Ice Hockey: Simms takes over at Steelers

SHEFFIELD Steelers have appointed David Simms as team manager in succession to Alex Dampier. Simms, 32, who has held several other positions with the hard-up Superleague side, had previously managed the Solihull Barons.

"Of all the jobs I have carried out for various hockey teams, this is the one I do best," he said. "I am confident that our club will succeed next year, that we will bring pride back to the Sheffield Arena."

Simms, formerly the club's press officer, worked closely with Dampier for the last five years in recruiting players that helped Steelers win the Grand Slam and dominate from 1994.

"I have every confidence in the players under contract here. I am lucky that I already know them and knew just how much playing for the Steelers means to them," he said.

Superleague hockey has been in doubt for several months since the revelation that the club had losses for the season of over pounds 250,000, but negotiations to revise the team's rent for the use of the Sheffield Arena are well advanced with a new operator, Apollo.