BMO Field – June 29, 2011
For the past 4 seasons soccer fans in Canada have heard about the success of the Toronto FC fanbase (unfortunately they haven’t been successful on the field).
With the addition of Vancouver to the MLS landscape this season, there is bound to be comparison between the two Canadian clubs. Checking it out first hand I was surprised to see just how different yet similar the experience is.
Although BMO Field is the permanent home to TFC, it felt very much like the termporary Whitecaps FC home at Empire Field. Located on the edge of the Exhibition grounds, aluminum stands, open air concourses all echo the Empire experience. Just a bit more polish showed this wasn’t a temporary stadium.
Missing from the TFC experience was the family-friendly entertainment and activations from the sponsors we are used to at Whitecaps.
The emphasis seemed to be on alcohol sales, as the number of inebriated individuals was surprising.
The on field performance was similar as the stadium configuration was similar and sadly both teams are on par with their level of play.
Hopefully when the Whitecaps move into the upgraded BC Place field later this season the experience will be even more divergent and the fan base will reflect the wider audience. A winning team on field will certainly help too!