Loyalists in the north endzone

[rabble-rabble]

Originally Posted by the Bardguy

We had one game last year where they were only checking the tickets of those people who were wearing black t-shirts.

Yet another game where the orange shirts came down on several occasions and checked the tickets of everyone in the front row.

It was a joke last year.

Having security go down and single out the RCB for ‘ticket inspection’ is simply discriminatory. Sort of like how in the early years the TRAX security officers would reportedly board a train and check only certain passengers (based on criteria such as clothing or ethnic background) on the car for their tickets. If they make every single fan entering or sitting in the entire section show their ticket stub, then that is one thing, but selectively checking just a few fans (who sit in the same seats every single time) is simply harassment. Sure if a ticket holder finds someone else standing/sitting in THEIR seat and the person refuses to relinquish the space, then certainly security has a right to make sure the seat is made available for the rightful owner, but making season ticket holders show their stubs time and time again simply because they wear a black shirt and try to gererate a little atmosphere is just wrong. This may be coming from Univ. of Utah security more than RSL, but still is an issue that needs to be addressed.

I think the main problem over in E38 is there are a lot of fans with very different ideas on what attending a soccer games means and team officials are trying to run interference between the two groups and keep them all happy. We have the same problem, but to a lesser extent in E32, mainly because quieter fans can just move over to a relatively empty E33 where as E37 and E39 are rather full of season ticket holders.

This is admittedly a rather complicated problem. The team is going to need as many fans as possible in the new stadium. Packing the stadium is critical to make the team profitable and to silence all the anti-stadium critics. We can’t have quieter fans quit going to the games because they were upset after they had to stand an entire match, or had to sit very close to a row of drummers. Nor can we have rowdier fans refusing to attend because they were offended when told to sit down and shut up by other fans, or by security personnel.

We really need to have the new stadium have desginated area(s) for the more energetic fans and we need some buffer space between us and the less active fans. Hopefully these buffer zones can be big enough to accommodate expansion as newcomers decide they want to join in the fun. Those selling tickets also should be careful to make sure that those buying tickets in these area(s) know that they are in for 90 minutes of standing in a very noisy enthusiastic atmosphere. It might even be useful to have printed tickets in these areas say STANDING SECTION the way that concert tickets will sometimes indicate OBSTRUCTED VIEW. We’ve had way too many fans arrive to sit in E32 that had no idea they purchased tickets where they did. Another thought I just had is in the past, the Univ. of Utah pointy-ball seating charts showed ‘family sections’ that were colored differently and clearly emphasized the section was to be no drinking, no smoking (this was back before they made every section no smoking), and no swearing. It might be good to have future RSL seating charts point out which section(s) are set aside for more active fans.

Might need some of the support groups to get together with the front office and get this planned out soon. Better to get possibly implement some of these ideas now before fans start getting assigned season tickets in the new stadium.

Hey we all love RSL. So hopefully all the fans can co-exist in peace and harmony and cheer the team onto a lot of MLS cups.

[the Bardguy]

Originally Posted by rabble-rabble

Having security go down and single out the RCB for ‘ticket inspection’ is simply discriminatory. Sort of like how in the early years the TRAX security officers would reportedly board a train and check only certain passengers (based on criteria such as clothing or ethnic background) on the car for their tickets. If they make every single fan entering or sitting in the entire section show their ticket stub, then that is one thing, but selectively checking just a few fans (who sit in the same seats every single time) is simply harassment. Sure if a ticket holder finds someone else standing/sitting in THEIR seat and the person refuses to relinquish the space, then certainly security has a right to make sure the seat is made available for the rightful owner, but making season ticket holders show their stubs time and time again simply because they wear a black shirt and try to gererate a little atmosphere is just wrong. This may be coming from Univ. of Utah security more than RSL, but still is an issue that needs to be addressed.

I think the main problem over in E38 is there are a lot of fans with very different ideas on what attending a soccer games means and team officials are trying to run interference between the two groups and keep them all happy. We have the same problem, but to a lesser extent in E32, mainly because quieter fans can just move over to a relatively empty E33 where as E37 and E39 are rather full of season ticket holders.

This is admittedly a rather complicated problem. The team is going to need as many fans as possible in the new stadium. Packing the stadium is critical to make the team profitable and to silence all the anti-stadium critics. We can’t have quieter fans quit going to the games because they were upset after they had to stand an entire match, or had to sit very close to a row of drummers. Nor can we have rowdier fans refusing to attend because they were offended when told to sit down and shut up by other fans, or by security personnel.

We really need to have the new stadium have desginated area(s) for the more energetic fans and we need some buffer space between us and the less active fans. Hopefully these buffer zones can be big enough to accommodate expansion as newcomers decide they want to join in the fun. Those selling tickets also should be careful to make sure that those buying tickets in these area(s) know that they are in for 90 minutes of standing in a very noisy enthusiastic atmosphere. It might even be useful to have printed tickets in these areas say STANDING SECTION the way that concert tickets will sometimes indicate OBSTRUCTED VIEW. We’ve had way too many fans arrive to sit in E32 that had no idea they purchased tickets where they did. Another thought I just had is in the past, the Univ. of Utah pointy-ball seating charts showed ‘family sections’ that were colored differently and clearly emphasized the section was to be no drinking, no smoking (this was back before they made every section no smoking), and no swearing. It might be good to have future RSL seating charts point out which section(s) are set aside for more active fans.

Might need some of the support groups to get together with the front office and get this planned out soon. Better to get possibly implement some of these ideas now before fans start getting assigned season tickets in the new stadium.

Hey we all love RSL. So hopefully all the fans can co-exist in peace and harmony and cheer the team onto a lot of MLS cups.

I'm going to link to this post from the RCB forum.

[Donk]

One thing that would probably help is getting the same stadium people for every match. I know we have asked repeatedly and it still has not happened.

[f4denz]

Listen, RES security acts both on their own and under direction of RSL to think otherwise is just foolish. The problems last year in E38 were due to a lack of communications in ticket sales, the FO is the group that approved (endorsed the move of the RCB) and despite their claims that they would not sell tickets in the first 10 rows of the south end of E38, RES ticket staff sold them any time they could. People who bought those tickets without any warning would go to security and complain, most often they would just move them to another section. However since very often tickets were in the first couple rows of E38 because the FO would not allow season ticket holders who wanted to move their tickets to E38. I was told no fewer than 12 times that I could not move my seat from 37 in second row to 38 in the second row. Each time someone complained RES security reacted by checking tickets, funny they check more for matches with under 10K in attendance than they did for the RM sellout.

The upcoming season will be a nightmare due to more tickets being sold, people trying to lock in tickets for the new stadium, Freddy Adu and Beckham coming to town all will result in a lot more people in the stadium and this will force RES staff to check tickets in all sections and pay a lot closer attention.

To the poster asking about handing out flyers, you can but I do not believe you can encourage people to move from one section to another. I would suggest that you rather encourage people to purchase tickets in the appropriate section next time.

[the cup]

Originally Posted by rabble-rabble

We really need to have the new stadium have desginated area(s) for the more energetic fans and we need some buffer space between us and the less active fans. Hopefully these buffer zones can be big enough to accommodate expansion as newcomers decide they want to join in the fun.

Might need some of the support groups to get together with the front office and get this planned out soon. Better to get possibly implement some of these ideas now before fans start getting assigned season tickets in the new stadium.

Well said rabble rabble. That's why I don't think it is too early to do this, I think it needs to be taken care of even before this season starts.

And really I think the only area that has the "buffer zone" between the standing fans and the sitting fans is that area behind the South goal between the two structures.

Hopefully the FO is eaves-dropping on our forum here and may already have a plan in place.

Would it kill the FO to talk to us here though?

[rabble-rabble]

Originally Posted by the cup

Well said rabble rabble. That's why I don't think it is too early to do this, I think it needs to be taken care of even before this season starts.

Been quiet on this board lately, but are we set to have any sort of Loyalist meeting before the season starts? This is an issue I would like to bring up. I don't have time to be in any sort of leadership position, but would not at all mind spending some time discussing things with the FO. I think that having good relations and avoiding conflict between different types of fans is a worthy goal that will help everyone involved by having happy fans who enjoyed their experienced returning to see more matches. Really best to get some appropriate area(s) set aside for our humble but LOUD groups and that other (quieter) fans be able to enjoy us from a safe distance. Trying to do so after all sections have the quieter type of fans assigned tickets in them is going to be hard.

[Donk]

Originally Posted by the cup

Would it kill the FO to talk to us here though?

If you haven't noticed already, communication doesn't happen to be one of RSL's strong suits.

[Stucki]

Originally Posted by rabble-rabble

Been quiet on this board lately, but are we set to have any sort of Loyalist meeting before the season starts? This is an issue I would like to bring up. I don't have time to be in any sort of leadership position, but would not at all mind spending some time discussing things with the FO. I think that having good relations and avoiding conflict between different types of fans is a worthy goal that will help everyone involved by having happy fans who enjoyed their experienced returning to see more matches. Really best to get some appropriate area(s) set aside for our humble but LOUD groups and that other (quieter) fans be able to enjoy us from a safe distance. Trying to do so after all sections have the quieter type of fans assigned tickets in them is going to be hard.

There will be a meeting before the season. I have been told that E32 and E38 are both going to be marked so that Utah ticket office people won't sell those tickets to people without letting them know what they are in for.

[GeNioS]

Originally Posted by Stucki

There will be a meeting before the season. I have been told that E32 and E38 are both going to be marked so that Utah ticket office people won't sell those tickets to people without letting them know what they are in for.

Uh.....yeah.....so anyway.....anyone seen any good movies lately?

[soccerman]

Originally Posted by Stucki

There will be a meeting before the season. I have been told that E32 and E38 are both going to be marked so that Utah ticket office people won't sell those tickets to people without letting them know what they are in for.

Hope springs eternal