Fans help keep Steamwheelers afloat

By Craig DeVrieze | Friday, August 29, 2008

A corps of hardcore Quad-City Steamwheelers fans picked a good place to start the ball rolling toward forming  QCFFL, a consortium of 25 team supporters who have pooled their resources to purchase a majority stake in the local indoor football club.

Gary Stibolt, the former Steamwheelers fan club president who is president of QCFFL, first met with team leaders and a few other fans to discuss the idea while attending a road game last year in Green Bay, Wis.

Green Bay, of course, is home to the National Football League’s Packers, who are owned entirely by stockholding fans.

Stibolt said QCFFL stands for Quad-City Football for Life, and consists of dedicated Steamwheelers backers who have pitched in as little as $500 and as much as $5,000 to help ensure their team will play on.

As president, Stibolt represents the group in meetings involving members of the A&J Football Inc. ownership group, but said his votes are shaped by a vote of the QCFFL members at meetings to discuss impending A&J agenda items.

“This is not a fan club,” Stibolt said.

“We are Quad-City Football for Life. Our focus is different. Our energy is different. Our passion is the same.”

Some members are investing by making $20 monthly payments. Some are investigating an option to double their original $5,000 investment and become Class B shareholders in A&J.

One QCFFL member, John Watkins, owns Packer stock as well.

Stibolt said the group will continue to seek additional investors to help ensure the Steamwheelers play beyond their 10th anniversary season.

In time, perhaps, the Steamwheelers might become the af2’s Packers, an entirely fan owned operation.

“It can’t be one man’s deep pockets anymore,” Stibolt said of team ownership.

 

Craig DeVrieze can be contacted at (563) 333-2610 or cdevrieze@qctimes.com.