RE: changing name from Sounders to appeal to kids From the Sounders fan site " About the name "Sounders," and the "save the name" petition: "I don't need 100 names, I need 22,000" said Hanauer (paraphrasing). The reporter feels like a new name, identity, etc. are a done deal, and that Hanauer will likely decide on the new club look based "on what kids like and what will sell the most T-shirts." (Quoting the reporter's opinion, not Hanauer's). Hanauer also apparently said that there are "hundreds of thousands of kids out there who did not grow up with the name Sounders..." and whom it means nothing to. He then told the reporter that he has been very conflicted on the name issue. " Well the music playing is annoying to the "hard core" fans. Its an indoor soccer gimmick that moved to outdoor a few years ago. The marketing plan isn't simple, and you'd have to pay me for the details - but sales people, lots of sales people - sell your season tickets to the hard core, offer premiums for buying season tickets; scarves, t-shirts, caps, etc.Target the adult leagues, businesses with foreign interests, youth soccer club management, coaches and premier players. Put your Sounders Youth behind one goal and make those tickets reduced price for joining the Sounders Youth. Parents are invited to sit in this section and have a great time as well. Sounders Beer garden: The other section behind the goal. Let the beer flow, and the hooligan atmosphere as well. Make these inexpensive season tickets and target college age fans to settle in this section and have a great time. The beer garden can be sponsored by a local pub and the ticket could be exchanged for one free beer after the game. Group sales: Massive effort to get the recreation players and families, business groups, church groups, any group except terrorist groups - those you invite to the Beer garden and lead them to your new way of life. Advertising: You have to do it and do it well. The Mariners are going to knock you back a few notches. I still want to try Friday night matches until School is out. I think the Saturday matches make it tough for the soccer family to attend - this is my targeting the youth market, but also the Friday night party crowd could catch a game and then go party afterwards at our Beer garden sponsor. I've got a ton of more things to use, but this is a start. If anyone wants to forward this to Hannuer, feel free. Just make sure you tell him to PM me for more of the plan
Krammerhead. I don't really see how the Caps are now marketing more to the kids now that Kerfoot has come around, except for that maybe they can now market themselves at all since they're not facing extinction at an almost daily basis. And anyways to some degree I think it's a good idea. Your not going to win any new adult so-called 'hardcore' fans with the play, especially with the quality being so poor these days. But the kids that are growing up watching soccer overseas and such. To them soccer can actually be a first choice sport to follow (something that was almost inconceivable when I was young--not too long ago). These kids have to turn onto the game, so I don't think it's too bad an idea if someone does market after them. Although there has to be a higher level intelligence soccer coverage than what exists now.
The kids have to actually watch the game to become fans. I just got back from Canada vs Milwall at Swangard and watched Canada vs Hearts last Monday. None of those games featured any kid show antics-the soccer was the only attraction. There was just as many kids enjoying the game, there was no marketing at all done to get them in (there was no marketing at all done for these games but don't get me started). The point is there was no jock rock played during breaks in play (which they have dragging into play at Swangard the last few season) no silly mascots getting in the way, no fire breathers, stilt walkers, nor any rock band playing in the concourse and I even heard other fans mentioning how pleasant it was without all the gimmicks. Personally I remember getting into the Whitecaps with my friends at an early age during the NASL days. There were no cheesy gimmicks, yet we still got interested. I'm not saying don't try to sell the game to the kids, the more kids the merrier-if they are there to watch the game and not go uinto the corners of the stadium to kick a ball around. You yourself say that these kids that are growing up watching soccer overseas and such. True, and the games they are watching overseas have soccer as the primary focus not as just one of many events happening at the stadium. So yes market the game to the kids, but don't switch the game to a circus aimed primarily at kids.
How was the game? And yes I also haven't been too pleased with how BC Soccer marketed the game. Or didn't. What's your opinion of the Whitecaps so far this year?
Game was excellent, a 1-0 victory for Canada that could easily have been 4-0. Bigger crowd than Monday, 3129. Amazing that anyone showed up given that there was almost no promotion, and even the Whitecaps website wasn't promoting the game given that Bob Lenarduzzi has and ongoing beef with the BC Soccer Asociation, so the Caps website didn't promote it. Don't ask me what the beef is,I heard about it at the game. A check of the Whitecaps website shows no mention at all of the game, which is unusual for them given that the news on their website is usually filled with national team news, especially when Whitecaps players are involved. Plenty of Milwall supporters proudly displaying their flags, were all shocked and silenced when the southsiders got into the chants, and they weren't heard from all game. So far this year the Whitecaps haven't impressed me. Dull boring soccer, low scoring games, losing as many games at home as we have won (but having the second best winning record in the league on the road), all are big downers. In fact one of tonights chants that was repeated over and over was "Fonseca out". Oh and one further piece of Whitecaps news, Valente had to leave tonights game after pulling his hamstring. Another injury.
Fonseca out, eh? I don't think I'd go that far just yet. He's made a couple strange decisions in my mind, but he does have the team in first in the west despite having a ridiculous amound of injuries to have to put up with. Trips to Swangard haven't been too inspiring this year, but I think Tony deserves at least a couple games with something resembling a first choice starting 11. At least Xausa has started to score, and getting Piette back will help alot. Hopefully Harmse isn't too far behind either.
Case in point tonight. Vancouver was carrying the play and they score to go up 1-0 and then he drops toi a 5-5-0 formation-at home! Vancouver fans are used to coaches and players going out for the kill, not some boring old crap. If it weren't for the presence of a great number of Timbers supporters at the game to spar with, it would have been boring.
I'm not sure that's totally fair. After the goal Griffiths and Xausa were still playing up front and getting chances. Griffiths, particularly, should have scored on two occasions. And this is a game where the Caps were missing two of their most important creative players (although Heald came on late), two of their most important center forwards, and Sulentic was clearly having an off-night. The Caps are still tops and they clearly own Portland after three wins so it's hard to fault Fonseca too much. That said, why on earth did he pull off Marty Nash when he did? Great support by the Timbers supporters, and good job by Piette and Thompson to keep big Alan Gordon in check. He destroyed little Geordie Lyall and Jeff Clarke in the last game at Swangard.
Well I suppose we all have our own opinions. Have you ever visited the southsiders board? http://p208.ezboard.com/fcanadiansoccersupportersfrm9
quick question: If those so called "HARDCORE" fans will do this.......then why would the name change matter?
This probably is not the appropriate place or thread but I know there is not a Seattle board and I'm sort of desperate. I'm an army reservist at Ft Lewis WA trying to get together a mens open team to compete in the mens open division of the seattle adult amateur cup on AUG 7-8 (SAT/SUN). Anybody interested or know how I can pick up a few guys as I cannot field a full team with military. thanks www.seattlesoccercup.com contact me at lecronc@hotmail.com if interested Chris LeCron