Forum › Forum › Lehigh Sports › Other Sports/Suggest New Category › Bethlehem Steel/Murray Goodman
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April 4, 2016 at 5:24 pm #26325
The Brown and White had an article on the Bethlehem Steel FC opener:
Bethlehem Steel FC holds home opener at Lehigh’s Goodman Stadium
It had this interesting quote in here:
“It’s so important for us to be a part of the community and do what we can do to be available when the community needs us to be,” Sterrett said. “I know this is a new team and being able to have them host their first home game at Goodman Stadium is definitely something we were willing to make happen.”
Sterrett said this partnership with Bethlehem Steel FC is not necessarily financially beneficial for Lehigh as other partnerships are. However, it is more focused on Lehigh’s genuine commitment of embracing and helping out with the communities.
Reading this made me wonder if this Murray Goodman arrangement was going to be lasting for much longer. Personally I was hoping that this would lead to a positive relationship between Lehigh and the Philadelphia Union, and possibly something to spur facility updates to Goodman, but this doesn’t sound like it.
April 4, 2016 at 9:39 pm #26326I’d agree that this makes it sounds “temporary”. Maybe that changes, if things go well?
Has anybody heard anything about attendance at the first game? Granted, we don’t have any basis to compare against, other than other teams in USL…April 4, 2016 at 11:47 pm #26329Would any other Stadium in the Valley be practical. Laf, ASD, and Beth Mun all have artificial turf, A no no. Would Moravian or Muhlenburg, or any of the smaller HS stadiums be practical.
Isn’t a field with a track smaller than desirable for pro soccer?
I think here in Harrisburg they are going to try using the minor league baseball stadium for minor league soccer, but I don’t know that that is a good idea.
So it seems Steel FC either will be at Goodman, or at a specific use stadium. Seems to me the best way to go for all is to keep it at Goodman. Of course most pro soccer has some night games. Goodman needs lights.
April 5, 2016 at 12:22 am #26330City Islanders had their own field, on City Island also, but I think it was pretty crappy. As I understand it, they are going to use the Senators’ field this year. Probably a bit small, but better than the old location.
I agree that a turf field is a non-starter.April 5, 2016 at 1:30 am #26331It looks like the City Islanders may play a few games in The Lancaster Minor league Stadium also.
It looks like about 3/4 of the USL teams have the capacity to play night games. It is possible the existing seating in the corners of Goodman might keep them from making the soccer pitch the ideal width (although I seem to recall both men’s and women’s teams may have played a game there) But if taking out some of the 5 lowest rows in each of the four corner sections would be necessary for optimal soccer, in the long run, it would be a worthwhile sacrifice.
Lights for soccer. Lights for Lehigh football. Maybe lights for PIAA football playoffs.
April 5, 2016 at 1:49 am #26332To answer the question, there were about 3,500 loud, raucous fans there on a cold, windy day. The team seemed very pleased with the fan support.
April 5, 2016 at 2:11 am #26333Very cool! Pretty comparable to the Railhawks game down here on Saturday – which is supposed to be a higher tier.
April 6, 2016 at 2:27 pm #26338Not for nothing, and perhaps I’m not a completely partial observer, but how could it be financially viable for the Union to build a stadium up in the Lehigh Valley?
I think one of the huge advantages of Goodman for the Union is that it’s one of the best grass fields anywhere. That’s why it’s ahead of other stadiums, such as ones with artificial turf (like Laf).
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