2020 & 2021 Season Ticket Thread

For STHs: If NYCFC hosts 0 matches at YS/CF in 2020, which would you prefer?

  • Complete Refund

    Votes: 18 62.1%
  • Credit to 2021 Season

    Votes: 11 37.9%

  • Total voters
    29
Struggling with my decision to renew or drop and lose my founding member status. My main issue is that I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old so I've been pretty much giving my tickets away to every game. Trying to figure out if it's worth downgrading and holding on to the status til the kids are a bit older or if it's better to just drop and sort things out in a few years. For with kids any insight on the following questions would be helpful:

1. At what age do you think kids start enjoying going to the game and actually sitting and watching the game?

2. Once your kid was old enough to enjoy going to games how many games a year is it possible to take them too based on other activities/commitments and issues with night games being past their bed times or on school nights?

Mine is 4 and he's been to about one game per year. There aren't a ton of early afternoon games with nice weather, so it's a tough needle to thread.

I think sitting and watching is still a few years away, but he does like running around the concourses.
 
Struggling with my decision to renew or drop and lose my founding member status. My main issue is that I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old so I've been pretty much giving my tickets away to every game. Trying to figure out if it's worth downgrading and holding on to the status til the kids are a bit older or if it's better to just drop and sort things out in a few years. For with kids any insight on the following questions would be helpful:

1. At what age do you think kids start enjoying going to the game and actually sitting and watching the game?

2. Once your kid was old enough to enjoy going to games how many games a year is it possible to take them too based on other activities/commitments and issues with night games being past their bed times or on school nights?
This will vary a lot according to circumstance, I think. With my kids, 5 years old was about the turning point for engaging with the game itself. But there’s always running around on the concourses and eating popcorn before then. It helps to talk through the on-field action with them and help them identify the players.

We have pretty easy access to the stadium by subway and try to go even just for the first half for midweek or night games, but of course we’d probably come out ahead if we bought single game tickets. Guess it depends how much you value the brick and the $5-20 discount if you want to maintain your tickets or drop for a year or two.

I will say, it’s been really rewarding for me to have the season tickets and try to take my kids to every game we can. It’s not any one game, but the dependable family outings and shared experience over time. It’s a special connection to have—after all, cheering your team’s goal is probably as close to a 5-year-old’s emotions as any of us boring old grown-ups can get.
 
I will say, it’s been really rewarding for me to have the season tickets and try to take my kids to every game we can. It’s not any one game, but the dependable family outings and shared experience over time. It’s a special connection to have—after all, cheering your team’s goal is probably as close to a 5-year-old’s emotions as any of us boring old grown-ups can get.
If not for the tickets, my 1-on-1 time with my 15 year old daughter would probably be reduced by 80%.
 
Struggling with my decision to renew or drop and lose my founding member status. My main issue is that I have a 2 year old and a 3 month old so I've been pretty much giving my tickets away to every game. Trying to figure out if it's worth downgrading and holding on to the status til the kids are a bit older or if it's better to just drop and sort things out in a few years. For with kids any insight on the following questions would be helpful:

1. At what age do you think kids start enjoying going to the game and actually sitting and watching the game?

2. Once your kid was old enough to enjoy going to games how many games a year is it possible to take them too based on other activities/commitments and issues with night games being past their bed times or on school nights?
Took my 4yo to her first game this year. Left at halftime because she had an attention span of a gnat. However, she now asks to watch soccer on TV, although that lasts about 10-15min before she insists on changing to F1 racing that she can watch forever (euro snob). What’s promising is she finally loves her soccer classes, so we’re gonna do the last early afternoon game in a few weeks and hope age 5/season 2020 has more child friendly start times since she’s warming up to the sport.

No recommendations for you - with two that age you’ll eat a lot of tix for a few years, so do a spread sheet to see how many seasons it’d be to break even if you drop & pay reg price in a few years vs paying FM non-stop.
 
Last edited:
This will vary a lot according to circumstance, I think. With my kids, 5 years old was about the turning point for engaging with the game itself. But there’s always running around on the concourses and eating popcorn before then. It helps to talk through the on-field action with them and help them identify the players.

We have pretty easy access to the stadium by subway and try to go even just for the first half for midweek or night games, but of course we’d probably come out ahead if we bought single game tickets. Guess it depends how much you value the brick and the $5-20 discount if you want to maintain your tickets or drop for a year or two.

I will say, it’s been really rewarding for me to have the season tickets and try to take my kids to every game we can. It’s not any one game, but the dependable family outings and shared experience over time. It’s a special connection to have—after all, cheering your team’s goal is probably as close to a 5-year-old’s emotions as any of us boring old grown-ups can get.
I have taken my 5yr old as well, expect to spend 20 mins in the bathroom and about 100 bucks on popcorn, cotton candy and random other junk food in a bribe attempt to get them to sit still for remainder of the game
 
I have taken my 5yr old as well, expect to spend 20 mins in the bathroom and about 100 bucks on popcorn, cotton candy and random other junk food in a bribe attempt to get them to sit still for remainder of the game

You got off easy. I think I’ve purchased every stuffed animal in the gift shop behind 103/104 multiple times.
 
The threshold question is how old does a child have to be before you can actually enjoy the game if you bring him or her. That is, not pitching a fit or whining the whole time, and not making you go anywhere during either half. For me, that has been about 5-6, understanding that part of the deal is a snack pre-game and at halftime.

I took my freshly minted 6-YO to the RB game , and he sat and tried to engage, and except for a 20 minute period in the first half during which he whined incessantly for a snack, I was able to fully enjoy. I didn’t have to worry about him climbing all over the place or pitching a major fit.

It’s often maybe only another year or two before they get fully engaged with the game as a fan, which is fun.

Ultimately, all kids are different. Some kids can tolerate sitting for the full two hours at a younger age - heck, my 3-YO was at the Orlando game and did pretty well, so long as he was in someone’s lap. Some kids will enjoy going, but never really get into the game as a fan, no matter how old.

I will add this - with kids, the ticket trade-in can be a really good deal. I dropped to 2 tickets before this season. I typically either go with 2-3 kids (3-4 people total) or I don’t go. And ticket trade-in has been perfect for this. I haven’t had to sell one ticket so far.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful responses about taking kids to games. It seems like I'm still at least 3 years away with the oldest one, but your stories have given me a lot to look forward to. I really appreciate all the info.
 
The threshold question is how old does a child have to be before you can actually enjoy the game if you bring him or her. That is, not pitching a fit or whining the whole time, and not making you go anywhere during either half.

As the proud owner of a 7 year old girl. I’m going to guess that age is somewhere around 35. Can’t wait.
 
Thanks to everyone for all the helpful responses about taking kids to games. It seems like I'm still at least 3 years away with the oldest one, but your stories have given me a lot to look forward to. I really appreciate all the info.
I would give it a shot early next year and see how it goes. You never know. Just go in with low expectations - be prepared for the worst, and everything else is upside.
 
Not to hijack your work but I like to see YoY % change. I flipped the 1st row/ 2nd+ because I think the 1st row thing is an aberration and that the better apples to apples feels like comparing 2nd row+ next to 2019. Then I did a LTD % change for those that started in 2015 and still exist. Which got me thinking, the club really should consider chopping up the sections more if they wanted to ruin such an analysis (or at least make it harder) since thats basically what they did for some old original seats and im too lazy to "fix"

201520162017201820192020LTD
Row 2+Row 1Row 2+Row 1
Pitchside A / Highest Pitchside2.27%0.08%0.00%0.00%
Pitchside B / Lowest Pitchside2.41%-41.20%0.00%0.00%
Legends A0.00%0.00%
Legends B0.00%2.86%5.56%1.58%-16.98%-0.15%-0.15%-8.57%-8.57%
Champions0.00%3.48%5.04%1.60%-7.74%-0.15%2.41%1.74%4.35%
Delta0.00%4.00%2.56%0.00%-6.47%0.24%2.91%0.00%2.67%
Category 1 / Midfield Preferred0.00%5.77%9.09%3.33%-3.23%0.00%5.00%15.38%21.15%
Category 2 / Sideline Preferred0.00%6.82%4.26%4.08%-1.73%-0.23%5.75%13.64%20.45%
Category 30.00%7.89%4.88%2.33%
Sideline1.82%8.46%
Midfield Mezzanine0.14%5.03%
Category 40.00%6.90%3.23%6.25%
Corners0.35%6.25%
Endline Preferred2.48%8.51%
Sideline Mezzanine0.00%9.38%
Midfield Bleachers0.00%-3.13%0.19%3.03%12.69%
Category 5 / Endline0.00%8.70%4.00%7.69%3.36%3.66%10.57%30.43%39.13%
Category 6 / Endline Mezzanine0.00%10.00%4.55%4.35%0.00%8.33%16.67%30.00%40.00%
Supporters0.00%11.11%5.00%0.00%0.84%8.61%8.61%27.78%27.78%
View attachment 10219

View attachment 10220

FOUNDING MEMBER PRICING
201520162017201820192020
Row 1Row 2+
Pitchside A / Highest PitchsideN/AN/A$7,480$7,650$7,656$7,656$7,656
Pitchside B / Lowest PitchsideN/AN/A$7,055$7,225$4,248$4,248$4,248
Legends AN/AN/AN/AN/A$3,060$3,060$3,060
Legends B$2,975$3,060$3,230$3,281$2,724$2,720$2,720
Champions$1,955$2,023$2,125$2,159$1,992$2,040$1,989
Delta$1,275$1,326$1,360$1,360$1,272$1,309$1,275
Category 1 / Midfield Preferred$884$935$1,020$1,054$1,020$1,071$1,020
Category 2 / Sideline Preferred$748$799$833$867$852$901$850
Category 3$646$697$731$748N/AN/AN/A
SidelineN/AN/AN/AN/A$768833782
Midfield MezzanineN/AN/AN/AN/A$696731697
Category 4$493$527$544$578N/AN/AN/A
CornersN/AN/AN/AN/A$576$612$578
Endline PreferredN/AN/AN/AN/A$564$612$578
Sideline MezzanineN/AN/AN/AN/A$544$595$544
Midfield BleachersN/A$544$544$527$528$595$544
Category 5 / Endline$391$425$442$476$492$544$510
Category 6 / Endline Mezzanine$340$374$391$408$408$476$442
Supporters$306$340$357$357$360$391$391

Good stuff. You should actually be able to add some more to the data. This is because, for the most part, the categories that didn't exist prior to 2018 or 2019 were part of one of the original Categories 1-6. So, you should be able to fill in prices from the applicable categories in the earlier years.

Take my current section 205 as an example. It is currently "Sideline Mezzanine", but in prior years it was "Category 4". If you copy the Category 4 pricing for 2015-2018 down to Sideline Mezzanine, you can track the cost of those seats across the whole period.
 
Good stuff. You should actually be able to add some more to the data. This is because, for the most part, the categories that didn't exist prior to 2018 or 2019 were part of one of the original Categories 1-6. So, you should be able to fill in prices from the applicable categories in the earlier years.

Take my current section 205 as an example. It is currently "Sideline Mezzanine", but in prior years it was "Category 4". If you copy the Category 4 pricing for 2015-2018 down to Sideline Mezzanine, you can track the cost of those seats across the whole period.
yeah but both my sections still exsited so I stopped working on it. I agree with you it was an easy fix reaserching what used to be called what, but see the section about me being lazy and understand why i give up half w
 
yeah but both my sections still exsited so I stopped working on it. I agree with you it was an easy fix reaserching what used to be called what, but see the section about me being lazy and understand why i give up half w
Nothing wrong with that (including giving up halfway through the post).
 
I'm wondering if they let me have my seniority back. I doubt it, but wouldn't be shocked.

Ha. I totally forgot I have a signature. I haven't seen this site on a desktop in years so I don't see them.
Hi, what signature are you referring.