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Home  Articles 99/00 Season Drillers need 3,000 more fans
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Drillers need 3,000 more fans |
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Written by Joanne Ireland
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Wednesday, 02 February 2000 |
If Wojtek Wojcicki were a little more pragmatic, maybe he too would see that the arena is not even half full.
Instead, he says, he has his sights set on the month of March and the Edmonton Drillers' remaining home games.
The owner of Edmonton's entry in the National Professional Soccer League was at Skyreach again on Tuesday night, this time for the league All-Star Game.
It was the NPSL's showcase event, as well as another chance for Wojcicki to try and sell the game of indoor soccer in Edmonton.
A crowd of 7,853 took in the tilt between Canada and the U.S. -- nowhere near the announced figure of 9,123, but substantially more than the 12-6 Drillers have averaged at home this season.
Another good sign surmised Wojcicki.
"We would have loved to have had more time," he said, "but not only is it going to be a break-even situation, we might make a couple of dollars."
Earlier in the day, both Wojcicki and NPSL commissioner Steve Paxos stood at the mike at a news conference and said all the right things.
Paxos talked about the shift in the balance of power, about how Montreal and Edmonton have put Canadian players on the NPSL map.
He then went on to talk about the interest in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver - - three cities always mentioned when there is talk of Canadian expansion.
No one, however, seemed to have an explanation why it took so long to settle on a site for the All-Star Game.
It was awarded to Edmonton in December, just five weeks before kickoff -- and if Wojcicki was sweating the outcome, he wasn't saying.
"One, we had some confidence we'd have 5,000 people here," said general manager Ron Knol.
"No. 2, if the lure of the all-star game brings in a whole new contingent of people who haven't been coerced to go to a Drillers game, maybe we'll hook them," Knol said hopefully.
Wojcicki took over the franchise before the 1998 season.
There were fewer than 300 season-ticket holders on board at the time.
That base has jumped substantially, and now somewhere between 4,300 and 5,000 fans are turning up for the games.
The Drillers need almost 8,000 to break even.
"It's a question I get asked. Of course I'm disappointed but overall, I see some positive movement," said Wojcicki.
"There's a 300-per-cent increase in corporate sales. There's a 30- 40-per-cent increase in ticket sales.
"We've just had no-shows."
There are also 42,000 players who signed up to play indoor soccer in Alberta this year.
"We are somewhat disappointed, to say the least," said Knol.
"It's a good product.
"I just think it's getting people over the initial reluctance of going to a game.
"Because when we grab people who have gone for the first time, 95 per cent of them say this was a riot."
Wojcicki didn't rule out the possibility of taking on partners and insisted that "indoor soccer is here for a long, long time."
Paxos didn't argue.
"Somehow we're going to be in Edmonton," said the commissioner.
"Would we like the attendance to be higher? Yes, but it is being supported.
"There's a great base here and I think with a little tinkering, a little more enthusiasm, maybe a couple more Canadian cities, maybe we can go over the hump."
The Drillers have just one home game in February, which means just one day to pull in some gate receipts and a whole lot of travel costs to cover.
"It hurts," said Knol.
"We're not sitting with a surplus wondering what to do with it," he said.
"But this road trip is paid for and there's another seven regular season games, and hopefully, a bunch of playoffs.
"And if all of a sudden we're getting crowds of 8,000 and 9,000, well that's a good indicator of what's happening."
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