The excitement surrounding tonight’s debut of the Seattle Sounders FC can be seen in the ticket sales.
The Sounders have sold more season tickets this season (22,000) than any team in Major League Soccer. Tonight’s game against New York sold out on the first day single-game tickets were available. Kevin Griffin, fan development director for Sounders FC, attributed the dramatic box-office success to the philosophy set forth by the team’s owners.
“Our ownership group with Joe (Roth), Drew (Carey), and Adrian (Hanauer) has been brilliant in that they said ‘Listen to the fans,’” Griffin said.
The team’s goal, Griffin said, is to make each home game an “experience.” Toward that end, game days will include a “March to the Match.” Ninety minutes prior to the game, fans will gather in Occidental Park — just three blocks north of Qwest Field — and march to the stadium. Many will be sporting the green-and-blue Sounder scarves given to season ticket holders.
“When you get into the stadium, you’re going to see flags and pennants and confetti and all kinds of music and noise, it’s going to be fantastic,” Griffin said.
“When you come to our matches, you (will) have a blast and you (will) walk away saying ‘Man that was fun.’”
Despite the rabid enthusiasm, the team capped season ticket sales at 22,000 and the seating capacity for soccer at Qwest Field is listed as 27,700 (although its been boosted to 32,400 for tonight’s game). That’s well below the 67,000 the stadium seats for NFL games.
The reason?
“A more intimate atmosphere,” Griffin said. “Our fans asked us to make sure that it’s an authentic setup and environment.”
The organization also has worked hard to make its mark off the field, Griffin said.
“I’m most proud of the fact that our players, coaches, and front office have been dedicated to not only putting a winning team on the field, but also being involved in the community,” he said.
This past December, a Sounders fashion show raised $23,000 for Children’s Hospital in Seattle. The players also will be involved in a program called “Nothing But Nets,” where fans can donate bed netting to help prevent the spread of malaria in Africa.
“We’ve got a bunch of guys (who) understand the importance of giving back to the community,” Griffin said. “(The owners) told our fans from the very beginning, that very first day, we’re going to do something different here that you can be proud of.”
Marco Mummey is a senior at Meadowdale High School and a member of the Mavericks’ boys soccer team. He interviewed Kevin Griffin and contributed this article as part of his senior project.
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