FC Cincinnati averaged 21,199 fans per match last season, breaking its league record of 17,296 set in '16GETTY IMAGES
USL club FC Cincinnati has "topped its goal of 15,000 season tickets sold and surpassed the 16,000 mark," breaking its own league record of 11,739 season tickets set last year, according to Steve Watkins of the CINCINNATI BUSINESS COURIER. The club is on a "likely pace to also break its own USL season attendance record, which was set last year." FC Cincinnati "averaged 21,199 fans per regular-season USL match last season." That "broke its league record of 17,296" set in '16. Soaring more than 35% past last year’s season-ticket sales total makes it a "strong bet that FC Cincinnati will set a third-straight USL record for attendance." That has to "help its cause in the competition" for an MLS expansion franchise. Season-ticket holders "snapped up an extra 2,000 single-game tickets on Monday, the first day they were on sale." Those single-game tickets went "on sale to the public" at 9:00am ET this morning (BIZJOURNALS.com, 2/13).
STAYING SKEPTICAL: In Cincinnati, Jason Williams wrote FC Cincinnati's West End stadium plan "doesn't sound all that bad." FC Cincinnati President & GM Jeff Berding promised that "no houses will be torn down" and the club will build Taft High School a "spiffy new football stadium." He also promised that the club will be "open with the public, certainly refreshing after months of secrecy." Williams: "Will FC Cincinnati pay the full amount of property taxes on its proposed $250 million stadium?" School board members "raised concerns about that." All Berding could promise is the school district "would be held 'harmless.'" He "didn't explain what 'harmless' meant." FC Cincinnati could "pay the same property taxes being paid currently on the site of Stargel Stadium and the 30-some other properties that are part of the proposed soccer venue footprint." Technically, that "would be harmless." However, it "wouldn't be anywhere near the taxes generated" by a $250M soccer venue. Williams: "It's still hard to fully believe until we see the whole, elaborate plan in writing" (CINCINNATI.com, 2/13).
