It was something S.W. Moores Memorial Stadium arena manager Maureen Maher has not seen since the days of the intense CeeBee Stars-Southern Shore Breakers rivalry.
Monday (March 11) morning, eager CeeBees fans lined the upper room in the S.W. Moores Memorial Stadium in Harbour Grace, all clamoring for their chance to purchase tickets for the Herder Memorial Trophy final games on March 15,16 and 17.
Maher said when she arrived at the arena at 8:30 a.m., fans were already laying in wait.
“They’ve been here since 5 a.m.,” she told The Compass.
It was possible to feel the excitement and the anticipation radiating from the crowd. Fans talked amongst themselves about the Games 1 and 2 in Clarenville on March 9-10.
Undoubtedly, some of the talk hinged on the possibility of the CeeBees hoisting the coveted Herder Memorial Trophy after the team won the first two games of the series by scores of 4-3 and 5-1.
At the front of the line, foldable lawn chairs could be seen, no doubt put to use since the early morning hours
The office door had a sign that read ‘One Customer at a time.’
One of those customers was Ruby Rees of Spaniard’s Bay.
She has been a fan of the CeeBees since their days in the 1960s and is a current season ticket holder
Ruby said the $30 ticket price would not deter her from watching her beloved team.
“They’re worth any price to me,” she said.
Carbonear’s Ray Noseworthy did not mind waiting in the lineup for his chance to see the CeeBees.
“It’s not bad,” he said.
When ticket prices were announced, some questioned whether they needed to be as high as $30.
Noseworthy was not one of those who questioned it.
“I always went to Mile One (Centre) and that’s always a $100 night. It’s a lot cheaper for me to come here, than it is in St. John’s,” he said.
In fact, Maher said none of the customers she served this morning had anything negative to say about the price of admission.
The fan support found at the stadium this morning continues a trend of positive reinforcement since the beginning of the playoffs.
“It means a lot to the players,” said CeeBees coach Ian Moores of the fan support.
When told of the amount of people at the stadium this morning, Moores was blown away.
“It’s 100 per cent great to see,” he said. “It’s the true home ice advantage.”
nmercer@cbncompass.ca
