DALLAS BURN TO RETURN TO COTTON BOWL FOR 2004 MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER SEASON Overall Ticket Prices Reduced By An Average Of 10% DALLAS - The Dallas Burn announced today that the team has finalized a one-year arrangement to play the 2004 Major League Soccer season at the Cotton Bowl. After playing the first seven years of their existence at the historic Fair Park stadium, the Burn made the move to Dragon Stadium in Southlake for the 2003 season. The team will now play next season at the Cotton Bowl before moving into their new state-of-the-art stadium and soccer complex in Frisco for the 2005 MLS season. "As an organization, we pride ourselves on maintaining open and direct communication with our fans and the marketplace," said new Burn President and General Manager Greg Elliott. "In this case, our fans spoke loud and clear and we listened. While we appreciate everything the Southlake community did for us last year, this move is the right thing for the Dallas Burn, its fans and our sponsors." As part of the move to the Cotton Bowl, the Burn has reduced ticket prices an average of 10%, with some price categories being lowered by as much as 33%, by restructuring prices in more than half of the seating categories. Six-game ticket packages will start as low as $78 ($13 per ticket) and day of game tickets will be available as low as $12. Speaking for the Hunt Sports Group, President John Wagner said, "The Southlake Independent School District has been exceptional to work with all the way from the School Board to the Administrative Staff, but the fan feedback we received we can not ignore. Dragon Stadium is a very fine stadium, but our players and fans want the Burn to play on a grass soccer field and we want to be receptive to that need. The Burn organization wants to thank the Southlake School Board for providing us the opportunity to use their excellent facility during the 2003 season." Seventeen months from now the Dallas Burn will begin play at the Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Center, which is being developed at the intersection of Main Street and North Dallas Tollway in Frisco. This 110-acre facility will feature a 20,000-seat soccer stadium and will be the new home of the Dallas Burn as well as numerous other events such as major concerts, international soccer matches, and high school football. Adjacent to the stadium will be 17 full-sized, tournament grade soccer fields that will be utilized daily on a year-round basis, making the Frisco Soccer & Entertainment Center the nucleus of youth soccer in North Texas and one of the showcase facilities in the country. 2004 Ticket Prices: Type: Full (18 gms.): Striker (12 gms.): Sweeper (6 gms.) DOG: Group: Coach's Box: Adult $450 $300 $150 $30 $25 Youth/Senior $360 $240 $120 $30 $25 Center Reserved: Adult $360 $240 $120 $22 $18 Youth/Senior $306 $204 $102 $20 $18 Side Reserved: Adult $270 $180 $90 $17 $14 Youth/Senior $234 $156 $78 $15 $14 GA Adult ****** Flexi-Pass - $240 for set of 20 vouchers******** $13 $12 GA Youth ****** Flexi-Pass - $240 for set of 20 vouchers******** $12 $12
Well, if this is true, I'll have to pack a lunch and make another trip or two next summer. Oh, and congratulations to Burn fans everywhere.
Not only is this good for Burn fans, it's good for fans from around the league. There was nothing worse than trying to get a new fan to watch MLS and then showing them two teams playing at Dragon Stadium - it put them right off. Good job by the Dallas head office to listen to the fans and work something out.
Congrats! Hopefully this will return hatred of all things Burn to Fire fans, instead of us feeling sorry for you.
Greg Elliot for President!! I will make a point to purchase a six game pass this week. If I can't make it to Dallas six times during the regular season I'll give them to a kids charity. Great news.
What's unbelievable is that with all our "insider" fans on this board no one said "boo" about this for weeks now. We've been talking about it all season, but I haven't heard anything for a while. Good job HSG, good job Gregg Elliot. Now we don't have to worry about players not wanting to play on that injury magnet field at Dragoooon stadium. Next season is looking even better.
Congrats to everyone, Burn fans and just plain ol' MLS fans alike. Either Elliott came in there and demanded this move be made or HSG realized it totally screwed up with its initial decision and thankfully backtracked, but either way, a great day for all concerned. Again, congrats to all you guys.
You know what's F'd up? The happiest day of the year for Burn fans has happened three weeks after we played our last match.
I'll second that -- I'll fly in next summer from the Northeast to see the Burn play at (that a little too big, a little too old, but full of character) home.
I am not a Burn fan, but i am truly happy for you guys...It's almost as good as having a "we'll be building a new stadium anouncement" Hopefully you can keep supporting the club just like in previous season, or why not , even in greater numbers....Good news for those players in MLS who travel to Dallas as well
Time to call my Account Exec at the Burn and renew for next year.... I'm still in shock...wow...life looks so much better. I'm in love with my team again.
Oh man, ok still in shock, but that goes up there with getting accepted to College as some of the best news I've heard all year. Hopefully we'll get all our hispanic fans back from around the Fair Park area, this is HUGE. Could keep players like Kreis from moving clubs, GREAT first move by Elliot, we love you already. AMAZING. only a handfull of Burn fans have heard too, can't wait for the news to get out. happy happy joy joy
Does this prolong the careers of Deering and Pareja? I am indifferent about Deering but, I would really like to see Pareja have one more good year (although one as a sub) and, at the the cotton bowl, I believe he can. Further, I really think this will allow the new coach to start building the team now. The transition from Cotton Bowl to Frisco(tton) Bowl will be virtually seemless. If we were still at sucklake, he (it will be a he won't it?) would have to make some adjustments to play on a small fast surface for a year and then adjust to Frisco.
The official Dragon Stadium Sucks, only ZERO more games to go post!!. Are the mods going to delete the Dragon Stadium Sucks thread or keep it up for posterity? Actually, now that the Burn doesn't have to play there, I can admit Dragon Stadium is probably a great facility . . . for a high school american football team. Let them enjoy their field, we'll have one last helping of Cotton Bowl before settling down to our own Home.
I looked at it, and I'm not quite sure what to do with it. I'm open to suggestions. I am thinking about changing the thread title to "The Official 'Dragon Stadium sucks' Memorial Thread," or something like that.
How about the official "Dragon Stadium Sucks but who cares cause we're going to the Cotton Bowl for a Beer" thread.
I just finished talking to Greg Elliott, and besides surprising me with the Cotton Bowl announcement, he mentioned that the Burn will be announcing their head coach shortly. Greg also indicated that sometime next month, he plans on meeting with various groups -- the Inferno, the Latino supporters, etc -- and taking suggestions re Frisco. He also indicated that the stadium design for Frisco has recently been finalized, and that among the things they plan to have are family-friendly zones, and perhaps zones targeted for the Latino customer. Viva Mr. Elliott!