The tale of two friendlies

[Toronto_Bhoy]

I have attended two friendlies in the span of 5 days. Both had the same monetary value…$120.

Game One was a match featuring “first” team players from both camps and offered supporters the opportunity to size up their favorite squad’s outlook for the upcoming season. I must admit, I was reluctant to spend $120 on a “friendly” but, in the end, was extremely satisfied with quality of players, competitive spirit and genuine commitment the clubs made to their supporters and casual fans who attended.

Game Two featured a group of (albeit hard working) “reserve/academy” players that offered fans a chance to see the daily competition for first team players. The opposition provided their supporters an opportunity to see their club play on Canadian soil for the first time and featured some first team regulars along with some new acquisitions. The official Bolton website describes the game as “sedate”.

IMO, Game One provided tremendous entertainment value for a $120, regardless of who you support.

Game Two, the highest priced ticket in the TFC Season Ticket package offered little, other than watching “the kids” get a run. To charge that kind of money and not feature ONE first team player is an insult to loyal TFC supporters and a slap in the face to our guests from Bolton!

Honestly, can you imagine TFC running out a team like last night against Inter, Bayern or ManU?

Mo. Tom. Paul. You continue to take advantage of your season ticket base…trust me it won’t last. I do not wish to pay double the price to watch the TFC Academy…regardless of whom they play.

Stop putting your hands in my pockets!!! NO MORE MID-SEASON FRIENDLIES!!!

[Phil]

I couldn't agree more.

Honestly, last nights game was fun and all but when you think about the price on the ticket and the value we got for it....it left me asking very similar questions.

By chance before the game I ran into some of the first team Toronto FC player coming from what looked to be a pretty hard workout. Talking we a few of them, sure they would have loved to be playing Bolton, but really without doubt the focus is on the 3 points coming up this weekend and Tuesdays huge Champions League game.

I would rather do away with these friendlies and give us 2 or 3 games in Champions league. If the team bows out, credit us for next seaon on those games.

[Parkdale]

good post.

I understand the desire to rest our A guys before the game this weekend, BUT... wasn't one of the main justifications of bringing Bolton (or at least how it was spun) was to see how our team stood up against a middle table EPL team? I thought that was always the point, but if we aren't going to play our real squad.... it's impossible to make a real comparison between the two sides.

It seems like either you play the A guys and see how TFC stands up to Bolton, or you play the B guys and admit it's 'just for fun'. There is no middle ground, and were were already sold on the first option.

[mastermixer]

It is strange that this ticket was almost DOUBLE what a regular season MLS game costs.
Maybe they tried to add the increase in season tickets to this game, therefore making it look like the regular season games did not go up much in price.
Imagine getting an extra 30-40 dollars from this game from 16000 season seat holders... not a bad take for MLSE.

[ilikemusic]

Mo. Tom. Paul. You continue to take advantage of your season ticket base…trust me it won’t last. I do not wish to pay double the price to watch the TFC Academy…regardless of whom they play.

Tom Anselmi thinks it is funny that they charge fans full price to watch the TFC Academy.

Just listen to last night's Prime Time Sports.

[Hitcho]

I agree completely. Couple of counter-points though (for the sake of discussion only):

First, FO set this international friendly up, I am guessing becuase they have to under MLS rules, but since it's called the Carlsberg Cup they presumably have to do so under sponsorship agreement terms also. Their intention was probably to make money but let;s give them the benefit of the doubt and say they wanted to show the fans how TFC did against an EPL side. The disconnect is that Preki (and coaching staff) likely (and quite sensibly) said take a hike, you're going to kill my players for two important games that follow right afterwards, or more if they get injured. SO we were sold one thing by the FO and given another by the coaching staff. Needs to be sorted out. I say definitely scrap the friendlies, it's not growing the psort in TO and no-one seems to care about them (including the first team players).

Second, I agree strongly with the "get your hand out of my pocket" demand. I resent bitterly being charged those kind of prices in ym season ticket pack when frankly it should be an optional purchase not a forced (and expensive) upgrade, especially when you consider point 1 above. The problem is, until people actually stop renewing season tickets AND the waiting list has been tapped to the point where there are still season tickets unsold (which I imagine would take a while), MLSE can do what the fuck they like because if they piss off a bunch of fans well, there are plenty more where they came from. Hearing us complain about financial issues won;t move them at all. Only if the cash flow dries up wil this kind of thing stop. And I can't see that happening for a while yet.

[huphup]

Agreed. If you're going to hold games like this, do NOT include them in the STH pack. If you want people to attend a game like this, bring in a decent team and field TFC's best.

Why are we playing TFC Academy against a mediocre EPL team while other MLS teams are matching up against some of Europe's best? The international teams aren't going to field most first-team players, but it's still a hot ticket.

So far we have brought in Real Madrid as an out-of-package match.. I was OK with that. I'm interested to know what it costs STHs at other MLS clubs to see this kind of competition.. e.g. Philly v ManUtd, Seattle v Chelsea. Feel free to add to this list.

It's my impression that these matches cost STHs extra at other clubs, but I don't know how MLSE gets away with charging us double for a 3rd rate match-up. What kind of money would Bolton fans pay to see their reserve team play TFC.. or our Academy for that matter.

Good result for Academy though..

[Flipityflu]

yes, this was nothing more than an oppurtunity to once again have money ripped out of my hands. stop this, or i will rip money out of your hands MLSE.

quite honestly, this is no longer season 1 and 2 when you could do what you want, and still get a full crowd.

i think the best way to stop this crap is to stop spending money on TFC. i have already stopped spending at BMO. i will not buy merch, and quite frankly, i am already debating whether i will renew my seasons tickets.

get this silly carlsburg cup off the schedule

[DangerRed]

I agree with almost everything in this thread, but one point missing is the fact that TFC also streamed this game live and for free with commentary on their website.

As I sat there on the couch, watching our teenagers run around, I couldn't help but feel I'd be pretty pissed off if I had paid any money at all to go see this thing live.

I watched online, enjoyed the match and watched Santos put away a beautiful cross from Mista. But as the ball bulged the good ol' onionbag, there was no part of me wishing I would've paid the $120 to go see this thing.

I think the STHs have every reason to be pissed off. If you can find tickets to virtually every TFC game at face value, why buy season tickets when charging you for this Bolton game is how they reward you?

[Brooker]

I thought the actual price STH's paid for those tickets was almost half of what it actually says on the ticket?

I've heard a lot of people say it's no more than any regular MLS game?

[Nodoubtguy]

yeah, my face on my seat was $50something....but thats not what I paid

[Hustle]

Stop mid season friendlies...its a joke and I am glad Preki treated it like a joke but I am not glad I had to pay for it.

No disrespect to the academy boys who looked good last night.

[Oldtimer]

Great thread. Time to kill the friendlies as part of the package. If they want to bring in RM or Man United every 2-3 years for $$$, do it as a separate deal.

[Toronto_Bhoy]

For the record, I thought those young boys ran their socks off last night and this thread is by no means a knock on them. They accounted for themselves very well.

They were the real winners last night…and those fuckin' bandits at MLSE!

[Brooker]

They were the real winners last night…and those fuckin' bandits at MLSE!

Grass and 2 DP's.... I'll give them a pass on this one.

[Roogsy]

Who is the 2nd DP? If you say Mista, I am going to have a shit...

[Whoop]

Supposedly.

This still goes back to the argument we had here when Bolton was announced.

People complaining that some were whiners, that Bolton was a good friendly. While others maintained, if they want to have a friendly, don't include it with the STH package. But MLSE knows they wouldn't get 3,000 to last night's match if they did that.

[London]

Who is the 2nd DP? If you say Mista, I am going to have a shit...

start shittin

[LesH]

start shittin

I'm shittin too!
Anyone else?

[Chapman]

My only complaint over the Bolton friendly is why have penalties in the North end?

[rocker]

My only complaint over the Bolton friendly is why have penalties in the North end?

so north end people can see it up close for once in our lives?