Franklin Park - White Stadium Renovation

Here's the 2023 attendance for the NWSL. Only 6 out of 12 teams averaged over 10k people per game, while the other 6 didn't come close. Also note which teams did NOT do well for attendance, including NY/NJ and Chicago.
soccerstadiumdigest.com

2023 NWSL Attendance - Soccer Stadium Digest

Another strong week on the 2023 NWSL attendance front in Week 22, as the league's final week of the regular season saw big crowds.
soccerstadiumdigest.com soccerstadiumdigest.com

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Scott said:
Keep in mind that this is in a public park. The NWSL team made a deal with the city that fixes up White Stadium in a way that it is really good for the public too. The stadium that the Revs needs is much larger and would not be able to thread that needle.
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It feels like a win in that the team could fold/relocate, and instead of a white elephant the city would still have an upgraded venue that still fits high school sized events. It also opens up a more professional smaller venue if other sports leagues, like say lacrosse or a spring football league, want to give the market a try.
 
Arenacale said:
It feels like a win in that the team could fold/relocate, and instead of a white elephant the city would still have an upgraded venue that still fits high school sized events. It also opens up a more professional smaller venue if other sports leagues, like say lacrosse or a spring football league, want to give the market a try.
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Well, we don’t know what will happen with the NWSL. It took almost thirty years for the WNBA to gain traction. The issues of gender inequality in professional sports still exists.
 
kingofsheeba said:
Well, we don’t know what will happen with the NWSL. It took almost thirty years for the WNBA to gain traction. The issues of gender inequality in professional sports still exists.
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The WNBA has never turned a profit. Its subsidized by the NBA.
 
kingofsheeba said:
The issues of gender inequality in professional sports still exists.
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More men are "fans" of the WNBA than women. In terms of the supporting hierarchy, which drives revenues:
1. Men supporting men's sports
2. Women supporting men's sports
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3. Men supporting women's sports
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4. Women supporting women's sports

Let's be honest, the gender inequality in sports fandom is mainly due to women failing women.
 
kingofsheeba said:
It might come to this where Kraft abandons Everett and strikes a deal with Wu (highly unlikely).

To answer your question, for this to happen would require Kraft chipping in with the city and add more seats over the years to get the capacity up to 25k.

Sidebar: I was thinking about it a second ago. When the Boston Unity of the NWSL formed and Wu came out with the soccer ball, I think that in her mind was the notion that she would get all the notoriety of being the first Asian woman mayor who helped ink the deal of bringing a pro-women’s soccer team.

Then there’s Kraft himself. To say that Kraft doesn’t have an ego is preposterous. Even I know that he’s probably a very screwed person. His treatment of Asian woman at the Orchids spa in Florida where he laid down some of that Kraft Dressing probably isn’t winning over Wu anytime soon.

There are several complexities between existing policy framework, eccentric billionaires with their own self-inflicted issues, and politicians who are losing touch with the voting public. When you pile these obstacles on top of each other, we get this end result.

However, I am hopeful that the Revs Stadium will get back on track.
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I don't see Franklin Park as a great place to have a pro soccer stadium. Sure, there are a few busses that go there, but in order for people to go there, there going to need subway and commuter train access.
 
ritchiew said:
What @HenryAlan said.
Also, the professional sports teams only use the stadium maybe 20 days a year. Having two stadiums makes sense if they both get used for lots of other stuff the rest of the time. For example, White Stadium will still be owned and primarily used by Boston Public Schools. They also say they're developing more programming with other local youth sports, YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, etc. The possible stadium in Everett will host similar things for non-Boston cities, and also concerts and other events. They're all just plans now, but that programming likely adds up to justify two stadiums.
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If a women's team moves to Everett, between men and women, they'll be able to use it 40 times a year - maybe 20-25,000 fans per game for the men and maybe 5,000 for the women. That's a consistent and constant flow of people into and out of the stadium, plus it still leaves over 300 days of the year to have other events.
 
This is interesting. With this proposed renovation, one of the big losers in the deal is high school football. They can't maintain a professional soccer field and allow football at the same time, so high school football won't be able to use the field except for maybe some final playoff games.
www.bostonglobe.com

Plan for professional soccer at White Stadium sharply reduces access for Boston high school football - The Boston Globe

City officials say football will be prohibited at the stadium during the professional soccer season, which in 2024 is scheduled to run from March 16 until Nov. 3.
www.bostonglobe.com www.bostonglobe.com

High school and other youth soccer can still use the field, and this renovation is still a huge benefit for them.
 
That's unfortunate that the stadium will no longer be available for most regular season games, but by my count, there are at least five other city owned football fields with decent bleacher capacity. That's definitely enough to accommodate the 10 HS football programs that BPS operates.
 
I think the point is (just like the controversy over the Reggie Lewis Center), that the kids from Boston never seem to come first, even when the facility is in Boston
 
Scott said:
I think the point is (just like the controversy over the Reggie Lewis Center), that the kids from Boston never seem to come first, even when the facility is in Boston
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I disagree with that statement in this case. How many Boston kids play football at White Stadium? There are 10 programs that already don't play many of their games there. Probably 50-60 kids on a team, so perhaps that's 600 kids who will probably go from playing 5-6 games there, to playing 2-3. Meanwhile, all the kids who play soccer, track and field, etc. (a much larger number) will have a significantly better facility.
 
Let me play devil's advocate: it was built for the kids. It is in a public park, and it is owned by BPL and when it is improved it will be by far the best venue in the system. I support this but I also agree with the notion that city kids just always seem to get screwed

EDIT: owned by BPS
 
HenryAlan said:
I disagree with that statement in this case. How many Boston kids play football at White Stadium? There are 10 programs that already don't play many of their games there. Probably 50-60 kids on a team, so perhaps that's 600 kids who will probably go from playing 5-6 games there, to playing 2-3. Meanwhile, all the kids who play soccer, track and field, etc. (a much larger number) will have a significantly better facility.
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There's also probably a discussion to be had about the long-term viability of football as a high school sport. There's still a demand for it now, but I wonder how much longer parents continue to let their kids be exposed to the risks. Designing the facility to be able to accommodate football but put it secondary to other sports I think is a smart plan.
 
Arenacale said:
There's also probably a discussion to be had about the long-term viability of football as a high school sport. There's still a demand for it now, but I wonder how much longer parents continue to let their kids be exposed to the risks. Designing the facility to be able to accommodate football but put it secondary to other sports I think is a smart plan.
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Good point. I played football in high school, but knowing what we now know about the dangers, I would not have been too happy had either of my boys wanted to do so.
 
DZH22 said:
Here's the 2023 attendance for the NWSL. Only 6 out of 12 teams averaged over 10k people per game, while the other 6 didn't come close. Also note which teams did NOT do well for attendance, including NY/NJ and Chicago.
soccerstadiumdigest.com

2023 NWSL Attendance - Soccer Stadium Digest

Another strong week on the 2023 NWSL attendance front in Week 22, as the league's final week of the regular season saw big crowds.
soccerstadiumdigest.com soccerstadiumdigest.com

View attachment 45292
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Look at that last line - - I'm seeing a league average that is up +32.15% from 2022 to 2023.
 
shmessy said:
Look at that last line - - I'm seeing a league average that is up +32.15% from 2022 to 2023.
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And a Boston team that wants hire numbers will do better playing at a stadium that has access to route 93, the orange line and commuter rail.

Putting a team in the middle of Roxbury isn't going to draw fans from all over.
 
I hate this idea. I really do.

Franklin Park should be every bit as spectacular as Prospect Park - they’re about the same size, designed around the same time by the same man. But Prospect Park is one of the best urban parks in the world, while Franklin Park is sub-mediocre, and the primary reason for that is that most of the land at Franklin Park has been turned over to restricted use activities (the zoo, the roadway that runs through it, the stadium, and the biggest offender, the golf course). Stadiums don’t belong in places like this, and we’d be better off tearing it down than doubling down.
 
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