“They Love Their Club & We Will Make Them Proud of it Again” says Smith
Steelers and Steeldogs owner Tony Smith was blown away by the turn out at the Steeldogs fan forum at Ice Sheffield on Tuesday evening “we delayed starting so we could find more seats” he said “It shows that the club has a great and strong core group of fans that we want to build on”
Smith made it clear from the start of the night that everything could be discussed and that he would answer any questions, which he did for almost two hours.
“I wanted it to be open discussion where nothing was off the table” continued Smith “We discussed everything from the on ice and the team, right through to the off ice and match night experience to our plans moving forward
“We have said from the start that this first year would be a learning process and it has been and continues to be, but we have shown over the road at the arena a blueprint which we aim to follow that will grow the Dogs off the ice which will mean we have more to invest in the ice
“What impressed me most was that there is a strong group there who are willing to help, a lot of them have done so before for previous owners. We will need all of their help as well to make that Dogs experience as good as we can make it
“Some of the things I confirmed was that we have now been approved for an import licence at the Dogs so, if required we will have the ability to bring those in. That we are looking to bring in the best young British talent to boost the squad next season.
“The Steeldogs are now and remain Orange, that is the club brand, it works and stays. Merchandise is important and now we have the shop at Ice Sheffield we will continue to add to the range that is already available
“We will work with iceSheffield and try and free up the Glacier Suite in order that we can add to some fans experience, a season ticket holders room for example.
“Like with the Steelers, I will always do what is in the clubs best interest and fans have to trust me on that. We aren’t going anywhere, we are in this for the long haul and are determined to move the club forward and enjoy good and successful times together
“As we have always said, we want to work closer with the Academy sides at Ice Sheffield so we can create a true and proper pathway for all the kids in the area to progress and become Steeldogs and then Steelers, thats the plan, thats what we are working towards
“We will also work hard on trying to communicate the news to the fans a little more quickly through various Channels, like the web site, social media and we will set up a Steeldogs WhatsApp group as well, similar to the one we have with the Steelers
“Finally, a big thank you to all who turned up last night, I know how much you love and care for the Dogs, I assure you that they are in the safest hands they could be and we as a club will make you proud of them moving forward”
