You all are the most successful supporter's group in MLS and I was just wondering if you had some problems when you first started out. We're getting a lot of headaches from our front office about issues like language and standing all match and alcohol. What kind of help did you get from your front office when you were starting? Do you get discounts on tickets? Did you have to give anything up in working with the FO and if you did, what did you get back? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
All we've gotten from our FO from day one is total co-operation. They get it. They're the reason we've lasted so long and grown so much. If you don't have a person at the head of your FO that wants to build a fanbase and supporters groups then you're sunk. I suggest you nominate ONE person to deal with the GM and get good repoire going. It's a start.
RSL stole Chris Keeney from you and so far we're getting mixed results with him. Otherwise, we have some friends with some of the ticket agents, but nothing higher.
Do yourselves a favor and befriend the front office. Top to bottom. They can be very valuable allies in your attempts to create atmosphere, both at home and on the road. All you really have to do is convince them that you're there to help sell their product - which, if you're doing your thing well, is the end result.
Chris was my ticket rep during the early years. He was a great guy and totally helpful, but remember he's under the constraints of management out there. As much as I'm sure he would like to do things the "United" way, ultimately it's not his call. btw, if you talk to him, tell him Chico said hello.
I'll probably see him saturday. I get the idea from him and from others that between him and Pastorino and the other guys in the FO who are MLS guys that they don't get Utah and the Utah people in the FO, especially Checketts, they don't quite get MLS. Do you guys get any discounts for tickets and did you get complaints from other fans in the stadium? Was language ever an issue, or is that just a Utah thing? I figure that even though we have to work in the context of Utah being overly sensitive to things like language, we can still turn our supporter's group into something great.
I can address this, even though I'm not Barra Brava. Yes, you should get ticket discounts, segregated seating areas, and other concessions. Language remains an issue ten years in. It isn't just Utah, although I suspect it's worse there. Try to be at least a little isolated from other fans for a while so the impact of your, er, salty language is buffered a bit. You'll find that people who don't mind the language and want to share in the atmosphere will come over to join you.
The supporters groups get a break on ticket prices. They also designate our sections as "standing" sections. The stadium's big enough that if someone behind us complains they'll relocate them. Language's been an issue at times but nothing serious. The most serious problem we've had is with security and even then the FO stood with us.
We've had issues with that, and will continue to have issues with security until we move into our new stadium. We have the room as well in the stadium to move people, but the problem is that not only RSL but also the University of Utah sells tickets. So tickets that RSL sets aside that are right behind us get sold by the university. The stadium s won't relocate anyone even though they have been asked. The other problem is that the section in the corner behind us is the $12 per seat cheapest tickets in the stadium and they don't want to move those people into seats that are $32. Also, in any stadium map, our section is not outlined as anything special. We've begged and pleaded but it still hasn't been done. Instead their solution is to move us to the section right behind the goal that they don't sell anyway. They figure they will solve the standing issue, but the language will get worse because in that section, EVERYONE in the stadium can hear us and where we are now, anyone behind us can't. Well thanks for the info, anything else you can help with would be greatly appreciated.
I think there's a critical point here that the DC FO gets that perhaps a lot of others don't: putting the Barra in an isolated area and letting them "do their thing" (within reason) is GOOD for the soccer-mom, family-friendly crowd. the counterintuitive (and, I believe, only tacitly acknowledged) result of having a Barra-like section is that it helps to make the other parts of the stadium MORE family-friendly, because the couple hundred drunk/beligerent/hoolie-posing/harsh-language-using/so-called "hard-core" fans aren't interspersed among the soccer-mom's. Allowing self-identification and self-segregation accomplishes far more with less effort than the security folks could ever hope to achieve on their own. I won't try to give advice to you on how to run a supporters' group - folks who have actually done it, like Chico (one of the Barra elders) and Matt (who started Screaming Eagles) are better positioned to do that.
At this point I'd say, take the seats behind the goal (that's where all the Barras in South America stand anyways) suck it up and watch your language. Bottom line is you want to grow your group. Take the seats, ask for discount prices and concentrate on sales.
Recruit, Recruit, Recruit. Our FO has been top notch in helping us but the reality is that they are not going to bend over backwards for a small group of fans. I know you have grown your numbers and are off to a good start, but the more people you have the more the FO will deal with you. Between the Barra, the Eagles and La Norte the DC Supporters group probably average somewhere between 1000 and 1200 tickets sold. We have also have members all across the stadium. Even during the best attended games 1 out of every 20 people is associated with a Supporters Group.
Like Matt and Chico said, make friends with your FO. I don't think our groups would be where they are without our FO's support. Victory is absolutely correct advising you to recruit. The ony thing not mentioned is having your group help the clubs charity arm. All of our groups hold events to help United for DC. Be creative. We have reffles, quiz nights etc. It's a good way to bond with your group/club and do something nice for the community at the same time.
Thanks for all your help. Best of luck in the playoffs. If you have anything else, please keep the ideas coming.
Once you have the numbers, buy the seats and sell them to your members. Then you don't need markings on a stadium map. People will be able to tell easily enough. You can make a little money, have a well-known area to inhabit, and guarantee the FO that they will get rid of those tickets. NOTHING is as persuasive to a company as money, esp. when they're just starting out. Commit to filling x number of seats. Then do it somehow. You can sell season tickets to your members or just do it day of game. If you don't have the numbers to get an entire section yet, get the front rows. Get as much visibility as you can. Large banners, flags, signs, anything. If you can't buy seats en masse, at least try to get the ticket agents to let potential buyers know that they will be in a supporters section. Everyone will be happier, since the team won't have to move dissatisfied customers around, and people will be able to join the supporters club willingly Don't develop the reputation of being irresponsible. If you promise the FO (now your best friends) that you won't do something, don't do it. Or, if it happens anway, make sure it's addressed and corrected immediately. Certain supporters groups in other parts of the country have developed (right so) a reputation for being whiny, demanding, and very difficult to work with. Do your best to support your team, and that will get through to them eventually. When the FO sees you as another marketing arm that can reach people they have no chance of attracting, they will help you. You're in for a long haul, but I can promise you it's tremendously rewarding. Good luck.
Alright, I just moved out here to Utah and have been to one RSL game (you know, that win RSL was gifted against DC ) so I've got a few suggestions for you. Keep in mind I wasn't involved in the leadership of the Barra, but these seem like some common sense things to me. First, make your presence known. I sat right next to one of the supporters groups and barely even noticed them. I'm not trying to knock them, but they're pretty small, so they aren't the loudest. Except for one guy, he annoyed the shit out me, but I'll give him credit for being loud. Bottom line in my opinion, what's in it for the FO? If there are only a few guys here and there and it really doesn't do anything for atmosphere, why should they help you out. On that note, does the FO pay that band that plays behind the goal? Just curious. Second, does RSL have a charitible arm? If so, donate. Raise money at tailgates, have cookouts, shit, have a car wash. That way you're not just asking the team to do stuff for you, you're asking them to do stuff in return for the help they've given you. Third, don't be fair weather. I've only been to one game so I don't know what your numbers look like from game to game, but if its up one game, down another, up again, it doesn't look good and isn't going to help you in the long run when it comes to selling to the team that you're the diehard fans. DC knows that rain or shine, good times or bad, Barra Brava, the Screaming Eagles, and La Norte are going to be there. I have the feeling that probably goes a long way when it comes to working with the FO. Also, as has been said before, recruit, recruit, recruit. Get those numbers up. The bigger the group, the more power you have. Now, if you'd like, I can come up there Saturday. You buy me a case of Guinness, and I'll show those tight asses in the FO that things could be much, much worse.
Guinness and Newcastle are usually availible in the parking lot at our tailgate. We usually start to show up about 5:30. We're RCB, the guys with the black shirts and we'll be right in the middle of the parking lot. We're working on a lot of the points you all have raised, especially the charity stuff and the recruiting/getting tickets. Last year we had 8, now we have about 30-40, so it's starting to build. And yes, the FO pays that damned drum band in the south endzone. And yes, they annoy the hell out of everyone.
You're the guys I sat right next to. You wouldn't happen to be the guy who was yelling "Perkins has herpes" as loud as he could the entire first half, would you? From an outsiders perspective, that band looks bad. Not only are they annoying, but it kind of gives the image that the team has to pay for support. Another thing you may want to think about for recruiting is finding a local bar up there in SLC that will let you gather to watch the away games. Do it visibly and have a lot of fun. That way you get the locals who are at the bar to stop and ask what its all about. I've managed to drag a few people to games that I've met at bars. I'll see what I have going on Saturday, I might make the trip up there and catch a game with you guys. I'll try to keep the profanity to a minimum, but as some of the Barra can attest, that might be a tall order for me.
Yup. Not only that, but they completely drown whatever noise is being generated by the crowd, which is the only kind of noise that should fill the stadium. It completely kills any momentum for cheers or songs being sung by supporters.
Generally we don't care much about profanity, that's why we're in trouble all the time with the FO. The herpes chant is one of the group's favorite. As for a bar, it's called the Republican it's on 9th south and State street and it's about the only true soccer bar in the state.
Unfortunately, Dave Checketts, the owner of the team, loves them, so we can't get rid of them. We've tried. We're trying to teach them how to go along with chants, but mostly they are just not quite up to figuring that out, but we're working on it.