As reported last week, the name of Philadelphia's new expansion club is Philadelphia Union. It was made official earlier this week on Monday in downtown Philadelphia.
Having the fourth largest market as part of MLS will benefit the whole league in terms of footprint and the fact that Philadelphia is a true sports town. The city has rich history and some of the most passionate fans east of the Mississippi.
To Continue...
The announcement came with fan fare and a parade with an Irish band and the team's premier supporters group, "The Sons of Ben", singing their signature song: "I'm looking over a Four Leaf Clover...." well you probably know the rest.
It is no secret that MLS is experiencing a decline in attendance in some markets. Of course, a lot of this is due to the economy. No major league sports teams or leagues are immune to the downturn as baseball and the NBA are experiencing a decline in attendance this year.
Another possible factor contributing to the decline in MLS attendance for some club may have to do with the owners and front office failing to connect with the soccer fans in their area in a way that generates excitement that translates into ticket sales.
On the upside, Seattle Sounders FC are averaging close to 29,000 per game thus far with the next few games being sold out. In fact, the demand is so high that an additional 4,000 seats in the form of half season ticket packages are now available to fans and those are almost all gone. Toronto has sold out all of their games this year and have a massive waiting list of fans hoping to get season tickets. Furthermore, the club is looking to expand their stadium to help meet the demand for tickets.
Philadelphia has already sold over 6,000 season ticket deposits thanks to "The Sons of Ben" helping with the ticket drive and marketing efforts, and will christen a brand new beautiful soccer park by the water in the City of Chester next year. Philadelphia's addition to MLS will give the Eastern Division a greatly needed shot in the arm by expanding the television market and creating a great derby with DC United. In addition the great traditional sports rivalries that exist between the cities of Boston/New England and New York will expand to the beautiful game.
"The New York Red Bulls" open their brand new park, Red Bull Arena, next year. "The Sons of Ben" who's founder Bryan James told me has a membership group of anywhere between 1,500 and 2,500 members will no doubt, make the trek to support their club against their rivals in the east which will help boost excitement and attendance in the various stadia that the group visits.
It is derby's and rivalries that will help take the league to the next level. Portland and Vancouver come into the league in 2011 so along with Philadelphia's natural rivalries with DC, New York, New England as well as Toronto, will be just what MLS needs to energize the league and fan base even more.
A rich soccer history
Like Seattle, Philadelphia has rich soccer history with clubs like "Bethlehem Steel" that played in the American Soccer League in the early 1920's. "Philadelphia FC" joined the ASL after Bethlehem Steel were kicked out of the league during the "soccer wars" of the 1920's
In 1973, the old "Philadelphia Atoms" were able to accomplish what Seattle could not during their brief tenure and that was to win an NASL Championship by defeating the Dallas Tornado 2-0 in front of 18,900 plus fans. The club averaged 11,000 that year and Bob Rigby, the Atom's goalkeeper, was the first American player to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Unfortunately, the love affair did not last as the club struggled at the gate and on the pitch. Eventually the club folded after the 1976 season just when the sport was catching fire around the rest of the country, especially in current MLS markets like Seattle and San Jose.
Philadelphia tried again with the "Philadelphia Fury" in 1978 but the team failed to capture the passion of the community and soccer fan base. The club folded after the 1980 season.
Top flight soccer is back in Philly
Like Seattle, several years later top flight soccer comes back to "The City of Brotherly Love" in the form of the "Philadelphia Union". With an attractive crest and name befitting the history and culture of the city and the city's significance to the birth of our nation, the club and it's fans have reached a significant milestone.
Which comes first?
Typically, a supporters group is formed after a team is in place. That was not the case here. "The Sons of Ben" were formed when James and a few friends that were passionate about having MLS in their city formed the supporters group in January of 2007. A year later they had 1,000 memberships.
The group worked in concert with several local and state politicians and ambitious owners to secure land to build a stadium and not only could bring a team to Philadelphia but have it thrive. "We worked close together to make sure the other one looks good" James told me. "The media has done a great job in covering us. All of the papers and local media have been more than generous with us."
It is more real now
Next year the "MLS Super Draft" will be held in Philadelphia. Of course, Union fans and "The Sons of Ben" will be there in full regalia and voice. The club is still in search for a major sponsor for the front of their kits but have a great partner in Panasonic that will provide the electronic HD TV's and audio equipment for the club's new stadium.
I have followed with great interest, the birth and evolution of the new franchise in Philly. As a fan of the old NASL, I have always thought Philadelphia would be a terrific addition to MLS if done right and this time, the folks in Philly have done it right.
It is quite apparent to me that in following the timeline and their bid process that Philadelphia overcame several obstacles and hurdles to finally get their club. The fans, owners, local and state government officials fought and worked hard together to make this happen. Like in Seattle, the fans, supporters group and owners are committed to creating a first class organization and club that fans can be proud of.
I asked James how it felt to finally have a name for the club and asked him if it seems real now? James humbly replied... "It is more real than it was but until the team is on the field it does’t really hit yet. There is still 10 months to 11 months in the wilderness until we actually have a team."
The soccer lovers in Seattle know how you feel. It was around a year ago at this time that Seattle fans found out what the name of our club was and it seemed that March of this year couldn't get here fast enough. Like Sounders FC fans, the fans in Philadelphia will have a lot to look forward to in the next 10 months or so with the signing of the clubs head coach, the unveiling of their kit, player rumors and signings, pub crawls, fan viewing parties, club events, the expansion draft, the "Super Draft" pre season training and then finally match day in March of 2010.
To the fans of "Philadelphia Union", welcome to MLS. It will be great to have you in the league next year. Enjoy each moment on your journey until your first match day. The inaugural season and match only happen once and it will be here before you know it, trust me.
Reach Greg Roth - Sounders Fan Insider at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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