Today's News, Saturday, Sep.15

[denime]

Mornin'



Game Day



TFC TV


(http://www.torontofc.ca/video) Toronto & Seattle Swap


(http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/09/toronto-seattle-swap)Toronto FC acquires draft pick from Seattle (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2012/09/14/sp-mls-toronto-seattle-trade.html)


(http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/09/toronto-seattle-swap)Johnson & Dunfield Rejoin Reds


(http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/09/johnson-dunfield-rejoins-reds)Pressure on TFC to drop season seat prices (http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/14/pressure-on-tfc-to-drop-season-seat-prices)


TFC hopes to make point vs. Philadelphia (http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2012/09/14/mls_toronto_fc_philadelphia_union_preview/)


Philadelphia Union at Toronto FC: Saturday MLS match preview (http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/mls/article/1257139--philadelphia-union-at-toronto-fc-saturday-mls-match-preview)


TFC needs to make a point against Philadelphia (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/tfc-needs-to-make-a-point-against-philadelphia/article4547330/)





TFC Related Blogs !!


(http://redpatchboys.ca/forums/showthread.php?29582-TFC-MLS-blogs-thread)


SUNSHINE (http://www.torontosun.com/sunshine-girl)







(http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2012/09/johnson-dunfield-rejoins-reds)


(http://www.torontofc.ca/video)
(http://www.torontofc.ca/video)

[denime]

Pressure on TFC to drop season seat prices (http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/14/pressure-on-tfc-to-drop-season-seat-prices)



http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1297312335318_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=430x330&clip=1&clip_gravity=center




With pressure mounting following the Montreal Impact’s decision to cut 2013 season seat prices after a decent inaugural MLS season by 15% last month, MLSE says it plans to send out notices to its seat holders sometime next week with information pertaining to when pricing will be released.


“We’re looking at our pricing and it’s going to be based on loyalty,” said Rajani Kamath, media relations for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.”


On the heels of a disastrous campaign that has seen the Reds sit bottom of the league since losing on opening day in Seattle, whether that will mean a lowering of prices remains to be seen.

“We’re integrating a number of different recommendations around (loyalty),” Kamath confirmed to the Sun.


As TFC’s top brass deals added pressure thanks to Impact owner Joey Saputo, who claims to have “listened” to fans before a price reduction, in Vancouver they’re doing more of the same, offering early-bird specials and student pricing for Whitecap supporters out west.


Although a price increase is completely out of the question at BMO Field, Toronto’s embattled supporters deserve more than a freeze.

How much that is remains to be seen.




All I can say is KEEP THE PRESSURE!!!

[Parkdale]

as much as I slag the Sun for their political slant (ie, git off my lawn you darn kids)...

I'm happy the issue is making it's way to print --- in the 'official paper of Toronto FC' no less.

[Parkdale]

resting point from the globe


Wednesday’s game drew just 14,623 to BMO Field, the smallest crowd for a league game this season in Toronto.


At 18,681 fans a game, Toronto FC now stands ninth out of 19 teams in league attendance. With season-ticket renewals going out soon, a two-month winless streak makes for very poor timing.

[Wull]

I'm taking the photo caption as a dig at us for having the nerve to complain, does anyone else read it that way?

[Rene Kingsriver]

Pressure on TFC to drop season seat prices (http://www.torontosun.com/2012/09/14/pressure-on-tfc-to-drop-season-seat-prices)



http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/suns-prod-images/1297312335318_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=430x330&clip=1&clip_gravity=center






All I can say is KEEP THE PRESSURE!!!

you know what's interesting is the repeated use of the word loyalty. Seems like an orchestrated attempt by the FO to make STHs feel guilty for not renewing

[Wagner]

A couple of points:

Gardiner is Closed
http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/road_info/index.htm

and

RPB Terry Fox Team Runs tomorrow (Join, Support)
http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=337994&langPref=en-CA

[Petor]

as much as I slag the Sun for their political slant (ie, git off my lawn you darn kids)...

I'm happy the issue is making it's way to print --- in the 'official paper of Toronto FC' no less.

Sorry Parky, the Toronto Star holds the rights to "official paper of TFC" this year.

I guess you haven't had your coffee yet! :)

[narduch]

I'm not a fan of Larson, but the Sun has the most extensive coverage of TFC.

It would be silly for the club to drop prices for existing SSH only. Nobody new will want to get seats at the existing prices (except maybe in the south + light greys).

[Pookie]

I too am concerned with the use of the word "loyalty"

It implies one of three things:

1. Loyalty for the past
2. Loyalty for the future
3. Both

(loyalty for the present is expressed by taking advantage of the offer)

Loyalty for the Past - would seemingly imply that your discount would be reflective of your tenure as a season ticket holder. Early guys get the most and a sliding scale all the way to new adopters getting the least. This would be disaster from my perspective as it wouldn't acknowledge ransom packs nor the fact that when gold listers got their turn, they had to buy the most expensive seats in the house. It also sends the message of "every man for himself" in that new STHs have zero "historic loyalty cred" and therefore it is somewhat ok that they pay the highest prices in the league.

Loyalty for the Future - this would likely take the form of a multi-year commitment to season tickets. This is fine. Many cities do it across all sports. However, without a price reset on tickets, you are essentially forward paying a price freeze on expensive seats

The easiest option and the one that I hope they go with is a price reset combined with a multi-year offer. One that applies to ALL fans FOR ONE discount. Roll them back to fair levels and then allow fans to benefit from a multi-year commitment. MLSE gets assured revenue and all fans get the same treatment and treatment that is fair when compared to the revenue sharing league in which they operate.


... as for media coverage, read your bloggers. We've collectively been beating this drum for months now :)

[narduch]

A few months back, there was a rumour that the club was going to be offering renewing season ticket holders a 3-year price freeze if they commit long term. This is probably what they mean by loyalty.

Based on current demand that would be a sucker's play for season ticket holders.

I really do think Montreal and Vancouver threw them off. I'm pretty sure they are delaying this as long as possible because they have no clue what to do. Or they want the Montreal news to be further away from our minds. Or they are hoping for some good results.

[Waggy]

Anyone considering giving MLSE money to watch this franchise after the past 6 years should automatically be considered among the most loyal, insane, borderline irrational human beings in the western world. If MLSE thinks making renewals cheaper while keeping current prices the same for new ssh and single game sales is going to rebuild any of the bridges it napalmed over the past few years, they're even more delusional then I thought. Obviously people who have hung with TFC should be given far above and beyond what new ssh would get, but that should NOT be reflected in drastically different 2 or 3 tiered ticket pricing. That will just piss off anyone who was thinking about purchasing tickets. Reward the ssh loyalty with additional discounts on tickets, with free games, with merch, with prizes and trips and cars and all sorts of stuff (how about a decent team?). They deserve it. But if TFC thinks anyone in Toronto would be willing to pay $30 for a seat when the same seat sold to a different person would cost $20, they smoke rocks. The only way people would purchase tickets is through the secondary market, and somehow I doubt there will be either the supply or the demand out there to come close to filling BMO next year.

Besides, they should be trying to reach out to all fans; present, gone and new, and rebuilding trust and goodwill. Trust comes from being realistic about the club, (balancing the: what value people actually get from the games vs what value they pay to be there equation), goodwill comes from showing something to ALL fans. Not just the ~10 000 they haven't managed to drive away yet. I'd be more than happy to buy seasons seats next year for the first time, if the club shows some contrition and some semblance of realism around the costs, the quality of the product and actually do something about the people responsible for the past 6 years. But I'm not going to be begging them, they better be begging me. We always give MLSE credit for being marketing genius', this is the fall/winter they have to show it.

[SoccMan]

They need to cut season ticket prices to almost year one prices for me to renew and I have been a season ticket holder since year one, if not then I'm gone simple as that!

[ag futbol]

A few months back, there was a rumour that the club was going to be offering renewing season ticket holders a 3-year price freeze if they commit long term. This is probably what they mean by loyalty.

Based on current demand that would be a sucker's play for season ticket holders.

I really do think Montreal and Vancouver threw them off. I'm pretty sure they are delaying this as long as possible because they have no clue what to do. Or they want the Montreal news to be further away from our minds. Or they are hoping for some good results.
I honestly think they are waiting for at least one win or some piece of positive news before they release the details. They look gun shy right now.

As for prices, I think someone once used the phrase "supply and demand". Well craiglist, kajiji, and groupon tell me that the equilibrium price for TFC tickets is a lot less than what they are charging right now. To be frank, a 15% drop isn't enough, because we are already starting from a point that is already too expensive. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place, looks good on them.

[TorCanSoc]

Wow. Deguzman scores for Dallas in the 97th minute, in a must win for Dallas. They steal the game from Vancouver. 1-0 Dallas. Wow.

Watched most of Chicago-Montreal, man our soccer is not exciting at all. Montreal loses as well. Tough night for the Canucks.

[ag futbol]

Wow. Deguzman scores for Dallas in the 97th minute, in a must win for Dallas. They steal the game from Vancouver. 1-0 Dallas. Wow.

Watched most of Chicago-Montreal, man our soccer is not exciting at all. Montreal loses as well. Tough night for the Canucks.
Check the post game comments from JDG. Lololol

[TFC07]

Check the post game comments from JDG. Lololol

“I’ll never forget the words of [current TFC manager] Paul Mariner saying that he wants to make sure he’ll send me to a last-place team and let me burn in the heat,” a candid de Guzman said. “It worked out for myself, getting the last laugh, the karma of things. Right now who’s the last place team in the league and who’s battling for the playoffs?

JDG made this comment after the game tonight.

Fire Mariner and Co.