Willrich Also Wonders Why Fans Don’t Jump on Socker Bandwagon

Until late last September, the Padres could not draw a big crowd unless they gave away caps or beach towels.

But now that they have won a National League pennant, the entire town is on their bandwagon. People who did not know the team existed until last year are upset because they cannot get choice seats for the upcoming season.

The Sockers wish they had such problems.

Average home attendance is 9,172 through 12 home games for the three-time indoor champions, a drop off of more than 2,000 a game from last year. And Owner Bob Bell isn’t the only one complaining.

“We play in the championship series and everyone comes out, which is fine,” Jean Willrich said. “(Mayor) Roger Hedgecock comes and we have a soccer day in San Diego. Big deal. Why aren’t these people coming out now when we need people?”

One of the reasons is surely that the Sockers sent popular players Julie Veee, Alan Mayer and Gert Wieczorkowski to Las Vegas. Another may be that people are saving their money for Padre tickets. And then there is the old adage of too many things to do in San Diego, but the Sockers were up against that last season when they drew much better.

“I cannot understand the people,” Willrich said. “Some say tickets are too expensive. (They cost $8 and $10). This is bull. People pay $20 for football or Padre tickets. I get the feeling people in San Diego only come out when it’s playoff time. These are not real fans. Real fans stand behind you all the time.

“Look at St. Louis and Kansas City. They lose and they draw 16,000 or 17,000 fans. Sure, there is nothing to do there. But there was nothing else to do here (Thursday) night, and look what we drew.”

The Sockers drew only 6,735 fans for Thursday’s game against Cleveland, a 22-month low.

One thing Willrich cannot buy is people jumping on the bandwagon of the Padres, but not the Sockers.

“I came here in 1978, and the Padres were the worst team in the league,” Willrich said. “They had 5,000 or 6,000 people a game. All of a sudden, they had what I would call a lucky season, and everybody is a Padre fan. Why aren’t they soccer fans? People say soccer is a new sport in America. I say B.S. Soccer has been in America for 50 years.”

The Sockers are in their fifth indoor season. Indoor soccer is only seven years old in America, but the Sockers have always drawn much better indoors than outdoors.

Of course, indoor soccer in San Diego always meant players such as Veee. Recently, Veee has expressed an interest in returning to the Sockers.

“He’s a good player,” Kaz Deyna said, “and more people and players would be happy if he came back. It’s difficult for people not to have Julie in San Diego. He was our leading scorer all the time, and now he’s gone--like that. I think it was bad for the team.”

Willrich: “I think it was not fair to the team and the people. There comes a time when coaches and owners make decisions that are hard to swallow for the team. When you have a championship caliber team, maybe you shouldn’t change it too badly.”

Only 9 of the 16 Sockers who normally dress out for games played here last year.

“If you have a team that wins three straight championships, you never change the team,” Deyna said. “Maybe you buy one or two players for safety, but don’t sell the whole team.”

Bell took a calculated risk, selling older players and bringing in younger ones. It has paid off in the Sockers’ 16-6 record, the best in the Major Indoor Soccer League. However, getting rid of popular older players has definitely cost the Sockers at the gate.