I can't say that I am left with a lot of confidence after listening to that podcast. Mr. Allison comes across as rather stubborn and arrogant at times, but also very sure that they've absolutely nailed this rollout. Very dismissive of any suggestion that their pricing model has missed the mark, and counters it only with how awesome the venue will be, how they've done their research of their market, how they've got bills to pay, etc. etc.
It sounds like they are in full-on cost recovery mode already, and they are prepared to sacrifice developing their own supporters base because, somehow, there is a bunch of money in this town, Calgary is a different sports market, people are going to be running through the turnstiles with wads of cash falling from their pockets, (jargon), (more jargon), etc.
The relationship between club and supporters in soccer is a neat thing, and developing it is key. The MLS has even figured that out. So far, it seems that that relationship is going to be purely transactional - give us the money and we'll let you come and watch.
TLDR; I still think that they've mis-read this and I think that they've overlooked the key to the long-term success of this thing - grassroots support. It will be interesting to see how many of those 1k+ members convert into season tickets, particularly at the higher price points. If social media is any indication, a lot less than their "research" told them. Meeting with supporters groups about the stadium, the tickets, etc. would have been a great gesture.
Don't get me wrong - I'll be checking this out. And I'm not even going to lie and say that season tickets were a sure thing for me. I was thinking that a split with someone would be more realistic based on my location/schedule/life. But I am not feeling very confident about the long-term success as the club based on some of their early yet important decisions that they've fumbled already.
But as I have always said - I'd love to be proven wrong.
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