Phoenix FC stadium thread

Maybe a new soccer specific stadium... built with public funds.

 

U of P or SDS would blow my mind, because it would make no sense, financially, unless the deal of the century had been struck.

A new, purpose-built stadium would be hard-pressed to be built by next March.

 

I know and I know, but can you think of a feasible solution that would blow your mind?

 

Does SDS mean the football or soccer stadium?

Sun Devil football stadium wouldn't make any sense as they are adding a roof and upgrading it after this season. ASU football needs to find a place to play for a season or two.

Sun Devil Soccer Stadium would be great, but not sure it is 'mind-blowing'. It would be mind-blowing if they worked out a sustainable deal like Kenn said.

UoP is a great facility, but it would be sad seeing it at less than 1/10th of its capacity.

I'm guessing that Devon is just being overly optimistic; It's his personality. I'm hoping for another surprise like Sun Devil Soccer stadium was. Hopefully it will work out better in the end though.

 

Either of those would be a tragedy.

 

SDS would be Sun Devil Stadium. SDSS would be Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.

Did they finalize that? I knew they were going to do it, I just didn't know if they had actually figured out how to pay for it and what the timeline would be. But, yes, the football team would be displaced while they do that, and they were supposed to play at Chase Field, which Derrick Hall said was news to him after Dr. Crow made the announcement.

A reasonable deal for Sun Devil Soccer Stadium would be terrific - in its expanded capacity. I loved that whole thing when all the seats were in, and I'd buy season tickets if they were back there.

Even that's optimistic. 1/10th of 63,400 is 6,340. More like 1/20th, maybe.

U of P was good when the US women played there and drew 17k or whatever it was for Sweden. The 11k to watch Ireland sleepwalk through that friendly was not so good.

If the finances could be made to work and all the seats would be put in, the stadium situation itself would be ideal.

Of course, wherever they play, they have to have an actual plan to sell tickets that involves more than "Whoever comes to the website and clicks, we'll sell them tickets."

 

Perhaps his mind is easily blown?

Whatever they do, I hope they do it right. They need a stadium deal where they can break even at around 1500 fans. And as Kenn keeps telling us, they need to market the hell out of the team. Should be dead obvious, but evidently, it's not. And I'm a little surprised that Kenn is saying he'd consider buying season tickets again. Good on you Kenn! Way to support the local side. I'm just surprise that you (and or other fans) aren't thinking once bitten twice shy.

 

I cannot imagine a stadium deal where they can break even at 1500. Not and still spend the resources necessary to sell and market. Harrisburg and Charlotte have been able to do it, but I don't believe that's going to fly here.

I didn't buy season tickets last year because I figured they would be a train wreck and I had no desire to go to games in July and August. But I liked the seats I bought three times so much that if they had the stadium in the full configuration and I could get those seats again, I would consider season tickets. My son has one more summer at ASU and he and I go to games together and the heat was not as bad as I thought it would be. It doesn't have anything to do with supporting the local side. It has to do with the seats I had and the experience of connecting with my son through soccer one more time before he goes off into the world being compelling factors for me.

But if it's bleachers at Hoy Stadium or Phoenix Muni or something, all bets are off. I'll go to games, but it's totally a caveat emptor situation with this group when it comes to 2014.

 

I think it's Devon trying to keep morale up. A bit of hyperbole. Nothing could be that amazing unless major money is taking over the club.

Some of us were told that there's "interest" to host the club from Phoenix and Peoria and "some interest" from Mesa. Baseball parks are absolutely in play. I've never been to Peoria Sports Complex but I hear it's an impressive place. I was on their radar the first go around.

 

It's okay, it's a 20-year-old spring training park. Apparently they are doing reno work there per the Padres/Mariners' lease and that's why there's no AZ Fall League there this year.

Peoria's fine, though there will be a whole lot of people who won't trek there, I think. Muni would seem to be the best place - renovations aside - given its location. But, whatever.

 

That's the last I heard. I assumed they were still trying to redo the stadium, and were just looking for a place to play instead. You'd know better than me.

The 30% discount on 2014 season tickets they offered to STH's helps with that. Even then, I'm hesitant to buy season tickets if they are playing in a baseball stadium a stones throw from Sun City. It's not just me being an East Valley snob either. It just isn't practical to get out there by 7 or so on the weekdays.

 

The actual Sun City stadium got torn down a long time ago.

 

No, I know they want to re-do Sun Devil Stadium. I just was not aware they had finalized the actual timeline (2014, 2015, whatever). Or if they have yet. I do not know.

Also, Matt was referring to Peoria, a "stone's throw from Sun City," not "at the actual stadium in Sun City. " (Was that where the Sun City Rays of the late, lamented Senior Professional Baseball Association played?)

 

You could rule out Glendale on that one.

 

Well that's a good deal for STH's, and well done by PFC.

I wouldn't expect anyone to buy season tickets who couldn't go to the games. Is there any chance of smaller number of game tickets, like a set of six or something? (I was once able to buy a "six pack" that counted as season tickets.)

So, it sounds like Phoenix FC will be back next season (won't hold my breath), which on the whole is good. But they sure have to do better than this season. Good luck Phoenix fans.

 

There is no "actual stadium in Sun City" anymore. The one where the Brewers played Spring Training before moving to Chandler has been long since removed. I think that was where the Rays played, along with, I believe, the Arizona Fall League's Sun Cities Solar Sox for a year or two.

Anyways, I digress.

 

I know. You said that. But Matt wasn't referring to it anyway.

 

Considering how STHs got screwed over all season, yeah.

You sure seem to need to know the answers to a lot of arcane questions that can't possibly be answered on September 4.

Yes, it does, yes, it is, and yes, they will.[/quote][/quote]

 

Yes, having screwed the STH's this discount is a good move.

I don't need to know anything. I'm just curious. Mostly, I hope that USLPro continues to grow and thrive. The cluster ******** that was Phoenix FC this season is not good for ULSPro, nor for the fans. I'm just thinking about my own experiences with pro soccer teams and hoping that Phoenix FC is not wildly dissimilar from other teams. (Clearly, they are not nearly as well run as the USL Portland Timbers were.)

On the USLPro growth front, I think the new Sacramento Republic FC team should be reasonably well run. The guys behind that effort already own a minor league baseball team in Sacramento, so I think they probably have a good idea what they are doing. I don't know spit about the team in Oklahoma City. But I hope to see a well run team there. I hope that VSI Tampa Bay get their shit together too. At least they have cash.

Good luck to you, Phoenix FC, and the fans.

 

Latest rumor is Maryvale.

Which is actually in the city of Phoenix, not terribly out of the way for most folks and is a nice stadium. It's still a baseball stadium, but I've been there, it's nice.

 

I worked on a Maryvale Community Development Project 5-6 years ago. The stadium is nice. The hope was it would help revitalize the community. Not sure how that has worked out. I'm not sure all of what is over there in terms of bars and restaurants, but I doubt there is much. I did notice a Walmart very close by, so there is that. It's also not the best part of town, but its not like I'm going to be walking around the area much, if at all. It's a little closer for me than Peoria Sports Complex (25-30 mins. vs. 35-40 mins.) and every little bit helps.

How do they usually put a soccer field on a baseball? With the 1st base line as the sideline? Or try to place it across the outfield?

 

There are a few theories.

The first year Tampa Bay did it, they went (largely) across the outfield, leaving a piece of the infield along one touchline. It made for a short field.



When they first went across the Bay, they went up the first base line:



This year they switched and run it the other way, up the third base line (they do sod over the infield, though you can see vestiges of it).



Maryvale's outfield wall is slightly irregularly shaped (at least in left and left center). You could run it out towards right, at least it gives you more length (supposedly it's 340 to right, which might get you a 110-115 yard field, maybe, depending).

 

Thanks for posting the pictures. It actually looks good, especially with the grass over the infield. I don't like how far the stands are form the field (see the 2nd picture). The way the baseball stadiums are shaped (the less than 90 degree corner) means there is no way to eliminate that though.

 

Right. And all the seats are angled toward home plate, which is slightly problematic.

If they're going to try to cut costs, though, they probably won't sod over the infield. That's not inexpensive to do or maintain.