I attended my first Rapids game, the San Jose Conference Final as a member of the Bulldog Supporters Group, and stood in the supporters terrace on that frigid night. One thing I noticed was it was very difficult to get a good view of the game. I'm tall, and even standing only 5-6 deep, my view kept getting obstructed by people waving arms, etc. Looking around, there was a group of shorter girls who had given up on the possibility of watching the game and had just gathered to chat. There were plainly a lot of people who had difficulty seeing the action. I talked to some folks about their viewing experience, and one girl said she just makes sure she pushes her way up to the front rail. Everyone's paid for a ticket and the experience, it'd be a shame if people started to drop out because they could never see what was going on. I plan to bring this up at the BSG in the offseason, but now I'll ask the larger community: Any suggestions for ways of organizing the terrace by height to improve people's ability to view the game?
The Bulldog Supporters Group & Pid Army are planning to joint exercise to poll what fans think of the terrace & to allow people to suggest ways to improve it. Watch this space!
Make sure this is also sent via email to people. Biggest problem that happens with any past group the Rapids have had... When you poll people shit needs to happen. It can't just be lip service
Great, thanks! I'll get the ball rolling here: Since they're terraces for, or at least dominated by specific supporters groups, each group could pre-organize the terrace arrangement at their departure points or the tailgate. Colored paper slips, say green, yellow, and red, meaning shorter, medium, and tall (think traffic light), and people would self-select the slip they wanted at the bar, and then certain rows, such as the first two steps could be designated green zones, the next two yellow, and the top two red. The rail area could be designated mixed, but with green folks getting the rail. There will be some mixed height couples & friends that will want to be able to stand together, etc. It would clearly be a voluntary system, but if it had widespread acceptance & promotion within the supporters group, it could work well. With enough support and education among the supporters, the slips wouldn't even be needed, but might be a good idea to for starting out the new system. I'd definitely like to see input from women of average height or less about their viewing experiences in the terraces.
Alternatively, half the terrace steps (right half) from lowest to highest could be designated by height, with the other half and rail area being mixed. This allows for more mixing of couples and groups on the steps, but those who are adamant about being certain they have a good line of sight will have a designated area. Then, when people file in, they won't have to rush for a good spot and hope taller people don't stand in front of them, etc. This is also a smaller area to begin the experiment in, and tweak it from there.
Two words. Won't happen. As much of a good idea it may be... Its nearly impossible to arrange that kind of coordination and acceptance within each groups terrace. For example, Im a tall guy 6ftish, Im not sacrificing my railing spot to someone who wants to see. Sorry aint happening. And I can shoot off a list of at least 25 other people who feel the same way. The section is a general admission section, and should be left as one. Members of both groups already have a lot to handle with coordinating already. If anything the terraces need to be designed better. For example, shorter thinner vertical platforms, and a much higher incline. The terrace only rises maybe 4.5 feet of the ground. Ain't high enough. More like this minus the hooliganism... Notice that that the second image each platform is raised about a half to full foot above the other. No they don't have an issue with height.
You're right, the grade between each step at DSG is really low, probably 8 inches. But seriously, if only 25% of the BSG terrace is voluntarily segregated by height, and 75% of the area is designated mixed, are you going to wander over and stand in front of people? It is general admission, and everyone should have the right enjoy the experience--after all they paid the same to get in. We might be blessed with height, but it's also nice to be courteous to our fellow supporter members. It would not surprise me at all if attendance dropped if this issue is not addressed. It's not fun for people who can't view the game adequately. And, subsequently, supporter group attendance may very well rise if the viewing experience is improved. As for your objection about the rail, that could be dropped, or just the first row along the right half of the rail designated a green area. I don't mind standing behind cute chicas Not gonna obstruct my view. I also don't think it would take much education & promotion among supporters' groups to pull off. There are lots of voluntary, but socially observed customs and traditions. Also, this was intended to get the ball rolling. Do you have any suggestions?
^^^ No, I understand what your saying. And not disagreeing that it isn't an issue. But that problem can be fixed if the terraces were designed better. Thats all.
The plan is that both the BSG & PA will carry the information on their websites, emailing their members & post links on Facebook / etc. All the information will be compiled into a single report which will be handed to the Rapids.
Im short so sometimes when I cant see in the supporters section I just go up to the top part for awhile no big deal. Sometimes I sit elsewhere to but unless I go with elderly family I allways prefer to stand well watching the match. Maybe one day half the stadium will be the supporters standing section hahahaha!
Actually, sorry, I am going to take this post to the more general "Terraces - Have your say" in the main board. I will just say that a lot of people were getting pissed off at flag wavers, even the tiny free flags they were giving out.