I agree with you that would make the most sense. But i don't like the idea of isolating the away support in the upper deck. I want them down below adding to the atmosphere of the stadium. But your idea is probably how it'll actually go down.
In the case of Portland, I think isolating them would be a good idea. They do have a history of being problematic, putting them up on the second deck would be a good way to keep the Portland fans away from Seattle fans and vice versa.
The NW corner consists primarily of families and others who like to sit during games. I'm not so sure having the Timbers Army or others there would be appropriate (hey, we need to start thinking ahead).
They could be moved the that 300 level ring that was used for last weeks playoff match. Or maybe even the Hawks Nest. Qwest is quite large, and there are many seats that are not used that could be to accommodate away supporters that does not put them right in with the home fans.
I think the hawks nest is a bad idea for visiting support for two reasons. First it is aluminum bleachers, can you imagine how much noise even a small group of supporters could make there? Second one of the premier shots from Qwest is looking north to downtown, should such a shot include the hawks nest you would be capturing away support in our stadium. It is all well and good for ESPN or FSC to show this but do we want to make it that easy for them?
1) Leave the tarp on the Hawks Nest and open the lodge seats in the 300 level like they did for the playoff game next year instead. 2)Sell all the seats on the west side, south end and around through 308 as season tickets. 3) Away supporters are in 300-307. Start in 300 and whatever doesn't sell can be sold as single game tickets.
You could also move them to the lodge (sp?) seats. From what I can tell those seats are much better than 142/143/144. I am just trying to find space inside Qwest for a large away group that would not require opening a section in the 300 level. That may require moving some people around a bit.
The easiest solution is to of course open the upper deck for them but I would prefer to keep the away supporters in the lower level as it definitely would add to the atmosphere of the stadium to have them chanting across the field at the home town supporters groups. Have them detached would kind of ruin that experience i think. Section 100-103 is the best place by far. Sure its a little too big for the small groups that came this year but in the future that probably won't be a problem and its easily seperated from the rest of the crowd as it only has one narrow entrance. The band can play in their faces if they get too annoying . The upper level, once opened for home seating, would have the same problems we're having now as it doesn't have the great natural seperation 100-102 has.
The only time we're going to get a large away group is when Vancouver and Portland travel. I really don't care if the FO sets seats aside for away travelers, and (quite frankly) wish the rest of the league didn't have to worry about it either. Why worry about shifting people around. Stick them up in 304. Give them one usher, no concessions. Done and done.
+2. The Loge seats ARE the best viewing seats in the house. The perspective is perfect to see what's happening, but you're still close enough to the pitch to feel part of the action. Open up the hawks nest, and I think we start not selling out games.
Put the away supporters in the loge seats and watch it rain beer down upon Sounders fans below, directly under them. No reason to tempt fate with that setup.
Yeah, we're better off leaving them where they are so when someone throws a beer instead of just kicking them out of the stadium we'll have some fans right there to punch them in the face.
If they have their own security detail, that's not going to happen. In the current set up, the away fans can just toss beer at Sounders fans sitting in the next section over. And worse, they can leave their seats and wander into the sections next to them and cause trouble. It's better to segregate them in the upper deck with their own bathrooms where they won't have to mingle at all with Sounders fans. This is not what we want. We don't want to see Sounders fans being instigated into confrontations. Why would you want one of your fellow fans to get a stadium ban for fighting? The away fans won't care because they don't live here. Just another reason to keep the away fans segregated.
Thanks Bright for the explanation, makes sense. If they do put them in loge seats, I just hope FO puts enough security there and deals with the "accidental" spillage. I'm not sure I'd like to be underneath them, nor next to them, whichever the setup. I've been an away fan under an upper supporters section at Azteca. Despite guards both below and above, there was no end to the bags of excrement and fire thrown down upon us. But that's Mexico, and guards don't really do anything.
As one of the forty or so RSL fans that made the trip to Qwest back in March. I think your away section as it is works nicely for away fans. You'll need more room in 2011 though.
Yeah, 2011 brings in the scum and the craps... They'll bring several hundred, maybe up to a thousand. So that needs to be planned for ahead of times. Fans just looking to cheer their own team are not a problem. BTW, we're already planning on bringing a good group to RSL next year... it'll be fun. Only problem is the beer.
From speaking with Joe Roth this weekend, they aren't going to open the Hawk's Nest but will go with the loge seating instead. He doesn't like the Hawk's Nest, and doesn't want it open.