The Canadian Soccer Association has put a moratorium on the sanctioning of new D2 and PDL teams effective immediately. The moratorium will expire Sept 30, 2011.
The new policy was approved unanimously.
Details of the new policy were distributed widely through a letter written today. However, the news has not been reported publically until now. Canadian Soccer News received word of the change through several independent sources.
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It is believed that FC Edmonton will still be allowed to play in the NASL next year, along will all existing D2 and PDL teams. The moratorium will only apply to new clubs wishing to join the leagues.
The change will be most felt by investors in Ottawa and Hamilton. In both cities work has been ongoing to put teams in the NASL or USL.
One insider welcomed the change.
“It’s time to get serious,” he said. “If we keep sanctioning teams down there we will never grow anything of our own.”
The moratorium comes just a few weeks after CSA Vice-President Victor Montagliani told It’s Called Football that he would like to see Canada working to develop its own D2 structure. However, in the past Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi has said that he doesn’t believe that a Canadian D2 league is viable.
Investors in Ottawa also told It’s Called Football earlier this year that they did not think that a Canadian D2 league would work.
The moratorium might be bad news for the NASL in its efforts to get to eight teams.
When contacted tonight NASL officials said that they would not be commenting at this time.
Montagliani had not responded to an e-mail at the time of original publication. This article will be updated as more is learned.