Major Kudos

Awesome, thanks for the kudos! Much appreciated! We do our best and work hard towards maintaining an Ultra style atmosphere so it's good to get noticed for it.

Also, yes we do have a capo, which is why our chants are so organized.

 

Thanks for your comments...it's been a long road back for SJ, and there's still plenty of soccer to go but it's fantastic to have a team, led by Wondo, that battles for the full 90 and never gives up.

Dallas played well Wed and very nearly grabbed another point, and, you played us to a good 0-0 draw down there just recently. Dallas is better than the standings right now would suggest.

 

Thanks for the kind words.

The capo for the 1906 Ultras is Dan Margarit, and he's tremendous. If there was a league-wide award for most valuable fan, he would earn it every year.

I had a view from mid-field and the Ultras were in great form Wednesday evening. The Ultras' traditional long stretches of second half melodic, worldless rythyms while the Quakes' were methodically killing clock was like a Grateful Dead "Dark Star" jam, completely attuned to the moment of the game. There was a crescendo of energy and noise before Wondo's first PK attempt. And then toward the end of the game in (premature, as it turned out) anticipation of victory, they did a Conga line. In short, the Ultras made the game like an opera. They are brilliantly unique and irreverant.

 

Thank you. I hope you'll continue to get your injured players back , be more like your old selves, and perhaps help us keep the Gals out of the playoffs!!

 

Paladius - thanks for the generous comments. I don't know if you could tell on TV, but Dallas actually played very well. Comparing them to RSL, who the Quakes played in their previous match, was like night and day. Dallas showed speed and intensity, and until he seemed to get tired late in the match, Ferreira brought a lot of class. I was also impressed with DeGuzman - still don't think he should be a DP, but he partnered well with Ferreira. Pertuz and Hedges looked good, I think you are set at central defender even if Ihemelu and John don't come back.

As for the atmosphere Wed night, I was also very impressed with the SJ Supporters, and the crowd in general. It was by far the best midweek environment I have seen in San Jose the past couple of years.

 

Unfortunatelly, you will probably not see the 1906 Ultras, the group that you referred to in your post, at the new stadium. They are very liked and appreciated by the players, coaches, other fellow Quakes fans, even rival supporters like yourself, but the Front Office does not want them at the new stadium. That stadium will not be supporter group friendly, at least not for a fairly large, fast growing group like the Ultras. The Quakes will probably be the only team in the league without a supporter group, unless the Front Office will create their own supporter group in the ridiculously small area labeled "supporter terraces".

 

Really, we won't be seeing you anymore? You guys have been rockin' it this year.

You may need to change the following songs then:

I have the heart of an Ultra​

The Blue and the Black in my veins​

And I will forever support you​

I’m Quakes for the rest of my days​

​

and......​

​

We are the faithful
We are your crew
Wherever you go
We’ll be there too
For San Jose
We will stay true
Earthquakes forever
We bleed black and blue


For christsakes! Just take over the section above you!

 

I am not sure what the Ultras' strategy is, but I know from credible sources that the FO does not want them at the new stadium. It's not the Ultras not wanting to go there. They were very vocal and fought hard for the stadium to be built, so I doubt they ever thought of boycotting the new venue. But if they are not wanted in there, it will be hard to get in. Your idea sounds good, but I would imagine the FO will not allow any standing or any supporter like activities in the seats sections above, and in that case the ultras who get tickets there will be screwed.

 

You do realize you're not confined to the "supporters terrace" right? Keep expanding the group and they'll give you guys the entire section above you and beyond. Also if they didn't want you guys in the new stadium, wouldn't they just stop working with you now?

 

That's the plan.

The issue, as I alluded to in an earlier post in another thread, is the ability to sell out the section above with Ultras-worthy candidates. This depends on the manner and timetable with which the Quakes sell that portion of the "upper deck." As I suggested, a highly-coordinated sales campaign between the Quakes FO and the Ultras is needed.

The coordinated campaign should make clear that seats above the Ultras' terraces are being reserved for Ultras expansion and are not sold to proverbial "soccer moms" on a first-come-first-served basis.

If desired, the Quakes can indiscriminately sell-out their ENTIRE new stadium by Christmas 2012. But that could destroy the incipient supporters culture, here. A little more time and thoughtfulness about the sales in the particular area of the U sector is a better long-term strategy.

How seats are sold by the team has a dramatic impact on stadium atmosphere. In Portland, for example, there is a 5,000 seat general admission area, but the Timbers Army are currently at odds with their front office, which would like to carve away a portion and make it reserved seating (probably because they can sell these seats at a higher premium). The Timbers Army is concerned that this will dramatically and negatively impact things in their sections. In the short-term, the idea may benefit the Timbers' bottom line, but in the long term, if it stunts the supporters culture there, it will cripple the club's viability.

 

And replace us with what ? Casbah ?

The FO knows that the Ultras are a + when it comes to assets to the seat sales in the stadium. But as soon as the FO has a replacement for the Ultras , believe me, we are as good as gone

 

Sadly "Highly-coordinated" is too big of a word for our FO.

Please don't get me wrong, Kaval is doing an awesome job...but it is so much room for improvement

 

As you say, what would they replace you with? The Ultras are irreplaceable and the FO seems to know that, at least publicly. Nothing they can create in house would come close. Not sure why you guys have such a big chip on your shoulder or are so cynical with regard to the FO. Just looking around MLS the Ultras seem to be given more autonomy, exposure, leeway and access by the FO than just about any group outside of Portland and Seattle's groups.

It's not like our FO is the Rapids FO keeping "files" on you guys and permanently ejecting your members from the stadium for nonsense reasons.

 

From the outside it does look like the FO is working with the Ultras. Previously there was no talk of a dedicated supporters section, from the renderings it looked like the club or patio seats would be behind the horseshoe end of the stadium. The latest drawing shows a terraced section at field level that holds about twice the current number of Ultras that normally attend games. I also heard the FO was thinking about letting the Ultras have control over the electronic ad-boards at that end of the stadium.
Imo the problem is the design of the stadium is what is causing the issue. It looks like the lower and upper tier can't be tied together that easily, so the Ultras are getting crammed lengthwise at field level across the end line. Obviously the Ultras feel their numbers will swell with a new stadium and not all will fit in the dedicated section and may end up mingled with fans that might not necessarily be thrilled to be in a de facto supporters section. I also can see the Ultras point that tifo will not be as effective if it can only be done in a long, narrow band.

 

The Ultras are replaceable, but it is up to us as a group with our work and with the purchase of ST that will make it harder on the FO to replace us.

Regarding the "keeping files", I personaly won't be surprised if they do.

Nonsense reasons: oh boy, if you only knew what I know

 

Let those that "won't be thrilled" worry about that. They'll either join in with the Ultras or figure it out and move to a different section just as what happened in the Ultras current section and in parts of 108. My friend used to have her seasons right on the aisle in 108 near 109, got tired of the Ultras blocking her view, and she moved between 09 and 2010 to a different section. End of story.

 

Based on?

As for being replaceable, I think you sell yourselves short if you think that. Sure expanding the group makes you even more irreplaceable, but you're already pretty damn integral to Quakes gamedays as it is. Kaval for one doesn't seem to have any problems with you guys publicly and seems to be very complimentary. So unless there's something going on behind the scenes that no one is telling us about driving this cynicism I'm not seeing a reason for it.

 

I think the Ultras want the issue handled before it becomes a problem, but, apparently are not making the progress they want with the FO at this time.

 

It's the other way around. Section 109 can hold 800+ people, while the new terraced section only 450.

@Athletics: The FO needs the Ultras now, because they buy a good amount of tickets and also their image can be used in promo materials. The new stadium will attract fans itself, at least at the beginning, therefore, the FO does not see much use for the Ultras there. Soccer specific atmosphere is not something that the FO needs at the new stadium. It's all about tickets sold and $$$ in general.

 

This is so messed up! I did'nt know anything about this Ultras situation untill just now. That's no way to treat you're loyal fans, many of whom attended the town hall meetings to show there support at the various stages of trying to get the stadium deal secured.

 

I know section 109 can hold more, I was just pointing out that on the average there currently appears to be about 200 or so in attendance.

 

Thanks a lot. Its nice to see other fans around the league appreciate us. I was complaining how hardly anyone across MLS never seems to give any of the Quakes and their fans any credit. Not sure what will happen in the future with this team but for this year anyway, they seem to own the league. This is something I have seen in a long while. I was at Buck Shaw last Saturday night against RSL (5-0) and the place was just electric. Couldn't believe there were only 11,000 fans because it seemed like 20k with all the noise.

As far is Dallas is concerned, I think they played the Quakes tough and should have at least tied. Tough luck for them on the pk but aside from that, if I were Schellas Hyndman, I'd trade Brek Shea right now for what he did on the sidelines. That is a disgrace for any player at any age. Wishing your Dallas team well the rest of the year.

 

It's not messed up yet.

I'm confident that if both the Ultras and FO understand the issues and plan to address them in the next several weeks, things will work out fine. But these issues require detailed attention. And, in my view, getting things right on this front is critically important to the future success of the team.

 

I think you overestimate the value of a new stadium without the help of established supporters. KC has been a success in part because of the Cauldron. Other teams who I won't belittle by pointing out have moved into new stadiums without supporter support and have not done half as well. Our FO wants to be successful like PDX, SEA, KC, etc... and that takes supporters, not just the gleam of a new stadium/team. They know that, the Ultras and FO just need to work out the details.