marauder01 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Apparently along with team upgrades, MLSE wants to upgrade the stadium. See article here: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/mlse-looks-at-upgrading-toronto-fc-s-bmo-field-1.1379676 I feel like they're trying to fix everything at once and getting nowhere quick. I'd love to see BMO upgraded but whats the point if we cant fill the stadium now? Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonovision Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Out of curiosity, what is the current actual capacity at BMO? Watching games with announced crowds of 19 or 20 thousand when the east stand is two-thirds empty is hard to believe sometimes, but I saw some camera shots in the last game that showed the rest of the stadium as relatively full. Really unfortunate that the camera only shows the emptiest part of the stand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marauder01 Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 I think its just over 21,000. Dispite the on field product, a nice day will bring out a decent apathetic crowd. The NY game was an exmaple of that, drawing around 18,000ish. I think in old articles MLSE said they could make BMO 30,000 without totally tearing it down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Macksam Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Apparently along with team upgrades, MLSE wants to upgrade the stadium. See article here: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/mlse-looks-at-upgrading-toronto-fc-s-bmo-field-1.1379676 I feel like they're trying to fix everything at once and getting nowhere quick. I'd love to see BMO upgraded but whats the point if we cant fill the stadium now? Thoughts? The article doesn't mention anything about expanding the capacity. I think the upgrades are referring to other things, like a roof maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Apparently along with team upgrades, MLSE wants to upgrade the stadium. See article here: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/mlse-looks-at-upgrading-toronto-fc-s-bmo-field-1.1379676 I feel like they're trying to fix everything at once and getting nowhere quick. I'd love to see BMO upgraded but whats the point if we cant fill the stadium now? Thoughts? In reading the quotes of Leiweke only one thought came to mind: Kook-Aid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFC07 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 This is good news for Canada as well. I hope they do increase seating capacity so we can host bigger games instead of going to Rogers Centre. Of course, Canada soccer can benefit from this since it's our national soccer stadium after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Out of curiosity, what is the current actual capacity at BMO? Watching games with announced crowds of 19 or 20 thousand when the east stand is two-thirds empty is hard to believe sometimes, but I saw some camera shots in the last game that showed the rest of the stadium as relatively full. Really unfortunate that the camera only shows the emptiest part of the stand. 22,400 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McGuire Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Upgrade the bloody team first before upgrading BMO, keep your eye on the ball Mr. Leiweke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFC07 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Upgrade the bloody team first before upgrading BMO, keep your eye on the ball Mr. Leiweke True, but we got Payne to do that job. Leiweke can focus on BMO field while Payne can focus on-field product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtlfan Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 They built Stade Saputo for $20 million less than BMO and with a roof. Does anyone know why? Would a roof be a possibility? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Was built on the cheap and looks like it was built on the cheap. 1st class playing surface eventually installed, have to give them that but the rest looks rubbish. Not sure you need to expand it but cover the grandstands. If you have to spend $20M do nothing else but cover the grandstands. Would change the venue 100% for the better, cheap-o stands or no. Oh, and close off the ends to. The roof is as much about sheltering the fans from the sun & rain as it is about cutting down on the wind. You know, like those wild ones that can come speeding off the lake. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Just saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 They built Stade Saputo for $20 million less than BMO and with a roof. Does anyone know why? Would a roof be a possibility? I'm not sure... but in the money listed for Stade Saputo may have been real costs. BMO as I have heard a large chunk of the 'cost' of the stadium was land value or some **** like that. So it's possible in 'real money' more was spent on Saputo. I just try to forget all this stuff now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Upgrade the stadium... hell yah. Sure they need to fix the team, but that is a long term project they may never even get right. Anyone saying 'fix the team first' to the BILLION dollar company hemorrhaging money out of every orifice should take a quiet step back and go "Oh yeah, do that please". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Upgrade the bloody team first before upgrading BMO, keep your eye on the ball Mr. Leiweke Are you crazy? You are telling the biggest cash cow company/companies group to NOT spend money on soccer infrastructure? WTF! Canada plays there! Upgrade it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Apparently along with team upgrades, MLSE wants to upgrade the stadium. See article here: http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/mlse-looks-at-upgrading-toronto-fc-s-bmo-field-1.1379676 I feel like they're trying to fix everything at once and getting nowhere quick. I'd love to see BMO upgraded but whats the point if we cant fill the stadium now? Thoughts? Just adding more washrooms and better concourse space, cutting down on some wind, would be a huge improvement. Getting in line to buy a hot dog. at the start of half time, you should be able to get back before the 55th minute. People like me might start to buy beer again with more washrooms. Yes the team is terrible, but there is no reason for us to not be more comfortable waiting for (if) it improves. Plus Canada plays here too.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFC07 Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 They built Stade Saputo for $20 million less than BMO and with a roof. Does anyone know why? Would a roof be a possibility? BMO field cost included property/land which costs a lot of money especially in downtown Toronto. Roof is possible, but they're not going to put a roof until they done expanding the stadium and make other upgrades (add more washrooms as an example). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kyam Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 They built Stade Saputo for $20 million less than BMO and with a roof. Does anyone know why? Would a roof be a possibility? Its anecdotal, but my spouse is from Montreal. Before we moved to Ottawa, more and more of her friends from highs chool and CEGEP began moving to Toronto because of the huge gap in pay between the two cities. It costs more to live in Toronto, but the significantly higher pay makes it worth while from a cost-benefit stand point. About half of them are blue collar types, ie: construction, plumbing/electrician, and others are professionals. The higher labour costs, along with land value likely contribute to the higher cost of BMO Field. To illustrate my point, I live in Ottawa-Gatineau. Our cities are right on the Ontario/Quebec border and a lot of folks on the Ottawa side choose to hire Gatineau contractors cause they are cheaper (But unlicensed in Ontario). I suspect the construction industry isnt all that different since its likely the same skills that are used. Of course, it also happens in reverse. Some Gatineau residents who can afford it tend to hire Ontario contractors cause the service and quality of work tend to be a lot better than what they can get in Quebec. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Besides a roof will reflect the sounds of the fans nicely if they do it right. Sort of like Portland has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 If I read between the lines correctly Leiweke isn't averse to having football played at BMO. That would require movable stands and some sort of roof and not making the soccer fan experience worse to satisfy him. Very interesting listening Leiweke On Payne (Question starts at 24:30) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footscray Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Too bad to hear, one of only two soccer specific stadiums in Canada. Portable stands are ghetto and the grass that was paid for with transfer money from the soccer team is going to get ripped up bad. Rugby is tough on the grass... But they played in BMO twice all summer. Maybe they will make the argos a least practice somewhere else. Bad enough the Argos want in, even worse that MLSE is inviting them. TFC is one of the worst run franchises in Canadian professional sports, they just seem to find new ways to alienate their fanbase even when you think they couldn't get any worse. After the Argos screwed over the csa by backing out of the original stadium plans they deserve to be where they're at now too bad to hear mlse is bailing them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grizzly Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 If I read between the lines correctly Leiweke isn't averse to having football played at BMO. That would require movable stands and some sort of roof and not making the soccer fan experience worse to satisfy him. Very interesting listening Leiweke On Payne (Question starts at 24:30) Wow. If I were a TFC fan I would call that scary listening not interesting listening. Just another suit running TFC in the same manner it has been run since the beginning. I also don't understand how one can fire Payne without firing Nelson who's hiring was Payne's largest mistake during his tenure. Nelson may or may not have the potential that Payne and now Leiweke are stating but there is no doubt he is woefully underqualified at present and was learning on the job this year and will be learning next year as well (if we take Leiweke on his word that Nelson will be there next year). And how dysfunctional is it to then bring in another manager a few months later with a coach who he did not choose? If you are going to take the hard decisions as Leiweke claims and clean house then you need to actually get rid of everyone not leave one guy from the old regime who will definitely not be the first choice of the new regime. And if they actually go through with converting BMO to host the Argos they would be destroying the very last tiny, tiny sliver of illusion that TFC/MLSE has anything but utter contempt for it fans. TFC fans are a docile bunch but if they go through with this there should be a mass protest along the lines of several thousand fans canceling season tickets and instead buying season tickets for a local amateur or semi-pro side and going to those games instead. And if someone had the means and ambition to refurbish a local stadium like Lamport and put an NASL team there it could really be a gold mine. No city in North America is crying out for a second soccer team more than Toronto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
narduch Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 On Nelsen, I think there is a very high chance he is fired too. But he was kept on because somebody has to coach the team for the rest of the season. I don't buy all those endorsements from TL. The new GM will probably be able to fire Nelsen if he wants. (My prediction is that Nelsen will be retained and used as a scapegoat next season if necessary). As for the Argos at BMO Field: I think eventually it happens. Bell is now a part owner of MLSE and is heavily invested in and is a big supporter of the CFL. There is also talk the the upcomming TV deal that the CFL will get will be so lucrative that it will make owning a team in the league a lot more viable. I also think MLSE/TFC is looking heavily into essentially rebuilding BMO Field. This includes a roof and winterizing the stadium so they no longer need to move games to SkyDome. But the re-build will be so elaborate that they figure they should look into making it CFL friendly as well. They want to maximize dates at the stadium. Plus I bet if the stadium becomes fully enclosed with a roof they want to take a run at competing with the Molson Amphitheatre and SkyDome for concerts. They also want to make it so fans still come out when the weather is ****ty. How will this be paid for? My guess is stadium naming rights. I think BMO payed $27 million for a 10 year deal back in 2007. Well those 10 years are almost coming up. I could see the next round of naming rights being sold for $50-100 million. That is your money right there for a rebuild. MLSE barely made an investment into the team compared to other MLS owners. Its time for them to finally put up money similar to their counterparts. One more thing, if this happens, I bet TFC plays one full season at SkyDome. The construction to add a roof and make the field large enough for the Argos will be so elaborate that they will need about a year and a half to get it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFC07 Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 If I see one football line or I have to sit back further because Argos, then I will be done with TFC for good. This Sunday TFC is hosting a BBQ for season ticket holders, I will make sure they (I believe Lewieke will be there) know that I am against this move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe MacCarthy Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 I also think MLSE/TFC is looking heavily into essentially rebuilding BMO Field. This includes a roof and winterizing the stadium so they no longer need to move games to SkyDome. But the re-build will be so elaborate that they figure they should look into making it CFL friendly as well. They want to maximize dates at the stadium. Plus I bet if the stadium becomes fully enclosed with a roof they want to take a run at competing with the Molson Amphitheatre and SkyDome for concerts. They also want to make it so fans still come out when the weather is ****ty.Interesting comment from the Ticats forum Lots of politics involved. BMO belongs to the city of Toronto and MLSE wants upgrades which they can't get unless the city agrees and it is very likely that Ford will demand the Argos be factored in, if the city is going to spend millions upgrading a facility that has been hijacked as it is. This has nothing to do with the well being of the Argonauts but everything to do with fear that a new football stadium is built and MLSE locked out of football (NFL or CFL) in Toronto for decades or using the Argos to leverage money and permits for BMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trillium Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Given the strong speculation and indifference of many TFC season Ticket holders to the arrival of the Argos at BMO along with artificial turf and permanent football ( CFL ) lines, would this allow a NASL franchise to get lease on Lamport and put in natural grass turf ? BMO could go MLS with plastic and CFL with plastic turf and Lamport could become a downtown haven for "Greensoccer" with real turf producing oxygen for the local environment and a LEED certification. More on Green municipality programs .... http://ogph.ca/ Even more exciting the url greenpatchboys.ca is available and could be used for the new team at Lamport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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