Sounders Crowds

[ossieend]

I remember the Sounders from the seventies, 'I'm a Derby fan and some of our players played for Seattle'. I was wondering what sort of crowds you get for USL games now and what crowds you used to get in N.A.S.L.? Surely the city's soccer tradition should stand it in good stead to be given a M.L.S. place? or are Sounders fan's generally happier to be playing in a less money dominated league?

[YTFC]

I can remember Alan Hinton, Roger Davies, and Jeff Bourne from the 70s-80s. IIRC, all were former players at Derby.

Today, it's pretty sad. Sounders average crowds around 3000 in a 67000 seat stadium. I think the bulk of the 20000+ that used to come to the Kingdome must have died, become baseball fans (during the NASL Sounders heyday, the baseball team was crap), or are generally disillusioned with the nature of club management and second division football. Unfortunate, in that the irony is that most of the players are home-grown and the standard of play isn't that bad.

Getting into MLS means buying a franchise and nobody with sufficiently deep pockets have come forward.

[ossieend]

Yep, I've actually seen the stadium on a web-site and it's far too big for crowds that size. It's a pity you can't get a nice intimate little ground which would keep the atmosphere in and make the 3000 seem bigger. Funnily enough that may have the effect of increasing crowds, it's always more fun when you're close to the action almost on the pitch, much better than rattling around a megabowl.

[sounderfan]

Yep, I've actually seen the stadium on a web-site and it's far too big for crowds that size. It's a pity you can't get a nice intimate little ground which would keep the atmosphere in and make the 3000 seem bigger. Funnily enough that may have the effect of increasing crowds, it's always more fun when you're close to the action almost on the pitch, much better than rattling around a megabowl.

Please email our owner with these sentiments! ;)

We get "free rent" at Qwest Field...and the location is great (right downtown) but I'd still prefer if we built a second stand and played here...

http://www.soundercentral.com/2004season/Tryouts/starfire-1.jpg

Our training ground holds 2,000. A stand on the other side and some bleachers in the endzone would make a nifty little Second-division park.

We play there in preseason...
http://soundercentral.com/museum/Liga%20Hispana%202004/sounders_la_liga_2004.htm

Or the occasional charity match:
http://soundercentral.com/gallery/January-21%2C-2005-Charity-Match

Training Gallery:
http://soundercentral.com/gallery/2005-Seattle-Sounders-Open-Tryouts?page=1

http://www.StarfireSports.com

[ossieend]

Looks great to me. I'll check out the links later, shopping time!

[ossieend]

I've looked at the photos and the stadium has more than a little potential. True it needs a bigger capacity before it hosts games even at the club's present level, but the attatched indoor centre is another major plus point. I'm impressed by the crowds for what are effectively non-competitive games. I'm also greatly impressed by what I see of the youth coaching set-up. There must be a great chance of an MLS place for Seattle I just hope it's with this club and not some out of town franchise.

[sounderfan]

Here are a few more pics to ponder...

Pic #1: 25,000 fans at new stadium opener, 2002

http://www.brianduhon.com/2002-07-28/pict058.jpg

Pic #2: 7,500 fans at US Open Cup match v. LA Galaxy

http://soundercentral.com/CupCrowd-1.jpeg

Pic #3: 2,000 fans at 2004 Home Opener

http://soundercentral.com/museum/2004/HomeOpener/fansovertime.jpg

Qwest Field is a very nice, ultra-modern venue with a great location. Intimacy and lack of advanced ticket-demand are the issues.

[Throwins]

Probably the best bet is Marymoor park, plenty of room other fields around. There is a potential financing mechanism whereby the stadium gets built close to the 520 freeway generates naming right revenues that pay for the stadium. At the present time 6000 seats is the maximum until the freeway modifications get done.

[ossieend]

Throwins, Sorry I don't quite understand, is there a stadium at this park or is it still to be built? Oh, there's a thread on the MLS board about a south-east expansion team and one of the posters seems confident that Seattle will get a place in the league in the next couple of years.

[Throwins]

Throwins, Sorry I don't quite understand, is there a stadium at this park or is it still to be built? Oh, there's a thread on the MLS board about a south-east expansion team and one of the posters seems confident that Seattle will get a place in the league in the next couple of years.

It would have to be built. I'm not so sure that MLS is in Seattle's immediate future, nor am I sure it's the best solution either.