Celtic + Boca -- Attendance is Bloody Bad
I'm sad to relay Roger Brown's word that this July 25th soccer match has sold only about 15,000 tickets so far. That blows. I was hoping for attendence in the 40K, maybe 50K range. I'm sure the promoters were hoping for at least that. Of course the cancellation and week-long suspension of ticket sales had to hurt significantly.
That said, the promotion of the event has been ATROCIOUS! Terrible, pathetic, embarassing. How much do we hear bitching that the city of Cleveland does not draw high-profile events or outside tourists? I swear, it's like NO ONE realized the potential of an event like this. International pro soccer. A totally unique event. No comperable event in the entire middle part of America. Jesus, you can get 40,000 people to a tiddilywinks convention in this country and here Cleveland appears to have made no effort to capitalize on this. If you live in another city and are a soccer fan, a rock 'n roll fan, or just curious or itiching for an interesting weekend -- why haven't you heard about this? People from all over Ohio, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Buffalo, Indianapolis, and beyond should be flocking to the shores of Lake Erie this weekend to for this very cool match and, while they are at it, a visit to the rock hall or a home game at Jacob's Field. Seriously, besides the Grand Prix can you think of any other event in Cleveland that could potentially draw tne of thousands of non-Clevelanders to the city? This is BS. I'm sick of hearing residents and officials complain about how the city needs a new convention center yet an event like this is so blatantly overlooked.
I should also note that the promoter, Champions World, seems to have lost some oppprtunities here. Have they partnered with any local soccer-oreinted organization? Are they involved with any other events surrounding this Friday's match? There was money to be made if people were excited about it.
Outside of a couple back-page blurbs in the PD and some stories on soccer web sites there has been no mention of this anywhere. Where's the mention on talk radio? What about a mailing to Browns season ticket holders? Were are the group ticket applications to youth soccer groups? Where's the cheesy PR stunt where Phil Dawson takes on the Celtic goalkeeper in a penalty shootout? Damn it, I am in the wrong profession.
Oh yeah, and with Cleveland in the bidding for a 2005 MLS soccer franchise getting poor attendance this Friday will not help that effort.
That said, the promotion of the event has been ATROCIOUS! Terrible, pathetic, embarassing. How much do we hear bitching that the city of Cleveland does not draw high-profile events or outside tourists? I swear, it's like NO ONE realized the potential of an event like this. International pro soccer. A totally unique event. No comperable event in the entire middle part of America. Jesus, you can get 40,000 people to a tiddilywinks convention in this country and here Cleveland appears to have made no effort to capitalize on this. If you live in another city and are a soccer fan, a rock 'n roll fan, or just curious or itiching for an interesting weekend -- why haven't you heard about this? People from all over Ohio, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Buffalo, Indianapolis, and beyond should be flocking to the shores of Lake Erie this weekend to for this very cool match and, while they are at it, a visit to the rock hall or a home game at Jacob's Field. Seriously, besides the Grand Prix can you think of any other event in Cleveland that could potentially draw tne of thousands of non-Clevelanders to the city? This is BS. I'm sick of hearing residents and officials complain about how the city needs a new convention center yet an event like this is so blatantly overlooked.
I should also note that the promoter, Champions World, seems to have lost some oppprtunities here. Have they partnered with any local soccer-oreinted organization? Are they involved with any other events surrounding this Friday's match? There was money to be made if people were excited about it.
Outside of a couple back-page blurbs in the PD and some stories on soccer web sites there has been no mention of this anywhere. Where's the mention on talk radio? What about a mailing to Browns season ticket holders? Were are the group ticket applications to youth soccer groups? Where's the cheesy PR stunt where Phil Dawson takes on the Celtic goalkeeper in a penalty shootout? Damn it, I am in the wrong profession.
Oh yeah, and with Cleveland in the bidding for a 2005 MLS soccer franchise getting poor attendance this Friday will not help that effort.
posted by Michael @ 11:34 AM
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