Bethlehem Steel FC Catch-All [R]

I don't think enough people attend to make it worth putting that much money into the field. I always thought it should just be in Chester or Philly

 

Well it’s not like the Union put effort into getting people out to watch games out there, they barely can barely do that down here... they never really cared if they were successful outside of development in Bethlehem. I agree it should have been down here from the start.

The lighting requirement for USL teams has been around AT LEAST since 2016... it’s not coming as a surprise to the Union, they just don’t want the team up there... which is fine, but the facade they put on just rubs me the wrong way, and if they had owners with money they definitely could have put some effort into making The Lehigh Valley work... it’s a combo of cheapness and never really being committed to the market.

Can chalk this up to Nick Sak remnants if we want, but the owner is still the same... more egg on the face of Sugardaddy.

 

Even when he does something right.............he still gets it wrong.............

Steel should play at one of the local Universities (Nova, West Chester, Arcadia, Drexel). Here's a thought, the Union should partner with Temple, Drexel, or Penn, and the School District of Philly and help build a small soccer stadium in the City. It would be good all around. It would help grow the game, be good PR for the Union, and help grow interest in the Union. Outside of Steel games, they could host High School and College soccer, football and LAX games there.

It makes way too much sense..............so it'll NEVER happen.

 

If you recall they wanted to pull it from Bethlehem before the start of the season, but didn't for some reason or another. Probably too short notice etc. It never made sense to me that the team trains in Chester but travels all the way to Bethlehem for games. I think they thought they could maybe squeeze a few extra bucks out of it, but realized they are losing money.

They can't afford to build a whole stadium, who you kidding? they should just put some bleachers around the practice fields

 

I said PARTNER. Never said they'd actually pay for an entire stadium.............

 

This is definitely what will happen... bleachers around a practice field and they will self relegated to D3 once there are more regional opponents and they can cut back their travel costs.

 

Not sure this can happen unless the Union invest in the USL required lights around the practice fields.

But wasn't Steel practicing in Chester most days anyway? Not sure where the players lived, but the Bethlehem-Chester commute isn't the most efficient.

 

Yes, the team only went up to Bethlehem for game days and any team related promotions. The team was essentially based in Chester already.

Selfishly this move is good for me, as I crave watching more inexpensive live soccer, and Bethlehem was too far for me.

 

Union better be careful they don't suck off first team season ticket holders with this move. Next year I might be tempted to switch to paying for a team that can actually win a playoff game. If I'm going to Chester anyway might as well follow a team doing well and with some ambition and coaching. Can always get tickets off StubHub if I want to see a favorite player from an away MLS team play the Union...

 

Maybe the current senior team will self-relegate and stay in Chester, rebranded as Chester City FC, and a new senior team that is on par with the 'haves' of MLS will relocate to Temple's new on-campus stadium that can be designed to accomodate both soccer and American football.

I predict they will include free admission to all Steel games for Union STH's.

 

The requirements for a USL stadium and the cost of rent take Drexel, Penn and Temple out of the running. I'm not sure if Nova's football stadium would qualify or not. I think you need 5000 seats in addition to the locker room facilities and lights.

 

Widener's football stadium seats 4,000 and has lights, albeit on a turf field. If the requirements are 5,000 seats and lights, maybe Sugarman will buy Widener some aluminum bleachers to make up the difference for a break on the rent.

Missed that...thanks!

 

How about Rowan University? Not sure how many seats in their soccer stadium, but the Football Stadium does hold 5000.

 

I feel like if you are a uni big enough to have the facilities its probably too small an event (maybe 3k at best ) to want to deal with it. Also it's not like the unions stadium gets a lot of use anyway.

 

Tell that to Ale Bedoya

 

Why would the Union pay to play somewhere in the Philly area when the team has a perfectly good stadium that it can use for no (little?) cost in Chester?

 

I would imagine the cost of opening TES rivals the rent on smaller venues.

 

I think that we'll see a fair amount of double-headers next season.

 

WIDENER University?....

 

I totally get this thinking and used to think they same way. Then I was at a rehab hospital while my dad was recovering from a stroke, and my perspective on brain injuries changed. There was a young woman going through physical and occupationally therapy who if you closed your eyes you'd think she was 2-3 years old. She was in her early-mid twenties though.

I understand that TT does get a little preachy, but he deals with the after effects of repeated concussions everyday. We've all seen the serious after effects that concussions & head injuries can have (Chris Benoit, Junior Seau,etc.).

Even if TT gets annoying when he talks/preaches about concussions and the effects they have, he's bringing awareness to an issue that still isn't fully understood, or taken as seriously as it should be.

*stepping off the soap box*