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FC Edmonton 2010

fishman

By fishman
in Canadian Teams & Leagues

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strobe_z Newbie

strobe_z

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http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/soccer/2010/07/06/14631136.html

Edmonton Sun says it was 2,900... All in all not bad. It was definitely a less exciting game than the first two, but they can't all be gems. We missed River_City in the cheering section this time out, but we gained a kick ass drummer. We also had our biggest turn out for the supporters section, but Carl_Valentine and I agreed that next Foote Field match, we're going to move over to the east side bleachers. We looked better with kits and scarves (pics coming soon), but I think our segregated section makes us look like we're on the payroll. Hopefully in the bleachers we'll be able to get some more joiners. After the game one of the club reps told us that someone complained about our language. While I do agree in a near silent stadium the swearing is a little harsher than regular (kinda like suddenly screaming obscenities in a staff meeting), at the same time it reinforces my belief that people have the impression we're "paid cheerleaders".

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strobe_z Newbie

strobe_z

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rico, you should have introduced yourself! Did you at least know who we were? Carl_Valentine (Shawn) was banging the big drum and I (Greg) was banging the small drum. Next time let us know who you are (even if it's just your screen name).

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ESG Shawn Enthusiast

ESG Shawn

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Thoughts on tonight:

-We had the biggest turnout in the supporters section, a solid 15 people at least. This is a huge positive and gives us something to work with.

-2900 announced attendance, although a FCE staffer admitted it was likely closer to 2300. A great turnout, in my opinion.

-At points we were outcheered by a group of 20 kids in the reserved section. This was mainly due to the fact that they were jumping up and down on the metal bleachers which made quite a bit of noise.

-We heard chants in different parts of the stadium, as well as drumming

-The challenge is to get everyone in the stadium together in a common section so we can start to build a presence

-This leads to issue of the location of our supporters section: we are too exclusive, people don't know how to get our section. I posted a message about the supporters group on the teams Facebook page and have had some individuals message me about how to join. They were interested in our section but messaged me after tonights game saying they didnt know how to get to the section. As Strobe mentioned, it appears we are paid by the club as cheerleaders. This is definitely not the appearance we want to project. We decided as a section that it would optimal if we took over the end of the general admission section for the next match. This way we can actually stand up, and have people join us. There are some negatives, as we will be much further away from the field (today, we really gave it to the Ottawa keeper and he was making gestures back at us which was awesome!), but I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. Again, this the first year and we all are trying to iron out the kinks.

All in all, a fun summer evening again, and I can't wait for the Pompey match. I'm thinking we set up in the same section we did for the Colo Colo match.

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rico Newbie

rico

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rico, you should have introduced yourself! Did you at least know who we were? Carl_Valentine (Shawn) was banging the big drum and I (Greg) was banging the small drum. Next time let us know who you are (even if it's just your screen name).

ha ha sorry i wasn't sure who you guys were lol

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rico Newbie

rico

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Thoughts on tonight:

-We had the biggest turnout in the supporters section, a solid 15 people at least. This is a huge positive and gives us something to work with.

-2900 announced attendance, although a FCE staffer admitted it was likely closer to 2300. A great turnout, in my opinion.

-At points we were outcheered by a group of 20 kids in the reserved section. This was mainly due to the fact that they were jumping up and down on the metal bleachers which made quite a bit of noise.

-We heard chants in different parts of the stadium, as well as drumming

-The challenge is to get everyone in the stadium together in a common section so we can start to build a presence

-This leads to issue of the location of our supporters section: we are too exclusive, people don't know how to get our section. I posted a message about the supporters group on the teams Facebook page and have had some individuals message me about how to join. They were interested in our section but messaged me after tonights game saying they didnt know how to get to the section. As Strobe mentioned, it appears we are paid by the club as cheerleaders. This is definitely not the appearance we want to project. We decided as a section that it would optimal if we took over the end of the general admission section for the next match. This way we can actually stand up, and have people join us. There are some negatives, as we will be much further away from the field (today, we really gave it to the Ottawa keeper and he was making gestures back at us which was awesome!), but I think the benefits outweigh the negatives. Again, this the first year and we all are trying to iron out the kinks.

All in all, a fun summer evening again, and I can't wait for the Pompey match. I'm thinking we set up in the same section we did for the Colo Colo match.

well not all staff new how to get there too!!!

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foreverthursday Newbie

foreverthursday

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yeah. at one point during the match some skinhead walked past and joked about the fairy f*****g cheerleaders. so yes it does look like you guys are the equivilant of new bars hiring hot girls to pretend they really love the place and, like, totally go there all the time, n' stuff.

i was sitting next to some guys in the general section that were really into trying to lead cheering.

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strobe_z Newbie

strobe_z

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yeah. at one point during the match some skinhead walked past and joked about the fairy f*****g cheerleaders. so yes it does look like you guys are the equivilant of new bars hiring hot girls to pretend they really love the place and, like, totally go there all the time, n' stuff.

i was sitting next to some guys in the general section that were really into trying to lead cheering.

So THAT'S what that guy was yelling at us... We heard him as he was walking over to the general seating. We knew he wasn't being overly polite, but we couldn't figure out why. Seemed rather strange for someone to come to a game against an Ottawa PDL team and be that vocal against the home supporters. I just figured he had been drinking or something.

Just adds more fuel to the argument (as if it needed more) to switch to the general seating. Besides that, every time I see a photo of our little section I think we look all alone and afraid. I have to admit to being more than a little jealous after watching the TFC game against Colorado this afternoon. BMO is such a great looking facility and the fan atmosphere is incredible. Trying to replicate that here in Edmonton is going to be a huge challenge... Especially with the current stadium issue.

Or maybe I'm just a little depressed after reading a bunch of posts with well-argued points about why the NASL/USL Div.2 is doomed in the west no matter what we do...

Oh well, when I put my FC Edmonton kit and scarf on for the first time last week, I made a silent little vow to do my part as a fan to make this succeed... and to enjoy it for as long as it lasts. I was a little naive last time with the Aviators. Who knew a team could implode before a single season was finished. I just hope that jersey doesn't end up in the same box where I keep my inflatable Aviators "thunder sticks."

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the biologist Newbie

the biologist

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Or maybe I'm just a little depressed after reading a bunch of posts with well-argued points about why the NASL/USL Div.2 is doomed in the west no matter what we do...
In some way I feel bad with my post (in the "USL survival" thread). I remember the good ol' CCR days back in the nineties when my father (with absolutely no soccer background BTW) took me there for some Impact games and we were only a few thousands in the stands. And now the MLS...

Then I pop your bubble !!! :o

Oh, despicable me... ;)

I agree with B&WA : The solution resides in the Golden State, where the grass is green and the girls are pretty (but it ain't home...). [/digress] San Diego will give us a good idea about the viability of this market as a whole. Currently, there isn't much to do during spring/summer in SD besides the Padres and going to the zoo. Yes there's the beach, but they're tired of all this blue water and girls in bikini, aren't they ? :rolleyes: Seriously, if SD with no professional soccer team and nothing really special to do there can't pull a success with a metro area pop. of 3,000,000, I really think that's gonna light the red light for future D2 expansion out west.

The real problem for Edmonton is to make it without the help of Vancouver, Portland and Seattle, all teams that were in D2 during the Aviators days. But at this time, it was an Edmonton failure. What's frustrating now is that even if the franchise is f*cking serious and do it all correctly, it will still cost many bucks to run the franchise with little to no help from regional allies. What's even more frustrating is even if the ownership partners have zillions in their pockets, the league (or 2 leagues as it currently stands) doesn't. D2 soccer in NA had some kind of success the last two decades ONLY because of some flagship franchises. Now, Seattle's gone. Portland's gone. Vancouver's gone. Montreal's gone. Pittsburgh, Richmond and Charleston were there, now it's too costly for them and they're gone. There is no continuity at all.

The success of a West division as a whole lies on California's shoulders IMO, but I can see an Edmonton franchise having success IF there's more canadian cities involved, that is, a professional "pseudo-CSL-like-division". In other words, something most of us dream about, i.e. a canadian league, but rather as a canadian division of a more widespread D2 NA league than on its own. In this case, throw in Calgary, Ottawa, Hamilton and another canadian team and you've got yourself a pretty decent division to compete with the D2 survivors from south of the border, with both an Alberta and an Ontario derby included for free.

Just my two cents. But despite all that, what you're trying to do in "oil country" deserves kudos for sure. Keep up the good work.

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a_coach_in_ab Newbie

a_coach_in_ab

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Oh well, when I put my FC Edmonton kit and scarf on for the first time last week, I made a silent little vow to do my part as a fan to make this succeed... and to enjoy it for as long as it lasts. I was a little naive last time with the Aviators. Who knew a team could implode before a single season was finished. I just hope that jersey doesn't end up in the same box where I keep my inflatable Aviators "thunder sticks."

Ditto with bells on.

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