Steel Army

When did the Steel Army start?

We were founded in the winter of 2007. Our first season was the 2008 USL-2 season.

Are you part of the Riverhounds organization?

No, we are an independently operated and financed group. We do enjoy a good working relationship with the club.

Do I need to be a member to sit in your section?

Nope. Everyone is welcome in the Paul Child Stand.

I have a ticket for somewhere else. Can I stop by and see what this is all about?

Sure! As of this writing, tickets are not checked when entering the section. As long as there is space stop on by.

Can I bring my own flag / banner / instrument to the Paul Child Stand?

Flag and banner – sure as long as there’s no profanity on it.

Instruments- We have our own drums but anything else we’re game.

Do I need to sing while in the supporters’ section?

No, but you should. Participating greatly increases your fun. Plus why be a bump on the log?

Can I donate something to the tailgate?

We always appreciate donations but please check with us first to see what we could use.

Do I need to be a member to attend Steel Army events outside of games?

Most Steel Army events are open to everyone. We’ll make it clear if anything is members only.

If I don’t need to be a member, what are my dues used for?

Money collected from dues-paying members is used for things such as tifo supplies (fabric, paint, etc.), section supplies (drums, flags, etc.), website hosting, purchasing merchandise, covering the cost of Steel Army events, and more.

What is a tifo?

Tifo is a fan-created display of support for the team. Often it is in the form of large banners. The word tifo comes from Italy, and displays of some form can be seen in nearly every league around the world. Check out some examples of our work in the tifo section of this site.

What is the Old Guard Shield?

The Old Guard Shield is a supporters-run cup between several long-standing lower-league teams (including us). Visit oldguardshield.com for more information.

Riverhounds

Who is AMO?

AMO is the Riverhounds mascot, and he rules. His name stands for the three rivers- Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio.

Who is Paul Child?

Paul Child is a retired player and current color commentator on the Riverhounds broadcast. He played in the original NASL (most notably for the San Jose Earthquakes) and more importantly to us – the Pittsburgh Spirit. In the mid-90s, he coached the Pittsburgh Stingers indoor team and has been part of the Riverhounds organization (coaching and other jobs) since the inaugural season in 1999.

Are the Riverhounds in MLS / Will they be in MLS?

Ah, the 800-pound gorilla. No, the Riverhounds are not in Major League Soccer (MLS). Will they? Who knows. The merits of joining MLS can be debated all day, but at this point, we don’t have the pieces needed to make it happen. We don’t care what league the Hounds play in, we’ll support them wherever they are.

Soccer

What is the USL?

The United Soccer League (USL) is the organization that runs the league the Riverhounds play in. The organization has been around in one form or another since 1986.

What is the U.S. Open Cup?

The U.S. Open Cup is one of, if not, the longest-running competition in the United States dating back to 1914. As the name implies it is an open tournament where any team in the United States can enter through various qualifying formats depending on their level. It’s a wonderful tournament where small teams get the chance to go up against bigger clubs for glory and bragging rights. If you’re familiar with English soccer, this is equivalent to the FA Cup.

What is PRO?

PRO stands for the Professional Referee Organization. PRO supplies all the referees for MLS, USL, NWSL, and other leagues.

What is CONCACAF?

The soccer governing body FIFA is broken up into 6 confrontations to organize soccer in their area of the world. US Soccer is part of CONCACAF, which is the Confederation of North, Central American, and Caribbean Association Football. If you want to visualize the flow, it’s FIFA > CONCAFAC > US Soccer > MLS/USL/NWSL/etc.

What is pro/rel?

Without opening too much of a can of worms, pro/rel stands for promotion and relegation. This is a system in leagues around the world where the bottom handful of teams get booted down a league, and the top handful of teams are promoted up. This is a fairly alien concept to sports in the US but nonetheless, it’s a system that has passionate supporters who wish to see it implemented here.

Offsides or offside?

Offside damn it. Not plural!