FC Edmonton 2016 Season

[Kurt-MTL]

Appreciate the response jedinathan, thanks! Happy to hear ESG is mobilizing to get the word out, good luck to you guys!

[Steedman]

HOLY SHIT SADI!

Just released less than 2 weeks ago.

 

http://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/brothers-facing-drug-and-weapons-charges-after-alert-investigation-1.3015368

[BCM]

I've seen a match at Clarke a few years ago and was, um, underwhelmed.

I just returned from a business trip to the US where I managed to see a USL match in St. Louis. Wow, are they doing everything right. 5000 seat stadium, but packed with people wearing really sharp and attractive Stl FC gear. Craft beer stands in each corner, BBQ, kids corner with games before the match, etc. It was very impressive from start to finish - and this is the teams second year of existence (after a failed NASL attempt a few years back - just to cut down any potential Stl soccer history arguments). 

Edm seriously needs to look around and take notes. 

[jedinathan]

4 hours ago, BCM1555362349 said:

I've seen a match at Clarke a few years ago and was, um, underwhelmed.

I just returned from a business trip to the US where I managed to see a USL match in St. Louis. Wow, are they doing everything right. 5000 seat stadium, but packed with people wearing really sharp and attractive Stl FC gear. Craft beer stands in each corner, BBQ, kids corner with games before the match, etc. It was very impressive from start to finish - and this is the teams second year of existence (after a failed NASL attempt a few years back - just to cut down any potential Stl soccer history arguments). 

Edm seriously needs to look around and take notes. 

Edmonton's in a bit of a pinch though for a lot of those points. They have the 5000 seat stadium, but they have little to zero control over things like beer or concessions. Think you should come back and check out FCEd. There's been a lot of changes, but unfortunately they have a hard time getting people out due to some of the above reasons. 

I also take St Louis with a grain of salt... They're pushing HARD for MLS, so it makes sense that they'd go as shiny as possible. Also if FCEd were to announce that they were making a bid, I'm pretty sure you'd see a massive bump in the casual fan too. 

[shermanator]

Third string keeper Nathan Ingham has been loaned to TFC II. Good move all around for both clubs, and the player.

http://www.fcedmonton.com/news/2016/08/05/goalkeeper-nathan-ingham-joins-toronto-fc-ii-on-loan-from-fc-edmonton?utm_campaign=FC+Edmonton+Website&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=1470408081

[yothat]

Fced now has loaned players to all three mls clubs

[CDNFootballer]

FC Edmonton set for NASL playoff push

 

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2016/08/10/fc-edmonton-set-for-nasl-playoff-push

 

FC Edmonton have played their cards and are set for the home stretch of the North American Soccer League Fall Season.

Argentine midfielder Nicolas Di Biase was likely the last signing by Edmonton, who have 15 games left in the year and are in good position to make the playoffs.

[shamrock]

That's jinxing it a bit, isn't it?

[jedinathan]

Won today and got some revenge on Minnesota. Still a lot of play left in the season but FCEd still looks pretty strong. 

[shermanator]

Only 2249 in Edmonton today, very disappointing. Weather was great, club is in great form, and the club has won 9 games in a row at home now. What are the excuses for poor turnout on this occasion? Or are there any left?

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

27 minutes ago, shermanator said:

Only 2249 in Edmonton today, very disappointing. Weather was great, club is in great form, and the club has won 9 games in a row at home now. What are the excuses for poor turnout on this occasion? Or are there any left?

Wow that is weak.

Our eurosnobs haven't quite been won over yet, thats the issue.  Trust me, I know a bunch of them.

They dictate public opinion of it, and if they're not into it, average joe certainly won't be into it.

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

On a bright side though, their facebook feed has been steadily gaining momentum.  I swear when I first started paying attention, they'd get ~5-10 likes, now it's generally like 50 or so.  Step in the right direction.  

Edmonton in the summer is busy though.  If i'm not mistaken, it's fringe festival this weekend.

[Soccerpro]

1 hour ago, shermanator said:

Only 2249 in Edmonton today, very disappointing. Weather was great, club is in great form, and the club has won 9 games in a row at home now. What are the excuses for poor turnout on this occasion? Or are there any left?

I was a season ticket holder when I lived in Edmonton.

There are no excuses. The city just doesn't care. Even if the club gave away thousands of tickets, it would make no difference.

[Soccerpro]

1 hour ago, shermanator said:

Only 2249 in Edmonton today, very disappointing. Weather was great, club is in great form, and the club has won 9 games in a row at home now. What are the excuses for poor turnout on this occasion? Or are there any left?

I was a season ticket holder when I lived in Edmonton.

There are no excuses. The city just doesn't care. Even if the club gave away thousands of tickets, it would make no difference.

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

20 hours ago, Soccerpro said:

I was a season ticket holder when I lived in Edmonton.

There are no excuses. The city just doesn't care. Even if the club gave away thousands of tickets, it would make no difference.

I dunno, I think this answer is a little overly simplistic.  Sure, some don't care.  Some are football fans, have no respect for soccer, and never will.  Some are hockey fans, and same story.  But some literally just don't know about it.  Straight up.  Not saying Fath hasn't put in enough money, it's not about paid advertisement.  It's about people sharing their experiences and trying to get others involved anyways.  Some people know about it, and haven't yet been to a game and been in the supporters section, and would be instantly hooked if they did.  

The city just doesn't care yet.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

People need to remember that it was a slow build in Montreal with the Impact at the D2 level before the five figure crowds started to happen and MLS expansion with an SSS became the obvious next step. If the Faths are patient and willing to take the financial hit in a similar manner to the Saputos, good things can happen eventually. Their ability to put a winning team on the field with no big names (unlike the Cosmos and Miami FC) and with significant Canadian content is a positive for them and shows they are not flogging a dead horse. 

[shermanator]

I would argue that FC Edmonton is not fielding a significant Canadian content. As of Steven Sandor's latest calculation here, FC Edmonton have given 21.4% of minutes (219 minutes per game) to Canadians. It's a greater amount of Canadian content than the Whitecaps or Impact, but to say it is significant really highlights the low expectations we are placing on our Canadian clubs to field Canadian players. Of course, the club is top of the table so there is ample justification in my mind for having the Canadian content as low as it is.

Regarding the comparison vs Montreal Impact, I don't know if that tale applies here. After all, the slow build actually resulted in the club going bankrupt, only to be resurrected by Saputo and the Quebec government. The Impact went bankrupt despite averaging between 3216-5075 at the game, numbers that FC Edmonton are well below this year, with lower travel costs. The Alberta government aren't going to step in and save the club, that's for sure. And given the tone of the most recent interviews with Fath, it seems that he may not want to keep the losses going for much longer.

[shamrock]

That's not the only revenue stream in soccer. Give that new kid Shome a 4 year contract and lend him to some European club with a selling clause. And I bet you Miller has done some salary offloading during the season as well, and yet they are top of the league. Of course he's bleeding money heavily but it would really surprise me if he hadn't anticipated that from the start. 

[shermanator]

That's fair, but it's the biggest revenue source in NASL right now. The club has 0 track record of selling players for sums of money that can help them, in fact they have never sold a player. Remember that Shome is full time student in the U of A engineering program, as well as a full time player. Unless he gets a contract offer with a dollar value that gives him reason to put his schooling on hold, there is no reason for him to leave that arrangement.

The club has no lucrative TV deal. They have no shirt sponsor. If anything, the biggest thing working in their favour is the expansion fees they receive every year. This is a club who's owner said they need 8-9k fans through the gate to break even, and they are drawing a quarter of that, and at best can draw half of that. This is although a club who's owner thought the city would just have built him a stadium by now. He may have been expecting losses, but he's been incredibly naïve in this whole thing. Well intentioned, but naïve.

They have always looked like an unsustainable one on life support, and will continue to do so until they start drawing sellouts at Clarke, IMO.

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

It's such a catch 22/self-fulfilling prophecy.  People don't go because people don't go.  They see it as mickey-mouse/don't take NASL seriously, and as a result, NASL is mickey mouse, and not to be taken seriously.  People go to the games, and see how empty the stands are, and as a result, they don't return, causing the stands to be emptier.

I would be interesting to hear from anyone involved in launching the Fury as to how they seem to have got the hype train rolling.  

It just sucks feeling helpless.  

Especially since I'm not even in Ed right now to go to games either.

[jedinathan]

Technically that's not quite true... FCEd loaned Lam to a club in 2011 for a rumours 500,000.

point is taken though... Recently there hasn't been much. Interesting to note thought that Jay Ball made mention that the FO has moved away from cooperate ticket sales in favour of sponsorship. And I know that the shirt sponsor would be required to put up a high 5 to 6 digit number per year. 

[yothat]

not to distract from the convo. I m sure the canadian content will continue to go down as the belfast boyz will count as domestics next year freeing two more international spots. Zebie contract i believe is expiring and with his european passport I heard he wanting to go to europe.

[jedinathan]

And less than a few short hours later, there's confirmation that FCEd has sold an academy product to a club in Germany (FSV Waker 90 Nordhausen). Massive for the club, and (if I'm not mistaken) this could pay off more if Amir Halalic (who's only 16) catches on and gets noticed by other clubs overseas with developmental costs. 

[jedinathan]

8 minutes ago, yothat said:

not to distract from the convo. I m sure the canadian content will continue to go down as the belfast boyz will count as domestics next year freeing two more international spots. Zebie contract i believe is expiring and with his european passport I heard he wanting to go to europe.

That would cause the Canadian content to go up though, if Watson and Fordyce are counted as Canadians. Not to mention that Fisk is signed until the end of 2017. I'd imagine that Ledgerwood is as well which means you could see FCEd starting potentially 4-5 Canadians (Watson, Fordyce, Ledgerwood, Fisk, Shome). 

 

Lets be honest, can't have your cake and eat it too... Nik is barely a product of Canada... Most of his development came in Germany after he was 16. If you count him, then you have to count Watson and Fordyce as well. 

[shermanator]

7 minutes ago, jedinathan said:

And less than a few short hours later, there's confirmation that FCEd has sold an academy product to a club in Germany (FSV Waker 90 Nordhausen). Massive for the club, and (if I'm not mistaken) this could pay off more if Amir Halalic (who's only 16) catches on and gets noticed by other clubs overseas with developmental costs. 

I was just about to say, just hours after I have a solid argument, it comes out that the Halilic deal was a sale, not just a free. Fair enough!

Here's Sandor's article on the signing: http://the11.ca/a-deal-is-made-fc-edmonton-sends-prospect-halilic-to-germany/