Sport and Rugby League in Sheffield

[Phil]

5 minutes ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

CFL crowds are exactly like us

And look how it’s swept the world

[JonM]

1 hour ago, Griff said:

Sheffield have two Wheelchair teams. How hard have you looked?

Do they play internationals in front of thousands of people in person plus tv broadcast live on BBC, with light shows and so on? I'm guessing not.

[Griff]

16 minutes ago, JonM said:

Do they play internationals in front of thousands of people in person plus tv broadcast live on BBC, with light shows and so on? I'm guessing not.

Sheffield's not actually a country. Often overlooked, of course.

[Daft old hooker]

My take on the appeal of Ice Hockey it is a fast flowing high speed game and is very physical, certainly at Leeds there is no swearing it’s not tolerated. There is good interaction between the announcers and the crowd during breaks in play. After the game at Leeds there are usually two players in the bar to sign autographs and have photos with the fans and most of them are really good lads and make fans feel welcome. Not so sure we are good at that in RL.

[Agbrigg]

15 minutes ago, Daft old hooker said:

 After the game at Leeds there are usually two players in the bar to sign autographs and have photos with the fans and most of them are really good lads and make fans feel welcome. Not so sure we are good at that in RL.

I am not sure about other clubs but at Wakey over the years I have found all the players approachable in the way you describe and many spend quite a bit of their time doing community work around the City. Plus plenty of the players have active roles in coaching local amateur clubs. Think you are being a bit unfair there.

[Chilli Sauce]

Interesting one on the (relative) success of the Steelers in Sheffield. As a Sheffielder and former season ticket holder at the hockey I feel I can contribute here.

Their huge success happened fairly quickly in terms of popularity. At the time they started tickets were cheap (or free) and engagement with schools etc was strong.

In the early 90s it was seen as a fun, family friendly alternative to football - which for some still being tarnished in part by hooliganism and not somewhere to take the wife and kids. For those not hung up on football’s perceived issues at the time it was a place where blades and wednesdayites could socialise together on a night out. It also had the exotic appeal of something completely new and being next to a big American-style entertainment complex (restaurants, cinema, bowling), in a new state of the art facility.

the Steelers at the moment are incredibly well run, but this hasn’t always been the case, crowds have dropped at times to around 3500/4000 and the club has had financial scares. But they are now embedded in the culture of the city - that’s the important bit. They have also been traditionally the Real Madrid/Bayern of British ice hockey and can reasonably be expected to attempt to win the league/cup/playoffs every year.

If you think the RFL are bad they look like saints compared to the powers that be in British Ice Hockey, which in the ice hockey world is a bit of a joke and full of washed up Canadians having a jolly at the end of their career.

The key difference I think is that ice hockey here is firmly ‘sport entertainment’ rather than sport in a serious sense. Kind of against the grain of this thread, as I’ve got on in life I’ve moved away from the ice hockey and am now way more invested in rugby league. The hockey is still a fun night out though and I’d recommend it, but for me league gives the serious sporting experience that British Ice Hockey has lacked for 3 decades now.

Edited September 14, 2023 by Chilli Sauce

[FearTheVee]

I do also feel compelled to point out that the Steelers are the best supported club in that league but have an average that I'd guess is less than half that of our best supported club. What is the average for that league overall, maybe 3,000/4,000?

Nothing beats genuine, elite sport like SL - the frustration is it always feels it could be so much more.

[Griff]

3 hours ago, Phil said:

And look how it’s swept the world

Not every sport is trying to sweep the world.

CFL isn't. GAA isn't. Rugby league isn't.

[Chilli Sauce]

8 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

I do also feel compelled to point out that the Steelers are the best supported club in that league but have an average that I'd guess is less than half that of our best supported club. What is the average for that league overall, maybe 3,000/4,000?

Nothing beats genuine, elite sport like SL - the frustration is it always feels it could be so much more.

There are only really 3 ‘big’ teams (out of 10) pulling crowds of over 3500 - Belfast, Nottingham and Sheffield. The league average is about 3000ish. Some, such as Cardiff, may be limited by arena size - it’s much more difficult to expand capacity of a building.

 

[RigbyLuger]

Those crowds without any TV coverage too.

[Leyther_Matt]

58 minutes ago, RigbyLuger said:

Those crowds without any TV coverage too.

They’re on Viaplay (or at least were a season or two ago). I go to the odd Manchester Storm game at Altrincham but I must admit it’s a complete shadow thinking back to the five figure crowds at the arena 25 years ago (wow, I feel old now)

[Jimmyvtec]

https://www.utilitaarenasheffield.co.uk/event/ShirtLaunch-2023

Steelers shirt launch tonight. Again live music and a chance to meet the players etc. Think my RLbclubs shirt launch was post on twitter and Facebook. 

[bird]

One indoor sport played in winter, one outoor sport played in summer.  I like both. So what?

[gingerjon]

Just now, bird said:

I like both. So what?

Who are arguing with here?