We’re now under two weeks away from the Hounds kicking off their 2018 season. Between a new coach, new branding, new signings, and a new tv deal people are as excited for this season as we’ve probably ever seen. The anxiousness to get this going is running high and people are starting to ask about the Steel Army doing this or that as we all get ready for what is looking like a huge watch party on the 24th and then the home opener (and the good times that come with it) a week later. The one thing we’ve been asked repeatedly is about the away trips. So, with that in mind, lets have a candid talk about what that will entail and how people will need to go from talking about getting on the bus to plunking down some cashburgers and actually getting on the bus. Quite frankly, the bus to Harrisburg last season was run at a considerable loss. While we don’t regret being there for another fun night on the Island and traveling back home with Keystone Cup, the hard truth is that running these trips as a loss can only happen sporadically, and not to the amount that happened last year.
Our goal this year is announce some bused away trips (yes, plural) early enough so that everyone can make the appropriate plans to be there. We know there are graduation parties, weddings, and a bunch of of things that quickly fill up everyone’s calendar in the summertime, so we want to give everyone the best chance to make these trips a priority. In addition, we want to coordinate more carpool trips so we have a presence at more away matches than we ever had before. But, the carpools can come later. For now, we’ll focus on the buses.
When the schedule was first announced, we threw out an informal poll about where people would want to go for a big away trip. The favorite response to that was Cincinnati, and preferably the game on September 1. Because that falls on the back end of the schedule and people are, as mentioned before, showing enthusiasm that hasn’t been seen in quite some time, we’ve looked at a couple possible dates on the front end of the schedule. With dates and places in mind we’ve made the call and received some bus prices quotes.
If we were to pack at 56 seat bus, the cost per member (non-members will probably see their price a little higher) we are looking at:
Richmond on June 2 – $64
Lehigh Valley on August 12 – $50
Cincinnati on September 1 – $55
These are the prices for just a bus. Driver tips, game ticket, food, and drinks will also have to be purchased.
Because the trips are out and back, anywhere other than Harrisburg requires two drivers in order to adhere to regulations. This accounts for the spike in price from Harrisburg trip.
The only trip to Harrisburg is on Wednesday, so that will likely have to be a carpool, unless this season goes better on and off the field than any of us care to dream about.
So, this is where all of you come into play. We’ve heard what you want and we want to make it happen. Are all of you ready and willing to spend a little more than we normally have to in order to take this silly little group to the next level of away support? Talk to us on the Facebook page, Twitter, that sweet new Discord thing that the kids all like, or even a normal e-mail. We need to know the level of commitment from the membership at-large before we start shelling out deposits on a bus or two.
In short: help us, help you, help all of us.
#UNLEASH
