New England Revolution Stadium | 173 Alford Street | Boston-Everett

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Globe Editorial
Fenway: Soccer meets ?Sweet Caroline?
July 23, 2010

Fenway Park is far from an ideal venue for soccer ? all those choice baseball-watching seats behind home plate are a long way from most of the action ? but 32,162 fans enjoyed watching two European club teams go at it Wednesday night. The near sellout certainly strengthens the Kraft family?s case for moving their Revolution soccer team from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough to a location closer to Boston. Whether a site in Somerville now under consideration is the best choice remains to be seen, but this week?s game demonstrated soccer?s magnetism at an urban field close to public transportation and the sport?s fan base of immigrants and families with children in youth soccer leagues.

Kids were out in force Wednesday. They and others in attendance witnessed a closely fought contest between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Celtic Football Club of Scotland. Judging by cheers at each goal during the 1-1 tie in regulation time, both clubs ? each older than Fenway Park itself ? have sizeable contingents of supporters in the Boston area. The play was not as silken as the best moments of the World Cup, but especially in the second half each team put the opposing goalie to the test.

The fans also got to see a bit of American football when a spectator started running across the pitch, only to be brought down by a security official in an open-field tackle that would have done the Patriots proud. A wave cheer and a halftime rendition of the Red Sox? eighth-inning anthem, ?Sweet Caroline,?? stamped the evening as a Fenway event. But soccer?s undeniable appeal to a diverse audience could generate equal enthusiasm at another Boston-area home, if the Krafts and local officials can agree on one.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/e...010/07/23/fenway_soccer_meets_sweet_caroline/
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium



I went to the game..sold out fenway despite rather b-list european club teams.

couple pics here,


4818290716

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36557785@N02/4818290716/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36557785@N02/4817667021/in/photostream/
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

I went to the game..sold out fenway despite rather b-list european club teams.

couple pics here,


4818290716

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36557785@N02/4818290716/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/36557785@N02/4817667021/in/photostream/

I wouldn't go as far as to call Celtic and Sporting B list. They aren't Inter or Chelsea, but they sure are better than any MLS team.

Looks like the Revolution and Foxborough missed out on a rather busy European summer here in the U.S. Inter Milan, Tottenham, Manchester City, Manchester United and Real Madrid all have played matches here in the U.S.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

That'd be because they were committed/busy with the SuperLiga and it wouldn't have been smart to eat up a break week with a friendly (at least for the team and not crowds/ratings)
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

New stadium + new light rail?

....in texas

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Also, looking at the dates of the conversation in this thread is amusing.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

looking at the dates of the conversation in this thread is amusing.

Seriously. Building a stadium in East Somerville makes so much sense it should have been done 1000 times by now.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

ownership recently threw out the teaser "we hope to make an announcement within 6 months"...not that the same hasn't been said before
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

I think it would be wildly successful for so many reasons and with some many different uses (concerts, sports, festivals, practice facilities). Plus I am not a big soccer fan, couldnt name 1 person on the team and never been to a game. But I would go to a game if i could hop on the T, or in my case walk.

(I know nothing is announced, I actually just really like the thought of this one)
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

I agree. A stadium that close would attract more casual fans, and if prices could be kept reasonable it could be the kind of thing you didn't really have to plan to go to way ahead of time.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

I think it would be wildly successful for so many reasons and with some many different uses (concerts, sports, festivals, practice facilities). Plus I am not a big soccer fan, couldnt name 1 person on the team and never been to a game. But I would go to a game if i could hop on the T, or in my case walk.

(I know nothing is announced, I actually just really like the thought of this one)

I'm in agreement with choo, I believe that a stadium in the Inner Belt/Brickbottom neighborhood would be a success if done correctly. That area should be one of the first stations completed on Green Line Extension http://briandistelberg.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/brickbottomstation_massdot.jpg and a 15-minute walk to Sullivan Sq. I went to one Revolution game a couple years back with my nephew who loves soccer and I was amazed that the roughly 18,000 fans could be that quiet. The atmosphere was terrible, driving back and forth in traffic sucked, and paying $15 for parking was the cherry on top, I doubt I'll go back to Foxboro for a Revs game again.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

My guess is that the Boston area has tons of soccer fans but not a ton of Revs fans because those people aren't also fans of sitting in traffic to drive to/from Foxboro.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

...I went to one Revolution game a couple years back with my nephew who loves soccer and I was amazed that the roughly 18,000 fans could be that quiet. The atmosphere was terrible, driving back and forth in traffic sucked, and paying $15 for parking was the cherry on top, I doubt I'll go back to Foxboro for a Revs game again.

And in a soccer specific stadium you'd be amazed how loud 18,000 fans can be. Gillette just eats up any noise that anyone at a Revs game can make. Put a soccer-specific stadium on the Green Line Extension and you'll see numbers go up and an entirely different atmosphere.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Is the GLX the right place for this, considering we are at least 6 years away from that happening? Why not sight the stadium in Assembly Square?
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

There are a large number of soccer fans in and around Boston. There are a ton of European soccer fans. Look at the turnout for AC Milan-Inter Milan a few years ago. Or Manchester United this past summer. At the Spain-USA game, which drew over 63,000 people, most of the crowd were cheering for Spain.

The Revs need their own stadium and need it to be closer to Boston and mass transit. I think in a perfect world, they would build an 18-24,000 seat venue. Aside from the Revs games, the stadium could host national team matches, exhibitions when European clubs go on US summer tours, concerts, college sports, etc.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

And in a soccer specific stadium you'd be amazed how loud 18,000 fans can be. Gillette just eats up any noise that anyone at a Revs game can make. Put a soccer-specific stadium on the Green Line Extension and you'll see numbers go up and an entirely different atmosphere.

The model should be Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, easily the best stadium in the MLS. Gillette in general is way too open and noise floats right out.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Is there enough room across from the Shaw's (Twin City Plaza) on Rt. 28. That area is pretty run down. Also, if anything is ever built on the Grand Junction line, that's approx where it would meet GLX so a stop might be necessary in the future anyway.

Or maybe a stadium could replace Suffolk Downs.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Saw the Revs president on NECN business a week or so ago, he said the are very active in looking pursuing a site and hope to announce something relatively soon. I think if they announce somerville by end of year and the city and kraft push hard for the GLX it may help get it back on track.
 
Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

I'll cross all my fingers and toes.

Me too! I'm dying for an urban stadium. The Revs announced a special student season pass this year for only $99, but it is fundamentally flawed because most students in the Boston area have no way to actually get to Gillette! I have a car and drive down all the time, but I'm in the minority.
 

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