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Montreal MLS expansion bid is not entirely dead???


Luis_Rancagua

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Guys, I know I'm expected to have all the Montreal members come hard on me based on this rumor. They could go and screw themselves sideways...Anyway, this one comes directly from MLS Rumors. Furthermore, an MLS official is expected to be at the Feb-25 game at the Big-O. Perhaps MLS are reconsidering their decision based on the impressive numbers of ticket sales for the CONCACAF Championship.

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EXPANSION: Montreal Still In The Mix? So Says This Rumor....

Monday, February 16, 2009

Could Montreal expansion not be entirely dead? According to this informant, maybe.

Hello guys,

I'm writing you because much has been made about Montreal withdrawing its bid for this round of expansion. While that is true do not count Montreal out entirely. Rumor has it that at least one official from MLS will be present at a sold out Olympic Stadium for Impact de Montréal's CONCACAF Champions League fixture vs Mexico's Santos Laguna. This person also tells me MLS may be willing to let Montreal in at the price that the Impact offered to join, $40 million Canadian Dollars with the caveat that MLS for the first 4 years would take a greater share of their gate receipts. I can not tell you where I heard this other than it was from a credible source. Please keep my name anonymous and keep up the good work.

Indeed according to this article over on The Offside, over 42,000 tickets have been sold. Quite an impressive number for any MLS exec and certainly worth a closer look.

The Montreal Impact announced Friday it had sold more than 42,000 tickets for the quarterfinal game of the CONCACAF Champions League, on February 25, at Olympic Stadium against Mexican club Santos Laguna. The Cesar Millan backed club will be facing most probably the biggest crowd ever for a CONCACAF game in Montréal.

With this milestone, the Impact has established a new sales record for a CONCACAF game. In 2005, approximately 40,000 people had assisted to the Champions Cup final game between Pumas UNAM (Mexico) and Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica).

What do you think, should MLS perhaps make a special case out of Montreal and allow them in at a reduced expansion fee with perhaps more gate revenue going to the league?

http://www.mls-rumors.net/2009/02/expansion-montreal-still-in-mix-so-says.html

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^ You know what, as much as MLS rumors prints a lot of crap, i almost believe it.

Montreal looks like about as close to a sure thing for financial success MLS has (or had) on the table. On some level that has to be the bottom line instead of going somewhere like St. Louis and assuming it's going to work.

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that site seems as Credible as Eklund with Hockey rumors.

but Montreal ha sproven it can sell a crazy amount of tickets to a big soccer event which will help them out for sure in a bid.

I still see Vancouver as the frontrunner out of the Canadian bids. if they add another team in the East of Canada it could dmaper TFC rivalries with Columbus and New York both have proven to be great revunue builders for both sides. With Seattle now in the MLS and Philly already approved it seems logical either Portland or Vancouve would be the Fvaourite as it would give them on more derby match in the league as the Sounders would have a good local team around them. Miami seems to be a lock so it seems more evident that a West team will be picked.

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Ha Ha funny. First Montreal withdraws their bid and now because of a soccer game they're back in.

Oh yeah, and St. Louis is back in cause Arthur Blank owner of the Falcons is upset that Atlanta got turned down.

Then all the crapp from Spain newspapers about Barca Miama FC...

mabey the MLS official will be in Montreal JUST to watch the soccer game????? No wouldn't think that

blah blah blah

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quote:Originally posted by spiral

Ha Ha funny. First Montreal withdraws their bid and now because of a soccer game they're back in.

Oh yeah, and St. Louis is back in cause Arthur Blank owner of the Falcons is upset that Atlanta got turned down.

Then all the crapp from Spain newspapers about Barca Miama FC...

mabey the MLS official will be in Montreal JUST to watch the soccer game????? No wouldn't think that

blah blah blah

Spiral, this is more than a game...In fact, this game is the best thing that ever happened to the Montreal MLS bid...and it probably has MLS reconsidering their opinion towards them, thus probably resurrecting Montreal's candidacy for an MLS expansion (which at one point was considered dead a month ago). That's if the rumor is correct, of course. But if we look at this whole issue on a large scale, this is what comes-out sharply here: Montreal has managed to break unprecedented record numbers for CONCACAF in ticket sales for the Club Championship. An with this being said, this is what MLS is looking for, a city where soccer will flourish big time $$$$$$ rather than in these joe-blow cities like St-Louis and Atlanta.
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Also sounds like a monatary issue...

"This person also tells me MLS may be willing to let Montreal in at the price that the Impact offered to join, $40 million Canadian Dollars with the caveat that MLS for the first 4 years would take a greater share of their gate receipts."

Why would MLS allow $40 million Canadian now? Just because Montreal sold 42K? I think that is part of it, but another part perhaps has to do with the struggling US economy. Montreal would certainly be a better long term option the way things are going. I dunno, it just seems desperate (if its true) for MLS to suddenly allow $40 million Canadian...

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quote:Originally posted by Obinna

Also sounds like a monatary issue...

"This person also tells me MLS may be willing to let Montreal in at the price that the Impact offered to join, $40 million Canadian Dollars with the caveat that MLS for the first 4 years would take a greater share of their gate receipts."

Why would MLS allow $40 million Canadian now? Just because Montreal sold 42K? I think that is part of it, but another part perhaps has to do with the struggling US economy. Montreal would certainly be a better long term option the way things are going. I dunno, it just seems desperate (if its true) for MLS to suddenly allow $40 million Canadian...

I agree...A large part of the US economy in a state of recession plays a huge factor here. Let's be honest, St. Louis has NO money...Also, the bid is a complete joke together with Atlanta. These 2 cities can not sustain a team for more than 7 years, whereas Montreal could remain in MLS for more than 25 years. Furthermore, Portland is finding it real hard to get money from the city.
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*ducking*

A one-off game -- the biggest game in franchise history and likely the most important club football game ever played in the city -- may show the promise of big support but it does not prove big support. That’s especially the case when we know that thousands of the tickets have been sold for only $6.

What's impressive for Montreal is how many come out to the USL games and the league already knew about that. The Impact refused to pay the $40 million. MLS has five other bids willing to pay it. There is no way in hell that they would take less for it. Why should they?

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quote:Originally posted by MediaGuy

*ducking*

A one-off game -- the biggest game in franchise history and likely the most important club football game ever played in the city -- may show the promise of big support but it does not prove big support. That’s especially the case when we know that thousands of the tickets have been sold for only $6.

What's impressive for Montreal is how many come out to the USL games and the league already knew about that. The Impact refused to pay the $40 million. MLS has five other bids willing to pay it. There is no way in hell that they would take less for it. Why should they?

You really do take pleasure in trying to minimize the success of this game at all costs don't you...

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^Ever hear of Santos Laguna before Montreal made it to the quarter finals? That's the difference. Not exactly a hot-bed of Mexican football interest in Montreal I'd think. Still, there is a novelty factor around the match helping to sell it.

And while one off events, as MediaGuy wrote, can't exactly be used as a firm gauge for the future of anything they do allow for some speculation at the size of a potential club market if given the chance with proper marketing.

I wouldn't be dismissive of the ticket sales being inflated because of discounted tickets. They could be free, if some one isn't interested you couldn't give them away. And even if half the seats sold are one way or another attached to that discounted rate (which I doubt) there will still be close to 25K seats sold at full price. I have to say I'm impressed.

If Saputo & Co. are using this match for some behind the scenes leveraging then great. They'd be fools not to. If Saputo says his bid (current or future) has more to offer than just dollars and cents he has to show it and so far, so good.

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I think it's also worth remembering that there have been MLS teams that have tried to "paper the house", and the result has still been empty seats. It's one thing to give away tickets, and completely another for people to show up. The fact is MTL will have a huge crowd out for the CCL match, and that shouldn't be dismissed.

While I wouldn't put much stake in anything MLS rumours says, I wouldn't rule out MTL joining the league soon. I think MLS will do whatever it wants regarding expansion, regardless of anything Garber's said in the past.

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quote:Originally posted by spiral

Ha Ha funny. First Montreal withdraws their bid and now because of a soccer game they're back in.

Oh yeah, and St. Louis is back in cause Arthur Blank owner of the Falcons is upset that Atlanta got turned down.

Then all the crapp from Spain newspapers about Barca Miama FC...

mabey the MLS official will be in Montreal JUST to watch the soccer game????? No wouldn't think that

blah blah blah

It hurts to say, but spiral is right. Let's all create, or find rumors and run with them. Where's Cheesy Saputo and Boy George? Why haven't they said a word? Cheesy isn't one to be coy with media when it comes to showing how big his plans are. When we hear some news from the one writing the cheques, then we should chime in. Until then, the last comment from MLS was Montreal is out for this round.

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Here's another source...Obviously NOT</u> from MLS Rumors. Chances are that this rumors is pretty credible, and its gaining momentum.

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MLS Expansion: Montreal Still Alive?

by Kartik Krishnaiyer

February 17, 2009

The CONCACAF Champions League returns next week and in one of the more appetizing matchups, the Impact de Montreal of USL faces Mexico’s Santos Laguna. Montreal is one of three members of US based leagues to advance to the quarterfinal stage (the Houston Dynamo and the Puerto Rico Islanders are the others).

The Champions League may not have yet developed a following among some MLS fans including those whose teams took the tournament to be a set of friendlies and were eliminated early, but in Montreal it is a very big deal. Radio Canada and MLS Rumors are reporting that 43,000 tickets have already been sold for Montreal’s home leg of the Quarterfinals, and arrangements are being made to add capacity to Olympic Stadium should the game sell out.

The match will be held at Olympic Stadium instead of Stade Saputo, the usual home ground of the Impact. The advance ticket sales must give pause to MLS officials whose demands placed on potential expansion bidders forced Montreal’s bid to be eliminated. The Saputo’s, the owners of the Impact along with George Gillett, co-owner of Liverpool, and partner in Montreal’s MLS bid, felt the $40 million price tag for a new MLS franchise (or in this case promoting a successful USL team to MLS) should include stadium upgrade costs. Stade Saputo, which is a new state of the art facility with a grass pitch seats under 15,000 fans and thus must be upgraded to be considered a permanent MLS home ground.

A source confirmed to me Monday, that Montreal’s ownership group has not ruled out an eventual move to MLS, but that the requirements to submit an expansion bid to the league must be changed. The big question will be this: after the Impact put on a show next week and draw the type of crowd current MLS clubs can only dream about for a CONCACAF match, will MLS and Montreal come to some agreement? Could this also be the mysterious cause of the delay in revealing the expansion winner for 2011?

We will preview each of the quarterfinal cup ties involving MLS or USL sides next week.

http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/mls-expansion-montreal-still-alive/2047

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Tempest in a teapot.

This game is a good show of interest, but season tickets and USL crowds will be a better gauge of popularity.

Saputo is still balking at the entry requirements for MLS, and MLS is still insisting on them. Once they get closer you can expect Montreal to make a case for itself.

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quote:Originally posted by spiral

Saputo wouldn't be a viable venue for this time of the year cause it could snow and be too cold.

You gonna play soccer at minus 15 ? Come on

When was the last time you heard about a soccer game taking place in this time of the year? Last time i looked MLS and ULS start there season around May

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Guys, I don't mean to change the topic...but what has touched my curiosity about both articles of which I posted on this thread is that they mention "a reliable source from Montreal" feeding inside information to both MLS Rumors and MLS Talk. Under these circumstances, I'm kind of curious to know as to who this source is???? I'm thinking that it may be "Deep Throat" from All the President's Men. Do you think they are meeting this guy in some dark alley of a garage station late hours of the night.

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