Dave Simms: Sheffield Steelers are big business right now - and rightly so

Another huge week and the city of Sheffield is waking up to the Steelers once again.
Tanner EberleTanner Eberle
Tanner Eberle

There just seems so much interest about the club right now from fans, sponsors and the local media. We have always received good coverage from the likes of the Star, Telegraph and also local radio.

Now we are on TV, on both channels pretty much every week. More slots on the wireless and the papers wanting a bit more than just their regular editorial.

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The Steelers must be doing something right as every week attendances seem to be on the rise.

We’re easily now the best attended club in the league since Boxing Day and we have been between 7,000 and 9,000 a game.

On Wednesday in the Challenge Cup over 6, 500 will attend a midweek game, on a school night against Glasgow.

Then, on Saturday we are expecting over 7,000 for the home game against Nottingham Panthers.They used to say the “Good Old days” of the Steelers were back in the mid 1990s – well, we didn’t have these crowds back then on a regular basis.

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Breaking news folks, the Steelers are back, making waves and people all over the city are taking notice.

We seem to have stars again, the Steelers have always had stars but perhaps their razzmatazz faded over the last few years. Now people are talking about Vallerand, Troncinsky, Duba, Eberle and O’Connor in pubs and clubs, in schools and factories.

We had high expectations of many players this season but one has smashed all that we could have hoped for – Tanner Eberle.

He is second in the league in goals scored.

He gets his PP goals as well, he brings energy and excitement. Tanner is the guy that can make a break through, unpick a lock and make a difference.

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We loved Eberle last year, we were all excited when he returned but none of us could have expected this output. As old school as an old schooler, Eberle is bubble, a little brash, excitable and leads from the front. He is a good old-fashioned Steeler despite being one of the youngest at the club. We love him.

Nottingham on Saturday is our last game at the Arena against them this year (I can’t see us drawing them in the play-off quarter-finals).

The Panthers had a zero point weekend last week, it’s all or nothing for them this weekend. They lose to us and their title hopes go down with the bathwater. We know that, it makes them even more dangerous.

We already have three out of four wins at home against them this year in cup and league competitions. I would point out however that one of those was in OT and one in a shoot out – Love you DeLuca, what a finish….

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The other thing that will drive that club on is that they can see us getting ever closer to the Holly Grail, the league title. They will hate that, it will drive them and their fans crazy thinking we are again about to deliver something they have only managed once since 1956. That’s why on Saturday the Panthers will be the most dangerous side that the Steelers could ever face.

They won’t bring their A game, they will bring their A-plus game and we better be ready.

It’s one of those momentum turning games. We win and they are as good as out of it. We lose and the Devils become favourites again and the Panthers are back in the hunt. No one wants to see that do they?

Steelers v Nottingham Panthers – Saturday at 7pm – i t will be huge, it will be epic. See you there Yorkshire.