Murray Goodman Upgrades?

[Lehigh Football Nation]

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2015/08/philadelphia-unions-usl-franchise-is.html

The Philadelphia Union announced at Lehigh yesterday that they were starting a USL franchise (sort of like a AAA affiliate) in the Lehigh Valley, and they'll be playing their games at Murray Goodman stadium. In the blog post above, I argue that this relationship is a golden opportunity for the Mountain Hawks to give some needed upgrades to Murray Goodman that will have the dual effect of improving the gameday experience for football fans and also make it very difficult for the Union to ever leave.

I don't know of any other FCS school that has this sort of arrangement, and certainly not one that involves their football field. I'd like to know people's thoughts on this, and whether such an arrangement can be a spark for a stadium upgrade.

[citdog]

why can't the yankee private schools afford their own upgrades? at over 40k a year per student the cries of poverty that come out of menbers of the patsy league are a never ending source of amusement.

[DFW HOYA]

Texas Southern plays at the same MLS facility as the Houston Dynamo (formerly Houston 1836, judged politically incorrect)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Dynamo#Name


why can't the yankee private schools afford their own upgrades? at over 40k a year per student the cries of poverty that come out of menbers of the patsy league are a never ending source of amusement.

Don't get me started.... xbangx

[Lehigh Football Nation]

why can't the yankee private schools afford their own upgrades? at over 40k a year per student the cries of poverty that come out of menbers of the patsy league are a never ending source of amusement.

Not saying necessarily that the Union fund the upgrades - just that they get done somehow.

[Libertine]

FieldTurf first and FieldTurf last. Goodman was a swamp when we played there in 2012 and I can't imagine what it will look like after a decent rain and a soccer team gets done with it.

[2ram]

upgrades. now wouldn't that be nice.

cry me a river lfn!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

upgrades. now wouldn't that be nice.

cry me a river lfn!

Haha! I feel your pain 2ram. :D

[Bill]

I would think upgrades have to be in order. The locker rooms at Goodman are not good....but more importantly, the field is NOT level. Pro soccer (however low level it may be) prefers a flat surface:)

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

I would think upgrades have to be in order. The locker rooms at Goodman are not good....but more importantly, the field is NOT level. Pro soccer (however low level it may be) prefers a flat surface:)

I completely agree! The locker room building is in need of the biggest renovation imo. Updated player areas and a new glass façade would change the appearance of the overall facility.

[Neighbor2]

I'd vote for any change that allows moving the football sideline closer to the home stands! Just for football season, rent 2-3,000 temporary bleacher seats for visitor's side. Take those down/put back up after soccer at the expense of the soccer team. For Lafayette, use the current permanent seats, and move some of the temp bleachers to the end zone if needed.

[ngineer]

I would think upgrades have to be in order. The locker rooms at Goodman are not good....but more importantly, the field is NOT level. Pro soccer (however low level it may be) prefers a flat surface:)

The new turf at Goodman is excellent. It has withstood some very hard rainstorms and has a new drainage system that has worked great. For this reason, the field needs a crown. The soccer team ownership has already indicated they are planning on building their own facility and this is just temporary for a few years. I think seeing how the team will draw will determine whether such an investment will be made elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley.

[CHIP72]

I'd vote for any change that allows moving the football sideline closer to the home stands! Just for football season, rent 2-3,000 temporary bleacher seats for visitor's side. Take those down/put back up after soccer at the expense of the soccer team. For Lafayette, use the current permanent seats, and move some of the temp bleachers to the end zone if needed.

See, I was thinking that this announcement finally justifies having the stands so far from the field. You need that extra space to fit in a soccer field.

[RichH2]

Dreams are nice. We just finished new softball stadium and baseball upgrade. Goodman a beautiful location.It would be nice to be proctive in upgrades. No doubt Joe would like to do much more but he is at the mercy of the University budget. As most everything else over there, those costs need to come from alumni. A lot should be done ,unlikely much will anytime soon.

[DatDude]

Didnt LU just get new football facilities or some kind of upgrades????? Meeting rooms etc?

[RichH2]

Didnt LU just get new football facilities or some kind of upgrades????? Meeting rooms etc?

Yes,that facility was redone.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

The Cundey Varsity House was upgraded and is a very nice facility.

https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/228294321_640.jpg
http://www.usaarchitects.com/img.php?f=_media/portfolio/lehigh_cundey/view1---final.jpg&w=763&h=421

[Bill]

Cranky alum/former coach rant:
Yes, the varsity house additions and expansions are very necessary…but they still won’t be enough. I have to laugh when I read (from Lehigh’s web page) “Simply stated, we no longer have enough space within the Varsity House to accommodate our training programs”
The fact is, there was never enough space to accommodate the teams (football in particular) even after the first expansion 15 years ago. I was very disappointed in the expansion – it wasn’t anywhere near big enough, and it wasn’t designed well. I blame part of that on our lack of an in-house strength staff to guide things…everything from equipment to layout could have been done much better, and for less money. I couldn’t believe what they paid for some of the stuff they got!!
Maybe I expect too much, but several of competitors (Colgate and even Lafayette’s OLD facility, for example) were better. Forget about the CAA and Ivy…for the most part, they blow us out of the water.
Sorry for the sour grapes, I just don’t think as highly of the varsity house...

[2ram]

Cranky alum/former coach rant:
Yes, the varsity house additions and expansions are very necessary…but they still won’t be enough. I have to laugh when I read (from Lehigh’s web page) “Simply stated, we no longer have enough space within the Varsity House to accommodate our training programs”
The fact is, there was never enough space to accommodate the teams (football in particular) even after the first expansion 15 years ago. I was very disappointed in the expansion – it wasn’t anywhere near big enough, and it wasn’t designed well. I blame part of that on our lack of an in-house strength staff to guide things…everything from equipment to layout could have been done much better, and for less money. I couldn’t believe what they paid for some of the stuff they got!!
Maybe I expect too much, but several of competitors (Colgate and even Lafayette’s OLD facility, for example) were better. Forget about the CAA and Ivy…for the most part, they blow us out of the water.
Sorry for the sour grapes, I just don’t think as highly of the varsity house...

was the poor design what prompted the ditching of 'engineers' in favor of 'mountain hawks'?

[Bill]

Touche....

I say "poor design" because while buildings often look nice, they may not be as functional!

[RichH2]

Cranky alum/former coach rant:
Yes, the varsity house additions and expansions are very necessary…but they still won’t be enough. I have to laugh when I read (from Lehigh’s web page) “Simply stated, we no longer have enough space within the Varsity House to accommodate our training programs”
The fact is, there was never enough space to accommodate the teams (football in particular) even after the first expansion 15 years ago. I was very disappointed in the expansion – it wasn’t anywhere near big enough, and it wasn’t designed well. I blame part of that on our lack of an in-house strength staff to guide things…everything from equipment to layout could have been done much better, and for less money. I couldn’t believe what they paid for some of the stuff they got!!
Maybe I expect too much, but several of competitors (Colgate and even Lafayette’s OLD facility, for example) were better. Forget about the CAA and Ivy…for the most part, they blow us out of the water.
Sorry for the sour grapes, I just don’t think as highly of the varsity house...
Well said. The upgrade ,altho a definite improvement,does not even meet current needs,much less future ones.

[CHIP72]

Touche....

I say "poor design" because while buildings often look nice, they may not be as functional!

Exhibit A - PNC Park in Pittsburgh, or specifically the concourses and escalator locations there.

Sorry for the digression.

[FordhamFan]

FieldTurf first and FieldTurf last. Goodman was a swamp when we played there in 2012 and I can't imagine what it will look like after a decent rain and a soccer team gets done with it.

Never please! The grass at Goodman was always my favorite part of going there...and soccer teams will ALWAYS avoid FieldTurf if given a chance. So I wouldn't expect turf

[Libertine]

Never please! The grass at Goodman was always my favorite part of going there...and soccer teams will ALWAYS avoid FieldTurf if given a chance. So I wouldn't expect turf

Dude, FIFA just played the entire Women's World Cup on FieldTurf.

[clenz]

Dude, FIFA just played the entire Women's World Cup on FieldTurf.
And it was a MAJOR source of contention. It won't happen again

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[RichH2]

Guaranteed that FiFA never plays on field turf again. No one was happy.

[Libertine]

And it was a MAJOR source of contention. It won't happen again


Yeaaaah. Usually, I'm content to let you two believe that you know the inner thoughts of every sports figure and executive on the planet but that's just a synapse too far. Just because something is a source of contention the first time doesn't mean that will be the case in perpetuity. The fact that the WWC was held on turf at all speaks more loudly then all the traditionalist moaning. If baseball can adapt to replay then international soccer and certainly American soccer can adapt to turf, all of which, in fact, have been and are inevitable. Speaking of FIFA, does anyone really think that all the fields in Qatar are going to be the same pristine natural grass that European clubs are used to playing on? So far, Qatar can't keep their slave laborers alive let alone the planned slew of new futbol pitches. Pull up a satellite image of Qatar and you can literally count the lawns.

[RichH2]

Snarky response to the side Libertine,no exageration of reaction by coaches and players to fieldturf. As to Qatar,suggest you take a look at the stadiums being built.

[Libertine]

Snarky response to the side Libertine.

Oh, are we not doing snark on AGS anymore? Did I miss that email? Oh, wait here it is. Ah, yes, "...all AGS discourse shall now be conducted as quietly and seriously as discussions typically held within the hallowed confines of the Library of Congress". Well, then I do sinceeeeeerely apologize, Mr. H2, Esquire.

As for Qatar, I can Google lots of really pretty Qatari designs but these designs are from the same people who thought they could invent some sort of hovering artificial cloud that would cool an entire stadium in the Persian Gulf in summer. Turns out that design was a pipe dream too so now World Cup 2022 is being held in the dead of winter.

Coaches and players can react however they want, especially since they're the ones who usually wail the loudest about anything new at all. It won't change progress and fieldturf is progress. For soccer and for Goodman.

[RichH2]

True enough,but surface will be grass.

[Pard4Life]

Well, it's about time that a real 'football' team will be playing at Goodman for a change.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Well, it's about time that a real 'football' team will be playing at Goodman for a change.

Yes. That you will see in November.

[Pard4Life]

Yes. That you will see in November.

... will you be wearing pinstripes? It's a good look for you guys.

[Southsider]

... will you be wearing pinstripes? It's a good look for you guys.

Nice to see P4L back in the saddle. I thought the pinstripes were neat, until the game started xsighx. BTW, I will be pulling for the Pards on 9/5! As a league, we need to win these games!!

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Maybe the Pards will show up for one of these OOC games for once.

[RichH2]

Is nice to have P4L back in his sniper's spot ,another harbringer of real football.

[Pard4Life]

Is nice to have P4L back in his sniper's spot ,another harbringer of real football.

You mean bird's nest? Excuse me.. I mean, Hawk's Nest!

[RichH2]

You mean bird's nest? Excuse me.. I mean, Hawk's Nest!
:):)
Good start to season. Good luck with Bill and Mary.

[PAllen]

Oh, are we not doing snark on AGS anymore? Did I miss that email? Oh, wait here it is. Ah, yes, "...all AGS discourse shall now be conducted as quietly and seriously as discussions typically held within the hallowed confines of the Library of Congress". Well, then I do sinceeeeeerely apologize, Mr. H2, Esquire.

As for Qatar, I can Google lots of really pretty Qatari designs but these designs are from the same people who thought they could invent some sort of hovering artificial cloud that would cool an entire stadium in the Persian Gulf in summer. Turns out that design was a pipe dream too so now World Cup 2022 is being held in the dead of winter.

Coaches and players can react however they want, especially since they're the ones who usually wail the loudest about anything new at all. It won't change progress and fieldturf is progress. For soccer and for Goodman.

Except of course for that pesky player lawsuit that nearly stopped the WWC from happening.

[clenz]

Except of course for that pesky player lawsuit that nearly stopped the WWC from happening.
minutia, really

[Libertine]

Except of course for that pesky player lawsuit that nearly stopped the WWC from happening.

Please. That lawsuit had about as much chance of stopping the Women's World Cup as I did of playing in it. Further, the whole point of that suit was about gender discrimination and didn't intend to stop the games at all. So...

FIELDTURF!!

[LC1142]

http://lehighfootballnation.blogspot.com/2015/08/philadelphia-unions-usl-franchise-is.html

The Philadelphia Union announced at Lehigh yesterday that they were starting a USL franchise (sort of like a AAA affiliate) in the Lehigh Valley, and they'll be playing their games at Murray Goodman stadium. In the blog post above, I argue that this relationship is a golden opportunity for the Mountain Hawks to give some needed upgrades to Murray Goodman that will have the dual effect of improving the gameday experience for football fans and also make it very difficult for the Union to ever leave.

I don't know of any other FCS school that has this sort of arrangement, and certainly not one that involves their football field. I'd like to know people's thoughts on this, and whether such an arrangement can be a spark for a stadium upgrade.

Great opportunity for you guys. Your stadium would be the natural fit. Lots of parking, decent access, and enough seating. You should be able to negotuiate a few upgrades out of this, though doubt they will be for the fans. More likely for the players.

[ccd494]

Coaches and players can react however they want, especially since they're the ones who usually wail the loudest about anything new at all. It won't change progress and fieldturf is progress. For soccer and for Goodman.

Ha, no. Fieldturf is not going to be the future of soccer. That will never happen again. Look at Sydney Leroux's legs after one game! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BH3D2UoCUAAe2gN.jpg

The ball doesn't bounce right on turf. Some of soccer's major international stars are on record as saying they won't play on it if games are scheduled on it. Thierry Henry's MLS contract had a clause that said he didn't have to play in road games at Gillette or Seattle or any stadium with turf.

The only reason the Women's World Cup was played on turf is because Sepp Blatter got paid, and the lawsuit against it in the Canadian courts was filed too late.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

As a general rule being on the side of Sepp Blatter isn't a desirable thing

[RichH2]

Good lord,still field turf. Not happenig in Goodman. Dont really care what soccer does or doesn't do elsewhere.

[PAllen]

Please. That lawsuit had about as much chance of stopping the Women's World Cup as I did of playing in it. Further, the whole point of that suit was about gender discrimination and didn't intend to stop the games at all. So...

FIELDTURF!!

Yes, the descrimination was that there was no way that the men's world cup would ever be played on turf. The court agreed, but noted that the only recourse under the law and time frame was to cancel the event. With the risk of the WWC being cancelled due to Canadian anti-discrimination law, the players dropped the suit. So... No.

[FordhamFan]

The point stands, the grass at Goodman is awesome. I wish more football teams on all levels played on it. Maintenance can obviously be a bitch but when done right, it's just the best