Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) announced not only supporters’ section pricing but also unveiled design plans for a safe standing section at its soon-to-be-new home, the Banc of California Stadium, at a Black & Gold rally held in LA’s Arts District last weekend.
Over 1,000 energised supporters were on hand to hear the news, as Club President and Owner, Tom Penn, together with Lead Managing Owner, Larry Berg, kicked-off the rally by announcing supporters’ section membership pricing at US$20 per match. The news came hot on the heels of the Club’s premium seating sell-out, well in advance of its 2018 inaugural season.
LAFC Lead Managing Owner Larry Berg, said:
Our supporters have been our focus since the beginning. As we build this Club from the ground up our supporters have been at the helm and we remain committed to making sure they have the best match-day experience in Major League Soccer.
As the first stadium with safe standing on the West Coast, the first stadium in North America with safe standing rail seats, and a global first-of-its-kind custom design, LAFC will provide an opportunity for supporters to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, creating an electric and unified atmosphere on match days at the new Banc of California Stadium.
Since its inception in October 2014, the Club and stadium architect, Gensler Sports, have been in constant dialogue with supporters by hosting multiple workshop design sessions regarding architectural elements of the supporter’s north end of the Stadium. LAFC Ownership has incorporated global best-practices to create the most supporter-forward environment in MLS.
The rail seating system is designed by SC Railing, an American rail and seating manufacture based in Minneapolis, which has supplied railings for some of the largest projects in the country, including the US Bank Stadium, T-Mobile Arena, Levi’s Stadium and the Citrus Bowl. The railing was specifically designed for safety and to maximise sight lines with an angled rail. The seat design is a first-of-its-kind in the world, more comfortable than existing global rail seats. The safe standing rail seat concept took nearly two years of intense research, design and analysis of top rail seat projects around the world, including Celtic Park, Allianz Arena, RB Arena Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion.
Stadium architect
Gensler Sports played an integral role in conceiving and implementing the safe-standing concept. In addition, at 34 degrees, the Supporters’ Section will be the steepest in
MLS. To view architectural renderings of the supporters’ section, please visit:
https://lafc.com/supporters/LAFC President and Owner, Tom Penn, said:
I have been absolutely blown away by the passion and commitment of our original Supporters. From the beginning they have consistently brought us energy, ideas, input and love. We are truly making history in partnership with our LAFC co-founders, the 3252!
LAFC kicked off 2017 by uniting over 2,000 fans at the stadium construction site and providing supporters with a once-in-a-lifetime, first-ever opportunity to make their mark in the concrete that will be the foundation and heart of the stadium. Last year, the Club reached several key milestones, including kicking off the year with the official crest and Club colour unveiling for fans and city leaders; scoring a tremendous victory for the Club, its fans and the people of Los Angeles by securing unanimous approval from the Los Angeles City Council on the stadium’s Final Environmental Impact Report; embarking on a historic groundbreaking ceremony with hundreds of Club supporters; announcing its official stadium naming rights, Banc of California Stadium; completion of demolition of the Sports Arena and commencing construction with the first of many foundational concrete pours; and proudly announcing a multi-year partnership with United Soccer League’s (USL) Orange County Soccer Club in order to further enhance professional player development and create a pipeline for players who show promise to join the LAFC team.
About LAFC
The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is the newest MLS soccer club serving the greater Los Angeles area. Its ownership group is comprised of local leaders and innovators of industry with intellectual capital, financial prowess, operations expertise and success in the fields of entertainment, sports, technology and media. The LAFC ownership group is dedicated to building a world-class soccer club that represents the diversity of Los Angeles and is committed to delivering an unrivalled experience for fans. The home of the Club will be the Banc of California Stadium, the first open-air stadium built in Los Angeles since 1962, which will boast a 22,000-seat capacity.
Images, courtesy: LAFC / Gensler Sports
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