Former Sheffield Steelers favourite Ryan Finnerty says no divide between clubs over season re-start

The former Sheffield Steelers' favourite, now holding the reins at Manchester Storm, is awaiting Government guidance which will determine whether ice hockey can re-start.

His ambitions have not been helped by a second coronavirus lockdown enforced in Manchester.

Another potential problem is the limiting size of the small Altrincham rink.

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Steelers' owner/ EIHL chairman Tony Smith has indicated the EIHL might consider playing games with a 60% crowd limit, allowing for social distancing.

Steelers could make that financially viable, given the fact their average attendance last year was 6,610.

But Finnerty could face a harsher financial task at the smaller rink, which attracted an average 1,365 in 2019-20.

He has yet to crunch all the numbers.

But the same percentage challenge could also face clubs like Fife Flyers and Dundee Stars.

Steelers remain adamant that they will go ahead if "reasonable" social distancing is enforced and there are enough teams out of lockdown and able to play.

Finnerty told The Star: "There are so many variables involved - what we need is Government guidance and we need it real soon.

"Our rink is not even open, we have a local lockdown and with the length of the season being reduced (by the virus and the planned, World championships) there is a time-crunch.

There are different rules in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales too.

"We need the nod in four to six weeks.

"It takes clubs a while to get things up and running - visas can be a nightmare to arrange at the best of times. It is not like schools that can re-open quickly."

Finnerty said only a vaccine would give sport clubs owners complete confidence about re-starting operations, although that clearly would not happen quickly.

"We are trying to be responsible. And we are not making false promises," he said.

"We've had a great response from our season ticket holders but we won't take a penny off them until we know.

"We are literally standing still, this is not something you can force. When you look at things, of course you are nervous of what can happen."

He said in a worst-case scenario, Storm would have to "lean on" sponsors and fans to survive a season without hockey.

"We could not just shut up shop and come back a year later," he said.

"It is scary for a small club, we'd just have to keep active."

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Finnerty claimed all EIHL organisations were "on the same page" about the situation.

"Everybody wants to go, but also understand it might not happen. We are in a holding pattern.

"But December is a realistic aim, still. There is no League divide, we all have to play the hand that is dealt to us and are under the illusion of the difficulties ahead."

Recently, Sheffield coach Aaron Fox suggested a ceiling at the Arena of somewhere around 4-5,000 would be viable.

Owner Smith also stated he was concerned that if "there was the slightest suggestion that we may get another lockdown every club would have to consider that very seriously before they started" - yet obviously nobody would know in advance whether that is going to happen in any of the EIHL geographic locations.

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