The Seattle Sounders hosted their 2018 Alliance Annual Business Meeting on Tuesday, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. The event covers a variety of business topics and serves as a review of the season and a look ahead to 2019.
The most anticipated part of the meeting was the result of this year’s general manager vote, which occurs every four years and allows fan input on the general manager’s time in office. All Alliance members — fans who actively provide feedback to the club during two-year terms in the council — were able to cast votes before Oct. 17 for either “retention or no confidence,” according to the club.
This year marked Garth Lagerwey’s fourth full season as general manager of the Sounders, and his first time facing the vote. The Alliance voted 87.3 percent in favor of retaining Lagerwey. However, only 37.2 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot, according to the club.
“Although we fell just short of the 40-percent threshold needed for a valid vote, we’ve heard a clear message from Alliance members about their confidence in the direction of our organization, and the body of work that Garth has put together over the past four seasons,” Sounders FC owner Adrian Hanauer said during the meeting. “More than anything, we believe the general manager Vote remains essential to Democracy in Sports, ensuring that fans always have a say on the organization’s course, no matter who is in charge at the time.”
The first GM vote happened in 2012, with then-general manager Hanauer getting a 96.3 percent approval rating out of 13,775 votes cast.
RETAINED: 87.3% of Alliance members vote to keep Garth Lagerwey as Sounders FC General Manager.
RESULTS ➡️ https://t.co/Wh1kvoTDto pic.twitter.com/SZCrQOeT0h
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) November 14, 2018