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

[disturbanist]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

The Celtics and Bruins share an arena, without a problem. I just don't see the need for a new soccer stadium. Tell me, what is the problem with having the Revs play at Gillette? Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't Kraft own the Revs team? Does seem like there would be a problem paying rent at Gillette...

1. Having a 3/4 empty stadium is and poor and unrealistic exhibit of a team's support and it is crappy atmosphere. A full stadium is 10 times better.

2. There would be better attendance at a stadium close to or in Boston with access to public transportation.

3. The NFL and MLS seasons overlap

4. The seats at Gillette are not covered - a necessity for a modern soccer stadium. A partial roof also improves atmosphere.

5. The Revolution have to play on an artificial surface at Gillette.

 

[jass]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

1. Having a 3/4 empty stadium is and poor and unrealistic exhibit of a team's support and it is crappy atmosphere. A full stadium is 10 times better.

2. There would be better attendance at a stadium close to or in Boston with access to public transportation.

3. The NFL and MLS seasons overlap

4. The seats at Gillette are not covered - a necessity for a modern soccer stadium. A partial roof also improves atmosphere.

5. The Revolution have to play on an artificial surface at Gillette.

Add to number 1 that even though the revs dont pay rent, they have to pay the Gillette staff.

Add to number 2 that stadiums in urban areas always draw better than those in the burbs. In MLS, compare attendance in Toronto with that here, or in Dallas. Baseball is similar. The revs have the 3rd worst attendance in the league, if you exclude the Brazil double header. Gillettes location is a large reason, as the revs are currently on top of the table.

Add to number 3 that this means the second half of the revs season features NFL lines all of the field, which make watching the game less appealing.

And add to number 5 that even if there is turf at a new stadium, it would be cut a soccer appropriate level.


6) The field can be built to dimensions better suiting the revs. Soccer teams are free to adjust field size depending on their playing style.

 

[cantileverjim]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

As for why Harvard wouldn't be an option: NIMBY issues, unlikelihood of building permanent facilities such as dedicated offices and training facilities, not to mention the fact that the playing surface is barely large enough to accommodate a regulation soccer field...

The Commuter Rail does not run trains to Revolution matches...

 

[tobyjug]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Why dont we stick the red Sox in gilette while were at it? Hell, throw some water on the pitch and the bruins could play there too.

Actually, they did that in Winnipeg and Buffalo on a one off basis. Huge success. And as for the Sox, one of the options contemplated an approach to the Krafts to temporarily modify Gillette for 2 to 3 years for baseball while Fenway was rebuilt from the ground up. (A little off topic, but what the hell...I liked it when MLB wanted to relocate the Expos to Fenway Park for a year or two while they were sorting out the ownership and financial problems.)

C.L.J. is right about Harvard's playing surface size. One of the many obstacles to the Boston Patriots continued use of the facility was that the sidelines are too close to the stands. Several rows on the side lines would have to have been blasted out, and by the time you were done, the whole thing would have looked like that Soldiers' Field atrocity in Chicago.

 

[disturbanist]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Add to number 1 that even though the revs dont pay rent, they have to pay the Gillette staff.

Add to number 2 that stadiums in urban areas always draw better than those in the burbs. In MLS, compare attendance in Toronto with that here, or in Dallas. Baseball is similar. The revs have the 3rd worst attendance in the league, if you exclude the Brazil double header. Gillettes location is a large reason, as the revs are currently on top of the table.

Add to number 3 that this means the second half of the revs season features NFL lines all of the field, which make watching the game less appealing.

And add to number 5 that even if there is turf at a new stadium, it would be cut a soccer appropriate level.


6) The field can be built to dimensions better suiting the revs. Soccer teams are free to adjust field size depending on their playing style.

Thank you for elaborating on my points in detail.

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Can someone explain why covered seats are a "necessity" for soccer?

Toby I still drool about the thought of the Expo's moving to Boston, though it miight have really hurt the red sox.

 

[disturbanist]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Can someone explain why covered seats are a "necessity" for soccer?

I should have said a modern, world-class soccer stadium should be expected to have covered seats. It is not a necessity.

 

[kennedy]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Soccer fans don't like the rain, I guess. I'm sticking with a joint MLS/MLL stadium.

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

I should have said a modern, world-class soccer stadium should be expected to have covered seats. It is not a necessity.

Why should a world class soccer stadium have covered seats when world class baseball and football stadiums routinely do not?

 

[disturbanist]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Why should a world class soccer stadium have covered seats when world class baseball and football stadiums routinely do not?

Why is it always necessary to compare soccer to other American sports like it needs to take after them or something? In Baseball's case, games aren't played when it is pouring rain, so there is one reason.

It is quite easy to provide cover over seats for a small 25,000 seat stadium. So the real question is, why not? FIFA recommends it anyways.

For situations like these below it's nice to be watching a game under a roof. You'll sell more tickets too. That's a big reason.

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

you completely ignored football in your argument.. and if soccer wants to compete to the other 3 major american sports, it damn well better compare itself to them, if they like money anyways.

Bottom line, soccer is generating some steam, but is it going to go full steam and replace hockey as the forth sport? Its possible, but no one wants to watch lackluster soccer in America when they know European and International futbol is played at a much higher level. Americans want to watch the best. Not many Americans repespect the flop and fake that exists in soccer. How do you remedy that situation?

As a sincere sports fan, I got up for the world cup and the like because of the hype, but I watched the product, and its really lacking. Intensity is lacking, flops are galore, and there's no hero's. Soccer is maintaining a little steam right now because of the hype. THE HYPE. Other than playing it, its truely a terrible sport to watch

 

[disturbanist]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

^You've made your point: you dislike soccer.

Why do you care whether the Revs have covered seats or not? Or anything else about a new stadium for that matter.

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

Yes your right, I dislike soccer, but you never answered the question why soccer deserves a roof over its fans heads and football doesnt. as well as baseball

 

[jass]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

you completely ignored football in your argument.. and if soccer wants to compete to the other 3 major american sports, it damn well better compare itself to them, if they like money anyways.

Bottom line, soccer is generating some steam, but is it going to go full steam and replace hockey as the forth sport? Its possible, but no one wants to watch lackluster soccer in America when they know European and International futbol is played at a much higher level. Americans want to watch the best. Not many Americans repespect the flop and fake that exists in soccer. How do you remedy that situation?

As a sincere sports fan, I got up for the world cup and the like because of the hype, but I watched the product, and its really lacking. Intensity is lacking, flops are galore, and there's no hero's. Soccer is maintaining a little steam right now because of the hype. THE HYPE. Other than playing it, its truely a terrible sport to watch

I think its a huge mistake that Gillette doesnt have a roof. Look at the major stadiums under construction right now in the US, they have roofs.

College stadiums lack them, not because of tradition and appeal, but because of cash. Roofs cost money. Its also why the majority of soccer stadiums in the US dont have them either. Kraft has the money to do it though.

The bit about americans wanting to watch the best, and thus turning to europe is a bunch of bull. Americans watch what theyre told is the best, not what it. More americans follow EPL soccer over south american, and yet the quality is on the same level when you talk about the top teams. They watch EPL because the money tells them it's the best.


Your last point is purely opinion. Millions of people love cricket. I think its terrible. You probably like baseball, I think its ridiculously boring. NASCAR is huge, and I cant understand it.

if you dislike soccer so much, then dont argue about it in a stadium thread. This is an architecture forum. When renders come put, feel free to debate on the style, seating, shape etc, but dont argue that its not needed because you dislike the sport.


Edit: Last I checked most baseball stadiums have a partial roof. Its not needed however because clouds mean the game is canceled. Its nice for the summer sun though.

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

more baseball games get cancelled because of poor weather than futbol.... and football.

A very good foreign friend of mine put me on to cricket, I believe I would thoroughly enjoy it, even though I dont FULLY understant it. You just claimed Americans like EU futbol because the marketing and they are forced to, but yet you say SA futbol is on the same level. Maybe Americans just like futbol because they identify with the payers in the Eu? no? SA is amazing, but its always had a large following because of immigrants spreading their love of the sport. Your off. Who does Ronaldino play for again?

 

[disturbanist]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

more baseball games get cancelled because of poor weather than futbol.... and football.

That's the point. Baseball games are canceled and fans don't have to sit in the pouring rain to watch the game. Soccer games go on.

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

but do they surpass baseball in popularity? do they deserve their own field when the product is inferior? If they;re not inferiour, what teams inspire the local fans? what teams are skilled enough to capture the fans imagination?

 

[Suffolk 83]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

spell check not included

 

[disturbanist]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

but do they surpass baseball in popularity? do they deserve their own field when the product is inferior? If they;re not inferiour, what teams inspire the local fans? what teams are skilled enough to capture the fans imagination?

Of course soccer doesn't surpass baseball in popularity. The Red Sox have had a hundred years attract the millions of fans it now has. The Revolution, in contrast, was founded as a team in 1995.

I am a big fan of both baseball and soccer and I like the Red Sox and the Revs each on their own merit. Comparing them is silly. The Revs are certainly not an inferior product in the MLS - they are at the top.

 

[jass]

Re: Somerville Soccer Stadium

but do they surpass baseball in popularity? do they deserve their own field when the product is inferior? If they;re not inferiour, what teams inspire the local fans? what teams are skilled enough to capture the fans imagination?

I dont even know what youre trying to get at anymore.

Do they deserve their own field? What does that even mean? Should the Marlins lose their stadium because they suck? Why does Harvard even have a stadium, they're not a sports school.


The revs are averaging 16,494 a game this season. It is almost a given that a more accessible stadium would get more people. Krafts have money, and can afford to build them a stadium, a stadium that could also host the local womens team, the Boston Cannons, and concerts, never-mind high school events.

The proposed area is industrial, and a tenant like a stadium could revitalize the area by bringing people to it.


One thing is being against stadiums payed for by public taxes. I can fully understand that argument. But you seem to argue that nobody would go to the games, and it would be a waste. That argument does not make sense.

You can argue that the team should continue to play at Gillette, but a look at how MLS is progressing can tell you that this isn't a viable solution, for many of the reasons mentioned before.


So again, what exactly are you trying to say?