This...Originally Posted by Cashcleaner
This...
The issue with the atmosphere is linked with the separation between the supporters groups also. I never understood why the RPB's and U-Sector couldn't just be one supporters group. Any supporters group has power in numbers, and the split into two groups has never helped TFC. It's about time the two SG's stopped being pig-headed and merged into one big, much more powerful organisation.
Imagine how much more power a SG with the people from RPB, U-S and NNE would have, over the smaller individual groups right now? I'm pretty sure MLSE would respect a SG with a mass of numbers behind it also.
If the SG's could have all agreed to be one big happy family to start with, TFC might just be better off right now. There is power in numbers, that's for sure.
What about Original 109, Tribal Rhythm, etc. etc. The minute any SG's merged a bunch of new ones would pop up because there would be a sub-set of members who would not be supportive of it. We would be back to square one. IMO, we would be better off to continue on the path of SG's working together on common goals.
The issue of atmosphere is hardly the fault of the SG's. Could we be better? Always. But we are not the root cause of the problems.
Last edited by Suds; 05-08-2012 at 09:57 AM.
Don't think that's going to ever happen, and not that it has to. Lots of MLS teams have more than one supporters group. I can't see U-Sector ever agreeing to it - they've been around longer than we have, have their way of doing things, and I think are pretty content with the status quo. And NEE are obviously happy being located way over where they are. As long as greater emphasis is placed on being unified on game day, that's all that really matters.
you are saying 82% of seats had bums in them, so only 1 or 2 empty seats out of every 10 .... and you are saying people actually wish for low attendance.
so, it must have been an optical illusion (red seats, red fans) distorted by unconscious wishful thinking. gotcha. solid attendance, yep.
I agree that unfortunately its never going to happen.
But you have to agree that the SG's would be better off all under one banner and with power in numbers? Just imagine one SG representative going to the club and telling them that they have the support of 2,000 fans, rather than the current groups going individually and saying they have the support of 750 people. One large supporters group would gain much more respect from the club than the current individual groups.
Haha nicely put.
I honestly can't believe either that 82% or so of the tickets that had been sold for this match actually came into the ground. That seems crazy to me.
Just think of all the people you personally know that have season ticket's that didn't attend, or take a look at ticket threads with people struggling to offload tickets, or the hapless scalpers trying in vain to offload a mitt full of tickets near the GO Station.
I don't wish for low attendances, as I would love nothing more to get back to the day's when BMO was a packed and loud venue, but the actual number of people that aren't coming to games is symptomatic of the apathy that has set in with people over this club's continued failure. Although I don't wish for low attendances, if a drop in lost revenue due to fewer merchandise and concession sales on match days leads to the idiots in the FO addressing the problems this team has then it won't be entirely a bad thing.
1 group or 10 groups it doesn't matter......the problem in Toronto has been and will be for the forseeable future that all the groups never agree to what the right action is......some want to push FO to be better and others are content to wait and see or just come out to party....
these two types even exist WITHIN groups so having one wouldn't matter......
supporters as a whole (through their SG leaders) need to decide that enough is enough....how long that will take, who knows?......
100% accurate. It would never work to have one super group for exactly the reasons you mention.
Yup...bang on.
The twist this thread has taken talking about the lack of uniting support just re-enforces that reddevils' thinking is forward and proper.
Section 8 in Chicago is not a supporters group per se, it is an umbrella organization that presently represents 14 different groups:
http://www.section8chicago.com/index...290&Itemid=277
At the bottom of that list is another 5 inactive groups. What does this tell us? It says people will come and go. Such is life. As long as you are adding more than subtracting (which over time they have) you have sustained growth and a healthy future. They accomplished this despite average attendance declining over time. Like ours is.
They could not have accomplished this tucked into a corner of a stadium with designated seating and no physical room to grow. If SG's and the FO fail to adopt a new way of thinking, support in Toronto will soon be officially toast. We are already on life support.
Umbrella Group gives Life Support?
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
So Sally, please explain today's attendance vs Houston which was announced at 19k plus ?
The East Stand was 1/3 full.
Do fans get their tickets scanned then fook off to Ontario Place ?
Worst crowd I seen yet from the looks of it on tv. Especially considering this was a regular season weekend game, concerning...
And TFC were on a 3 game winning streak. All the reasons for fans to come out, but they didn't since issues are deeper than just results (short term gain)
Not only we need long term results, but if the MLSE doesn't think of a special promotion for all the season ticket holders for next year, even long term results wouldn't work.
Exactly. They got a major selling job to do in off-season if they want fans to come back for next season. I am sure new owners aren't going to be happy and probably start firing people if they care about TFC.
Also some damn nice weather as well.
Way too hot today.
I remember before we always hope for nice weather, but even though there's heavy rain, we still go out and support the team, but now, even the weathers 25 C sunny, the attendence is still mediocre.
Interesting given the demise of Ontario Place, it too was once a popular destination. I watched most of the RSL Vancouver game last night, it was vastly superior to anything I have seen at BMO in five years. Seems like the other clubs in MLS are improving exponentially, and the quality of the entertainment goes with it. Give the people what they want, not what bores them to death. The recent improvement of the team is welcome, but lets face it, they are still the worst club in the league, and have a long way to go before they are worthy of increasing fan support.
MLSE were handed a pot of gold 6 yrs ago and they turned it into a pot of crap.
i hope they enjoy the 12 k crowds next season.
you know I wish this was the case but I think the FO really doesn't give a f%^k......I mean they'll always get what 12,000 and up...and that'll be ok for them cause they are investing relatively nothing in the team comparatively speaking ,.I mean at worst they could sell the team for over $50 mill.....so even at a loss it's simply a write off .....as a sporting experience they don't give a shit.....it's all there in the proof of what we have as a minor team............please prove me wrong.....just finished watching Nesta's debut at montreal after returning from today's shit show.....for the rest of the year at that.......yup it'll take a destroyed team to rise from the ashes....to retain what was once to be....sigh,...that means we all leave the team.....great simply great,.....this is sad and hopefully not true but ....?????
Last edited by jazzy; 07-28-2012 at 09:06 PM.
ALL HELL'S BROKEN LOOSEhttp://gfycat.com/SharpKindArrowana
There hasn't been a single sell out at BMO Field this year. Not for the home opener and not even for NYRB and Henry.
If that doesn't set off alarm bells I don't know what else would.
It will be interesting to see how attendance is on Wednesday for the CCL game.
I'll be interested to see who wants to sing with me Wed. I want the stands full all over but it doesn't change how much I look forward to Champions League.
Excitement Level: High
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Another problem remains-the local media ignores all things soccer most of the time unless it is the euro or world cup. There is virtually nil coverage of mls limiting the exposure needed to increase fan interest. You have to build up interest in the league, to generate rivalries, etc, otherwise all you have to sell is a crap team mired in last place all the time.
Doesn't really effect what I'm saying though. I don't sing for media coverage and it doesn't get me to games. I realize you are trying to assess Excitement level in a more general scale but that's not really my priority.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
I think you've got it backwards. The media is giving TFC (in CCL or MLS) more coverage than it deserves. Full time journos (Larson, Molinaro, Attfield etc) for a team that mostly draws less than poker on TV?
All the media want is ratings, or to sell papers. It is responding to the marketplace quite precisely.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
When the team does well and there is some excitement about the team - ie TFC vs Galaxy CCL match at the Dome - the media coverage is more than adequate.
Locally I find the team receives very good coverage from the likes of Kurtis Larson and the number of bloggers and/or reporters who publicize mainly online on websites like TSN and Sportsnet.
Nationally it's more of a struggle but really outside of the respective cities that have a MLS team, the rest of Canadians probably don't care about MLS but do follow other leagues from around the world. Someone from Halifax might have more of a connection to EPL than the Whitecaps (also it's a shorter flight to England than to Vancouver).
I think blaming media coverage is a red herring.
Support has been decimated by poor quality on the pitch, the battles with the FO, and internal supporter battles.
The next step is apathy... and that will really kill TFC and possibly bring the club to its knees.
In todays Star, not a single mention of MLS weekend games. Montreal, one of our "rivalries" beat the first place team, no mention
of that...how do you build interest in a team if there is no coverage of the league? What makes watching the horrible leafs endurable is that they play in the NHL where you can follow great hockey teams and players, and it makes winning and losing so much more interesting. For the average soccer fan in Toronto, who depends on a variety of sources to stay informed, the local media is a joke. When was the last time any of you turned on the 6 pm news on any of the major networks and saw a story on mls, coverage of scores, important signings...nothing, nil, never...just the odd mention of TFC when a guy gets hurt or a 10 second clip if they should win a game. I think more people still attend TFC games than they do CFL, but you would think the CFL was the most important prof league in the world based on CBC, TSN coverage etc.
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