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Jitter
02-20-2009, 03:27 PM
Well it's from MLS Rumors so it's hard to say whether it's "news" or not but...

Well hot damn! Congratulations you Sounders.

It appears that Seattle has now overtaken Toronto in terms of enthusiasm for its new MLS club selling 20,000 Season Tickets a month before MLS First Kick.

Here is an excerpt courtesy of our friend Dave Falk and the Examiner: (http://www.examiner.com/x-413-Seattle-Soccer-Examiner~y2009m2d20-Sounders-milestone-20000-season-tickets-sold-with-a-month-to-go-before-kick-off)



With quarter-page newspaper ads around Puget Sound's dailies over the last week advertising 'buy your season ticket and get Chelsea' ...Sounders FC have just passed the 20,000 mark for combined season ticket sales.

The late surge could see the club get as high as 21,000 before kick off in less than a month.

For a while Seattle were 'stuck' on around 18,600, but as anticipated, when 1/2 seaon packages went on sale the numbers rose. This week they rose further as fans adjusted to the news that season ticket holders would get Sounders-Chelsea on July 18 at regular price and as a part of the season package.

This especially increased sales in the supporters main stand (south end) where the club are now at over 80% sold out, and have under 300 general admission seats left to sell.

Most other sections of Qwest Field's lower bowl are already full. Seats remain in the 'four corners' with a few choice ones sprinkled in here and there.

The Sounders announced yesterday that they will open more of the lower level for the home opener against New York Red Bulls. The capacity for that match will thus be raised from 24,500 to just above 27,000.

H Bomb
02-20-2009, 03:30 PM
good for them. . the more quality franchises the better. It wont be forgotten that we capped our number. More important than sales is those who show up on gameday. I hope the seattlites come with their voices

drewski
02-20-2009, 03:37 PM
good for them. . the more quality franchises the better. It wont be forgotten that we capped our number. More important than sales is those who show up on gameday. I hope the seattlites come with their voices


+1

time to expand bmo so we can get the record back! haha

uncle p
02-20-2009, 03:40 PM
This is good news for Seattle and the league, good on them

In all fairness to us tho, they are playing in a football stadium. Cant wait to visit and outsing them!!!

drewski
02-20-2009, 03:46 PM
This is good news for Seattle and the league, good on them

In all fairness to us tho, they are playing in a football stadium. Cant wait to visit and outsing them!!!

but the seating capacity for soccer is only a few thou more. their sales rate is higher then TFC's i think

loconet
02-20-2009, 03:52 PM
but the seating capacity for soccer is only a few thou more. their sales rate is higher then TFC's i think

Much nicer website too...

rocker
02-20-2009, 03:54 PM
i think the capacity of the lower bowl is 24500.. they are opening other sections up so they can have 27000 for the home opener.

TFC is 20000 with a cap on STs around 16000. If BMO had 24500 seats I bet TFC would sell just as many season's tickets as Seattle.

giambac
02-20-2009, 03:54 PM
Well it's from MLS Rumors so it's hard to say whether it's "news" or not but...

Well hot damn! Congratulations you Sounders.

It appears that Seattle has now overtaken Toronto in terms of enthusiasm for its new MLS club selling 20,000 Season Tickets a month before MLS First Kick.

Here is an excerpt courtesy of our friend Dave Falk and the Examiner: (http://www.examiner.com/x-413-Seattle-Soccer-Examiner~y2009m2d20-Sounders-milestone-20000-season-tickets-sold-with-a-month-to-go-before-kick-off)


With quarter-page newspaper ads around Puget Sound's dailies over the last week advertising 'buy your season ticket and get Chelsea' ...Sounders FC have just passed the 20,000 mark for combined season ticket sales.

The late surge could see the club get as high as 21,000 before kick off in less than a month.

For a while Seattle were 'stuck' on around 18,600, but as anticipated, when 1/2 seaon packages went on sale the numbers rose. This week they rose further as fans adjusted to the news that season ticket holders would get Sounders-Chelsea on July 18 at regular price and as a part of the season package.

This especially increased sales in the supporters main stand (south end) where the club are now at over 80% sold out, and have under 300 general admission seats left to sell.

Most other sections of Qwest Field's lower bowl are already full. Seats remain in the 'four corners' with a few choice ones sprinkled in here and there.

The Sounders announced yesterday that they will open more of the lower level for the home opener against New York Red Bulls. The capacity for that match will thus be raised from 24,500 to just above 27,000.



yes,

an expansion team gets Chelsea and we get the run of the mill teams to come and play here.....................

drewski
02-20-2009, 03:56 PM
i think the capacity of the lower bowl is 24500.. they are opening other sections up so they can have 27000 for the home opener.

TFC is 20000 with a cap on STs around 16000. If BMO had 24500 seats I bet TFC would sell just as many season's tickets as Seattle.

there's what, 13k on the waiting list? BMO could have 30k+ seats and still sellout

Beach_Red
02-20-2009, 04:10 PM
yes,

an expansion team gets Chelsea and we get the run of the mill teams to come and play here.....................

You know, you don't have to look at everything as an opportunity to trash TFC. (I still can't believe anyone gives a shit that some of Chelsea's reserves are going to play a meaningless game in Seattle.)

Selling this many tickets is great for this league and soccer in North America. The tide raises all boats.

Next up, New York will start selling out their new stadium and more and better stadiums will be built.

TFCREDNWHITE
02-20-2009, 04:32 PM
You know, you don't have to look at everything as an opportunity to trash TFC. (I still can't believe anyone gives a shit that some of Chelsea's reserves are going to play a meaningless game in Seattle.)

Selling this many tickets is great for this league and soccer in North America. The tide raises all boats.

Next up, New York will start selling out their new stadium and more and better stadiums will be built.

This my friend is so very true!!!

With Seattle doing well so far, and RSL's new Rio Tinto Stadium and NYRB's Energy Park coming soon, Home Depot Centre doing all right, and DC's new stadium in Poplar Point coming in a couple of years, i say you are right the tide is helping all of us!!

Now we just need grass, a roof and to fill in the corners...

Hitcho
02-20-2009, 04:39 PM
^ Agreed - there is zero utility in TFC selling out its tickets and all other franchises failing miserably. I think it's great that another expansion side is selling so many season tickets - let's hope they renew at the same rate as TFC fans have as well. The more franchises like TFC and Seattle the better.

And as has been discussed on here many times before, BMO Field will be expanded and at that stage TFC will probably sell more than 20,000 season tickets a year.

I cannae wait, son!!!!!!

EDIT - the comment about the chavs going to seattle and TFC getting crap sides is inane. Seattle wanted a big name to showcase their new side. How much did it cost them to get chelski there is the real question? Besides which, who you play in friendlies should be determined by your coach and fitness team, not the sales and marketing guys. I think TFC has got by far the right approach. if you measure your team by who the friendlies are played against, then you're a clueless turd.

BFin
02-20-2009, 04:44 PM
This especially increased sales in the supporters main stand (south end) where the club are now at over 80% sold out, and have under 300 general admission seats left to sell.

Most other sections of Qwest Field's lower bowl are already full. Seats remain in the 'four corners' with a few choice ones sprinkled in here and there.


Personally, I would be pissed if TFC only reserved 300 single seat games. You want to talk about a scalping problem...perfect example right here.
That being said, I am very very happy that they are doing so well, and the further this league develops as far as a fan base, the higher the cap figure, the higher the quality of players and so on...good on Seattle.

Lucky Strike
02-20-2009, 04:53 PM
Good on them; it's good to see other highly successful franchises enter MLS. Though they may have the most season tickets and the largest % of season tickets to overall seats (using the 24500 figure), TFC will always be known as the team that raised the bar for all others to try and match. :D I'm very proud of that and hope others don't become bitter about this! That and hopefully it will help bring the sad sacks (cough cough...Columbus) of the league up to par.

trane
02-20-2009, 04:58 PM
FUCK THE SOUNDERS.


[ that is my welcome to the league, seriously good for them they seem to be on the right track, and that is one place I want to see the game at]

dupont
02-20-2009, 05:04 PM
awesome. that is great news for the league. Seriously my biggest fear is having Toronto become crazy for this sport and our team just to have the league fold. Every successful team will ease my fears just that little bit!

ExiledRed
02-20-2009, 05:15 PM
yes,

an expansion team gets Chelsea and we get the run of the mill teams to come and play here.....................

Good for them, I hope Seattle will be playing us on the following weekend.

ExiledRed
02-20-2009, 05:28 PM
^Oh well, I just checked, Seattle host Chicago a week later.

These games interfere with the schedule, and put our players at risk during an important part of the season. Seattle will suffer for that match against Chelsea regardless. This obsession with bringing in elite clubs to play against us in July/August is selfish, and just tells me that you'd rather watch an exhibiton than see our team do everything it can to keep our small squad in form.

Aston Villa should have been a lesson to us, we don't have the resources under this cap to risk players, so be happy we don't have to watch Juventus or Milan rip a hole out of the team, I'd rather not anyway.

torontocelt
02-20-2009, 05:43 PM
Besides which, who you play in friendlies should be determined by your coach and fitness team, not the sales and marketing guys. [/quote]

This is definitely not the case anymore, many clubs travel thousands of miles pre season and even during the season to play in meaningless friendlies all over the world in order to promote their brand and bring in more money. Celtic for example regulary played in North America pre season to raise their profile and make a bit of cash even though their players clearly were not fit enough and could not cope with the heat. Celtic were getting ripped apart pre season by MLS teams all over America and I doubt it does much for the confidence of players. This summer Man U will also play 4 games in Asia pre season including three games in six days in three different countries, I would not attribute that idea to Alex Ferguson or his fitness team.

Suds
02-20-2009, 05:46 PM
Selling this many tickets is great for this league and soccer in North America. The tide raises all boats.



Could not agree more. This is great news for the MLS and for us. The more we have healthy franchises in this league the better for everyone involved. Healthy franchises mean a healthy league which, in turn, will mean higher revenues leading to a higher cap so teams can attract better talent.

ExiledRed
02-20-2009, 06:02 PM
I like to think that Toronto has set the example here.

Hitcho
02-20-2009, 06:20 PM
Besides which, who you play in friendlies should be determined by your coach and fitness team, not the sales and marketing guys.

This is definitely not the case anymore, many clubs travel thousands of miles pre season and even during the season to play in meaningless friendlies all over the world in order to promote their brand and bring in more money. Celtic for example regulary played in North America pre season to raise their profile and make a bit of cash even though their players clearly were not fit enough and could not cope with the heat. Celtic were getting ripped apart pre season by MLS teams all over America and I doubt it does much for the confidence of players. This summer Man U will also play 4 games in Asia pre season including three games in six days in three different countries, I would not attribute that idea to Alex Ferguson or his fitness team.

Two points:

1. that is only generally true for money spinning world famous clubs (when did you last see Reading do a tour of Asia?), and even LAG only did it in Oz to exploit the Becks link.

2. you're referring to pre-season games, whereas the chavski friendly is mid-season, when it's even more crucial to have your coach and fitness team assessing what the players are doing.

I for one am much more comfortable knowing that if we have to do these friendlies, Carver and Winsper have planned out the training and fitness from pre-season right through to the last game of the year, and are happy with who we are playing. The Villa game (as someone posted above) was and should be a lesson to us.

Hitcho
02-20-2009, 06:23 PM
I like to think that Toronto has set the example here.

me too - we broke the mould, other cities have seen it that have a decent soccer following and knwoing what can be done, are supporting their new team the way we did and are.

Self-indulgent back patting aside, it's still great news though!

mlsintoronto
02-20-2009, 06:39 PM
me too - we broke the mould, other cities have seen it that have a decent soccer following and knwoing what can be done, are supporting their new team the way we did and are.

Self-indulgent back patting aside, it's still great news though!

Hitcho...never EVER stop that self indulgent back patting. :rolleyes:


Seattle took our business plan and executed it superbly. If thats not flattery what is? The next thing they must do, and soon, is announce they are sold out. forget going for some symbolic number...just stop selling, and take names for a waiting list. Two things will ensure their success : the fact that you cant get a season ticket, and the fact that there are people who want season tickets.

flatpicker
02-20-2009, 06:44 PM
^ I think there are a few folks like that around here.

Oldtimer
02-20-2009, 06:59 PM
Agreed with the posters that this is great news for the league. It's also true that TFC is now the "model" on how to be successful in MLS. That's good news as we move toward having a league with real football fans with well-attended matches.

The point some have made that you should play friendlies against teams that will help you, not necessarily famous names is also a good one. We got Vitti due to the Independiente match, even though many at the time (including myself) would have preferred a bigger club. However, if we had had a bigger club, we would never had been able to afford one of their players, even on loan.

TFCREDNWHITE
02-20-2009, 07:07 PM
Hitcho...never EVER stop that self indulgent back patting. :rolleyes:


Seattle took our business plan and executed it superbly. If thats not flattery what is? The next thing they must do, and soon, is announce they are sold out. forget going for some symbolic number...just stop selling, and take names for a waiting list. Two things will ensure their success : the fact that you cant get a season ticket, and the fact that there are people who want season tickets.

Pure Evil!!

What!? Do you work for MLSE or something!!??

It must be really really burning hot in those front office's!!?

:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::cool ::rolleyes:

gtaguy
02-20-2009, 07:21 PM
Im excited that seattle has taken their first year seriously.
Their team is really looking like a contender right from the get go.
The players they have signed so far impress me on paper(not all ) but they have some real attacking force behind them. Seattle is also a hotbed of soccer in the USA and i think that will reverb from the USL to MLS.. Im also glad that they have sold so many seasons seats,. but in defence of Toronto I think Toronto sold themselves short when the stadium was finally approved and built.
I remember me calling the fan 590 on our very first innagural day just after the game(sitting on lakeshore with huge traffic coming out from bmo). I called because they were talking TFC at that moment (they were probably talking about the reds becuase it was just another event in T.O).
I called in and mentioned it to the host (which i don't remember his name but i was pissed with him after my call) that the stadium was built too small..
He dissed me off like some dumbass (probably because it wasn't the blue jays or the argos i was talking about) and he hung up on me.
my old man and i had a good laugh at this moron afterwards seeing what we said was true and why this guy would later regret his ignorance..

I still remember when the proposal was to be 35k with the argos sharing the facility.. I bet all kinds of money that our very first year could have gotten atleast 18k to 19k in seasons seats seeing how our beautiful tin can of a stadium was sooooo packed, and continues to be.

In realistic terms i think toronto coming into the league that year was as big as having spiceboy come to the MLS... In a finer point we showed the MLS what REAL FANS are like and what PASSION REALLY IS..... I'm certain we will regain our seasons seats title back in the future..

mighty_torontofc_2008
02-20-2009, 07:25 PM
good for Seattle...a good football market.....lets see how long it taks for their first streaker to run on the field....odds are 2-1 for Drew Carey.

Inklink
02-20-2009, 07:27 PM
Way to go Seattle. :)

Toronto and Seattle .. back to back great expansions (San Jose wasn't expansion according to me ;) )

king dave
02-20-2009, 07:39 PM
Way to go Seattle!
And don't forget to have your pets spayed or neutered!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3120/3296453228_f2415c31a1.jpg?v=0

KD.

dag
02-20-2009, 07:41 PM
Excellent news - congratulations to the Sounders. This is what the MLS needs. And things will only improve in the Northwest with the eventual addition of Vancouver.

bignickel
02-20-2009, 07:51 PM
Hitcho...never EVER stop that self indulgent back patting. :rolleyes:


Seattle took our business plan and executed it superbly. If thats not flattery what is? The next thing they must do, and soon, is announce they are sold out. forget going for some symbolic number...just stop selling, and take names for a waiting list. Two things will ensure their success : the fact that you cant get a season ticket, and the fact that there are people who want season tickets.

actually paul, they one upped us, they even signed a d.p. before playing their first ever game! those bastards!

TorCanSoc
02-20-2009, 07:53 PM
Toronto, Seattle, then Vancouver!!! Lets hope.

What were the arrangements for Seattle's soccer specific stadium? There must be have been a deadline set right? If they're smart they'll cap the stadium at 25K. Like us we still don't know what the landscape will be in five years. Keep the product in demand.

Only three teams made a profit (supposedly, the books are not open, so its really just their word on the profit statements) this is a horrible trend. It shmecks of unsustainability. I really hope every team can follow in the success of Toronto and Seattle.

My two cents is let the the weak franchise sell out to a strong proven market ie. Vanc or Mtl. How many weak owners would like to recoups costs, and dare I say turn a profit on the sale of the franchise?

MLS will likely kaibash this approach, they want the clear out and out new franchise fee. Doesn't strengthen the league, it only expands it. A la NHL.

TFCREDNWHITE
02-20-2009, 07:55 PM
Plus their season's come with a ticket to the PRICE IS RIGHT,.... Paul Get on it!!

http://www.tvguide.com/images/pgimg/price-is-right10.jpg

TFCREDNWHITE
02-20-2009, 08:05 PM
This guy was the very first seasons ticket holder!

http://www.djwillyb.com/images/DREW%20CAREY.jpg

Suds
02-20-2009, 08:08 PM
Plus their season's come with a ticket to the PRICE IS RIGHT,.... Paul Get on it!!

http://www.tvguide.com/images/pgimg/price-is-right10.jpg

Bah ... Price is Right ... MLSE can bring back Bumper Stumpers!!!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0sZHkg6Yv4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0sZHkg6Yv4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

TorCanSoc
02-20-2009, 08:26 PM
Oh krykie there's 7 minutes 9 seconds I'll never get back.

twistedchinaman
02-20-2009, 08:51 PM
EDIT - the comment about the chavs going to seattle and TFC getting crap sides is inane. Seattle wanted a big name to showcase their new side. How much did it cost them to get chelski there is the real question? Besides which, who you play in friendlies should be determined by your coach and fitness team, not the sales and marketing guys. I think TFC has got by far the right approach. if you measure your team by who the friendlies are played against, then you're a clueless turd.

+1 with emphasis.

Does getting Kawasaki Frontale make you less of a team than getting a team like Chel$ki?

flatpicker
02-20-2009, 08:56 PM
Bah ... Price is Right ... MLSE can bring back Bumper Stumpers!!!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0sZHkg6Yv4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0sZHkg6Yv4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>


I used to love Bumper Stumpers!

Redcoe15
02-20-2009, 09:07 PM
Bah ... Price is Right ... MLSE can bring back Bumper Stumpers!!!

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0sZHkg6Yv4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/k0sZHkg6Yv4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
:yikes: NOOOOO!!!!!

Redcoe15
02-20-2009, 09:09 PM
Good for Seattle. If only they had a real SSS to play in, instead of cavernous Q West Field. Oh well.

Canadian Blue
02-20-2009, 09:20 PM
It is great that Seattle has sold out.......I would like to see all MLS teams sell out their stadiums so people will stop having the "our fans are better than your fans debate". Also the more sold out stadiums the more more for the league........hence further improvement

Bender
02-20-2009, 10:04 PM
It is great that Seattle has sold out.......I would like to see all MLS teams sell out their stadiums so people will stop having the "our fans are better than your fans debate". Also the more sold out stadiums the more more for the league........hence further improvement

It doesn't matter how many stadiums sell out, hell even if every team sold out every game that debate would still rage on...

Dave67
02-20-2009, 10:24 PM
actually paul, they one upped us, they even signed a d.p. before playing their first ever game! those bastards!

Is it 1 upping when you sign a broken down hag as your DP?

torontocelt
02-20-2009, 11:23 PM
[quote=Hitcho;382510]Two points:

1. that is only generally true for money spinning world famous clubs (when did you last see Reading do a tour of Asia?), and even LAG only did it in Oz to exploit the Becks link.

2. you're referring to pre-season games, whereas the chavski friendly is mid-season, when it's even more crucial to have your coach and fitness team assessing what the players are doing.

I think that you are missing the point of what I was saying, I was saying that for some clubs it is not up to the manager what friendlies they play and where they play them. Yes it may only be the bigger clubs where this is the case but this is what I was referring to.

Also many clubs do indeed play friendlies mid season, they are usually testimonials and they could potentially come at difficult times in the season. It is not unheard of for clubs to play pre arranged friendlies which mean nothing at important times of the season.

bignickel
02-20-2009, 11:31 PM
Is it 1 upping when you sign a broken down hag as your DP?

that broken down hag played 281 minutes in 3 games in the euro last summer, not to mention a group that included spain, russia and greece.

if healing goes well, at 32 he can still contribute alot.

regardless, seattle made a splash with this guy (welll received by their fans) and we would have been more than happy to have had him the last two years....not so long ago we were very happy to have robert!

rocker
02-20-2009, 11:34 PM
guess we have to actually play the games and see who`s right ;)

i have seen too many signings get praised at first and then fail later.

even if he plays all season, they could finish last (see: LA Galaxy) ... does that make it more enjoyable for Seattle fans... we`ll see ..

bignickel
02-20-2009, 11:43 PM
guess we have to actually play the games and see who`s right ;)

i have seen too many signings get praised at first and then fail later.

even if he plays all season, they could finish last (see: LA Galaxy) ... does that make it more enjoyable for Seattle fans... we`ll see ..

can't argue that. we will see how this goes. i am o.k. without us having a d.p. at the moment. i trust mo will get the right guy.

my original post was to remind mlsintoronto that they didn't exactly copy our business plan. signing a d.p. off the bat definitely made their strategy a little different than ours.

Keystone FC
02-21-2009, 05:34 AM
Just wanted to add my congrats to the newest club. It's good to see the worlds game fianlly making head way here in the States. This along with Red Bull Arena and DCU FINALLY getting a SSS and construction started on KC's new digs just makes the case for this game to be taken seriously because the league is taking this seroiusly.
Again, good job Seattle.