Bonjour From Finland

First up, Im using a very weird Finnish style keyboard, letters are in the wrong place and buttons don't do the things they are supposed to do. So forgive the mistakes if I actually make any when writing this...

As I type this im sitting in a small yet very stylish looking internet cafe just off the main shopping street of Jyväskylä town centre. It's a nice little place, friendly people and lots of bars around to enjoy the wonders of Finnish booze. I highly reccomend the Karjala and Koff beers but the 6 Euro asking price is a bit steep in anyone's langague, will maybe not for the Parisians and their rip off costs... ANYWAY!!!

So far Ive been in two towns and caught to SM-Liiga match ups. The other night there I was in Tampere to see Tappara take on Jokerit. It was more or less a complete sell out and the home-side didn't disappoint. Tappara were victorious 4-3 after OT. Then last night I was at another sold out game. I had to accept standing area tickets but I didnt mind this at all as I thought the standing area would be home to the ultras and the loudest fans. I was wrong!!!.
I guess the JyP fans don't do the Czech\Slovak thing of going mental behind the goals. I still managed to see a good close match-up with supreme skating skills on show. The home-side won during OT to record a 3-2 victory...

Next up for me is Kärpät vs TPS further north. Really looking forward to this one!

Power Rankings Update

Coventry, Sheffield and Manchester slip to all time lows this week with the Blaze's losses to Newcastle and the Capitals ranking them as only the sixth most in-form team in the EIHL. Cardiff have now won twelve on the trot while Edinburgh's victory over Coventry has resulted in Hull being crowned the worst team of the last five weeks.

Cardiff 6.32
Newcastle 3.98
Belfast 3.46
Sheffield 3.40
Nottingham 2.94
Coventry 2.87
Basingstoke 2.01
Edinburgh 0.95
Manchester 0.79
Hull 0.37

No update next week as I'll be stalking Miroslav Droppa in Slovakia.

Issue 3 Preview

If you are still not sure about the quality or genius of the Check To The Head Edinburgh Capitals Fanzine the usual three page preview has been uploaded to the blog. Again as per normal it is over on the right hand side of the window. So go on have a look and love it!!.

NAME THE STANDS

Well us here at Check to the Head have decided it’s about time we took the time to celebrate those players and memories that sum up what we as the faithful followers of failure go through. Over numerous £1 bottles of Carlsberg and some excellent food at the Castle Arms the editorial panel of the awesome CTTH publication drew up a shortlist of potential names for the Murrayfield stands.So we have shoved up a poll on the blog over at the

checktothehead.blogspot.com website where you can vote for your favourite choice. On December 8th the votes shall be counted and the stands shall be christened. The poll toppers shall thereafter be the name of choice in all references to the seated sections of the MIR by the editors and hopefully yourselves both in this magazine and online. If we can be ****d we might even make up some signs to celebrate it all

The poll choices are over there, so get voting ------------>>>

Power Rankings w/c 5/11

Change at the top as Cardiff's ten games without a loss puts them ahead of Coventry whilst Newcastle's eleven wins in twelve rank them as one of the league's form teams.
At the bottom Basingstoke overtake Manchester despite their financial worries and the Caps are just keeping their head above water.

Cardiff 6.43
Coventry 4.45
Newcastle 4.35
Sheffield 3.47
Nottingham 2.87
Belfast 2.61
Basingstoke 1.17
Manchester 1.12
Hull 0.62
Edinburgh 0.13