new stadium in halifax ?

[aussoccerfan]

http://www.halifaxcfl.com/

[jaydog2006]

The cfl has said this pre-season game is to test the waters if the game is not sold out then the chances of a team beeing awarded in the near future of very slim.If the game is sold out then it will move to the next step finding a solid ownership group.It does look like they may be an aonership group comming up but just beacuse there is one it does not mean the league will just hand a team over.The group will have to make a very solid case and provide the cash for the long term of the team.

[ray]

quote:Originally posted by aussoccerfan

http://www.halifaxcfl.com/

The Halifax Explosion? Do they want to name the team after a tragic event[?]

[G-Man]

How about the New York Planes Into Buildings United.

I'd like to see the team called the "Martime Pogey Express" Or the "Halifax Rough Riders"

I'm kidding. People down east work very hard at making a living.

[argh1]

quote:Originally posted by G-Man

How about the New York Planes Into Buildings United.

I'd like to see the team called the "Martime Pogey Express" Or the "Halifax Rough Riders"

I'm kidding. People down east work very hard at making a living.

Well at least you didn't suggest the "Maritime Exodus" or "Diaspora"

Wait capture the Maritmers in Alberta market. Put the team in Grande Praire. (don't yell at me , it's a weak attempt at humour)

[beachesl]

Halifax? What about the CFL using all those empty stadiums in places like Sacremento, Baton Rouge, Memphis....oh yeah.

Was that just a bad dream, or did that actually happen?

[argh1]

Just to bring this up there was a CFL franchise awarded to Halifax in the early 80's named the ATLANTIC SCHOONERS .

Wikpedia

There also was a CFL exhibition game in Saint John at Canada Games Stadium in the early 90's late 80's(?) but I can't find any confirmation to show you guys . I believe Montreal played in it , but my memory needs more ram.

So excuse me for being cynical, but I've seen this song and dance before.

EDIT:

Nope before the internet can't find any record of game in Saint John. CFL.CA history of schedules only starts at 1996.

[Grizzly]

It would be great if this stadium is built with soccer capacity. Halifax would be the ideal location for MNT games. Decent sized city, close to Europe, one hour less time difference from Europe, the only city east of Montreal with good direct air connections to Europe, pro-Canada crowds, a cool climate that would favour Canada over CONCACAF opponents and a pretty cool city to hang out in for travelling supporters.

As far as the CFL goes I think it is also the best choice. A maritime team would add a great flavour to the league and no offence to argh but Halifax just has a lot more aura and less small town image than Moncton. I can imagine getting excited to see Ottawa play against Halifax but doubt Moncton would really motivate me that much. I don't like the Explosion name even without the poor taste referrence to the event but since we probably live in the most politically correct country in the world I doubt the name will survive anyway. I think the Atlantic Schooners would be a much better name.

[RS]

quote:Originally posted by ray

The Halifax Explosion? Do they want to name the team after a tragic event[?]

It worked for the Chicago Fire.

[argh1]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

It would be great if this stadium is built with soccer capacity. Halifax would be the ideal location for MNT games. Decent sized city, close to Europe, one hour less time difference from Europe, the only city east of Montreal with good direct air connections to Europe, pro-Canada crowds, a cool climate that would favour Canada over CONCACAF opponents and a pretty cool city to hang out in for travelling supporters.

As far as the CFL goes I think it is also the best choice. A maritime team would add a great flavour to the league and no offence to argh but Halifax just has a lot more aura and less small town image than Moncton. I can imagine getting excited to see Ottawa play against Halifax but doubt Moncton would really motivate me that much. I don't like the Explosion name even without the poor taste referrence to the event but since we probably live in the most politically correct country in the world I doubt the name will survive anyway. I think the Atlantic Schooners would be a much better name.

Hey, I think Halifax is the obvious choice if there is to be a CFL team on the eastcoast.

I don't see any need or demand for a stadium of that size where I live . Even it can be filled what do you with the thing the 356 days a year there's no home games.

The Province of N.B. has already said there'll be no public monies from them and even if the city just builds approach roads and provides utilities along with the usual concessions sales given to the teams it'll total in the millions. Which if to be spent on sports infrastucture can be better spent for locals' use.

I've heard nothing recently about London Ont. or Quebec P.Q. on the franchise front so I'm starting to get the idea the league wants Halifax all else is playing on rivalries that exist beween Maritime cities . Rivalries which have to be overcome to make any regional team succesfull. Something that has never happened before. NS, NB & PEI don't have a tradition of working to-gether and throw in the city state mentality of the major centres (Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton,Charlottetown ,and Halifax), there are large obstacles to overcome to make any team a regional draw.

There has never been a regional team of any kind so it will take amazing skills to make this potential team a regional team.

Edit:

As I got home from work two hours ago and I'm still awaiting signs of movement upstairs.

I thought for only my interest I'd add to the post.

Yes Moncton is only a city area of 120,000 folk and has no hopes of getting a pro sports franchise.Just some mileage by a few local politicians. But for a city this size the sports facilites are quite good.

You'll have to scroll down to see what's available from the three main municipalities that make up Moncton.

Here's the list. (and don't forget the dome to open in 2005 that covers two soccer/football fields) Not including U de Moncton or private facilities

Town of Riverview City of Moncton City of Dieppe

Back to the subject to me Moncton is more of a baseball town than a football town & I don't remember it ever being a spectator town.

Ahhhhhhh the dogmeister Mr. Pokey just went upstairs they must be alive........Merry Christmas to y'all

[marcl_19]

thats absolutely the worst name......ever. Normally stuff that isnt exactly p.c. doesnt bother me but why name a team after a disaster? who came up with this? its rediculous.

[beachesl]

In the seventies, there was a proposal, which never got off the ground, to have a CFL team called "The Atlantic Mariners" (this was before Seattle had the baseball team by that name)". Some name like that would be great, and it would help sell the team to the other 3 Atlantic Provinces and Cape Breton.

[Loud Mouth Soup]

East Coast Stinky Fishermen?

[Luis_Rancagua]

Halifax expected to host CFL exhibition game

By MONTY MOSHER -- Halifax Chronicle-Herald

December 14, 2004

There are some last-minute details to be ironed out, but sources say Halifax is the choice to host a Canadian Football League exhibition game this spring at Huskies Stadium.

The CFL announced in late November the Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts would play a 2005 pre-season game against an undetermined opponent - believed to be the Hamilton Ticats - in either Halifax or Moncton.

The date for the game is Saturday, June 11 and will be shown on national television.

Neither the CFL nor Trade Centre Limited (Events Halifax), which has spearheaded Halifax's attempt to win rights to the game, would confirm the decision. But a media conference may be held as early as this Friday to make the announcement.

It is believed the reluctance to officially announce the media conference is the CFL has not formally notified Moncton officials of its decision.

CFL executives visited both cities in September to review facilities and promised a choice by mid-December.

Moncton proposed to host at Rocky Stone Park, a multipurpose field with artificial turf, but few amenities.

"We have been working diligently with those (CFL) folks and we hope this thing will come to fruition," Fred MacGillivray, president and chief executive officer of Trade Centre Ltd., said Monday. "It is something we've been working on for quite a period of time and I think it would speak volumes to the rest of the country that here again, if we are chosen, is a great city to hold these kinds of events and, hopefully, it may even lead to a CFL franchise at some point in the future.

"But I think really what they are looking at, again if we are successful, is a chance to showcase their product to the Maritime marketplace."

MacGillvray has had ongoing discussions with CFL executives and he said all of those talks have been "positive."

"I am optimistic," he said.

It is more than just a pre-season exhibition as CFL commissioner Tom Wright probes Atlantic Canada as a future home of a 10th league team and fifth Eastern Conference franchise.

Wright has discussed expansion by 2008 and thinks Atlantic Canada could be a winner for its growing economy and traditional support of amateur football.

For Halifax, the game can provide broad exposure for the city across the country and also provide a marketable event on the tourism calendar.

Jessica Young, communications coordinator of the CFL, would not confirm Halifax as host city for the game but that an announcement would be made sometime in the next week or two.

Halifax was well ahead in the race from the outset with a 7,000-seat football stadium, which can be expanded to 10,000 with temporary seating, and the Saint Mary's football infrastructure in place.

Ian Fowler, Moncton's director of community development, said the CFL hasn't told him anything.

"We feel we had a very solid proposal put forward," Fowler said. "We knew that our facility required some upgrading compared to Saint Mary's, which has held larger events before. But we certainly felt the facility and the city were up to the task of hosting it."

[Daniel]

Cool.

Although I still hope to see home games in St. John's in the future (absolutely inaccessible for opposing fans), Halifax is definitely a decent option.

And that stadium rendering looks like a tennis stadium.

[Luis_Rancagua]

I remember that over 2-3 years ago the ex-owner of the Quebec Nordiques Marcel Aubut did express serious interest of bringing a CFL franchise to Quebec-City. He even lobbied the Quebec government to invest money on a 23-25 thousand seat stadium. I wonder what happened to that idea??? It would have been cool from Aubut.