CP Article on T.O. Stadium plans

[Massive Attack]

T.O. outdoor stadium almost ready

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/2003/07/21/141889-cp.html

By NEIL DAVIDSON

The Canadian Soccer Association's planned 30,000-seat on the Toronto waterfront is seen in this artist's rendition. (CP Handout)

TORONTO (CP) - The Canadian Soccer Association unveiled its plans for a 30,000-seat stadium in Toronto on Monday. Now all it needs is the $81.2 million to pay for it.

The CSA plan calls for $9.7 million from the City of Toronto and $31.15 million each from the provincial and federal governments - 88 per cent of the funding in total. And if the governments don't step up, soccer officials - whose own cupboard is bare - say the project is dead.

"If it doesn't happen now, you're never going to see a stadium in Toronto," said CSA president Andy Sharpe. "You're just going to be left with SkyDome and you definitely won't see international games here, of any calibre."

Added FIFA vice-president Jack Warner: "You better believe it. That is the view of the CSA, as well as FIFA. And I tell you that if it doesn't happen now, it won't happen as far as we are concerned in our collective lifetime."

Warner's view is the time is right because of the number of Canadians playing soccer (more than 800,000) and the recent success of Canadian teams.

While the CSA said the news conference was scheduled because the design phase of the waterfront stadium is complete, the event was clearly intended to put some pressure on government to step up to the plate.

Gord Prisco, a spokesman for Ontario's Tourism and Recreation Minister Brian Coburn, would not comment on the stadium project, saying the ministry has not yet received a formal request for the funding.

Warner, who doubles as president of the CONCACAF federation that governs North and Central America and the Caribbean, upped the ante by saying he would support a Canadian bid to host for the 2007 world under-20 men's championship - over a bid from his native Trinidad and Tobago - if the stadium project gets the required financial backing.

Warner also said he would support a Canadian bid to host the 2007 FIFA Congress, the world governing body of soccer's annual meetings.

But there is much to be done before soccer officials around the world book their hotel rooms here.

The CSA contribution to the pot is just $600,000 - courtesy of a grant it received from FIFA which it used for the stadium design.

That is less than one per cent of the total bill. So why not more?

"Very very bluntly, the CSA doesn't have the money to fund this project," Sharpe said.

So why not add to the dues to the 400,000 or so registered soccer players who are within a two-hour drive of Toronto?

"That's a viability," Sharpe said. "But you know what it's like. If you try and increase player fees by 25 cents, there's usually a big fight at the CSA board level."

The plan calls for the new stadium to be built at Exhibition Place, on Toronto's waterfront.

Construction would start at the end of 2004, with the opening planned for July 1, 2006.

The facility would provide covered seating for 10,000 on the west side, with the other three sides open. North and south section seats would be mounted on rollers, so the end zone could be expanded to accommodate CFL play should the Argonauts want to come on board.

In all, it would accommodate a little more than 30,000 for soccer and 28,000 for CFL. The plan also allows the facility to be expanded to 70,000, with the addition of temporary seating.

The surface would be FieldTurf, an artificial grass, with first-row spectators just six metres from the playing surface when used for soccer.

The choice of FieldTurf was a cost consideration, according to Murray Beynon, whose company did the design work. It would allow stadium management to use the facility from dawn until dusk, something natural grass would not permit. And it would extend the stadium's season from March to November.

FIFA is changing its view on such soccer-friendly artificial surfaces. Next month's world under-17 tournament in Finland will mark the first time a match in a FIFA competition will be played on artificial turf.

Still, soccer veterans like Canadian men's coach Holger Osieck believe in natural grass.

And when the U.S. played Venezuela at Seattle's Seahawk Stadium in March, the venue's FieldTurf was covered with a temporary natural grass surface.

Canadian women's coach Even Pellerud, whose team has played on FieldTurf in Ottawa and Montreal in recent weeks, says he is a convert.

"Most soccer coaches still prefer natural grass but now with the games we have played this summer against England and Brazil, all on FieldTurf, I think both the coaches and players have changed their minds a lot," he said. "I have no objections to artificial grass any more.

"With the quality of the FieldTurf, it's almost like playing on or even better than playing on natural grass."

Osieck, who unlike Pellerud was not at the news conference, did not know the CSA had opted for an artificial surface until he was apprised of the fact by a reporter after the news conference Monday.

Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium stands as Canada's showcase natural grass stadium, with Molson Stadium in Montreal and Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa providing FieldTurf alternatives.

The Canadian men's team has not played at home since its last World Cup qualifier in Nov. 15, 2000, at Varsity Stadium, which has since been demolished. The Canadian men have played 19 times abroad since then.

The CSA plans for the stadium anticipates revenue of $4.493 million in the stadium's first year of operation. That includes revenue from national team games and Toronto Lynx A-League games plus WUSA and MLS teams, both of which are wishful thinking at this stage.

The Lynx, for example, would pay $50,000 a season for rent. That's down from the $75,000 they paid at Varsity Stadium.

That $4.493 million would generate $1.2 million in net cash flow, according to CSA predictions.

Their blueprint anticipates some 75 events a year, including soccer and CFL, with total attendance of 828,500 or an average of 12,746.

IMG, a business partner of the Canadian Soccer Association, says corporate interest in the stadium is already high.

A naming rights partner and up to five other partners could be announced as soon as financial backing is obtained, according to IMG's Kevin Albrecht.

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"As soon as you're born you start dying,

So you might as well have a good time."

Sheep Go To Heaven - Cake

[beachesl]

Well, good for Davidson for raising the issues and getting the opinions of the coaches. He really does a good job. Of course, he

can only say so much so he can maintain access to officials.

[Guest Georgio]

Ya Davidson is amazing ... he sets the bar pretty high for other Canadian soccer reporters. He is capable, with the questions he asks, of making the CSA analyze, second guess and address the real concerns that plague soccer in this country. He makes them aware of what the common fans and players issues are. He also walks that fine line of scepticism without probing too much and compromising the relationships. I wish they were all like him.

[Cheeta]

"If it dosen't happen now" statement. Classic, Andy.

It's so odviously true it's frightning.

And not that I'm believing anything Jack Warner would ever say but hasn't he effectively pre-qualifying this generation III FieldTurf as being FIFA acceptable for international quality football at this facility?

This is after all in a big part FIFA's gig as well. And with ol' Jack hanging down a big, juicy, under 20s carrot to pretty much launch the stadium's football career this would be a big statement to withdraw from in the future. FIFA's accepted the design and the quality of the playing surface to the extend where the CONCACAF President has put his support behind any Canadian bid for the Men's under 20s. At the expense of his own country. Pretty big political statement I'd say.

"Minority of one"

[DarnCherry]

How is that Sharpe statement true? How does he know what the future holds 10 years from now? Or less? Or more? How much did he pay for his crystal ball?

"As nothing in this life that I've been trying

could equal or surpass the art of dying"-George Harrison

[Cheeta]

Educated guess.

10 million Canadians living in Ontario, the great majority in the Golden Horseshoe. Heart of the Canadian economic engine and fiefdom of this country's financial industrys. THE political powerhouse at the federal level.

And they don't have a stadium.

If anyplace in this country has all the advantages of reason for having a stadium it would be Toronto. But they don't. They tore down Exhibition, let Varsity crumble and rot and now have only Skydome. It's not as though this need just suddenly popped up.

And when it's gotten to the point where the CSA is needed to propose a stadium plan in Toronto. A "Soccer" stadium. Well, to me that said it all.

"Minority of one"

[sstackho]

quote:Osieck, who unlike Pellerud was not at the news conference, did not know the CSA had opted for an artificial surface until he was apprised of the fact by a reporter after the news conference Monday.

Such wonderful communication at the CSA. They don't even bother consulting with the men's national team coach? Hmmm, maybe he's on his way out.

'Shawn' on the old board...

[Canuck Oranje]

Folks, this is a bad joke.. No one at the City or at the province in the loop and likely not at the federal level either. Scary... As for the now or never comment by Sharpe, government will say if the soccer community is only willing to put up $600,000 (from FIFA no less), how important is it? Why should tax payers put any money into it?

Where is the political advantage? especially for federal politicians..