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Unfortunately due to work commitments I have been unable to keep this blog up to date, but things have quietened down just enough for me to carry on from where I left off last time. A few weeks back I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Laird Hitchcock, Carey Turner and Kenny Robinson; owner, general manager and player respectively. We sat, ate and had a very revealing and open chat about the season to come, what changes to expect and what to look forward to this year. The big issues that came up were ticket prices at the gate, Gavlak Stadium and the new league format. Firstly it looks as though Gavlak will be the Pirate's home again this year. It served the team and supporters well last season and I hope it does the same again this year. Both Carey and Laird were quietly optimistic about this and it has been listed as the home venue for the season schedule already posted. That brings us to the schedule, which Carey MUST be commended on. Last year the Pirates had a rotten line up, something Carey admitted was born of inaugural season naivety, with both the first and last games of the season being played away from home. This year things are vastly different. Carey negotiated for the Pirates to play both of those fixtures at home, which in the world of soccer in general is considered to be a stroke of genius... or luck, depending on your point of view. Regardless of which you choose to side with we get to celebrate the opening and closing of the season in Panama City. Another great scheduling feat was the bank of away games in late May, early June which coincides nicely with my two week trip to New York. Yep, that's right I don't have to miss a single home game! Next up, ticket pricing. This was a contentious issue with my friends last season, with it being $10 at the gate on match day. I was told that tickets will be cheaper but I don't want to put a number down here until I have that figure confirmed. The problem management have come across is finding a balance between making enough money to break even and attracting enough people to the game. The economic down turn has made it even worse with the prospect of the public tightening their belts. We'll sit tight and wait and see. What I didn't know was that tickets were sold at lower prices before the game at special locations. I'll do my best to find out where those places will be this season and keep everyone informed. Season tickets pricing will be released later also. The new league format was a topic of much discussion. It seems that every Pirate will be happier with the format, meaning that instead of Panama being on the outskirts of the league geographically, now they are near the center of the league map. Trips in all directions will be around six hours long except for the Nashville which will take about twice as long to get to. Also the new teams in the league will make it a much more even affair. Don't expect any blow outs this year, there will be a depth of quality throughout the league, which is something we can all look forward to. The Craze will be as strong as last year, and hopefully the affinity their team has with the Pirates faithful will be as warm hearted as the last match we had with them, after all, there's nothing like a good bout of cheerful banter to entertain one and all! The first Tryout will be held on Saturday and Carey has confirmed at least 30 players from across the country will attend. He's expecting somewhere between 40 and 50 players to turn up though. There will some familiar faces there and plenty of new ones, so if you can drop in to see the proceedings say hi for me. I'll be popping to the second tryout in a fortnight on Saturday the 14th. I have a particularly cheeky idea for in game commentary this season and I'll be revealing more information on that next blog. Hopefully I'll be able to chat with a few more familiar faces before then and give you all some valuable information. Up the Pirates! |
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Posted by: The Englishman Location: WJHG
K.Loggins, The Pirates supplement their income with sponsorship, so whilst ticket sales are not the sole source of income I believe it is the biggest. Just don't quote me on that. I'll post season ticket prices as soon as I get the figures. Posted by: K.Loggins Location: Palatial Yacht I think the team would be really wise to enlist some booster support to push those season passes and special location discount sales. Advance sales are money in the pocket, and usually encourage people to attend since they have "already paid the price." It's a lot easier to blow off something if you don't have a committment. A question: are ticket sales the only source of income for the Pirates? Posted by: Matt Location: PCB Thanks for the update. Excellent job w/ scheduling! Good to hear about the ticket prices, although I was already planning on getting the season tickets... I imagine the wifey will end up going to more if they're cheaper. See you at The 'Lak! |
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