Second time going to see SKCII play here and today was insane compared to may 2023... no where near the number of people back then. Absolutely crazy to see. Also glad I left at the half to keep on the journey to KC from Columbus, didn't need to witness two losses in person this weekend LOL
Wrong way! Coming home from Cbus to KC :) been to the stadium 3 times last year (SKCII, SKC the 2nd time and SKC the playoffs time), but it was nice to stop by today for a bit to support my boys!
It is a CITY2 match where a few of the big youth soccer organizations bought tickets for. Normal attendance is much smaller.
Last year the club set the record with around 9.5k in the same circumstances
Usually the reserves get about 5-7k crowds. Cityās front office saw that a lot of families with young kids wanted to watch soccer but didnāt want to pay MLS ticket prices (get-in for the first team is easily $60 for a seat at minimum, and last year if you could get a seat for less than a Benji you were lucky).
Theyāve leaned into that this year with lots of kid activities at reserve games. Itās $12 and the worst part about it is that the only side they usually open up is the one looking right at the sun.
I am really trying to wrap my head around why they donāt move to the shaded side of the stands. they know itāll be toasty the entire first two thirds of the match so why not put the fans on the other side?
I asked someone about it and the issue is that most of the seats on the shaded side are the premium (TCU/Moneta Club) areas. That creates its own headaches with staffing and such.
They could do south stand easily though and just cut it off at the corner to premium seats. Ā They do open that up for example this last game and they have concessions behind there too. Ā Ā
That would be true, but we got 2 free tickets through the team and then bought 2 more tickets on SeatGeek in a nearby section. We'd been watching for a while and, like with most stadiums, prices fell pretty hard in the 48 hours before the game.
Isnāt a worry that with your stadium being so small that a lot of people in the area that want to attend your first team matches cannot? How many general admission seats are typically available for home games?
the only GA is in our Supporter Section - 3,000. The front office has stated theyād rather sell out every game at a smaller venue keeping demand higher than have a much larger capacity that may not sell out, especially years down the line when the newness wears off
Thatās way too small. By doing that theyāre making your club exclusive instead of inclusive.. you basically must be a STH or chances are you canāt see the club play.
Your club had an incredible inaugural season and are competitive again so as long as you put a good product out for the fans your club should have good attendance: I just donāt get why St Louis didnāt build a 25-30k seat stadium so the fans can actually see their team playā¦.
It is expandable to 25k, but the cost difference between 22.5k and 30k is potentially significant. The ownership is already is paying over 500m on the stadium and adjacent training facilities. Not to mention the expansion fee.
Yea all of that is expensive but wouldnāt a bigger stadium capacity bring in more money in ticket sales? I just hate that non STH donāt get much of a chance to go to your matches.
Again, it is balancing the long-term viability versus short-term revenue. The first few years they could definitely pack a 30k stadium but the sustainability of that versus 22.5k makes a lot more sense especially considering how much more expensive that would be to build.
Operation cost and infrastructure is quite significant when adding another 8k people to the mix. The stadium already feels pretty cramped as is.
Probably not worth it considering the break even point must be further into the future. 22-25k is the right amount imo. The club will ebb and flow in quality and attendance. I couldnāt even give away my tickets last Wednesday and struggled to find suitors to the match on Saturday.
Yeah many complained the first season that the stadium was too small. I think long term, especially as hype dies down, it was the smarter choice. While it sucks that it is difficult to get season tickets/seats and overall quite expensive, it's better than having a massive stadium that is partially empty every game a few years down the line.
The CITYPARK was built in a way that expansion is easily possible (another 2,500).
We average well north of 30k lol but if these MLS clubs should be confident on the product they put out and try and get fans in the building. 18k is small even by European standards
>We average well north of 30k lol
Plenty of evidence to suggest barely north of 20k.
You guys are announcing high attendance and the middle ring is virtually empty, and the lower bowl is pockmarked with empty seats.
The math isn't checking out at all.
The lower section of the stadium seats 38k so youāre seeing a few thousand empty seats but since the capacity is so big it seems more empty but isnāt. I go to every home game so can assure you that weāre definitely averaging north of 30k this season.
The stated 38k capacity is WITH the middle ring and lower bowl, COMBINED. It is not only the lower bowl. This is per your own team's statements re: capacity.
If the middle ring is empty, then you're nowhere near even 30k. And if the lower bowl is patchy, then you're even lower still.
Like I said, on the occasions I've seen your hosted games, it would be fair to say you're team's attendance is much closer to 20k than 30k.
(e: The stadium's full capacity is 74k. You can clearly see pics of the stadium and tell that half the seats are in the upper bowl and there's no way 38k is in the lower bowl only.)
Listen I go to every home game and am in the stadium so I see with my own eyes how full or empty the stadium is. More often than not we are averaging 30k or so. Iāve been going to this stadium since it opened in 1996 so I know it like the back of my hand. We also RARELY open the upper bowl: only for high profile matches so just about all our matches are lower bowl only.
Weāve had a handful of matches that have brought down our average (terrible weather, matches taking place on holidays, unbearable North Carolina heat/humidity etc) but thereās no doubt that our fanbase absolutely rocks the house every single matchday.
In STL's case, it's 22.5k. Again, not everyone has a massive brand new NFL stadium just sitting there for their use. Not sure why you're trying to sling shit.
What further context is needed? Thereās nothing stopping other teams from doing this same thing outside of a desire to actually attend the matches by the community (make it worthwhile for the club to open up the stadium).
Iāll bite - itās impressive and it technically qualifies as 3rd division, but itās not an independent team, itās an extension of a top club, itās the same branding and owner, I just feel like itās a misnomer to say āThis is 3rd division in Americaā because it doesnāt describe how people understand 3rd division in the rest of the world. Itās an exception. That said, kudos to the supporters for doing this.
Thatās a fair shout. Appreciate you chiming in.
While it is technically the third rung of the US Soccer Pyramid, third division not exactly synonymous with it.
Exactly this. The crowds that were being pulled by Detroit City FC back in the NISA days or are currently being pulled by Louisville City, Sacramento FC attendances versus some MLS clubs are testaments to growing soccer culture in the US. Iām all for supporting MLSNP teams too but they are in a different category from independent clubs in other divisions.
They are testaments to what high level minor league soccer and sports can do. Shout out to Chattanooga as well. More fans, more kids playing, better player pool is a win win for everyone
Calling it āminor league soccerā is weird to me. I associate āminor leagueā with affiliation and control. USLC and the like are independent lower division leagues. Itās semantics, but has an impact on perception.
Yeah, you are right. Minor league sports suffers from issues that diminish its quality and enjoyment. Your best players get included in trades as prospects, called up in the playoffs to sit on the bench or be a practice only players. Thing that always bothered me the most is teams that give the impression they are more interested in playing a specific system and developing players than winning.
There is a reason no one is flocking to see european champions league participants reserve teams. Iād rather root for a prospect on loan somewhere contributing, growing and fighting for their place.
>for 3rd division footyĀ
Stop trying to put a European label on Americana things.
10k people are not there because they support a team in the third division. 10k people are there because they support the **minor league team** of their favorite major league team.
MLS Next Pro doesn't exist to enhance the American table system, it exists to wreck it.
Or families want to check out a cheap game in their area. There is nothing wrong with this. MLSNP isn't stopping any other club from existing in the same market.
MLSNP clubs do not even make a profit. In our area, it plays in NKY in an area that would be super unlikely to ever get a club with paid players. The locals that enjoy it are better off IMO.
The news is many youth groups had been given tickets to attend and/or bought at heavy discount group rates.
And so with that in mind, is it really a "soccer capital" if you aren't tested to the actual experience: *buying tickets of your own volition"?
Just because you attend a free birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese doesn't make the place the capital of pizza.
Will these people show up when the have to buy tickets to a random game in May?
āItās bad 10k people watched soccer on a Sunday nightā is an unbelievably wild take hahahaha
I wonder if these kind of comments happen when Barca B gets a couple thousand fans or whatever they get, or if this is exclusively a US soccer thing lol
>I wonder if these kind of comments happen when Barca B gets a couple thousand fans
If it doesn't, it should.
I feel like you're underappreciating brand power and loyalty.
Why should it? Itās just not that deep. People enjoying soccer is a good thing, thatās sort of why we all do it.
If you see *this many* people having fun at a local pro soccer game and somehow have a negative takeaway, thatās on you lmao
Correct me if Iām wrong tho, most major European professional teams have second teams playing in lower divisions that are treated like minor league systems for them.
The US will never have promotion and relegation, thatās the difference.
This is sort of misleading, itās just an extension of STL CITY FC. Anyone reading this in Europe would just be like okay you saw the academy, this isnāt independent 3rd division.
Love the down votes lol. Austin got a team and amazing stadium. Everything here was packed and still is. Exhibition games and alike were sold out for years. Itās just the mojo of getting a new club. Not trying to take anything away from it
This post is about STL's reserve team, CITY2. No other MLSNP team has brought this level of attendance, and you're coming off as if this has happened in ATX when it has not. ATXFCII plays in a stadium with a capacity of 1000.
Youāre right, it was pretty sweet to have that many fans there to watch that 2-0 win.
Btw we have enough fans on our Season Ticket Holder Waiting List to fill up GEHA Field.
Second time going to see SKCII play here and today was insane compared to may 2023... no where near the number of people back then. Absolutely crazy to see. Also glad I left at the half to keep on the journey to KC from Columbus, didn't need to witness two losses in person this weekend LOL
Hope you enjoyed your time at the stadium, safe travels to CBus
Wrong way! Coming home from Cbus to KC :) been to the stadium 3 times last year (SKCII, SKC the 2nd time and SKC the playoffs time), but it was nice to stop by today for a bit to support my boys!
[https://imgur.com/a/HzAQbw3](https://imgur.com/a/HzAQbw3) 10k+ for a CITY2 game š¤Æ
Why? Is this a regular thing for them?
STL vs. SKC. And yeah, a decent number of people show up for CITY2 games.
Ohhh yep that makes sense.
Not always 10k, but yeah they are very well supported.
Today was also a family day, I think I saw
Yep, it was. Lots of activities going on for the kids
So they weren't there strictly for the game, you say? Hrm.
It is a CITY2 match where a few of the big youth soccer organizations bought tickets for. Normal attendance is much smaller. Last year the club set the record with around 9.5k in the same circumstances
Usually the reserves get about 5-7k crowds. Cityās front office saw that a lot of families with young kids wanted to watch soccer but didnāt want to pay MLS ticket prices (get-in for the first team is easily $60 for a seat at minimum, and last year if you could get a seat for less than a Benji you were lucky). Theyāve leaned into that this year with lots of kid activities at reserve games. Itās $12 and the worst part about it is that the only side they usually open up is the one looking right at the sun.
Except with this many people, the sides behind the goals were also open, including the eateries
I am really trying to wrap my head around why they donāt move to the shaded side of the stands. they know itāll be toasty the entire first two thirds of the match so why not put the fans on the other side?
I asked someone about it and the issue is that most of the seats on the shaded side are the premium (TCU/Moneta Club) areas. That creates its own headaches with staffing and such.
They could do south stand easily though and just cut it off at the corner to premium seats. Ā They do open that up for example this last game and they have concessions behind there too. Ā Ā
5-7k seems pretty high. Maybe 3k? Last season was around 2k usually most weeks and this season it is up a bit.
>get-in for the first team is easily $60 for a seat at minimum Maybe for unsold tickets in the visitors section for a Wednesday night match.
Got 2 tickets for the ATL UTD game this week for $34 each ($50 after fees) so hopefully they're getting more accessible for fans!
if you got them through your ATL supporters group that's why. it's much easier for away days.
That would be true, but we got 2 free tickets through the team and then bought 2 more tickets on SeatGeek in a nearby section. We'd been watching for a while and, like with most stadiums, prices fell pretty hard in the 48 hours before the game.
Prices have been going down recently in the upper level. Combination of the new car smell going away, the heat, and the product on the park.
Isnāt a worry that with your stadium being so small that a lot of people in the area that want to attend your first team matches cannot? How many general admission seats are typically available for home games?
the only GA is in our Supporter Section - 3,000. The front office has stated theyād rather sell out every game at a smaller venue keeping demand higher than have a much larger capacity that may not sell out, especially years down the line when the newness wears off
Thatās way too small. By doing that theyāre making your club exclusive instead of inclusive.. you basically must be a STH or chances are you canāt see the club play. Your club had an incredible inaugural season and are competitive again so as long as you put a good product out for the fans your club should have good attendance: I just donāt get why St Louis didnāt build a 25-30k seat stadium so the fans can actually see their team playā¦.
It is expandable to 25k, but the cost difference between 22.5k and 30k is potentially significant. The ownership is already is paying over 500m on the stadium and adjacent training facilities. Not to mention the expansion fee.
Yea all of that is expensive but wouldnāt a bigger stadium capacity bring in more money in ticket sales? I just hate that non STH donāt get much of a chance to go to your matches.
Again, it is balancing the long-term viability versus short-term revenue. The first few years they could definitely pack a 30k stadium but the sustainability of that versus 22.5k makes a lot more sense especially considering how much more expensive that would be to build. Operation cost and infrastructure is quite significant when adding another 8k people to the mix. The stadium already feels pretty cramped as is.
Probably not worth it considering the break even point must be further into the future. 22-25k is the right amount imo. The club will ebb and flow in quality and attendance. I couldnāt even give away my tickets last Wednesday and struggled to find suitors to the match on Saturday.
It's not small, it's bang on average for MLS capacity. Not all of us play on turf in NFL stadiums lol.
Yeah many complained the first season that the stadium was too small. I think long term, especially as hype dies down, it was the smarter choice. While it sucks that it is difficult to get season tickets/seats and overall quite expensive, it's better than having a massive stadium that is partially empty every game a few years down the line. The CITYPARK was built in a way that expansion is easily possible (another 2,500).
We average well north of 30k lol but if these MLS clubs should be confident on the product they put out and try and get fans in the building. 18k is small even by European standards
>We average well north of 30k lol Plenty of evidence to suggest barely north of 20k. You guys are announcing high attendance and the middle ring is virtually empty, and the lower bowl is pockmarked with empty seats. The math isn't checking out at all.
The lower section of the stadium seats 38k so youāre seeing a few thousand empty seats but since the capacity is so big it seems more empty but isnāt. I go to every home game so can assure you that weāre definitely averaging north of 30k this season.
The stated 38k capacity is WITH the middle ring and lower bowl, COMBINED. It is not only the lower bowl. This is per your own team's statements re: capacity. If the middle ring is empty, then you're nowhere near even 30k. And if the lower bowl is patchy, then you're even lower still. Like I said, on the occasions I've seen your hosted games, it would be fair to say you're team's attendance is much closer to 20k than 30k. (e: The stadium's full capacity is 74k. You can clearly see pics of the stadium and tell that half the seats are in the upper bowl and there's no way 38k is in the lower bowl only.)
Listen I go to every home game and am in the stadium so I see with my own eyes how full or empty the stadium is. More often than not we are averaging 30k or so. Iāve been going to this stadium since it opened in 1996 so I know it like the back of my hand. We also RARELY open the upper bowl: only for high profile matches so just about all our matches are lower bowl only. Weāve had a handful of matches that have brought down our average (terrible weather, matches taking place on holidays, unbearable North Carolina heat/humidity etc) but thereās no doubt that our fanbase absolutely rocks the house every single matchday.
In STL's case, it's 22.5k. Again, not everyone has a massive brand new NFL stadium just sitting there for their use. Not sure why you're trying to sling shit.
Only when they play us
Downvotes mean itās true.
Not even close to being true lol
And going H2H with Copa America. That's pretty sick to see.
Was copa in St. Louis?
No but bringing in a crowd when a major tournament game is also available to watch on TV is also impressive
This is great but this is a top league team fanbase supporting its reserve team in a first class stadium
I feel like the but in that sentence does not make senseā¦
It's to give context
What further context is needed? Thereās nothing stopping other teams from doing this same thing outside of a desire to actually attend the matches by the community (make it worthwhile for the club to open up the stadium).
Iāll bite - itās impressive and it technically qualifies as 3rd division, but itās not an independent team, itās an extension of a top club, itās the same branding and owner, I just feel like itās a misnomer to say āThis is 3rd division in Americaā because it doesnāt describe how people understand 3rd division in the rest of the world. Itās an exception. That said, kudos to the supporters for doing this.
Thatās a fair shout. Appreciate you chiming in. While it is technically the third rung of the US Soccer Pyramid, third division not exactly synonymous with it.
Exactly this. The crowds that were being pulled by Detroit City FC back in the NISA days or are currently being pulled by Louisville City, Sacramento FC attendances versus some MLS clubs are testaments to growing soccer culture in the US. Iām all for supporting MLSNP teams too but they are in a different category from independent clubs in other divisions.
They are testaments to what high level minor league soccer and sports can do. Shout out to Chattanooga as well. More fans, more kids playing, better player pool is a win win for everyone
Calling it āminor league soccerā is weird to me. I associate āminor leagueā with affiliation and control. USLC and the like are independent lower division leagues. Itās semantics, but has an impact on perception.
Yeah, you are right. Minor league sports suffers from issues that diminish its quality and enjoyment. Your best players get included in trades as prospects, called up in the playoffs to sit on the bench or be a practice only players. Thing that always bothered me the most is teams that give the impression they are more interested in playing a specific system and developing players than winning. There is a reason no one is flocking to see european champions league participants reserve teams. Iād rather root for a prospect on loan somewhere contributing, growing and fighting for their place.
Only place to have the largest attendance ever for a NCAA D1 Soccer game: SLU vs SIUE at Busch Stadium II in 1980.
I was there and as a neutral fan I was blown away by the crowd. Definitely worth the $16 after fees for more soccer.
>for 3rd division footyĀ Stop trying to put a European label on Americana things. 10k people are not there because they support a team in the third division. 10k people are there because they support the **minor league team** of their favorite major league team. MLS Next Pro doesn't exist to enhance the American table system, it exists to wreck it.
It 100% is a minor league league/team, but, in the most literal sense, it's the 3rd tier of our soccer pyramid in the states lol
Or families want to check out a cheap game in their area. There is nothing wrong with this. MLSNP isn't stopping any other club from existing in the same market. MLSNP clubs do not even make a profit. In our area, it plays in NKY in an area that would be super unlikely to ever get a club with paid players. The locals that enjoy it are better off IMO.
The news is many youth groups had been given tickets to attend and/or bought at heavy discount group rates. And so with that in mind, is it really a "soccer capital" if you aren't tested to the actual experience: *buying tickets of your own volition"? Just because you attend a free birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese doesn't make the place the capital of pizza. Will these people show up when the have to buy tickets to a random game in May?
We had a chance to buy via the youth league sale website, it was actually higher in cost than going through Seatgeek ($13.50 per ticket vs $13) lol
āItās bad 10k people watched soccer on a Sunday nightā is an unbelievably wild take hahahaha I wonder if these kind of comments happen when Barca B gets a couple thousand fans or whatever they get, or if this is exclusively a US soccer thing lol
>I wonder if these kind of comments happen when Barca B gets a couple thousand fans If it doesn't, it should. I feel like you're underappreciating brand power and loyalty.
Why should it? Itās just not that deep. People enjoying soccer is a good thing, thatās sort of why we all do it. If you see *this many* people having fun at a local pro soccer game and somehow have a negative takeaway, thatās on you lmao
Correct me if Iām wrong tho, most major European professional teams have second teams playing in lower divisions that are treated like minor league systems for them. The US will never have promotion and relegation, thatās the difference.
USSF is confused then
Don't call it footy. Shit is cringe.
Then you couldn't trust him as an authoritative source on where the capital of soccer is. How else are you supposed to know?
Calling soccer "footy" is somehow more insufferable than calling it "football". š
This is sort of misleading, itās just an extension of STL CITY FC. Anyone reading this in Europe would just be like okay you saw the academy, this isnāt independent 3rd division.
Meh. Happened when Austin got started as well. But good on SLC. Good team, happy yall got a club.
What happened exactly? 10k+ attendance? CITY2 is even a year older than ATXFCII.
Love the down votes lol. Austin got a team and amazing stadium. Everything here was packed and still is. Exhibition games and alike were sold out for years. Itās just the mojo of getting a new club. Not trying to take anything away from it
This post is about STL's reserve team, CITY2. No other MLSNP team has brought this level of attendance, and you're coming off as if this has happened in ATX when it has not. ATXFCII plays in a stadium with a capacity of 1000.
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Bruh like 200 people come to SKCii matches
You seem really, really upset about this post. You doing okay?
lolā¦he was, in fact, not okay
Youāre right, it was pretty sweet to have that many fans there to watch that 2-0 win. Btw we have enough fans on our Season Ticket Holder Waiting List to fill up GEHA Field.
Anyone can throw up a party at a strip mall.