Orlando City SC on Tuesday announced that they have sold out their allotment of 14,000 season tickets for the '15 season and will "open up a waiting list for those who want to buy season tickets for next season in the new soccer-specific stadium," according to Paul Tenorio of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. The club is "only the fourth in MLS to have a season ticket waiting list." Orlando City announced that they would "limit season tickets to 14,000 in order to create an easier process of transitioning ticket holders to similar seats in the new stadium next year." The club is "averaging 41,135 through three home games -- a number boosted by the 62,510 in attendance for the opener -- but have seen more than 30,000 fans in each of the previous two outings" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/22). Meanwhile, in Orlando, Weiner & Tenorio note with just "days remaining in the Florida Legislature's current session," $30M intended for Orlando's planned downtown soccer stadium "remains in limbo, money Mayor Buddy Dyer is now calling 'integral' to the project." Construction was "expected to accelerate as soon as next month for the new home of the Orlando City." But Dyer and the team yesterday acknowledged that if the funding "doesn't come this session, the project could stall." The team last night sent a mass e-mail to supporters, "urging them to contact their state representatives and express support for the project" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/23).
LOUISVILLE SLUGGER: Tenorio noted Orlando City's USL affiliate, Louisville City, drew 4,700 fans for a match last week, and team officials "hope it's an indication that the market will continue to support" the team. Orlando City does "plan on sending players" to Louisville, but none "have appeared yet for the affiliate club." Int'l call-ups and injuries "have prevented Orlando City from dispatching anyone." Louisville City "shares Slugger Field" with the Triple-A Int’l League Louisville Bats. For game days, turf is "laid down over the dirt infield and the pitcher’s mound is lowered underground using a retractable mound." Plans also are "in the works to shut down an entire street downtown for pregame festivities and a march to the match, and the purple supporters group -- the Louisville Coopers -- are reminiscent of the grassroots movement that took Orlando City from USL to MLS in less than five years" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 4/21).
SAYING GOODBYE: Orlando City this morning confirmed that COO Brett Lashbrook has resigned. For more on this, please see Executive Transactions (THE DAILY).
