GARDEN CITY, Idaho — Athletic Club Boise has quickly built a passionate following during its inaugural season, drawing hundreds of fans to matches and creating a lively atmosphere at its Garden City stadium.
But while many supporters say they're enjoying the game-day experience, some Beer Garden season-ticket holders tell Idaho News 6 the section they purchased did not initially deliver the experience they expected.
WATCH: Fans say Beer Garden experience fell short; club says changes have been made
Joshua Jones and Nicole Sambol purchased season tickets in the Beer Garden before the season began. They say they were attracted by promises of an adult-only section with draft beer, televisions, shade and dedicated seating areas designed to enhance the viewing experience.
"We showed up to the fan fest the week before and they hadn't even broken ground on the area," Jones said. "It was just a flat dirt surface and all of the people there told us, 'It's going to be ready, it's going to be ready.'"
According to Jones and Sambol, the Beer Garden still wasn't fully built out by the first home match. AC Boise confirmed this was true.
"We showed up for the first match. It was turf. I think you counted eight picnic tables and that was really it," Sambol said. "There were no TVs, there were no bar areas, kids running around everywhere. It just wasn't what they originally sold to us."
The couple says visibility has been one of their biggest frustrations.
"We want to go out and support a team that's part of the community, but we can't do that when you can't enjoy the game on the most basic level of being able to view it," Jones said.
Several Beer Garden season-ticket holders who spoke with Idaho News 6 shared similar concerns, saying portions of the field remained difficult to see during matches and that some advertised amenities were unavailable during the first few home games.
Sambol says she believes the club should have been more transparent about delays to the Beer Garden's construction and says she and her husband currently do not plan to renew their season tickets.
Beer Garden season-ticket packages cost $600 this season, coming out to about $30 a match.
"It was kind of disappointing all around," Sambol said. "Despite their reassurances they were working on it and they were going to get to it, at the end of the day it wasn't what they sold us on."
To learn how the club is addressing those concerns, Idaho News 6 spoke with Athletic Club Boise CEO Brad Stith during Wednesday night's match.
Stith acknowledged some fans were frustrated during the team's first few home games and said the organization took that feedback seriously.
"The first couple of games, totally, I understood where people were coming from and we made sure we addressed that," Stith said. "Obviously, we want every fan to have an incredible experience and we'll keep working to make sure that's optimized."
Stith says the club added viewing risers, televisions, additional seating and tables, and a designated 21-and-over section by the third home match.
He says those features were always part of the original plan but took longer than expected to complete.
"And so we made sure after the first game that all our Beer Garden season-ticket holders knew exactly what was going to be built, how it was going to be built, what was going to go on," Stith said. "It just took a couple of weeks longer than we anticipated."
While some Beer Garden season-ticket holders remain frustrated with visibility issues and their early-season experience, many fans in other sections of the stadium told Idaho News 6 they have enjoyed Athletic Club Boise's inaugural season and plan to return for future matches.
The club says it will continue gathering feedback from supporters as the season progresses and evaluate additional improvements to enhance the fan experience.
