Canadian Premier League

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

also

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

1 minute ago, GuillermoDelQuarto said:

I think I would be okay with it being London, as I kinda doubt they would be involved otherwise.  And I think it would be good for the game there(to see the highest level possible live).

They were interested in moving to USL before the moratorium was imposed by the CSA as they were unhappy with the number of games in PDL. I wouldn't completely count FC London out as a possibility just yet. The big problem is where they would play, if they ever moved up to a fully pro setting. Labatt Park was used for soccer and football a few decades back, but is now viewed as very much baseball only and the turf at TD Waterhouse has permanent football markings and is not the type that is suitable for soccer. That only leaves possibilities that would not stack up too well against Tim Horton Field, although I think there are plans for a new stadium to be built at Fanshawe College eventually.

[Complete Homer]

4 minutes ago, GuillermoDelQuarto said:

also

I agree with the sentiment, but I put the question to him cordially and he responds as if I'm heckling him. A discussion board exists to... discuss 

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

1 minute ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

They were interested in moving to USL before the moratorium was imposed by the CSA as they were unhappy with the number of games in PDL. I wouldn't completely count FC London out as a possibility just yet. The big problem is where they would play, if they ever moved up to a fully pro setting. Labatt Park was used for soccer and football a few decades back, but is now viewed as very much baseball only and the turf at TD Waterhouse has permanent football markings and is not the type that is suitable for soccer. That only leaves possibilities that would not stack up too well against Tim Horton Field, although I think there are plans for a new stadium to be built at Fanshawe College eventually.

Just googled Labatt park.  I mean, It's no worse than clarke field in edmonton and honestly I think it makes sense to try not to have too big of a stadium before you can fill it.

might not be the worst to start and if successful expand.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

It would be the obvious solution but baseball fans in London get very territorial about it, because it's claimed to be the oldest baseball stadium in the world stretching back to the 1870s.

Here's a skyscraperpage forum thread about the stadium plans when the USL move was being contemplated back in 2009:

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=171977

[matty]

1 hour ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

You also seem determined to have an argument. Can distinctly remember posting that I wouldn't get excited about the TFC II to London thing until I saw a London Free Press story about it. What I think is not what's important in all of this. What matters is what Victor Montagliani and the CSA exec think and recent indications suggest that they are not quite on the same page as the Ticats as to whether the league is called CPL and on Paul Beirne (felt sorry for the guy when I read the MLS website interview and hope all is still looking positive in terms of the career move) being a league hire.

The name note isn't a big deal but as for Beirne

From the interview: "He represents a swath of the ownership group that is looking at the business side of it."

The word to look at is swath which which means section of or is an alt spelling sometimes for swathe which means group or collective. Montagliani's use of it makes implies that Beirne isn't representing a single group instead several.

While he might not be an official league hire he likely is a rep for 3 or more owners.

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

this is completely unrelated, but also hilarious so I don't care.

 

[Complete Homer]

9 minutes ago, matty said:

The name note isn't a big deal but as for Beirne

From the interview: "He represents a swath of the ownership group that is looking at the business side of it."

The word to look at is swath which which means section of or is an alt spelling sometimes for swathe which means group or collective. Montagliani's use of it makes implies that Beirne isn't representing a single group instead several.

While he might not be an official league hire he likely is a rep for 3 or more owners.

IIRC, when he introduced himself (alongside TiCats representatives) at the BSB meeting, he described himself as a hire on behalf of CPL. 

I suspect that what VM meant is that he was hired by the core ownership that existed at the time to seek out more ownership groups, and those outside the "swath" are later comers that he's pulled on board (like Halifax). Just my speculation though 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

 

14 minutes ago, matty said:

...While he might not be an official league hire he likely is a rep for 3 or more owners.

Agreed with Halifax getting things to two in terms of what is publicly acknowledged so far, but also by implication not for some of the others. Seems to me MLSE would be the most obvious candidate on that based on the available info?

[matty]

11 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

 

Agreed with Halifax getting things to two in terms of what is publicly acknowledged so far, but also by implication not for some of the others. Seems to me MLSE would be the most obvious candidate on that based on the available info?

I would disagree for the following reasons.
1) they currently seem like outsiders and seem to be unwanted if Tots and Rollins are right (Larson seems to give them some weight)
2) the move actively hurts the league and Larson agrees
3) MLSE have a history of wanting to avoid things that involve long term loss or don't make $ (like the Argos, the Rock, Leeds United)

[matty]

While we're talking Toronto/non-billionaire owners, what's the deal with Spiros Papathanasakis? He's a Toronto politician, activist and bar owner that also somehow owns Iraklis in the Greek Super League. How did he manage this? You think he's pushing Manny Zambazis towards Canada or Greece? Should we all get together and buy a our own Greek club, rename it Danforth FC and make all non-Greek signings Canadians?

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

18 minutes ago, matty said:

I would disagree for the following reasons.
1) they currently seem like outsiders and seem to be unwanted if Tots and Rollins are right (Larson seems to give them some weight)
2) the move actively hurts the league and Larson agrees
3) MLSE have a history of wanting to avoid things that involve long term loss or don't make $ (like the Argos, the Rock, Leeds United)

Think 3) falls away as they are meeting Scott Mitchell and are clearly interested. 2) depends entirely on the budget that is involved at this point, while 1) has more to do with how the "swathe" saw things a few months back than how the CSA see it now. Turning things around the other way, if it isn't the MLSE (and possibly the other two MLS teams) that are the portion of ownership for the new league that is not represented by Paul Beirne then who would it be? Only thing that comes to mind for me was the mention on here of a K/W team being involved depending on what direction the league goes in, but that's a bit of a stretch.

 

[Ansem]

let's agree to disagree. you like using news that fits your arguments arbitrarily, so will I. For months there's been CONSISTENT reports that CPL wants nothing to do with MLS B Teams. If CPL had such a "hard on for them" as you're convince to be the case, it would have been a done deal by now.

 

[Alex D]

2 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Nothing against Canada having a league. Just want to see something in place that actually works having watched the last coast-to-coast league collapse.

So the CPL is a bad idea because you don't think there are investors present, but moving underfunded PDL teams to USL Pro is stable?

[matty]

1 minute ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Think 3) falls away as they are meeting Scott Mitchell and are clearly interested. 2) depends entirely on the budget that is involved at this point, while 1) has more to do with how the "swathe" saw things a few months back than how the CSA see it now. Turning things around the other way, if it isn't the MLSE (and possibly the other two MLS teams) that are the portion of ownership for the new league that is not represented by Paul Beirne then who would it be? Only thing that comes to mind for me was the mention on here of a K/W team being involved depending on what direction the league goes in, but that's a bit of a stretch.

 

I don't think 3 falls away at all but it could be a factor in them not joining. Larson, as I've said, has lent some weight to some of Rollins and Tots' other reports so it's possible they aren't wrong on those then there's a decent chance they're right on the budgets which likely are more than MLSE would want to invest in a reserve team that's going to struggle to make a profit, since they've expressed hope it'll be like USL.

Again to Beirne, good question. It's fully possible groups like the TiCats, Roughriders and Blue Bombers hired him and that big money Flames opted to get their own guys (assuming this is mostly CFL and Beirnie was honest about the main cities).

[rob.notenboom]

Well this might answer a few questions - 

https://www.localxpress.ca/local-sports/chris-cochrane-kicking-around-the-idea-of-a-halifax-pro-soccer-franchise-511179

[Alex D]

Everything appears to be full steam ahead for 2018. Now when will they make this thing official?

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

I hate to say it but I just don't think there is quite enough movement from SGs on the ground yet to warrant an announcement.  Some markets seem ready, others not.  Saskatchewan seems like a gaping hole so far to me, as well as quebec city, and Vancouver.

Thats not to poo-poo the emerging supporters groups in halifax, hamilton, winnipeg and KW, it's just that I think we'll need a few more first.

[rob.notenboom]

3 minutes ago, GuillermoDelQuarto said:

I hate to say it but I just don't think there is quite enough movement from SGs on the ground yet to warrant an announcement.  Some markets seem ready, others not.  Saskatchewan seems like a gaping hole so far to me, as well as quebec city, and Vancouver.

Thats not to poo-poo the emerging supporters groups in halifax, hamilton, winnipeg and KW, it's just that I think we'll need a few more first.

It's great that SGs are forming, but absolutely none are necessary for a league launch announcement. It's definitely a major positive, but I would be shocked if CanPL organizers are thinking that they are not ready for a league launch because SGs aren't established and ready.

And far from being a gaping hole (a Black Hole perhaps? HEY-OO), Sask is moving right along. In fact we are meeting tomorrow. 

[marauder01]

14 minutes ago, GuillermoDelQuarto said:

I hate to say it but I just don't think there is quite enough movement from SGs on the ground yet to warrant an announcement.  Some markets seem ready, others not.  Saskatchewan seems like a gaping hole so far to me, as well as quebec city, and Vancouver.

Thats not to poo-poo the emerging supporters groups in halifax, hamilton, winnipeg and KW, it's just that I think we'll need a few more first.

I disagree wholeheartedly. No league has ever needed any organized SGs upon launch.

[Alex D]

It would help to build supporter interest if they announced the launch cities. 

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

16 minutes ago, rob.notenboom said:

It's great that SGs are forming, but absolutely none are necessary for a league launch announcement. It's definitely a major positive, but I would be shocked if CanPL organizers are thinking that they are not ready for a league launch because SGs aren't established and ready.

And far from being a gaping hole (a Black Hole perhaps? HEY-OO), Sask is moving right along. In fact we are meeting tomorrow. 

lol oh right, I dunno why I forgot about u guys.  my bad.

I'm just saying I don't think it's unreasonable to think that seeing organized SGs helps win over potential owners at least somewhat.

[rob.notenboom]

2 minutes ago, GuillermoDelQuarto said:

lol oh right, I dunno why I forgot about u guys.  my bad.

I'm just saying I don't think it's unreasonable to think that seeing organized SGs helps win over potential owners at least somewhat.

I don't think it hurts either. I doubt they are waiting on more SG action is all. 

A read an article like that Halifax one and get all hopeful. Dangerous. 

[Alex D]

It won't hurt, but I think a grass roots supporters movement is more important for cities that might be off the radar initially. 

[matty]

So Halifax, do we move it to our list of confirmed locations along with Hamilton?

Launch Teams
Confirmed: Hamilton
Pushing for It: Halifax
Increadibly, Heavily, Massively Rumoured: Regina, Winnipeg, Calgary
Can't Ignore the Likeliness: Toronto/GTA

Expansions
If they wanna: Ottawa, Edmonton
50/50: Victoria, Quebec City
Dark Horses: Vancouver, Montreal
Long Shots: KW, London, Moncton, St. John's

That's 16 like the CSA "wants" eventually