Wouldn't say disappointed, 8000 fans is a strong number in my opinion. Obviously its not as good as a 11,000 sell out...but last years sell out was a bit of a outlier given it was their first ever game in 30 years. The 8000 fans in attendance wasn't "inflated" like we see so many MLS clubs do. The atmosphere was very good. If they can continue to get around this number of fans per game it will be a very strong follow up campaign. Some positive news about the stadium and perhaps inking a guy like Raul should help keep the numbers trending in a positive direction.
I suspect MLS's recent expansion plans will have a bit of a damper on Atlanta and FTL this year, unfortunately. Interestingly, that doesn't seem to be the case in NYC where the Cosmos continue to do well. I can only assume it is because there isn't any real excitement for NYCFC and the other MLS side in in NJ and potential fans have already made up their minds on that front.
Strikers attendance, or lack there of, is easy - Traffic will not spend money to operate this team the way the other franchises in the NASL are stepping up to. No local promotion, a tiny sales staff, and then it's no surprise when people don't show up. Beckham has no effect on the Strikers at this point. The only promotion this team does is local youth soccer clinics. And eventually that dries up with regard to getting people to games. We need new ownership, ownership willing to operate this club like a professional team.
NYC vs ATL 7906 FTL vs OTT 3105 IND vs CAR 11048 TBR vs FCE 7003 SAS vs MNU 7381 Didn't see the 5th match on the original list.
That actually looks good for the 8K number; maybe it means that last season home opener number was a bit on the BS side. Shocks of socks that any sport team would ever fudge their numbers now and then.
For sure, last year you could not see one open seat. IMO the game being played on a Sunday as opposed to Saturday also played a role. This season we have a couple of weeknight games, even a Monday nigh game. If we are able to duplicate last season's numbers it will be an accomplishment. Next season the numbers should improve, more Saturday games and Carolina, Tampa , and Strikers visit us, those were some of the better games last year.
Those are amazing numbers for US DII! And it's growing. Sure, over the course of the season, some numbers will drop...wearing off of initial excitement, some bad weather games, some teams simply sucking, etc. but if NASL can grow from there and maybe in a few years time reach a solid 10K average with all teams above 7 or 8K and some teams overperforming at the gates, this would be massive for soccer in the US! I still hope that one day DII and DIII will be consolidated with all the stronger teams (attendance wise, financially, organizationally) being in DII and all the teams with lesser means and the MLS reserve squads in DIII. That would really make an amazing DII below MLS and give smaller teams/markets a meaningful DIII! It's not going to happen since NASL and USL Pro still prefer to be cannibalizing each other (OKC, Tulsa). Another thing, that's not gonna happen but I think would be best the Silverbacks to do, would be to partner with Blank in any way possible and eventually giving way to the MLS team, dropping down to USL Pro for example as their affiliate or anything. I don't see that happening but once the MLS team starts playing I just don't see how the Silverbacks can survive. Even before that, they might be suffering once the MLS team is announced unless they are perceived to be part of the new team's development. C'mon guys, you even have the same colors as the Falcons, which will probably be similar to the MLS team as well. I think the reason why the Cosmos don't suffer much from NYCFC at this point is because geographically they tap into a different market and because all the die hard Cosmos fans are people who right from the start made clear that they weren't gonna support NYCFC. As for Fort Lauderdale I agree, that it's probably an ownership issue! I think, even with Beckham's team coming up there might be a niche for them (similar to the Cosmos in NY) but they need to find and establish themselves in that niche in the next few years before the Beckham buzz gets even bigger and there are actually things happening around the Miami MLS team other than just talk. With the current ownership however, I don't see that happening. It could be a great inter-league rivalry but with the way the ownership handles the Strikers, they might eventually fold, be moved or end up becoming Miami's affiliate in USL Pro...what a waste.
I really enjoyed watching this game Saturday night, and the atmosphere had a lot to do with it. The extra seating makes such a huge difference.
FC Edmonton looks like they will have a sell out for their home opener on Saturday. They've tripled their season ticket holders too.
It goes to show you can have an exciting soccer-atmosphere in a former basballpark. That bodes well cause infrastructure is a major problem for (inspiring) soccerclubs, but you can find unused, minor-league baseball-stadiums evereywhere across the continent.
wasn't Edmontons attendhance last season attrocious ? if I remember correctly. good on them for getting butts in the seats.
They averaged right at 2300 last year. I know there were stadium issues at the beginning of.the season. So glad to hear about their numbers to begin this season.
Actually slightly higher at 2437, and yeah, the new seats weren't ready until the 3rd home game with weather delays so tickets went on sale the day before opening season as they were expecting the new seats in for the 1st home game. They didn't market the first 2 games either with the uncertainty of what the seating capacity would be.
Congrats to Edmonton. We've given them crap about their prior attendance record and they've seem to have turned it around. Hopefully they've turned the corner. Good for them and the League. To me, the Strikers are now the weak link in regards to attendance. The FTL Strikers will probably be the new Edmonton this 2014 Season in regards to attendance. No sort of promotion going down here at all.
Apparently this was a sellout as well in the Fury's temporary spring home at Carleton University. Four or five games there and then the grand opening of the rebuilt 24000 seat Landsdowne Park in the Fall Season.