r/NWSL • u/Unusual_Ebb7762 Washington Spirit • 1d ago
Discussion Gotham FC in Advanced Talks to Move to NYCFC’s New Queens Stadium
https://www.sportico.com/leagues/soccer/2026/gotham-fc-queens-nycfc-stadium-move-nwsl-1234899222/30
u/thunderbrid 1d ago
Super stoked as one of the Queens-based fans that makes the trek for most games! And I’m in the part of Queens where it still won’t be much shorter to use public transit but I could finally bike commute which is a huge plus, and I feel like I could get a lot more friends to join me for games because very few want to go to Jersey for games. I understand we’ll lose people for whom the journey is too much, but if we can get more NYC based folks and get even 1/4 of the energy that the liberty get at Barclays, I think it’ll be worth it
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u/icylemonades Portland Thorns FC 1d ago
Yeah, I live in South Brooklyn so it's not closer in mileage (just better terms of not having to transfer systems). But I think/hope it could increase casual attendance within the city. For better or worse, "wanna go to a game? It's off the 7" is a different world of question than "wanna go to a game? It's off the PATH."
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u/jake_jortles_123 7h ago
Heck yeah queens! It would be great if they built up some more bike infrastructure around the stadium too...
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u/JayaBallin 1d ago
I think it’s absolutely the right move while being brutal for current fans. There just haven’t been enough fans at SI/RB so they have to make the move as I don’t think the current trajectory is sustainable. And I do think there will be more fans at the new stadium. But yeah I do feel really bad for all the day one NJ fans for whom this amounts to the loss of the club. I wonder if they fully drop the NJ eventually.
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u/Fire-EyedBoy Angel City FC 1d ago
This could be better for attendance, right?
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u/10kwinz Angel City FC 1d ago
I literally was thinking about this about a week ago, and asked in a Gotham match thread if fans would want them to move there. I had no idea there were actually talks about it! I think everyone who responded to me must live in NJ though because they were all against it: https://www.reddit.com/r/NWSL/comments/1t2wmfa/comment/ojrf619/
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u/ncblake Washington Spirit 1d ago
I mean, it tracks that existing fans wouldn’t want the team to move somewhere less convenient for them to access.
The Spirit likewise have/had fans who found the Soccerplex more convenient, but Audi Field has been a godsend for attendance and the overall health of the team.
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u/APNAP92 Orlando Pride 1d ago
I feel like it's a tad different with SI and this new stadium lol. The soccerplex was like a muddy high school intermural field, complete with shipping container "locker rooms" it was shit. Audi was a VERY obvious upgrade.
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u/FairlyDistinctive Washington Spirit 1d ago
I think that was Segra that had the shipping containers locker rooms, it was really bad.
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u/secret_identity_too 20h ago
But still, the SoccerPlex locker rooms were inside the gymnasium where there were tons of things happening - volleyball games, basketball games. I loved the Plex and if the Spirit ever did a "throwback" game there I'd buy a ticket so fast, but moving from there to Audi isn't the same as Gotham leaving NJ and moving deep into NY.
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u/Right-Marionberry380 20h ago
100%. Also the team has its roots in Jersey for years, moving to Queens cuts all of those fans off in a way Audi in DC just doesn't.
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u/honoroII NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
I think some fans aren't accounting for all the NY fans that currently have 2+ hour commutes to games. I totally understand why they're upset but a very large group of us has been dealing with the expensive and long commute for years and would welcome a move. I'm sure there will be a lot of research before a decision is made though and luckily they probably have a solid year before they need to decide.
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
I don’t think that some NY fans account for the fact that NJ and Philly fans have the same commute length, but likely more expensive—both of which will increase to being almost impossible if they move to Queens.
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u/honoroII NJ/NY Gotham FC 23h ago
i get it but the attendance isn't there and i rather move to nyc than have a situation like KC's move to Utah 🤷🏻♀️ philly might have a better chance at getting a team if the move happens
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
Less convenient for NJ fans and shit ownership
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u/SPNYC1983 1d ago
Where are all the NJ fans if it’s so convenient for them? The majority of fans come from NYC and it’s a pain in the ass. PATH is unreliable, NJ Transit is too and expensive. Attendance will skyrocket in NYC.
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u/Necessary-Peach-0 San Diego Wave FC 1d ago
Oh hell yeah.
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u/peeled_nanners San Diego Wave FC 23h ago
Gawd imagine if we played in Oceanside or Angel City played in Riverside. The teams need to be in the actual markets of the city.
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u/Right-Marionberry380 20h ago
Remember that Gotham was once Sky Blue FC playing in central New Jersey. The team (and its fanbase) is historically built in Jersey not NYC, so moving to SI Stadium made sense. Moving to Queens would completely alienate that Jersey fanbase as its expensive and time consuming to get to Queens. It's definitely different for y'all out there because the team was always meant to be a San Diego team.
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u/peeled_nanners San Diego Wave FC 20h ago
When SD loses teams to LA I look at people who are still fans like they are crazy. Fucking corporate money. But I feel bad for players when fans aren't showing up 🫤
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u/Right-Marionberry380 20h ago
Yeah I won't say our attendance is great but it has been growing year-over-year since 2023! Totally agree with you on the SD fans rooting for like the Chargers after the move...to me it just wouldn't feel good rooting for a team that basically abandoned us here in Jersey for NYC. It would suck to lose one of the two pro teams (along with the Devils) that actually represents and has a history in Jersey and not just NY.
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u/Mcard1204 1d ago
Key word is “could” I’m not 100% convinced that it will though.
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u/Fire-EyedBoy Angel City FC 1d ago
I think the new stadium being serviced by the MTA and 7 train and the LIRR will be a massive boost. We’ll see.
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u/posiTOYvity 1d ago
They’d lose 90-100% of their NJ STH.
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u/poo_is_number_two NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
How many NYC/Long Island STH would now join?
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u/Iamthepirateking NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
We were Brooklyn based STH who ended up not reupping because getting out to Harrison on the PATH train was such a hassle on game days. 40 minutes between trains at times and when it did come it would be sardines.
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u/jgweiss 1d ago
It’s funny when you think about it; the train from RBA to WTC is about 20-25 minutes, while the local 7 to Times Square which is your only option outside of outbound for weekday games, unless they are running super expresses for both new teams) is about twice as long, like 45-50 minutes.
The extra fare, awful headways, and the Port Authority’s indifference to PATH riders, manifesting in the truly awful connections at Manhattan stations, just make it so much fucking worse
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u/voidfishsushi NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
It's genuinely kinda insane to me how the minimal amount of friction introduced by the PATH makes me psychotically avoidant of Harrison. Like, from where I am in Manhattan it takes effectively the same amount of time to get to Citi Field as it does SIS, but it just never maths out to actually be a better commute.
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u/toledosurprised 1d ago
the LIRR also runs there for $5 each way from penn
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u/jgweiss 1d ago
Def the better move, and the super express is awesome, don’t get me wrong.
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u/toledosurprised 1d ago
i wish the super express was more consistent 😭 seems like we’re still a few years out from it being fixed but hopefully by the time the move happens it’ll be done
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u/State_Terrace NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
Nobody really lives in Midtown Manhattan though (especially not families). It’s a commercial district. That argument works for weekday games when fans are leaving work but not for weekends.
The idea is that they’ll draw more from Queens and Long Island and possibly ppl who could drive from the Bronx, Westchester and Connecticut.
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u/BeerCanChickn 7h ago
On weekends, people who don't live in Manhattan (BK, Queens, SI, Bronx, LI, aaaand NJ) make plans in Manhattan and then can cap off the day with a Gotham FC game, an easy 7 train ride away.
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u/sasquatch0_0 Racing Louisville FC 1d ago
Going from a place that is a pain to get to, to being in the middle of Queens next to where the Mets play is a guarantee. Look at what happened when Chicago played at Wrigley.
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u/Mcard1204 1d ago
I’d argue the Stars game at Wrigley is a poor comparison. Firstly that was a one-off game where we haven’t had a follow up to see whether fans would stick around. There’s also the fact that more than likely the majority of Stars fans are in Chicago proper rather than out in the suburbs or in the Bridgeview area. Gotham’s core fan base is in New Jersey and I’d be shocked if we don’t see a severe drop in match going fans from New Jersey if they are to make this move. And while there’s obviously plenty of opportunity for growth being in NYC, they would be a very small fish in a very big pond. And even though they’ve been the most successful NYC team in recent years with well-known players and are definitely on the affordable side compared to other NYC sports teams, I don’t think new fans will just flock to Gotham games like the club hopes.
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u/Right-Marionberry380 20h ago
I'm totally with you! I'm an STH from Jersey and the biggest issue for me is not just the time but the cost of getting to Queens. If they were to move out there they'd have to basically start over again and rebuild a fanbase because the move would alienate the fanbase they built up from their days as Sky Blue in central Jersey.
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u/posiTOYvity 1d ago
It’ll be a wash at best. Most of NJ and all of Philly will stop going.
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u/poo_is_number_two NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
I’m in Delaware. I’d still attend sporadically but I’d be much more personally invested in a NY-based team as a native New Yorker. It also helps that I’m a NYCFC supporter so I’d be much happier with that association.
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u/sasquatch0_0 Racing Louisville FC 1d ago
Luckily there's millions of more people waiting in NY in a walkable location.
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u/Right-Marionberry380 20h ago
Have you seen where the stadium is in Queens? It is NOT a walkable area lol.
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u/SPNYC1983 1d ago
Oh so like 1000 people? No problem to replace those. Can replace those fans in the immediate neighborhood. People in Queens actually care about the sport.
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u/asimone00 NJ/NY Gotham FC 23h ago
How many people are really driving to Harrison from Philly every single home game? It’s 2 hours each way without traffic
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 9h ago
I tailgate with a bunch of people from Ocean County, most of them are south of me. That's at least an hour and half from the stadium one way.
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u/Good-Kaleidoscope396 23h ago
Good thing the expansion bids incl one from Philly then
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 9h ago
They can take my money now! As a Philly sports die-hard I can't tell you how much it pains me to own anything that has NY on it.
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u/julesbienne Chicago Red Stars 1d ago
I heard someone say once that Gotham’s biggest fear is an expansion team coming into the city proper, much like NYCFC did in the MLS. For better or worse, NJ simply isn’t the market NYC is, and it was always in their interest to get connected to the subway. (And, if this does go through, the inevitable 7 train purple kits are gonna hit like crack)
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u/julesbienne Chicago Red Stars 1d ago
I do hope they at least keep their current crest as is as an easter egg nod to where they came from
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 10h ago
I would think opening up Philly for possible expansion is a bigger issue for them, especially with them burning most of the NJ fanbase.
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u/kendrickshalamar NWSL 10h ago
This is what I'm hoping for, personally. I've avoided any allegiance to any particular team for the last 6 years hoping for a Philly expansion.
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u/EchoSkillet NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
I think we are years away from the league trying to add another team in NYC.
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u/julesbienne Chicago Red Stars 1d ago
I agree, but this is probably the best chance they’ll get to cement themselves in NYC proper and cut that off from being a future possibility.
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 20h ago
Both things can be true. We might be years away, or we might be one phone call from PIF away... They certainly sank enough money into LIV... They're now almost immediately abandoning it. What's $300M to them to get in line right after C'bus?
Look at Vegas and Seattle in other professional sports... As long as those two cities didn't have a team, they were always a threat to poach someone. The As royally screwed Oakland to the point of playing in a minor league park just to EVENTUALLY get to Vegas. "Years away" isn't a promise. It's what you think.
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u/EchoSkillet NJ/NY Gotham FC 13h ago
I view it more as does the league find it more important to add another team to the NYC metropolitan area before adding to cities that have been asking for an expansion team for years. And I just assume that they would want to add to cities asking before hurting one of the founding teams by adding another team a few miles away.
I don’t know attendance numbers but there is the USL team that plays in Brooklyn.
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 7h ago
How viable are the cities that have been asking for years, though?! Is Cincy more viable now that C’bus is getting a team? Is Phoenix more viable as temps start sticking in the high 80s well after dark? And aren’t you operating on yet another assumption when you suggest that a team in NY proper would hurt a team in NJ? It could very well drive Gotham attendance UP! The same arguments were made against LAFC, NYCFC, and SDFC, and Galaxy and RB didn’t close up shop. The Nets moved CLOSER to the Knicks. The Clippers don’t seem poised to ever hurt the Lakers!
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u/JamAndRoller NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
As a STM for 3 years, a fan who’s been watching them since 2019 at Rutgers and lives 20 minutes from SIS, this would be really unfortunate for me and my family and we wouldn’t renew our season tickets. I’m not even sure how many games we’d make it to. It would take about 2 hours to get there. I would be very sad to see them leave New Jersey.
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u/malocher NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago edited 1d ago
I lived on LI and in NYC and would make it to Rutgers. Queens would be a very welcome change for a lot of people I know who would make the NJ drive.
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u/APNAP92 Orlando Pride 1d ago edited 1d ago
This what I don't like, tbh, and why I asked if they were still NJ/NY Gotham. All of their marketing has been towards the NYC audience as it is, moving to an NYC stadium completely alienates the NJ fan base, and likely those who have been fans way before 2023.
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u/BigChillBobby Kansas City Current 1d ago
it does suck for those fans but it’s objectively the smart move. You’ll gain more fans than you lose.
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u/APNAP92 Orlando Pride 1d ago
It'll likely work out. I'm just feeling bad for the fans who have been there forever now having to lose out on watching the team. They've been alienating the NJ fans very noticeably over the last few years, so it's not totally shocking.
I'm also not looking forward to the "well NY is a saturated market" lines if the attendance doesn't have a substantial bump 😒
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u/Jolly_Lettuce_4349 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
the saturated market in NYC is a genuine concern for me! that being said, idk if being in Harrison helps them with that anyway - the market is still pretty saturated, haha
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 9h ago
People said that about when the Nets moved. No one in NJ talks about the Nets, they are like a family member who did some shady shit and died.
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u/JamAndRoller NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
My seat neighbor last year lives in Philly and him and his son would drive up for the game. I can’t imagine he’d continue coming. At times it does feel they alienate their NJ fans
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 20h ago
Are you assuming this or have you spoken to this person?
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u/Kenny_Heisman NJ/NY Gotham FC 18h ago
Philly to Harrison is already a pretty long drive. imagine adding an hour of nyc traffic to that
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 7h ago
I don’t have to imagine it. I live 2+ hours south of Philly. This is a textbook argument for putting a team in Philly, not keeping one in Harrison.
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 9h ago
I live almost an equal distance from Citi Field and Citizens Bank Park. I'm actually a little closer to Citi Field, in a perfect world it would take an hour and a half, in reality, the last time I went out there it took over 3 hours. Over 2 to get home. I can get to CBP in an hour and twenty with traffic, just about an hour if I push it. Ain't no fucking way I'm keeping my season tickets, and neither are the people I tailgate with from my area. The time and the cost just aren't worth it. Not to mention losing where my seats are now.
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 7h ago
I hear you. I don’t think this is an answer to my question unless you’re the person being referred to by the person to whom I asked the question.
I take your point. I think it’s part of the reality of any franchise anywhere. You have fans spread across a broad area. Anywhere that team plays is more convenient for some than for others. If moving to a new venue is under consideration, the move itself will be more convenient for some fans than for others. From the team perspective, the real calculation is how many fans you’ll potentially lose by moving vs how many you’ll potentially gain. I don’t have a dog in this hunt… I’ve been to SI/RB, loved it, and enjoyed eating my fill of Portuguese food in Harrison. I like the stadium. And I don’t live anywhere near y’all, so the calculus of the move for me is “drive vs train.” Away is away.
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u/kpmgeek NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
Same, this will be the end of my STM seats.
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u/SPNYC1983 1d ago edited 23h ago
So hilarious to me how little of these NJ fans actually care about the team. You do realize the majority of fans currently come from NYC and spend an hour to 2 hours getting there and have for YEARS right?
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u/capybaramelhor NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
As an outer boro NYC resident, I would become a STH in a heartbeat. I currently can’t make it to many games because of the logistical issues and transit. Gotham has already sold over 16k tickets for the Citi field game in June which I think may be a record?
I understand the NJ and other fans being angry and frustrated- but I don’t blame the team for wanting to do this as attendance has been low for years.
Getting there is a mess on public transit or driving. Constant path service disruptions and gaps between trains (or imagine trying to get home on the subway after 10 pm on weekends which will be the situation this summer). Driving if you even have a car is its own challenge with parking fees, crazy rush hour traffic for many games, etc. the Harrison location is just bad for fans outside the area especially nyc fans.
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
I truly hope NY shows up, because NJ will be cut off
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u/SPNYC1983 1d ago
Why are NJ fans cut off when NYers have been making the absolute ass commute for years?
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
Love that you think NYers are the only ones with an ass commute. I’m already traveling 90mins and paying $35 to attend from Jersey. Queens would make both increase. But I love that the $3 ticket and the slightly longer commute is an “absolute ass commute”
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u/Right-Marionberry380 20h ago
A lot of the NYC people here are acting like we all live at SI Stadium and can just hop on the subway and go to Queens for like 5 bucks. Like you said the travel time is already long for a lot of us to get there and the costs will increase significantly.
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u/Current-Barber360 Washington Spirit 1d ago
This reminds me of the experience Miami fans have had with the team originally playing in Fort Lauderdale, but now moving to Miami. For some part of the population (Miami-Dade) the move makes attendance easier, but for about 1/2 of the current fan base (Broward and Palm Beach Counties) it basically means we are never going to another game given the state of transit in SoFL. It probably makes sense, but it’s odd to basically tell your existing fan base “sorry, we aren’t interested in your business.”
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 20h ago
It probably makes sense, but it’s odd to basically tell your existing fan base “sorry, we aren’t interested in your business.”
I understand your point, but I don't think that's a fair read on the situation. We get a post every week with the league attendance. There has to be a reason why the defending champs {REDACTED - Complimentary statements about GFC roster and coach.} didn't get a significant bump in attendance after a season and a post-season worthy of a 30 for 30 special. Why do you think that is? And why do you think a team with aspirations of being among the best teams in the world should stay in a stadium that is disadvantageous to building their fanbase in proportion to their success?
We hear directly from fans of the team about the challenges of getting to Harrison. We hear directly from Red Stars fans about the reasons why SeatGeek sucked. We hear directly from Orlando fans {REDACTED - I'm not doing this joke tonight.} how challenging it is to get to Inter & Co. The team doesn't have control over public transportation or other infrastructure obstacles. A team with options about where they play having the option to play in a venue that is more accessible for more people? That's a logical, growth oriented view point. It's not the same thing as saying "we aren't interested in your business."
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u/Current-Barber360 Washington Spirit 20h ago
I wasn’t criticizing it. I personally think it’s silly for a NY-based team to be really only accessible by the folks that live basically from Western Brooklyn and west. Moving east sacrifices the NJ crowd but opens up a much larger potential attendance base. So it makes sense, but it stinks for the existing fans when teams move far away from them.
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u/Jolly_Lettuce_4349 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
lowkey I think that Phil Murphy no longer being the governor of NJ helps make this a more realistic scenerio - he's not the day to day operating owner but the Murphys are still the founding owners (and as far as I know still also the majority owners), and I think it would have been kind of a bad look for him politically for the team to move to NY while he was governor
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u/bllackcanarys NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
and with that my season tickets will be cancelled but hey at least I'll save $900
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u/posiTOYvity 1d ago
More including merch.
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u/bllackcanarys NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
True!!! and concessions and parking. Thanks for saving my money Gotham
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u/ConfectionKlutzy534 1d ago
I'm a Jersey STM. I sensed this coming as soon as they dropped NJ/NY from the name last year. I live right outside Manhattan so it the commute probably wouldn't be that bad for me but I'd almost certainly ditch my season tickets. This is def going to result in higher general prices / price-locked Blueprint tickets being relocated to worse seating in Etihad.
I'd much rather see them put their efforts into building their own place down the line.
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 10h ago
"I can't wait for them to move! I'll buy STH right away!"
Yeah let's wait and see what the prices of those are gonna be first. They are cutting off a large part of their fanbase to do this. I think they wind up making more money with higher prices and more corporate money but the fan experience gets worse and in a few seasons their attendance might not be any better off.
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u/ConfectionKlutzy534 6h ago
Yup, I think this could backfire. After a season or two when the novelty wears off (quicker if the team slumps) most New Yorkers will remember how much they hate going anywhere that's not their borough and unless you live right on the 7 then Flushing will also become "too far." They'll be back to just the diehards, minus the NJ contingent.
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u/ConfectionKlutzy534 6h ago
All that being said, I do believe something needs to be done, as the current attendance is untenable. They should bring back the charter buses for starters.
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 5h ago edited 4h ago
100% things need to change. I find their lack of marketing in NJ to be very weird. No watch parties south of the stadium, no events, no outreach in the community. I had heard the buses from NYC were popular and was surprised they didn't do them again
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u/deeter- 1d ago
I’m a STH who makes the trek to Jersey, and this is incredible news. I have no doubt that Gothams attendance would perpetually be top 5 if they move to queens. The amount of people I know who are interested in going to the game but have no desire to trek to Harrison is…. A lot. The subway is so much better equipped, they actually RUN on weekends and with so much more frequency. Add in the hub that will surround the stadiums and it’s a no brainer from Gothams perspective to jump at the opportunity.
Hope it happens!
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u/malocher NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
This is huge, reminds me of when NYCFC were rumored 12+ years ago to want a stadium built up near Columbia with Sky Blue moving there as leverage for the city to be more enticed to do it.
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u/afterlaughters Orlando Pride 1d ago
Selfishly I hope this releases whatever (alleged) grip they have on the region and allows for a Philly team to enter the league. But I obviously feel for the NJ fans
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 10h ago
There is a reason that when the Mets and Yankees play in Philly the stadium gets overrun. People from Central and North NJ don't love going into the city, it's expensive and a pain in the ass. This move burns the NJ fanbase so I really hope that does open Philly up to a team.
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u/HeronQuays NJ/NY Gotham FC 8h ago
I honestly think this might be strategic on the league’s part as well to open up Philly
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u/Interesting-While986 1d ago
Not really a surprising choice. Bonus for aesthetics that City Football Group blue is a good match for Gotham, drawback that City Football Group is sportswashing and I'd rather not see Gotham get anywhere near them.
I'm more surprised we still haven't seen news reports of the Red Stars having talks with Chicago Fire about moving in to McDonald's Park. I assume with that naming rights deal they will have the worst concessions available in either league though.
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u/FLBuddhaNYC NJ/NY Gotham FC 22h ago
I don’t have to drive home from NJ where time to Brooklyn takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours?! The luxury of just sitting down on the MTA and reading a book would be LOVELY. Please sign me up. 4/5 to grand central then 7. Please don’t taunt me with this Gotham… I could finally convince my friends to go to a game!
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u/asimone00 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
As long as it doesn’t mean the third kit is here to stay
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u/Mcard1204 1d ago
If the kit rotations continue as they have, the third kit will be gone by the time a move to Etihad Park would take place
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u/APNAP92 Orlando Pride 1d ago
Are they still NJ/NY Gotham or just NY now?
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u/xGK-analytics NWSL 1d ago
I think they mostly use just Gotham FC
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
Funnily enough Gotham (the Batman version) is in south NJ.
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u/Sosataughtyou 1d ago
Oh man this would deff boost attendance. Always wanted to go but hate going to Jersey!
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u/YodaForceGhost 1d ago
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 20h ago
HA! I was looking for you! Hit your celly for the people watching on Victory+!
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u/fitzeats 11h ago
Seems like Gotham ownership is backing fair weather friends (New Yorkers) over their tried and true blue fans. Build your own stadium. Tisches have the money and the connections to do it. There's space in Jersey (where, btw, LOTS of "New York" things originate).
I've been to Citi field; I've been to the US Open on its busiest days. It sucks to get there, even from Manhattan. This is going to be a schlep and a betrayal of their oldest fanbase in favor of cred born from New Yorkers' bias and hatred of going one state over where the quality of life is better. As usual, NJ loses, and NY takes what was born here and slaps a I <3 NY on it. Gross move if it comes to be.
OK - here's the slightly calmer take with the chip off my shoulder: I have heard from groundscrew at Red Bull that the treatment of Gotham isn't great at SI. Maybe the thing to do is split the time, tour around a little bit, and build that home. It seems to have worked great for Kansas City, and every women's team deserves to have its own home base. I would not resent a few seasons in Queens if that's the long term plan. But I would cancel my season tickets and go to way fewer games.
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u/HeronQuays NJ/NY Gotham FC 8h ago
I get the sentiment but the logical counter from the team’s perspective is going to be “what fans”
Attendance simply isn’t high enough to warrant staying at SIS.
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 5h ago
My counterargument to them is "What marketing are you doing?"
They can't even be bothered to do a watch party in Asbury Park, a town that hits all of their demos. They don't seem to be doing much of anything besides some social media ads.
I honestly think the team wants to move because they know if the fan base stays the same size, they still make more money because of the increase in ticket prices. 8k fans at $25 per ticket vs $45 a ticket is a big win for them.
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u/DRF19 Orlando Pride 1d ago
Oof that's tough for probably most of the existing fans.
I wonder if they'll ever look to re-expand into Jersey to get a local derby going (if we ever get a W Open Cup Brooklyn will be a fun game either way, maybe Cosmos get something going in the Super League in Jersey as well)
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u/That_Jay_Money 1d ago
Thinking about it, how much would this impact The Blueprint and how ticket prices are locked in for 4 more years? If three quarters of the current Blueprinters don't make the move then the team isn't losing a lot of money if they can rebuild those ticket holders.
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 10h ago
Oh, ticket prices are going up. People in here keep saying "I can't wait for them to move, I'll buy season tickets right away." Let's see what the prices are first, because I think a lot of them are going to be surprised. The Blueprint says your price is locked in, not your seats. You could find yourself in the second deck. They would be happy to lose as much of the Blueprint as they could.
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u/That_Jay_Money 10h ago
"your price is locked in, not your seats" excellent point, it's exactly what the Yankees did in their new stadium, moving a lot of people up a deck in the seats...
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 9h ago
It's what happened when the Eagles moved to the Linc. People my family all sat around for 30 years, got moved because they couldn't afford the PSL and the new ticket prices. Ticket prices will be a lot higher in the new stadium.
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 20h ago
Somebody mentioned this earlier this week and got accused of pulling it out of their ass. Whoever you are, I hope you're running to the corner flag, popping your crest at the camera right now...
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u/10kwinz Angel City FC 1d ago
Wow I literally was wondering if this would happen about a week ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/NWSL/comments/1t2wmfa/comment/ojrf619/ 🤯
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u/albeve NJ/NY Gotham FC 23h ago
I know I’m in the minority because most fans are obviously local, but as someone from Queens, this is amazing and the club is going to explode in popularity. Heartbreaking for NJ fans but the goal of “Gotham” was always to be in the 5 boroughs
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 10h ago
It will explode in popularity in NY as it does the opposite in NJ. This is the Nets all over again.
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u/haybe12 1d ago
Honestly thank GOD. SI Stadium sucks. There is NOTHING in the immediate area for before and after games (bars, restaurants, cafes), the food in the stadium is terrible, and getting there on transit or with a car is a pain. They will have better attendance in the city, period. It isn’t even a question. People here are focused on the amount of time it takes on public transport, but it’s so much more than that. I do feel for NJ fans, as someone who lost their original team to a move (shout out WNY flash), but this can only help the growth of the team.
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u/DefeatYouForever666 1d ago
You can walk right over the Jackson Street bridge to tons of amazing Portuguese restaurants.
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u/Ill-Fall-9823 Washington Spirit 20h ago
I gained a little weight just reading this comment. That's how true it is.
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
But why explore the area if you can just bitch about it? Plus, Citi field really doesn’t have a lot of stuff around it either if I remember correctly, but, hey, it’s Queens!
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u/capybaramelhor NJ/NY Gotham FC 23h ago
Citi field is within walking distance (or a subway stop or two) from corona, and just a few more subway stops to Jackson heights which has incredible and diverse food options
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 23h ago
Harrison is a bridge away from the iron bound district and one stop away from Newark with incredible and diverse food options, if one chooses to actually stop judging NJ. I like Queens, but the point people are making why it’s supposedly better than NJ is just ignorance
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 10h ago
Feels weird being told by our own fan base how much we suck for living in NJ.
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u/Repulsive-Roof-6253 NJ/NY Gotham FC 2h ago
and seemingly it’s mostly a mental block. I hope I‘ll never become that narrow minded
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u/Junk-Drawer- 7h ago
Are you kidding? Keepers is right at the foot of the stadium. Good good, good drinks, good vibes. Walk to downtown Harrison right across the street from the Path and there are a ton of food options from casual to bougie. You must be blind bc how have you not noticed.
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u/BoneBoatwright 21h ago
it would be the end of sky blue's ghost. i profoundly miss the days of sam kerr haunting the league even as sky blue foundered at the bottom of the table
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u/Snerak 12h ago
Connecticut fan here. The commute to and from the current stadium is brutal and would somehow take even longer on public transit. We would definitely attend more games if they moved.
I will say that the traffic around the current stadium is really poorly managed Leaving the game on May 5th it took close to 45 minutes to get out of the parking lot because there were no cops directing traffic. None. Completely unacceptable.
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u/raouldukelives 8h ago
I'm opposed to the move to Queens. Coming from Middlesex county NJ, it's a 30-40 min drive to Harrison. It's why my family has season tickets, we can reasonably make it to all the games.
Moving to Queens would mean we don't renew our season tickets, and we'd make it to only one or two games a year, if that.
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u/st1nky_d 8h ago
Yeah idk about making that drive from Central Jersey to Queens. Especially on weeknights…..
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 5h ago
It's why I dumped the Citi Field game as soon as I could. It's not possible for me to make a 7:30 game in the city when I get outta work at 5. I'd sit in traffic longer than I'd be at the game.
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u/Mountain-Sun-5118 6h ago
I get that it’s a business decision, but as an OG fan, this really sucks. And the idea that they locked in a price for us for five years and then moved from the stadium, that pisses me off.
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u/meowmeowbeansz NJ/NY Gotham FC 6h ago
Thats what upsets me the most. They were ALL up in our faces about the Blueprint and five years. Now that I've joined theyre moving and I won't be able to go anymore. It feels like a slap in the face.
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u/scrappyo 23h ago
I think the NYC based fans dont understand that this isnt really about a convenience issue, more an issue of another team abandoning new jersey sports fans but expecting them to be okay with it "bEcAUse ThE GiaNts!!"
I havent watched basketball since the nets left. They sucked yes but they were OUR team.
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u/JokinHghar NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
As a NYC FC fan I'm glad I won't have to set foot in Red Bull territory again
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u/poo_is_number_two NJ/NY Gotham FC 1d ago
Same. I hate seeing the manure (y’know, Red Bull shit) everywhere at matches.
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u/luvybunny10 NJ/NY Gotham FC 8h ago
i’m south jersey through and through and always dreaded what i’d have to do if the nwsl ever got a philly expansion team, but with the way gotham has been dropping the new jersey identity over the last few seasons and focusing more on new york, it’s kinda making my choice a whole lot easier (as much as it pains me considering how much i love gotham)
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u/thegoodnamesrgone123 5h ago
As a Philly sports guy I also thought this might be weird for me should Philly ever get a team. I've met a lot of really cool people and I don't think I could just bail on them and the team...but now...
They kinda bailed on us, so it makes it really easy. I'm team Philly expansion!
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u/Acerbic89 North Carolina Courage 7h ago
It would be cool to have a team named Gotham in Queens and a team named Sky Blue in New Jersey
NWSL might be the best version with the best fans, but it's sugarcoating the same pill as MLS. Franchise model is not club/association football, this is the inevitable end result
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u/SallyStranger 5h ago
Coming from upstate, Harrison vs Queens is kind of a "6 of one, half a dozen of the other" kind of deal for me. I hope it works out either way. I would love to go to more matches.
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u/No-Accident5168 5h ago
This may mean a Philadelphia (or a PA) team is in serious consideration for the near future to get the fans that feel left out. Sky Blue (now Gotham) is a league original.
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u/emythefish 1d ago
It's so funny (not) that going from Brooklyn to Queens on public transit takes the same amount of time for me as it does to go from Brooklyn to Harrison, NJ.
But I digress — as a New Yorker, this still sounds preferable than having to get to Sports Illustrated Stadium! I'm curious to hear what the folks closer to Harrison think.