With my wife and oldest daughter heading to Broadway this weekend, I brought my 7-year old on this quick trip into New England. Tough to get in as much of a thorough tour as I often do while being a Dad, but we made it work. The trip started in Hartford, where an accident-filled ride meant that twice I had to detour around major interstate backups. We made it in the late afternoon, stopping at Bushnell Park downtown and one of the strangest carousels I’ve ever been on. It was flying fast and the extent to which they went to keeping you from stepping on the hooves of the horse to climb up was something. The ride operator even wore a shirt where it loudly said that on the back. Afterwards, we drove 5 minutes just south of downtown to a grittier side of the city where Trinity Health Stadium is located. Home to the Hartford Athletic, a USL Championship side, the stadium doesn’t make The List, so there is no official review. Stadium capacities drive me crazy with the variabilities and inconsistencies as it can be tough finding an accurate answer. For example, there is no way that Keyworth Stadium (Detroit City) fits 7,933 while Hartford’s place is listed at 5,500. It’s clear when comparing the pictures, but even more obvious having been in both stadiums.
I’ve had a fascination with coming here as I’ve loved everything they have done with the club since their inaugural season in 2019. From taking an old stadium and revamping it while adding character…to the striking color scheme that is an obvious nod to the Hartford Whalers and a full integration with the community. The event did not disappoint as it was a perfect late-summer night weather-wise and the match was fantastic too. Hartford came back from being 2-0 down as they won 3-2. The highlight for me was a stroke of luck as I was in the corner when Michee Ngalina celebrated with some acrobatics. I happened to be down there as my daughter went into the Family Fun Zone shortly before halftime, where they had some Battling Tops. The celebration was right next to The Bonanza and Raza Brava, the Supporters’ groups for the club. In the background, Brass Bonanza played (a perfect goal song, also from the Whalers) and oh it was an “I love sports” moment. Hartford has done a good job with the stadium as the open areas behind each stand have a little something. The food trucks in one of the corners are the best options if eating at the game, just be prepared for a lengthy line. Behind the goal, suites and a group area are set-up, while the primary stands behind the benches include three (pricey) sections with chairbacks. The General Admission stands on the other side aren’t bad if there is cloud cover or early/late in the season. Nearing the end of summer, the sun was quickly down once the match started. Another advantage on this side are some very wide rows. The bones of this place (formerly Dillon Stadium) goes back to 1935 and they’ve remade it into a serviceable home for USL soccer. In their 8th season, it felt like a good crowd on hand as I walked around, but in retrospect, there were many more holes in the stands than I thought. Attendance is way down this season as well. This often happens after Year 5 of a new club and hopefully they can look for ways to rebound.
The next day, we made the hour drive to Worcester, Mass and an early afternoon game at Polar Park to see the Triple-A team. I so badly wanted to hate this place given the circumstances around how the team arrived 6 years ago. Extortion by the Boston Red Sox to see which New England city they could swindle the most money out of led them here to Wormtown. The Sox said goodbye to their longtime home in Pawtucket for the most expensive minor-league stadium built to date and one that would cost the city around $85 million. Unsurprisingly, it’s been a money-losing deal.
But ya know, a funny thing happened as I didn’t hate it as much as I wanted to. First, Polar Park is indeed turning around the Canal District neighborhood. While there still is a lot of construction and the stuff going up is mainly housing, the area and ballpark is a very short walk to Kelly Square and Harding Street, which is a decent spot with pre/post game options. Excluding the ugly exterior of the ballpark, the inside looks good and the social spaces all fit together nicely as it has a closed-in / urban connection. Trains run by in the outfield and looks at downtown Worcester are by the video board. My enjoyment of upper-deck seating is now a fantasy with any newer park and that is indeed the case here as the only individual seats from this area require usage of a Club. There are some elevated standing spots, just with obstructed views. Perhaps helping me walk out of there with a decent perspective was an usher who was remarkably kind when he didn’t have to be. We had GA tickets, which means no seat, and in the 4th inning we moved from the grassy outfield to the middle of open Section 16. After an inning, the usher came down and explained that the top half of the section were for those coming down from the club level. He understandably could have given us the boot, but not only did he kindly explain everything, but even said “tell ya what, I haven’t seen anybody down in those first few rows if you want to head down there”. Combine that exchange with the one at the security gate who was playing up Bluey Day and these are the things that leave lasting impressions. Take note other teams trying to bring people back to the stadium.
For the full detailed Polar Park review, check back later this weekend as I’ll have it completed.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
