Stadium Discussion

[thesauerchise]

Essentially my point, except I think our only known is that a ST drop is not weather caused.

To be clear, I think the folks who believe this attendance drop -- even if it does continue -- should cause the team to speed up the stadium process are perhaps even more deluded than those who are certain it is unrelated to the stadium. There is no evidence or any solid reason to think that the team has a clear path to building a stadium if it would only push the right levers and spend enough money.

I wonder if we are looking at this attendance thing through the lens of forum fans. I personally think that most ppl who drop their season tickets and/or don't come to as many games are more casual fans who don't think about the stadium issue in the terms that we do. Usually ppl act in their own self interest, I.e. Cost, family, weather, travel, etc. The fans who interact on this forum are more dedicated and think about the team differently than a lot of other fans. Those ppl aren't contemplating the larger stadium issues, they are simply looking at month to month bills. Attrition is normal.

 

[adam]

Essentially my point, except I think our only known is that a ST drop is not weather caused.

To be clear, I think the folks who believe this attendance drop -- even if it does continue -- should cause the team to speed up the stadium process are perhaps even more deluded than those who are certain it is unrelated to the stadium. There is no evidence or any solid reason to think that the team has a clear path to building a stadium if it would only push the right levers and spend enough money.

That's reduculous! You know that if they wanted to they would actually turn a very large spigot.

 

[gbservis]

No friggin way is his absence from the team the reason we're down 15% We have that many fickle fans that drop their tickets when he retires?

Don't think it's a full 15% but it's certainly a portion of it. A guy sat near me the first 2 seasons, life long Chelsea fan, loved Lampard, have yet to see him this season. There was always a high number of Lampard jerseys floating around at home games these past to years. My point is I wouldn't discount it so easily, he's got a shaky rep with us but the Chelsea fans are obsessed with him.

I can't remember the exact stat but wasn't there something about a super high % of founding members being first time season ticket holders for any sport? We seemed primed for a fall off in that group as some found it to be too big of a commitment and others turned away after they increased the price each season.

 

[mgarbowski]

I wonder if we are looking at this attendance thing through the lens of forum fans. I personally think that most ppl who drop their season tickets and/or don't come to as many games are more casual fans who don't think about the stadium issue in the terms that we do. Usually ppl act in their own self interest, I.e. Cost, family, weather, travel, etc. The fans who interact on this forum are more dedicated and think about the team differently than a lot of other fans. Those ppl aren't contemplating the larger stadium issues, they are simply looking at month to month bills. Attrition is normal.

A basket of reasons like this seems most likely. It just turned out some people didn't want to go to that many games, or the price, while low compared to other sports, was too much to sustain, or all sorts of things.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Regarding season tickets, we have 2 data points. At the end of 2015, the club announced that it had hit its maximum season ticket number of 20,000. At the beginning of this season Grant Wahl reported that NYC had 17,000 season ticket holders.

Now that's a 15% drop, but it is not clear how much was this past off-season and how much was the first off-season. At least some of it was the first off-season because there were seats released for single matches in 2016 that had originally been reserved as season tickets.

 

[adam]

Regarding season tickets, we have 2 data points. At the end of 2015, the club announced that it had hit its maximum season ticket number of 20,000. At the beginning of this season Grant Wahl reported that NYC had 17,000 season ticket holders.

Now that's a 15% drop, but it is not clear how much was this past off-season and how much was the first off-season. At least some of it was the first off-season because there were seats released for single matches in 2016 that had originally been reserved as season tickets.

The 2015 numbers were puffed. They allowed people to become "season ticket holders" up until the last few home games of the season. We didn't have 20k season ticket holders at the start of 2015. I forget the actual number but they kept tweeting updates.

 

[Kjbert]

Can we at least agree that 20,000 is > than 17,000? And that our attendance is lower than what we would hope?

 

[Jon]

Can we at least agree that 20,000 is > than 17,000? And that our attendance is lower than what we would hope?

I think we can also agree that we live in a huge metropolitan area with the largest population in the United States. It's also a diverse population. So we should be drawing people in. As brand exposure grows, so to should our attendance and season ticket base.

 

[Seth]

I think we can also agree that we live in a huge metropolitan area with the largest population in the United States. It's also a diverse population. So we should be drawing people in. As brand exposure grows, so to should our attendance and season ticket base.

Those are all good points. I just think it's hard to judge trends after only two full seasons; completely not enough data points. It's the kind of question that can only really be answered after, say, 10 years, although if we're getting 25,000 every game in July and August when it's 80° out and not 30° that'd be a good sign.

 

[The Toe]

We have had the shittiest, unluckiest weekend weather imaginable. I wouldn't worry too much about attendance this early. Unfortunately, being at Yankee Stadium, we're going to have a lot of crap weather early-season games to get home games in while we can. 70 in February, 60 for most of the mid-weeks throughout March and 30s-40s with snow and rain every Saturday. Really, really sucks.

 

[joe]

My tickets for OCSC already sold. Possibly due to my more aggressive pricing strategy, but that's still a good sign that we'll see more people st the next match.

below face?

 

[Midas Mulligan]

below face?

around sth face. not sure about single match - it was like $21 each for my 2 in 215 in row 1 on the aisle, so it was a good deal for someone.

 

[Keith Putnam]

I feel like we're all yelling at each other in agreement about one thing: that Twitter account dedicated to getting us a stadium ASAP (which is a worthy goal) isn't helping anything by shouting out attendance stats which don't seem to have any relationship at all, asserted or substantiated, to the fact that we play at Yankee Stadium.

Dudemar (or babemar?) could have at least spouted out something like "STH numbers and overall attendance is down and people are saying [weasel words] that they don't want to see soccer at Yankee Stadium".

 

[The Toe]

I feel like we're all yelling at each other in agreement about one thing: that Twitter account dedicated to getting us a stadium ASAP (which is a worthy goal) isn't helping anything by shouting out attendance stats which don't seem to have any relationship at all, asserted or substantiated, to the fact that we play at Yankee Stadium.

Dudemar (or babemar?) could have at least spouted out something like "STH numbers and overall attendance is down and people are saying [weasel words] that they don't want to see soccer at Yankee Stadium".

Fishkin has been all over that angle. I love how the Cosmos guys are clinging to the joint Cosmos-NYCFC stadium because they know its their only chance at having an actual SSS within the City. NYCFC isn't going to do that. They don't need the lifeline.

 

[Kjbert]

Fishkin has been all over that angle. I love how the Cosmos guys are clinging to the joint Cosmos-NYCFC stadium because they know its their only chance at having an actual SSS within the City. NYCFC isn't going to do that. They don't need the lifeline.

You would never better than us apparently if they needed the lifeline. But if there is no progress or if the city tells NYCFC to do a joint stadium, are you saying it wouldn't be considered?

 

[The Toe]

You would never better than us apparently if they needed the lifeline. But if there is no progress or if the city tells NYCFC to do a joint stadium, are you saying it wouldn't be considered?

It was already brought up and turned down. I'm not entirely sure a joint stadium changes anything for NYCFC in terms of increasing the probability of getting a stadium. What could we not accomplish on our own that we could accomplish with the Cosmos? CFG has the funds to put forth, I'm not sure the Cosmos could do it on their own, not with what seems to be the total cost of the project.

 

[D_RoyJenkins]

That NYCFC stadium now account is so stupid. If anyone thinks NYCFC is complacent at Yankee stadium they're dumb as rocks.

 

[Jon]

That NYCFC stadium now account is so stupid. If anyone thinks NYCFC is complacent at Yankee stadium they're dumb as rocks.

Where's the evidence they're not complacent? Because the sent out a survey and mention a couple times that they're working on it?

 

[D_RoyJenkins]

Where's the evidence they're not complacent? Because the sent out a survey and mention a couple times that they're working on it?

They built a stadium and a 200 acre soccer campus for Manchester City and training facilities for Melbourne and NYCFC, you really think they want us in a baseball stadium permanently? It's not just ambition, NYCFC will be more profitable in their own venue. Sporting wise and economically building a stadium for NYCFC is in their best interests. Is that good enough for you?

 

[Gotham Gator]

They built a stadium and a 200 acre soccer campus for Manchester City and training facilities for Melbourne and NYCFC, you really think they want us in a baseball stadium permanently? It's not just ambition, NYCFC will be more profitable in their own venue. Sporting wise and economically building a stadium for NYCFC is in their best interests. Is that good enough for you?

Exactly. People who think they aren't working on it are either underestimating the challenge or the club's ambition to get it right or both.