Video
Interview with Mike O'Connor
SHEFFIELD Steelers - so often the victim of financial problems in the past - are bucking the economic trends and attracting a new title sponsor and fresh cash streams, according to general manager Mike O'Connor.
Winning the Play-off championship has helped him promote the club's brand to sponsors and commercial partners and season ticket sales are flourishing, he says in a video on thestar.co.uk
He said there would be an announcement soon on a new main sponsor to replace Liberata, last season's principal backers. "Corporate sales and sponsorship have gone very well to date. We have a lot of our core sponsors back on board but we also have a few new ones," he said.
"Liberata will remain with us, all will unfold as the summer goes on.
"Season ticket sales have gone very well. Heading into the credit crunch, our economic climate looks like we're going to be in a recession for a year-and-a-half, so I was quite concerned about the sale of our season tickets. But we have sold more of our season tickets than we did for all of last year."
What do you think? Post your comments below.O'Connor said the sale of owner Bob Phillips' "other" club, Cardiff Devils, had gone through.
And despite Phillips' business interests in the Middle East "he certainly hasn't lost any interest in us and his focus is purely on the Steelers", he added.
All the 10 teams in the Elite League were secure and would start in autumn, he revealed.
O'Connor said he thought the proposed 15-point penalty for wage-cap breaking was "a heck of a deterrent.
"The clubs will be more wary of throwing caution to the wind. The wage cap is in there for a reason," he said.
He added that the Yes! Project - a £350 million leisure development planned for Rother Valley Country Park which will include a new rink for Steelers - was "on course".
n Ian Manzano has passed on his thanks to friends at Sheffield, after being released.
"There are a lot of people who helped my family and the players in Sheffield and don't get recognised for their part.
"There are groups such as the Supporter's Club, Bassetlaw Bandits, Dronfield Supporters Group, Mr and Mrs Dave Lewis and all my individual sponsors along the way."
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More Spireites. More Rovers. More Reds. More Millers. More rugby. More boxing. Sports columnists. All sport categoriesThe full article contains 421 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
