We need to gain attention to ourselves. Some how, not really sure how, we need something to get actual news coverage. And I'm not talking about kitten beating either. This may be a stretch but hear me out: what about some sort of demonstration downtown. For instance, somewhat near a news studio so they can easily pop a camera over there. What if we all just made signs and played soccer on the sidewalks? Had some drums, made up some chants, and had a little impromptu party? The best part would be how if we got a camera we could actually express our frustrations and show that we want this and are ready. It wouldn't be hard on a Saturday to get some people together. If we made flyers we could hand them out to people going by and make some impact. Let's spread the word... Anyone....
Look at what Sons of Ben attention. They showed up to MLS Cup Finals and the MLS SuperDraft. That got people talking. And whenever they showed up they showed up as one organized and together. Show up to big stuff and make some noise. When is the next MLS gig. Feb. 6th is the next U.S. National Game. When are some MLS pre-season big games going to be where MLS exectives are at. Now I can say this now but this is going to be really hard. Philly to D.C. is 2 and half hours. St. Louis to Chicago is 5 hours. I would like to point out the U.S. vs Brazil game as a time when I saw St. Louis people. There was a bunch of guys in St. Louis Hooligan shirts in the front row. How can I get those shirts and if the Gateway City group organizes stuff like that I'm down.
Some ideas floating around have been: Olympic qualifiers in Nashville A trip to KC A trip to Chicago So if anyone is interested, I guess we could set one up.
I agree ... as someone else said, it's easy to say SOB gave their help in landing a Philly franchise. they started supporting nothing more than a dream, getting media exposure and letting people know there was a growing bunch of guys out there already mad for a team, and that it would have been wise to give a chance to such soccer fans (in a large market like Philly is ...). they have been a new experience in Us soccer and in the end they had success, and I think they (as fans) deserved it. Now you could try to make something similar in StL that is, try getting a media exposure and make people know what you are looking for and that StL fans deserve a MLS franchise as well as Philly fans. If MLS intrest in StL is real (and I really hope so), this could help consider the whole StL deal, that there is a strong soccer community loud that MLS should not disappoint. Maybe it could help some uncertain investor to put some bucks into the deal, who ever knows ... at least, this is what you fans are supposed to do, make a great show of yourselves as SOB did.
What are we waiting for? I am in Tennessee but I am from St. Louis and I am st. louis till I die!!!! I am going to the game in Houston and to the olympic qualifiers in Nashville. I have 2 friends here that are also from st. Louis and we will all go anywhere or do anything we can to help get the team. one thing that i can't do from here is spread the word. But all of you in st. louis need to spread the word...and then we all need to get organized. We need to get going on this soon. And also i will be back in st. louis all summer, so i will be willing to do anything then as well.
I'm doing my part by mailing MLS executives envelopes with anthrax in them. Seriously though, I say we do a trip to Chicago for a match, sit together, and sing anti-Fire songs the whole time.
The anti fire idea i think is a great idea. How many people do you think we could get to make the trip?
if you want to play soccer on the sidewalk i would recomend waiting a few months then ksdk will re open there window on STL and showme STL will start interveing groups at the end of there show if we showed up one day and just started playing some soccer on there conner for a week or one a week on a speicifc day we gains some attion that way
While I agree with all of these ideas, there is one problem in my mind. I want to do something now! Not once the season starts or in a few months, I mean like next weekend. Think about it people, all of these folks are saying if we don't get this team soon we won't have it and we want to plan things for months in advance? We may not have that long.... But on a seperate note, how many are interested in going to either KC or CHI for a trip and game? I'm willing to talk to the people for groups to see about us getting cheaper tickets if you guys give me a number. our time is now, Liz
I'm pro Saint Louis and Missouri for everything, but its hard to cheer for a team in IL thats 50 or so miles away. We need the MLS in the StL, and we need it now. F a couple of years. If the MLS can't see that, then they don't deserve us. They can continue to lose money in places that could care less about Soccer. Colorado, Salt Lake, New York, Columbus.
As posted in other thread, it would be nice to start with some merchandise stuff, first of all scarf and t-shirt t spread the word around. I'd give much more emphasis to your group, the GCSC: the name, the logo, the website, should be everywhere, in the scarfs in the shirts in the pins in the stickers ... GCSC events: to build up a membership, organize meetings every week to talk about your project to help bring MLS in StL, obvioulsy co-working with SLSU and inviting local media, once and twice you'll get some coverage ... find out some soccer-friendly pubs where you can meet other members and spread the word and make GCSC known and get new members ... line up a soccer team named after you to play in adult and youth leagues and spread the word ... mouth by mouth, one by one, you could get some good numbers and visibility ... and much more then. I don't say this would grant you a team 100%, I'd just say this is the part you as fans are supposed to do to help with your enthusiasm your investors and make MLS willing to step into a successful and soccer crazy market. And I really hope the result would be the same happened in Philadelphia.
Im trying to jump on the STL Soccer band wagen... we have the GCSC im noticing. Is there a main website? Also, I would like to note and earlier comment about anti fire songs and such... I would like to know if there is anyway to come up with unique st. louis songs for our team (if we get one).
Hheellooooo! So eager to do somthing? Come watch the game with us and get FREE Official US Soccer gear! I'm talking of course about Wed night, 2-06-08. Kick off is at 8pm, so arrive at 7:30! Barristers in Clayton! www.barristers-clayton.com I'll have the DEMPSEY jersey on, glasses, and a small amount of remaining black hair. Free US Soccer T-Shirts and Dog Tags courtsey of The American Outlaws Supporters group. Hope to see you there! -Justin
i came up with another idea. Let me know what everyone thinks. We go to a stl cardinals game. A whole big group of us. And we all sit together in the same section. We all dress in stl united gear we get a couple of drums and we go and stand and sing the whole time. i bet we get kicked out. I can just see it now. 200 crazy soccer fans thrown out of busch stadium. We would get plenty of publicity and it would send don garbner a message. We could even bring whistles, airhorns, smoke bombs! I think it could work. What does everyone think?
Not a bad idea; but we've got to do it when we're on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN or something. We'd have to do national coverage for that one. But I do like it.
Good point! with StL gear and a nice banner, I add... if you sit together in the lower part of the stands, it would be easier to display it during the whole game! Why don't you guys begin to count yourselves? SoB did it and still do, with their crescent number. I read somewhere on BS that membership through StL Soccer United has reached more than 1500 ... let's try to introduce yourself to the other and maybe you'll find out many "unspectables" in your neighborhood
two dates that stuck out Sunday,May 4th vs Chicago at 7:05 on ESPN Friday, June 13th vs Philly at 7:15
I like the first one. I think this is a good idea. Getting tickets will be the problem; we'll have to do that soon.
The St. Louis Lions PDL team starts their season in May, and there's some rumor going around of a spring SLU tournament, possibly at Soccer Park. Events like these wouldn't do much for national attention, but they might help build the numbers locally...which, in turn, will help with the higher-profile events. There's also the Gateway Grizzlies to consider. 25 GCS's in matching shirts would really stand out in that stadium.
Indeed. I feel it's important to get some local publicity, but I think even more important to do so on a national scale. Always time for both.
You already have t-shirts (http://www.gatewaycitysupportersclub.org/wp/merchandise/) and scarfs are coming soon, so you "only" need a banner ... I agree you'd better start from local events, and then prepare the ground for something on a larger scale. I also think that beginning from a soccer-friendly pub would be a nice start, as someone else suggested before. I don't know if anyone posting here works @ SLSU, but it would be useful to organize such kind of events in cooperation with them ... cause in the end you are, on different ways, both working to the same objective.