Late to the game...

bili

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/06/12/some-whitecaps-fans-keep-being-late-to-the-party/

A couple of radical solutions:

close concessions 10 mins prior to kick off (never gonna happen)
have mobile beer concessions in the stands so people can get served while in their seats like Empire.

Either way - when I take someone to the game, I tell them I have one rule: We arrive in our seats 10 mins prior to kick off.

Anybody else have a solution? Not that our solutions would make a difference.

theneutralswiss

why don't they trick everyone and just print the kickoff time early on the tickets

The_Real_Deal

theneutralswiss said: why don't they trick everyone and just print the kickoff time early on the tickets

That would only work once...we're pretty smart here in Vancouver unlike those south of the border

cixceven

Depending on the capabilities of the ticket scanning system, they could do a draw for some sort of prize using only the tickets that have entered by a certain time. Make the cutoff 30 minutes prior to kickoff, and while some will still be in a beer line, it would at least get people in the door a little earlier, and so hopefully to their seats.

Legal_Alien

This issue is not specific to the Whitecaps... folks turn up late to Canucks games too. Also a lot of people just turn up to party... the football is incidental to them.

I don't think the problem is folks on the concourse drinking, as they seem to still be in the pubs/bars drinking until the last minute. I suspect this is cultural. Last Sunday we left Library Square about 3:50pm and some 'caps "fans" were still ordering drinks. Drinking and socialising seemed to be more important than watching the game for these people.

Not sure there's an easy or quick answer. General admission would help to a degree (eg Portland). Some decent local ales and pub prices would also help. Fundamentally though the solution remains building a supporter base that loves their caps more than that last sip of "not quite so expensive" beer. I suspect exciting, winning football like we saw on Sunday is the best answer. Must have sucked to miss that Mattock goal!

puntocero

bili said:have mobile beer concessions in the stands so people can get served while in > their seats like Empire.

They really need to get on to this. No shortage of popcorn, ice cream and nut vendors walking around the southside, ffs. Ship them to the family zone along with the drum cafe. (sorry for those that actually appreciate not needing to leave their stand to get their popcorn, ice cream or nuts)

eunited

Portland had guys walking around selling beer with 3-4 options! It was great and easy. I don't understand why BC Place doesn't do this yet.

Hansen

Being a new fan of the Whitecaps, and soccer in general, I could see why this would happen with a lot of new or causal fans.

I go to a good amount of Canucks games through out the season, start time for the game on the printed tickets will be 7, but puck drop wont be until 715-720 at a minimum. So for the fans coming from a hockey fan base, getting to your seat 15 minutes late is nothing new.

My 2 cents on the matter. I will now be implementing bili's 10 minute rule.

SAFC_Yank

The_Real_Deal said:

theneutralswiss said: why don't they trick everyone and just print the kickoff time early on the tickets

That would only work once...we're pretty smart here in Vancouver unlike those south of the border

HEY! ;-)

But isn't that already happening ... aren't matches actually starting at about five after?

SoccerSue

The_Real_Deal said:

theneutralswiss said: why don't they trick everyone and just print the kickoff time early on the tickets

That would only work once...we're pretty smart here in Vancouver unlike those south of the border

Was that really necessary?

=((

SoccerSue

LOL, high-five to SAFC_Yank!

SAFC_Yank

I'll add ... I'd never intentionally miss kickoff, but I am occasionally late. Second match of the season work commitments and bad border lineups had me arriving in about the 20th minute. Beresford's snarky comment at the end about not letting people in after kickoff isn't particularly clever to me.

SAFC_Yank

SoccerSue said: LOL, high-five to SAFC_Yank!

We have to stick together, Sue!

RandomWhiteMale

There has to be some sort of Southsider solution to this, doesn't there? Create an atmosphere that excites people, through pregame cheers, or what have you, and they may come early. Whitecaps themselves aren't making me anymore interested in coming early with Schaad and Norman Sr on the jumbotron.

If many of you are convinced that so many fans are only there to party, we should start the party sooner.

The_Real_Deal

ooops, I didn't mean to offend you Sue & Chuck (I don't consider you two to be Americans...lol)

My humble apologies for the insensitive racist comment (I give myself a red card)

Lefty

I'm not sure its racist, perhaps jingoistic.

Boxing_Day_Massacre

I'm wondering if all the young girls running round on the pitch with flags and the fireworks may be counter productive. You've seen it once and you've seen it a thousand times. There's no incentive to get there early as you just get bombarded with video and (loud) audio and given a layed-on "spectacle" with little or no opportunity to participate.
Its got to be worth trying turning the sound way down, cutting out the sponsor commercials and giving the supporters groups a chance to build some genuine atmosphere as opposed to the artificial version. It might take a while to build the habit but its got to be worth a try. Nobody thinks "must be sure to get there early to see drum cafe and the white flag girls"

The_Real_Deal

Just a general question, do people view the white flags as a surrender symbol?

cdusdal

Pool-ball tables on the field before kickoff for our drinking pleasure.

krisaug5

The_Real_Deal said: Just a general question, do people view the white flags as a surrender symbol?

I think plain white, or mostly white yes... I like a healthy amount of blue on flags..

Chris

The club has tried to get us to come to the matches earlier. They want that to happen, but we have trouble getting our members out of the pub for the march at 75 minutes.

RandomWhiteMale · Post edited by RandomWhiteMale at 2012-06-12 19:59:11

Pre match 'Happy Hour' in the concourse - roped off 'bar' area around one of the giant screens where people need to have ID checked before entering. Could have some food items (vendors would kill for this opportunity) and maybe, if legal, some drink specials.

This would get people in the building sooner.

Chris

Send your complaints to the Province of BC, not the Caps. Arcane liquor laws prevent that sort of thing.

Brettness37

RandomWhiteMale said: There has to be some sort of Southsider solution to this, doesn't there? Create an atmosphere that excites people, through pregame cheers, or what have you, and they may come early. Whitecaps themselves aren't making me anymore interested in coming early with Schaad and Norman Sr on the jumbotron.

If many of you are convinced that so many fans are only there to party, we should start the party sooner.

Pretty tough for the supporters to out-chant the Kia commercials, no matter how early we arrive.

Ghostdog

What am I missing here? Who cares if other people are late? How many people are / are not in their seats around me has absolutely no impact on my enjoyment of the early part of the game.

Maybe I'm in the minority.

PBandG

If Head Hipster (if you sit around me you know him) misses the first 5 minutes like he did last weekend I would be delighted. In fact he could miss the entire game and my life would be so much more enjoyable. But yea this is an annoying issue. Shit needs to change.

SAFC_Yank

Boxing_Day_Massacre said: I'm wondering if all the young girls running round on the pitch with flags and the fireworks may be counter productive. You've seen it once and you've seen it a thousand times. There's no incentive to get there early as you just get bombarded with video and (loud) audio and given a layed-on "spectacle" with little or no opportunity to participate.
Its got to be worth trying turning the sound way down, cutting out the sponsor commercials and giving the supporters groups a chance to build some genuine atmosphere as opposed to the artificial version. It might take a while to build the habit but its got to be worth a try. Nobody thinks "must be sure to get there early to see drum cafe and the white flag girls"

Nailed on. Seems like something appropriate for Opening Day or some special event, but to have it week after week is weird, and all it really does is block the view of the players coming on the field. I don't mind some of the other pre-match stuff, the bit with Pete going over the starting XI is worthwhile, and I understand the need to have ads, too. But maybe leaving the last 5-to-7 minutes free before the teams walk out would really help.

JohnnieMonster

Plan of action: Southsiders to stand outside eastside & westside entrances handing out tardy slips to fans arriving after kickoff.

JP82

Been to every home game since our inaugural 2011 season the opening ceremony is stupid and once u have seen it u have no need to see it again...either get rid of it or make it crazy don't half ass it like it is now..i am sure some High School football teams in Texas have better pregame ceremonies than ours

Number4

JohnnieMonster said: Plan of action: Southsiders to stand outside eastside & westside entrances handing out tardy slips to fans arriving after kickoff.

So your plan is to have more people miss the beginning of the match? :P

Yes it is a problem but I don't think there's anything we can do about it. Like a few people have said, it's a cultural issue with Vancouver in general and there's no amount of incentives the FO or us can do to change it.

Hell, the only thing that could change it is having more goals at the 4 minute mark.

Seathanaich

The_Real_Deal said: Just a general question, do people view the white flags as a surrender symbol?

The team's name is the Whitecaps. So, no.

Just like flying yellow flags for a yellow team doesn't indicate that you are a coward.

I've never understood why people care so much about food and drink at games. If they didn't, there would be more people in seats at the start of the game. Of course, turning off the canned noise would help, too.

danimal

It isn't just a Vancouver thing. It is North America in general but more significant on the west coast (there are always going to be exceptions). Dodgers fans are famous for arriving during the 4th inning and leaving in the 7th.

SAFC_Yank

danimal said: It isn't just a Vancouver thing. It is North America in general but more significant on the west coast (there are always going to be exceptions). Dodgers fans are famous for arriving during the 4th inning and leaving in the 7th.

There's the old joke from the Blue Jays salad days about the traffic jams being in 5th inning when most of the crowd was either arriving or leaving.

Woosang

The_Real_Deal said: Just a general question, do people view the white flags as a surrender symbol?

Yes. I know our team name is the Whitecaps but waving white flags before the game doesn't look good IMO. I'm actually surprised that no one at the Whitecaps are seeing symbolism of waving white flags. They should do some kind of blue and white flags.

AJAX79

The_Real_Deal said: Just a general question, do people view the white flags as a surrender symbol?

I honestly don't think that people seeing us waving white flags is a sign of surrender since the color of the team is white. White is the color....

Woosang

I don't think we can really do anything about other fans coming to the game late but maybe we could do something about our own members. Maybe we could stay shorter at Terry Fox Plaza (like we just two songs or so) and everyone goes inside and start singing before the kickoff?

AJAX79

I think people are being too picky. Lots of flags create an awesome visual no matter what color they are.

Ajax hand out 55,000 white comemorative flags before every champions leauge match and it looks unbeleivible!

Brenton

Woosang said: and everyone goes inside and start singing before the kickoff?

Don't we already do this?

krisaug5

Woosang said: Maybe we could stay shorter at Terry Fox Plaza (like we just two songs or so) and everyone goes inside and start singing before the kickoff?

I agree... Our repertoire may have grown, but doesn't mean we need to do every chant at the plaza. I say limit of 3-4 though.

prawnsideFC

Seriously? why are we even having this conversation? the white flags looked amazing.

danimal

Flag colour is a non-issue for me. I like having a combo of the white and lt blue. Eventually, I would love to see dk blue Southsider flags as well.

PulovYuran

For the first 3/4 of the discussion, I thought we were talking about the flags on the field during the opening. Now I think we're talking about the communal flags in the stands. Which one is it? Both?

krisaug5

Absolutely white and blue just makes sense, but we need at least some blue

AJAX79 · Post edited by AJAX79 at 2012-06-12 23:02:19

Problem is that no matter how early we are in the stadium, for some reason most don't make it to their seat until 2 mins before kick off.... I never understood this. Beer is not the issue either!

Canuckred

The_Real_Deal said: Just a general question, do people view the white flags as a surrender symbol?

Are we too French?

Woosang

Brenton said:

Woosang said: and everyone goes inside and start singing before the kickoff?

Don't we already do this?

We do to certain degrees but I don't think we really start chanting and singing until the kickoff or couple minutes before the kickoff. Part of that is because of the pre-game ceremony with loud music and the other part is before the pre-game ceremony, most of us just hang out.

Like many other people said, people showing up late to the game is a common problem for sports teams in North America.

Woosang

PulovYuran said: For the first 3/4 of the discussion, I thought we were talking about the flags on the field during the opening. Now I think we're talking about the communal flags in the stands. Which one is it? Both?

We are still talking about the flags on the field during the ceremony. Our flags are fine because they have Southsiders logo on them.

MattBinYYC

cixceven said: Depending on the capabilities of the ticket scanning system, they could do a draw for some sort of prize using only the tickets that have entered by a certain time. Make the cutoff 30 minutes prior to kickoff, and while some will still be in a beer line, it would at least get people in the door a little earlier, and so hopefully to their seats.

Not possible. All the thing can do is tell you when the person scanned in, on what scanner and what seat that barcode belongs to.

FootyMonster

The FO fails to grasp the football fan culture or potential football fan culture in North America because they simply don't know what that is. They have yet IMHO to get the right people to do the job, even they're marketing has suffered greatly since Ryan left. Most of what you see now including the lame pre game ceremony begs of a lack of ideas. They're just recycling stuff from last season.

Until they start to get folks that are truly and honestly "football people" and not just there for a paycheque they will, IMHO, continue to miss the mark.

eunited

White flags are our colour, so white flags look good, we're obviously not surrendering. I agree with building the atmosphere. Since we're there early we can help do this, but we need a little help from the FO: Cut out the loud music and ads. Like it was said above stop the boring flag routine (on the field)

Bistchen

Curva collective has some beautiful flags.

The VW emroided flag (like the blue away jersey) is probably one of the nices flags I have ever seen !!!

Why dont some people just be creative and make and bring their own. I would also like to see more flags and signage up hanging on the lower fence (south-east) . Is this possible?

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