The COO’s response
Written by Brian Bilello on June 28, 2010 – 12:13 pm -
First, I want to thank everyone who submitted a question. We have tried to keep the lines of communication open between the fans and the front office, and we try to do this a few times a year in various formats, either in person at Season Ticket Holder events, at games or through the web site.
There were many questions that had similar themes, so I’ve grouped answers together in terms of the topic of the questions. I’m happy to give follow-up answers. Also look for answers from Michael Burns on personnel/team questions sometime this week.
Soccer Stadium
There were a number of questions about the stadium, and I’m happy to say there has been some progress since the last round of public questions on the topic.
Getting the team into a soccer stadium of its own remains a top priority for our organization. With the decision regarding the MBTA’s Green Line maintenance facility in Somerville in place, we have re-launched the process of examining that area as a stadium site. We were in a holding pattern for a bit while the city and MBTA worked out the details of the facility. During the next few months our architects and engineers will be studying the area to determine if it is possible to build a soccer stadium on that site given the footprint of the maintenance facility and other existing structures.
In the last few months, we have also begun studying three additional sites around Boston’s metro core. These sites may not have been available to us in the past, but have recently shown potential interest in having our stadium.
To date, we have invested more than $1 million dollars in exploring new soccer stadium options, in addition to the efforts of multiple people in our organization, so we’re pressing the issue. We’ve seen the impact that an urban soccer stadium has made and we are committed to creating that environment here in New England.
SuperLiga
We did look at moving Superliga into Boston this year. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a suitable venue in the region. Two facilities we looked at have fields that are too narrow to play these matches. Another stadium’s surface wasn’t sufficient. We also briefly considered looking at other stadiums outside of Boston, but we ran into similar problems as we did in Boston in terms of acceptable facilities.
The tournament is still important to us, so while we tried to re-locate the games into the city, when we exhausted our options we decided to keep it here at Gillette Stadium.
New Crest and Branding
Fans are very passionate about this issue, either one way or another. We have been very focused on our marketing and branding efforts the last few years and introducing new imaging and team marks have been considered. However, until we make a determination on a stadium and location of that stadium, we are holding off on making any significant changes to our current marks.
Attendance
To date, when you look at like games (meaning pulling out the weeknight game against Chivas USA on May 5, and the doubleheader events from last year) our attendance is essentially flat year-to-year. Ticket sales for those six matches are up about five percent. We had a fairly strong year for season ticket renewals, finishing tied for fourth in the league in renewal percentage. We’ve already sold more four-game packages this year than we did in all of 2009, so we’ve seen some incremental progress on the sales front. However, that said, we’re still not pleased with where our overall sales and attendance numbers stand and we’re continuing to push in areas where we see growth potential, such as college programs, multiple-game packages and group sales.
Buses/Public Transportation
I’m not sure if buses from a local commuter rail stop will drive attendance for us given the overall time it would require. Considering the time it would take to get to North or South Station, take the train, get on a shuttle and arrive at the stadium, that’s a significant increase in travel time.
In terms of busing, it makes more sense to provide direct bus transportation to Gillette Stadium from locations in the region. We did this from a few bars and colleges for the first game with some mixed results. We’re in the process of developing a college program that will include a transportation component, which we anticipate to roll out this fall.
In terms of rail, the state has been working in conjunction with the town of Foxborough, to study a permanent commuter rail stop placed here at Patriot Place. I think that would provide a rail transportation solution that fans would find convenient and use on a regular basis. There is a state study currently ongoing and we’re expecting to see those results within a few months.
Media Coverage
This year our media coverage is probably stronger that it has been in a long time. Our new partnership with Comcast SportsNet has been good for us and they are promoting us fairly consistently on their network. They’ve also added more online coverage for us, which we did not have in the past. Recently they brought Taylor Twellman on to cover the World Cup, further building on their relationship with the Revolution.
Frank Dell’Apa has returned to the Revolution beat at the Boston Globe, and Kyle McCarthy has been picked up by the Boston Herald to cover the team, with additional writers filling in from time to time, both online and in print.
We’ve added a position for our in-house reporter/online host, moving Jeff Lemieux into that role from his previous work in our communications group. Initial feedback from fans has been very positive and, internally we’re very pleased to be able to provide more in-depth coverage of the team.
On radio, we’ve formed a fairly deep relationship with Damon “DA” Amendolara from 98.5 The Sports Hub, who is now providing sideline reporting for us during home games. DA even played for our America SCORES Cup office team on Sunday here at Gillette Stadium and held his own on the field! Taylor has also appeared on 98.5 recently to talk soccer, as well as call-ins from Frank Dell’apa and Greg Lalas, too.
With the Bruins and Celtics both making strong late runs into the playoffs, there certainly wasn’t a ton of open media coverage to go around this spring. But given that, we’ve held our own fairly well this year.
At the end of the day media coverage comes with demand. The more fans need coverage, the more coverage will be provided.
In the meantime we’ll continue to seek out partnerships like CSNNE and 98.5 where we feel that the Revolution will get better promotional and news exposure while supplementing that with our own coverage via revolutonsoccer.net.
Posted in Questions Answered |
June 28th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
As always, we fans appreciate any opportunity to ask questions and get answers from the FO. A lot of us may seem upset from time to time, but usually that is because we’re left wondering what is going on behind the scenes. Any kind of news is always appreciated, one way or another.
June 28th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
You will lose all Western Ma Fans if that is the location. We drive and hour and 15 mins now but that is the furthest we will go and we have been season ticket holders since day one. There are a lot of us that will no longer do this. Sorry but once again Western Mass is left off.
June 28th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Denice, you can’t please everybody unfortunately. I think the number of people that WILL attend games more frequently would greatly outnumber those that wouldn’t attend. The current location just won’t do for much longer…
June 28th, 2010 at 9:15 pm
FO. Your commitment to bring a stadium into an urban setting will pay off in spades. Rebrand, concentrate on winning over Boston not the region. They will follow. The cartoon logo has got to go. Boston FC, Green and Yellow. You would sell shirts the world over.
June 28th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
What about Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts fans, unless you provide a direct mode of transportation, like direct bus lines or commuter rail, you will also lose these fans.
June 29th, 2010 at 1:37 am
Well western, southern ma and RI fans seem to have no problem making it to fenway park and the garden, so I see no reason why they couldnt make it to a great new soccer specific venue in the city. This needs to happen and it needs to happen ASAP. Also, a striker with some ability to finish wouldn’t hurt the team in the meantime if you could help out with that!
June 29th, 2010 at 5:03 am
Joe, go back and read what Dan L. said.
What’s the population of metro Boston vs. Rhode Island/SE Mass? Its simple numbers. Moving closer to the city (and doing better promotion and signing at least one big name player and getting your merchandise into local stores) would bring in far more fans than they’d be losing. I’d like to think they know that they’d need to be near a T station wherever they build this in the Boston area.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:28 am
Well attendance is hovering around 12,000 so clearly this setup is not working if we were pulling 25,000 or so you might have a reason to complain. i am sorry to say that losing some fans is okay because we will gain a lot more.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
I’m in NH and the commute to Boston is easier than to Foxboro. If I cared about the Breakers I’d be at their games. Boston is the way to go.
June 30th, 2010 at 7:54 am
Harvard is not the answer. You will reap more profit over the long haul in a newly constructed stadium. Don’t share the revenue or the field. There will be scheduling conflicts and it will only be a bandaid. I was at the Som site and it’s delicious. Urban core is the only answer. You will make money but not in the Metro West. If there is a metro core stadium I will go to every game and spend as much of my money as possible. If you move to another suburb, I’ll never watch another game ever.
June 30th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Regarding the buses, the buses that have been run from bars so far have met with mixed results because the poor publicity they’ve been given. I know plenty of people in Providence who never heard about the one from Ri Ra (not shockingly it got canceled)and the one from SupahFans only appeared on your website a few days prior. Only putting these events on the Rev Girls Twitter and Facebook accounts (and hardly anywhere else) isn’t the way to do it.
Announcing them at games WELL in advance, putting out radio ads on 98.5, and putting an ad in the Metro are things to consider. The internet is a useful tool but it shouldn’t be the only one you use- which sadly has been the case with these.
June 30th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
WHAT ABOUT FRITZEN???
Can we please stop signing usless players like Ralston and Griffiths we need a serious forward and the kid from Haiti was the guy we needed, cut the fat and sign him.
June 30th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Thanks for the responses…
I must agree with the majority of people who have been clammoring for a new stadium in Boston. This will legitimize the team along with a fresh new rebranding campaign (Boston FC) and a nice new sponsor. I understand that Patriot place must be used for things other than Pats games but attendance will keep dwindling as the team continues to stay at Gillette…A new stadium and a new brand will attract some new talent and perhaps a good DP in the future!
July 1st, 2010 at 10:06 am
Well I guess we will see. Within the Western mass area there is a large number of fans and if you all think losing them won’t matter then so be it. I guess I will wait and see if you are right but I do not see the eastern mass fans as true fans since they complain about a 40 min commute and only have partial season ticket packages and we in western mass have been making the twice that length of a commute and have full season packages. But so be it We will not be able to handle the additional cost of travel so I guess we will miss out. A shame since we have always supported the Revs since inception.
July 1st, 2010 at 10:46 am
Denice, nobody is saying you’re bad fans or you don’t. I’m sorry that if they they move to the Boston area you will be unable to come. However staying in Gillette is an untenable situation. Attendance has been declining. If there’s such a large core of Western Mass fans then why has attendance been so bad? It isn’t personal, it’s just business. You have to move to where the people are and they’re not in the distant suburbs.
July 1st, 2010 at 4:12 pm
To add to what d3 said, a new coach who doesn’t play the ooold style English Long-ball would be nice too.
July 1st, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Going to a 3/4 empty (us-)football stadium in the middle of nowhere is a different experience to a small, tight full soccer stadium near non-gentrified bars. After the game people will spill into the nearby places, the game experience will go on.
The Patriot Place soccer experience is pathetic. It’s feels (and is) a filler for the stadium, and once I realized it, I refuse to be part of that.
Somerville is the way to go.
The only better place would be the Alewife plaza, replacing the failed movie theater and Marshals there. It’s on Rt2, there is an MBTA garage already, it’s a couple of stations from MIT and Harvard.
July 1st, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Moving into Somerville or Boston has one MAJOR problem. Traffic! The problem with Boston since there were only cow trails, is that the east side is ocean. Therefore everyone comes from the North, West and South. I live less than 14 miles from Boston, but it takes over 1/2 hour to get in there. Where is all the traffic going to be dumped onto the local roads after the game?
I’ve had season tickets for years now and the only thing that will get me to stop getting them is 1) Boring players not interested in winning and 2) hours of waiting on the roads for traffic. I don’t work in Boston for a reason!
It seems somewhere in this logic that the Kraft’s must have an agreement with the state to help fund the MassPike, since this would be the most direct route into the city.
Boston is not Kansas City, you can’t get there easy from anywhere. If you want to see attendance drop even further move to the city. Or load the team with Portuguese and Brazilian players on the team, so the people of Somerville will be the only ones to attend games.
I’m sure that if the team spent some of their money on big name talent, they would increase revenue. Look what happens every time Beckham came to NE, the place never looked so crowded. But we all know NE will never spend the $$$ needed to do this, they would rather live in a dream of making profit and say the move to Boston is the only solution. This isn’t the 20’s, the people who will pay for season tickets live in the suburbs of Boston not in the city.
July 1st, 2010 at 5:18 pm
d3,how can you call a player like Ralston useless?
July 1st, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Mark, they invented this amazing thing called public transporation. People from the suburbs drive their cars to stations and then ride into the city. Really, this happens. There’s a reason Boston is the financial and cultural center of the region and Weymouth, East Bridgewater, and Reheboth aren’t.
There are thousands (upon thousands) of people in the city without cars. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard, “well I’d go see the Revs but I can’t get there.”
Foxborough sucks to get to as well, truth be told. And for carless city dwellers (who vastly outnumber suburbanites) its impossible. If they move to Somerville and attendance goes down, Mark, I’ll buy you (and your whole family) season’s tickets and new jerseys.
July 1st, 2010 at 5:30 pm
I’d have to agree with everyone that a move into a soccer specific downtown/metro stadium would do absolute wonders for attendance and crowd atmosphere.
Eventually in the future, I’d like to think that MLS would grow enough to where we could support another 2 or 3 nearby rival teams within a 3 hour radius.
Having Montreal join MLS soon, and perhaps a 2nd team in NYC, or even another New England state could be a good starting point for that. Strong contingencies of visiting supporters are great for the atmosphere, but almost impossible to achieve if the visiting team is based 1000 miles away. European leagues don’t have to deal with that problem for weekly league matches. Imagine if there was a visiting group of supporters, similar to what Toronto FC brought earlier this season, for every game? The Revs fans could also make their way to a few road games easily as well if the distances were reasonable.
July 1st, 2010 at 8:33 pm
Agree with Steven on d3, how can you say Ralston was useless? Also on the new stadium locating in Boston does cause traffic problems and limits tailgating. How about a compromise with the western folks and just outside Boston in the central state equidistant from North, South, and West but still not a traffic nightmare!
July 1st, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Rob- there probably won’t be another team in New England. Bob has territorial rights and he’s already shot down one attempt a few years ago in Hartford.
July 1st, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Jim,
And I’ll bring my tailgating party on the “T”. There’s a reason people don’t tailgate in the financial and cultural center of the region.
One other thing Jim, if people can’t afford to have cars, how will they afford season tickets? If people don’t want to drive, why do I have to take outdated public transportation? Have you ever heard of Zip cars, if you really wanted to go to a Revs game, there’s always a way.
I’ve been to the new Toronto park and I’ve driven out of it. In fact it clears faster than Gillette, do you believe this will happen in Somerville? Do you know where the railroad yards are, it’s where the Circus used to be staged and there’s a reason for that. It’s in the middle of nowhere where all the smells of the animals won’t bother the city folk. Now have you ever passed by there? Probably not, that is unless you’ve lived there as I have.
Tailgating in Toronto was bigger than I’ve ever seen at Gillette and it’s because of the easy access to the stadium. There’s no bigger draw to games than families and their kids and teams. I’ve stayed late in past years with my local Bays team where everyone kicked the ball around until the traffic wound down. Will this be possible in Somerville? No it won’t. Will kids be able to bring their soccer balls on the “T”, again No.
If soccer moves to the inner city you may pick up the city folk who don’t play the game anyway since there’s no room. But you’ll for sure eliminate families. Just one other thing Jim, have you ever taken three kids to a Red Sox game on the Green line from the Suburbs. It frighten to death my kids when they were young. All the yelling and rowdy drunks who take the “T” because they’re too drunk to drive.
It’s the kids who take most of the parents to Rev’s games. It’s the kids who go with friends and their clubs. It the whole family atmosphere in America that makes US soccer different than the rest of the world. In England at every rest stop there’s big signs that say “NO FOOTBALL COACHES”. It’s not that they don’t like soccer fans, it just that only adults go to soccer games. Bring soccer to Somerville and you’ll eliminate our youth from enjoying the game just like baseball and football have in America.
Putting a new soccer stadium in metro Boston is just a BAD IDEA! Boston is physically different in location, it’s just not accessible!
July 2nd, 2010 at 2:28 am
I agree that building a new stadium in Somerville would be great.Living here in the Scituate area it takes approx 1hour yo 1hour & 16 mins to get to Foxboro depending on traffic. Moving to Somerville about the same. You peo[ple in central and western Mass. must not have heard of the Turnpike. I usually make it to Agawam in 2 hours or less and that inclusdes getting to Rt3 from Scituate which is 11 miles and a minimum of 20 mins. Quit crying. I have4 been going to Foxboro sinc 1970(Teamen, Pats and Revs. Speaking of the media, if we could just get that nut case Mike Lynch on Ch 5 to even mention a score it might help. Mike hates Soccer and he said so in an email to my son a few years ago that he does not consider Soccer a Major League Sport aqnd won’t until we star averageing 35.000 a game. The Herald and Globe and Chs 4&7 are fairly good. If the team could starty winning maybe attendance will pick up. Remember we still hold the MLS CUP record at over 61,000. Sorry to speal so much nut I am very upset at the person who wants to know why they resigned Ralston.
July 2nd, 2010 at 2:39 am
CONTINUED> By the way I am 69 and have been a season ticket holder for 12 years plus I was a Pats seasoner from 1 year at Harvard and 10 yrs at Foxboro and 1 year of TEAMEN. I would be willing to bet that there are more fans coming down from the North than are coming from west of Worcester. You out West fans where are yoyu. Stand up and cheer with the rest of us in the FORT area. Finally I would like to let you know that there are many fans who have travelled to N.Y.,DC. Columbus. Chicago, Houston, La and other places and having another team in New England would be disasterous and I here they are thinking about putting another team in N.Y.(mistake). Montreal would be OK remember they couldn’t even support a good baseball team.
July 2nd, 2010 at 4:51 am
It’s blowing my mind that people are arguing a move to Boston would lead to a drop in attendance.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:22 am
@ Mark - Wouldn’t the fatal flaw in your argument be that 37,000 people manage to get themselves to and from Fenway Park 81 times a year? You might not prefer an urban location for our SSS and that’s fine, we’re all entitled to our opinions. But to suggest that an urban SSS wouldn’t work b/c of transportation difficulties is clearly false.
One more point. You say you’ve been to England. Then you’ll know that a football club’s core supporters are 20-something males. Their financial priorities tend to be rent, music, pubs and their season tickets. Trust me, even if they don’t own a car, they’ll find the $200 for their seat in the Fort.
Cheers.
July 2nd, 2010 at 9:49 am
Mark,
Re: Tailgating & Kids
Tailgating is a sorry excuse for barhopping. Seriously. I mean, even the term implies that there is a pickup truck involved and it evokes desolate parking lot images. Tailgating is a completely different, all-american, experience than soccer is in Europe. I associate tailgating with Patriots games, because of the bunies location and demographic.
Soccer appeals to a different demographic. Forget having a car, just think, how many soccer fans have pickups vs. (us-)football fans, %-wise?
As far as kids go, sure, if that’s the target, then by all means let’s go to the ‘burbs. Just yesterday I was at the Lowell Spinners game with my 7-year old. All-American family fun. But note, it’s *Minor* league baseball. Performance does not matter, it’s a farm team, it’s about the kids in the stands and practice for the players. “Canaligator”, dad-vs.-son-dancing on the dugouts, $5 parking, $9 ticket.
Notably, though, the Spinners are in the middle of Lowell, formerly a very tough neighborhood, cleaned up with help of the Ballpark and the Tsongas Arena. If executed in a similar way, combined with the assembly square/IKEA project, “Slumville” may benefit dramatically, and the city should bend over backwards to make it happen.
July 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Mark,
Seeing as others have taken care of some of your other arguments, I’ll tackle the first one. Its not that they can’t afford them- most of them choose not too because you don’t need one when you live in a city. And that extra money? Ding ding ding, disposable income.
Oh and by the way, if its the kids bringing the adults- where are the “the kids” from the 90s? Oh, that’s right- they’re not Revs fans anymore. Because 80% of the fanbase is families and kids they associate it with being a kid and “age out” into being Sox and Pats fans.
This isn’t an either/or argument. There is room for both adult fans and families…JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER PRO TEAM IN NEW ENGLAND. Why do you think bringing more adults will scare away kids if it doesn’t for the Pats, Sox, Bruins, or Celtics? Please explain. I’m curious.
If being in Boston was such a horrible thing, why is there only one professional team that doesn’t play there? And tried to, before that deal fell through and ended up staying in the suburbs?
July 2nd, 2010 at 2:00 pm
I’m in the extreme minority who doesn’t want to see a SSS in Boston would rather have one across the street from Gillette cuz its an easy 25 min drive to get to the games. Y should the revs attract fans that have never cared about the team before that hate the MLS and don’t care that much about American soccer. Attendance will go up the 1st year or so in Boston but then what? If management doesn’t change this team will still suck and the city folk will soon realize that and stop coming. So what do u get, a half empty SSS.
And whoever thinks to rebrand the team to Boston FC…i’m sorry but that would be the stupidest thing ever. I wouldnt mind seein a different crest but this team will be the New England Revolution FOREVER.
We saw it when Becks came to NE people showed up and it created a great soccer atmosphere at Gillette. It’s not the stadium that makes the atmosphere it’s the people. I’ve been to Pats games before. It’s pretty quiet compared to other places around the NFL. If the FO and Kraft finally saw that what they’ve been doin the last 15 yrs HASN’T WORKED, and they got rid of some of the wasted space on this team (EJ, vidiera, nico, phelan to name a few), and signed a DP or two people will show up even its tough to get to Foxboro for some people.
Say we sign DMB and Robbie Keane this summer for ex. We will start scoring goals and winning games. We will be a good team. People will show up to see Keane and to see this team. We could easily get 20,000 and would instantly have a good atmosphere at Gillette.
Overall people don’t show up to games any more basically cuz this team has gotten progressively worse over the last few yrs. A couple signings can change that. I’m also one of the few people who can say theyve been a fan of this team for almost their whole life, me being a yr older than the league. I have season tix for the 1st time this yr. my love for this team has grown rapidly since goin to the 02 MLS Cup. I consider myself a diehard supporter I DON’T CARE where this team plays or how bad this team plays. I love this team regardless and will always show up to games.
I wish people would stop making excuses on why they don’t show up to games. This only hurts the people who still do and put everything they have into this team. If you can’t put that little extra into supporting your team than maybe you just shouldn’t support them all together.
July 2nd, 2010 at 3:09 pm
“There’s a reason people don’t tailgate in the financial and cultural center of the region”
They don’t tailgate in Seattle, either. It’s about what’s in the stadium, not what’s in the parking lot.
July 3rd, 2010 at 6:44 pm
“Also look for answers from Michael Burns on personnel/team questions sometime this week.”
Where is the response to select questions from Burns?
July 4th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
The reason people will drive from all over New England to packed Red Sox and Patriots games is because they are winners. Get some exciting, talented players on the revs and attendance will go up.
July 5th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
The New York Red Bulls don’t have adequate parking, they have banked on people taking public transportation. The result… a 50% increase in attendance this year. Kudos to whoever said that whatever is gained in Somerville greatly outweighs what would be lost… Mark, I think the Revs want to (and should) cater to more hardcore soccer supporters anyway… Jeff, why should the Revs cater to fans that never cared? Because they can’t get to the games right now! Thats the foundation of the whole argument to put the team in Somerville. Btw, DMB w/ Keane and winning a few more games won’t lead to drawing 20,000 easily…
July 5th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Thanks Brian for the comments. However when I read the questions asked beforehand I believe that the vast majority asked about personnel and the DP. Unfortunately I don’t see any comments to this matter. The questions answered IMHO were all fluff answers and really didn’t get to the crux of the matter which is that tyhe revs are woefully undermanned, have a lack of talent on both sides of the ball and could not put the ball into the net even if there was no goalkeeper and they were standing in front of the net. Not to say that we don’t have a group of capable players who try day in and day out but the talent is surely lacking vs the rest of the league. I believe we have been shutout 7 of the last nine games or something like that. It was known back in May for sure (although we certainly had figured out that Taylor wasn’t coming back this year).
A new stadium won’t help if we can’t win, don’t have the talent, have no one of any ’stature’ to go and see. The DP rule has been in place for sometime now and we must be one of the few left that hasn’t used it. We have been STH since day one and ardent supporters but even for us it has been hard to pile into the car and go see them play. If we continue with our current group of ‘good players’ then we may not be on board in the future.
Obviously the issue of personnel and the lack of a DP is well understood since even with the majority of people asking about it the topic was conveniently left off the table. Nuff said I guess.
July 5th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Jim - The DP and other player personnel questions will be answered by Michael Burns this week.
July 5th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
There’s a reason why people from all over New England travel to packed Red Sox and Patriots games - it’s because they are winners. Get some exciting, talented players on the Revs and start winning. The crowds will come just as they do for the South American and European teams when they visit Gillette.
July 6th, 2010 at 7:14 am
Re: the winning comment, the problem is the crowds were among the lowest in 2005 when the Revs were the most dominant, finishing 2nd in the league and losing the MLS Cup final. Not to mention we were among the league leaders in attendance with some crappy teams in the 90s. So it’s not really an exact fit to say winning = better attendance. Marketing to the right people will mean better attendance.
July 6th, 2010 at 10:16 am
I’ve got a family. Let’s see, we could blow a day driving to Foxboro, attempt to amuse ourselves inside a parking lot (or possibly seek to amuse ourselves at the ghost town mall known as Patriot Place), sit in a mostly empty stadium watching a soccer team play on a football field and then sit in traffic in the parking lot before we drive home.
OR we could go into Boston (and there’s all these highways and public transit options to get you there), have our pick of things to see and do, grab a meal at the tasty restaurant of our choosing, and then go see a soccer game in a mostly full soccer stadium.
Yeah, that’s not a hard choice in terms of how to spend my family entertainment dollar.
July 6th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
First off, singo, you must be fairly young or not have been a Boston/New England sports fan for very long. I’ve got news for you, our local teams are not and have not always been winners but as a true Boston sports fan we always support our teams and seem to make it to games. I don’t mind the ride to Foxboro; we even drive up from the cape a few times during the summer when we’re on vacation. The right move for the future of the team is to put them where the people are and that’s in an urban setting with public transportation.
With such a drastic turnover in personnel, this had to be a rebuilding year for the Revs. Let’s not forget our injury report right from day one of the season. They seem to be getting injured more in training than in games. This raises the question in my mind about the training and coaching staff. I also question some of the coaching decisions with the stating 11 on more than one occasion.
There are also a few players that are seriously lacking that second effort and give up on the ball a little too easily. The Revs need to come together as a team and get motivated and put in that extra effort for the full 90. Better decision making in the back line wouldn’t hurt. Keep in mind we have 4 rookies on the squad that show a lot of promise but lack the experience. The talent is there so it’s time for all to step up and give that extra effort, rookies and veterans alike.
1. Stop looking for the perfect shot and loose the ball in the process. Just take the shot!
Put it on frame and you never know. If you don’t take the shot it will never go in.
2. Stop letting Perovic waste the corner kicks.
We’ve still seen some pretty entertaining matches so far this year. Not with the desired results and we all know it’s a lot more fun when you’re winning a few. My daughter and I won’t give up on the Revs and if any of you are true fans you shouldn’t either.
I grew up as a Red Sox fan being disappointed year after year after year …. Their real fans never gave up on them and they finally came through for us.
Hang in there with the Revs.
July 7th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Steven, I’m sure attendance will improve in an urban setting. But, don’t delude yourself into thinking it’s more than entertainment because that’s what it is.
After almost two years of frustration with no end in sight, many STH are asking themselves why they are spending hundreds of dollars to watch the Revs lose 5 to 0. They will soon find elsewhere to spend their hard-earned, discretionary entertainment dollar.
Yes, the Revs will continue to get the “occasional” ticket buyers to show up who are only there for their children. You know them; they talk on their cell phone throughout the match. And the STH who is satisfied with mediocrity will remain.
July 7th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
[...] COO Brian Bilello talks a bit about stadium efforts on the team’s blog. A bit more bureaucracy to [...]
July 8th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
I live in Allston and I can assure you that a Revs stadium in Somerville would increase interest and attendance from Boston’s younger neighborhoods 1000%.
I personally know plenty of people (myself included) that would grab season tickets in an instant and take the T to Somerville.
Soccer belongs in the city. All successful franchises in MLS have a similar model. We need to jump on board.
July 9th, 2010 at 9:50 am
Yes, the Revs will continue to get the “occasional” ticket buyers to show up who are only there for their children. You know them; they talk on their cell phone throughout the match. And the STH who is satisfied with mediocrity will remain.
Well said. The sad fact is that the “franchise” will always be the unwanted red-headed step-child of the patriots as long as the current owners are in place.
They have no interest in a soccer specific stadium or bringing the team to Boston where it would be huge and the games would be attended by adults like Toronto and Seattle.
I bought season’s tickets for the first two revolution campaigns to do my part to prop up the league. But after you guys tried to stiff Shalrie and with the continued poor management, player aquisition and marketing I just can’t support this team. It’s a shame really. Go Sounders!
July 13th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Wow, … I think a nerve has been struck. I guess I will add my two cents. As a season ticket holder for a couple of years, I am sold on the Gillette experience. I love tailgating with my family and hanging with passionate soccer fans (yes we are here and DO exist) in the parking lot before and after games. I also believe Patriot Place is a great place to shop, to grab a good meal or snack before and/or after the games (during inclement weather — for me anyways), or to go to the movies as well. It is designed to accommodate everyone. Families to groups to everyone in between. Great job goes to the ownership for that. I look forward to the games (no matter who is on the pitch for us or whom the opponent is). I trust the front office and coaching staff. They haven’t let ME down and I am not one to be content with mediocrity either. If the team moves, I’ll follow and bring my take on how to enjoy it with me. I hope it doesn’t happen (to be honest) but I know the team has needs for a SSS. First and foremost they need a grass field not turf (will also be an added sell for bringing International teams to the venue — for friendly matches and such). As for the lack of talent, that is just a whining East Coast lack of true understanding to what talent is, comment, in my opinion. How the current experience this roster has to offer does not excite a TRUE soccer fan is beyond me and the rookies are outstanding. Oh sure, it stinks to lose but Saturday’s game was no fluke, we have the talent. We will get on the same page and bond as a team to move forward. I think with the injuries and new faces, the front office and especially the coaching staff have done a fine job. We are lucky to have a coach with such talent to get the most out of our current roster. Consistency is key to success. I do not feel that the team is not trying to achieve more. Or that the coaching staff, front office, ownership or players do not want more. I feel as a fan (and a competitive youth coach) it is just as important (and exciting) to watch the development of our future stars, as it is to watch our current stars on the pitch. Also to the comment that the ownership and/or front office is not dedicated to putting quality players in place via paying top dollar for them, ARE YOU SERIOUS? Have any of you looked at the MLS player salary list? We have TWO of the highest player salaries (guaranteed) in the league. Our team is at almost 2.9 M (guaranteed) and last years MLS Cup Champion RSL is at almost 2.65 M (guaranteed). Go check it out (google it — MLS salaries 2010), then I challenge all of you to come out and support OUR team on Wednesday night for the first Superliga game. Stop complaining about something YOU control the outcome of. SHOW UP OR SHUT UP. Let’s make some real noise FOR the team and stop complaining about the team or how we would rather have this or that in later terms, and just support OUR TEAM NOW !!! — Cheers !!! GO REVOLUTION !!!
July 15th, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Uh, Guys? Do you think anyone in the front office is reading this?
SOMEONE SHOULD SEND BILELLO THE LINK.
July 17th, 2010 at 1:58 am
The arguement against the city stadium is ridiculous. Those who say you would lose western mass fans well tough luck. I am from NH and if you come from the the north you have to drive through the city or around it on 95 which is just as bad. It would only improve attendance from the north plus a new stadium would ump some much needed excitement into the franchise. The mls needs to capatalize on the world cup push and many teams such as the red bulls, tfc, and galaxy are doing this. I believe the quality of mls is now on a very good level and it is a product that can be marketed to the mainstream. The next step is remaking this franchise by giving it a incredible new stadium with an incredible atmosphere where it should have been all along….in Boston. You look at huge soccer nations such as England you will see that most stadiums are set directly in the city with intimate settings and they are part of the community. The Union should be an example for the revolution, put a new stadium in the metro area which will strengthen community ties and only further develop soccer as an american sport. The best athletes in many sports come from the inner city and urban areas and having a stadium in Boston would show the youth of Boston that soccer is an amazing sport and now in this country you could become a successful professional soccer player in the mls just as u could in the nba, mlb, nfl, or nhl. The move into the city makes to much sense not to happen and it needs to happen soon, now I just hope Bob Kraft will get bold enough to open the safe and make this happen and also bring in the talent to make this team one of the top and most marketable clubs in MLS as it can and deserves to be!
July 19th, 2010 at 10:37 am
It’s good to see that the team understands how important it is to site the new stadium within Boston’s urban core. It’s true that there are suburban-based fans for whom it would be easier to drive to a non-urban site with large parking lots. The truth is, though, that the Revs need to also continue to grow their fan base. Having been out in the city of Boston during world cup, the best way to do it is to place the stadium in the city where it’s easily accessible by public transportion. That opens it up to two groups: 1.) 1st/2nd generation immigrant groups from soccer countries. 2.) Urban fans who do not own a car. Previous posters speculated that those who didn’t own cars wouldn’t be able to afford tickets….flat out wrong. Me, and nearly all my friends are huge soccer fans, live in households with 6-figure incomes, yet virtually none of us have cars. These two populations are a totally untapped fan base for the Revs. During World Cup, virtually nothing got done in the Financial District, where I work. Everyone either had ESPN streaming the games, the TVs in the kitchens were switched from CNBC to ESPN…it’s the only thing people talked about. Then for the big weekend games, practically every bar in Boston had lines out the door, and people running up $100+ tabs watching the pre-game and games.
I lost count of how many times I heard people at work and in bars say “I’ve never been to a Revs game, I just wish they had a stadium in the city!”
Somerville would be better than Foxborough, but given the MBTA’s propencity to drag their feet and lose projects, I think there’s a better choice: South Boston Waterfront.
1. It’s walkable from South Station Commuter Rail and Bus Terminal.
2. It’s on the T (Silver Line) and walkable from several other lines.
3. It’s in a section of the city where the mayor and the landowners are desperate for development. Bob Kraft would have no problem getting all sorts of fast-track development help and financing from the city.
4. Tourists. The city is flooded with tourists all summer. Both domestic and international (read: soccer fans already) stay in hotels at the city’s core and who walk the city for several days. They may be fans already, may not be able to afford 4 tix to Fenway/Garden, or the Sox/Celts may not be in town. This would be an fun/easy options for tourists who can walk or take the T (or even a cab) from any major tourist hotel in Boston proper.
5. It’s walkable from the Financial District, which gets you $$$:
- corporate sponsorship/ticket sales
- young, energetic fan base with disposable income. Half the financial district just heads straight to Fenway or the Garden on game nights.
6. Parking. Games are at night or on the weekends. South Boston waterfront is full of huge parking lots that are packed during the workday with Financial District/Seaport commuters, but empty on the nights and weekends. For those who want to drive/park/tailgate, the lot owners would kill for the business.
7. It would give Bob Kraft a retail (associated bars, restaurants, shops) foothold in a part of Boston that is about to explode with development over the next 5 years.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:48 am
Oh, and I think a good way to measure the potential success of putting a SSS right in Boston will be to see the support for the Football and Fenway game this week. Two teams are playing, Celtic Football Club of the Scottish Premier League and Sporting Clube de Portugal from the Portuguese Liga, neither of which are local, and likely have little local fan support. I would not be surprised in the slightest if the attendance is well above the average attendance at a Revs game. Again, this would be with two teams that have virtually NO FAN BASE here.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:55 am
@Bystander: Yes. Since this is my blog piece, all responses get emailed directly to me.
July 19th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
One more potential plus/option for a South Boston location would be for Bob Kraft to team up with Steve Wynn on his recently disclosed interest in a South Boston Waterfront resort casino and hotel bid.
Steve Wynn, arguably one the most successful hotel/casino builders could team up with Kraft, one of the most successful team owner/stadium and retail developers out there. Wynn pays for the casino and hotel, Kraft pays for (or guarantees the lease on) an attached 25,000-30,000 seat stadium (retractable roof anyone?). Build the stadium luxury suites into the hotel…amazing 5-star service and amenities for the suites and a constant source of tourist traffic. Great concert/show venue right in the city. Wynn and Kraft can both build out an amazing street-level retail experience (which they’re both great at) around the casino/hotel/stadium complex. Who knows, this may be a little “pie in the sky”, but thought I’d put it out there.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Wow. I’m impressed. A corporate suit NEVER reads this kind of stuff. Thanks, Mr. Biello. Maybe we all want the same thing, a great place to go to support a great team playing a great game. I actually have some restored faith in this slow boat.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
Keep the city stadium between 15-20, no larger in the true Boston tradition! AND NO STAGE NO STAGE NO STAGE! If Boston wants to stay more sophisticated and traditional than NY, we Bostonians have to do this right!
July 19th, 2010 at 6:35 pm
The original game would have been a blockbuster: Celtic-Rangers. The town elders know the right ticket brings the right fans through the gate. Imagine how hard it would be to get summer tix for any international friendly in Boston at their new stadium? Imagine how fun it would be to fill one half with Red Bulls and the other with Revs? The dream is amazing. You won’t see a sell-out at Fenway, but I agree that it’s an interesting experiment to see how many people show up to the city stadium to watch two teams the neutrals don’t care about on a weekday. If they sell 30k, that should tell Kraft SOMETHING.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:39 pm
BostonFan said it: “I lost count of how many times I heard people at work and in bars say I’ve never been to a Revs game, I just wish they had a stadium in the city!’”
I’ve heard at least half dozen people say this too! I work at a Five Star Hotel in downtown Boston and many of my co-workers are foreign-born. (I am a German American). EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM have said, “they need a stadium near the train, then I would go.”
We book alot of the big clubs when they do visit.
BUILD ON THE WATERFRONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUILD ON THE WATERFRONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 20th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
What about Worcester? One million people (including Boston, Providence, Springfield, and Hartford) within an hour’s drive with existing (and expanding) commuter rail service to downtown Boston. All of New England is within a stone’s throw (or a penalty kick). Ole!
July 20th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Bringing the team to Worcester is a horrible idea. Boston has a stable economy and has the potential to allow the Revolution to turn into a model team for MLS. The attendance would increase, thus creating more revenue and allowing for some big name signings. Bring the Revs to Boston!
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:09 am
@Not Portuguese, Not Irish: “You won’t see a sell-out at Fenway, but I agree that it’s an interesting experiment to see how many people show up to the city stadium to watch two teams the neutrals don’t care about on a weekday. If they sell 30k, that should tell Kraft SOMETHING.”
***************
32,162. Not a sell-out, but I’d argue that 86% capacity for a night game at Fenway was impressive, and puts up a fantastic arguement for putting a soccer stadium right in Boston’s core. To borrow from “Parallel Development”:
BUILD ON THE WATERFRONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUILD ON THE WATERFRONT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 3rd, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Care to comment on the validity of this rumor? haha.. i feel like an investigative reporter!
“Here’s a rumor for you. Don’t ask me how I know this, let’s just say I heard it from a little fish in the sea.
There are some land parcels being bandied about regarding “additional locations” for the New England Revolution new soccer stadium. While Somerville is the most highly publicized, not much is known about the other locations being considered. These MAY be the waterfront locations they are talking about:
North Jetty
FID Kennedy Avenue at 1 Seafood Way
Boston
A 470,000 square foot industrial build-to-suit very near the Bank of America Pavilion. Next door is the giant Cruiseport Cell Phone Waiting Lot.
A few blocks down is a large warehouse next to Au Bon Pain, still on FID Kennedy Avenue.
At the corner of Northern Avenue and Tide Street (same neigborhood) there is another large abandoned warehouse. This is located next to B&M Fish Company, 312 Northern Avenue.
I can’t confirm these locations, but it seems viable. The only down side is no public transit other than bus, but close to the slowly creeping development of the Word Trade Center, etc. Restaurants and hotels nearby, etc. The only other locations would be in South Boston but I have no information on that.”
August 10th, 2010 at 7:47 am
From Populous, the firm that designed KC’s new stadium: “In addition to hosting soccer, the stadium features a retractable seating section in the seating bowl’s south end that, when retracted, will reveal a stage that can be used for end-stage concerts.”
So any new stadium that the Revs build can double as a concert venue but STILL Have a retractable stage that is NOT FIXED and ugly like Columbus or when Gillette has a big concert planned. A stage that can be hidden during games and brought out for concerts is brilliant.
I hope whoever builds the Revs stadium will consider this architectural practice of a hidden stage.
August 24th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
I hate seeing the situation the Revs are in very low attendance to a team that was one of the highest averages in the league need new soccer stadium the logo must go diferent design,a sponser , and of course players that can play, Perovike, Joseph, Nyassi can’t do it all alone.