Flyers, Sixers fans on their best behavior since Wells Fargo Center reopened
Wells Fargo Center officials are ready if the city allows indoor capacity to increase.
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The Flyers went 1-3 on their last homestand, but the fans went undefeated. At least that’s the way Wells Fargo Center general manager Phil Laws saw it.
“The planning has paid off. The investment has paid off. And the fans have been great,” said Laws. “We had heard all of these horror stories from other arenas and maybe were a little bit leery of how the fans were going to be when they came in. But the fact of the matter is the vast majority has been great.”
The Sixers play their fourth home game in front of fans tonight. The Flyers return to the Center with another four-game homestand starting Monday.
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Pennsylvania last week eased the restriction on indoor capacity from 15% to 25% starting April 4. The city is maintaining the 15%, but said it will review Gov. Tom Wolf’s recommendations. That would lift the Wells Fargo’s capacity from about 3,000 to 5,000, but Laws said they are still examining how to increase the size of crowds while still observing social distancing requirements.
The Sixers have 12 regular-season home games remaining from April 4 until the end of their season, the Flyers 10.
“Fans have been cooperative. They’ve listened to the directions. They’ve worn their masks. They’ve done what we’ve asked of them. They’ve been fantastic. We feel good about moving to the next level.”
Distancing at the merchandise store and making the QR code for the concession menu more visible to the fans was at the top of the lessons Laws and his staff have learned since allowing fans into the building on March 7.
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“Putting it [the QR code] in the seats is really where it’s at,” he said. “That’s working. People want to order food when they want to order food. They don’t want to go find a sign somewhere. They want to have it right there at their seat location.”
Now if only he could do something about the Flyers’ mediocre 7-5-2 home record ...
“We really have to thank the fans for their cooperation,” he said. “Looking forward to seeing more of them as we move toward the playoffs. Can’t wait to get more folks in the building.”