This is fabulous. I would love to have "another Toronto" in the league. They'll need big crowds for that stadium though.
COngrats and great news when you consider that Beckham does not appear to be a factor here. Maybe this will get MLSE off their backsides and build TFC a couple of new stands to maintain our tag as the biggest club in MLS
thats a bit dangerous. you basically stop all walk up ticket sales if all of your sales are season tickets. no visitors section...no group sales. most successful teams cap the amount of season tickets so that other people can go to the game...thats how you build a fan base thats larger than capacity. TFC for example. 21,000 people can get into BMO. 16,500 season ticket holders. but thats the cap. there are over 10,000 people on the waiting list for these tickets.
The Sounders are already doing group sales, including *discounted* sales to traveling support. See other teams' forums. They will cut off at about 22,000, if it can reach that high, to accommodate more group sales and single-match sales. It does look like all matches may well be sold out, though, before March 19.
I've been very impressed with Toronto's ability to maintain their high season ticket base for 3 years running now (with a waiting list). The smaller stadium aids in that task for Toronto's FO. Isn't there a bigger risk at Seattle, in that huge football stadium, that it'll be much much harder to keep 20,000+ STH's year after year? Hopefully that won't be a problem but that's one area where having 20,000 seats may be preferable to Seattl having more (what is soccer capacity 28,000 ? )
As to risk, that is part of why they haven't just flung open the entire stadium. They are 'training' fans to understand there is actually a limited capacity in place. The large venue also allows for big-name friendlies that can do two things: 1. Attract crowds that fill the upper deck 2. Entice more season ticket holders to come on board. Right now all the best Sounders-Chelsea tickets are in the hands of season ticket holders.
are they keeping to 24,500 capacity or are they opening up the section above the supporters area? If they are then what is the capacity, 27k?
This is hilarious. 18 months ago, the brilliant minds of BS were saying Seattle couldn't sell 5000 tickets per game INCLUDING walk up. Now 20,000 season ticket holders is problematic? A core of 20,000 fans who are paid in full is a problem? I remember several of us who said 20,000 would be no problem and we were told we were crazy.
That is incredible! How much does the entire lower bowl (everything below the press boxes and upper deck) seat?
I think the fate of the Sonics really helped you guys out a lot as well. Which is a really good thing for the league.
Hopefully it isnt just a fad and they can keep up these numbers over the years because otherwise the thought of another huge NFL stadium with 13k a game is utterly depressing especially as league is finally getting out of the Meadowlands.
I thnk you might be exaggerating a little There's nothing but positive on here that I can see. Don' remembe anyone (maybe timbers fans) saying you'd be lucky to get 5,000.
It was pretty clear, pretty quick that Seattle was going to do well. I don't recall many people being dismissive of Seattle, but I appreciate that as a Seattle supporter you would be more tuned into negative comments. God knows I am with Toronto. Congratulations. Good luck dealing with the negativity that will result anytime you (gasp) express pride in the level of support you have. BigSoccer logic dictates that you must wait at least 12 years before you can claim that the support is legitimate. Your next challenge is to get that 20,000+ involved. We all hope you do and we will be watching on March 19 with interest. And you're going down April 4...
I do. It was part of the whole Qwest bashing saga prior to our being announced. There was even a poll thread filled with these dire predictions.
Assuming a now worst-case scenario of 20,000 in Seattle, and all other teams staying the same (which, with the current economy may be an optimistic choice), we'll come close to last year's 16,770 average. I'm tempted to say that MLS will buck all trends and expectations for this year and bet that we'll break 17,000. We're definitely going to fall short of 4 million total tickets, though. That will have to wait for 2010. But we'll blow right through that number *if*, with the addition of Philly and the opening of Red Bull Park (sure hope that matters), Miami also joins.