I am eager to find a single picture, update, write-up about their home opener. I found third-party sources like Big Apple Soccer, but there isn't a single picture or write-up (that I can find) about their opener on their website and USLs website (I'm used to websites that make sense). Any highlights...? I had a legit reason to not attend the home opener, but it's hard for me to think FCNY is a real organization. College teams have a better media department.
USL rules say teams have to have pictures uploaded within an hour of the end of the match.. or its a fine.. I know a couple of the photogs and Richmond who told me about that. I guess either NY didn't have a photog or the USL didn't use any pics.
and wow after checking out their website and still finding ads for try outs from November 2010.. and a freaking "soccer bloopers" video in the multi media section.. yeah.. complete amateurs. More PDL then a pro organization for sure.
It's all about the draw. They got 2M in the debut which was decent, question is how will the draw in the 2nd game be when the home opener hype wears off? Here is my amateur anecdote. When I called that 866 # for tickets, because the website told me to, they told me to call St Johns directly to reserve tickets! The web site still doesn't have ticket prices! There were a few other things was were disorganized, but it was the first game and they are still ironing out the kinks. I only stayed for the 1st half and had fun sitting with the Goodfellas and Straphangers supporters Section. Funny, about the pictures, the ticket people were asking people not to bring video recorders into the stadium. I was really disappointed because I was going to sell bootleg videos of FCNY playing Orlando . My plans to profit illegally of FCNY were foiled! Hope FCNY draw RBNY in the Open Cup and play at Belson, they will really need the money!
They seem to have no clue about a lot of things - from getting an attractive, clean website that doesn't look like it was designed in 1997, to the importance of keeping that website updated constantly, to the necessity of using all forms of social media (it's almost all FREE!) to get the word out and start building a fanbase. It's nice that they got 2000 people for the opener, but if they want to keep that going they need to cultivate a much larger audience of people who care about them - even, or especially, casually. This seems VERY possible for a soccer team in NYC, even a lower-division one, if they are innovative and forward-thinking and do all the little things. There's a great opportunity here and there are a lot of tools at their disposal to build your fanbase. It's frustrating that, as an organization, they seem to have not even picked up the ball, much less dropped it. Ed NYC Firm is currently supplying more info about the team than the team itself. That's an issue and a problem for them. No live-streaming video of games is an issue for them - I was home on Saturday night and would have liked to have watched the game, but couldn't. It costs a little and is a little technical to set up a live stream? Come on - you are posing as a professional organization now. Get with it. Other sides seem to have no problem doing it. Failing that, you don't have a communications person or an intern live-tweeting/live-chatting the game? Poor job there. Do you not have a communications person or an intern? Also poor. I work with college kids - sports com students - they are (generally speaking, not just mine) hungering for internship opportunities in the world of pro sports. You haven't got interns working? You're not ready for that? What have you been doing for the last year and a half? Seeing a brief scoreline on Twitter hours after the game finishes isn't acceptable in this day and age - not if you want people to take you seriously. I hate coming up with nothing but complaints, but I really would like to like what they're doing, to care about it, but their amateurism (good word) makes it pretty damned hard. It doesn't take shitloads of money, just some imagination and smarts. There's so much opportunity for a team in NYC to be The Little Club That Could. It's just begun, but so far FCNY seems like that The Little Club That Doesn't.
I guess there's something to the nickname "FC Clip Art" besides its amateurish crest. USL Pro has enough teams whose owners don't take this very seriously. FCNY deserves owners that do.
Seriously. If it wasn't for Ed NYC Firm I would be completely lost. And I too don't want to be completely negative. It's just so hard for me to follow the team, know who's on the team, know who did well last weekend, know what single-game ticket prices are, etc.
Well I found something. Not sure that I'm happy. But I found something: http://www.fcnewyorksoccer.com/home/523298.html
I have to be honest - i was there - it was nice - the crowd was good but they didnt "tear the stadium down" The only inch of atmosphere was coming from our corner and the families next to us actually asked us to "shh" at one point on a set piece. However, its a nice little fix for those who want to attend a live game.
That was a nice propaganda piece which is expected given the source. The crowd stomped on the seats a couple of times in the 1st half which I guess qualifies as "tearing the stadium down". BTW, what is going to be the name of Ed's supporters group?
You were the only person to bring in TIFO and lead chants, figured you were the de-facto leader of a supporters group.
In terms of play - a lot better In terms of crowd - i would say half of what was at the opener - maybe less In terms of are they amateur? I think so but maybe others think otherwise
I saw that when I was going to put the score up on twitter at the half. I also noticed that they put photos from the game up on facebook today.
Someone in the USL attendance thread said there were only a few hundred at the game. And the feedback is this organization has many problems and is not a professionally run team. Even at the basic levels. Did any of those "sports celebrities and city dignitaries" mentioned here show up again? http://www.fcnewyorksoccer.com/home/523298.html And did they have another "city-wide press conference that introduced the team as New York’s own "? Seriously, the person that wrote that had a good sense of humor.
A friend and myself are going up from Richmond to the Kickers v New York on June 12.. We asked the Kickers what hotel they'd be staying in, not because we necessarily want to stay there, but I know they're not going to be staying at the Ritz Carlton or anything even close. The Kickers office checked with FC New York.. and even NY doesn't know who their host hotel is. Talk about running a team out of somebody's basement. This is worse then Mom & Pop stuff!! The organization seems to have put 100% of their time in effort into the playing side of things, and seem to be TOTALLY ignoring the business side.