News Article | 25th December 2009 » Happy Christmas to All

"We're not there yet, but it's Christmas!"

It's Christmas Eve and all of us at the Scimitars would like to wish all of our supporters and followers all the very best for Christmas and the New Year!

It's been a very interesting first half to the 2009/10 ice hockey season for the Scimitars and a very steep learning curve for the new kids on the block, Gary Apsley and Ian Johnson as they settle down for their first Scimdog's Christmas. So what's it been like sitting in the hot seats at Ice Sheffield? Gary told us what it's been like for him….

"Well the first thing I can tell you is that it's been incredibly tough in more ways than one. Firstly, the on-ice stuff. The team has been magnificent and I have no hesitation in saying that from my perspective the team on the whole has over-achieved, especially given the views expressed by some of our followers before the season got underway. But even more impressive for me has been the Coach, JR. I have nothing but admiration and respect for this guy, he is 100% Scimitars and will walk-over broken bottles barefoot for this Club and from where I'm stood there can be no one better for the job as Scims Head Coach than JR. He is the man of the "moment" and thank
God we went with him.

You know over the past couple of days we have been running a Hockey School for kids at Ice Sheffield. It was primarily a fund-raiser for the Scimitars and was something that Ian, Jon and I talked about back in April. For 3 days we had about 70 kids on the ice with the Scims players who, along with Academy Coach Paul Harding, gave up their time to spend the day on the ice with a bunch of kids who wanted to learn a bit more about ice hockey. Jon spent about a week planning and re-planning the activities so that his players and fellow coaches could deliver a "hockey clinic" that would give the kids something that they might not have experienced before at a price that everyone could afford. Jon must have got it bang-on because the emails I've had have been so complimentary which has been both surprising but also very gratifying too. This is all down to Jon and I can not thank him enough. So, Jon Rowbotham, thanks for your hard work, dedication and commitment. The Scimitars would not be where they are without you, have a great Christmas my friend.

But what about the players? Well for those of you who have been watching since the start of the season you will know just how far they have come in terms of development and overall performance. Sure there have been a few blips, but they have bounced back and have lit-up the league with some awe inspiring performances from primarily a bunch of young lads. We had some real big news last week-end when the texts came through that GB U20's had won a Gold medal and promotion too. Our own boys Bowns, Squires and Haywood helping GB to victory and earning themselves an enviable reputation for their efforts. Apparently Mr Farmer did ok too, I hope he is happy…?

Slami has gone home for Christmas and he seems to be enjoying his time with us. There's a real buzz around the dressing room and the guy's I've spoken too tell me that they just love playing at the Club (Archer too!) and they are all looking forward to battling it out in the 2nd half of the season. Stewy is stopping here for Christmas, I think he's got quite a few offers for Christmas dinner, it will be tough for him I'm sure so a special thought for him tomorrow! A final thought about the players, well one player. Paul Jones. This fella must be going mental? It was truly great to see him take to the ice last week-end and I'm really looking forward to seeing him back between the pipes. A few people have asked about a team photo….. you know there can't be a team photo without Jonsey, so as soon as he's back in kit we'll have it done, make sure you buy a copy because by then he'll be back on wages and we'll need the money… LOL

The backroom team have had a great half-season too. As have the front of house team. We are grateful for the support from our army of Volunteers, without whom we could not operate, I'm sure you will all join us in wishing them a Happy Christmas too!

So, the ice stuff is one part of the Scims cake, the other part is the off-ice stuff. It's been real hard work, especially with some of our home gates not breaking 300. We've been losing out heavily and the rumours about the financial position have some truth. But you know what? We're still here. Sure we're struggling with cash but I think the finishing post is in sight and if we can generate some more interest on match nights and hopefully get some "other events" planned then we might just scrape by to the end of the season. What has become clear to me though is that the Sheffield Scimitars is not unlike many other small sports clubs up and down the Country. We are all finding things tough, revenue from supporters is down and operating costs are up. It's a battle to make the books balance and each week there are pressures on the revenue from all sides.

My hopes for the New Year are simple. We need more people coming to watch and support the team. I'd urge all of our supporters to try and encourage their friends, relatives and neighbours to come and see a game. The personal touch from you is far more valuable than a free ticket from me. I don't think free tickets are the answer to our problems, recent games tell us that. But we do need to get other revenue streams going and I'd like to thank Martin and Leigh for heading up the first President's Fundraising Dinner which will take place on Wednesday 3rd February 2010 at SUFC. Watch-out for details of this Dinner for both Ladies and Gentlemen, we'll be having a laugh and hopefully raising a few quid too!

Looking forward to 2010, what can you expect from your team? Well I'd like to think you can expect more thrilling, fast-flowing hockey from some of the hottest prospects around. We certainly have a few players to keep a keen eye on and from what I've seen there are a few waiting in the wings (in the ENL) who will relish the chance to play EPL hockey. Is a top four position in the league achievable? Maybe it is, but I think if we can maintain our current form until the end of the season then JR and the boys will have achieved mission impossible and I for one will be proposing high honours for Mr Rowbotham. But let's not start counting any chickens just yet, there's still a long, long, way to go…….

That's about it from me, so on behalf of the Club, can I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and hope to see you on Sunday when we can welcome back our GB heroes!"

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27th December 2009
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20th December 2009

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