http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/...rowdies-co-owner-and-president-andrew-nestor/ looks like we have options with SSS.
Do you hear what you want to hear? Nestor has CLEARLY backed away from the SSS ideas that he talked up during the buildup to their first season. He has given no indication that they have the funds to aquire and build their own SSS on either side of the bay. His comments were just vague 'we need to be in a stadium downtown (Tampa or St Pete). My own opinion is that he is not going to commit to funding (or finding someone with the money) to build a SSS until the club is on a better footing. Attendance must grow before there is any hope of a SSS. It does seem that AL Lang is an option (maybe the best option) until a SSS makes sense. I am curious to see how the improvements they have made this year enhance the facility. He did say some encouraging things about the mayor of St Pete and I do believe that the city government will get behind this team and seek to make something happen at Al Lang if the Rowdies grow their attendance. I believe that the Rowdies need to reach 4,000 average attendance this season to be on the right track. I did take issue with one thing he said. He said that their 2011 average attendance was only a 'hundred' or so lower than 2010. Not so. It was off 800. I will give him that the 2011 attendance was more consistent. This FO needs to be able to sell out the opener and the Fourth game and get to 4,000 average.
Except that 2010's attendance included more ticket giveaways and more overblown attendance number reports. He is talking about actual butts in seats at Al Lang vs GSF in year one. The bright side about last year was definitely the fact that we consistently drew 3k ish. That is not a bad base to build from. It isn't fantastic by ANY means, but it is a start. Word is that season ticket sales are up a significant percent over last year and I expect attendance in general to improve. Regarding having funding for a stadium, this ownership group has claimed that they were ready to build back before the 2010 season but once their plans were shot down by NIMBYS and blue hairs, they backed off. I don't doubt they can fund a division two caliber SSS. It was probably alot easier at their originally chosen location since they owned the land already. Now it is just up in the air. Glad they realize that a downtown stadium is ideal, but which downtown?
I disagree. I do think money is a problem. They may be able to scrape up the dough for the stadium, but not the land and the associated costs (roads, sewer, etc). Downtown property doesn't come cheap. It would almost need to be free or the current group will have to find additional funding.
I didn't say money wasn't a problem. Obviously it is more so if they try to build downtown vs somewhere in the burbs like on the tomato patch as previously planned. Especially since they already own that land. I just think they could pull it off, but you have a point about maybe needing outside help. And getting outside help is alot easier if your team is drawing at least a grand or two more fans than it currently does.
