Well, it’s nearly the end of the season, so here’s my thoughts on the plusses and minuses over the last few months:-
1) PLUSSES
a) We didn’t go bust
b) Brebant, Blaiser, Simmsey, Allison, and Sebby all return
c) We didn’t go bust
d) Rocket Ron Shudra scored
e) We didn’t go bust
f) Despite the problems over the Summer, Blaiser still managed to put together a team that finished 3rd…..what a Coach
g) We didn’t go bust
h) Despite all the injury problems, the players have been superb over the last few months
i) We didn’t go bust
2) MINUSES
a) Ian Taylor is still working for the ISL
b) The ISL still survives
c) Norton Lea is still in charge at Sheffield
d) No effort at marketing the Steelers in the local press/media
e) No reduced cost/free tickets to attract new supporters
f) Crowds falling…..see d) and e) above.
g) 1,500 loyal fans staying away due to a), b) and c) above…..by the way, I take my hat off to all the supporters who’ve stayed away, you did what I failed to manage….stood by your word.
h) No sponsorship.
i) No B&H cup.
j) NL trying to fob the season ticket holders off by failing to give them the full allocation of 28 games. Yes, I know he has done now, but I still believe he was trying to pull a fast one. What a PR disaster that turned out to be.
k) NL putting ticket prices up to £12 for the playoffs. Is this guy really a businessman? All that’s going to happen is crowds will drop and the atmosphere will get even worse. For some people (myself included), the atmosphere is a major part of the evenings entertainmant.
Personally, I think that the reason for putting up the playoff ticket prices and trying to rip off season ticket holders is because NL is losing a fortune at the moment. I have no sympathy whatsoever for him, he took over my club against the will of the vast majority of supporters, many of whom are still not going, what did NL really expect?
Putting prices up is not the solution, this course of action will just lead to reduced attendances. I’ve said all along, the main selling point of the Steelers is the atmosphere. NL needs to reduce costs, give tickets away and fill the place, then, and only then, will fans start to return.
Good luck to the team tonight, I will be there as usual cheering them on. My grouse is with the ISL and NL….not the players, Blaiser or Simmsey.
Do you really enjoy dredging up the past like this?
What's this "vast majority" you're talking about?
The 4000 or so that turn up to the games, putting money into Norton Lea's club, or the 2000 or so that went to the rally? By what branch of mathematics do you describe this as a "vast majority" ?
By what token do you describe the stayaways as "loyal" or "supporters" - who are they loyal to? CJS? So, they're Hull supporters then. Who are they "supporters" of? The Steelers are here, and playing at the Arena. If they're staying away, they're not supporting the Steelers. Yes, it really is that simple.
Given the plusses that you list, and considering recent history, "we haven't gone bust" is a big plus IMO, then in what way is NL being in charge a bad thing?
Would the Steeler be better off with the stayaways back, CJS in charge and wondering whether we could afford to compete next season?
Does it strike you as odd that everyone who has actually met and spoken to Norton Lea has admitted that he is an astute and honest (to a fault) businessman which is what we have lacked over the last three years or so?
I agree with your point about PR, but consider that expectations of this team were pretty low in August, for good reason, and a drive to bring in lots of new fans to see an inferior product and a losing team could have backfired horribly. Now, the team has achieved more than we could have hoped for, and we can now go into next year with Blaiser signed up (would CJS have done this?) and Arena ice time signed up (ditto?) and players who have enjoyed their time here, been paid what they were due on time, and have every reason to recommend Sheffield as a place to play.
I hope we will keep a big proportion of this squad, and add to it with some new faces, I am happy to trust to Blaiser to make the right decisions, and next year, this team will be hard to beat. Now, THAT is a good basis for drawing in new support.
People were very willing to forgive Darren Brown his mistakes in the first year, he had never managed a hockey club before. How about giving Norton Lea the same grace, because he might well be the stable owner for a good few years that we need above all else.
Not so much rose coloured specs as a case of a half full cup rather than a half empty one.
I agree with Steve, the club (as a whole, not just the on ice performance) has more than exceeded most peoples expectations at the start of the season.
As for the season ticket/play off ticket issue. My view is that it was more of a cock-up than a conspiracy - keeping your Season Ticket holders happy is a no-brainer. Rightly the "mistake" was quickly corrected.
“Do you really enjoy dredging up the past like this?”
- I wouldn’t have bothered dredging up the past, but for the events of this last week. I firmly believe the increase in ticket prices is another nail in the coffin for the long-term survival of the Steelers. Norton Lea is responsible for that increase. -
“What's this "vast majority" you're talking about?
The 4000 or so that turn up to the games, putting money into Norton Lea's club, or the 2000 or so that went to the rally? By what branch of mathematics do you describe this as a "vast majority" ?”
- Excuse me, but I’m one of the 4,000 and I certainly didn’t want NL in charge, neither did my mate, or many of the people who go to the Enfield before games. All because 4,000 people are turning up, don’t assume they ALL support NL. The fact is, many of us are supporting Hockey, Blaiser, Simmsey etc….NOT Uncle Nort. -
“By what token do you describe the stayaways as "loyal" or "supporters”
- They’re loyal to themselves, by carrying out what they said they would do in the Summer. Absolutely nothing wrong with having principals and sticking to them. I guess they hope by staying away, NL will eventually have to sell, giving them back what they see as their club -
“Given the plusses that you list, and considering recent history, "we haven't gone bust" is a big plus IMO, then in what way is NL being in charge a bad thing?”
- We may not have gone bust yet, but will NL continue pumping money into the club. Unless attendance’s increase, we will continue to lose money. So, what mighty effort has NL made to increase attendances? I’ll tell you……he’s put play off ticket prices up 20% and tried his hardest to cheese off season ticket holders -
“Would the Steeler be better off with the stayaways back, CJS in charge and wondering whether we could afford to compete next season?”
- None of us know the answer to that……but I’d have preferred it if I could have found out -
“Does it strike you as odd that everyone who has actually met and spoken to Norton Lea has admitted that he is an astute and honest (to a fault) businessman which is what we have lacked over the last three years or so?”
- See my comments about Marketing and ticket prices. I’d hardly call that good business sense -
“We can now go into next year with Blaiser signed up (would CJS have done this?)”
- My guess would be yes -
“Players who have enjoyed their time here, been paid what they were due on time, and have every reason to recommend Sheffield as a place to play.”
- Are you sure the players are happy? Kevin Miehm and Mark Twaite didn’t sound too happy. I’ve also heard on the grapevine that most of the players wouldn’t want to come back next year….although that is a second hand rumour, so I can’t be sure as to its validity -
4000 that turn up to games? erm where are they then?
sorry Steve, but i have to agree with my gloomy mate here on this..hiking up prices BEFORE the seasons end is NOT the way to get folk onside before the push for the next seasons ST sales...
and with the greatest respect to Mr Lea, how do you get 'honest to a fault' from then? i too have spoken to the man and he does come across as a business man of the 'old school' who wont tolerate any shenanigans etc,and I do believe he now enjoys the Steelers, for what they are to him NOW, BUT you cannot come out with a statemant like you did...
The greatest crime that sems to have been committed here is the one of PR...this season was a VERY good chance to rebuild or even create a new stronger Steelers organisation and image..All we have created is an image of 'make do and mend, both off the ice and on..Granted that the on ice product has improved dramatically, mainly thro Blaisers canny choices and coaching, but even you have to admit that at one point, when other teams were bringing cover in for injured players, we were all sat looking to Mr Lea to say to Blaiser, go and get the cover we need...AND IT WAS A BLOODY LONG TIME COMING.. something that we didnt do last season was piss about in replacements which probably won us the title last season as we held our consistency on the ice.
so back to the lack of PR...is it a lack of trust from Mr Lea in that he doesnt trust the offers of help from various fans, harking back to his days at CFC, is it because its considered a waste of time by Mr Lea? Is it because he doesnt really know about the subject? Are there insufficient staff to create a reasonable amoount of PR (easily solved by getting folks in...YT's players wives, and volunteers)
I would suggest that Mr Lea and the Associate Directors that are being created REALLY get their collective asses in gear for next season, because the way folks arre talking there arent gonna be many more ST holders next season as there are this...
Communication is the key Steve..even you admit theres been a sad lack of it this season..
During the dreadful close season of 2001 I have to say that most of my views were very similar to those of Doom. After reading his posting it seems that they still are. I have nothing but praise for Blaiser & the players for achieving 3rd place in what was a very difficult season - I still have nothing but contempt for Ian Taylor & his cronies at the ISL! Following on from the summer, I decided that I was not going to renew my season ticket - after all that had happened I just hadn't the heart to drive nigh on 300 mile round journey to every home game. I am not a complete stay away, I feel far too much for the club to do that - but now I tie games in with my visits back home to Yorkshire. Picking up on the point of "Marketing" (or rather, the lack of it) - why have I never received any mailshots advertising the Steelers or fixtures? The club and the Arena have my details. Only a couple of days ago I received (not for the first time) a leaflet advertising the London Knights and their play-off details, this is probably because I have booked tickets direct from them in the past. If the Knights can do it, why can't we?
Last September i decided to come back and watch the Steelers, a decision that i'm glad i made. I decided to come back mainly due to my love for the game, not just because i supported the Steelers.
This season i've enjoyed every second since Christmas, before that we looked like a 2nd rate team, but since then the committment and determination. To me when i walk in the Arena it still feels very much like a night at the Steelers, nothing's changed. That's something all stay-aways should remember.
We should be moving foward now, forgetting the past. I have faith in DS, NL and MB to make this club the best next year.
1500 loyal supporters do not sit at home watching blind Date on a Saturday night.
You can say what you like about those people but I think you might find that the loyal supporters are the 4000 or so who go every week.
I could easily have given up in August but I accepted that this is not - and I know this will ruffle a few feathers - MY CLUB. It is a professional sporting organisation owned by one man which I choose to follow.
If like me, you have sat in the same seats since the first game against Medway way back in 1991 (that make me from Sheffield by the way!) and have travelled to away games etc etc etc. I take exception to a season long '1500 loyal fans staying away' - we should rephrase it as - 1500 loyal CJS fans staying away. they are no longer steeler fans.
I too had reservations about mr Norton Lea - what did he do for Chesterfield FC, was he going to sell to some bloke from up north. But I am a steeler first and foremost and I love to support the team, I am also realistic enough to realise that no matter what we as fans may think, we have no control over the business of Hockey.
yes we may think that if we stay away then the Norton will go bust and CJS will get anther chance. Not so, just look at the teams who get only 800 people to watch a game - they still keep going.
Will all you people harping on about CJS please face a few facts.
With the large amount of capital outlay required this year it is extremely unlikely that CJS would have had sufficient capital to run the Steelers. Remember everything has had to be paid for up front, franchise fee, players flights, cars, equipment and accommodation. Add to this the cost of renewing all the office equipment and the arena not handing over season ticket advances until last week, as well as taking a security bond at the begining of the season.
We are probably talking well over £1 million CASH.
Only my opinion of course but I don't think CJS would have had that sort of spare capital.
No, Norton Lea is not perfect, and there are certainly things I would have done differently, but without him we probably wouldn't have a club to support.
With regard to Mr Lea not being an astute businessman, you don't get to be that (alledgedly) wealthy if you don't have a bit of business savvy. I agree with Steve that it would possibly have been wasted money trying to promote a product that was under perfoming before Christmas, and certainly no point now 3 weeks before season end.
As for ticket prices going up, this is the real world, things go up in price, although some people seem to want an increase in the quality of player without paying any more than the £8 they paid 3/4 years ago. It is still a relatively cheap sport to watch. Bear in mind that this season you could watch the highest level Hockey available in the UK, in comfortable seating and a warm and friendly (!) environment for £10. What would it cost to watch Premiership football?, my friends Leeds United season ticket cost him £450.00, 3 years ago. Even the 2 Sheffield clubs who are not in the top league will charge you in the region of £18.
So get a grip. The past CANNOT be changed, harping on about it will only sour the future. The future will ALWAYS be uncertain, but it can be steered in the right direction. So let's ALL pull together, support the present owner as we have supported previous owners and put Sheffield Steelers back where they belong AT THE TOP!!
that it was Norton Lea who made the error over the season ticket games? From the responses I saw I got the impression that the club were as surprised as the rest of us that the Arena were telling people that the Play Off game was not included in their season tickets.
Also, how do you know so definitely that it is a Steelers descision to put the prices up for the Play Off games - have the club announced it and I missed it? I personally wondered whether the Arena have decided to increase the rent for these games, if they have how do the club find the extra money if they don't pass the increases on? If anyone knows the correct answer for certain, and is able to enlighten the rest of us, please feel free to do so.
Agree with a lot of your points.
Tonights attendance at 3234 says exactly waht the Sheffield public think of ice hockey at £12 a game - scandalous and another sign the game and the ISL will implode during the summer.
Good try about the attendance and while I feel that sometime Steelers management could manage to shoot themselves in the foot with an unloaded gun the problem, ie increasing seat prices for playoff matches and the odd voucher on the season ticket issue, the attendance has got more to do with a back to back program this weekend and many more people wanting to see the Panties thereby choosing to spend £12.00 instead of £24.00 per head.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of your arguments or those of the contrary view one thing is cetain, it is now very old hat and serving no purpose. For one I wish both side's proponants would be man enough to shut up and get on with their lives as this discussion to most I believe find it unproductive, tedious, and boring in the extreme.
Not really a spin on the facts. I've been to the Arena on many occassions when we've had back to back weekend games and over 9,000 have been in attendance on both nights. Where have all those supporters gone and how do we get them back?
I might sound like a whinger sometimes, but I say what I do because, like you, I do genuinely care about the club which has given me so much pleasure over the years.
