TFC Attendance lie?

[Mexinese]

Ok Ok, so I know were still amongst the top of the league in average attendance. Now What i'm starting to sniff about is when they announce the attendance at each game. For example today's match against San Jose, they announced something like 21,500 or around that. Now honestly when you look around the stadium there's quite a bit of empty seating. So do you agree with me when they say the attendance, they say how many purchased tickets, rather how many went through the gates? Cuz man...some games look empty but they still announce a good rate..

[uncle p]

The announced number is tickets sold.

Tonight was the fullest Ive seen BMO all year. I imagine the CNE had something to do with that

[Joe Kool]

Personally I don't give a crap about what number they announce. Today was pretty full so 21,500 or thereabouts sounds right to me.

[Mexinese]

The game in 6 looked quite empty to me?

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

This might sound strange, but it often looks emptier than it is on tv. The east stand when I seen highlights / re-watch a game on TV always looks a lot emptier than when I'm there live. I don't know if it has to do with angles or whatever.

I think attendance has been pretty decent this year in terms of the product on the field. I've seen it stated in some places that the announced number is tickets sold and in others that it's tickets scanned. I'm not really sure what to believe.

[RicoSuave44]

East stand looked < half empty on GI6. Even south stand which is usually full(er) looked lacking. *Sigh*

[prizby]

looked pretty full to me...usually the corner in 227 and 219 are emptyish; they were packed...and then north stand was the fullest i have seen all season

[Parkdale]

this topic is old news, and has been rolled around here for hears.

Every sports team inflates their numbers, unless there's a benefit to being undersold.

[lerxst]

The game in 6 looked quite empty to me?

I'm not sure if you've ever been to a game or not, but the place always look empty until about halftime when the rest of the Toronto stragglers decide to show up. This is a non-issue.

[Joe Kool]

The game in 6 looked quite empty to me?

Is that all you watched? You missed a pretty good game. I wouldn't feel confident creating a thread about a game that I only watched 6 min of highlights for....but that is just me.

[swan]

personally i don't care what they announce but i guess a lot of people do since there is always a thread about it popping up..

they can announce 1 person or a 1000000 i don't give a crap..

[rocker]

Nah, last night's attendance was not a lie. I was there, saw it with my own eyes. It was definitely more than 20000. All the private boxes were full too and for once in a long time the two boxes behind the north goal line were backed with people actually sitting out in the rows of seats rather than hiding indoors. The north stand is usually a good barometer, and it was very full.

One guy in the massive line going through the Ex after the game was talking to his buddy about how massive the crowd was and how funny it was that all these people come out to a meaningless regular season match and not CCL.

[kodiakTFC]

Its paid attendance in pretty much every sports league, its too difficult to do the actual attendance and frankly why bother, it sounds worse. TFC off the field is still doing great, even with the increased prices and awful play.

I wasn't at the game but theres no way there was more people at that game than the LA game, that game was rammed.

[eustacchio]

I don't think it would be too difficult to announce the 'actual' attendance. It's not as if they don't know that number already (scans in).

Regardless, I'm indifferent to whatever number they announce.

[YYZ_Fan]

Scalpers were selling tickets for $20 at the CNE box office by the GO train stop. $4 more than actual CNE admission.
I'm guessing that had an effect on the actual bums in seats at the game.

[Mexinese]

I'm not sure if you've ever been to a game or not, but the place always look empty until about halftime when the rest of the Toronto stragglers decide to show up. This is a non-issue.

I go to Every-Single-Game, Im just in Mexico so i cant, But in the supporters end, it always looks full from the angle, but when looking strait on....its much emptier then u think....

[Wagner]

yawn...
at any given time....people are in the beer garden, in the pisser lines, etc.

[mclaren]

Nah, last night's attendance was not a lie. I was there, saw it with my own eyes. It was definitely more than 20000. All the private boxes were full too and for once in a long time the two boxes behind the north goal line were backed with people actually sitting out in the rows of seats rather than hiding indoors. The north stand is usually a good barometer, and it was very full.

One guy in the massive line going through the Ex after the game was talking to his buddy about how massive the crowd was and how funny it was that all these people come out to a meaningless regular season match and not CCL.

The East Stand was not full by any measure. Massive empty spaces and you the Maple Leaf was easy to make out. I was watching online though, so I'll take your word for it - maybe half of the East Stand were watching from other places the whole game?

[Fort York Redcoat]

I go to Every-Single-Game, Im just in Mexico so i cant,

This is confusing.

[jaahuuu]

An fellow RPB (I think it was MarkinOttawa) had been told by an usher that this was the first game all season that was truly sold out.

TFC/MLSE can't help it if people buy tickets and don't show up to the game.

[Mark in Ottawa]

Tonight was the fullest Ive seen BMO all year. I imagine the CNE had something to do with that

One of the ushers told me that Saturdays game was the first true sell out (ie every ticket spoken for) all season. We both agreed that that the CNE had a lot to do with it.

[jaahuuu]

Timing is everything.

[__wowza]

An fellow RPB (I think it was MarkinOttawa) had been told by an usher that this was the first game all season that was truly sold out.

TFC/MLSE can't help it if people buy tickets and don't show up to the game.

what he said. i doubt theyd use the information from the ticket scanners to accurately predict the gate. especially not when they can just count the number of tickets sold before the game and schedule their employees at concessions and in security accordingly.

they wouldnt say "oh well we sold 21k tickets, but realistically only 17k will show up, so lets only schedule enough employees to accommodate that"

[Suds]

One of the ushers told me that Saturdays game was the first true sell out (ie every ticket spoken for) all season. We both agreed that that the CNE had a lot to do with it.

I'd say it was close. I had a friend hit the box office @ BMO on game day checking to see what tix were available. The cheapest single or pair available were all over the $50 range. All the cheaper seats were sold out.

[ryan]

I was pretty confident that there was 20,000 bodies in BMO.

[prizby]

An fellow RPB (I think it was MarkinOttawa) had been told by an usher that this was the first game all season that was truly sold out.

TFC/MLSE can't help it if people buy tickets and don't show up to the game.

had this near seniors couple (tourists) who had tickets in row 3 in 112, i turned to the usher and said, so customer service will come in shortly to help them move to a more reasonable place; they said nope, there aren't any seats available anywhere else

[nfitz]

had this near seniors couple (tourists) who had tickets in row 3 in 112, i turned to the usher and said, so customer service will come in shortly to help them move to a more reasonable place; they said nope, there aren't any seats available anywhere else

That's silly - I certainly saw a pair here and there up while in 220 that weren't occupied ... sold, but not occupied. Should have at least moved them up to 212 ... bring out a couple of extra chairs if necessary - but there always seems to be extra ones around up there even when it's full.

I thought I'd heard the Galaxy game on Wednesday April 13th was fuller ... however I missed it ...

The fullness to me seemed comparable to the Real Salt Lake game on August 13th. Though the most packed I've seen the stands lately was on the August 6th rugby game ... which on one hand was packed with not an empty seat to be found ... and yet entire sections and the upper deck were never put up for sale. It was interesting how full the stadium felt, even with only 10,000 or so in it!

[prizby]

That's silly - I certainly saw a pair here and there up while in 220 that weren't occupied ... sold, but not occupied. Should have at least moved them up to 212 ... bring out a couple of extra chairs if necessary - but there always seems to be extra ones around up there even when it's full.

I thought I'd heard the Galaxy game on Wednesday April 13th was fuller ... however I missed it ...

The fullness to me seemed comparable to the Real Salt Lake game on August 13th. Though the most packed I've seen the stands lately was on the August 6th rugby game ... which on one hand was packed with not an empty seat to be found ... and yet entire sections and the upper deck were never put up for sale. It was interesting how full the stadium felt, even with only 10,000 or so in it!

at any given time, people hang out in the north area by the carlsberg tents, or are in lines for food/drinks/merch etc...

[nfitz]

at any given time, people hang out in the north area by the carlsberg tents, or are in lines for food/drinks/merch etc...

Yes, but any usher worth their salt, should have a good idea which seats aren't in use - and will keep an eye out if they do become used, and shuffle people as necessary. Don't see big deal ... I popped out to washroom at one point, and came back 2 minutes later to see someone sitting in my seat - chatting with person beside me ... so I just shuffled down a seat or two ... and then shuffled another when those ticket holders came in late.