Manchester Born and Bread Thomas is Still a Steeler
He might have been born in Manchester, played for Manchester and now has moved back to Manchester but no one couldn’t say that Mark Thomas is a fully fledged Steeler.
Thomas presently sits fifth in the Steelers all time appearance list with 615 games played and was a member of David Matsos’s league and play off winning side over a decade ago. Even though he has now retired Thomas is a keen Steelers supporter and a great friend of club Captain Robert Dowd
Having played in both Sheffield and Manchester Thomas is super excited about the Storm moving back to their spiritual home at the AO Arena and believes that the move will benefit both clubs
“I started watching Manchester in the old Nynex Arena as it was then, huge crowds, great teams and an amazing atmosphere, it was those nights that drove me to be a professional hockey player
“The rivalry between any sporting team in Sheffield and Manchester is huge and the Steelers Storm games back then proved that, those nights were amazing
“In all fairness that rivalry remained even after the Storm moved to Altrincham in 2002, now that professional hockey is moving back to the AO Arena get your self ready for lift off, both clubs will benefit and these games will be the ones that everybody wants to watch
“I’m a Steeler, the club runs through my veins, my best nights as a player were always against Nottingham Panthers, that has been the Sheffield’s biggest rivalry for the past two decades but I honestly think Steelers – Storm is the future
“Hockey will work for the Storm in Manchester and the AO will rock with thousands of fans, that in its self will create an intense passion between the two organisations, what is that they say about the War of the roses”
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Steelers host the Manchester this Saturday evening at the Utilita Arena before heading across the Pennines on Sunday for the first Professional game played in the City for 24 years
“I’ll be there” said Thomas “and it will bring back the best memories of my time as a Steelers, how I would have loved to play for Sheffield against Manchester in that building
“This rivalry will explode, give it a couple of years and Steelers Vs Nottingham will be the start, Steelers and Storm will be the main course of that I am sure
The connections between the Steelers and Storm don’t end with Mark Thomas, Storms owner is former Steelers player and coach Ryan Finnerty
