Joe Stoker
02 Jun 2006, 09:23 AM
Cleveland never had the pro crowds that once graced the Met, Giants Stadium (or even Downing), Tampa, or the Great Northwest, but recent turnouts indicate a steady rise in popularity and possibly a big change in the culture around these parts.
In the 1960s, there was plenty of soccer being played in Cleveland, but ethnic loyalties were strict, hardly ever crossing lines in the sand. Some made their way to the Stadium when the Stokers appeared, but a squad heavily English and Latino was more appealing to cheap dates for the high school and college crowd rather than the majority involved in the sport as player or fan.
This past Friday, the crowd I experienced at Browns Stadium did not resemble the local soccer culture of the the 60s or 70s by a longshot. No knock against the former crowd at all... they kept a pulse going through the worst of times for the pro outdoor game here... but I believe the numbers indicate the tide has turned and it just might be that "the sleeping giant" (to quote Tribe president Gabe Paul of long ago) might be ready to fill an SSS for MLS.
Top 10 Cleveland soccer crowds, given what we've had to work with while other top markets enjoyed the Golden Years of NASL and the birth and growth of MLS:
1. 29,745 6/26/06 USMNT v. Venezuela, Browns Stadium
2. 20,842 7/25/03 Celtic v. Boca Juniors, " "
3. 16,492 5/21/94 USMNT v. Bayern Munich, Municipal Stadium
4. 16,205 7/10/68 Cleveland Stokers (NASL) v. Santos, Municipal Stadium
5. 14,119 9/01/76 Cosmos v. Dallas (exhibition), " "
6. 9793 5/31/67 Stoke (Stokers) v. Cagliari (Chicago), " "
7. 8514 7/01/67 Stoke (Stokers) v. Hibs (Toronto City), " "
8. 7675 7/12/75 Cleveland Cobras v. Poland Natl Team, " "
9. 6230 6/26/69 NASL All Stars v. Eintract Braunschweig, Byers Field
10. 6162 6/14/67 Stoke (Stokers) v. Aberdeen (Washington), Stadium
Unofficial, only according to what we've dug up thusfar, but you can see the dramatic change over a generation or two.
In the 1960s, there was plenty of soccer being played in Cleveland, but ethnic loyalties were strict, hardly ever crossing lines in the sand. Some made their way to the Stadium when the Stokers appeared, but a squad heavily English and Latino was more appealing to cheap dates for the high school and college crowd rather than the majority involved in the sport as player or fan.
This past Friday, the crowd I experienced at Browns Stadium did not resemble the local soccer culture of the the 60s or 70s by a longshot. No knock against the former crowd at all... they kept a pulse going through the worst of times for the pro outdoor game here... but I believe the numbers indicate the tide has turned and it just might be that "the sleeping giant" (to quote Tribe president Gabe Paul of long ago) might be ready to fill an SSS for MLS.
Top 10 Cleveland soccer crowds, given what we've had to work with while other top markets enjoyed the Golden Years of NASL and the birth and growth of MLS:
1. 29,745 6/26/06 USMNT v. Venezuela, Browns Stadium
2. 20,842 7/25/03 Celtic v. Boca Juniors, " "
3. 16,492 5/21/94 USMNT v. Bayern Munich, Municipal Stadium
4. 16,205 7/10/68 Cleveland Stokers (NASL) v. Santos, Municipal Stadium
5. 14,119 9/01/76 Cosmos v. Dallas (exhibition), " "
6. 9793 5/31/67 Stoke (Stokers) v. Cagliari (Chicago), " "
7. 8514 7/01/67 Stoke (Stokers) v. Hibs (Toronto City), " "
8. 7675 7/12/75 Cleveland Cobras v. Poland Natl Team, " "
9. 6230 6/26/69 NASL All Stars v. Eintract Braunschweig, Byers Field
10. 6162 6/14/67 Stoke (Stokers) v. Aberdeen (Washington), Stadium
Unofficial, only according to what we've dug up thusfar, but you can see the dramatic change over a generation or two.