Riverhounds Supporters
I have a few regulars who are interested in starting a supporters club for the Riverhounds. I wanted to start a post for those interested in backing the team. I have few details but I am sure you will all get us up to speed quickly.
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You know you can count me in! I’ve been known to wear a Riverhounds shirt to Piper’s a time or half-dozen.
Home of the 2008 Pittsburgh Riverhounds - Chartiers Valley High School. Google maps - http://tinyurl.com/2e8bg6
(from their latest press release)
“The Riverhounds will play ten home league games for the 2008 season that runs from April to August. Possible opponents include Baltimore, Bermuda, Charlotte, Cleveland, Cincinnati, defending league champions Harrisburg, Maryland, New Hamphire, Richmond, Western Mass and Wilmington. Season, group, and individual ticket packages will go on sale December 1.”
“Steve Greenberg, former Vice President of Ballpark Development for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Riverhounds consultant will work with the club on the design of the facility to create a first class family entertainment venue for soccer fans.”
“In addition Greenberg will work with the Riverhounds to continue to pursue plans to construct a stadium and field complex. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are owned and operated by a new group consisting of the Greentree SportsPlex, The Hill Family Partnership represented by Amanda Hill and other limited partners. They took the 2007 season off from competitive play.”
Drew,
I would def. be interested in a supporters group for our local team. If I can wake up at ungodly hours every weekend, I am sure I can make enough of an effort to get out to CV to catch some games.
if you guys are in, then i suppose you can count me in as well.
Riverhounds supporters group
First meeting is planned for Wednesday night at
7:30 at Pipers Pub
I told them I would set aside the front bar table. Anyone is more than welcome to attend.
Brilliant! See you all tomorrow night.
Hello,
This is Eddie. I am the one trying to put this group together. I’ve been in contact with the Riverhounds administration as well. This whole thing start on the BigSoccer website. I am expect between 4-10 people at this first meeting which is a great start for a club like this in Pittsburgh. It’s really excellent considering they took last year off.
I’ve also been keeping a running brainstorm for topics to discuss at the first meeting. Among them are:
-Name, Flags: I agree it’s best to take a wait and see approach. I am going to ask Jason Kutney (works for Riverhounds) if they are considering changing the name at all. Though I would consider something like Steel City Supporters, sort of like the ESC in that they support all teams in the city, not that Pittsburgh is likely to have more than one.
-Meet/Greet: I have never been to a Riverhounds game. I have never followed any USL league. I am from Philadelphia and lived in NY/NJ for the last five years before moving here. I’d like to meet the people I am going to be standing and singing with. Get a feel for people and start some comraderie.
-Membership Numbers: I think that if we have more than 4 people at the first meeting, it’s a smashing success. I would love to have a group of 50+ but let’s be honest, this is Pittsburgh. In the heirarchy of sports here, soccer is somewhere between jai-lai and badminton. I think if at the end of next season we have a firm group of 20-30, we will have really out done ourselves. I don’t think that after 2-3 seasons a group of around 50 is unthinkable.
-Tailgating: I don’t know if it’ll be allowed since they’ll be playing at a high school. It’s something to discuss with the club. I love tailgating and believe I am damn good at it. If it’s allowed, I’ll be doing and doing it well. Plus it’s one of the only ways I can get my wife to come.
-Tickets/Seating: Ideally temporary bleachers will be in place behind on the of goals. However if that’s not possible I would prefer the front rows of a section so we can hang our flags. Plus it’s a good way to get loud kids over to sit near us. I’d also like to discuss how much would people be willing to pay for a season ticket. We could pass this info along to the club and they can use it as they wish.
-Merchandise: I think it would be great if we all showed up for the first game with Hounds stuff on. I’d love to get a jersey before the first game. Would other people purchase stuff as well? I could ask the club about discounts or availability for stuff.
-Post-Game: I’d love to start post-game meetups at Pipers and continue with the fun well into the evening.
-Away Trips: I am sure I will be doing a few each year but let’s see what kind of club we have first. I know my wife won’t be coming so I can pile 4 more people into my car and share a hotel room. I’d also love to start a Pittsburgh Brigade for USMNT games. My friends in the Philly Blues (another club I helped start) and I did the same thing. I have expressed to Drew (owner of Pipers Pub) about maybe hosting us in the future and he was all for it.
As you know, bringing people to the beautiful game here in Pittsburgh is an uphill battle but it’s a fight I intend to take up.
Here is also a few tidbits I already received from the Riverhounds:
- We spoke briefly about our plan to utilize blue and black, due to our relationship with Everton. I want to make sure the fans are still aware that we have the Pittsburgh colors of Black and Gold in our scheme - in a very cool way. Believe me, our conceptual plan for the uniforms right now is in development, and as a player, I’m pumped - as are the others who will be in uniform in ‘08. With Cleveland in the league, we are presented with a nice opportunity to build upon the famous rivalry.
-we are starting to utilize royal blue and black as our colors - in recognition of our relationship with Everton, and to signify, in many ways, a new Riverhounds movement.
-we are toying with the idea of some Sunday afternoon matches. I would like to know your thoughts on the matter. These would be in addition to our main, Friday evening matches. This way, traffic would not be an issue, and it has traditionally been a portion of a day where Pittsburghers are ready to watch sports/Steelers anyway.
-our Winter Academy is now underway, and we have about 230 families in the program (U7 - U15). Obviously we are very happy with the numbers, considering the program is in its infancy, and we are looking forward to ‘wow-ing’ the families with our trainers. I have some top guys in from around the country/world as trainers.
Finally this is from me, I am really getting excited about this and I really REALLY encourage anyone who can possibly come, to come. Bring a friend. Get there. We needs numbers, we need people we need ideas. This is starting to grow. The soccer people in Pittsburgh are interested and excited. Nothing could be worse than having 2 people there tomorrow. Either way, I’ll be moving forward. Don’t sit on the sidelines and let other people do the work!! Come, make yourself known and help get this group up and running!
Plus it’s an excuse to drink on a Wednesday night!
Eddie,
Thanks for all the info. I will be there on Wed. night.
Oh man what an idea we have here. Count me in as well, I guess i can be like the southside jordy and support several teams haha. I can not make it to the meeting. I have class. Let me know whats going on though.
-Bobby
I can’t make Wednesday night, but please add me as a supporter.
i’m in the same boat as bobby right now. i have work wed and then indoor at pisa later that night. i should be able to make any future meetings just not tomorrow. since mike and matt will be there they should be able to fill me in on what i miss.
Shane, Bobby, Maria, Bill and any other of the regulars who can’t attend I will be sure to fill you guys in on the proceedings and on any other information provided. I might be down on Saturday to watch the Scotland-Italy match, so if you guys are there I will rehash the details.
forget my last post, i should be able to make it.
I just moved to the area, so I don’t know any of you, but I am interested in joining the support group if I can, as I miss my DC United group, and can always use an excuse to drink and watch soccer.
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Sorry ry0ohki but we draw the line at DC United supporters. Same goes for the Fire. COME ON YOU CREW!
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Looking forward to meeting you … welcome to the Burgh. I’m originally from Philly so you’ve got a sympathetic ear if you want to laugh about the people who complain about traffic in Pittsburgh.
Hi Drew and crew. Please count me in on the Riverhounds Supporters Club. I’ve been around them since the early days. I was planning to be down there tonight for the meeting but my wife won’t let me out
Hopefully I’ll make it Saturday for the Scotland game. I had heard that they had moved it earlier?
There are a couple of us from Grove City that are interested in the supporters group but like many others cannot make it tonight. Post the next meeting and we’ll be down to meet everyone.
We really could have a good turnout tonight. Look for me, I’ll be the guy in the Philadelphia Eagles sweatshirt drinking a Molson (I’m a hockey fan)
Eddie you will have to settle for a Labatt Blue……
You don’t “settle” for Labatt’s! It’s better than that Scottish crap!
Will you be there tonight Drew?
I will not but you should know this by now.
Wow…I got to Pipers at 6:30. I never would have guessed I’d be getting home at midnight.
Like PSBF said, we were at the first table on the left inside Pipers. Drew had it reserved specifically for us. My plan was to eat before the meeting but I was so nervous for the turnout that I couldn’t. Anyways, around 6:30 a few people showed up and slowly by 7:15 everyone was there. I waited until 7:30 for more just in case. By 7:30 we had a total of 8 people, that might seem like a small number but really it’s huge, especially in Pittsburgh for a team that took a year off. That’s not even including the 4-5 that were planning on coming but could not to due school/work/soccer games.
Someone mentioned that they thought that the Riverhound FO was going to be there. Jason and the FO asked me if I wanted a representative there. I specifically told them no. I want this to be our group with help from them as needed. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
My plan for tonight’s meeting was to update everyone of everything I’ve been told and then to discuss/brainstorm a few topics such as:
Meet/Greet - Supporters Clubs are as much a social group as anything. I thought it was important to meet the people you’d be standing and singing with. We had a great crowd with lots of good people. No one seemed to shy and I hope everyone felt comfortable. I took a list of names/email/age (for the FO). I am going to start a GMail mailing list. If you did not make the meeting and would like to be added to this list, PM me with your name/age/email.
Membership Dues - None and I agree. No dues are needed. We are not an MLS club. This is USL-2. If we need a new banner, we’ll pitch together to get one.
Group name - We appear to be in consensus to name ourselves something that encompasses all of Pittsburgh, not just the Riverhounds. People seem to like Steel City ________________. It was decided that at the next meeting (see below) we will have whittled a list of names down to 3 and will vote on the name in person at the next meeting.
Tailgating - Right now we are unsure of whether it’s allowed at a HS stadium. People appear to be in favor of tailgating but it will all depend on the rules of the stadium. The FO is open to trying to schedule Sunday games to allow for easier commuting as well. People seemed to like that idea as opposed to Friday night games.
Tickets - There are around 15 games in a USL season. For next meeting I asked people to consider a ballpark figure on what they would expect to pay. We also discussed (at length) where we would like to sit. The consensus seems to be temporary bleachers behind a goal if possible. Otherwise we’d like to have one end of the stadium. This is something we have to discuss with the RHFO (Riverhound Front Office).
Merchandise - People are very interested in getting gear as soon as it’s available. Things like t-shirt (long and short sleeve), jersey’s and scarves.
Away Games - I am all about them. Other people were as well. These will probably be loosely arranged (no busses) by people sharing rides and hotels. I stated the fact that I want to do a Bermuda road trip. It would be sweet.
Post-Game - I brought up the idea of instead of tailgating, meeting at Pipers after games and seeing if we can work a deal with Drew.
The biggest thing we decided is to make these meetings MONTHLY. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 19 at 7:30pm. It seems to be a good date because it’s before the holidays but close enough where the college kids could/should be home. I am thinking that I’d like the RHFO to be present at either the December or January meetings to speak with us. I’d like people’s opinions. I don’t want to invite them too soon but I want to give them enough time to take into consideration anything we come up with.
We spoke until around 8:30 then a few people left. A few more stayed and drank. Then we stayed and drank some more until it’s not 12am and I am just getting home. My camera didn’t seem to work but PSBF took a photo that hopefully he can post.
Sorry email me at eddie . batcho @ gmail . com to be added to the list. Give me your name/age/email.
Thanks!
Eddie on the 19th you will be competeing with our monthly St Andrew Society gathering.It’s on The third Wednesday of every month. Being so close to the holidays they should be small in numbers on that date so it will be ok but for the future we should avoid the third Wednesday.
Again if you guys need anything from me let me know. If you get permission to do tailgating I can get you a Beer sponsor.
Eddie,
Thanks for organizing everything last night. As you said I was surprised by the turnout and hopefully we can get some other people to join. Good times, although my headache this morning isn’t too sweet.
Eddie, thanks for coordinating things last night … and Drew, thanks for letting us use the space!
Good thing I left when I did, took me an hour to make it home on the parkway. UGH! Nothing quite like pointless construction traffic.
Hey guys,
Sounds like last night went well. I will be at the next meeting and i am looking foward to what we have planned.
Bobby
Hey guys,
I was very involved in supporter activities in the past and come to Pipers as often as I can to catch Liverpool matches.
anyway I am very excited about this new season, and if we all bring a couple friends we could have a good sized group, especially for year one. It is all about having a good time, and I think with this group of guys that wont be too hard
I’ll try to make the next meeting, and I know a few of my friends from college that may also want to get involved. The bigger and louder our group, the more fun it will be for all of us. (By the way if you don’t know me i’m the only Blackburn fan at pipers on sundays.)
good to put a name to a face, jay. before this, i only knew you as “friedel” hahaha.
For those who didn’t see before, next meeting is December 19 at 7:30pm.
Here’s a pic from Wednesday night:
http://tinypic.com/6sg9b9f.jpg
Hey everyone. I know im new to this post but ive been to pipers for a few matches. CVHS is very close to my house so i am definitely going to be getting season tickets and i’d love to join the supporters group. As far as tailgaiting goes im sure they wouldnt have a problem with it as long as no “substances” were involved. The school has a zero tolerence policy on tobacco products which means you can be fined just for having them on the property. That being the case i highly doubt they would allow beer in the parking lot.
I am still setting up the email list. Thanks to all those people who emailed, PM and came to the meeting! I’ve added you all to the list. Shortly after Thanksgiving I will be sending out the first email. Right now we have almost 20 people listed. That’s really great. Word is getting out and people are enthusiastic about getting this going.
In the mean time, I really need people to start thinking about names we could possibly use by Wednesday Dec 12. On that day I’ll post a list of what seems to be the most popular choices. Then we’ll spend a week on here discussing pro’s and con’s on the choices. At the meeting Wed Dec 19 meeting we’ll then have a vote of those present on a name. (Those that can’t make it can email/PM me their vote)
Have a good holiday and I’ll talk to you all next week.
And also check the thread on BigSoccer for more discussions/info.
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=544938
We are also looking into getting our own forum somewhere. Possibly onto our website (yet to be named of course).
I just created a mailing list…19 people so far. I will send the first message out after the holiday reminding everyone of the next meeting. If you don’t get it make sure you email/PM me so I can be sure you’re on the list or I don’t have your email address typed wrong.
-Eddie
eddie . batcho @ gmail.com
Eddie,
Just to make sure is there a space before and after the “.” in your name in your gmail account? I have another person who is interested and would like to forward their information to you.
Thanks!
Eddie do you need some hosting space? I would be glad to help. I would also be more than willing to fund your domain name. A small price for me. I am looking forward to helping you all out right from the start.
We may Drew, we may. The Hounds have spoken to me about doing something as well. I’ll let you know though. If you could post something on the site about the next meeting though, that would be great.
As It gets closer I will. I’ll try to get something for you all attached to the schedule pages. That will get you more exposure.
Hey Eddie, i think this is great that this is happening. I am originally from Pittsburgh and stop by the pub for matches whenever I am back in the burgh. (Bobby, the Arsenal supporter is my brother) I now live in Columbus (Come on Crew!) but I definately would love to be involved with the supporters club and would definately go to games when I was back in the burgh.
Have Bobby get you my email address.
Cheers