DJT Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Since the Voyageurs Cup began in 2002, the possibility of a similar competition for women’s teams has occasionally surfaced. Now that there are enough Canadian teams in the W-League, this possibility can become a reality. Hence, Matt and I have been working on a plan for a Women's Voyageurs Cup to begin this season... Since there are no games between the east teams and the west teams, there will actually be two separate competitions: the Women's Voyageurs Cup East and the Women's Voyageurs Cup West. Complete schedules can be found here for now: Lower resolution (800 x 600) Higher resolution (1024 x 768) As you can see, the Women's Voyageurs Cup West begins tomorrow (Friday, May 14). There will be a media release before the match, introducing both women's competitions as well as this season's men's competition. Matt and I would like to get a trophy or two of some type, but this will ultimately depend on the wishes of the majority of Voyageurs and/or those who contributed to the Voyageurs Cup fund. In the near future we will return to this issue and give everyone an opportunity to contribute ideas and participate in the decision-making process. But at the very least we will be sure to recognize the women's east and west champions in some tangible way (beyond the Web and media releases). While the women's game is missing some key features of the men's game (most significantly, a truly national set of matches), we completely feel that the Women's Voyageurs Cup, even under our restricted format, is not only a worthwhile venture but also a necessary one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Great work...a voyage of ten thousand miles begin with a single step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis_Rancagua Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 This is a great idea!!!! It's about time. I give my full consent to this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kicked Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Yup. Sounds like a great idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 The women certainly deserve a Voyageur recognition. They have put Canada's name in the headlines and television. Any change that the WYC can be an open one, for all teams en Canada to participate? Could it start with region eliminations, then progress to larger regions, provinces, etc. [^] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Might as well just award the western trophy to the Whitecaps women before they even start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorontoInferno Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 wow overoptimism...why not fold the whole deal and award both a league, w league AND Super Y league to the Whitecaps... sheesh [] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarnCherry Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 quote:Originally posted by TorontoInferno wow overoptimism...why not fold the whole deal and award both a league, w league AND Super Y league to the Whitecaps... sheesh [] Well it doesn't take a genius to know that the Whitecaps womens team is over stacked with talent. The only time they ever run into trouble is whne they reach the leagues final tournament. Otherwise it's the same thing every year, they run over their opposition. Since the Western Voyageurs competition only consists of Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, name one of those teams that will knock Vancouver off? Want more stats? Last season the Whitecaps women finished with a record of 10-1-1 in their 12 game season scoring 51 goals with just 10 against. Thats a 5.1 goals scored for withe less than one goal scored against per game. 2002: 12 games played 11 wins and 1 loss with 35 goals for and 11 against. 2001 (as the breakers) 14 games played 12 wins 1 loss and 1 draw. 39 goals for 9 against. So you can try to ridicule my comment all you want, but I don't see the competition changing, especially against 2 expansion teams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 Oh great, another 60-post thread on what trophy to buy! If there was a way to take those ancient '54 threads on trophy designs and put them here as part of a "Classic Voyaguers Forum Threads" section it'd be wonderful to revive that Byzantine debate. The solution is simply to think in terms of two plaques or else two smaller trophies and do a funding campaign. Straight out, no doubts. As there is perhaps less stability in terms of women's teams and perhaps a less certain committment to balanced schedules, maybe the way to go is plaques that you give to the winners East and West for keeps each year. It is more modest, but as there is no cross-nation crossovers it is the only way. The winners keep their plaques each year, hang them in their offices. There is no sense in a unified trophy with both names, as you'd be obliged to spend too much travelling it from one winner to the other, and in the end who'd be the "owner" for the year or in off-season? Really neither winner, so we'd have to keep it somewhere. Too complicated. I am willing to donate the same I put out for the initial V-Cup. 50 bucks I think it was, I say this openly as an incentive to others, not to boast. I am sure many others would do the same, plus many women's footie fans who did not come on board for the men's V-Cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TorontoInferno Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 I'm not ridiculing anything...you've got the right to be overconfident...they (the caps) have a great team and will probably do well, but i'm not going to right off teams before they even play...surprises can happen .... thats all i tried to convey before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted May 13, 2004 Share Posted May 13, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S. The solution is simply to think in terms of two plaques or else two smaller trophies and do a funding campaign. Straight out, no doubts. As there is perhaps less stability in terms of women's teams and perhaps a less certain committment to balanced schedules, maybe the way to go is plaques that you give to the winners East and West for keeps each year. It is more modest, but as there is no cross-nation crossovers it is the only way. The winners keep their plaques each year, hang them in their offices. There is no sense in a unified trophy with both names, as you'd be obliged to spend too much travelling it from one winner to the other, and in the end who'd be the "owner" for the year or in off-season? Really neither winner, so we'd have to keep it somewhere. Too complicated. I am willing to donate the same I put out for the initial V-Cup. 50 bucks I think it was, I say this openly as an incentive to others, not to boast. I am sure many others would do the same, plus many women's footie fans who did not come on board for the men's V-Cup. Yes, I think that this makes sense given circumstances. And I'd contribute towards the cause. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beachesl Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 Well, host Ottawa may meet Vancouver in the W-League finals tournament anyway, so we may have a true national Champion anyway (third trophy?). My guess is that the USL would, if Vancouver is Western Conference Champion, ensure Ottawa would meet Vancouver in a semi-final so that there would be a US team in the final to be televised by Fox Sports World. The championship tournament will be played at Keith Harris Stadium at Carleton University. Semifinal matches will be played on Saturday, August 7th and the final will take place following the third place match up on Sunday August 8th. The final game will be broadcast live across the US and Canada by Fox Sports World. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoyleG Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 A Voyageurs Shield would be good for the women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 Great idea and I can't believe we didn't think of it sooner. I totally back the project and I'll send some dosh when possible. As for the trophy debate, as long as it's not designed by Frank Gehry or encassed in thick plastic it works for me. I think the debate will go faster now that we realize what we can get for the money and what we can't. cheers, matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 quote:Originally posted by DoyleG A Voyageurs Shield would be good for the women. I think this is the way to go: cup for men, shield for the women. Just like what men and women's players wear as protective gear in rugby (sorry, that was hard to avoid). Voyageurs Shield East and Voyageurs Shield West, each year. I think the cost would be reasonable, transport as well, and local V-followers could do the presentation when appropriate to respective winners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
argh1 Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 Since , I have proved many times " he knows not what he speaks " Has any-one approached the GO BIG RED folk ? Other than that , if donations are needed ....... as with paying for the servers for this board ......you know . But a co-operative thing with the BIG RED people , I think would be better , if it hasn't already been done . As in, a BIG RED VOYAGEUR CUP...... just a thought from a poster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 quote:Originally posted by argh1 Since , I have proved many times " he knows not what he speaks " Has any-one approached the GO BIG RED folk ? Other than that , if donations are needed ....... as with paying for the servers for this board ......you know . But a co-operative thing with the BIG RED people , I think would be better , if it hasn't already been done . As in, a BIG RED VOYAGEUR CUP...... just a thought from a poster We have indeed contacted Elaine from Go Big Red and we have her full partnership and support (thanks Elaine!). We'll be counting on the Go Big Red site for cross-promotion and for help in maintaining contact with the women's teams. If we do need to go the donations route, Go Big Red will be another place where we can promote the cup and drum up support. I'm really happy at the very positive response this has generated here, and at the constructive debate that has started up. (When are we going to hear about silvertrophy.com though? ) But I'd like to weigh in on a couple of points. 1. I myself am not responsible for the Voyageurs Cup finances, so I don't know what shape we're in as far as investing in two new trophies. So we may or may not need a funding drive. That'll take place later, anyhow -- once we figure out what we need. 2. I would prefer to do something similar for both the men's and women's VCups. I wouldn't want to have a second-class trophy for the women's national championship. Though I admit that the women's teams are currently not at the level the men's are, they would still be national champions and would be recognized as such. If we're awarding two trophies, we would have two smaller trophies; if they ever merged and became a national league, the trophies could be combined. Anyhow, these are my thoughts, keep yours coming! Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJT Posted May 14, 2004 Author Share Posted May 14, 2004 I'll respond to some of the comments in this thread when I get a chance later. For now, here's the media release that went out earlier... FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE VOYAGEURS ANNOUNCE EXPANDED VOYAGEURS CUP FOR 2004 TORONTO (May 14, 2004) - The Voyageurs, Canada's national soccer fan club, have announced the start of the third season of the Voyageurs Cup, Canada's only national, fan-awarded soccer trophy. The Voyageurs Cup is a lasting emblem of soccer fans' commitment to the improvement, advancement and enjoyment of the game in Canada. The Voyageurs Cup trophy is awarded annually to the most successful Canadian A-League team based on league points earned in matches between these teams. The Canadian A-League teams are the Calgary Mustangs, Edmonton Aviators, Montreal Impact, Toronto Lynx and Vancouver Whitecaps. After two successful years, and with the Cup gaining in popularity and stature, this year's competition promises to be the biggest and most interesting yet, with a new team in Calgary and with Edmonton added to the growing list of Canadian cities represented in the A-League. Moreover, 2004 will see the inauguration of the Women's Voyageurs Cups. A Women's Voyageurs Cup will be awarded to the most successful Canadian team in each of the Eastern and Western conferences of the W-League based on league points earned in matches between these teams. The Women's Voyageurs Cup West involves the Calgary Wildfire, Edmonton Aviators and Vancouver Whitecaps, and kicks off on Friday, May 14 with the Whitecaps hosting the Wildfire at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. The Women's Voyageurs Cup East includes the Montreal Xtreme, Ottawa Fury, Sudbury Canadians and Toronto Inferno, and begins on Sunday, May 23 with the Xtreme at home to the Inferno at the Catalogna Soccerplexe in Lachine. In both 2002 and 2003, the (Men’s) Voyageurs Cup was won by the Montreal Impact in tight, late-season competitions. Montreal will again begin their title defence in the first match of the 2004 competition against the Toronto Lynx at Centennial Stadium in Toronto on Saturday, May 29. Match schedules, results and standings for all Voyageurs Cup competitions are provided at www.voyageurscup.ca. ABOUT THE VOYAGEURS The Voyageurs soccer fan club was founded in 1996 as a national group of fans of Canada's men's World Cup team. Since then, they have been a visible presence at Canadian national team games both in Canada and abroad, at all age levels, for both the men's and women's teams. The Voyageurs are maintained, run, and funded entirely by its fiercely enthusiastic members. The Voyageurs host the most active Canadian soccer forum on the Internet at www.canadian-soccer.com. The entire cost of the Voyageurs Cup, including purchasing, maintaining, engraving, shipping, and promoting the trophy and tournament, is borne entirely by private donations from individual Voyageurs. CONTACTING THE VOYAGEURS Matthew Bin, Director of Communications for the Voyageurs Cup, is available to provide any further information about the Voyageurs or the Voyageurs Cup competition. Matthew Bin 125 Cyrus St Cambridge, Ontario N3H 1H2 519-729-8432 info[at]voyageurscup.ca Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winnipeg Fury Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 And just so everyone knows, we have a $1000 of hard earned V-Cup money in th pot. Thanks to all the die-hards who contributed ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 A quick update -- we've already received an extremely positive response from the Wildfire GM, Glenn Ramsay. I expect that all the women's teams will be equally positive. But the real payoff came tonight, with an e-mail from Kara Timko (that's Brittany's mother) thanking us for our support of women's soccer. I've asked her for permission to post her e-mail here (I never feel comfortable making e-mails public without permission) but in the meantime, you should all know that this initiative has already had a big impact. I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting really excited about this season! Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gian-Luca Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 My thoughts - Re: the $1000 in the pot, that is interesting to hear. With World Cup qualifying coming up big time for the Canadian men I'm wondering if we should hang on to that for a second and decide if that could be used to better promote the Voyageurs (in order to attract more hardcore fans, as I still feel there are many more out there) & the national team (with signs, flyers, posters etc) at the upcoming home games, with a separate donation scheme for those interested in the Women's Voyageur Cup or Shield. Now that we are actually getting some home games again it is time we started to plan for spreading the good word in Canada about a supporter's group. Also I think a different name than just "Women's Voyageur Cup" is probably a better option, even if that is the Voyageur's Shield - calling it the Women's Voyageur Cup has a sort of "relegation" feel to it, with the Voyageur's Cup now already fairly well-established as a Cup for the men. It would also be nice if the Go Big Red folks were involved in the title somewhere, as let's face it, that's really the top site for Women's soccer in Canada and everybody posting there is actually interested in the women's game (not all of the Voyageurs are). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 I also agree with GL that we should have adifferent name (shield is great) and that we should start a separate donation scheme. Save V-Cup money for either V-Cup maintance/future costs or for WCQ promotion/materials. On the cup itself.. Shouldn't we wait until our east and west teams actually play each other? Cup West and Cup East is pretty hokey. The point is to have a national champion. We really don't have one if half the teams aren't playing the other half. The idea is great and I'm am in support of its spirit. However, the infrastructure really isn't there. And not to rain on a parade or an idea, but two questions: 1. Why was this all pre-decided and not discussed as a group? 2. Why was the press release only put out a day after the idea was initially floated? Kinda Mike Harris Tories, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca My thoughts - Re: the $1000 in the pot, that is interesting to hear. With World Cup qualifying coming up big time for the Canadian men I'm wondering if we should hang on to that for a second and decide if that could be used to better promote the Voyageurs (in order to attract more hardcore fans, as I still feel there are many more out there) & the national team (with signs, flyers, posters etc) at the upcoming home games, with a separate donation scheme for those interested in the Women's Voyageur Cup or Shield. Now that we are actually getting some home games again it is time we started to plan for spreading the good word in Canada about a supporter's group. Also I think a different name than just "Women's Voyageur Cup" is probably a better option, even if that is the Voyageur's Shield - calling it the Women's Voyageur Cup has a sort of "relegation" feel to it, with the Voyageur's Cup now already fairly well-established as a Cup for the men. It would also be nice if the Go Big Red folks were involved in the title somewhere, as let's face it, that's really the top site for Women's soccer in Canada and everybody posting there is actually interested in the women's game (not all of the Voyageurs are). I have to pretty much agree. I seriously question moreso the type of league ( organizationally, professionally etc) as opposed to the fact that it is womens soccer that we are supporting through this initiative. For example, see the post from toronto Inferno about the game in Rhode Island on the other thread. I played in a rec league years ago that looked better run professionally and organizationally. I also question whether or not there exists any emotional attachment by fans on this board towards any of those clubs. Its one thing to support a cause but its quite another to have an emotional attachment to a club or sport. And, supporters or fans group should be/are much more about emotional attachment rather than supporting causes. Afterall, that is what "Fandom" or being a supporter is all about. This is a big year for us. WCQ is starting in a few weeks and will continue throughout 2004 and that should be our main focus of interest and that is what we "should be pumped about". As far as the 1000$, I feel that that there are many better ways to spend this money that will interest a greater number of people. You've listed some; I can think of others: Scarves, T-shirts, banners, discounts towards ticket purchases, etc etc. And lets not Forget about that giant flag that many were hopefull of getting. These things will do a greater job of enhancing our image and showing our presence to the canadian public when we show up at WCQ games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamiltonfan Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 Great idea, DJT you should contact the Sudbury Canadians and talk to them about this because I know they are or atleast where trying to set up a Cup. About the name,it should be Women's Voyageurs Cup and thats FORSURE, nothing else. About the trophy, we should not spend the $1000 we have now on it. Donations from the V's members, Go Big Red member, other W-Leageu fans, Canadian W-League teams and any one else who wants to. With the 1000 buck a HUGEE Canadian Flag should be made for the two games vs. belize...just think about all the pictures that will be takes and will be in the papers...it has to have the website addy on it to. ps-someone post tell everyone on the go big red forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted May 17, 2004 Share Posted May 17, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Marc I also agree with GL that we should have adifferent name (shield is great) and that we should start a separate donation scheme. Save V-Cup money for either V-Cup maintance/future costs or for WCQ promotion/materials. 1. Why was this all pre-decided and not discussed as a group? 2. Why was the press release only put out a day after the idea was initially floated? Kinda Mike Harris Tories, no? Yes, your points number 1 and 2 are the concerns that I have. I find it very dissapointing as well. I initially typed some thoughts on this issue yesterday but after long consideration, I thought better of it and deleted. They could have sounded like a Don Cherry rant. maybe even worst And I am not even a fan of Don Cherry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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