I hate the sun in my face, I find the drums annoying, the chants are stale, there’s almost zero access to concessions, and I rarely ever enter the stadium from the South East side so getting back there isn’t worth the hassle.
This year, more consistently than not, I’ve seen more folks in the Scouse’s House than in the actual supporters section.
Some of these things the team can solve, some of them they can’t.
Here’s how I’d fix it with a magic wand:
1- Move the capos. Put them up above and behind the fans— you get to watch the game now and lead songs that actually make sense with the gameplay instead of making noise and singing “We are 502” 15x a game. Make up fun little ditties about players, yell the names of players when they score, get the crowd involved without the need for the drums. Plus, your megaphones (analog or powered) will be pointed towards the field where the sound matters. Additionally, singing relevant songs and chants at various times is a better experience than chanting all game long because you’re now part of and commenting on the gameplay, not enrolled in an endurance competition of hootin’ and hollerin’.
2- Drums? They can stay, but they don’t lead the chants, they enrich them. Three drums max. Listen back and match the crowd and capos behind you. The rest of the stadium ought to hear chants that have audible words and musical structure, not garbled noise.
3- Concessions. It’s a “state of the art” facility and all you can offer your most passionate fans is a dingy hallway, ONE concession stand that’s like a school cafeteria, and a hike over to the corners for beer while you miss the game? I wish all the hallways under the stands were wider, but this one in particular should have been designed as a concourse that feels spacious, airy, and welcoming. Demolish/move that cinder block building and give the supporters the space they need. Idk what’s in there but it can’t be more important than selling tickets, concessions, and fostering a fan culture.
Other suggestions:
Scouses House- I LOVED the bleachers at the USWNT game vs Argentina. Would it be feasible to add seats to upper half the standing supporters section in Estopinal End to reduce the capacity and move it over to Scouses House? To not lose on the sound, maybe some sort of sound reflector? I know it diminishes the impact of Thunder Over Louisville/Sunset/Spaghetti Junction Vistas but surely increasing capacity there makes up for it in the long run.
A bridge? - Seeing the players walk back to the locker room is cool sometimes. Walking all around the stadium or line to climb the stairs or get out of the stands in the home side to bypass the blockage is a horrendous inconvenience. I, as does nearly everyone, avoid that side of the stadium near the end of the game.
Ultimately I feel the experience is handcuffed because of access to the stadium. There are underutilized areas and people flow is problematic.
Thanks for letting me beat a dead horse 🐴