FWIW:
$10 for a tall boy of overpriced Corn Swill (Canadian) at Ivor Wynne (nope didn't).
$8 for a smallish Stella on the second level at the Dome (regretted it as soon as I left the server for my seat).
If you want to drink at BMO, only the Hot chocolate is a good price.
Let's be like the Russians and draft in the Army to make sure we have a ful stadium!Originally Posted by Voodooman
There have been a few games there, most have been bad but also very poorly operated.
When Canada played one match there for the U-20 group stage the stadium wasn't prepared for the number of walkups they got and as a result people were still waiting in line to get tickets at half time or had simply given up and gone home. Also stories making the rounds that for the most recent friendly against CR the concession stands were slow and poorly operated. But my favorite has to be when we've played there in the name of limiting away fans but they still manage to bring large numbers.
Anyway, what can you say about the CSA other than the way they operate is still a complete gong show.
If you want to drink at BMO find the BMO booth in the North end (east side usually) and show them your license and sign a pledge not to drink and drive. They give you a free pop voucher* at least they did up until last season, I haven't tried it this year (there might even be a booth in the South end)
$1500 for seasons tickets annually is pure insanity, especially if you're just as nuts to buy beer in-house! Then again, I don't know how many seats you had. Either way, I wish I could afford that.
Drink before you come, and buy the cheap seats. The stadium is small enough that every seat in the house is great. I've sat in the corner at 119 since day 1 and have never complained about the spot - just the match results!
When my tickets hit $400/seat the past couple years, nearly double the original price, sure I was mad. It was definitely not worth it then. But now I'm back to paying just over $200 for an entire season in the same seat. That's a steal.
To answer the OP, I guess it depends on where you're sitting and how much you are paying. I believe the cheaper seats are very much worth it.
Unconditional love for a sport and/or team is a beautiful - and in this case absolutely nightmarish - thing
^ I agree Haddy!
Last couple of years were a rip-off frankly. First ransom pack, then partial pack, and otherwise way too much (& too much hassle) for individual seats. Then a pair of medium-gray seasons tickets. I just checked, wow, $750 each/$1500 for the new pair in 2011, I must have been nuts but that's the cheapest I could get. (And frankly, compared to the per-game cost & hassle I had before that, I was actually happy.) I guess the medium-gray renewal was $680 each/$1360 for the pair in 2012, ugly! I can't imagine paying Dark Grey or higher prices for the frequent shit shows.
Now I'm paying about $450 total for a pair of light-grey seasons, still a great view, I can't complain as much. But worrying most of the game about the inevitable last-minute collapse really gets painful.
I agree the concession prices are nuts, and the beer sucks -- but with the crazy TFC schedule, demands with the family & other issues, sometimes I've felt compelled to buy stuff at games. Then despite cold weather being forecast, they often run out of hot chocolate, run out of milk for the tea, take much too long to serve each customer, etc. Especially the general concession stands are very badly organized, and the food is mostly expensive crap. Some of the specialty food stands are decent -- but prices & lineups can be even worse.
So yes, "value for money" isn't given in many situations. However, from watching other MLS games, and checking the stats, I think some people are exaggerating how badly TFC is doing business-wise compared to the rest of the league. E.g., the attendance in NY when LA came to town a few weeks ago was dismal.
Check the numbers, some of this is really surprising. I know the TFC numbers are often bogus, probably they're counting all season tickets sold for example even if those ticket holders aren't showing up at the game. But TFC isn't the only team fudging the numbers -- and from seeing the actual attendance in the stands on TV for various MLS games, even of successful teams, TFC still does surprisingly well. That's both good news & bad news of course: http://mlsattendance.blogspot.ca/
I value my time more than my money as I have so little free time.
Are there days I wished I had done something else? Sure, but for the most part I get to see friends, hang out with my son and enjoy some beers outside screaming like a madman at the top of my lungs.
Is it worth my Saturday afternoon?
Most definitely, I can't think of many things I would rather do and look forward to the next game.
Special thanks to Suds for the tailgates and Ivy for going balls to the wall playing soccer with my 9 year old, in fact playing so hard that he tore a ligament in his ankle.
Cheers to all, can't wait to see you all again.
It's a problem when a hardcore supporter like myself think I get more value out of watching the game on TV than heading to BMO Field. I missed the game last Sat, because I was going to the women's game on Sun and didn't think I could justify making a trip from Waterloo for TFC game. And I felt justified in making that choice in light of yesterday's result.
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
I thought the game Saturday was one of the better ones I watched in a while - hate the last minute equalizer(s) but i love going down to BMO through thick and thin - and I'll tell you it will be sweet when they finally get it together - and for some strange reason i do believe that's where they're heading.....they're my team, no matter what.
The $9 pulled pork sandwich was f'n good.........but i still feel ripped off and wont buy one again.
Well said. I agree 100%
moved from the north at 30 something per game to the south at 10 so i feel like im getting value
Value is relative. Our light Greys had doubled in price after 5 years so we went out. Won't be back as STH until we can get in decent priced seats. However seeing as 19,000 were in attendance last weekend (lol) I guess we won't be getting tickets any time soon.
I find stadium prices are fairly standard. I don't mind paying 15 for a large premium draft. The same sized draft at the biergarden bar costs almost the same. But 10.50 for a can of keiths is a bit ridiculous. In Detroit at Tigers games they have a "value beer" where you can drink cans of high life or PBR for 5 bucks. The best stadium drinking I've had was regina at a Riders game, where beer, or a mixed cocktail was 5 bucks.
With MLSE owning a near-monopoly on venues, and with Ontario's booze markups, I doubt we'll see cheaper prices. They just don't want the optics of a drunk crowd.
Problem with MLSe is they really don't know how to sell TFC. They're trying to attract a supporter crowd, a family "soccer mom" crowd, and the corporate crowd all at the same time. I imagine many of us have provided them with some creative ideas through direct contact, or surveys and have been ignored. Fact is, TFC, much like the Argos rely on a walk-up crowd, and people paying out of their own pockets, unlike the corporate and high-demand spectacle of leafs games. MLSE is arguably too big to know how to run this team. A more grassroots/community frame of mind needs to be established.
Sadly, these are the discussions one has when the team is consistently not winning. Give us a contender and I am sure the reccurring threads about the BMO experience and attendence will dry up.
Ticket price....very fair.
with the 2013 reset pricing.
it's what, $9 or $10 per game in the south end?
you can't beat that for entertainment in Toronto.
Beer Price = ridiculous. But what are you going to do?
with the laws and policies in place, they have you by the short ones.
it's microeconomics. do you get utility at that price? Supply is very controlled, demand is somewhat high...etc etc...
Truth. But it wasn't for TFC.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Hard to argue with south end pricing.
Tickets elsewhere are mostly 2x what they should be. I have a family of 5, it's $200 minimum for us to see a bad minor league soccer team. I can afford it, but I don't like feeling like a putz.
Guess what? We haven't been as a group in 3 years. Doubt we're going anytime soon.
No biggie. They'll run their business, I'll run my life. But just since someone's asking, the whole thing is moronic, they get their inflated attendance with empty seats by the thousands, and my kids play soccer but are growing up not caring about TFC.
Last edited by ensco; 06-04-2013 at 07:24 AM.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I used to have 3 partial packs, always bought em every year. Including the ransom packs. Gave them up 2 years ago after we got tired of the incessant price hikes and stupid games the F/O played. The "value" was no longer there for us to attend in person.
I still watch on TV, PVR when I can't see live, and enjoy at least one road trip a year.
Past two years we figured we'd just pick up single seats when we wanted to go to a game. Once you're outside the yellow price point what they charge for walk-ups borders on insanity. If it wasn't for the RPB ticket trader and the good folks here, we wouldn't go to any games.
It's no secret they spent big $ to bring in Liewike (sp?) because the Raps and TFC profits are crumbling. It remains to be seen if he can figure a way to rebuild the relationship with supporters. He should be real worried that the people who supported the team even when they were losing for 5,6,or 7 years, are now leaving in numbers. They've cut the emotional ties to a certain extent, and it's possible even winning won't bring them back to BMO. (or the ACC)
The CSA doesn't operate Commonwealth Stadium (or any other stadium, for that matter).
There's tons still wrong with the CSA (although things are getting better in a lot of areas there). Stadium operations has not been, and never will be, one of them.
Last edited by Rudi; 06-04-2013 at 09:19 AM.
True, but it also does nothing to communicate with the people whose responsibility it is. For half of the last dozen friendlies in Edmonton, there have been people who didn't get in until the second half of the game, because ticket interest was underestimated and Commonwealth understaffed. It happens once, you get mad at the idiot making the mistake. It happens twice, you get mad at yourself for not checking on what they'd set up and ensuring something sufficient. It's not hard for the CSA to call up a stadium operator and say "have at least four people and proper credit card machines, or it'll be a disaster." And it has been; on each occasion that tickets were fouled up, attendance was down at the next event. Outside of MLS, soccer still needs good weather and walkup in this country.
That's a fair point, but who's to say that the CSA hasn't been doing that?
Commonwealth seems to be the only stadium that continually has these problems. While BMO Field has gotten the lion's share of national team games in recent years and could obviously gauge crowds better because of that, I still don't recall hearing about similar problems at BC Place for the women's tournament last year or at that friendly in Moncton.
Also, I've been in the stands for national team games at Stade Saputo and the entry process has been seamless (with lines at the box office moving quickly). It's pretty much the only positive thing I can say about the Stade Saputo experience as a whole.
Last edited by Rudi; 06-04-2013 at 10:16 AM.
This just might be, in my opinion, one of the best posts I've ever read since before the club was announced as Toronto FC.
For me, it really sums up my years as a SSH. If I hadn't met so many great people during the early years travelling and more importantly in my section, I'm sure I would have bitten the apple and dropped my tickets. But I'm glad I kept the faith and continue to.
Having a pro club is great, but all of us contribute to the entire package. And that's what makes it worth it.
It's not about the CSA literally operating the stadium, it's about event management. Stadium isn't handled in a one-size fits all manner, it's done at the direction of the organization running the event.
Fair point that they haven't had these issues elsewhere, but then again why continue to go back to a place that has these major problems? Especially ticketing issues, that's like an invitation to lose money. You would think that would only have to happen once to be sorted out thoroughly.
Yes the money we pay for our sporting entertainment value is worth it. Go watch a boring NFL, CFL or MBL game and tell me if the $40 avg for an MLS game is worth it. Also, the team is playing the most attractive football they have since the beginning. They still lack the final finishing, which will come.
I have felt that the prices are 90% good value so I only watch the first 90% of the game. I don't know what all the fuss about this team is, they're amazing!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Ok this made me LOL in the office... Well Played...I have felt that the prices are 90% good value so I only watch the first 90% of the game. I don't know what all the fuss about this team is, they're amazing!
"...Money wasn't tight, but it like, it wasn't right..."
Oh, well I guess that's settled then. Everyone can just buy tickets in the south end. Problem solved.
In my mind, DARK GREY are the worst value - and that's exactly where my tickets are...
TFC should have very limited 'Premium Priced Seats' and that should be 123 with Club Access - a significant dip to sections 122 & 124 (West) and lower 107/108...
After that - every ticket in the stadium should be in the range that the majority of the population see them as 'affordable'...
With so many varying factors (some out of the clubs control) having tickets priced as they are will continue to drop the fan base...
The simple fact that the weather can kick your ass - paying $69 per seat is something people will simply say "no thanks" to season seat package ($50ish at SSH prices) - but at say $35 (SSH Price) per ticket per game, a large majority in this city can/will embrace as decent value.... This is even before we get into the product on the field...
123 can be priced to the heavens - as the corps can fill them out. 107-108 / 122 & 124 can be priced 'stupid' as the rich and 'want to be seen' will purchase and actually show up June-July-August when it isn't raining. The rest of the stadium needs to be quite differently priced from those - and they will be filled, most games, most weather conditions, if priced accordingly...
That strategy will keep the "buzz" about it being a 'full' (not 100%) stadium. Keep the concessions going. And keep the entertainment value for those who are there...
Plus, it would give the club leverage to raise ticket prices for 'special occasions' (PLAYOFFS should they ever happen). Right now, if the stadium remained the way it is, the club would have no leverage really to raise prices for playoffs - there's no guarantee they'd fill it, in winter...
The type of decisions / pricing are fine balance - you have to find that 'perfect zone' of cheap enough to attract, not too cheap to detract your value... The year-1 pricing was an excellent idea, but the next step is lowering the 'mid-level' tickets...
Keep the corp seats jacked - in fact they could even raise the SS seats a touch (you'll all kill me for saying that, but at $9-$10 a game it's less than a movie), and trim down the mid-level - to ensure their number-1 marketing point (that being atmosphere and game-day experience) remains there to market...
Last edited by Carts; 06-04-2013 at 01:37 PM.
"...Money wasn't tight, but it like, it wasn't right..."
If you want to talk just ticket prices, Imo all 200s should be $12-$15 walk up and don't even sell seasons there.
Tops of corners should be the same. Then keep everything other than South Side, 107/108 & clubs $25-$35 walk up, 30% discount for seasons.
South Side really should be a couple bucks more for the season, I mean seriously, is $14 game /$20 face really excessive?
Beer prices are fine, food prices are a bit much.
Anyway, looks like with this kind of performance I may just get my tix in 110-114 next year, yes, I have already decided that I am renewing.
I can't complain about spending $219 for a seat in 119. Good view, the section is pretty quiet, but at least the spectators stand.
On the issue of Beer, the Budweiser big rig has been pretty good so far. $5 cans up until the first hour before kick-off is not a bad deal, and Joe's have $5 cans. You do not have to drink while watching the matches.
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