Major League Soccer in Charlotte got off to a raucous start Saturday as 74,479 fans showed up at Bank of America Stadium for the team’s home opener. That is a league record.
Fan groups have been preparing for this moment since the MLS announced Charlotte would get a team in 2019. Leading up to last weekend, they had been practicing chants while marching along the sidewalk near the stadium.
In fact, the push for fans has been a focal point of Charlotte FC. The team announced the hiring of a chief fan officer last year. Across the region, soccer bars are hosting watch parties. Billboards are trying to draw fans to buy tickets.
Charlotte Talks dives into the effort to gain fans for this new team. Who is being targeted? How is that targeting done? And what needs to happen to make fandom successful?
Guests:
Shawn McIntosh, Charlotte FC Chief Fan Officer
Dave Dowell, Co-Founder of The Queens Firm
Matt Wohlfarth, Owner of Dilworth Grille
