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MLS FC Dallas

Burn To Play at Dragon Stadium in Southlake in 2003; Team Announces Ticket Prices for 2003 Season

January 14, 2003 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Dallas News Release


DALLAS - The Dallas Burn officially announced today that the team will play the 2003 Major League Soccer season at Dragon Stadium in the Metroplex suburb of Southlake. Dragon Stadium is a sparkling new facility which was developed just 16 months ago by the Carroll Independent School District to house the District's football and soccer teams.

"The Cotton Bowl has been a fine home for the Burn since 1996, however we feel this interim move to the Northern Perimeter of the Dallas - Ft. Worth Metroplex will be beneficial to our diverse soccer fan base in numerous ways," said Burn President and General Manager Andy Swift. "We will be able to create an intimate, high-energy atmosphere for the continued growth of the game. Burn home games will now be free of game scheduling conflicts which have in the past created problems related to dates, traffic and parking. Any change in venue inevitably becomes more convenient for some and less for others, however we believe that the evolving demographics and continued growth of the Northern Perimeter of the Metroplex make this shift appealing."

Dragon Stadium was built with soccer in mind with a 70 x 120-yard playing area. The surface itself is synthetic "Field Turf" which has received high marks when tested by several groups of MLS players at other sites. "Field Turf" is a FIFA approved playing surface.

The stadium has a current seating capacity of approximately 8,000 but has handled crowds of up to 10,000 for the District's current State Champion football team. The Burn will be responsible for a modest increase to the seating capacity which will enable Burn games to attract up to approximately 12,000 spectators on an overflow basis.

Dragon Stadium is located 23 miles Northwest of downtown Dallas and is approximately five minutes by car from DFW Airport just off of State Highway 114 (a map with directions to the stadium is located at the bottom of the release).

Southlake is a fast growing community of 23,554 and is centrally located in a Northern Perimeter suburb belt of over 26 communities which include the following: McKinney, Allen, Plano, Frisco, Richardson, Carrolton, Lewisville, Farmers Branch, The Colony, (the current practice site of the Burn), Flower Mound, Coppell, Grapevine, Keller, Colleyville, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Arlington, Irving, Trophy Club, Summerfield, Saginaw, Denton and Argyle as well as the northern half of the cities of Dallas and Ft. Worth.

The youth soccer base as well as the Hispanic population in these suburban communities are continuing to grow at a fast rate and the Southlake facility is well located to serve a total potential audience of at least 2.5 million people in the north half of the Metroplex.

MLS Board Member John Wagner, President of MLS Investor "Hunt Sports," spoke of the long range potential and the MLS' continuing effort to develop a future permanent home for the Burn. "We evaluated the Southlake location extensively prior to making a decision and we firmly believe that this move is in the best interest of our fans, sponsors and the Burn organization. Dragon Stadium will provide the Burn the opportunity to be more financially viable, which is of primary importance to both the Burn and the MLS."

Swift, who has been associated with the Burn for all seven years of their existence, concluded that the organization is most appreciative of the opportunity that MLS had to develop the sport in the formative years at the Cotton Bowl. "The Burn has been treated very fairly at the Cotton Bowl and our move is motivated primarily by the need to develop a more intimate atmosphere."

Ticket prices will range from $12 (General Admission) to $20 and $24 for Adult Reserve seats and $17 and $20 for Youth Reserved seats. Limited Club seating will also be available for $35, along with Suite seating in an air-conditioned press box area. Similar to prior years, Season Seat holders will receive a price discount off the regular price of the ticket, along with other perks.

The Burn will offer 6, 9 and 18 game Season Seat packages, as well as a Flexi-Pass. First priority on seating will initially be offered to existing Burn Season Seat holders, however a priority list is currently being formed for those fans who wish to purchase Season Seats for the first time. Please call (214) 979-0303 for information on the various ticket packages available. Contact may also be made by fax at (214) 979-1118.

The Dallas Burn is one of only two MLS teams to make the playoffs all seven years of the league's existence and won America's oldest soccer competition - the U.S. Open Cup - in 1997. The team kicks off the 2003 season vs. the defending MLS Cup Champion Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday, April 12 at Dragon Stadium.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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