By: Chris Esposito
We are, unabashedly, a rabid supporters group striving to create a home-field advantage for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Football Club. This is accomplished via stadium noise (songs, chants, heckling the opposing team) and visual distractions (banners, streamers and waving flags). We provide the 'Hounds with the psychological advantage of a loyal, fanatical and dedicated body of fans, willing to cheer the team as they battle for glory on the pitch. We strive to promote the Riverhounds in the community and to offer fans a way to be more directly involved with the team by providing an outlet for their passion and enthusiasm.
The Steel Army was formed in November 2007 by a group of soccer fans after the Riverhounds announced a new ownership group and a return to USL-2 for the 2008 campaign. The initial gathering of a few members was held at Piper’s Pub on the South Side of Pittsburgh. Since then, we have grown to over 100 members including people from as far away as England and South Africa. Discussion on the Steel Army message board has become a daily routine for many people where topics include European and international football, soccer in the US and most importantly the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Steel Army has been getting more involved with local and international, soccer-based organizations and will continue to pursue our charitable goal, which is to help children better their lives through soccer.
Everyone is welcome as long as you have a desire to learn about the game and the growing supporter’s culture in the US. Take a look at our website, www.steelarmy.com, for more details.