Post by Rogobob77 on Jul 28, 2016 19:32:10 GMT -5
Went to my first Detroit City Football Club soccer game on Wednesday night and thought I would pass along some observations about the game experience through the lens of a longtime Titan fan.
Happy to report that UDM Athletics had a presence (a booth) at the game. They were giving away Detroit Titans logo t-shirts to fans who completed a short form and provided an e-mail address. Apparently there will be follow-up with information about the upcoming basketball season. A 60-year old guy who sat in front of me seemed appreciative to get a shirt and I conversed with him a bit. He graduated from a Detroit Catholic high school in 1974 and hadn't been to Calihan Hall in some time, but said he planned to go to some games in the coming season. He indicated that he was especially interested in attending the Oakland contest. Props to the Athletic Department for the outreach.
The game was played at Keyworth Stadium, an 80-year old facility nestled in a residential area of Hamtramck. (I fondly remember going there as a kid in the early ‘60s for St. Lads High School football games.) We parked for free a couple blocks away in a paved lot off Joseph Campau. Walking down the streets mingling with other fans heading to the 7:30 PM match, I got a sense of what it might have felt like to stroll through the University District on the way to a game at the old U-D football stadium.
We bought walk-up tickets at the gate after waiting perhaps a minute in line. Tickets were $10, all general admission. No fancy seats in the stadium, just bleachers (recently renovated, with a fresh coat of red paint applied by mostly volunteer labor at the beginning of the season). We were blessed with great weather; a nice breeze brought some relief to the recent Michigan summer heat wave.
The stadium was full. Wiki says capacity is 6,000, and the announced crowd was 6,075. The hardcore fans sit on one side of the stadium and stand and cheer in unison non-stop (not an exaggeration) the entire game. Three guys bang large drums throughout. Several times during the game large clusters of smoke bombs (red and gold colors echoing the teams’ palate) were set off in the front part of this section bordering the artificial turf field.
DCFC has several local major sponsors. Biggest seems to be Chevy, as their signage is prominently displayed in the stadium and game program. Henry Ford Hospital and Motor City Casino are onboard too. The official adult beverages have local ties: Axle Brewing Company (FYI, they are opening a brewery on Livernois in Ferndale soon), Stroh's and Blake's Hard Cider. Locally bottled Faygo is the "official pop," and Better Made Chips is also a sponsor. A Stroh's cost $4. Several food trucks provided a wide range of culinary options.
Lots of nice Detroit City FC garb is available for purchase.
They had plenty of kids at the game. PAL youth soccer teams attended as guests of the team. The players signed autographs at the end of the game.
Music with ties to Detroit occasionally blared on the speakers. For example, "1969" by the Stooges was played when the game ended.
A few minutes after the match, hundred fans went on the field to form a circle, joined hands and then sang a team anthem in what appeared to be a ritual.
There was a fair amount of police presence in the surrounding neighborhood before and after the game, helping to direct traffic and provide a sense of security.
The roster was mostly made up of guys from Michigan colleges. Two UDM alumni, one Oakland, two MSU, seven Saginaw Valley, etc.
The DCFC "Le Rouge" (as they are known) beat the Windsor Stars on this night, 3-1. It was the season finale, and even with the victory their .500 record wasn't good enough to qualify for the league playoffs. I'm sure their fans want the team to win each game, but it was clear that the ultimate reason people came was to have a good time.
After the game, many in the crowd headed to the various beer-and-a-shot bars in the working class Hamtramck neighborhood to celebrate.
My summary take: The DCFC has done an impressive job of building a loyal fan base in a relatively short period of time. I realize "minor league" soccer is different than mid-major college basketball, but there are parallels between the Titans and the DCFC -- both operate in the shadow of more media-blessed pro and Big 10 teams, both are located in urban neighborhoods, both play in older basic-bones facilities, both have similar ticket prices, both feature rosters of mostly local players, etc. I think DCFC's success provides some insight on how to reignite fan interest in Titan basketball as the Bacari Alexander era begins. Build a great game day experience and the fans will come.
If you're not familiar with the DCFC, here is a link to their website: www.detcityfc.com
Happy to report that UDM Athletics had a presence (a booth) at the game. They were giving away Detroit Titans logo t-shirts to fans who completed a short form and provided an e-mail address. Apparently there will be follow-up with information about the upcoming basketball season. A 60-year old guy who sat in front of me seemed appreciative to get a shirt and I conversed with him a bit. He graduated from a Detroit Catholic high school in 1974 and hadn't been to Calihan Hall in some time, but said he planned to go to some games in the coming season. He indicated that he was especially interested in attending the Oakland contest. Props to the Athletic Department for the outreach.
The game was played at Keyworth Stadium, an 80-year old facility nestled in a residential area of Hamtramck. (I fondly remember going there as a kid in the early ‘60s for St. Lads High School football games.) We parked for free a couple blocks away in a paved lot off Joseph Campau. Walking down the streets mingling with other fans heading to the 7:30 PM match, I got a sense of what it might have felt like to stroll through the University District on the way to a game at the old U-D football stadium.
We bought walk-up tickets at the gate after waiting perhaps a minute in line. Tickets were $10, all general admission. No fancy seats in the stadium, just bleachers (recently renovated, with a fresh coat of red paint applied by mostly volunteer labor at the beginning of the season). We were blessed with great weather; a nice breeze brought some relief to the recent Michigan summer heat wave.
The stadium was full. Wiki says capacity is 6,000, and the announced crowd was 6,075. The hardcore fans sit on one side of the stadium and stand and cheer in unison non-stop (not an exaggeration) the entire game. Three guys bang large drums throughout. Several times during the game large clusters of smoke bombs (red and gold colors echoing the teams’ palate) were set off in the front part of this section bordering the artificial turf field.
DCFC has several local major sponsors. Biggest seems to be Chevy, as their signage is prominently displayed in the stadium and game program. Henry Ford Hospital and Motor City Casino are onboard too. The official adult beverages have local ties: Axle Brewing Company (FYI, they are opening a brewery on Livernois in Ferndale soon), Stroh's and Blake's Hard Cider. Locally bottled Faygo is the "official pop," and Better Made Chips is also a sponsor. A Stroh's cost $4. Several food trucks provided a wide range of culinary options.
Lots of nice Detroit City FC garb is available for purchase.
They had plenty of kids at the game. PAL youth soccer teams attended as guests of the team. The players signed autographs at the end of the game.
Music with ties to Detroit occasionally blared on the speakers. For example, "1969" by the Stooges was played when the game ended.
A few minutes after the match, hundred fans went on the field to form a circle, joined hands and then sang a team anthem in what appeared to be a ritual.
There was a fair amount of police presence in the surrounding neighborhood before and after the game, helping to direct traffic and provide a sense of security.
The roster was mostly made up of guys from Michigan colleges. Two UDM alumni, one Oakland, two MSU, seven Saginaw Valley, etc.
The DCFC "Le Rouge" (as they are known) beat the Windsor Stars on this night, 3-1. It was the season finale, and even with the victory their .500 record wasn't good enough to qualify for the league playoffs. I'm sure their fans want the team to win each game, but it was clear that the ultimate reason people came was to have a good time.
After the game, many in the crowd headed to the various beer-and-a-shot bars in the working class Hamtramck neighborhood to celebrate.
My summary take: The DCFC has done an impressive job of building a loyal fan base in a relatively short period of time. I realize "minor league" soccer is different than mid-major college basketball, but there are parallels between the Titans and the DCFC -- both operate in the shadow of more media-blessed pro and Big 10 teams, both are located in urban neighborhoods, both play in older basic-bones facilities, both have similar ticket prices, both feature rosters of mostly local players, etc. I think DCFC's success provides some insight on how to reignite fan interest in Titan basketball as the Bacari Alexander era begins. Build a great game day experience and the fans will come.
If you're not familiar with the DCFC, here is a link to their website: www.detcityfc.com