Who loves the Sounders?

[BlueLightning]

We do!
Who loves the Sounders? We do!
Who loves the Sounders? We do!
Oh, Sounders we love you!

[YTFC]

Who loves the Sounders?

A lot fewer people than did in 1994. And a hell of a lot fewer than did in the early 1980s.

And I think that's a shame. A great team this year, a very soccer-savvy region, and they can only pull in a few thousand every game. One has to wonder about the folks in charge...

[Throwins]

Originally posted by BlueLightning
We do!
Who loves the Sounders? We do!
Who loves the Sounders? We do!
Oh, Sounders we love you!

Being a typical frontrunner I got off the bandwagon after they lost last night and fell all the way to 22-3!!

[GMan Eric]

Well, I wouldn't place it totally on the management this time. What we've got this year is a lot better than the regime in place the two or three seasons before.

The thing is, Memorial has become much more of an issue than the management or anything else. I think a lot of people have got such a complex with it that "we play on a crap pitch, therefore I'm not going to go to the match". We could be playing in MLS at Memorial and it probably wouldn't make a difference. It's more a "protest" against playing on astrocrap than it is disinterest in the team, IMHO. There's people that still follow the team and participate a lot on the mailing list but can't be bothered to turn up at Memorial.

There's nothing that can be done about it for this year, but it is management's task to find a way to correct it next year, whether that be playing at Seahawk Stadium or pressuring SSD to *finally* get off their ass, keep their promise, and get that FieldTurf into Memorial. Or plan C to be named later.

Actually, someone on the Sounder mailing list had called the Sounders office about playoff tickets and had been told that the Seahawk Stadium in 2003 is a done deal. I found that a bit premature given there's been no formal announcement, but it is interesting nonetheless.

[RonS]

I don't think 2003 at Seahawks Stadium is a done deal yet. The Sounders management seem very interested in estimating what the attendance would be. I should think that they'd be reluctant to increase expenses is it wasn't at least equalled by an increase in revenue.

As for attendance, we're seeing 2 to 3 kilobutts (kb) at Memorial Stadium. We got 25.5 kb for the one-of-a-kind Seahawks Stadium opener. My guess is that we'd see 6 kb on a regular basis at Seahawks Stadium in 2003, assuming a substantial increase in advertising. But that's just my guess.

[TheMutts]

I am looking forward to more of Blue Lightings insightful posts.

[fanmaster]

I will bet that the new stadium is high dollar to rent, I was told that last year they got $8,000 for Mike Rose in Memphis and this year it is down to $2,000. I have to think last year was a lie since the W-League season was over before the stadium opened, and who the heck else is going to pay that kind of money? So anyway how much?????

[pugetsoundmls]

Not that there's nothing left to accomplish during the regular season, but I'm really looking forward to the playoffs.

So MLS says maybe '04 might be an expansion year. It's not symmetry, but with luck the club might have some type of marketing opportunity with these years...

1974
1994
2004 ?

Anyone know if there are yearly attendance records kept for A-League teams and where one could find them? I understand such figures are sketchy at best. I'm just curious as to what the Sounders avg attendance has been throughout the years and how it compares with the A-League avg.

[GMan Eric]

The commemorative program/team guide thingy that was given to season ticket holders and was on sale at the Vancouver match has all that attendance stuff per year. Don't have it in front of me right now, but 1994 was like 6500 a game, 1995 was about 4500, then in the mid 3K's until 1999's ill fated move to Renton Stadium when it dropped to 2500, 2000 was about the same back in Memorial, and last year was 2000. This year I think its about 2500 if you throw out the match in Seahawk Stadium, which is probably about 9th or so in the league as a guesstimate.

The early years, we were among the leaders, in recent years has hovered just above the A-League average.

[Throwins]

You have to keep in mind that in 94 there was only the A-league which at that time was the "highest" league around. Perception is everything.

[BlueLightning]

Originally posted by TheMutts
I am looking forward to more of Blue Lightings insightful posts. You and the rest of BigSoccer, pal! :p

[RhinosBoy21]

I just wonder how could anyone have 21551 posts? Must be a real good skill.

[pugetsoundmls]

Thanks for the info GMan and '94-'95 duly noted Throwins.

[Delta Blues]

Originally posted by fanmaster
I will bet that the new stadium is high dollar to rent, I was told that last year they got $8,000 for Mike Rose in Memphis and this year it is down to $2,000. I have to think last year was a lie since the W-League season was over before the stadium opened, and who the heck else is going to pay that kind of money? So anyway how much?????

One would think that the Sounders might get better treatment than some other large stadium tenants. There's still the issue of the perceived bait-and-switch job the Washington State soccer fans got with the new stadium. It seems that First & Goal is trying to at least publicly appear to still be soccer friendly, and I think the Sounders will get about as sweetheart of a deal as could be possible to play in Seahawk Stadium. Just a hunch.

[tagosti]

Originally posted by pugetsoundmls
Anyone know if there are yearly attendance records kept for A-League teams and where one could find them? I understand such figures are sketchy at best. I'm just curious as to what the Sounders avg attendance has been throughout the years and how it compares with the A-League avg.

Here is a start, thanks to the TimberLog site (Portland)

http://www.users.qwest.net/~dallen3/AttendanceHistory.html

[pugetsoundmls]

Interesting. Thanks.

[RonS]

Informative article from the South County Journal, "Sounders to Hawks stadium? Maybe":

http://seattlepitch.tripod.com/news/2002aug21stadiums.html

Anybody who loves the Sounders had better visit the official web site and fill in their form saying that you are interested in season tickets in Seahawks Stadium for 2003. If they don't get at least 1,000, it is unlikely to happen. They're about halfway there now.

[tcmahoney]

Originally posted by RonS
Informative article from the South County Journal, "Sounders to Hawks stadium? Maybe":

http://seattlepitch.tripod.com/news/2002aug21stadiums.html

Anybody who loves the Sounders had better visit the official web site and fill in their form saying that you are interested in season tickets in Seahawks Stadium for 2003. If they don't get at least 1,000, it is unlikely to happen. They're about halfway there now.

Done and done.

http://www.seattlesounders.net/

[kenntomasch]

I've got some historical A-League attendance data (I know, what are the chances, right?) and will post it when I find where I put it.

[BlueLightning]

Originally posted by RhinosBoy21
I just wonder how could anyone have 21551 posts? Must be a real good skill. Having been around these parts for nearly three years tends to help.