Should Portland set aside a Supporters Section solely for supporters (similar to Philadelphia)?

[pc4th]

Philadelphia front office sets aside 2000 seats at one end line for its supporters groups. This section will definitely sell out in 7-8 months time (1400+ already according to Z010 Union).

The Supporters Section will be filled with passionate soccer fans whose purpose will be to create an intimidating atmosphere for the opposition while cheering the team on to victory. In order to have access to seats in this area you are required to be a registered member of a Philadelphia Union supporters club. This section will stand, sing, and chant for all 90 minutes of the match. Please take this into consideration before choosing seats in this section.

Should Portland front office do the same at PGE Park come 2011?


FYI:
http://www.mlsphilly2010.com/images/mls/stadium_designs/medium/stadium_waterside.jpg
Capacity: 18,500
Season ticket cap: 15,000
Season tickets sold so far: 9,500

Distance from downtown Philadelphia: 21.6 miles
Travel time: 30 minutes (according to Google Map)

1,447,395 (city pop)
5,838,471 (metro pop)

[Utherhimo]

PTFC already has a supporters section....

[The Marquis]

PTFC already has a supporters section....

Right. So I guess the answer isn't that they should.... It's that they already have... for years.

[Bill Archer]

Each team handles this differently but basically Philly is hardly unique.

One method is to put the supporters groups in charge of selling the tickets for that section. You don't have to be a member necessarily but you do pretty much have to come by the supporter's tailgate at least. Lots of people just aren't joiners but are nonetheless an asset to the noise and commotion section.

In Crew Stadium you can't get entry into the Nordecke without showing an usher your ticket, but in reality people come and go all the time. For the Eastern Finals last year I took my son and two of his college teammates and never got anywhere near our seats. There were probably four thousand people in a two thousand seat section.

And that's cool, mostly. The important thing to me is not to get all exclusive and "we're the cool kids" and use tickets to force people to join and pay dues and get in lock step.

And if you're near a college campus, you want those guys to feel they can wander over and not be stuck sitting next to the Upper Yuppietown Soccer Club and their parents. If a casual wants to come by and join the fun, the only requirement should be that you show some passion, not a library card.

This is supposed to be soccer and it's supposed to be fun and if you start in with a bunch of rules and exclusives and us vs. you stuff it just ends up sucking.

You like rules, go work for the IRS. You want to sing and chant and scream like a lunatic for 90 minutes, come by the tailgate and someone will find a way to get you in.