I will be reporting on Canadian Premier League attendance through the year. Will post updates each Monday. This will be the weekly format. pic.twitter.com/wSP8P9mz1w— Leonardo (@Leonard_FC) May 3, 2019 As we speak, Halifax is sold out at 6200 fans.
There has been many negative feedback on the logistics at Spruce Meadows. Some said that they missed half the game as the traffic near the stadium was insane, lots of people gave up and went home, finding parking was nightmarish. The team really needs to fix this and their tickets are overpriced in my opinion
I went to the game and they are doing construction on highway 22x which caused all the issues...City of Calgary isn't gonna stop the construction but maybe they can work together on certain game days...nobody around us was complaining about the issues as pretty much most people know about the ongoing construction that is occurring.
Cavalry posted this on Facebook Thank you to our amazing fans for the overwhelming support and enthusiasm for our very first match this past Saturday. Together, we are learning, growing, listening, and jumping into the amazing world of professional soccer with you—along with that comes its own set of “firsts”. We are very aware of the traffic congestion and parking issues encountered by many on Saturday. We promise you, we are working towards a better experience going forward. This is also true for many areas of our game day operations. Measures have been put in place, starting with Wednesday’s match against Valour FC, to improve your journey to and from game. Hopefully a second victory in this inaugural season is in order as well! #RideWithUs #CavsFC #CavalryFC #SpruceMeadows
I've talked to a lot of Cavalry fans who are upset. They don't blame the city for construction, they blame the club for a whole host of problems, most notably the parking fiasco, which Spruce Meadows can control. As a former Eddies season ticket holder, I can say with confidence that teams only get one shot at a first impression. It's imperative to to knock it out of the park from day one to build a buzz in the city. It's next to impossible to build a fanbase after negative experiences. This game day mess, along with already sky high ticket prices is a textbook example of what not to do when building a club. Shockingly bad business for a club that is so good on the actual playing side.
Was on CBC as well 📰 | https://t.co/ddYoPb2Gy7 | #CanPL | Parking woes dampen some fans' excitement at Cavalry FC's 1st game— CanPL FC 🇨🇦⚽ (@CanPL_FC) May 6, 2019 What a shame...That club was fantastic on Saturday.
Revised CPL Week 2 Attendance Report (to reflect League # change for Valour FC from 9699, and League posted # for Cavalry FC of 3486) : pic.twitter.com/1oRPmi5pWZ— Leonardo (@Leonard_FC) May 7, 2019
Supporters groups told the Calvary President in meetings prior to the start of the season that pricing was crazy. He told them it wasn't changing.
I wonder if the increased cost can offset the low ticket sales. Maybe it is viable for them, just doesn't look encouraging.
Better tracking tool Week 2 #CanPL Attendance Tracker. Nearly 10,000 in Winnipeg, full house in Halifax, and traffic issues hamper Cavalry's home opener. pic.twitter.com/8U1GFi1qfg— Bespoke FC (@Bespoke_FC) May 9, 2019
I'm not sure that is the best option at this point? They need to grow the fanbase and get them used to coming to games. Pricing out potential fans at this early stage can be very detrimental and can be unrecoverable.
I agree. I'd rather have 5000 fans at $25 than 2500 fans at $50. The atmosphere is better and you also sell more drinks, shirts, and hot dogs. It's also easier to get media attention when you have larger numbers which can lead to even larger numbers.