HFX Wanderers launch/2019 offseason thread

[Rheo]

5 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Now that you have made it obvious you are not going to go to any of these CPL stadiums where your back may be put out, keep reminding us to shut up and like them. 

 

Good job dodging the question of how your constant complaining is ok but my rebutting is repetitive and tiresome. I've never told you to shut up.  Just disagree with your opinion and state it.  But go ahead keep being a hypocrite.

Edit-I realize that I projected on those criticizing benches and that is fair play back.  I apologize for that and have removed my original part of this post.

Edited June 13, 2018 by Rheo

[HfxCeltic]

The events being held by SEA for the Canada vs USA Rugby Test Match are a likely indication of what we can expect for events held around HFX Wanderers matches. Very exciting and exactly why a downtown stadium has significant advantages over a stadium located in suburbia or a commercial business park (where the CFL group wants to put a stadium).

https://twitter.com/ProducedBySEA/status/1006556606908256261

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

2 hours ago, Rheo said:

Good job dodging the question of how your constant complaining is ok but my rebutting is repetitive and tiresome. I've never told you to shut up.  Just disagree with your opinion and state it.  But go ahead keep being a hypocrite.

Edit-I realize that I projected on those criticizing benches and that is fair play back.  I apologize for that and have removed my original part of this post.

It would be a shame, though, if those in Halifax listened to the yeah-sayers like you too much and thought bare bones was enough,  mistreating the fans. Or anywhere. Because the dream of pro sports in the city will have been short-lived. It'll die because they were too cheap or too disrespectful to appreciate the basic principles of user experience.

We have a chance to make it right, and the reason so many of us are so cautious about it all is that we have repeatedly screwed up in Canada. Doing it wrongly is worse than waiting to do it right, by far, because it'll kill the dream of a league for another generation. 

Which is why I hope the naive, cheerleading enthusiasm does not lead to any club thinking a mediocre experience is going to keep the fans coming through the gate.

[Macksam]

Are we all jumping the gun a little bit? Wouldn't seats be put on top of those benches?

[Unnamed Trialist]

6 minutes ago, Macksam said:

Are we all jumping the gun a little bit? Wouldn't seats be put on top of those benches?

You know, you don't even have to put seats on it all. But you do have to have a main grandstand with seats proper, numbered. You can then have a general if the price is clearly lower. 

In any case, if they make a supporter group sit in a stand like that, or have to stand, and NOT let them be on firm ground in front of a stand or along a goal line, then they'll have really screwed up. You are on a stand like that, chanting and such, and it's totally unstable and hackneyed.

[HfxCeltic]

50 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

It would be a shame, though, if those in Halifax listened to the yeah-sayers like you too much and thought bare bones was enough,  mistreating the fans. Or anywhere. Because the dream of pro sports in the city will have been short-lived. It'll die because they were too cheap or too disrespectful to appreciate the basic principles of user experience.

We have a chance to make it right, and the reason so many of us are so cautious about it all is that we have repeatedly screwed up in Canada. Doing it wrongly is worse than waiting to do it right, by far, because it'll kill the dream of a league for another generation. 

Which is why I hope the naive, cheerleading enthusiasm does not lead to any club thinking a mediocre experience is going to keep the fans coming through the gate.

I understand where you're coming from. When I first saw tweets of the bleachers I was underwhelmed, thought it looked cheap, and was disappointed in the general seating theme. That was pretty quickly abated by my excitement of actually having a pro soccer team in Halifax, something I never considered would ever happen in mine or my kids lifetime. Its good to keep in mind that the type of stadium being built by SEA is being restricted by 1. City Hall and 2. uncertainty around league success. While Halifax is likely going to support this team regardless of the stadium being pop-up scaffolding vs brick and mortar, I would hope that league and club success would bring a more permanent solution after the 3 year term is up on the Wanderers Grounds Lease. I can't see the club being overly successful in the long term if they don't make significant investments in infrastructure; I just hope City council doesn't hold back their ambitions.

Edited June 13, 2018 by HfxCeltic

[ted]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

In any case, if they make a supporter group sit in a stand like that, or have to stand, and NOT let them be on firm ground in front of a stand or along a goal line, then they'll have really screwed up. You are on a stand like that, chanting and such, and it's totally unstable and hackneyed.

Well I guess we have been "unstable and hackneyed" for most of our existence out here in Victoria. We have never done anything but stand and often on those sorts of bleachers. Never been an issue for us. Too much for the prawn-sandwich brigade I guess.

[Unnamed Trialist]

2 hours ago, ted said:

Well I guess we have been "unstable and hackneyed" for most of our existence out here in Victoria. We have never done anything but stand and often on those sorts of bleachers. Never been an issue for us. Too much for the prawn-sandwich brigade I guess.

You are honestly telling me that the bravado of a few dozen supporters for a PDL club is enough to forget about minimum seating conditions for the CPL? 

But hey, if you are going to use "prawn-sandwich" to describe anyone who has a seat in a solidly built stadium, whether they stand or sit, you have just insulted 99% of hard core supporter groups in the world. Good one, Ted. 

[ted]

3 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

But hey, if you are going to use "prawn-sandwich" to describe anyone who has a seat in a solidly built stadium, whether they stand or sit, you have just insulted 99% of hard core supporter groups in the world. Good one, Ted. 

As if.

Anyone reading this forum is more likely to stand for a game if they are able. That's the kind of supporters we are. For standing, those simple bleachers, while not perfect, are not something we need to be complaining about in the early days. 

 

[IAmPappy]

 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

^^^Could wind up feeling a bit foolish if there is a team announced in St John's.

[Unnamed Trialist]

12 hours ago, ted said:

As if.

Anyone reading this forum is more likely to stand for a game if they are able. That's the kind of supporters we are. For standing, those simple bleachers, while not perfect, are not something we need to be complaining about in the early days. 

I think that all comes down to the idea that a young, male-dominated stand only for the strong is the source of all macho self-esteem. 

Base the league on that, and it fails from day one. But maybe, as a Highlanders fan, that's what you are really saying?

 

[m-g-williams]

11 hours ago, IAmPappy said:

 

 

3 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

^^^Could wind up feeling a bit foolish if there is a team announced in St John's.

Seriously? You're going to make fun of someone for doing what he can to support his nearest current CPL club? You do realize that people can cheer for multiple teams, right?

I get that you're (wildly) pessimistic about this whole venture, but there's no need to bring down those who are actually doing something to support it.

[Califax]

On 5/25/2018 at 7:19 PM, Unnamed Trialist said:

It was designed by Pratley, who designed the Lion's Gate 20 years earlier.

It's a suspension bridge, they all have towers which when looked at straight on define a high arch, with some kind of geometry of the engineering in the structural parts. They are like monumental gates, pretty well all suspension bridges have such features, which is why one recalls another. 

In any case, this connection actually reinforces a Canadian engineering iconography.

Just looping back on this way late... 

But with two bridges in Halifax, it's a huge part of the identity. In fact when I was child seeing pictures of San Francisico, I assumed; a) they were copying our bridge or b) that was our bridge.

I literally learned BC had a bridge that looked like this today. Hooray for cookie cutter engineering! 

Also, that should be our jersey crest. Is beautiful. 

Edited June 14, 2018 by Califax

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

55 minutes ago, m-g-williams said:

 

Seriously? You're going to make fun of someone for doing what he can to support his nearest current CPL club? You do realize that people can cheer for multiple teams, right?

I get that you're (wildly) pessimistic about this whole venture, but there's no need to bring down those who are actually doing something to support it.

Welcome to my ignore list.

[m-g-williams]

1 hour ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Welcome to my ignore list.

If getting called out on your own nonsense is too upsetting for you, I'll gladly take it.

[ted]

5 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I think that all comes down to the idea that a young, male-dominated stand only for the strong is the source of all macho self-esteem. 

Base the league on that, and it fails from day one. But maybe, as a Highlanders fan, that's what you are really saying?

 

WTF are you on about now?!?

Do you have ANY understanding of sports marketing and/or modern soccer culture?

In sports marketing today the target demographic that will make or break a live sporting event is men aged 18-36 or thereabouts. There are other demographics worth pursuing but without those a league will fail. 

As for "macho self-esteem" that is a sexist and ignorant statement. We call ourselves "Buoys" as a multi-layered joke and we have always welcomed and included those identifying as female in our section. We have evolved our chants to remove overt sexism. 

Do I want to be stuck on bleachers in 3- 5 years? No.

Am I going to whine about them in year one? No,

 

[Rheo]

Halifax has sold out sideline seats for the USA/Canada rugby game, only some endline seats left.

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 hours ago, ted said:

WTF are you on about now?!?

Do you have ANY understanding of sports marketing and/or modern soccer culture?

In sports marketing today the target demographic that will make or break a live sporting event is men aged 18-36 or thereabouts. There are other demographics worth pursuing but without those a league will fail. 

As for "macho self-esteem" that is a sexist and ignorant statement. We call ourselves "Buoys" as a multi-layered joke and we have always welcomed and included those identifying as female in our section. We have evolved our chants to remove overt sexism. 

Do I want to be stuck on bleachers in 3- 5 years? No.

Am I going to whine about them in year one? No,

 

Basically  you are willing to throw 90% of fans under the bus, those who want comfort and are not going to sacrifice it for a fan experience, and make the experience economically viable, and spread the enthusiasm across the full breadth of society, so you can keep the deluded discourse intact. Even if it means falsifying the stats, skewing the market analysis, to hell with women and children and taking your dad to a game, or your grandad, or a kid's team (Canada has one of the least young male-dominated soccer publics in the world, by the way; it is not valid to be screwing with stats so you can come out on top, that is not very rigorous).

The point is this: it is possible to be part of supporter culture without deluding yourself into thinking you are god's gift to football. I was in the South-West corner of Empire Stadium in '78 when it was as close to a supporter section we had. I've spent time in the Southside when returning from Spain. I am usually with the amazing bunch in the Curva Collective at BC Place. When I go to games now in Spain, even if it is not my team, I often go to the end and stand all game with the local side. 

But I am not so deluded and big-headed to think that what I like is some heroic virtue while I hold the rest in disdain. That is sectarian, often sexist, a bit nerdy, and a tad delusional. Get a grip guys.

Separate what you get your ego-boost from, from the greater good, that is all I am saying. And stop defending the undefensible as some kind of macho virtue, that is silly.

[longlugan]

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Basically  you are willing to throw 90% of fans under the bus, those who want comfort and are not going to sacrifice it for a fan experience, and make the experience economically viable, and spread the enthusiasm across the full breadth of society, so you can keep the deluded discourse intact. Even if it means falsifying the stats, skewing the market analysis, to hell with women and children and taking your dad to a game, or your grandad, or a kid's team (Canada has one of the least young male-dominated soccer publics in the world, by the way; it is not valid to be screwing with stats so you can come out on top, that is not very rigorous).

The point is this: it is possible to be part of supporter culture without deluding yourself into thinking you are god's gift to football. I was in the South-West corner of Empire Stadium in '78 when it was as close to a supporter section we had. I've spent time in the Southside when returning from Spain. I am usually with the amazing bunch in the Curva Collective at BC Place. When I go to games now in Spain, even if it is not my team, I often go to the end and stand all game with the local side. 

But I am not so deluded and big-headed to think that what I like is some heroic virtue while I hold the rest in disdain. That is sectarian, often sexist, a bit nerdy, and a tad delusional. Get a grip guys.

Separate what you get your ego-boost from, from the greater good, that is all I am saying. And stop defending the undefensible as some kind of macho virtue, that is silly.

Only one being silly is you but go for it.

[garmc]

On 6/12/2018 at 12:50 AM, Jahinho Guerro said:

Damn...bleacher sheets, scream amateur. ....imo

This stadium configuration is only for this year. The CPL is *next year* remember?

A while back they asked us if we wanted our supporters section to be assigned seating, or GA. We chose GA.

Obviously, you can't do assigned seating with bleachers, so that must mean they intend to put in seats, no?

[garmc]

11 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Welcome to my ignore list.

Oh no! anything but that!

By the way, Brandon is from Nova Scotia, so no, he shouldn't feel foolish. Besides, even if he wasn't, why the hell would he? Is supporting pro soccer in Canada something to be ashamed of?

[Keegan]

4 minutes ago, garmc said:

This stadium configuration is only for this year. The CPL is *next year* remember?

A while back they asked us if we wanted our supporters section to be assigned seating, or GA. We chose GA.

Obviously, you can't do assigned seating with bleachers, so that must mean they intend to put in seats, no?

Nope you can do assigned seats with bleachers pretty easily 

[garmc]

Yeah, just don't forget to bring your measuring tape to the stadium.

"Sir, I had the 3 feet and 14 inches section from the corner, so I think you're in my seat."

Edited June 15, 2018 by garmc

[SuperCanuck]

4 hours ago, garmc said:

Yeah, just don't forget to bring your measuring tape to the stadium.

"Sir, I had the 3 feet and 14 inches section from the corner, so I think you're in my seat."

I was at a WCQ match (or maybe it was an 86ers playoff, how do I know, I'm about 140 years old) at Swangard many moons ago, and there were assigned 'seats' on the far side grandstand.  There were a few empty pockets here and there, but a large group of us were all standing together, and some clod showed me his ticket and said part of my arm or something was in his space, even though there was no one on the other side of him.  I can still picture his ugly face and his Simon Le Bon hairdo.