Canadian Premier League

[matty]

2 hours ago, Complete Homer said:

- Thinks Ottawa and Edmonton, if they aren't interested in moving over, might eventually be forced (again, his opinion, this contrasts Montagliani's position) 

I remember being told FC Edmonton were going to be removed from the VCup if they didn't join CPL

[matty]

 

 

[CDNFootballer]

1 hour ago, Complete Homer said:

Sorry for the constant posting, just trying to maintain a record so I can put it in the timeline later

If I'm reading this correctly, FuryFanatic is confirming that the Ottawa Fury are good to go for CPL 2018!

https://mobile.twitter.com/FuryFanatic/status/798308407849742341

However, a bit vague on what he means by "the league won't be fully operational by 2018, some clubs need more time." As in several teams won't be ready for 2018 and the league will start with fewer teams, or that the league will not actually run a 2018 season. Taken with the other sources, I'm inclines towards the former

I'd surely give more credence to Milton than most things FuryFanatic tweets, he seems to mostly be parroting what the articles said.

 

It seems a launch with 6 teams at least will happen for 2018, of course the league would be fully operational, just that more teams will join in 2019 that need the extra time for launch.

[Complete Homer]

3 minutes ago, CDNFootballer said:

I'd surely give more credence to Milton than most things FuryFanatic tweets, he seems to mostly be parroting what the articles said.

 

It seems a launch with 6 teams at least will happen for 2018, of course the league would be fully operational, just that more teams will join in 2019 that need the extra time for launch.

I've actually been leaning the other way. FuryFanatic has flip flopped on CPL a lot, but I suspect the Fury FO has quite a bit too. Meanwhile Milton is a mainstream guy who got wind of this but is still adapting to the soccer community (ie getting FC Edmonton's name wrong). He's probably getting this from a Hamilton source, while FuryFanatic apparently has Fury FO contacts. 

Could be that Ottawa is one of the 6

[Complete Homer]

7 minutes ago, matty said:

I remember being told FC Edmonton were going to be removed from the VCup if they didn't join CPL

Jeez. A bit of a heavy hammer to use, don't you think? What happened to not forcing them over? I guess coercion isn't quite forcing, but it's a bit of a stretch to exclude NASL teams when MLS is included 

[matty]

Excepted Timeline for Teams
2018: Hamilton Steelers, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa Fury FC, FC Edmonton
2019: Victoria, Southampton FC Toronto (Known as SFC Toronto)
2022: Quebec City
2027: Maritimes, Saskatoon
2030: Montreal, Vancouver
2035: KW (because everyone wants it)

In 2022, the league will go from single table to conference

[rob.notenboom]

11 minutes ago, Complete Homer said:

I've actually been leaning the other way. FuryFanatic has flip flopped on CPL a lot, but I suspect the Fury FO has quite a bit too. Meanwhile Milton is a mainstream guy who got wind of this but is still adapting to the soccer community (ie getting FC Edmonton's name wrong). He's probably getting this from a Hamilton source, while FuryFanatic apparently has Fury FO contacts. 

Could be that Ottawa is one of the 6

I'm certainly glad that a mainstream reporter is starting to put out a few more hard facts. But he has a ways to go to be current with many points he was trying to speak to (how MLS player quotas work for example). 

Regardless, nice to get some news, and certainly encouraging. 

[Gopherbashi]

I definitely thought y'all were making sarcastic comments about Bernie Sanders leading the league until I noticed the slight spelling difference...

[matty]

2 minutes ago, Gopherbashi said:

I definitely thought y'all were making sarcastic comments about Bernie Sanders leading the league until I noticed the slight spelling difference...

I knowingly wrote Bernie because I thought it would be funny

[Complete Homer]

22 minutes ago, matty said:

Excepted Timeline for Teams
2018: Hamilton Steelers, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa Fury FC, FC Edmonton
2019: Victoria, Southampton FC Toronto (Known as SFC Toronto)
2022: Quebec City
2027: Maritimes, Saskatoon
2030: Montreal, Vancouver
2035: KW (because everyone wants it)

In 2022, the league will go from single table to conference

 I like the ambition

One thing to note is that Rollins said the Toronto group is separate from the EPL group, so I would shoehorn a Toronto team in there. No idea if they would be 2018 or 2019 though.

Given what's been bouncing around I'm thinking:

2018: Hamilton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Regina, Toronto (I feel like they would have a hard time if they came in late, but with the emphasis before that having a team in Toronto was key to launch, I bet they are there in sub-optimal facility in 2018)

2019: Quebec, Victoria,  (QC has been strongly implied to me, Victoria seems to fit the "BC Team" thing well but stadium is an issue), mysterious EPL team (if it actually happens, interest doesn't necessarily mean it will happen)

"The Future": Maritimes

 

[matty]

13 minutes ago, Complete Homer said:

One thing to note is that Rollins said the Toronto group is separate from the EPL group, so I would shoehorn a Toronto team in there.

I feel that EPL team wouldn't be an owner but a partner with that group. That development is new enough all the facts might not be known to Rollins or Tots

[jonovision]

4 hours ago, Jahinho Guerro said:

Its great that news is coming out slowly, but surely.....but I can only get excited when I see at least Toronto, and Quebec included in the conversations. Not having teams in the where half the country lives, doesn't make sense to me and screamsssss CFL. And I still don't want that.

The CFL has 44% of its teams in Ontario and Quebec.

[Complete Homer]

5 minutes ago, matty said:

I feel that EPL team wouldn't be an owner but a partner with that group. That development is new enough all the facts might not be known to Rollins or Tots

Interesting idea. Guess we'll see! 

[rob.notenboom]

1 hour ago, Complete Homer said:

 I like the ambition

One thing to note is that Rollins said the Toronto group is separate from the EPL group, so I would shoehorn a Toronto team in there. No idea if they would be 2018 or 2019 though.

Given what's been bouncing around I'm thinking:

2018: Hamilton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Regina, Toronto (I feel like they would have a hard time if they came in late, but with the emphasis before that having a team in Toronto was key to launch, I bet they are there in sub-optimal facility in 2018)

2019: Quebec, Victoria,  (QC has been strongly implied to me, Victoria seems to fit the "BC Team" thing well but stadium is an issue), mysterious EPL team (if it actually happens, interest doesn't necessarily mean it will happen)

"The Future": Maritimes

 

From what is out there, your 'Original 6' are the same as what I'm thinking. 

[Complete Homer]

5 minutes ago, rob.notenboom said:

From what is out there, your 'Original 6' are the same as what I'm thinking. 

Splits nicely into east/west too. 

Did you ever get more info out of Simons Fudge or the local guy? 

[rob.notenboom]

1 hour ago, Complete Homer said:

Splits nicely into east/west too. 

Did you ever get more info out of Simons Fudge or the local guy? 

Nope. Nothing.

If I made a list of all the people I've talked to around the city to try and get some info it would be quite extensive. Many were just long shots, but a few were reasonably close to the source. I'm just waiting for the hard news like everyone else unfortunately.

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

4 hours ago, ted said:

[Sorry to double up - missed the little tiny link earlier.]

New Canadian pro soccer league makes major hire

Paul Beirne was also the first employee of Toronto FC

Paul Beirne

errrhhhhmmmaaaaggggaaaaad

[Complete Homer]

15 minutes ago, rob.notenboom said:

Nope. Nothing.

If I made a list of all the people I've talked to around the city to try and get some info it would be quite extensive. Many were just long shots, but a few were reasonably close to the source. I'm just waiting for the hard news like everyone else unfortunately.

Too bad, here's hoping it works out. There's something about having a team in Saskatchewan that makes it real Canadian league. 

[rob.notenboom]

1 hour ago, Complete Homer said:

Too bad, here's hoping it works out. There's something about having a team in Saskatchewan that makes it real Canadian league. 

I'm determined to be patient. It's not easy

[lazlo_80]

2 hours ago, matty said:

Excepted Timeline for Teams
2018: Hamilton Steelers, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Ottawa Fury FC, FC Edmonton
2019: Victoria, Southampton FC Toronto (Known as SFC Toronto)
2022: Quebec City
2027: Maritimes, Saskatoon
2030: Montreal, Vancouver
2035: KW (because everyone wants it)

In 2022, the league will go from single table to conference

Launching without a team in one of the three biggest markets seems really strange. From a marketing perspective you're sort of cutting yourself out at the knees before you even get started. Doesn't make any sense to me.

[matty]

1 hour ago, lazlo_80 said:

Launching without a team in one of the three biggest markets seems really strange. From a marketing perspective you're sort of cutting yourself out at the knees before you even get started. Doesn't make any sense to me.

I agree it's risky but it has been done successfully in the states.

[lazlo_80]

Just now, matty said:

I agree it's risky but it has been done successfully in the states.

With what league? I can't think of any. Maybe USL on the D3 level? But yeesh, thats not a precedent you want to follow if you want this to succeed in Canada. 

 

 

[matty]

10 minutes ago, lazlo_80 said:

With what league? I can't think of any. Maybe USL on the D3 level? But yeesh, thats not a precedent you want to follow if you want this to succeed in Canada. 

 

 

Well a sort of example would be MLS actually which was in only 2 of the US's top 6 largest cities in 1996 and 1997. Yes they were in LA and NYC but Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Miami had nothing.

A less popular that still has managed to succeed is NLL which had 4 teams when it started in 1987 and really has never been able to be a hit in major markets aside from Toronto.

The recent launch of Pro Rugby USA has been able to have a successful debut season without a team in a top 8 market.

Now there are issues with those leagues I've used. MLS was in the top 2 and the CPL will likely be aiming higher than NLL  (but i bet they hope to have NLL attendance) and PRO Rugby. 

[lazlo_80]

1 minute ago, matty said:

Well a sort of example would be MLS actually which was in only 2 of the US's top 6 largest cities in 1996 and 1997. Yes they were in LA and NYC but Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia and Miami had nothing.

A less popular that still has managed to succeed is NLL which had 4 teams when it started in 1987 and really has never been able to be a hit in major markets aside from Toronto.

The recent launch of Pro Rugby USA has been able to have a successful debut season without a team in a top 8 market.

Now there are issues with those leagues I've used. MLS was in the top 2 and the CPL will likely be aiming higher than NLL  (but i bet they hope to have NLL attendance) and PRO Rugby. 

MLS launched with NY and LA, the two biggest sports markets in the US, which also happen to be the biggest media markets as well. To not be in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver basically means you lose that coverage.

The NLL launched in Philly and Jersey (new york) and to your point there are other issues with this and the rugby league that would not exactly make them great representations of a launch I imagine the CPL is hoping to get.

I think the proof is in these examples. If they want to be a major sporting league in Canada, there really isn't any precedent in north america of people attempting to do that without having a team launch in a major market.

If they don't launch with at the very least a Toronto team, it seems like a really, really bizarre risk to take.

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

1 hour ago, lazlo_80 said:

Launching without a team in one of the three biggest markets seems really strange. From a marketing perspective you're sort of cutting yourself out at the knees before you even get started. Doesn't make any sense to me.

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