Just wondering how many of us there are. Are you guys season ticket holders and what do you usually do for the away games?
I grew up in Trumbull and lived there until a few years ago, when my family moved up to Shelton; despite the distance (you can make it from Fairfield to GS in about an hour and ten if traffic is very good and you're a bit lead-footed) I usually managed to make it out to 90% of the home games. Now I'm going to school out of the region, so I only get to make the trip when I'm home for summer. There are so many adult soccer players and fans in CT - especially the Fairfield County area; you don't even have to go up as far as Bpt., but just go to Norwalk or Stamford to see what I mean - and yet MFO does next to nothing to draw them out. It just baffles me, but then again they don't do anything to draw the adult fans that live on their doorstep, never mind in their backyard. I don't buy that it's too far out of their way, either, because you know they're hitting on the youth clubs up here - I've seen Trumbull United (youth travel team) and other CT-related banners in GS numerous times. Away games, when I'm in CT, are usually spent on the couch here. A couple years ago we tried to muster up some Fairfield County guys and find a bar for Metro/US away matches - we did end up going out to one in Norwalk a couple times and it was all right, but there were just a few of us. It would be a good idea to have something like that, but I don't know where to go.
I've been in Bethel for the past 5 years, and lived in Norwalk for years before that. Worked in Stamford, Shelton... and now Farmington. We're a divided household. Don't hate me: I'm a Revs fan! My wife, however, likes the Metros, so I enjoy their games as well and follow the team closely. It's an interesting dynamic when they play each other. We've only been to a handful of games in person for either team over the years due to the fact that we have a young couple of kids and their needs and activities occupy most of our free time. Thank goodness there's the Shootout/Direct Kick package. We're shut-ins! But when they're older I plan to take them to games. Stay tuned for the next 5 to 10 years and I'll let you know who they root for then. Kevin D.
I hear ya, I'm in Stamford and try to make it to all the games, but as far as recruiting, it definitely isn't easy. If I knew of a hardcore fanbase of 10+ people, I wouldn't mind trying to find a bar that would be friendly to our away Metro game needs. I can get some of my buddies to join me to GS every now and then, but it's frustrating that so many people have a bad impression of American soccer. I mean, I am the capt for my company's soccer team, but trying to get even a few of them enthused enough to make the trip to GS is an exercise in futility. I know that CT is relatively far away from the stadium, but it would be cool to have a central bar/restaurant to watch the away games with other people from CT. I think the more we can make the fanbase feel like a community, the more chance you can get those "sometime" fans to become "hardcore" fans. Hell, I'd settle for softcore fans at this point. I just hate feeling like the only person in Fairfield cty who's a Metro fan.
My normal marker is that it takes 1 hour from Route 7 on the Merritt. My wife and I have missed 2 games in the last 4 years. We moved father away this year, so now it takes us an hour and a half, but we still make all of them. The only game we missed this year was to attend a wedding I was in. We almost tried to get to that game, as the wedding was in Jersey, but the two completely over lapped. We also have a third ticket which we share with about three people. I know three other people in CT who are season ticket holders. The Metros did hold one of their soccer camps in Wilton this year. I was told the attendance was lower than they expected, which doesn't surprise me. I am a season ticketholder, on this board daily, check the Metros page almost daily and I didn't hear about it until 4 days after it happened.
Now that's dedication. I live in Connecticut and I became a season ticket holder for next year; I'll attend as many games as possible. For the 2004 season, I attended about a half dozen MetroStars games and saw the remainder of their games -- both home and away -- on tape delay; live is rarely possible. Bars don't work because I'm with my kids in the evenings and they don't enjoy watching the matches on tv anyway (although they do enjoy going to the games). I will try to have my two sons join me for home games next year. I've been in Chicago and DC on business this year and saw a couple games in each city. Also, I went up to Foxboro to see the USMNT team play El Salvador and down to DC to see them play Panama.
Thanks We enjoy it and it has become part of our weekend life.The others in our section are now like an extended family.
We haven't done Chicago yet, but did go to one DC game. We were also at both of the WC qualifiers that you attended. Good luck and I hope your kids enjoy the games. I don't know how old they are, but you might want to take them, at least one time, to the pre game stuff in the bubble and join the mighty metros. I believe they can get some decent stuff.
I go to school at the University of Hartford and live in NJ, but I follow the MLS and Metrostars every chance I take. I even come to attend a few games here and there....
Not sure what Gioca is referring to, but hopefully these guys will find a home in the Hartford area in 2006: http://www.ct-hammers.com/
"Hartford City" was a fun name people were throwing around. The Hammers are our future and I too hope they will find a home in Hartford soon!
An MLS team named Hartford City would actually be pretty funny. That and Philly would cement the I95- Morbo corridor of hatred quite nicely. 5 teams from DC to Boston...mmm. I work in Fairfield Co, but live in the city (yeah, my taxes rock!). I used to make it from exit 13 to GS in about an hour and 15 minutes, but that was taking the Tappan Zee to the Garden State Pkwy & RT. 17, because I wanted to avoid the GWB. On weekends, it's not a biggie, but those midweek night games...uggh. Also, there's a white castle on 17...ahem....kudos to the nutmeggers who make it each week. The best "pub" around is the Playwright in Stamford, but it's mostly a Euro footie bar, and a JCrew/Banker weenieboy bar during happy hour. Not sure what they'd do if 10 Metro guys showed up on Wednesday night to watch an away game. O'Neill's (sp) in SoNo is a bit more laid back, but again, I don't think they've met US soccer peeps in any sizeable number. I've caught USA games midweek at SONO Brewery, but mostly because there wasn't a lot of competition for the remote, and I was tipping. But anyway, keep at it.
Can I tell you that the GW is nothing if you use the Henry Hudson. I make it from the New Canaan rest stop to the stadium in 1 hour regardless of the day. On a weekday it's more the hutch after 287. The construction on 287 and NY thruway makes it worse to go over the Tappan Zee.
Ride Metro-North, save yourselves the trouble. Doesn't really help if you're going to the Jersey swamp, though.