The Canadian Premier League thread

[GirlySports]

They also missed an opportunity to bring in kids. Kids tickets should be discounted. You cant say you are grass roots and charge that.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

FYP.

It is truly disgusting that it seems like everything as far as sports and entertainment goes in this city is catered to only the wealthiest of people. Hockey is for rich people, I get that. Football also requires a lot of gear and infrastructure to play. But soccer needs a field, two nets and a freaking ball. It's supposed to be the people's game, the international, beautiful game. Entire villages in the poorest parts of the world can still manage to come together for soccer matches.

Maybe they're trying to pay for the cost of building the ground/pitch in one fell swoop? That would be disgusting. The working class are the fans they want if they want a true soccer atmosphere. Instead if its only the rich who get seats good enough to properly enjoy the match then it will be like the Dome. A library of polite, over-privileged, condescending @$$holes.

I was already working on getting my drums together for opening day. Brand new team in a brand new stadium in a brand new league doesn't happen too often, and legends should be born that day. With prices like that, they'll be lucky to have people actually watching the match instead of looking at their phones. Hell, I'd probably get kicked out for bringing the drum because it was disturbing someone's precious sensibilities.

I'll think I'll stick to calling it incompetence. Greed implies some strategy.

I think they provided affordable seating options (not enough), but the issue is the middle and top tiers are completely out of whack with the reality of CPL.

This is first division in name only. This is a pitch 20+km from downtown, built on a show jumping field (that will apparently continue to be a show jumping field), with likely temporary "modular" grandstands (bleachers) and players making less than the fans with an initial quality that may not be a whole lot better than Foothills PDL (which was much cheaper). There's charm to that though, and some fun in being there as it grows into something that hopefully resembles an actual Div 1, but the value proposition isn't high right now at $70-200 per game, let alone $45.

I'm not sure why the "prawn sandwich" crowd would even want to come... its not close to downtown for networking, its not prestigious (yet) and its not going to be as "posh" as other options. Total whiff there too.

If they were building an actual soccer only stadium in the city for a proven commodity like MLS, sure, you charge these prices, and maybe even a little more. If they had been in the community for 5-10 years and built up respect and commitment in the community, sure, you might try to maximize revenue, but they have proven nothing, and shown little to demonstrate they won't follow the Storm and Mustangs as failed teams.

[Thunderball]

I should add, I totally agree with Traditional_Ale's assessment on the prices being designed to pay for the stadium setup in one or two swoops. Which I also agree is pathetic.

[shermanator]

I don't think the pricing structure is greed. I think it's the owners not wanting to lose millions of dollars in the first year, which was the expectation set by the league. Of course, by pricing this way they will lose millions of dollars in the first year regardless. Better to lose millions with thousands of fans than millions with no fans in my books.

I'm sure I will be over this in a week and back to boosting the club. But man, I am really wondering why right now.

[Resolute 14]

The one thing to keep in mind is that the top tier has a very wide price variance. It is entirely possible that the $200 seats are extremely limited, and that the majority are in the $78 range. Still grossly overpriced, but at least they'd still mostly be in the "as dumb as York" range rather than "seriously, WTF is wrong with you?" range.

[shermanator]

I don't think the $200 seats will be in the grandstand. That's a corporate box type of price. They've been saying all along they will have some corporate boxes.

[Kipper is King]

I was so eager to sign up as a member, and I was really looking forward to Cavalry FC becoming a staple for Calgary sports. But the prices were absurd for the prospects game (to sit on grass), and now the prices for season seats seem likewise absurd.

Cavalry FC had a chance to attract families and new soccer fans. It seems they're throwing it all away. What a shame.

[Swift]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

Ya it's a big ole 'F you' from the club to the fans. I should have been the easiest sell in the world. Big soccer fan, love live sports, live in the SE. I was almost certain I was going to get season tickets, and at this point now I'm thinking I'll just pass altogether. They better do something in a hurry to save this.

Yep, same for me. I'm a ten minute drive from there. My son was so excited when I told him they were setting up a team as he would get to go to his first football match. To say I'm disappointed and annoyed is an understatement. I have zero interest in supporting this club now that I know they couldn't give a #### about average families like ours.

[gb450]

I visited the Cavalry FC kiosk today at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market and I spoke with a rep about the season ticket prices and voiced my displeasure at the pricing scheme. He explained the rationale for the ticket prices were that no other facility in the CPL has what Spruce Meadows has, as far as environment. He also attempted to explain that they have “a lot of corporate sponsorship” backing them, and essentially they only need to augment their seats with fans. Not sure if to take his comments with a grain of salt or not, but noteworthy nonetheless.

[Yoho]

Can’t wait to hear the boisterous corporate crowd at Spruce Meadows.
Downtown offices have trouble giving away midweek Flames games to employees.
This has “Emperors new clothes” written all over it.

[lazypucker]

^^ The sales rep actually said that they got enough sponsorship that they don't really need any average fans? This basically cement the Spruce Meadows mentality of elitism and they only want to get the prawn sandwich upper class country club crowd. Good luck to them.

[gb450]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

^^ The sales rep actually said that they got enough sponsorship that they don't really need any average fans? This basically cement the Spruce Meadows mentality of elitism and they only want to get the prawn sandwich upper class country club crowd. Good luck to them.

As much as I want to support the whole operation, yes, the rep did say that they have a lot of backing from the corporate community. I’d love to know if that’s true. Solid marketing job to the average fan, no doubt!

[The Big Chill]

Originally Posted by gb450

I visited the Cavalry FC kiosk today at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market and I spoke with a rep about the season ticket prices and voiced my displeasure at the pricing scheme. He explained the rationale for the ticket prices were that no other facility in the CPL has what Spruce Meadows has, as far as environment. He also attempted to explain that they have “a lot of corporate sponsorship” backing them, and essentially they only need to augment their seats with fans. Not sure if to take his comments with a grain of salt or not, but noteworthy nonetheless.

That's hilarious. Basically saying they are indifferent if a fan like me shows up or not.

[KevanGuy]

I sent my feedback via the survery. After thinking about it for a day I'm even more disappointed that my annual investment in Foothills was ultimately for naught.

[Thunderball]

If true, I'm impressed that they convinced so many corporate supporters to spend MLS/Flames/Stamps level money on an unknown and unproven product.

To me, the more I think about it, its not whether I can afford corp or battalion level seats, its more why would I sight unseen. It's just so arrogant. I'm also pretty sure Forge and Valour (seeing as they play in facilities actually designed for soccer) do not have inferior facilities compared to the amazing Spruce Meadows and their pop-up stadium.

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The one thing to keep in mind is that the top tier has a very wide price variance. It is entirely possible that the $200 seats are extremely limited, and that the majority are in the $78 range. Still grossly overpriced, but at least they'd still mostly be in the "as dumb as York" range rather than "seriously, WTF is wrong with you?" range.

That’s ok, those few $212 tickets, are still only 35% more expensive than Arsenal’s most expensive ticket.

DONT THOSE BUYERS KNOW ARSENAL IS IN A REBUILD. SURELY, they’d spend a tad more for professional soccer in southern Alberta Canada.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by gb450

I visited the Cavalry FC kiosk today at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market and I spoke with a rep about the season ticket prices and voiced my displeasure at the pricing scheme. He explained the rationale for the ticket prices were that no other facility in the CPL has what Spruce Meadows has, as far as environment. He also attempted to explain that they have “a lot of corporate sponsorship” backing them, and essentially they only need to augment their seats with fans. Not sure if to take his comments with a grain of salt or not, but noteworthy nonetheless.

Originally Posted by Yoho

Can’t wait to hear the boisterous corporate crowd at Spruce Meadows.
Downtown offices have trouble giving away midweek Flames games to employees.
This has “Emperors new clothes” written all over it.

Originally Posted by lazypucker

^^ The sales rep actually said that they got enough sponsorship that they don't really need any average fans? This basically cement the Spruce Meadows mentality of elitism and they only want to get the prawn sandwich upper class country club crowd. Good luck to them.

Wow. I called it, but nowhere near harsh enough. This is absolutely disgusting. I'm beside myself with rage. Just for once could Calgary manage something for the average, working-class sports fan!? I've been looking forward to this for so long and now it feels just as corporate slimy as everything else in this town. Its like looking forward to Christmas to pop the question to your girlfriend and finding out she's a longtime prostitute for grandpa oil execs.

[Jimmy Stang]

It seems that for every positive thing I try and tell myself about this venture, there are about two or three major issues that just leave me scratching my head. And then something will get me a little aroused again and then the shower goes cold. Now the hot water tank is broken.

I have gone from being cautiously optimistic to a bit skeptical of the viability to seriously concerned about the club's read of their market. The pricing for the friendly was a huge red flag, but I talked myself into believing that they'll get it right with the season tickets.

It sucks to say this, but this thing is dead on arrival. Without major changes, I give them a couple of years until the money dries up and they'll be done. Support at those prices and that location will be a tough draw, the ownership and management will feign confusion and wonder what went wrong and then will eventually point the finger at supporters for not doing enough to make this work in this city. Screw them. They are completely oblivious.

Their marketing sucks. Their pricing is completely out to lunch. They are trying to make huge revenue streams out of a completely unproven product in a market that is a graveyard for professional soccer. They are trying to draw blood from a stone with pricing like this, and they don't even realize that there are no ####ing stones yet. They are acting like this city has been salivating for this sort of thing and will travel any distance and pay any price for it. They are dead wrong and when this fails, they will have absolutely nobody to blame but themselves.

If you build it, they won't come because you've priced everyone out of it. Get your head out of the clouds.

This is a huge letdown. They've screwed this up in a way that I thought could not be possible.

[Thunderball]

It goes beyond pricing people out... which is a serious issue for something that at best slots in between the Hitmen and Stampeders... they also haven't done much to show people who can afford $48 or $78 per ticket why that isn't a rip off. For instance, the NHL prices a lot of people out, but its the best hockey league in the world with huge demand in most cities, so they can price accordingly and there's some known value proposition.

The argument that Meadows on the Green is the nicest facility in CPL holds zero weight until they prove it. Conventional wisdom says that they take year 1 at a significant loss to demonstrate this. Right now, its at best #3 (after Winnipeg and Hamilton for sure) assuming they don't cheap out on the new builds and that's ignoring how much of a compromise it appears to be. They've also been super evasive on roster composition, payroll size and whether they'll do designated players.

So it's two key mistakes, they've priced out people who want to be there, and caused the rest to ask why. I don't envy the account representatives who are calling the members in two weeks, they're going to get hammered on multiple fronts.

[GirlySports]

Why would I see this when can watch lacrosse for $300 a season which includes food vouchers and 1 Stampeders ticket.

Ctrain accessible, indoors, loud, fun and 30 goals.