Kansas City Looking to Expand Their Fan Base
Posted February 27, 2008 Posted Under: Culture & Business, MLS
These Guys Hopefully Will Have More Fans This Season
The Press Release from the Kansas City Wizards stated:
The Kansas City Wizards and First Student will partner on a program providing FREE “Legends Express” buses to Kansas City Wizards matches at Community America Ballpark for groups of 50 or more. As part of the Wizards Soccer Shuttle program, groups will be picked up from anywhere inside the Kansas City metropolitan and surrounding areas, dropped off at Community America Ballpark at the Legends in KCK and then returned to their initial location after the match.
“We are pleased to form a relationship with First Student and provide large groups the opportunity for free transportation to Wizards matches via the Legends Express,” Wizards Executive Vice President Greg Cotton said. "The Wizards Soccer Shuttle program" will help us create a party atmosphere at the stadium that all fans of Kansas City's team enjoy.”...
Alcohol will be permitted, but not included, on the Legends Express vehicles for patrons 21 and older, excluding kegs. Tailgating at the stadium will also be available and encouraged in a special Legends-Express parking section. Participants in the Wizards Soccer Shuttle program will receive commemorative T-shirts as part of the package. Ticket prices for groups of 50+ start at $500 for berm seats.
Finally, the MLS is starting to try and tap into the true football fan, the fans that want to have a “booze up”, and be drunken chanters at matches. Kansas City has had a pitiful amount of people that have shown up for their matches, and now are looking to expand on their fan base. I was lucky enough to attend several Portland Timbers matches while attending University and their fans had arranged something similar to away matches at the Seattle Sounders stadium. Hopefully, this arrangement will work and catch on in the MLS, because they still need true football fans at the matches.