Comments on: MLS Attendance in Decline: The Old and the New Diverge http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/ Exploring football culture around the world Thu, 18 Mar 2010 16:33:56 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: bryan http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-12095 bryan Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:01:13 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-12095 Well Tom Dunmore, I thing after 2 months we will be in better position to say some thing. Well Tom Dunmore, I thing after 2 months we will be in better position to say some thing.

]]> By: Nick http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10542 Nick Fri, 30 Oct 2009 03:08:16 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10542 A combination of factors should help out attendance the next 2 seasons: 1. Philly expansion - from what I've heard the Philadelphia Union has been selling season tickets like hot cakes, and they've adopted the Seattle-style adult oriented marketing. They should have a robust first year that should boost their rivals (NY, NE, and DC). 2. New Stadium for NYRB - Usually the first season in a new stadium gives a boost to attendance. I expect the Red Bulls to clean house and bring in some decent talent possibly with the addition of Viera and/or Henry. 3. Expansion to the Pacific NW - Portland and Vancouver have a long history of supporting soccer and will have bitterly contested matches with Seattle. I expect 18-20K from both franchises at least their first season. 4. Possible expansion to Montreal - The Impact had the highest attendance in the USL and will most likely carry that over to the MLS. They will also have natural rivals in Toronto FC. 5. World Cup - After a successful 2002 run by the USMNT MLS attendance spiked. If the team does well again in South Africa the same effect could follow. It could also free up some aging european talents like Henry to come across the pond since it will most likely be their last WC. A combination of factors should help out attendance the next 2 seasons:

1. Philly expansion – from what I’ve heard the Philadelphia Union has been selling season tickets like hot cakes, and they’ve adopted the Seattle-style adult oriented marketing. They should have a robust first year that should boost their rivals (NY, NE, and DC).

2. New Stadium for NYRB – Usually the first season in a new stadium gives a boost to attendance. I expect the Red Bulls to clean house and bring in some decent talent possibly with the addition of Viera and/or Henry.

3. Expansion to the Pacific NW – Portland and Vancouver have a long history of supporting soccer and will have bitterly contested matches with Seattle. I expect 18-20K from both franchises at least their first season.

4. Possible expansion to Montreal – The Impact had the highest attendance in the USL and will most likely carry that over to the MLS. They will also have natural rivals in Toronto FC.

5. World Cup – After a successful 2002 run by the USMNT MLS attendance spiked. If the team does well again in South Africa the same effect could follow. It could also free up some aging european talents like Henry to come across the pond since it will most likely be their last WC.

]]> By: Joseph D'Hippolito http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10538 Joseph D'Hippolito Fri, 30 Oct 2009 02:22:24 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10538 There's a good reason why the Galaxy's attendance is down 21 percent. Fans are tired of being treated like walking vending machines by AEG. Concessions are overpriced and inferior. Parking is too high. Tickets are too high. AEG has all these fancy-pants ideas (like valet parking and a conspicuous VIP entrance at Home Depot Center) designeld to cater to Big Money, not the average fan. Besides, fans are tired of the Beckham saga. Here today, gone to Milan over the winter, won't be back until after mid-season. If this is "committment to the Galaxy," as he claims, then I'm Pele, Maradona, Puskas and DiStefano combined! No wonder that the Riot Squad, the club's most vocal fans, made banners saying "Go Home Fraud!" with Beckham's number encircled with a slash through it like a European road sign. There’s a good reason why the Galaxy’s attendance is down 21 percent. Fans are tired of being treated like walking vending machines by AEG. Concessions are overpriced and inferior. Parking is too high. Tickets are too high. AEG has all these fancy-pants ideas (like valet parking and a conspicuous VIP entrance at Home Depot Center) designeld to cater to Big Money, not the average fan.

Besides, fans are tired of the Beckham saga. Here today, gone to Milan over the winter, won’t be back until after mid-season. If this is “committment to the Galaxy,” as he claims, then I’m Pele, Maradona, Puskas and DiStefano combined! No wonder that the Riot Squad, the club’s most vocal fans, made banners saying “Go Home Fraud!” with Beckham’s number encircled with a slash through it like a European road sign.

]]> By: Tom Dunmore http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10525 Tom Dunmore Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:54:42 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10525 Good point, sazzy, though sadly for KC, even when they played every game at Arrowhead with its massive capacity attendance was often even worse. I really hope the new stadium deal is a saviour for your club. I've been to KC a couple of times and even the current tiny stadium hasn't exactly looked packed out or vibrant. Good point, sazzy, though sadly for KC, even when they played every game at Arrowhead with its massive capacity attendance was often even worse. I really hope the new stadium deal is a saviour for your club. I’ve been to KC a couple of times and even the current tiny stadium hasn’t exactly looked packed out or vibrant.

]]> By: szazzy http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10522 szazzy Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:24:01 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10522 Kansas City's drop is directly due to not having a game at Arrowhead this year for Beckham. The stadium capacity is 10,385 so there's only so much you can do. Attendance hasn't really gone up or down that I can tell, in spite of the crappy team we've been watching. There aren't a ton of fans here, but the ones that are here are very loyal. Kansas City’s drop is directly due to not having a game at Arrowhead this year for Beckham. The stadium capacity is 10,385 so there’s only so much you can do. Attendance hasn’t really gone up or down that I can tell, in spite of the crappy team we’ve been watching. There aren’t a ton of fans here, but the ones that are here are very loyal.

]]> By: Tom Dunmore http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10503 Tom Dunmore Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:04:40 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10503 Noel -- yes, the five teams with the biggest drop were all cities where WPS began play this year. That may have hit family and group sales, on which (as I said) MLS has been reliant on for all-too-long in those same cities. It's hard to imagine Seattle or Toronto being much impacted by a WPS team arriving there. Noel — yes, the five teams with the biggest drop were all cities where WPS began play this year. That may have hit family and group sales, on which (as I said) MLS has been reliant on for all-too-long in those same cities. It’s hard to imagine Seattle or Toronto being much impacted by a WPS team arriving there.

]]> By: noel http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10502 noel Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:53:18 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10502 Do the cities with huge drops also have women pro teams that started playing this year? Also the recession has hit the latino pop. extremely hard and at FIRE games you can see that. Do the cities with huge drops also have women pro teams that started playing this year? Also the recession has hit the latino pop. extremely hard and at FIRE games you can see that.

]]> By: Tom Dunmore http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10493 Tom Dunmore Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:41:08 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10493 I think that's all true (there's no doubt the Fire would have a higher attendance if it were in the city proper), though it's not really fair on the Fire to say they didn't do everything to get a stadium built in the city. At some point in comes down to what is actually achievable given economic, political and cultural realities, and without a stadium Chicago might have been San Jose. Seattle is a much different situation in terms of the stadium and the sports situation in the city. But Bridgeview also isn't Frisco. It's a couple of blocks from Chicago's city limits, and it is not far from some pretty huge hispanic neighbourhoods. To me as a fan, it was much more important for me to go see the Fire in a proper soccer stadium than in cavernous Soldier Field or out in Naperville, which had some pluses to it but was still a distinctly bizarre place to watch Major League Soccer, even if it was near the metra. Plus, we run <a href="http://section8chicago.com/jm3/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=293:beer-buses&catid=57:isa-spotlight&Itemid=288">beer buses</a> for supporters. That makes it a lot easier for city folk and it's a damn good and cheap way to get to the game -- a 30 minute ride from downtown. You don't get free beer on the CTA. ;) I think that’s all true (there’s no doubt the Fire would have a higher attendance if it were in the city proper), though it’s not really fair on the Fire to say they didn’t do everything to get a stadium built in the city. At some point in comes down to what is actually achievable given economic, political and cultural realities, and without a stadium Chicago might have been San Jose. Seattle is a much different situation in terms of the stadium and the sports situation in the city.

But Bridgeview also isn’t Frisco. It’s a couple of blocks from Chicago’s city limits, and it is not far from some pretty huge hispanic neighbourhoods. To me as a fan, it was much more important for me to go see the Fire in a proper soccer stadium than in cavernous Soldier Field or out in Naperville, which had some pluses to it but was still a distinctly bizarre place to watch Major League Soccer, even if it was near the metra.

Plus, we run beer buses for supporters. That makes it a lot easier for city folk and it’s a damn good and cheap way to get to the game — a 30 minute ride from downtown. You don’t get free beer on the CTA. ;)

]]> By: Jason http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10479 Jason Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:58:25 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10479 Tom, I think the stadium is a huge part of the problem. I used to live in Chicago and my friends and I would go to a few games a year (this was before I _really_ caught the soccer bug) at Soldier Field. We would take the train downtown, have a few beers at the game, and casually stroll up the beautiful lakefront before heading inland around North Avenue for a night on the town. But after they moved, neither I nor anyone I knew had any interest in heading to freaking Bridgeview on a Saturday night---especially as we were all car-free and Toyota Park isn't even accessible by transit. It frankly felt like such a slap in the face to all the urban (not to mention Latino) folks who constituted the club's original fan base that I stopped attending out of spite. They got the temporary Blanco bump, but now they're paying the price for completely isolating themselves from the city. I understand real estate is ridiculous in Chicago proper, but I think the Fire will be kicking themselves for decades for not at least locating near a Metra station. For a growing league in desperate need of casual fans, I just don't think you can overestimate the importance of being accessible by foot and transit, and being located in a neighborhood where 20- and 30-somethings want to hang out before and after the match. I'm in Seattle now, and am lucky enough to have tickets for tomorrow night's match. I'll march to Qwest from beautiful Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle with thousands of green-clad and slightly tipsy people. For those who don't join us for the march, Qwest is well-served by buses, light rail, commuter rail, and Amtrak. Much of our success has to do with the fact that so many casual fans can seamlessly fold attending the game into a great night or afternoon out and about in Seattle, or simply get to and from the game without a huge hassle. Tom, I think the stadium is a huge part of the problem. I used to live in Chicago and my friends and I would go to a few games a year (this was before I _really_ caught the soccer bug) at Soldier Field. We would take the train downtown, have a few beers at the game, and casually stroll up the beautiful lakefront before heading inland around North Avenue for a night on the town. But after they moved, neither I nor anyone I knew had any interest in heading to freaking Bridgeview on a Saturday night—especially as we were all car-free and Toyota Park isn’t even accessible by transit. It frankly felt like such a slap in the face to all the urban (not to mention Latino) folks who constituted the club’s original fan base that I stopped attending out of spite. They got the temporary Blanco bump, but now they’re paying the price for completely isolating themselves from the city. I understand real estate is ridiculous in Chicago proper, but I think the Fire will be kicking themselves for decades for not at least locating near a Metra station.

For a growing league in desperate need of casual fans, I just don’t think you can overestimate the importance of being accessible by foot and transit, and being located in a neighborhood where 20- and 30-somethings want to hang out before and after the match. I’m in Seattle now, and am lucky enough to have tickets for tomorrow night’s match. I’ll march to Qwest from beautiful Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle with thousands of green-clad and slightly tipsy people. For those who don’t join us for the march, Qwest is well-served by buses, light rail, commuter rail, and Amtrak. Much of our success has to do with the fact that so many casual fans can seamlessly fold attending the game into a great night or afternoon out and about in Seattle, or simply get to and from the game without a huge hassle.

]]> By: WonsanUnited http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/10/28/mls-attendance-in-decline-the-old-and-the-new-diverge/comment-page-1/#comment-10447 WonsanUnited Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:41:06 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/?p=4076#comment-10447 I think the problem with DC was all the rumors about them moving to St. Louis or Baltimore, which was fueled more by Garber than the DC FO. It's pretty easy to tell why the Red Bulls attendance has just been awful. Any team that only wins 4 games isn't going to draw very well. Even without Beckham, they'd been drawing about 17,000 a match on a Saturday. Also, MLS got off to an earlier start when there was still snow in Columbus,Colorado and Salt Lake, so weather definitely played a big part in the low attendances at the beginning of the year. Then you have KC in a Minor-league baseball stadium and San Jose at a college soccer stadium. Attendance should go above 17,000 next year with the Red Bulls getting the new stadium (which will be easier and cheaper to get to from NYC and Newark) and Philly joining the league. I think the problem with DC was all the rumors about them moving to St. Louis or Baltimore, which was fueled more by Garber than the DC FO. It’s pretty easy to tell why the Red Bulls attendance has just been awful. Any team that only wins 4 games isn’t going to draw very well. Even without Beckham, they’d been drawing about 17,000 a match on a Saturday. Also, MLS got off to an earlier start when there was still snow in Columbus,Colorado and Salt Lake, so weather definitely played a big part in the low attendances at the beginning of the year. Then you have KC in a Minor-league baseball stadium and San Jose at a college soccer stadium. Attendance should go above 17,000 next year with the Red Bulls getting the new stadium (which will be easier and cheaper to get to from NYC and Newark) and Philly joining the league.

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