Winnipeg Valour - CanPL

[buzzg]

But at what cost? That's the issue. It would be a significantly higher cost to do it, and if we're talking it's normal use as a CFL stadium or even a once-in-5-year NHL game, there's only so much you can charge for such crappy seats.

It would have been MUCH smarter to put jumbotrons in each corner (where the giant banner ads are) and leave the ends open to be able to put temp seating BEHIND the end walls, and could use the area above Rum Hut and Sky Deck as concourses. Could have even used much smaller (proper aspect ratio) jumbotrons for video, and just extended the LED ribbons to each end to display stats and game info.

I wish they would extend the video ribbons now – they look so dumb and obviously a cost-cutting measure. The "Ring of Honour" also looks awful – no thought put into the design: "just do whatever we did at CanadInns"

[esquire]

^ I think the way they did it was OK. You couldn't really go much higher with the temp seat grandstands than what is currently feasible with the jumbotrons placed in the ends anyway. The cost of putting up 100 rows+ of temporary endzone seats would probably outweigh whatever revenue you'd bring in from them.

But that said, I agree re: the ribbon board. It's a little lame that they haven't stretched that to the ends of the grandstand. Although in some ways IGF reminds me a bit of MTS Centre when it first opened... MTS Centre was initially finished to a very basic standard and really only went to the next level when the NHL returned.

[Goldie]

Can we all just agree the Blue Bombers screwed up every. single. thing. about our current stadium?

Back on topic:

Anyone know what ticket/concession/parking prices will be for our new soccer team?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Goldie

Can we all just agree the Blue Bombers screwed up every. single. thing. about our current stadium?

No, not in the least. It's a great place to watch football, I can't wait to go tonight.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by esquire

No, not in the least. It's a great place to watch football, I can't wait to go tonight.

Looking outside I’m guessing you probably regret those words.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by cheswick

Looking outside I’m guessing you probably regret those words.

One of the good things about the stadium is that the vast majority of the seats are covered, so even if it's raining, most fans will stay dry. It's a great design feature!

[Wolf13]

Why would we want the world cup? Because it's badass. It's the biggest sporting even in the world and the olympics cannot touch it's level of intensity. If there was ever an occasion I'd be happy to squander tax dollars it's the world cup. Thats said, as a developed city and nation, our costs to meet demands might be minimal. World cup matches have regularly been hosted in stadiums under 40,000 and I'm sure required renovations could have fit the bill. I'm not upset we're not included because I'd expect us to get overlooked, but as far as Canadian venue options go, we should be near the top.

It's a fantastic stadium. It's marred by the lawsuits/construction, and getting to/from is difficult, but how it does it's job as a stadium is great. Been to countless worse stadiums much larger in cost/size.

[buzzg]

You know what bugs me about IGF... that the Bombers seem to not have a CLUE what their shade of blue is.

They painted the entire stadium navy a year before switching back to royal blue (did you really not know it was coming?).
The seats have faded to a weird dark teal.
The moisture seal on the lower concourse wall and loge floors is some hideous neon blue.

It hurts my soul...

[esquire]

^ I agree, it is irritating that a couple years after getting a new facility with colors matched properly to the team, they up and change back to royal blue.

[cutchemist42]

Originally Posted by WildCake

If you're the bombers trying to pay off a stadium, spending 10 million on a stadium you wouldn't own for your new soccer team when you already have adequate facilities at the stadium you own makes no financial sense, regardless if the fan experience wpuld be a little better at a smaller stadium

My contention is that it wouldnt be a bit better. Ive been on r/MLS for too long to know how bad some of those fanbases/atmospheres are faring in stadiums that are too big or not ideal for them.

Im surprised people actually like IGF. We got what we deserved when we didnt go with HKS and tried to be cute. Dont even get me started on the lame-ass location....

[Ando]

Originally Posted by cutchemist42

My contention is that it wouldnt be a bit better. Ive been on r/MLS for too long to know how bad some of those fanbases/atmospheres are faring in stadiums that are too big or not ideal for them.

Im surprised people actually like IGF. We got what we deserved when we didnt go with HKS and tried to be cute. Dont even get me started on the lame-ass location....

Sorry, but the IGF is a fantastic stadium for watching football. The atmosphere is great. You don't like the location but that's the way it is. Let's celebrate the fact that we have a good stadium and not do the usual Winnipeg navel-gazing self-hatred routine. I've already explained to you several times why the soccer team will be playing in IGF. That's where it's going to happen for better or for worse so let's hope its a success. As I said, they don't need 20,000 fans for a successful venture at that level of soccer. It's not THE Premier League. It's the Canadian Premier League.

[WildCake]

Interesting find on the Valour FC membership FAQ page. Looks like tickets will be limited to the East side of the lower bowl for season ticket holders. They’re not only restricting seating to the lower bowl, but sectioning off the lower bowl as well. I guess that is how you build crowd density when you have a bit too much stadium for your needs.

Presumably they will open up sections making their way around to the west side as demand increases

https://login.canpl.ca/valour then hit the FAQ button at the top

[esquire]

^ That's what they do for Bisons football too. Probably reduces costs as well in terms of staffing, cleanup, etc.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by WildCake

Interesting find on the Valour FC membership FAQ page. Looks like tickets will be limited to the East side of the lower bowl for season ticket holders. They’re not only restricting seating to the lower bowl, but sectioning off the lower bowl as well. I guess that is how you build crowd density when you have a bit too much stadium for your needs.

Presumably they will open up sections making their way around to the west side as demand increases

https://login.canpl.ca/valour then hit the FAQ button at the top

Originally Posted by esquire

^ That's what they do for Bisons football too. Probably reduces costs as well in terms of staffing, cleanup, etc.

I would actually wager they'd open up the east 200s before going to he other side. Much easier to staff, keeps energy together, and the end zones wouldn't be desirable.

It's pretty widely agreed upon by designers and other people in the sports world that it was a bad idea to go full-bowl in the 100s, as they ended up locating a LOT of seats in the least desirable area. Those really should be the cheapest, but because they're in the lower bowl they're not (need that revenue), and so they often get bought last, which looks especially bad on TV and being there when so many lower bowl seats are empty.

They should have taken a page from Mosaic and CanadInns and kept end zone seating to a minimum, with room for expansion. But we didn't used a stadium designer.

While it would directly effect me so shhh.... the Bombers should really change the pricing structure to make the end zones a little cheaper and the good seats in 200s more expensive. There currently isn't even a difference within most of the 200s sections – gold seats up top just expensive as first row.

I sit 213 – third section from the end– row 2. My seats are fantastic, can easily see the whole field (they're angled in), and they're the CHEAPEST seats in the building. I've sat halfway up in the end zones before and it was brutal, can't believe people pay that much to sit there... although they're usually empty. It's significantly cheaper to sit first row of 200s on the 25 yard line than anywhere on ends or corners of 100s. Makes no sense. Not to mention the end zones aren't covered.

[bomberjet]

Standard practice. Reduces everything to one area. Making it easier to manage with less people as Esquire mentioned.

[esquire]

^ The lower parts of the upper deck in the P7 area are probably the best deal in all of pro football. Great views at the lowest price in the building.

I like IGF but I think the one thing that Mosaic has on us is the U-shaped seating configuration. For whatever reason, IGF's proponents latched on to the "NFL-style" full bowl even though end zone seats are way less desirable in Canada due to the size of the field. Plus having an uncluttered end zone makes temp seating expansion easier. Mosaic probably has as much end zone seating as IGF due to the fact that the north end zone there has a lot of rows, but at least the second advantage I mentioned still applies.

[Goldie]

buzzg said:

Originally Posted by buzzg

I sit 213 – third section from the end– row 2. My seats are fantastic, can easily see the whole field (they're angled in), and they're the CHEAPEST seats in the building. I've sat halfway up in the end zones before and it was brutal, can't believe people pay that much to sit there... although they're usually empty. It's significantly cheaper to sit first row of 200s on the 25 yard line than anywhere on ends or corners of 100s. Makes no sense. Not to mention the end zones aren't covered.

Serious question: Why do you support the Bombers?
They have got to be the worst-run sports team on Earth...

That's my biggest concern with this new soccer team. In the last 30 years or so the Blue haven't done much right... and sadly they OWN this new soccer team *sad face*

[Ando]

Originally Posted by Goldie

buzzg said:



Serious question: Why do you support the Bombers?
They have got to be the worst-run sports team on Earth...

That's my biggest concern with this new soccer team. In the last 30 years or so the Blue haven't done much right... and sadly they OWN this new soccer team *sad face*

Yeah, your credibility is kind of declining rapidly because you seem have crazed chip on your shoulder about the Bombers.

[DancingDuck]

Originally Posted by Goldie

buzzg said:



Serious question: Why do you support the Bombers?
They have got to be the worst-run sports team on Earth...

That's my biggest concern with this new soccer team. In the last 30 years or so the Blue haven't done much right... and sadly they OWN this new soccer team *sad face*

I support them because I like cheering for the local sports teams. Why does it matter? It's not like I have to stop cheering for a team if they're poorly run... Sure having a winning team makes it more fun but that's not the point. Instead of polluting the Winnipeg Valour thread go say this in the Bomber thread

All 5 of your posts have been critical of the organization, did you get cut from the practice roster this year or what? Jeez...

[cutchemist42]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I would actually wager they'd open up the east 200s before going to he other side. Much easier to staff, keeps energy together, and the end zones wouldn't be desirable.

It's pretty widely agreed upon by designers and other people in the sports world that it was a bad idea to go full-bowl in the 100s, as they ended up locating a LOT of seats in the least desirable area. Those really should be the cheapest, but because they're in the lower bowl they're not (need that revenue), and so they often get bought last, which looks especially bad on TV and being there when so many lower bowl seats are empty.

They should have taken a page from Mosaic and CanadInns and kept end zone seating to a minimum, with room for expansion. But we didn't used a stadium designer.

While it would directly effect me so shhh.... the Bombers should really change the pricing structure to make the end zones a little cheaper and the good seats in 200s more expensive. There currently isn't even a difference within most of the 200s sections – gold seats up top just expensive as first row.

I sit 213 – third section from the end– row 2. My seats are fantastic, can easily see the whole field (they're angled in), and they're the CHEAPEST seats in the building. I've sat halfway up in the end zones before and it was brutal, can't believe people pay that much to sit there... although they're usually empty. It's significantly cheaper to sit first row of 200s on the 25 yard line than anywhere on ends or corners of 100s. Makes no sense. Not to mention the end zones aren't covered.

To this day, I will never understand how we got an amateur stadium architect to design something so important when other teams clearly made better choices in their design.

The optics just look so bad on tv, and if I were the Bombers I would give away a huge amount of tickets to those zones. My fave seats in IFG are mostly all upper deck, and watching from the corners is just dreadful.

Out of the modern football stadiums I've been to lately (Mosaic, TCF Bank) the difference in design quality is stark.