The Egg before the Chicken: Crowds and US Soccer

So what is it about soccer that attracts the largest and most passionate crowds across the world and yet only has this slowly growing “handful” in the U.S.? And I know this is a bit misleading as the sport is one of the most played in the US showing it as a quite popular sport to play, but playing is a far cry from following.

Unfortunately, the U.S. is stuck in a bit of the egg before the chicken syndrome: generally speaking, the crowds grew as the sport grew around the world so fans in those countries today go to games not just for the sport but also for the experience that has grown out of generations of fans and their traditions. The U.S. is a bit behind the times with soccer as a professional sport and most Americans dedicate their fandome at an early age to one of the American sports Trifecta (Baseball, Basketball and Football). Breaking a Trifecta-Fan from that connection won’t be easy and definitely not with barren stands and quiet games.

Thankfully the sport hasn’t been that bad in a long time, but it’s not an unfair comparison to say that, in regards to the WPS league, the stands are rather barren compared to the top draws in the MLS or the bottom draws in the EPL.

For those of you wondering, that would be 61,572 in a Columbus Crew v. San Jose Earthquakes  game and 16,172 in a Wigan Athletic v. Fulham game. The Women's Professional Soccer average was 4,000-6,000 with an occasional peak near 15,000 for inaugural matches. (Look at that last link for an interesting grading of the league's inaugural season from Pitch Invasion)

Being a Trojan I know very well that the pre-game, the crowd noise, the general frivolity and the seriousness with which fans take their fandom are huge factors in a game experience. I remember my freshman year when tailgaters were on campus before the sun came up even though the game didn’t start until early afternoon. And I remember it well because they started blasting the Fight Song right after they set up their cardinal tent.

(copyright 2009 by Julie Logan)

In my book, the weak fan experience at a game/event is the root of the problem with soccer as a follow-able sport in the US. Many smart teams have recognized this and work hard to develop traditions and no matter a clubs youth, it should have traditions. They are the heart of the fan-club relationship, which is the heart of a great crowd.

Until next time,

Are You On the Ball?