Brian — I genuinely appreciate your transparency in sharing this, and your leadership in bringing a club to SF. I have followed the club closely since its inception and I’m sharing my thoughts with you as I think I am the exact demographic you are challenging with this post.

I live in Berkeley and I managed to attend only 1 game this season (the finale against Miami FC). Despite hoping to attend more games, the ultimate reason I only made it to one was very simple and you’ve already identified it: people in the Bay Area are overwhelmed with options for entertainment. For me personally, between weddings and other commitments, there were only 2–3 weekends where I was even available on a Saturday evening and could potentially have come to a match.

Ultimately, you cannot change the demographics of the city. What you can do is find ways to make matches as inclusive as possible.

I’ve read other comments here and I think there are a lot of good suggestions. I think more holistically that you need to model yourself after a minor league baseball team rather than a professional team. Minor league baseball attracts fans by providing a truly unique in-game experience; complete with wacky promos and events, and very affordable tickets, parking and concessions.

One example would be: I would love to see you partner with local youth clubs for each match and have the kids play on the field at halftime. You could invite 2 clubs to each game and have the clubs compete to see who can sell the most tickets to the game and award a prize to the winning club. Help the clubs with transportation (like a supporter’s bus) and you’ve got a win for the clubs and a win for the Deltas.

A few other thoughts: if you cannot drop ticket prices (which I still think you should), then perhaps sell a $20 ticket that includes a free beer/drink. I also think playing on days other than Saturday would help. You may not have any input on the schedule, but a weekday game (or even Sunday afternoon) would likely draw more people and could have better weather. Even playing at 2pm on Saturday would help (especially given weather around Kezar). Partnerships with tech companies or other clubs make a ton of sense. Companies are always looking for employee engagement activities and you could get creative with the company to make for a truly memorable evening for all.

I wish you luck with the fall season and I promise to take your challenge to heart as a fan and supporter!