Edmonton Sun : Group wants in USL's dev. league

[Guest HamiltonSteelers]

Taken from http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Canada/2005/04/22/1008329.html

Group wants in USL's development league

By SCOTT ZERR -- Edmonton Sun

Past failures be damned.

The seemingly never-ending charge to bring a high-level soccer franchise to Edmonton is getting another kick-start - but with a twist.

Since the pro game has had dreadful results time and time again, a new proposal is being pondered for acceptance into the United Soccer League's Pro Development League.

"We're looking at the possibility for next season, which would give us some breathing room after what happened with the Aviators," said Len Vickery, who is at the helm of the Edmonton project.

Vickery, the head coach of the University of Alberta Golden Bears soccer squad, also guides the Edmonton Green and Gold entry in the Alberta Major League and his plan would see that group take up residence in the PDL.

The 52-team PDL operates in similar fashion to the W-League which housed the Women Aviators last season. The team would be made up of mainly NCAA and Canadian university players, so they would not be paid in order to maintain eligibility. Teams are allowed eight players over the age of 23.

"It is the best level of amateur soccer in North America and PDL have beaten MLS and A-League teams in U.S. Cup play," said Tim Holt, the vice-president of the United Soccer Leagues.

"It is a league where the teams have lower expectations but often overperform. You wouldn't miss a beat compared to what was there with the Aviators. It is one of the best-kept secrets in soccer and we want to change that."

Currently the PDL's Northwest Division holds teams in Abbotsford, B.C., Spokane and Yakima, Washington, as well as Salem, Oregon, but the division is eyeing Canadian expansion with Edmonton and Calgary on the list.

"It is primarily a bus league, but with being able to fly into Abbotsford, we could then play there and bus to the other teams.

"It would be similar to what we do with the U of A, flying into Vancouver and playing three games in three days," explained Vickery.

"We would want to make sure we cover ourselves from a budget sense and we'd play our home games at Foote Field.

"I think the calibre of the PDL would be excellent to bridge the gap for our players between the youth level and the possibility of playing at the professional level in the future."

Enthused by the possibilities, Holt said the prospect of returning to Edmonton was not a scary venture after the monumental collapse of the Aviators last summer.

"Absolutely not. It was not the market that let the franchise and the league down. In fact, it was the franchise and the league that let the market down," said Holt. "A PDL team would be the right way to restart things. I see no reason at all why the team couldn't break even its first year (on approximately a $75,000 budget).

"All the talks are in the preliminary stages right now, but I am encouraged by the conversations I've had."

[strobe_z]

"Absolutely not. It was not the market that let the franchise and the league down. In fact, it was the franchise and the league that let the market down," said Holt.

I'll second that... and sign me up for tickets!

[Andrew W]

I think this would only work if Calgary comes aboard the PDL as well. An Edmonton PDL team would be on an island without another stop along the way.

Any news from the Calgary folks about PDL talk?

[Kelly]

this should erve a final notice to all that dream about a pan Canadian pro league. The only way soccer will work in Edmonton is if the players play for free.

There is simply no market outside of the existing 3 that could support a pro team paying regular wages.

sorry guys.

[DoyleG]

quote:Originally posted by Kelly

this should erve a final notice to all that dream about a pan Canadian pro league. The only way soccer will work in Edmonton is if the players play for free.

There is simply no market outside of the existing 3 that could support a pro team paying regular wages.

sorry guys.

Huh?

[Richard]

Players playing for free or very little money is pretty much how the A-League clubs got off the ground in Canada. Even now our USLD1 teams don't pay proper living wages to many if any of their players. How can they support players and staff year round on a four month playing season with typical average crowds of around 5,000?

The only way a pan Canadian league could work is if it was heavily subsidised the way the MLS is now. If I were a betting man I would wager the USL will be around long after the MLS is dead.

[G-Man]

quote:Originally posted by DoyleG

Huh?

anyone home?

PDL players play for free. I realise that USL 1 players make taxi driver wages, but even at that places like Edmonton and Calgary can't draw enough to pay the workers let alone the creditors.

If USL 1 can't work there why would a CSL 3 work?

[Daniel]

Because the investors were idiots who couldn't exploit the market properly? Or is that too logical.

Take Montreal for example: in 2001, the owners were attracting around 2,500, went under and the team ended up with sub-1,000 crowds and no payroll. The same market under SMART ownership (who has gotten a multitude of partners on board) came out in droves - over 9,000 on average - to encourage their soccer team in 2004.

[G-Man]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

Because the investors were idiots who couldn't exploit the market properly? Or is that too logical.

Take Montreal for example: in 2001, the owners were attracting around 2,500, went under and the team ended up with sub-1,000 crowds and no payroll. The same market under SMART ownership (who has gotten a multitude of partners on board) came out in droves - over 9,000 on average - to encourage their soccer team in 2004.

And of course youy fail to mention that the provicial government bailed the team out and a publically owned company (Hydro) is the main sponsor.

The Impact also has a local market sports provider (RDS) that basically has nothing else local to support unlike english canada who has two national sport networks who can't see past baseball and hockey, expect for the EPL and champions league.

Had the impact put in threee sub 500 seasons, the team would still be drawing 1,000 a game.

[Ivan]

quote:Originally posted by G-Man

And of course youy fail to mention that the provicial government bailed the team out and a publically owned company (Hydro) is the main sponsor.

The Impact also has a local market sports provider (RDS) that basically has nothing else local to support unlike english canada who has two national sport networks who can't see past baseball and hockey, expect for the EPL and champions league.

Had the impact put in threee sub 500 seasons, the team would still be drawing 1,000 a game.

But the point is they have not put in three sub 500 seasons. They are a winner. The reason they are a winner is they are well funded, organized and well supported.

More clubs in Canada should only be so lucky. Then we wouldn't have 16 page threads on what we need to do to have our own league.

[Kurosawa1555362267]

quote:Originally posted by G-Man

And of course youy fail to mention that the provicial government bailed the team out and a publically owned company (Hydro) is the main sponsor.

Bad news every one, the Quebec government thinks that supporting a pro soccer team is a good way of promoting good health by givng a good example of a healthy lifestyle to kids.

Also I don't mind seeing Hydro support the Impact. Hydro Québec makes a pretty big profit every year, and every year that profit is used to pay for other less profitable part of the government.

I don't know where you live, how much money you make and how much taxes you pay every year but I pay my fair share and I think it's intelligent for the government to give a good example of a healthy lifestyle by helping pro sport in a reasonnable manner. That is waht the government is doing here with my taxes.

[G-Man]

quote:Originally posted by Kurosawa

Bad news every one, the Quebec government thinks that supporting a pro soccer team is a good way of promoting good health by givng a good example of a healthy lifestyle to kids.

Also I don't mind seeing Hydro support the Impact. Hydro Québec makes a pretty big profit every year, and every year that profit is used to pay for other less profitable part of the government.

I don't know where you live, how much money you make and how much taxes you pay every year but I pay my fair share and I think it's intelligent for the government to give a good example of a healthy lifestyle by helping pro sport in a reasonnable manner. That is waht the government is doing here with my taxes.

Healthy lifestyle? Promoting a healthy lifestyle would be putting more feildturf feilds in the city of Montreal, so kids could get out and run around chasing a ball.

Do you think people in Canada are fatter due to the NHL strike? And that people in Montreal live a healthy lifestyle compared to Quebec City? due to having a USL Division One team?

[Kurosawa1555362267]

quote:Originally posted by G-Man

Healthy lifestyle? Promoting a healthy lifestyle would be putting more feildturf feilds in the city of Montreal, so kids could get out and run around chasing a ball.

Do you think people in Canada are fatter due to the NHL strike? And that people in Montreal live a healthy lifestyle compared to Quebec City? due to having a USL Division One team?

I agree that having more fields would be great, but kids also need role model and the Impact players are just that. And considering that the Montreal Impact gives a lot of tickets for every game to the regionnal association, who in turn sell them back to kids for 5 dollars, I'd say that the Impact pretty mucj gives back the money it receives from the govmnt. in oder to help the development of sport in the province.

[canadiansoccerrules]

Can't believe that Edmonton would be considered by any league for any future

soccer team. Edmonton has proved time and again to fail to support any kind

of professional soccer in the city. First the Drillers, then the Brickmen,

then the Avaitors all of which died due to poor fan support and poor management. Lets be fair they could have had the greatest of owners, the

people would not have supported those teams. Just say no to Edmonton.

[River City]

quote:Originally posted by canadiansoccerrules

Can't believe that Edmonton would be considered by any league for any future

soccer team. Edmonton has proved time and again to fail to support any kind

of professional soccer in the city. First the Drillers, then the Brickmen,

then the Avaitors all of which died due to poor fan support and poor management. Lets be fair they could have had the greatest of owners, the

people would not have supported those teams. Just say no to Edmonton.

Calgarian by birth?

The USL feels it owes Edmonton for the whole Aviators thing. They had a choice in terms of who to award the franchise rights to and hindsight being 20/20, made a bad decision. Despite the collapse of the Aviators, Edmonton FC still drew a sizeable crowd considering all of the problems the team was undergoing.

Contrary to your beliefs, there is a market here for soccer, and under the leadership of the U of A, it should gain a solid foothold in the community.

Don't be a hater.

[Guest HamiltonSteelers]

quote:Originally posted by River City

Don't be a hater.

Yeah, Hater!

*whisper* got yer back River City *nods*

This response worked so much better in my head.

[Former Champ]

Soccer does have a chance in Edmonton, but it has to be done right, and make it fun, and forget about playing in commonwealth no matter how nice it is...play at the University on the field turf or or somefink...

I don't think Calgary will support a soccer team, even though interest in the game is growing. Few more years and maybe.

My 2 cents.

[Jeremy Loome]

...And just for the record, since people keep bleating about how Edmonton always has lousy attendance, these are the annual numbers for their first three NASL campaigns:

9,923 - 1979-80

10,920 - 1980

10,632 - 1981

They were far and away not the worst draw in that league. And it wasn't until they moved to the far crappier and smaller Clarke the following season that attendance dwindled.

And incidentally, until the ownership group announced they were pulling the plug, the palty 1,700 - 2,500 that the Aviators were drawing was still landing them in seventh place in the league. The total collapse only occured AFTER they announced the team was folding.

If you don't think 9,000 to 10,000 fans (assuming you don't follow the horribly inadequate business model the aviators did, you might actually draw signifcant numbers) can support a team, you're kidding yourself.The city has drawn at least that for every nats game since I'ved lived here (and on one particularly sunny Sunday, 25,000 WALKUP).

Run a professional operation (cheap seats, good weekend times, a little luck with the weather, a competitive business model, proper sponsorship) right and they can do it with regularity.