Vancouver Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi appeared on It’s Called Football last week. I asked him about the ticket pricing/allocation controversy between the Southsiders and the front office. The exchange went like this:
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Me - There’s a theory that’s out there – that the Whitecaps wanta good active crowd, but what they want to avoid is the creation of powerful supporters groups and the ticket structure, particularly in the cheaper section,...is set up in such a way that it will prevent the evolution of newer groups...it will create a more uniform atmosphere around the stadium rather than one that is specifically geared towards a single supporter’s group...Could you speak to that theory.
BL: Yeah, that’s garbage. The pricing structure that we’ve established is on the basis of the competitive environment in British Columbia and more than likely comparable to the BC Lions – we’re cheaper than their ticket pricing. As far as the area behind the goal that the Southsiders were interested in, we had had dialogue with the president (of the Southsiders) from the time we started this process through the time that we came out with our ticket pricing. And yes there were some concerns from the Southsiders that perhaps the pricing was more than it should be, But, at that time there appeared to be an acceptance that, ‘OK, you know, we’re not entirely pleased with what you came up with, but we can live with it.’ Now we’ve had a number of, I want to say, 160 plus of the seats that we had set aside for the Southsiders and the number of people that we have committed in that are is about 140 plus. It’s a storm in a teacup as far as I am concerned....If you’re a supporter and a difference of $5 to $10 a game is an issue – I’m not suggesting that if you can’t afford it. I don’t want to suggest that I’m not sincere about that, if that’s the case then that’s unfortunate – but we’re a business and people want us to be successful. And as far as we’re concerned we’ve priced ourselves accurately at this point and outside of the Southsiders supporter’s club we have not had any complaints about our pricing structure.
Lenarduzzi’s answer did not go over well with the Southsiders. Almost immediately they called into question the accuracy of his answer. I spoke with Southsiders president John Knox yesterday and he told me that Lenarduzzi’s claim that there were 140 Southsiders in the designated supporter’s section was inaccurate. The vast majority of current Southsiders have purchased their tickets in the corners, outside of the designated area.
The reason for that is that is simple – the tickets are cheaper. Knox questions the logic of pricing the seats behind the net – partially obstructed view he points out – at a higher price point than the seats in the corner. He says that the only reason the club would do that is to take advantage of the perceived value of being in a supporter’s section. Actually, Knox says he was told that verbatim in meetings with the club. Since people want to be in a supporter’s section, the club feels it can charge more for those seats.
Knox wants to stress that although his group feels that the ticket prices are too high when compared to other MLS markets, that’s not the Southsiders biggest beef. Being used as marketing tools (through images and references), but not, in their opinion, being respected is.
On the Southsiders discussion board, Knox published an e-mail exchange between himself and Lenarduzzi. I’m including it below:
Hi Bob,
I've just caught your recent appearance on the "It's Called Football" show.
I wish to clarify that the source of the discontent coming from the Southsiders is not exclusively related to pricing. While you are correct to say that some of our members have bit the bullet and accepted the rates for what they are, you have vastly overstated the numbers within our membership who fall into that category.
The pre-sale numbers you were quoting seem to include seats purchased by other supporters who are not members of the Southsiders organization. I'll chalk that down to a misunderstanding. I can assure you that more than half of our 190 members will be seeking "Green" tier pricing when the general sale takes place.
More importantly, there are a few points that you, your colleagues at the FO and some media outlets don't seem to have a proper handle on.
Our biggest concern is not the cost of the tickets... it is WHERE those prices are applied within the stadium and WHY.
The club has applied a $560 price point (after tax and fees) to seats which are directly behind the goals, while much better seats in the corner areas are nearly $200 cheaper.
This practice is completely inconsistent with how most stadiums in MLS locate their pricing tiers, and in leagues throughout the world. Logic dictates that a seat with an obstructed view behind the net and advertising boards should cost less than a corner seat with a better view. In Vancouver, this logic has been thrown out the window.
In our meetings with your staff, we asked Roberto Cabrone why this was the case. This is what we were told, ver batim:
"There is a perceived value in a supporters section because of what happens there."
So here's the reality of that statement:
Supporters who sing and chant make the areas behind the goal look like a fun place to be... so the Whitecaps are going to charge people more money to be a part of it.
The club's communications strategy about the placement of these pricing tiers has been rooted in catchphrases like "it's fair pricing," and "the public supports it," and "it's what the market will bear."
It's these sorts of explanations which continue to provoke anger within our membership. One long-time season ticket holder explained it to me like this: "It's like they're pissing on my leg and trying to convince everyone else it's rain."
As you rightfully stated in the broadcast, "it's a business." Fair enough. The Whitecaps are an entity which is designed to generate a return on investment. We are both on the same page there.
I think the club would earn back a lot of respect from its fans if it you or your colleagues were more honest about the fact that the supporters experience is being sold at a premium because, quite simply, it's smart business to do so. Neither of us should be under any illusion that the Southsiders would be appeased by such an admission, but I am certain they would at least respect the club for its honesty on the subject.
While I have your attention, I'd like to clear the air on another issue:
The Southsiders have absolutely no desire to sabotage the Whitecaps sales drive, or to attract negative publicity to the club.
While it is true that I have spoken to the press about our concerns, this should come as absolutely no surprise to you or your colleagues.
In our group's confidential meetings with Roberto Cabrone and Ryan McKee, I made it clear that our organization would not go out of our way to issue news releases on the pricing / seating issue, but that I would speak honestly and openly about the discontent within our membership if the press contacted me for comment. I expressed this same warning to Jason MacNaughton and Nathan Vanstone in a separate discussion.
In both cases, I made it clear that our members expectations of the upcoming pricing announcement were vastly out of touch with the much higher rates which were about to be announced. I warned that a negative reaction from the majority of our membership was imminent, and that I was obligated to speak for those members if asked by the press.
I am not sure if my intentions in this regard were ever brought to your attention, but they should have been. If you were sincerely caught off guard by our comments in the press, it would seem indicative of a substantial communications problem within your office.
As a supporter I am thankful that we have been able to collaborate on so many events and projects in the past, but the reality is that your office has created the conditions responsible for the current discord within our membership, and the negative press which continues to be an inconvenience to the club.
The club's first mistake was its failure to properly manage the pricing expectations of its largest supporters group.
We warned you, Paul Barber and other staff that there was bound to be significant anger on the horizon over the pricing structure, and yet the club chose to keep those supporters in the dark right up until the public release date. Were it not for the confidentiality requirements imposed on our board members by your staff, we could have helped you mitigate this entire disaster well in advance of your media launch.
The club's second mistake was its failure to take the actions necessary to neutralize the anger and opposition brewing within its fan base after the prices were released.
In the club's dealings with the press, our members heard many times over that they were in the wrong, and that there were many new fans who would support the club if we wouldn't. Up until this point our members had simply felt puzzled. However, the club's responses in the media at this point in time - and yours specifically - left them feeling grossly disrespected, and questioning whether the new Whitecaps was worthy of their support.
The club's third mistake was to ignore our requests for a sit-down meeting to resolve our differences and work cooperatively towards a solution.
Our members have been waiting for some news in this regard for several weeks now, and the silence from the club only feeds a growing perception that fans and supporters no longer matter to this organization.
What is particularly frustrating about this point is that our board was fully prepared to present three separate proposals relating to our pre-sale privileges which would have resulted in Whitecaps organization looking like heroes in the eyes of supporters and media in Vancouver and throughout the MLS.
Sadly, the Whitecaps have missed out on this opportunity in its refusal to meet with us. Had the club worked towards a solution, we would have gladly sung your praises to any reporter that would listen. Unfortunately, the club ignored us and tried to marginalize us in the media as a minority nuisance - a tactic which only perpetuates the negative attention focused on the club.
As stated before, we have no interest in damaging the club's reputation. I can cite several other examples in recent weeks where we have withheld potentially embarrassing information from our membership, and from the media:
* We (the Southsiders executives) stumbled across the IoMedia renderings of BC Place two weeks before they were released publicly. We kept this information in strict confidence to protect the integrity of the official launch. If we had an agenda to embarrass the club, we could very well have released the publicly accessible web address, screen photos, or publicized the fact that the central TV screens mistakenly featured a Telus advertisement instead of the primary sponsor, Bell.
* We became aware that certain retailers were selling the new MLS jerseys well in advance of the official release date. We did not publicize this fact given that the club would have lost its pre-release retail window, and it would have ruined a jersey launch event we were trying to plan in cooperation with your staff and with Bell. As it turns out, some of the rogue retailers eventually publicized their jersey sales via Twitter, and there was nothing further that we could do to suppress that information from getting out.
* We suppressed the release of a joint statement with the ECS and Timbers Army on the away seating allocation issue because Paul Barber was out of town and unable to respond to the media calls which were likely to result. This came at the request of Nathan Vanstone and Jason MacNaughton, and we obliged out of respect for the club.
* We refused more than half a dozen major media requests to elaborate on our dissatisfaction on the pricing / seating issues because we preferred to reach an understanding with you, Paul and other staff members in a face to face meeting. Nearly three weeks later, our requests for such a meeting remain unfulfilled.
In spite of our present disagreements and discontent, we will continue to be the Whitecaps' loudest and proudest supporters. Our numbers will continue to grow in the MLS era, and we will be doing our damnedest to rival anything North America has ever seen before.
Our members want to work in collaboration with you and your staff to fill BC Place to the rafters. We want more than anything for Caps v. Seattle or Portland to outsell the Grey Cup one day, but that will only come if we work together to wake this city up.
I want the club to view the Southsiders as a respected asset, not as a pain in the ass.
I also want my members to look at the club as a valued partner, not as a corporate behemoth standing in our way.
I'm putting the ball squarely at your feet and asking you directly if these are things the club wants too.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts at your earliest convenience.
Please note: TEAM 1040 wants to pre-record a segment with me today or tomorrow for the Full Time show. I have no idea what their intended discussion topics are, but I am obliged to speak candidly about issues affecting my members. If the pricing / seating issue comes up, I fully intend to keep it polite and respectful, and I'll express my optimism that we can continue working together constructively for the betterment of football in Vancouver.
Sincerely,
John Knox, president
Vancouver Southsiders
His response:
Thanks for the follow up John. I’m not sure that responding to your many comments/concerns will solve much. As a club we feel as though we have tried to liaise with you and other Southsiders over the last couple of years on various matters. It appears though that recent discussions regarding ticket pricing, and specifically the pricing of certain sections has resulted in a great deal of misinterpretation. I think that at this time we should agree to disagree on this particular matter and move on. Thanks for your past and future support.
Bobby
You can read the reaction to the letter here.