Had this issue tonight ourselves. Went thru gate and CSC told us we couldn't bring the stroller and they'd already turned several away. I asked for a supervisor (the nice girl who told me we couldn't bring it in said it made no sense to her why we couldn't) who confirmed that "no strollers were allowed in the stadium" to which I kindly asked them to point out this rule on the stadium website, that we'd be bringing a stroller for 4+ years. After a few minutes of radio chatter they eventually let us in with it but good lord, can they just get their shit together? Simple things like this should NOT be so hard...
I swear, every game at the stadium feels like the first game at the stadium and they're trying to work out the kinks. Today, a friend of mine said in the bathroom - before the game - the first faucet she tried to use didn't work and the first two paper towel dispensers were out of paper towels.
I would NOT be surprised at all if they sign up for events via a website. "Report time/location is as follows. You'll be done by such-and-such time." And I do know for a fact that not every CSC employee at a Crew match is from Columbus. They'd go to a website such as "staff-cleveland.csc.com" and see "Crew game in Columbus. Report to the Cleveland office at 2:30 PM. We'll be back to Cleveland by around midnight." When you have a pool, of say, 2000 employees working various events around Ohio at venues of all types, I can certainly see where the confusion stems from. I'm not defending it by any means, but I can certainly understand the issues.
At the first event at the stadium in...how many months? Simply inexcusable, given the "New Crew" and Mapfre and the big survey they sent out last fall. Ughhh...
We bypassed west gate because of the line and went in the Main gate and had no trouble. I knew we would need it because of the Party and not enough tables. I will email to complain about it
That's no excuse Peter. They admitted to telling several people to take their strollers back to the car - it was only when we challenged the supervisor they got it "correct" per the stadiums written rules. It's a simple thing that the supervisior as each gate should know ALL the policies - whether they are from Cleveland, Akron or Pennsylvania. It's just embarrassing and as a parent extremely frustrating - were lucky enough to know the correct people to ask. Imagine being a parent turned away only to walk in the stadium to see others with strollers. Just baffles me...
Completely agree... These rules need to be known. Period. Give them a list of rules to study on the bus ride down, if you need to. If CSC doesn't know the rule because it's their first Crew game in a while, or first ever, then the regular "Experience Team" member who is there every single game should definitely know. Like I said elsewhere, I had my own issue at the south entrance to the stadium club. Luckily, the regular staffer there was able to correct the CSC person. It's plain cluelessness "uhh, I don't think that is allowed in." That, along with the broken faucets and empty paper towel dispensers...I would have hoped those season-ending surveys would have been reviewed by the appropriate personnel. Now? I'm starting to have some doubt. I even mentioned these things in the survey. "I understand that supplies run out or things break, but to have the same issues with the same fixtures game after game is simply inexcusable." It really can't be that hard to get a cleaning crew in there the day before events to make sure everything is stocked and then to dispatch employees to refill as needed.
X-post from crew gear that might be applicable to y'all: The Salvation Army thrift store on S High in Merion Village has 2 racks of leftover Crew gear with the old logo (clearly the team or a vendor unloaded some stuff). Nothing's thrift-cheap, but we bought some baby gear for a friend - brand new 3packs of infant onesies were 35 but are marked down to 12.
At Saturday's match, I convinced my husband to bring our little guy in with a stroller. As we got in the line to enter the stadium, I was prepping us on our strategy of insisting that a stroller is allowed in the stadium. Luckily, we did not have any problems with either the diaper bag or the stroller. Nevertheless, I was ready to pull a "please get me your boss."
Good thing you have photograpic proof of that stroller inside the stadium. I was in the parking lot and someone was walking back to their car to dump their backpack in it. They commented to my group how it was the first time their backpack wasn't allowed in. Meanwhile, my bag wasn't even checked.
Doran with a good blog post this morning. http://www.chrisdoran18.com/blog/soccer-dads-and-our-soccer-kids I hope to be that sort of influence on my 2 year old.
While I do not have kids, I certainly hope I was a good influence on the kids I did coach back at CESA..... I did get to see two of my old team graduate HS this spring--that was rewarding.
I hope to as well. I love that my husband tells people that "my wife is the true soccer fan." He is correct, of course. Most people assume that we like the sport because he follows the sport. A few weeks ago while we were watching the NBA Finals, Tim looked over at me and said (I kid you not): "I am glad that I married you. I hadn't really watched much sports in the years before we started dating."
A team hurting for attendance like the Crew should allow people with backpacks, strollers, picnic baskets, outside food and water in, no questions asked.
I'm not sure this team *is* hurting for attendance. Much as I was frustrated at the last match--it was a sellout officially.
Then a lot of teams would be in trouble. Fact is that attendance has been much improved by the new regime. To their credit.
CSC told me last game that I couldn't bring my cowbell in because it "felt kind of heavy" despite the fact that I've brought it to every game for the past two seasons. I asked how long the policy was in effect and she said something like "Ummm for a while." Because I go in the same gate every time, I think the "Experience Team" member may have recognized me and ended up letting me go in. If they're banning stuff because the item "feels kind of heavy," which I know they're not, then things could get REAL interesting with drums and strollers and whatnot. Yes, I know LTA keeps their big drum in the stadium, but I believe they still bring the smaller ones in with them.
This is why the dedicated gate for the Nordecke is the best idea... With standard staff who know what goes.
I mean, did they think because it was heavy it might be an explosive? Or filled with alcohol? Jesus people get over yourselves.
...if only we actually used it. What am I gonna do, throw it on the field? Maybe that was her thought process. Who knows...
I get the point and while it would be nice to have the tailgate near the section, like in other cities, they're not about to let us tailgate near where visiting fans do. Plus then, we'd be isolated from the rest of the lot, assuming we'd move the tailgate. I think the current gate location works...they just have to staff it.
The thinking is probably if it's heavy it can be used as a weapon (club). People are a little too quick to just assume CSC employees are stupid or something. They're just hired hands who are tasked with security trying to do their job.