Group: Over 5,000 pledge to buy Columbus Crew season tickets in 2019

A community organization is continuing its push to try to stop the Columbus Crew SC MLS team from Columbus. 

Crew SC owner Anthony Precourt and his company, Precourt Sports Ventures, announced plans last October to pursue a move to Austin, Texas.

After the announcement, a group of team supporters, dubbed as #savethecrew, joined together in an attempt to save the team.

Their efforts have been joined by Ohio Attorney General and Republican governor candidate Mike DeWine, who filed suit to try to block the move, claiming a state law passed after the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore applied to the possible move of the Columbus Crew.

That matter is still in court.

The latest effort by #savethecrew was a season ticket pledge drive, announced last week, for the upcoming season.

“In light of a lack of advertisements for 2019 by team ownership, and its current investor/operator, we are excited to help show potential new team ownership the massive level of fan support that already exists for Columbus Crew SC,” said Tobias Roediger, a spokesperson with #SaveTheCrew. “We are confident this team will be in Columbus long-term, and we’re eager to help ensure its future viability.”

We also asked David Miller, another spokesman for the group, about the group’s efforts.

How has the campaign gone so far?

The 2019 "Take The Pledge" program is just the first step in a wider Project 2019 campaign. We are impressed, but not surprised, by the level of support Project 2019 has garnered. Columbus has always been a soccer city, and will remain so for decades to come.  

What’s your goal?

The community responded with over 5,000 pledges for season tickets within the first 48 hours of the campaign, and we’ll be eager to share future updates as we hit our next milestones. We aim to collect as many pledges as possible to give new owners a leg up. 

What’s your next step after the ticket campaign here?

Project 2019 is a multifaceted campaign with multiple stages. I'd pay attention for the next Project 2019 announcement later this week. 

Do you still feel optimistic about your efforts to #savethecrew?

We know that Columbus is a soccer town and we aim to show that to potential new owners and the greater soccer community. We are confident that any attendance issues this year are not reflective of Columbus’ willingness to support a team which truly ingrains itself in this soccer-loving community. In less than a week, Project 2019 is bearing out that belief. We are very confident Columbus Crew SC will be playing in Columbus long-term. 

Anything else you would like to add?

Something we've been talking about for awhile has started to get some attention. The state of MAPFRE Stadium is atrocious. From sinks without handles, to leaky ceilings, to parts of benches held together by zip-ties, it's clear that stadium upkeep is not a priority for PSV.