to take the club to where I would like the club and the sport to be in the UK.  The vision is there but it is getting someone wealthy enough to believe that an investment in hockey in Edinburgh has a prosperous future. 
 
"I think it has and the success of the Gardiner Cup was I hope a platform from which we can persuade some people to invest in the team and the sport. 
 
"In the meantime, I will work towards retaining an Elite league team in Edinburgh but cannot commit any more expenditure until new income streams are found whether that be through investment, sponsorship or other commercial avenues.
 
"I want a winning team, I want a professional sporting club that we can all be proud to support but it requires significant investment to achieve and at the present time I cannot sacrifice or risk any more funding on the team which creates more financial pressure on myself and more importantly my family.
 
"The team is still here and needs your support, especially some of the British players who are playing well and relishing the opportunity for ice time.  We have developed and lost so many good Brits because we don't provide them enough playing ice time and this may be their chance to prove what they can achieve.  So far they have done a remarkable job and I know the team will appreciate your support for their efforts.

"I can assure we are working hard to secure new funding and revenue streams and protect the ones we had originally budgetted for."

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The Capitals are hoping to arrange a Fans Forum for 4th November, further details to follow.