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 Lehigh Valley Steelhawks

Steelhawks Moving to a New Nest

August 21, 2014 - Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL)
Lehigh Valley Steelhawks News Release


Allentown, PA: Beginning the 2015 season, the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks will have a new nest in the PPL Center! In a press conference today, the team announced that they will be making the move from Stabler Arena in Bethlehem to the brand new PPL Center in downtown Allentown.

"The move to the PPL Center enhances our product in so many ways," stated Steelhawks General Manager Mike Clark. "From the sightlines for the patrons, to the state-of-the-art jumbotron, to the accessibility for all fans being in a downtown area, the PPL Center is going to bring a whole new level of entertainment to the entire Lehigh Valley. We truly appreciate the last four years inside Stabler Arena but we couldn't be more thrilled to call this our new home."

The Steelhawks will play all of their home games inside of the state-of-the-art facility that can hold a crowd of 8,500. The arena features an amazing jumbotron, three restaurants (including the famous Chickie's and Pete's, Tony Horton's, and Crust), and great views of the game from anywhere in the building. The new venue will open many doors to allow the Steelhawks' to bring more entertainment value to all their fans. As a football field, it will be a full 50 yards longs (plus eight yard endzones), and will feature the rounded off endzones that most of the teams in the league have.

"We're thrilled that the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks have decided to make PPL Center their new home," said Global Spectrum's Gunnar Fox, General Manager of PPL Center. "We truly feel that having the Steelhawks as a tenant team will enhance the diverse line-up of events that PPL Center has to offer which now includes arena football."

The PPL Center (pplcenter.com) is a Global-Spectrum managed state-of-the-art multipurpose arena opening this September in downtown Allentown, Pa. The arena will seat more than 10,000 for concerts and more than 8,500 for Steelhawks contests, making it the region's largest events venue. The amenities-packed PPL Center will host more than 140 events each year, offering something for everyone, including the Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the NHL Philadelphia Flyers, live concerts, family shows, trade shows, figure skating events, youth sports, high school and collegiate events, Disney on Ice, conferences, graduations and many more events. PPL Center will be the heart of the Lehigh Valley and is currently the main catalyst to the revitalization and growth of downtown Allentown.

Rob and Jim Brooks were also on hand for today's announcements. "We are excited to welcome the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks to the PPL Center," said Rob Brooks, owner of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League and BDH Development, the master leaseholder of PPL Center. "We look forward to a long-lasting and mutually beneficial partnership between PPL Center and the Steelhawks and are excited to have the team join us during our inaugural season."

In other news today, in the team's first 2015 player contract was signed by veteran DL Larry Ford (6'4, 265, West Virginia). He was named to the 2013 All-PIFL 2nd team in a season in which he claimed the team's single sack record (7.5). He recorded eight tackles, one tackle for a loss, and two sacks in the Steelhawks 2014 campaign which saw him jump up and down from the Cleveland Gladiators franchise in the Arena Football League. Ford brings a defensive leadership and experience to the Steelhawks defensive front line.

Steelhawks Head Coach Chris Thompson shared in the days excitement. "This is a great day for the Steelhawks as we get to not only play in a brand new state of the art arena like the PPL Center, but also raise our 2014 National Conference Championship banner in it on opening night. I can't wait for our awesome 9th man fan base, Steelhawks Junior Football League (SJFL), and Partners to share in this moment and new home for years to come. We have enjoyed so much success these last 3 years and this is another step forward in providing a great night of family entertainment in the Lehigh Valley. I can't wait to see what the move to the PPL Center and 2015 season bring for the Steelhawks. All I know, is it is going to be rocking."

Thank you to the entire Steelhawks Nation for supporting us throughout the years! Stay tuned to the Steelhawks facebook and website for more exciting announcements over the off-season! We are already looking forward to next season.

Keep checking for the latest news and events from the Steelhawks! For further information please call Lehigh Valley Steelhawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Clark at (610) 282-3100, or visit our website at www.LVSteelhawks.com for the latest Steelhawks news! 2015 Season Ticket packages will be on sale soon! Reserve your seat now by calling the Steelhawks office at 610-282-3100.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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