Photo Marjorie Elzey
PSP’s pundits postulate the perfect fan experience.
Thomas Hill:
While the Union’s fan experience certainly has it’s moments and positives, it’s getting harder to ignore a lot of the continued substandard experiences.
The season ticket gifts and benefits are often near the bottom of the barrel for MLS clubs, lacking in true value or uniqueness. Beyond that ticket promotions seem more geared at long term group packages than getting actual fans to the game. Almost half the league offers some type of college discount, or first time ticket promotions. The Union, upon looking for 2026 seemingly offers neither.
The stadium hasn’t seen truly significant upgrades since it was built, with a vast majority of the renovations going to expanded club areas that few fans truly benefit from. It’s still one of the best venues in MLS with it’s intimate touchlines, unique architecture, and stunning view, but it’s starting to show it’s age, especially outside of the seating bowl. That’s not to mention the addition of premium seats at the front of the River End, disconnecting what the club touts as their most passionate, but least profitable, fans from the game. All while touting the soon to arrive, now industry standard “safe standing” that’s yet to materialize.
The marketing and visibility within the city is fine, but it’s almost like there isn’t a true attempt to be a major team within the city, especially considering the club is a regular championship contender. They have their city hall appearances, and marketing done within city center, but it falls short of real community investment/impact. The argument can be made that investment is antithetical or at least separate to marketing, but if done right the two can be one in the same. An actual retail/clubhouse space (things comparable sized clubs have done) within the city limits would’ve felt more impactful than Union Yard.
I think Subaru Park is an absolute gem within MLS. It’s a beautiful, intimate venue with a truly unique and passionate group of fans. Supporting the club by and large is a fantastic privilege, and uniquely Philadelphian approach to soccer. The fan experience is almost always going to be worth it.
Tim Jones:
Even though I have sworn off attending first-team home games in person anymore, I have one firm suggestion that remains from a decade and a half of attendance as a season-ticket holder.
So that entry and exit can occur simultaneously with ease summer and winter, triple the width of all public restroom doors.
Dan Getelman:
As someone without a car, it’s still so hard to get to Union matches. The match schedules were somewhat better-aligned with SEPTA last season, but that was only true as long as the Regional Rail was running without issues. For the last match I attended, I ended up paying more for rides to/from Center City than for the match tickets because the Regional Rail was on a reduced schedule. And the best case of waiting for a shuttle that gets stuck in the traffic leaving the lots, then drops you off in Chester where hopefully the every-two-hour train is coming soon isn’t that appealing either.
If the team had better shuttles to Center City / other popular locations, or could somehow cajole SEPTA into running better service, it could make a dent in the traffic and delays getting out of the parking lot as well.
George Diamond:
Let’s start with the positives:
Beautiful stadium location. The view of the Commodore Barry Bridge and Delaware River is truly iconic.
There are some good options for food / drinks outside the stadium. Union Yards and The Larimer are the two sports bar-like offerings. Yards is the official Union spot and The Larimer offers a great and affordable place as a fan-run brewery. Union Steaks on Flower Street is about the only food-centric option near the stadium.
Outside the stadium itself, the concourse setup might interest both younger fans and adult aged spectators. Personally, there have only been a handful of times where I enjoyed myself here (which was basically limited to playing FIFA and winning a free t-shirt). They sometimes have an area with shelter dogs who are available to be adopted, which is probably the best thing there. There are free samples of drink. It’s something to do at least.
Inside the stadium, there isn’t much to do aside from watch soccer or buy stuff, which is fine I guess. There is an e-gaming room – and it’s really quite a nice setup – but unless there’s a tournament organized beforehand I don’t see the point of going. I guess it’s for Gen Alpha?
This year the Supporters Shield will be on display, so that’s something. The team has had the fan-made 2020 Shield on display, but it’s somewhat hidden, which feels like a missed opportunity. For the most part, any seat in the stadium is a good seat.
There is a decent selection of food and drink but it will be pretty pricey for the most part. There’s the Heineken Deck to check out above section 102, which offers the ability to stand around and enjoy the view.
The pre-game ceremonies are decent. The pyrotechnics have increased, the addition of a ‘Union Drum Striker’ is a good tradition, and the video team always has something good for the big screen. I also love the hot dogs getting parachuted on us from the catwalk.
There will sometimes be a good theme night or half-time event. ‘Retro Night’ from 2024 and the ‘Trivia Challenge’ from last season both stood out to me as well-executed or at least entertaining.
Moving on to constructive:
Being honest, most of the facilities / utilities in the stadium are due for an upgrade, the age is starting to show as almost every part is unchanged since 2010.
In-stadium concessions are not worth the high prices. They have only gotten more expensive in years past. Last season’s partnership with Aramark will likely see that trend continue in my opinion.
The rest rooms are poorly designed with all of them only having 1 door, leading to very long and slow lines. Comparatively, my mind was blown when I went to a Flyer’s game this winter and was spoiled by shiny utilities, ample space, and separate entrance and exit doors. The installation of advertisement screens above the urinals was extremely puzzling to me, although adding a shelf for beverages was appreciated.
It feels like something is missing in the in-stadium atmosphere. It’s a combination of things but when I watch an Austin FC or Orlando City home match, for example, it makes me want to go to their games. Maybe it’s the newer stadiums or the lightshow after a goal, but there’s a certain energy that you pick up on, even through the TV. Is that same energy conveyed when prospective fans are watching our games?
The reality is that you could get largely the same quality of fan experience at most any top-level professional sporting event. I think the Union should continue to lean into what makes them different, and they need to appeal to the average fan. That’s easy to say, but it’s worth mentioning at a time when it feels like the team is possibly foregoing certain key aspects of their identity despite improving other elements of the team.
Finally, others have mentioned this, but it bears repeating: physically getting to the game is difficult without a car. Even with one, parking and leaving can be a drawn out affair. I personally know several Philly residents (many without cars) who would instantly become hardcore fans if they could reliably travel to and from games without a vehicle. This feels like a lot of untapped potential for the Union fan base, but with the stadium where it is, it really comes down to public transit. Unfortunately, SEPTA is not in a great place right now which could kill the small gains that the expanded service was only just beginning to provide last season.
Kyle Grantham:
It’s hard to put my thoughts on this into words because I can’t quite pinpoint why or how things have changed in how the Union treat fans, but there has been a marked shift. Maybe what felt like an accessible club you really felt connected to as a fan was a part of the club making a greater effort post-pandemic to draw fans back. But the level of connection that existed in 2021 and 2022 started to recede in 2023, mostly evaporated in 2024 and was fairly non-existent in 2025.
There used to be opportunities to connect with players in the preseason and during the season, but even open practices haven’t been publicized the last two years.
The opening of Union Yards directly next to the Sons of Ben tailgate never sat right with me, even if the Sons of Ben have downplayed the impact. Union Yards could also be so much more than it is, but it’s an underutilized venue that feels like it was only created to siphon customers from the SoB tailgate and Larimer.
The parking situation has gotten better since most of it was moved to the other side of the rail line, but getting out of dodge after a game is still absolute insanity and I’m convinced one game my car isn’t going to survive the condition those gravel and pothole files lots are in. Just paving Lot G would go a long way.
The concessions haven’t measurably improved for the five years I’ve had season tickets. If you have virtually any dietary restrictions you’re on your own. In the year 2026, not even having a vegetarian option beyond a warm caesar salad or french fries is wild — especially given the fan base for professional soccer in the US (and especially the Philly area) tends to skew more progressive.
My biggest issue isn’t with the Union, but the MLS itself — the schedule. The 2022 season was perfect. Multiple day games, limited midweek play, and an MLS Cup in the first week of November!
Any parent with a kid under the age of eight trying to take them to a Union game, when 90% of kickoffs are at 7:45pm, is playing with fire. In fact, it’ll likely be why we give our tickets up after this season. You just can’t take a toddler to games that late.
I’d like to see the Union open up more opportunities for interaction with the players – hold a FanFest, bring back Alumni signings, get the league to schedule more games in the day and make a real attempt to diversify the concessions options in the stadium.
Matt Custer:
My own issues center on basic safety and comfort. Sitting in 101, we all get treated to the smoke and aroma emanating from the grill below. And we get to go home smelling as if we’ve been staffing a roadside BBQ pit all day, to say nothing about breathing in the delicious but breathtaking fumes. Fix the fumes. It’s a design flaw.
Worse is the concourse on a hot day, especially during T-storms. Apparently “natural ventilation” was deemed sufficient in the design. It is not. During one such storm, people were passing out in the concourse and the medics were delayed because the crush of fans was impenetrable. Fans – the kind that move air – would help. Easy fix, better if they were big overhead fans designed to create lateral current. Faint hope of that happening though. Once we’ve been scanned in, we’re sheep to be shorn – just tap your plastic here.
Speaking of hot days, whenever the wet bulb conditions trigger water breaks on the field, fans should be allowed to bring in 2 bottles of water and the price of water in the concessions should be reduced to cost only. I know we’re all profit-mongering capitalists but you should not be allowed to profit from people’s suffering.
Does the concourse have first aid stations? Defibrillators? Are they clearly marked? Don’t remember seeing any, and I’ve looked.
Speaking of concessions, they are chronically understaffed or undertrained, laboring under order fulfillment processes that are apparently designed to keep you from regaining your seat until minute 70.
Oh yeah, and who designed the access/egress for the rest rooms? I’m all for togetherness but…
Otherwise, it’s a lovely experience – especially in February. Wear layers.
I will be thinking about this article tonight at the Flyers game! The points about the infrastructure are spot on. The concourse gets overcrowded on a regular night never mind during a thunderstorm. You really see the difference going to one of the newer stadiums like Cincinnati.
Every year I tell my ticket rep they should pave and line the lots, but now at least we got lights. I understand there are some environmental issues (and expense) with paving the lots. I think that having better defined traffic lanes and directions will help the egress after the game.
Looking forward to the schedule change when one hopes there will be more afternoon games in the winter so I can go to a nice pub for dinner after the game and get beer for $7 and water for free! (Please Apple do it!).
Great article with lots of good ideas, not the least of which was to call it “Union Yard” because, of course, there is only one. We go to the Sons of Ben tailgates for fun, food and drink and rarely buy any food or drink inside the Soob. When I get thirsty, I drink from the water fountains. We do love the vendors who come for Hispanic Heritage days.
Environmentally speaking, better access via public transportation would be a dream come true and solve so many problems; also, paving “paradise” is a no-no in my book.
I am a woman, so I can only comment on the women’s toilets: I have never had to wait in line, ever.
There is, at least, one first aid station. I know because I’ve needed it. The staff were great!
With every post-game survey I get from the Union, I answer that I go because I love soccer. I do not attend for the pre-game stuff nor do I need any entertainment other than the game–and the camaraderie of my seat-mates. Drum-strikers are a nice tradition, though. And, please, Union, never flash the lights after goals!!
I do agree that the way the Union treats STMs has declined.
really great feedback here. I’m sure the team has heard all this before but it’s great to see those passionate about the team articulate it here.
the getting to and back is the mortal sin. my first 10 years as a fan was car-less and the efforts by the team to work around Septa didn’t always work. the stranding at the 700 (bar) by their shuttle system for the Ibrahimovich match stands out. Using Septa, choosing to leave the match early to walk to the Highland station in hopes to catch the train… yeah. Stopped using Chester Transportation Center and shuttle after I let Septa know there was a hole through to the street below on the platform. then they closed the North staircase.
Most of what was said in the article regarding the concourse are long gripes. i wanted to add that there’s no congregating areas — waiting for friends in lines for food, tables to eat and drink at (especially during those rain delays). my in-stadium food experience often was balancing a meal on a rounded trash can top. standing shelf tables, hightop and limited seating areas like the S Philly sports complex venues have.
If they’re committed to Chester, then they should take a page from the (formerly Well Fargo Center) and re-skin, rehab, reclaim, re-layout interior. Comcast Spectator did a fine Jobe upscaling and reimagining what they had to get another 10 years out of the facility. for Subaru Park, bathrooms the highest priority.
“Any parent with a kid under the age of eight trying to take them to a Union game, when 90% of kickoffs are at 7:45pm, is playing with fire.”
Couldn’t agree more. I have two under 6 – we finally gave up our season tickets this year after being founding members. I think we made 2 or 3 games in the last two seasons.
Just gave up my club season tickets that I’ve had for 9 years – for many of the reasons already stated but also because there’s no value in being a STM. All too often people with tickets in other sections come and sit in the club seats with no staff there to confirm they belong in a premium section. You can’t get near a seat in other venues without showing your ticket each time you enter the section but it’s basically open seating at Subaru Park. Also, if you’re lucky, you can get maybe 10-15% of the seat’s value when you try to sell them on SG. It’s more cost effective as a fan of the Union to just buy cheap seats on SG and then go sit wherever you want. And, it’s not like the fan services team really goes out of their way to show any appreciation for premium season ticket holders and expressing concerns to them is about as effective as trying to carry water in a paper bag.
At least when I go to games now I’ll feel better about the amount of money I’ve spent on the ticket and my expectation of what I’ll get for my spend.
Interesting perspectives here. For me, things can get HOT in the summer in full sun. Evening games actually helped there. But there is often a swarm of gnats or even spiderwebs. I wish they’d do something about that.
Also I remember when the concourse used to have free ice cream or sausage and not just Heineken piss, and full kids game pen. Seems more boring now.
Removing the Union Ale House and replacing it with a Heineken booth was a serious downgrade as far as I’m concerned. We no longer have the choices we had before, and that “Heineken Deck” is dead compared to what it used to be
I’d like to see some seating provided in the concourse during lightning delays for people with disabilities. My wife has trouble walking (she uses a cane) and can’t stand for long periods of time. She also won’t be able to get up from the ground if she sits down there. So during delays last year when we had to leave the seating area she was stuck sitting on the toilet for over an hour as the only solution.
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On a separate note, I agree with those who like the drum strike but I think they should look to let fans do it most times. While it’s great when a former Union player (or someone like JP Dellacamera) is in town to do it. there is no need for some Eagles or Sixers player or some local dj or hip hop star to do it. The fans in the stadium will be excited regardless of who bangs the drum, but it would probably mean a lot more to Kyle Grantham or Steve (commenter) to bring their kid(s) onto the field with them and bang the drum than it would to Saquon Barkley.
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Finally, I don’t like the changes they made a couple of years ago to the 50/50. It used be you’d have your best chance to win if you invested $20. Now they won’t even sell $20 in tickets and it’s $100 to get the best odds. So instead of giving every game, I do it once in every 5 games or so.
Really wish they would make all stadium announcements in English and Spanish for all games.
Obviously the team is never going to pave the parking lots or fix the issues getting out of them. It’s the definition of insanity reading those comments. If you’re not parking in one of the local community lots by now, that’s on you. Support a church & get in/out in under 5 minutes in a safe & easy walk from SoB tailgate. That’s the message the owners have sent, loud & clear.