The Sounders are testing the level of interest to play in the new Seahawk Stadium for 2003. The season ticket prices range from $135 to $325. If they were to sell 5000 it would be a great deal for the Sounders and a probable shot at MLS. Its on the Sounder web site www.SeattleSounders.net/stadiuminterest.asp
5,000 fans a night in a 70,000 seat stadium would look pretty ugly but anything would be an improvement over the current sitaution at Memorial. Are there any rumors of an ownership ie Paul Allen lined up that would be willing to fork over the $25 million MLS franchise fee?
I think Throwins was talking about 5K season tickets, not overall attendance. Anyway, go to the page and show your support. Even if you have no intention of buying season tickets and only going to a few matches. We need to get OUT of Memorial, ASAP. As for investors, there's always the odd rumor, but I'll believe it when there's a press conference with someone forking over a $25M check to confirm it.
Yeah, 2000 in a 12000 seat stadium don't look a lot better. Who knows what kind of deal they might get on using the big stadium? By most indications, the school district is a most oppressive landlord. One must wonder how many people are staying away from Sounder matches because of the low-quality experience (man, that sounded like some big time "marketing speak")--brought about by the playing surface, the stadium, etc.
why should Seattle have an MLS team when there attendence hasnt been that great. ONce you get around 10,000 then start talking.
Two reasons, Mutts: 1. A-League numbers don't predict MLS attendance. For instance, Chicago only had a third division team with lousy attendance, yet they got an MLS expansion franchise and did well with it. 2. Seattle drew well last time they had a first-division team in the NASL. Of course, you wouldn't remember it, Mutts, as you weren't even a sparkle in your parents' eyes yet in 1983!
What was the attendance for the game that followed the Seahawks stadium match? Did you guys see a spike in attendance?
Attendance was about the same, 2200 or so. Wednesday's game was head-up against a Mariner home game, so I didn't figure we'd do all that well there anyway... although last couple of years that type of game would have barely drawn 1000. Sunday's game did a bit better, and we did see that samba drum group come back Still, Seafair boat races (200K-300K were at the races) and Mariners were going on at the same time. I think we'll see a bit more for Saturday's game v. Milwaukee given there's no M's game and the opponent is fairly decent, however I think there's a "ceiling" of about 3500 that will come out to watch footy on fakegrass these days. I don't see us getting above that figure until we get OUT of Memorial. Once that happens, and if the Sounder front office is able to get into Seahawks Stadium for 2003, I think you'll see the attendance take a significant spike upward. I guess the one positive aspect is this is showing Sounder mgmt that the club's long term viability lies OUTSIDE Memorial, and they must take whatever step possible to get off the astroturf to get the holdout fans to come out.