wow, wow, wow. i'm really really trying to find a reason to renew my season tickets. It's turning into a losing battle. very sad.
Im not a season ticket holder but I have no idea how they are going to sell this team to the ticketbase in the off-season. Are they going to use Mariner? Seriously? He isnt even that smart of a coach...I cant see anyone buying it based on the games we are seeing. This team isnt even playing soccer out there, they are just watching the other team do it. You cant be a good soccer team when you terrible with the ball. This franchise has been run in such an awful way fundamentally & has piled up so much negative baggage in just 6 years, its astounding. You can feel that the air is out of the balloon in the stadium just from watching it on TV. The only thing I can see them doing something to ignite the fanbase is just... get rid of all of them. Why keep any of these clowns? None of these people deserve the jobs they have. Collectively they have run this franchise into the ground.
Me and my brother are considering not renewing, although I'm sure we will. To us it's not so much that they're losing, it's that they've become very boring in the process. Two out of the last three games have been painful to watch. Like I said elsewhere our strategy now is boot the ball up and watch it come back down.
It's a funny thing, really. I, and I suspect a lot of day 1 season ticket holders, bought because we love the sport and we're just happy to have live, local, football to watch. I had never seen a MLS match when I bought and had no idea what to expect. Now, we discuss whether or not we will renew. I suspect I will continue to renew because, despite our home team's performance, the league itself has exceeded anything I thought it would give and I enjoy watching our sport live.
I had been watching TFC games with Winter around, they were fun to watch but Winter let down by a bad back line. This was a fatal flaw but it could have been fixed. Last game I watched for 5 minutes and stopped. Mariner I think is a very cheap version of Preki .. . Some of the goofy things come out of his mouth. Wiedemann best finishing touch of modern era? What? He moves like a slug, so who cares what touch he has.. I still feel Mariner advised Winter badly on that Dero for nothing much trade.. Mariner may have been largely responsible for the mistakes in personnel generally too. Winter wasn't a MLS expert, Mariner must have advised him quite a bit on who- is -who. One of the biggest issues with TFC is they often let people go without any plan, as if any change is for the better .. they change, change, change, and they end up worse and worse off. They should have stuck with Winter and grabbed a good defender somewhere. How hard is that? Instead they fall back on their change, change drug like a self-destructive junkie.. It's almost funny to see Harden playing again.. oh my God he's still on the team!! Can you believe it.. oh and Emory ... he's terrible!
The only reason to give up your season's tickets is because you just don't enjoy going enough anymore to justify spending the money. Giving them up in protest hoping to send a message to the front office won't work. They'll continue to be crap fan protests or not.
It somewhat works against another MLSE team, Toronto Raptors. Season ticket sales dropped, fans didn't show up, and they actually responded by dropping ticket prices. MLS regular season ticket prices seem too high for a team with this kind of results. Selling hope won't help either. I can only hope they will do the same as the Raptors.
True, they responded by dropping ticket prices. But they didn't respond by making the team any better, which in the end is what we all want.
Actually, the big fear that i have is that if there is a fan protest, or a mass of sth's not renewing then mlse will react once again by firing the coach, overhauling the team again and give us yet another year of rebuilding from zero.
They'll do that anyway. What happens when fans start bailing en masse is that they go from being a club with bad management and lots of cash to being a club with bad management and little cash. In other words, it gets even worse. In my honest opinion, a fan "protest with their dollars" would only be effective if it were big enough to force TFC to fold entirely and have MLS award Toronto with a completely new club under a completely new owner. Otherwise, we're dependent on TFC coming under different ownership for them to ever get good.
Depends on the price. Considering there's always going to be three or four games that will inevitably have to be missed for life outside soccer, if the savings don't add up to the games missed, season tickets may not be worth the cost knowing that there is no risk of games selling out. It wasn't too long ago where any game I couldn't make, the tickets were like a bank machine - a quick email at work or a facebook message and someone would scoop them up in minutes. Now, giving them away can be challenging. I'll definitely still be attending some games but whether to renew will depend on the cost. I do agree with the sentiment that the style of play was far more entertaining under Winter. I would much rather have watched the 0-9 team than the one playing now. The decision to buy tickets for a sporting event is not entirely about winning (although winning would certainly be nice).
So, our best prospects for having a good mls team here in Toronto are : 1) A new ownership group buys tfc (not likely to happen anytime soon, plus what would be mlse's motives to sell?) 2) mlse somehow gets it and figures our how to build a winning sports franchise (based on past mlse experience, not likely to happen in our lifetime) 3) mls (who still own part of the team) get fed up and force mlse out as owners. 4) mls announces a second team in toronto (dont hold your breath)
I'd like to add one, which is a slight variation to #2: MLSE hires a manager and is savvy enough to keep the MLSE hounds at bay while putting together the right squad, the right coaching team and using the right tactics. This is also a long shot, but in my opinion, our best hope.
Living in Charlotte, I am pretty far from the nearest MLS team, DCU, and I really wish we had an MLS team nearby. So maybe I am way out of my realm in understanding the mindset of being an MLS STH. In my mind, the three things I would ask myself if I were to buy season tickets: 1. Do I have fun at the games, despite the results? 2. Do I have time to make it to most home games? 3. Can I afford it? If you say yes to all 3, why not just renew? I just think it rings hollow that you won't renew because you want to protest management. If that were the case, teams like Manchester United, Arsenal, Inter Milan would all just flop because the fans hate the management. Yet, they still go.
I think all of us enjoy the time out at the park, and in general, I quite enjoy MLS as a product, and I can definitely afford it. My problem is more that I find increasingly I can't be bothered for #2 - the soul crushing losing aside - I just don't want to make time for such mediocrity, especially when the new guy seems hell bent on repeating the same mistakes that the old guy kept making, while rebuilding the roster with their type of players. It seems like Mariner is no better than Winter, who was only better than Dasovic/Preki/Cummins/Carver/Judas insomuch as he instilled a style that, while failing spectacularly in the win column, played attractive-ish soccer. From what I've seen out of Mariner, the style is route one with no emphasis on possession, and no ability to win at home. It's truly the wost case for a sales/marketing campaign and is basically a 6 year continuous slap in the face of any person who has made an effort to commit to top tier Northern North American football.
Living through the thick and thin becoming a thing of the past? I know we all want instant gratification of winning.
I've been a STH since day 1 - and I haven't given up my seat yet - so this is all speculative until I decide not to renew. I think this is more apt: Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. -Albert Einstein
I've been a STH since day 1 as well and this is the first season I am considering not renewing my tickets. I completed the STH survey a few weeks back and submitted additional comments and received a followup call from the FO. My issue with being a STH is the pricing of our tickets. NC Soccer - asking whether or not I can afford tickets is logical but you must consider the value I receive from being a STH. I firmly believe that incompetence which MLSE has demonstrated in the running of TFC has taken the value out of being a season ticket holder. Earlier strengths of TFC - raucous crowd, brand new stadium, expected results - no longer exist when compared to the much improved MLS league. The game day experience sucks, our once new stadium is no match for the newer Red Bull Arena, or Compass Stadium and our results are as bad as they ever were. To be asked to continue paying rates which are well over the league average is not fair to STH's and some goodwill in regards to ticket pricing seems fair. Why should I pay almost 3000 dollars in the Fall to secure my tickets when I can show up to all games and purchase from a scalper at or below face value? Or why not buy tickets on groupon or team buy are rates similar to a STHs discounted rate? As STH's we have supported this club because we love the game and the team and we've done our part but are continually let down by the FO. As has been pointed out, most management teams are hated but exmaples stated above are of teams that win - ours doesn't. When I spoke with my ticket rep I was told that TFC will build more value into being a STH (food/beverage discounts and more team events being what he envisioned). I don't care about these things and I urge all STH's to call the FO and demand better, fairer and more realistic pricing.....they still made money when we were charged less so there's no reason why they can't give everyone 20% off their tickets. All the old excuses as to why TFC was able to charge the highest prices no longer exist and if it weren't for the monopoly that MLSE has on top tier soccer I'm sure they'd have no fans left. Please note, these are my gripes on the STH experience....I could go on with plenty more poor management level decisions that we've been forced to endure but those are well documented and not pertinent to this discussion but I think it's fair to say that the club doesn't seem to be headed in the right direction and if I were to renew I know that I would have to put up with a mediocre product for some time to come. If you agree with me please contact TFC and let's make it known we want prices to drop.
Gripe all you want about ticket prices. The sad truth of it is that ML$E won't listen. They'll never listen to anyone regarding that. If they did, not only would TFC tickets be less expensive, but so would Leafs and Raptors tickets.
Fair enough, but the thing I love most about Toronto sports fans is their ability to whine and complain in all forms of media about the state of our teams and then not direct it to the people who can do something about it. If TFC chooses to ignore me that is their choice just as it will be mine to cancel 4 seats as well as all of the extra seats I've traditionally bought. I think there is no harm in letting the FO know we're tired of pricing which is out of line for the product we receive and all I'm asking is that STH's stick to this message.
yes to mds I for one will join in the request to lower ticket prices and direct it toward the FO 9 losses at the start was ridiculous for the ticket prices demanded by this club I am convinced that money is all they will listen to; and 'Atlantic fan' I know history is not kind in this repsect to consumers of MLSE products but it is the only lever fans have I will need major reductions to stay a STH - which I have been since day one I likely plan on buying tickets as I need/want them. This year for the games I could not make (2 in early July) I had problems giving my tickets away - This was a major change as everyone knows from season one / two when I had no problem getting rid of the tickets in minutes., Ultimately with this drop in demand for the tickets a drop in price must follow. I will likely just save my money and spend it on national womens/mens games - and try to avoid BMO or any MLSE related products in the future or at least until they produce better reults and a more enjoyable/valuable product go reds/ tfc 4ever
Assuming 20% will not resign at a minimum suggests that for most games - some when marque players are visiting not included - 3500+ plus seats will be available + seats that some STH's will offer for sale for a variety of reasons is taking some of the pressure off renewing. I spent close to $5K this year. With one set in section 123 I have access to the members lounge. So on the couple of times they had fish and chips on the menu list do you think they also had a few bottles of malt vinegar or even white vinegar available? I took a friend on one of these nights and while we had a good time, one of the few times a win happened which was nice, the fries in the fish and chips were as cold as could be. OKAY so this is secondary to the product being put on the field but when I pay over $4k for the right to seat in this section and I see people floating down to sit in the empty seats, accessing what only section 123 members paid a premium to access when added to the cock up on the field it is annoying. I would expect popcorn to be hot, condiments to be available and not to be told that sorry there was no coffee available that night. Just do not feel for what I paid I got anywhere near my monies worth and then we talk about the field. No if it looks like like the non-resign rate will spike 20% or more one can likely move off and come back on in a couple of years. May be I will buy cheapies and sneak in to 123 during those empty times, lol
So far this year I haven't received the STH survey but if I did there would be a lot to gripe about including ticket prices. I know that they put a hold on any increases over the last 2 years only to expect that they would raise prices for next season. Well I can't wait to get that renewal email and see what ownership will do. It will also be interesting to see if they hold the "town hall" meeting with the supporters groups and select STH. I don't expect the tone to be as positive as last years. I for one have successfully executed my own protest. I refuse to spend any money at BMO Field. No food or beverages of any kind, especially beer. The amount of coin they charge is crazy and I will not contribute to it. If there was 1 suggestion I could make to anyone going to a game would be to spend your hard earned money before you enter or after you've left the stadium. BMO Field itself is just a crappy low budget stadium. One videoboard? Really? Is this the fifties? Everything about it looks low brow. Having just come back from Newark and seeing Red Bull Arena really makes my opinion of BMO worse. The ticket prices and concession prices are more reasonable at Red Bull Arena. The only bad thing about it is the Budweiser.... Oh wait that's the piss they will be serving at BMO next year too.... My two cents