The Big Smoke Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 Well looks like the Ottawa Fury are 10 weeks away from their season openers; any word on rosters for their W-League and PDL teams? Any word on pre-season schedules, exhibition games, player signings, tryouts... anything? I used to think the Lynx were bad, but it seems our friends down the 401 have had no press, not much organization, and they're merely 10 weeks away from officially starting their season. Even the Thunder Bay Chill have updates on player signings and preseason games for 2005. Any Ottawa folks out there with some news... any news??!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay2008 Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 There has been a good deal of them in the ottawa sun over the past few weeks.They are marketing the team like a true pro team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Smoke Posted March 17, 2005 Author Share Posted March 17, 2005 That's great news! Any way we can get links to these articles?! If not, what did they report? Did they give any insight to returning players on the Women's team? I know that one of the Fury's keepers from last year (Leisha Alcia) signed with Hampton Roads and the Fury website didn't have any story on this. Also, did the articles in the Sun talk about tryouts for the men's team? Will anyone in Ottawa be attending these sessions and maybe report on who is trying out? Will the team be comprised of local players? Any former Ottawa Wizards? Do they have preseason games scheduled? I have to admit that the rest of Canada is compeltely in the dark on this, but perhaps in Ottawa it is being marketed at a grass roots level. Jay2008 - I am happy to hear there have been multiple newspaper articles on the teams - please fill me in on what they have been saying (I don't have access to the Otatwa Sun). I'll see if I can track anyting down on the net. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay2008 Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 I will track them down and post the links.They for the most part just gace short news on what was going on with the team and the youth team etc.No word on try-outs as of yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Man Posted March 17, 2005 Share Posted March 17, 2005 It's too bad that no reads the Ottawa Sun. Had the stories been printed in Ottawa real paper the citizen, that would have been great. Expect crowds of under 500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay2008 Posted March 18, 2005 Share Posted March 18, 2005 Alot of people perfer the sun it is not up to the team who picks ups the news they issue the press realse and it is up to ever wants to put in there paper or on the news.So don't balme the fury for this it is the citizens fault.They will avg 1000 a game they have allready sold a good deal of season tickets take that with the amount of youth teams they have and they will get tickets to games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Man Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 quote:Originally posted by jay2008 Alot of people perfer the sun it is not up to the team who picks ups the news they issue the press realse and it is up to ever wants to put in there paper or on the news.So don't balme the fury for this it is the citizens fault.They will avg 1000 a game they have allready sold a good deal of season tickets take that with the amount of youth teams they have and they will get tickets to games. I'll wait and see on this one (1000 a game. The Fury ladies are one the best teams in the World and they draw about 600. And how many are those are fury SYL players? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Smoke Posted March 21, 2005 Author Share Posted March 21, 2005 I'll have to agree with G-man. Meanwhile, the CPSL have provided some updates, University of Toronto are actually playing several exhibition games and the University season is pretty far away (first one happened this past weekend - they beat an OSL team 2-1), and yet as far as the Ottawa Fury are concerned (a so-called pro or semi-pro organization), no news on the Women's or Men's front on signings... re-signings, exhibition schedule, try-out schedule, etc. Not a good sign. No denying they have had a very organized youth system in teh past 2 years; and they have had tremondous success on the women's side the past 2 years; but the silence on the Men's front (and the women's front as well) is rather eerie at this point - 9 weeks before season openers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 quote:Originally posted by G-Man It's too bad that no reads the Ottawa Sun. Had the stories been printed in Ottawa real paper the citizen, that would have been great. Expect crowds of under 500. The Ottawa sun is part of the Canwest Global conglomerate. The sports pages for all Canwest Global papers are setup in Toronto and there is very, very little interest in providing any coverage at all for second tier sports like soccer. If we want to submit anything in Vancouver to the Vancouver Sun or Province we have to send it to Toronto. Local editors have little say in the matter. This is one of the worst aspects of media concentration such as we are having to put up with in Vancouver now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted March 21, 2005 Share Posted March 21, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Richard The Ottawa sun is part of the Canwest Global conglomerate. The sports pages for all Canwest Global papers are setup in Toronto and there is very, very little interest in providing any coverage at all for second tier sports like soccer. If we want to submit anything in Vancouver to the Vancouver Sun or Province we have to send it to Toronto. Local editors have little say in the matter. This is one of the worst aspects of media concentration such as we are having to put up with in Vancouver now. The Gazette is owned by CWG but is probably the best paper in regards to covering the local soccer scene (Impact and local international games). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoyleG Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Daniel The Gazette is owned by CWG but is probably the best paper in regards to covering the local soccer scene (Impact and local international games). CWG papers seem to do a much better job at local coverage than Sun Media. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 22, 2005 Share Posted March 22, 2005 quote:Originally posted by DoyleG CWG papers seem to do a much better job at local coverage than Sun Media. The Sun Media must really be pathetic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:The Ottawa sun is part of the Canwest Global conglomerate. It is the Citizen that is part of the Canwest Global chain not the Sun. quote: It's too bad that no reads the Ottawa Sun. Had the stories been printed in Ottawa real paper the citizen, that would have been great. The Sun does have a large readership. The Citizen is a "real" newspaper in the tradition of Pravda during Soviet times and Fox news. The changing of the newspaper to a right wing corporate mouthpiece that was feared would happen when Conrad Black bought the paper but which did not occur has definitely occured under Canwest (not that I am a big Conrad Black fan but one has to give him credit for maintaining the journalistic independence of his media outlets). Under Canwest, reporters and editors who did not write what the head office wanted were fired and much of the Citizen's and other Canwest papers contents originates in Toronto or Winnipeg. While the Citizen has much more in depth news coverage and more international coverage than the Sun which is a tabloid, this coverage is very biased, very pro-Bush, pro-USA and pro-Israel. The Citizen used to be mildly left-wing with the Sun being Ottawa's right-wing paper but this has now reversed. The Sun hasn't changed its position at all but the Citizen has moved even further to the right than the Sun. The Citizen used to have editorials from all political spectrums but this has largely ceased. The Sun despite its poor news coverage does have better editiorialists in that they are independent and can actually write well and make logical arguments (whether I agree with them or not) unlike the propaganda from the Citizen's chief editor David Warren (who incidentally was completely unqualified for his position other than the fact his political views coincided with Canwest's). The Citizen has also become far more like a tabloid under Canwest with important news stories often being displaced from the front page for celebrity photos and news. Canwest owns about 75% of Canada's english print media including almost all local newspaper and television media in Vancouver and has greatly contributed to the decline of the free press in Canada. As far as sports both papers are about even. The Citizen has more depth in articles but the Sun often has more extensive coverage. They are also about equal in local sports coverage, often having far too much non-local coverage but both occasionally doing well in this area. Soccer gets very little coverage in either paper, especially Canadian soccer. The sports and other local sections of the Citizen being non-political seem to be more independent than the news sections. In non sports local coverage I would give the Citizen the edge simply because it is larger and has sections dedicated to local events. I would expect the pdf team to draw between 500 to 1000 per game. They should be congratulated on getting their stories printed in one of the two newspapers here as I am sure it is no easy task. If they can keep getting such coverage they may be able to get decent crowds exceeding expectations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Smoke Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:I would expect the pdf team to draw between 500 to 1000 per game. They should be congratulated on getting their stories printed in one of the two newspapers here as I am sure it is no easy task. If they can keep getting such coverage they may be able to get decent crowds exceeding expectations.I have to disagree on attendance predictions, and I have to ask... WHAT STORIES?! I mean, who is playing for this PDL team? Does anybody know at least one name? Carleton University players? Algonquin College players? Former youth Fury players? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Man Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:Originally posted by The Big Smoke I have to disagree on attendance predictions, and I have to ask... WHAT STORIES?! I mean, who is playing for this PDL team? Does anybody know at least one name? Carleton University players? Algonquin College players? Former youth Fury players? Anyone? Old joke, How can you tell the Ottawa Sun reader on the bus? He's the one moving his lips while he reads. I think the Fury has some type of sponsorship deal from the paper. Did the Women not have the Sun logo on their shirts last year? With the U-20 World Cup this summer, I'd say that any Canadian PDL is **** out of luck. Those players should be signed to A-league teams at the least. And what NCAA player would willing to move to Ottawa to play for free? And what former Wizard player would be in the same mindset? If they travel, they'd have to take a day off without pay from their real jobs? And without any sign of any signings 8 weeks before kick-off, any player of quility with an agent, or a half a brain, isn't going to be playing for expansion team full of jobbies. It just screams "Edmonton Aviators" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydog2006 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 For some reason you well some of you want the fury to fail witch i am sorry to say won't happen.There have been multi stories in the ottawa sun since the fall.They will be running a open try-out to fill most of the team this is why there have been no such news about signings.They have picked up a few ncaa players.Lets not compare pdl to a league.The a league teams need to be set well a head of the season while pdl is amied at developing players.The fury are on very stable footing unlike edmonton or columbus of the pdl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Smoke Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:Originally posted by jaydog2006 For some reason you well some of you want the fury to fail witch i am sorry to say won't happen.There have been multi stories in the ottawa sun since the fall.They will be running a open try-out to fill most of the team this is why there have been no such news about signings.They have picked up a few ncaa players.Lets not compare pdl to a league.The a league teams need to be set well a head of the season while pdl is amied at developing players.The fury are on very stable footing unlike edmonton or columbus of the pdl. Quite the contrary, getting PDL teams and increasing the number of USL teams in Canada is something we all get excited about. But it is detrimental to all if a new team is formed, then falls flat on its face. It sets things back in the long run. Hopefully the Fury will be competitive and be a springboard for young Canadian talent. I have to disagree with you on the point that just because PDL is aimed at developing players it doesn't need to start preparing 8 weeks before the season. This is especially the case for a new team I would think - in order to ensure players are match fit, and are used to playing with each other, within a particular system, etc., you would think that you would have a team picked say 8 weeks in advance and then you have those final 8 weeks to work with the talent at your disposal, play some exhibition games, work on set plays, and DEVELOP the talent. I wouldn't be surprised if most PDL teams actually attract a majority of College or University players in their immediate region to have a base to work from from the start - which is why I asked in an earlier post whether Carleton or Algonquin players were being considered for the Fury. It seems that you are involved in some way with the Fury Jaydog2006. I wish you all the best of luck, and please don't be so sensitive to my/other posters' queries about the team - we are all hoping they do very well and set an example for future Canadian additions to the USL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydog2006 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I am not volved with the fury in any way i am just a supporter.When is said they don't need to be like a-league teams what i was meaning to say is there is not the need to get fans in big numbers as such as a-league teams need.With that said yes it would be nice for then to update there site a bit more have a roster out playing vs carleton etc.The down fall of canada is the weather there are alot of pdl teams that have had exh games allready and have been going strong since early feb.I have not heard if they have any ottawa college players in there sights i would be gussing they do.This may be a big probleam or it may not be the ersl will have a under 21 league as well as the ocsl.Both of these could be trouble for the pdl team so to speak put a strain on the market.Say you had the choic eof playing for the pdl with a very heavy travel schedule or play in a regional league with allmost no travel.Yes there be half who would take the pdl and half to regional but in the end this could weaken the fury anyone agree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pony Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Being a coach within the fury organization (while playing for the Royals, a rival club) will tell you this. The Fury PDL team, at least at the moment, does not seem to have aspirations for anything past being a developmental team. For example, a couple of good sources have told me that the tema will only be signing 5 over-agers. There are a few lads between the ages of 20-23 who will be on there, but the bulk of the team will be from the fury system (This is just my observations, do not take this as fact pls). Add that they will be affiliated with the Lynx and Impact, and that to me screams development team. Furthermore, I don't beleive that there is any plan to move the team into the USL div 1 (eh-league), unless they are really successful at the gate (read my previous points and make your own deductions about whether or not this will happen). Personally (and I know some of you will think I'm crazy), but I think this is the right approach. Why sign 8 dudes who might take off next year at the expense of developing some younger lads? Signing 5 mature players who can help develop the younger guys is an investment into the future. It might not put 10k a$$'s in the stands, but I don't think thats what they are going for. Regardless of what you think about their approach, remember this is a first year team in a development league. I think they are entiltled to a few growing pains. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 I remember a previous thread about the costs of the SYL program. Based on the fact that very few Canadian boys head to Europe or play NCAA in the states, from an organisational survial plan, The Fury PDL and W teams better be filled with Fury youth program players, or what would the point be of paying close to 15 thousand dollars (minium)over 5 years to only see out of towners and imports being bused in? (based on a kid enetering at 14 and leaving at 18x 3 grand per year) I looked into sending my son to play with them and did the math, saw some SYL games and decided that the OYSL was just as good and I could bank the 5K it would have cost us as a family and put it towards a university fund. But I do wish them luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydog2006 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 Highley unlikely that the pdl team will just be super y-league players.In hockey parents pay upwords of 25 grand for there son to play and alot of the time that turns out that there son will not end up playing for there local jr hockey club.Just because you spend the cash and you invest all that time does not mean your child is a lock to play for the big club.Take the nepean raiders out of 20 players 7 played for nepean minor hockey.In cornwall they only have two players who played for cornwall minor hockey.Yes it may seem unfair and cold that out of towners take spots from local kids or should i say possible spots but thats they way it is in hockey.Its not about who played the most in the system its who is the best like it or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Smoke Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 This brings up an interesting point that I would like to explore… if you start a PDL team from scratch, what are your expenses? 1) Presumably there is equipment (home & away jerseys; tracks suits for players; bags; etc.). Let’s just say you’re talking $4000 to cover off equipment for 26 players. 2) Practice and home game facilities – need to rent a pitch for 4 months (preseason and season) – let’s just be real cheap and say you’re talking $2000 (presumably these costs are shared by other teams in the club). 3) Travel expenses (rental of a bus for 8 away games – 4 road trips; hotel rooms for players and coaches; meal allowances; etc.) – Shall we say $10,000? 4) Salary for a coach(es) - $??? 5) Living and food arrangements for out of town players (there has been speculation that the Fury is attracting players from out of town - $???) 6) League/administration fees - $??? Just to be very, very, very conservative you can attribute roughly $20,000 to the cost of starting up such a team. Now how do you get that money back? And what is your motivation for spending that money in the first place? Obviously first year teams in a semi-pro league will have growing pains, but what do people think is the best approach in building a team? First and foremost, I would think affiliations with local amateur sides would be a no-brainer. Affiliating with local Universities and Colleges would follow as no-brainer #2. At least you will be able to attract the best local talent, and this in turn will raise interest throughout the community. To develop players, you need experience. Signing 5-8 LOCAL guys who are proven players (i.e. play at the Quebec Major League level; OSL level; CPSL level) would be no-brainer #3… for one they will likely be back year in and year out (as opposed to traveling NCAA guys just looking for something to do one summer, you get guys who are likely going to be around Ottawa for a while and will work with the younger guys). Same rationale would be in effect to promote using first year students at Algonquin or Carleton or Ottawa University for that matter – they all have an interest in sticking around for at least 3-4 years. You also want a good relationship with the local media, and create a buzz about your team to make sure everyone is aware of your efforts. Couple that with a good website that tracks the progress of your players throughout their careers (and hopefully up the proverbial “North American soccer food chain” to A-League and MLS teams). Correct me if I’m wrong, but I just don’t see this happening with the Fury.. yet. I hope this is all in the works behind the scenes. One thing that impresses me with the Montreal Impact is the way they get involved in their community. The last couple of years they have made an effort in signing local talent to fill their bench (and starting spots) as opposed to bringing in imports from the US or elsewhere. They make an effort in having games in Sherbrooke and elsewhere. Make a point of playing versus local amateur Quebec sides or all-star amateur sides in exhibition matches to raise interest in the community and keep a pulse on local talent. They hold extensive tryouts and really take the time to look at everyone. No wonder they are a success at the box-office and on the pitch the last couple of years. I hope teams are taking this into consideration. I hope the Fury have given this some thought. Obviously they have enjoyed some success with the Women’s program, but then again when you have a National Team Head Coach (Even Pellerud) who tells his National Team players they MUST play on a W-League team (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary), and there are only a handful of those around, it becomes easy to recruit some of the top players and make a run at a title. I believe this is exactly what the Women Fury did last year with an influx of non-Ottawa NT players. I would argue the W-League team hasn’t developed mush local talent in the last few years (I could be wrong), although has enjoyed a lot of on-field success. The PDL men’s team will be thrown into a quite different environment… let’s hope the Fury organization has taken this into account. The PDL league is nothing special, but it does have some organized teams with some good young developing players. Here’s hoping the Fury become a great haven for developing Canadian soccer pros!!! Oh – and don’t get me started on the Super “why” league and the extravagant amount of $$$ that parents are paying to have their kids “develop” through the Fury system. But give the club their dues, at least they look like they are organized at the youth level – and if parents are willing to pay those amounts - more power to them. My view, OYSL is better level (or at least as good). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydog2006 Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 There is no doubt the oysl is about the same on the field as the super league.Its off the field where the huge difference is the super -y league does a great job on promoting the players and getting scouts etc.This is where the oysl is lacking is it worth the huge price difference no.But don't forget the fury have much harder travel schedule then say the hotspurs.Now as with starting up pdl team i have some friends who 4 years ago tried to get a pdl team off the ground.They figured after the expanson fee it would be an extra 10-20 grand they were way way off.It turns out for an avg budget per year they were looking at 80 grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Smoke Posted March 23, 2005 Author Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:Originally posted by jaydog2006 It turns out for an avg budget per year they were looking at 80 grand. Wow... that is a lot of $$$. You wouldn't think one would be willing to throw that kind of $$$ away. So you would think there is a plan to put a competitive product on the field, one that will last and reap some rewards for the money spent (i.e. develop local talent, contribute to soccer att he grassroots level in teh community, etc.). Now - the question is, what is the "raison-d'être" of the team? Is it to DEVELOP local talent? Develop talent period? Put a winning team on the field? These priorities need to be set straight right from the get go. It seems there are diverging opinions on what the Fury are trying to accomplish. Let's hope if the $80K estimate is accurate, that they are clear on what they are trying to accomplish! Sounds like the argument for OYSL vs. SYL is the same as PDL vs CPSL. Better overall organization and exposure within USL. But then again, that isn't necessarily taking the "Canadian game interests" at heart now, is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Pony Being a coach within the fury organization (while playing for the Royals, a rival club) will tell you this. The Fury PDL team, at least at the moment, does not seem to have aspirations for anything past being a developmental team... Personally (and I know some of you will think I'm crazy), but I think this is the right approach. Why sign 8 dudes who might take off next year at the expense of developing some younger lads? Signing 5 mature players who can help develop the younger guys is an investment into the future. It might not put 10k a$$'s in the stands, but I don't think thats what they are going for. Regardless of what you think about their approach, remember this is a first year team in a development league. I think they are entiltled to a few growing pains. P Well said. Folks perhaps need to be reminded that PDL stands for... Premier DEVELOPMENT League. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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