Forge FC will not sell any tickets to the first-ever Canadian Premier League game.

Once their longest-term supporters exercise their option for extra seats free of charge, the Hamilton team in the new professional soccer league will hold a contest for fans to win tickets — also free of charge — to the April 27 opener between the Forge and York9 FC.

The team hopes to set an attendance record for a sporting event at Tim Hortons Field for the momentous match.

But those who've bought already will get first crack at the no-charge tickets.

On Tuesday afternoon, Forge FC informed its "Co-Founders" — those who have bought season's tickets or have put a deposit down for the right to do so — that through an initiative they call 'Soccer Unites Hamilton', they are waiving ticket fees for the first game and also providing Co-Founders with the opportunity to receive extra tickets for family and friends. Because no one else in the stadium will be paying on Opening Day, subscribers will receive, without charge, the same number of tickets in their account for the club's Canadian Championship match at Tim Hortons Field in June.

"This is the group that has supported us before there was even a game played by a new team in a new league," Forge FC and Hamilton Tiger-Cats president Matt Afinec said.

Later this week the club will announce a contest to win whatever tickets remain.

And it should be a significant number.

Afinec said that Forge FC "is trending" toward 5-6,000" season tickets by Opening Day and confirmed to The Spectator earlier this week that actual sales have already surpassed 4,000 season tickets. So even at maximum redemption the offer will likely result in only about 10,000 tickets reserved.

The normal soccer configuration — the lower blocks, plus club seats and suites — has a maximum capacity of 10,016. However, Forge FC will open the stadium's upper decks for Opening Day only.

That elevates the seating capacity to an official 23,218 with another 2,000 or so tickets available for the "social viewing" (standing and roaming areas) that is a big part of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats game-day marketing.

That would lift the potential capacity up to just over 25,000. The record for a sports event at the east end stadium is 24,512, established at the 2016 Labour Day Classic between the Ticats and Toronto Argonauts.

"Events like the launch of a national Canadian soccer league don't come along very often, and we are celebrating accordingly," team owner Bob Young said via a team email to the The Spectator. "The whole Canadian Premier League (CPL) journey started in Hamilton almost five years ago, and it's appropriate that the first ever CPL match will take place at Tim Hortons Field.

"The opening match in our new league deserves to have as many fans in attendance as possible to partake in this 'I was there' moment in Hamilton sports history. Our Soccer Unites Hamilton promotion is a small thank-you to our fellow citizens who helped make Tim Hortons Field into one of Canada's premier outdoor entertainment facilities and a destination for elite soccer competition."

As Forge was expecting to sell out the opening match, Afinec conceded that this promotion is a loss-leader.

"Getting 24-25,000 people into Tim Hortons Field and getting the game-day experience and seeing the quality of soccer on the pitch, we think longer term that outweighs any cost we incur or any revenue we give up," Afinec told The Spectator. "Over the long run we think it is a marketing opportunity to people in the community who may not be interested in (CFL) football or haven't been to the stadium in the past but are engaged in soccer. As a marketing tool and vehicle for us it's a pretty unique opportunity we're going to capitalize on."

Hamilton, considered to be the league's first team, along with Valour FC of Winnipeg, is a flagship franchise and it's important for the CPL to have a big crowd on its opening day. The CPL's parallel business arm — Canadian Soccer Business — recently signed a 10-year, $200-million deal with Spanish multimedia giant MEDIAPRO for broadcast rights to 2,000 CPL games, plus all Canadian national men's and women's games, over that period.

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It has not yet been decided on which platform(s) the Forge-York game will be broadcast.

Hamilton, through the Tiger-Cats, was the birthplace of the CPL. It was originally Young's idea, but his Ticat CEO Scott Mitchell then caught the bug and has guided the establishment of the seven-team league. He's also CEO of both the CPL and CSB.

The CPL's is partnered with Canada Soccer, with a focus on developing Canadian talent for the national team. At least seven Canadian players must be on the field at all times.

"There is no CPL without this stadium," Afinec said. "It's important to talk about the role Tim Hortons Field has taken since this project started five years ago here, and the role that the community has played in shaping the narrative of what this stadium can deliver and the importance of soccer in Hamilton. It's in a very small collection of markets that have sold out the women's national team on several occasions. Pan Am soccer did well in 2015 when it was here too.

"We wanted to do something creative to give this game back to the community. We felt it was reflective of a once-in-a-generation time to launch a league in our city."

smilton@thespec.com

905-526-3268 | @miltonatthespec

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