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Bye Bye World Youth Tournament 2007


soccerbeast

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With the Varsity Stadium issue now dead, so is our chances of hosting the World Youth Football Championships in 2007. Canada got the event based on Toronto getting a new Stadium, while that may still happen, expect FIFA to make an annnouncement shortly that they will move the Tournament somewhere else (ASIA).

While we were all looking forward to this great event, can anyone really be surprised by the way the U of T clowns handled this to begin with. A stadium at the Exhibition Grounds is the only way to go, the round is available, all that is needed is money for the stadium.

Forget using Skydome, for the U-20 Championships, Fifa has already ruled that out. So whats next using Government money to fix up Ivor Wynne in Hamilton, the Stadium in Ottawa, perhaps? Brfore the CSA ets blamed, remember it's the U of t fault, all football fans should flood the niversity with e-mails voicing their displeasure.

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I live out west so maybe I don't know the whole story here... but if the original plans for the stadium had a cost of 80 million, and now the costs are spiralling over 100 million with no end in sight apparently, how can you blame the U of T for bailing out if their gonna lose a crapload of money. I'm sure they care a heck of a lot more about their own bottom line than they do about Canada hosting the Under 20 World Cup... And really I can't blame them. But like I said, maybe were not getting the full story out west here. I think this is all so frustarating to us cause we all want to see Canada host this tourney, but yet we can't get any kind of half decent stadium built in our largest and most populated city ,,,it's just unbelievable...

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Some incouraging news from from todays Sun.

Canada still a go for soccer event

By MIKE KOREEN -- Toronto Sun

The show must go on.

Despite the University of Toronto's decision to kill plans for a new Varsity Stadium, FIFA vice-president/CONCACAF president Jack Warner said Canada is not in jeopardy of losing the 2007 world youth (under-20) soccer championship.

"This does not not affect the tournament," Warner told The Toronto Sun from his office in Trinidad and Tobago. "It may retard the quality of it ... but I can say with 100% confidence (the event will remain in Canada)."

Five other Canadian stadiums -- including Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium for the final -- are slated to play host to games. If a new stadium in Toronto isn't ready for the start of the tournament on July 1, 2007, Warner said games simply could be shifted to other cities. For Toronto to play host to games, Warner said a new stadium would have to get the go-ahead by February 2005.

WILL BE CREATIVE

"We will rise from the ashes of Varsity Stadium and be creative," Warner said.

Canada beat out a bid from South Korea to stage FIFA's second-largest event and was granted the tourney Aug. 10 at a news conference in Toronto.

While supporting the Canadian Soccer Association's effort, Warner was quick to criticize U of T.

"I am shocked," Warner said. "The hope we wanted to give all young people has been dashed for now. This is not the way Canadians behave. This is not the way a democracy like Canada works. This is not how the world regards Canada."

CSA chief operating officer Kevan Pipe said he's still committed to having a new Toronto stadium ready for the 2007 world youth championship.

"We're saddened by the news, but we're not going to lose sight of the objective in front of us, which is to build a stadium," Pipe said. "We're trying to create a legacy. We want to get a stadium built and it shall get built."

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Some incouraging news from from todays Sun.

Canada still a go for soccer event

By MIKE KOREEN -- Toronto Sun

The show must go on.

Despite the University of Toronto's decision to kill plans for a new Varsity Stadium, FIFA vice-president/CONCACAF president Jack Warner said Canada is not in jeopardy of losing the 2007 world youth (under-20) soccer championship.

"This does not not affect the tournament," Warner told The Toronto Sun from his office in Trinidad and Tobago. "It may retard the quality of it ... but I can say with 100% confidence (the event will remain in Canada)."

Five other Canadian stadiums -- including Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium for the final -- are slated to play host to games. If a new stadium in Toronto isn't ready for the start of the tournament on July 1, 2007, Warner said games simply could be shifted to other cities. For Toronto to play host to games, Warner said a new stadium would have to get the go-ahead by February 2005.

WILL BE CREATIVE

"We will rise from the ashes of Varsity Stadium and be creative," Warner said.

Canada beat out a bid from South Korea to stage FIFA's second-largest event and was granted the tourney Aug. 10 at a news conference in Toronto.

While supporting the Canadian Soccer Association's effort, Warner was quick to criticize U of T.

"I am shocked," Warner said. "The hope we wanted to give all young people has been dashed for now. This is not the way Canadians behave. This is not the way a democracy like Canada works. This is not how the world regards Canada."

CSA chief operating officer Kevan Pipe said he's still committed to having a new Toronto stadium ready for the 2007 world youth championship.

"We're saddened by the news, but we're not going to lose sight of the objective in front of us, which is to build a stadium," Pipe said. "We're trying to create a legacy. We want to get a stadium built and it shall get built."

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quote:Originally posted by kelownaguy

I live out west so maybe I don't know the whole story here... but if the original plans for the stadium had a cost of 80 million, and now the costs are spiralling over 100 million with no end in sight apparently, how can you blame the U of T for bailing out if their gonna lose a crapload of money. I'm sure they care a heck of a lot more about their own bottom line than they do about Canada hosting the Under 20 World Cup... And really I can't blame them. But like I said, maybe were not getting the full story out west here. I think this is all so frustarating to us cause we all want to see Canada host this tourney, but yet we can't get any kind of half decent stadium built in our largest and most populated city ,,,it's just unbelievable...

The U of T are just bull****ting on the stadium costs, they want the

land for student housing or at least the students do and the U of T

wan't to make as much as possible of the land in a sale. I for one never believed 100% that Varsity would really get off the ground, now its back to square one, Lets get it done at the Exhibition grounds,

there's no better place.

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quote:Originally posted by kelownaguy

I live out west so maybe I don't know the whole story here... but if the original plans for the stadium had a cost of 80 million, and now the costs are spiralling over 100 million with no end in sight apparently, how can you blame the U of T for bailing out if their gonna lose a crapload of money. I'm sure they care a heck of a lot more about their own bottom line than they do about Canada hosting the Under 20 World Cup... And really I can't blame them. But like I said, maybe were not getting the full story out west here. I think this is all so frustarating to us cause we all want to see Canada host this tourney, but yet we can't get any kind of half decent stadium built in our largest and most populated city ,,,it's just unbelievable...

The U of T are just bull****ting on the stadium costs, they want the

land for student housing or at least the students do and the U of T

wan't to make as much as possible of the land in a sale. I for one never believed 100% that Varsity would really get off the ground, now its back to square one, Lets get it done at the Exhibition grounds,

there's no better place.

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quote:Originally posted by soccerbeast

[quote Lets get it done at the Exhibition grounds,

Personally, I think that the ex would be my least favourite choice. At least with Varsity there is direct subway access and plenty of entertainment options in the area as you leave the facility. With downsview you also have subway access plus you have very good road access and open space but imediate suroundings are not the greatest as far as pubs, dining etc. York would be about the same as downsview in terms of apeal. It has the plus of being even closer to the soccer grassroots in Toronto but its not as accessible as Varsity and downsview.

But the Ex IMO offers the worst of all these possibilities. The only benefit I see in the ex is for the argos in that it does have a GO train access and accessible to those who live in downtown core but don't drive and don't mind taking street cars and busses. But for everyone else its terrible. The streets aren't large enough I haven't bothered to go to the Ex in many years now. Can't be bothered as I see it as too much of a hassle; if you drive you'll stuck in gridlock and/or pay extortion prices for parking, if you take public transit, you have to get on crowded street cars or buses.

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quote:Originally posted by soccerbeast

[quote Lets get it done at the Exhibition grounds,

Personally, I think that the ex would be my least favourite choice. At least with Varsity there is direct subway access and plenty of entertainment options in the area as you leave the facility. With downsview you also have subway access plus you have very good road access and open space but imediate suroundings are not the greatest as far as pubs, dining etc. York would be about the same as downsview in terms of apeal. It has the plus of being even closer to the soccer grassroots in Toronto but its not as accessible as Varsity and downsview.

But the Ex IMO offers the worst of all these possibilities. The only benefit I see in the ex is for the argos in that it does have a GO train access and accessible to those who live in downtown core but don't drive and don't mind taking street cars and busses. But for everyone else its terrible. The streets aren't large enough I haven't bothered to go to the Ex in many years now. Can't be bothered as I see it as too much of a hassle; if you drive you'll stuck in gridlock and/or pay extortion prices for parking, if you take public transit, you have to get on crowded street cars or buses.

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I'm very sad about the Varsity deal falling through as I loved that little stadium, and was looking forward to going back. That stadium would have been a valuable asset to the Canadian Soccer Community.

HOWEVER...

Living in Calgary, a city with no low cost housing and a exponentially growing homeless problem, with fully employed people still on the streets because of that lack of housing, I would have to be honest, about the priorities.

If it was a choice between a new soccer stadium, and some student housing in my city, I would have great difficulties supporting the stadium.

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quote:Originally posted by Current Champ

If it was a choice between a new soccer stadium, and some student housing in my city, I would have great difficulties supporting the stadium.

It isn't a choice between those two things however. Besides, the plan to put in student housing on the site of the old Varsity was turned down by U of T students prior to the plan to put a new Varsity stadium was in place.

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We could go a cheaper route, and not go with cfl. Have a national stad but eliminate the jumbo tron and having standing only seats at the end zones.

I mean there must be several countries ranked higher than Canada that would have such a style stadium. The Canadian soccer fan really just wants a regulation size grass pitch with seating that is very close to the pitch. Other amenities for sure but nothing wrong with having some seats that are just standing as it would provide cheap seats for the hardcore fan that doesn't mind standing anyways.

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quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

It isn't a choice between those two things however. Besides, the plan to put in student housing on the site of the old Varsity was turned down by U of T students prior to the plan to put a new Varsity stadium was in place.

Really? That's too bad. Ok then they are dicks. And no, I didn't vote NDP, I voted Communist![xx(]

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quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

Besides, the plan to put in student housing on the site of the old Varsity was turned down by U of T students prior to the plan to put a new Varsity stadium was in place.

That's not what happened. The plan was for a stadium, athletic centre and student housing to be built on the site. The three were to be built together, but funded separately: funding for the housing was already covered, but the university was looking for the students to cover the costs of the stadium and athletic centre through progressively-increasing tuition fees over a period of something like 30 years. Not surprisingly, the students (including myself) turned down the deal. The housing plan was still alive, but a new plan for the stadium and athletic centre had to be developed. Shortly thereafter, with an urgent need for student housing, a hotel in downtown Toronto went up for sale and the university bought it and converted it to student housing. The Varsity plan then continued through the MLSE and most recent phases without student housing.
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