GAME THREAD: Steelers v Fife: WED

[mark]

Now we know what it takes to beat Belfast ( one period of Steelers Hockey) we need to keep it going against Fife.

[smbmetal]

With Fife up for sale, I guess fans who enjoy watching these games need to make the most of them if the rumours of them dropping down to the NIHL are indeed correct for next season?

Perhaps any Fife fans on here can confirm if those rumours exist in Fife or are able to set the record straight?

Really hope for the EIHL and Fife's sake they manage to stay in the EIHL, but without being awful they need to somehow attract more fans, as only averaging around 1,300 every home game really isn't going to be sustainable especially when their arena can hold 3,200 fans.

It's also worrying that they've dropped 200 or so fans on average per game compared to last season as well. That's around £50k in lost revenue over the season @ an average £10 a ticket x 200 lost fans = £2,000 x 27 home games regular season.

2024/25 Season average - https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/team/8-fi ... _season=41

2023/24 Season average - https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/team/8-fi ... id_stage=1

Greenfield gets a rest here for me.

5-1 Steelers.

[Jayboy]

Flip Flop is fit and ready to go, so I agree...

Jayboy

[greeny]

With Fife up for sale, I guess fans who enjoy watching these games need to make the most of them if the rumours of them dropping down to the NIHL are indeed correct for next season?

Perhaps any Fife fans on here can confirm if those rumours exist in Fife or are able to set the record straight?

Really hope for the EIHL and Fife's sake they manage to stay in the EIHL, but without being awful they need to somehow attract more fans, as only averaging around 1,300 every home game really isn't going to be sustainable especially when their arena can hold 3,200 fans.

It's also worrying that they've dropped 200 or so fans on average per game compared to last season as well. That's around £50k in lost revenue over the season @ an average £10 a ticket x 200 lost fans = £2,000 x 27 home games regular season.

2024/25 Season average - https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/team/8-fi ... _season=41

2023/24 Season average - https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/team/8-fi ... id_stage=1

Greenfield gets a rest here for me.

5-1 Steelers.

Would love to see their building filled up every home game. Am sure potential is there if everything is marketed correctly with investors willing to invest in the club/name and put good competitive product on the ice

[Bryan]

I agree. They have a huge tradition and a reasonable size of rink. It needs a sharp business brain to exploit a sizeable fan base.

[DiscoRay]

With Fife up for sale, I guess fans who enjoy watching these games need to make the most of them if the rumours of them dropping down to the NIHL are indeed correct for next season?

Perhaps any Fife fans on here can confirm if those rumours exist in Fife or are able to set the record straight?

Really hope for the EIHL and Fife's sake they manage to stay in the EIHL, but without being awful they need to somehow attract more fans, as only averaging around 1,300 every home game really isn't going to be sustainable especially when their arena can hold 3,200 fans.

It's also worrying that they've dropped 200 or so fans on average per game compared to last season as well. That's around £50k in lost revenue over the season @ an average £10 a ticket x 200 lost fans = £2,000 x 27 home games regular season.

2024/25 Season average - https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/team/8-fi ... _season=41

2023/24 Season average - https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/team/8-fi ... id_stage=1

Greenfield gets a rest here for me.

5-1 Steelers.

I've got my doubts the NIHL would accept Fife, as it was a hard enough journey for Solway to get in, and that's with them both very near the English border, and 12 years spent in the English system a couple of levels below the NIHL National. Especially if Fife were intending to use it as a "buffer period" to go back into the EIHL at a future point, could only see the NIHL looking very dimly on that. For the good of everyone, I hope they can stay in the EIHL with new ownership to tap into the potential the current regime never did. They had a full junior system in place already when they joined in 2011, and yet in nearly 14 years they've not come out with even just one 4th liner to show for it. Obviously can't expect them to roll-out Tony Hand level of prospects, but I think it's reasonable to expect at least a few guys who could backstop a 4th line for them in that sort of time period. Their reluctance to play young Brits have hamstrung them every year they've been in the EIHL, and over playing their (usually good) imports they manage to pick up.

They've got the rink capacity larger than 3 other teams, and about on par with Coventry, so with the right ownership and staff doing their best, they should always be in the fight for the middle of the table, and only lower if they have an off-year recruiting. (Like their Kazakh failed gamble this season as an example.) Hopefully they can keep games competitive at least, but again it's a huge ask as they've played some games lately with just imports only, and IMO that just isn't tenable or acceptable.

[greeny]

5-0 steelers victory,,,

[mark]

Looking at the game sheet Fife have only two full lines plus 3 players, Steelers are 1 player short of 4 full lines, I'd expect Fife to fade away as the game progresses especially if we keep the pace up rolling 4 lines.

[Doom]

Tansey not pn the team sheet.

Hopefully rested rather than an injury.

Regards

Doom

[Bryan]

Tansey not pn the team sheet.

Hopefully rested rather than an injury.

Regards

Doom

Presumably Reece Kelly will slot in without the need to reshuffle