Kansas City Wants More Drunken Fans

By: Laurie | February 27th, 2008

What does it say about me that I actually like this marketing idea?

If you follow MLS, you know that the attendance figures for the Kansas City Wizards have been abysmal recently. Average attendance for the 2007 season was 10,100 per game, vs. a league average of 15,400.

(The top team in the league as far as attendance was the heavily Beckham-ed LA Galaxy with 24,300 per game. It’s not coincidental that they’re one of the few profitable teams in the league.)

So how is KC going to turn this around? With party buses, of course!

From Sideline Views, which got it from the KC press release. (The emphasis added is mine.)

The Kansas Wizards and First Student will partner on a program providing FREE “Legends Express” buses to Kansas City Wizards matches at CommunityAmerica 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 CommunityAmerica 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.

So let’s see. You start partying on the bus. Then you continue partying at the tailgate. And then I’m pretty sure they do serve alcohol in the stadium as well.

And a good time will be had by all.

As I’ve said elsewhere, the Portland Timbers USL fans do something similar for the away matches in Seattle. They get buses for the three+ hour drive up and send up several hundred fans. It works really well. Ask the Seattle Sounder corner kickers who have to dodge cups of beer thrown their way every time they come close to that area of the stadium.

At least we think it’s beer. We hope it’s beer. Definitely an amber liquid that was or had been beer at some point in its existence.

But the fans do have fun. And they don’t have to pay $20 for parking, either.

One thing, though? If you live in the greater KC area and are looking for a job?

I wouldn’t be too quick to apply for the First Student bus cleanup crew.

Just sayin’.

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Category: MLS, World Football

Tags: Kansas City Wizards, MLS, MLS Marketing, party bus, World Football

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Comments  

• jz |  February 27th, 2008 at 10:09 am

  
  
  

  Sounds like a pretty good idea, although they might considering segregating these fans from the more family friendly areas of seating. I don’t think I would want to bring any children to that area of the park.

  Posted from United States

  

• Lucas |  February 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am

  
  
  

  @jz, why is having children mutually exclusive to wanting to have a good time at a soccer game? In the Timbers Army (since Laurie brought it up - again - she must really like us down here, no?) there are many people with little children, and many of them even bring their kids to games.

  I guess I get your point, that some fans want a less rowdy game experience, but my skin crawls whenever I hear it expressed in terms of family vs non-family.

  Also re: Seattle corner kicks: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

  See you May 10th.

  Posted from United States

  

• Lucas |  February 27th, 2008 at 11:43 am

  
  
  

  I forgot to say that this is a great idea, kudos to KC management for getting it right on this one.

  Posted from United States

  

• Jon |  February 27th, 2008 at 12:27 pm

  
  
  

  The major difference between what KC is doing and what Portland fans do on trips to Seattle, of course, is that Timbers management has absolutely nothing to do with the bus caravans. In KC, the team itself is creating a partnership and offering the bus service to fans for free. In Portland, the team doesn’t give a penny or even make a phone call, and instead it’s individual fans making all the arrangements and payments for Greyhound type buses.

  Good move by KC management. And jz, bring the kids on the bus and let them stand in the rowdy/fun section at the park, I say.

  Posted from United States

  

• PocketKings |  February 28th, 2008 at 1:42 pm

  
  
  

  Beer on the bus, sounds like Germany. When I went to visit my sister in Germany, my brother-in-law secured us tickets to the Bayern Munich v. Kaiserslautern game at Kaiser. We rode the bus that was chartered by the local Kaiser fan club, and drank our beer on the way. Of course, and although we had beer inside the stadium food areas, you were not allowed to take your beverages into the seating area. It was such a wonderful experience. That might be the only source of envy that I, a Southern California resident & a Chivas fan, could ever have over the people of Kansas City.

  Posted from United States

  

• Nowak10 |  February 28th, 2008 at 2:11 pm

  
  
  

  In Chicago fans have a bus that takes them from a north side bar to the stadium and back. All you can drink beer is included. We’ve had this for quite a few years. This season there may be a south Loop bar getting in on the act. Glad to see KC making an effort to serve/grow their fan base.

  Posted from United States

  

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