Final West End Stadium Seat Design Released; Choice Determined Via Fan Vote and Feedback
May 27, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release
CINCINNATI - West End Stadium's east side seating sections will feature the club's "Gary" winged lion logo in orange on a field of navy blue seats when the stadium opens in Spring 2021.
Fan feedback during the voting process also led to an additional seating design decision announced by the club: FC Cincinnati have added the letters "FCC" in orange seats across the mezzanine level of the south end zone.
The east-side design was determined by a week-long fan vote, which generated more than 5,000 entries between May 18 and May 22. Of those votes, 95% of fans who voted selected one of the two designs that featured Gary - with the winning navy-based design copping 55% of the total votes.
"We are thrilled to see our fans so overwhelmingly select a design with an orange Gary," FC Cincinnati president Jeff Berding said. "Since our MLS brand launch in November 2018, there has been a steady groundswell of organic support for the winged lion in our logo. Even his name originated from our supporters and fans - before our MLS logo was even formally released. The fact that they so unanimously favored designs with Gary means a lot to us as a club. When West End Stadium opens next spring, Gary will become an iconic symbol of our club and stadium around the world - and our supporters will have played a valuable role in the design."
"Additionally, we quickly saw how passionate our fans were about wanting the club name as a text element in the seats. The seating order for The Bailey was already completed, which prevents us from adding it there as many fans requested. However, we were able to adjust and incorporate F-C-C lettering into the south end zone seat design. When West End Stadium opens, our fans will have had a tremendous impact on what stadium visitors and the world see week-in and week-out," Berding added.
Votes for the east-side seats originated from at least 14 different states during the five-day voting period.
FC Cincinnati's West End Stadium is currently under construction, and the installation of the horizontal trusses to support the stadium's 360-degree canopy roof began on May 14. The stadium will open in Spring 2021.
Major League Soccer Stories from May 27, 2020
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- Sounders FC Captain Nicolas Lodeiro and Frontline Worker Representatives Hoist Space Needle Flag as Part of "All in WA" - Seattle Sounders FC
- LAFC and the LAFC Foundation to Host Second Black & Gold Blood Drive in Partnership with Banc of California - Los Angeles FC
- Inter Miami CF Participating in EduCup Challenge - Inter Miami CF
- Ingram Sees the Long Game in MLS Adventure - Nashville SC
- Final West End Stadium Seat Design Released; Choice Determined Via Fan Vote and Feedback - FC Cincinnati
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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