Stadium Discussion

[Kjbert]

Yankee Stadium is bad for soccer because I pay $5,000 a year to sit "midfield" and under a canopy. In reality, I'm about 150 yards from the pitch, on the first level, I can't see the corner on my side, and I can't hear the supporters section. The field is too short and too narrow and it ruins SOME of the impact that having superstar players has on a game played at this level. Beyond that, the pitch is crappy, even in the outfield of Yankee stadium where it should be strongest. Too many times, our guys make cuts and they slip. It's not a surface made for soccer. I'm just waiting for the first ACL tear because of the surface. Beyond that, there is no sense of harmony around the stadium amongst fans because we are so far away from the action. You're playing in a cavern, even when there is a "sellout" of 28,000 fans.

I've been to other stadiums. The atmosphere for our games is encouraging but it's also depressing.

That's good enough answer?

And me considering dropping my expensive seats after 3 years because I'm displeased with progress doesn't make me plastic. The kid who can't afford to get into the building living in the South Bronx who watches every one of our matches isn't any less of a fan than I am because he doesn't attend.

 

[JGarrettLieb]

I might drop a seat or two next year. To be honest I'm like the only person in my circle of friends that really likes soccer. And the resale market is garbage this year.

Also why keep 3 seats for the new stadium if there isn't going to be a new stadium?

 

[adam]

Anyone know if you go down to 1 seat, then the season before the new stadium is eventually built (lets go on the assumption it will be), you add let say 3 more seats. So you go into the 1st season of the new place with 4 seats total in your account, 1 from the very beginning, 3 the year right before. Do you get to now pick all 4 seats in your original place in line when they call you. Or only 1 seat and have to wait till the very end for the other 3 seats?

 

[joe]

I'm just waiting for the first ACL tear because of the surface.

Forgot about Tony Taylor already?

 

[Ulrich]

Yankee Stadium is bad for soccer because I pay $5,000 a year to sit "midfield" and under a canopy. In reality, I'm about 150 yards from the pitch, on the first level, I can't see the corner on my side, and I can't hear the supporters section. The field is too short and too narrow and it ruins SOME of the impact that having superstar players has on a game played at this level. Beyond that, the pitch is crappy, even in the outfield of Yankee stadium where it should be strongest. Too many times, our guys make cuts and they slip. It's not a surface made for soccer. I'm just waiting for the first ACL tear because of the surface. Beyond that, there is no sense of harmony around the stadium amongst fans because we are so far away from the action. You're playing in a cavern, even when there is a "sellout" of 28,000 fans.

I've been to other stadiums. The atmosphere for our games is encouraging but it's also depressing.

That's good enough answer?

And me considering dropping my expensive seats after 3 years because I'm displeased with progress doesn't make me plastic. The kid who can't afford to get into the building living in the South Bronx who watches every one of our matches isn't any less of a fan than I am because he doesn't attend.

You're on the left field side on the lower level, right?

I think you'd get way more bang for your buck if you move to the 200 level and closer to the outfield foul pole (I'm in 228). The angle of the stands is more conducive to watching the game flow, and the only place I cannot see when sitting down is the corner by 230, and everybody stands for those so no big deal. The distance doesn't feel toxic to the experience and the view is great. The supporters can easily be heard if that's something you're missing; even the chickenbucket chants can be heard loud and clear.

 

[LeeNYCFC]

Anyone know if you go down to 1 seat, then the season before the new stadium is eventually built (lets go on the assumption it will be), you add let say 3 more seats. So you go into the 1st season of the new place with 4 seats total in your account, 1 from the very beginning, 3 the year right before. Do you get to now pick all 4 seats in your original place in line when they call you. Or only 1 seat and have to wait till the very end for the other 3 seats?

This is all assumptions but based on the "become a founding member by buying tickets to our last 3 matches" campaign, I fully expect them to take your money and give you 4 seats together. They'll probably do some kind of -announced cutoff, like must have them all the year prior to opening.

 

[Rimil]

First of all, i'd like to address that I am still pissed off at the club for the lampard situation. I think that was a 'plastic' move by the ownership embarrassing the club showing lampard on billboards for months only to say sorry feeder club we need him at the mothership. So when I called my rep to say, are you serious, we haven't even played a game and you are going to pull this bull. I immediately asked for my refund cause I don't want any part of this nonsense. And they said sorry, all sales are final. Basically they were saying to me, sorry, you don't matter but we will take your money. If they wanted to build some good will all those jerks had to say was yes sir, full refund right away sir, we apologize sir, here's a free scarf as an additional apology sir. And I would have been like, ok ok, I get that you get I'm upset; I'll keep my seats. And than I would have continued being a blind eye'd fanboy, spreading the good word about the team trying to convert non believers to our cause throwing coolaide in people's faces like you never seen before.

So I've lost my blind trust in the team and see it for the business it really is. I still root for them, I still have their badge on my car, I still watch every game so they get their ad dollars. The only difference between me and what you see as a true NYC soccer fan is you'll happily spoon up the crap they feed you in thinking they want to build a community with you out of the goodness of their heart, when in actuality they just want to build a self sustaining money pit of fervent fans that will take any injustice happily and continue throwing money at the team (à la the NY knicks).

So I sell my tickets now. I sell them as a little game to see if I can make a profit. The team still makes their money, sure, but I also try to make some along side them. As long as I make money I will keep buying my season tickets. Unlike a pure speculator, I will go to the game If I cannot sell my tickets. If I have friends that are interested I will give them my tickets, but going to the games is no longer the draw for me that it could have been.

So with that said, trekking to YS to watch at awkward angles sucks, but i will endure it if I can go for free. If people stop buying my tickets because they also find YS's sucky angles a deal breaker then I will start to eat a loss. If I eat a loss I will have to decide do I want to keep buying these tickets or do I want to finally sever my connection with the ownership like I tried to after lampardgate. I am fortunate to have disposable income so this isn't a huge concern, but I also like to make good purchases and I sure as shit don't want the ownership to make a buck off me at my expense.

Even eating a small loss my only real concern for why I don't cut bait right now is if they eventually do build the future stadium in an absolutely fabulous location and soccer takes off in America like i think it eventually will I want to lock up good seats. I am sticking with my membership because I am investing in the MLS's future not loyalty to this club's ownership. I eventually plan on having kids and i want to take them to the game. If I can do that with my supporter discount in a great section then I will endure. But if I am going to fork over 3k and lose half, I would be better off downgrading to the cheapest tickets just to hold my spot for the future. Like someone said i am sure all the premium seats disappearing will light a fire under someone's ass.

Finally to speak on being a real fan and having to go to the games. I am a diehard giants fan. When they punt to desean jackson when all they had to do was kick it out of bounds and he runs it back for a philly win, I am as pissed off and angry as any fan at the stadium. I have never in my life been to a giants game cause their stadium is in the boonies and I don't want to go. Don't tell me I am not a true fan just cause I'm not a season ticket holder. That's bullshit.

TL;DR: Lampardgate disillusioned me; I only hold my tickets for profit on resale if I can get it and potential seating at a great stadium. If I lose to much $$$ or stadium is in the boonies I'm out. Still a fan (unless we are in jersey then I'm done).

 

[joe]

Anyone know if you go down to 1 seat, then the season before the new stadium is eventually built (lets go on the assumption it will be), you add let say 3 more seats. So you go into the 1st season of the new place with 4 seats total in your account, 1 from the very beginning, 3 the year right before. Do you get to now pick all 4 seats in your original place in line when they call you. Or only 1 seat and have to wait till the very end for the other 3 seats?

"We have scheduled an appointment for you based on the sequential order in which you became a City Member."

For whatever that's worth.

 

[adam]

"We have scheduled an appointment for you based on the sequential order in which you became a City Member."

For whatever that's worth.

Yeah, so lends premise to the idea that you'll get the call in the beginning if you signed up early and still have a ticket to your name. But on the call will the say, "sorry only 1 ticket is "founding member", we'll call you back in 2 days for the others" Or they will say "you have 4 tickets in your account, we have you on the phone, so where would you like them?"

This is all assumptions but based on the "become a founding member by buying tickets to our last 3 matches" campaign, I fully expect them to take your money and give you 4 seats together. They'll probably do some kind of -announced cutoff, like must have them all the year prior to opening.

I think you're right, if they have you on the phone and they know you'll buy 4 seats, they won't give that up and chance losing you to stay a 1 ticket holder. 1 ticket screws them up a bit too with their seating arrangements.

 

[joe]

Yeah, so lends premise to the idea that you'll get the call in the beginning if you signed up early and still have a ticket to your name. But on the call will the say, "sorry only 1 ticket is "founding member", we'll call you back in 2 days for the others" Or they will say "you have 4 tickets in your account, we have you on the phone, so where would you like them?"

I added my 2nd seat midway through the first season, so they're both "founding" tickets. My account number didn't change, so I guess it's a question of whether "account number" equals "City Member number" or not. (And if adding "founding" tickets is treated differently than tickets added in later years.)

 

[NYCFCfan]

Can anyone in the "YS is bad for watching soccer" camp take a shot at explaining why? It's turning in to one of those things that people seem to take for granted that I don't get.

I think the view from the endlines are great. I'd like our SSS to have a wider field (realistic) and be easier to get to from my apartment (unrealistic), but neither of those impact my game day experience. (The field width I find more noticeable if I have to watch a home game on tv for whatever reason)

I'm with K Kjbert on his take. The view and acoustics from third base to the first base side behind home plate are terrible. Having been to Toronto, Philly and NJ show what a top quality stadium looks like and (when full) sounds like. Even Columbus and Chicago have good stadiums (albeit the location there is lacking) relative to playing in Yankee Stadium.

The stadium feels cavernous because it is. It's disheartening seeing so many empty seats throughout the stands and then looking up and seeing the entire upper deck empty.

I'm also with Ulrich in that I moved from the supporters section to the elevated section just over, 234 I believe and the view is much better and the sound from the supporters section is a big improvement. I think the corners of the field are the best places to watch the game given the proximity to the field and the elevated viewing angles.

 

[Kjbert]

Ulrich and NYCFCfan - very good point about sitting closer to the foul pole in left field (I think that's the spot you are talking about. I am in 126 right now

Last season, when we beat NJRB, I had raffled my tickets off for a local charity. I have a buddy who attends probably half of the matches with me. He gets free tickets all the time to all Yankee Stadium events. So he brought me along on his free tickets for that match. We sat in the 300 section near the left field foul pole and it was AWESOME. I'm a big believer for NFL and College Football of being a little away from the action - higher up - and watching plays develop. I appreciate the game for the build-up and tactics.

Now, that being said, I would also prefer to be mid-field where I can see all the action equally AND be close to the pitch. I'm willing to pay a premium for that. I've considered moving out to the Right Field bleachers for a game but haven't pulled the trigger. With the new Toyota Porch or whatever it is they built, I will probably watch one match there when the weather improves. I checked it out before the first home opener and it's awesome. Great job by Yankee Stadium.

 

[Jon]

As a relative newcomer who signed up for a city membership late last season I feel the pain of those of you who have been waiting 2+ years for stadium info. If you're waiting for a new stadium I think you're going to be waiting a long time. I was looking back at the Orlando SC stadium timeline and the land used for their stadium was purchased in April 2013. The stadium, as we know, wasn't completed until this season. So we're talking 4 years from "start" to "finish."

We haven't heard anything about land being purchased for our SSS and I'm sure construction, environmental work, etc. take much longer in NYC than Orlando. I think we're stuck with Yankee Stadium for at least the next 5-7 years.

So instead of complaining (which I'm guilty of) about things that can't be fixed, like sight lines, let's come up with ideas for things that can be fixed.

 

[canchon]

I actually think that the 100 level seats on the third base side (where the legends seats are) are way too far back from the field and not angled steep enough to see the action - which offers a bad value for $ as they are some of the most expensive seats in the house. The bleachers that hang over on the other side are probably better.

In YS, the second deck is actually better for viewing the whole field on that side; although it does suck to be so far back from the field. I can't even imagine what seats behind home plate must be like. I'm in the first rows of 226 and am right at the midfield stripe; can effectively see the game well, although would be better if you didn't have that huge setback.

I agree that the corners offer some of the best views and value/$.

 

[adam]

Ulrich and NYCFCfan - very good point about sitting closer to the foul pole in left field (I think that's the spot you are talking about. I am in 126 right now

Last season, when we beat NJRB, I had raffled my tickets off for a local charity. I have a buddy who attends probably half of the matches with me. He gets free tickets all the time to all Yankee Stadium events. So he brought me along on his free tickets for that match. We sat in the 300 section near the left field foul pole and it was AWESOME. I'm a big believer for NFL and College Football of being a little away from the action - higher up - and watching plays develop. I appreciate the game for the build-up and tactics.

Now, that being said, I would also prefer to be mid-field where I can see all the action equally AND be close to the pitch. I'm willing to pay a premium for that. I've considered moving out to the Right Field bleachers for a game but haven't pulled the trigger. With the new Toyota Porch or whatever it is they built, I will probably watch one match there when the weather improves. I checked it out before the first home opener and it's awesome. Great job by Yankee Stadium.

Come watch a match in 103 with Dnigly13 and I! Not the bleacher perspective, but you are high enough to see the plays build up, especially in the back of the section. Also, the sound really travels there.

 

[joe]

I'm with K Kjbert on his take. The view and acoustics from third base to the first base side behind home plate are terrible. Having been to Toronto, Philly and NJ show what a top quality stadium looks like and (when full) sounds like. Even Columbus and Chicago have good stadiums (albeit the location there is lacking) relative to playing in Yankee Stadium.

The stadium feels cavernous because it is. It's disheartening seeing so many empty seats throughout the stands and then looking up and seeing the entire upper deck empty.

I'm also with Ulrich in that I moved from the supporters section to the elevated section just over, 234 I believe and the view is much better and the sound from the supporters section is a big improvement. I think the corners of the field are the best places to watch the game given the proximity to the field and the elevated viewing angles.

I think a lot of the complaints about the view and the noise would be addressed by moving towards the corners/endline. (***INTERN, don't read this next bit***) I don't think the pricing structure at YS is reflective of seat quality, and paying more to sit at midfield - especially so far removed from the sideline - isn't the best choice. (***INTERN can resume reading)

For the atmosphere, I consider that more a function of us being a new team than an intrinsic problem with YS. We could have a brand new SSS and you'd still see sections out of sync and lulls in the noise level because people are still figuring out how to support this team.

 

[Rimil]

I watched some of a game from the concourse behind goal opposite the supporters, I thoroughly enjoyed the change of angle from 127b. makes me want to relocate to 114A/B in the back of the section so you get some height. Much more interesting to see the side to side action of the wingers cutting in and out. Only downside is being miles away from the other goal.

 

[Kjbert]

Come watch a match in 103 with Dnigly13 and I! Not the bleacher perspective, but you are high enough to see the plays build up, especially in the back of the section. Also, the sound really travels there.

I would be happy to.

I have a young family so sitting under the canopy for me, right now, is a must. When it rains, we're dry. When it's windy, we're relatively warmer. When it's 95 degrees, we're 20 degrees cooler.

If I was 25 again (and 30 lbs lighter), I would be standing next to roxfontaine shirtless lighting off flares with one hand, and chugging a Coors Light with the other. Alas, those days have passed me by.

Back to the point about sitting underneath the canopy - I may be in the minority here, but staying out of the elements, to me and other parents, is a big draw for bringing my family.

 

[adam]

I would be happy to.

I have a young family so sitting under the canopy for me, right now, is a must. When it rains, we're dry. When it's windy, we're relatively warmer. When it's 95 degrees, we're 20 degrees cooler.

If I was 25 again (and 30 lbs lighter), I would be standing next to roxfontaine shirtless lighting off flares with one hand, and chugging a Coors Light with the other. Alas, those days have passed me by.

Back to the point about sitting underneath the canopy - I may be in the minority here, but staying out of the elements, to me and other parents, is a big draw for bringing my family.

I agree, I'm in the same boat as you with a 5 year old. I put a lot of suntan lotion on her, wouldn't take her in the cold or rain. Year 1, we'd spend extra time in the Mohegan Sun bar, she liked it there and no one from security bothered a 3 year old about running down to the seating area where she liked to watch. It's a shame that playground won't be open to us this Summer, I wouldn't mind watching from there while she played around with some other kids.

 

[adam]

As a relative newcomer who signed up for a city membership late last season I feel the pain of those of you who have been waiting 2+ years for stadium info. If you're waiting for a new stadium I think you're going to be waiting a long time. I was looking back at the Orlando SC stadium timeline and the land used for their stadium was purchased in April 2013. The stadium, as we know, wasn't completed until this season. So we're talking 4 years from "start" to "finish."

We haven't heard anything about land being purchased for our SSS and I'm sure construction, environmental work, etc. take much longer in NYC than Orlando. I think we're stuck with Yankee Stadium for at least the next 5-7 years.

So instead of complaining (which I'm guilty of) about things that can't be fixed, like sight lines, let's come up with ideas for things that can be fixed.

Please refer to somewhere in the first 100 pages of this thread when we compared the timelines for the building of MetLife, Citi Field, the new Yankee Stadium and the Barclays Center from first shovel to opening. I believe it's actually 'only' 3 years and Ulrich is our expert. But we still need to acquire the land and get the permits.