Canadian Premier League

[Ansem]

7 hours ago, lazlo_80 said:

http://www.thespec.com/sports-story/7196653-ball-rolling-on-professional-soccer-in-hamilton/

It's reassuring to see Quebec City being mentioned. If there was ever to be a CPL Montreal, it starts with Quebec City being in the league. That's the one city Montreal Impact would kill to have a rivalry with

[Macksam]

18 minutes ago, Ansem said:

It's reassuring to see Quebec City being mentioned. If there was ever to be a CPL Montreal, it starts with Quebec City being in the league. That's the one city Montreal Impact would kill to have a rivalry with

Or pull a Molson and cock block entry into the league.

[Dub Narcotic]

1 hour ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Agreed, and Montagliani could easily be leaving it to his successor to make any negative announcement on that as he is out soon as CSA president. I suspect they needed Edmonton and Ottawa on board to be able to launch on that timeline and the problem they have is that the NASL didn't fold and Ottawa may have been able to purchase the FC Montreal franchise from the Impact. It wouldn't take much for the NASL's future to become untenable over the next few months, if for example San Fransisco follow a Rayo Oklahoma trajectory or another team announces it is defecting to USL when a lower exit fee kicks in, and that may be the scenario they are holding out hope for.

You post too much, although I'd admire your courage for all the unwarranted shit you take, but you've been spot on about this league for the most part. The NASL still being around was a huge blow to the CPL plans and that the CSA is still talking about 'interested parties' more than three years after the start of planning for this league is not a positive sign.

If they don't announce the league before Montagliani leaves then not only is 2018 not going to happen but the question will be how much more time they want before abandoning the idea in its current from altogether. It will also be around five years the Hamilton ownership group, for all of their jingoism and flag waving around Canadian soccer, has gone without paying a single player or coach, Canadian or otherwise. 

[Macksam]

When a user starts talking to his own sock puppet, he might need to seek psychological treatment.

[nolbertos]

Man, what a waste of time from Montagliani and the CPL now looking at 2019 or even 2020 launch.  Since this whole CPL news started 5-6 years we're patientlu waiting.  The more this gets delayed, the more I cringe at the CSA and their ineptness of"wasting" this time, when we could've had a Canadian division in the NASL by now.  Would've prepped the Canadian cities with marketing, players, spectators and in 2020, would've maybe broken off and formed a domestic league, but with a structure in place.  Zambrano won't reap any rewards for his national team selection and seems he'll have to rely on MLS and European fringe players like usual.  Its too bad this ineptness is going to hold us back a decade or more of player development.  It true what they say.  The CSA can't even run its own house let alone get a domestic league running.

[Macksam]

29 minutes ago, nolbertos said:

Man, what a waste of time from Montagliani and the CPL now looking at 2019 or even 2020 launch.  Since this whole CPL news started 5-6 years we're patientlu waiting.  The more this gets delayed, the more I cringe at the CSA and their ineptness of"wasting" this time, when we could've had a Canadian division in the NASL by now.  Would've prepped the Canadian cities with marketing, players, spectators and in 2020, would've maybe broken off and formed a domestic league, but with a structure in place.  Zambrano won't reap any rewards for his national team selection and seems he'll have to rely on MLS and European fringe players like usual.  Its too bad this ineptness is going to hold us back a decade or more of player development.  It true what they say.  The CSA can't even run its own house let alone get a domestic league running.

Are you trying to be Mister215guy's foil?

[Alex D]

The rollercoaster of emotions in this thread are making me sea sick. 

I'm still putting my money on 2018

[GuillermoDelQuarto]

6 hours ago, Gopherbashi said:

Honestly, the biggest news from that article isn't that there's potentially ten interested owners; it's that they're getting publicly pessimistic about a 2018 launch.

Montagliani conceded that the new league is getting short on runway for a 2018 launch, but says it's still possible for it to begin play next year. He considers six the minimum number of franchises required to kick off a season.

shrug.  I was beginning to suspect this anyways.  I'm not losing sleep over it.  

it's becoming almost a mantra at this point, but better to do it right than to rush it.  I'm fine with 2019 or even 2020 if thats what it takes.

[matty]

I think everyone is overestimating how much time you need to launch the league. If they announce it in conjunction with even this year's Grey Cup that's almost 6 months to promote the league. Given that's shit but it could still be done successfully if the resources are there which they will be if CFL and NHL teams are involved.

For the record, the US rugby league was announced in November 2015 and started play in April 2016. Now it only drew like 1700 a game and has folded but it also lacked the ownership we already know the CPL has (Bob Young and his near billion dollars) and support of the governing body (which the CPL has).

Honestly the formal launch doesn't have to happen by the beginning of summer to meet a 2018 launch. It would be preferred but it isn't needed.

Also remember the Halifax group are talking about launching in 2018 so it's fairly safe to say 2018 is not at all off the table.

[nolbertos]

1 hour ago, Macksam said:

Are you trying to be Mister215guy's foil?

I've been against the CSA meddling into the CPL from the beginning.  I want a CPL to happen but not waiting a decade or longer for the stars to align.  I've been a proponent of rhe USL/NASL partnership from the beginning and when the time is right maybr take a stab at separating it.  Feel sorry for you guys still waiting.  Been waiting 30 years for a new CSL to happen.  We need it bad or else, our national team will continue to suffer.  There has to be a moratorium or else, we'll always continue to wait and then re-look at other options like NASL/USL partnerships.  Its obvious we don't have many deep pocketed owners in major cities or else alot of rhem would've come out of the woodwork eons ago.

 The CFL ownerships are not entirely stable either.  David Braley is still struggling to sell the BC Lions for a break even price. Nobody in BC wants a CFL franchise for his asking price, they want it like a minor league team asking price.  

[ted]

6 hours ago, baulderdash77 said:

That's 8 potential cities and investors, add in the 3 MLS teams who would all want to add a 2nd tier team (which they keep saying is a non starter)

Why do you not believe them? Of course it's a non-starter. We have discussed this for dozens of pages and it simply makes no sense.

[grasshopper1917]

22 minutes ago, GuillermoDelQuarto said:

shrug.  I was beginning to suspect this anyways.  I'm not losing sleep over it.  

it's becoming almost a mantra at this point, but better to do it right than to rush it.  I'm fine with 2019 or even 2020 if thats what it takes.

I think every needs to take a deep breath and crack open a beer and stop analyzing every word written about the CPL. Everything I have heard indicates that things are progressing nicely. Sure it is possible all the details will not be hammered out in time for a 2018 kick off (no one knows for sure at this point). On the other hand there is no reason to think this league will kick off any later then 2019. There is a ton of work to starting a league properly - and it better to wait one extra year to ensure a proper league then to rush it.  

[Alex D]

1 hour ago, nolbertos said:

Man, what a waste of time from Montagliani and the CPL now looking at 2019 or even 2020 launch.  Since this whole CPL news started 5-6 years we're patientlu waiting.  The more this gets delayed, the more I cringe at the CSA and their ineptness of"wasting" this time, when we could've had a Canadian division in the NASL by now.  Would've prepped the Canadian cities with marketing, players, spectators and in 2020, would've maybe broken off and formed a domestic league, but with a structure in place.  Zambrano won't reap any rewards for his national team selection and seems he'll have to rely on MLS and European fringe players like usual.  Its too bad this ineptness is going to hold us back a decade or more of player development.  It true what they say.  The CSA can't even run its own house let alone get a domestic league running.

This is a bullshit arguement. 

How are you certain that we would have an NASL division already "if the CSA wasn't so incompetent". We would have Ottawa and Edmonton with maybe Hamilton but Bob Young was the one pushing for this league from the start. There is no evidence that any of the other ownership groups involved had any interest in joining an American second division. 

This is a very complex start-up. It's being handled by some very smart people, smarter than you or I. I'll apologize on their behalf that it doesn't fit your timeline but at the same point, get over yourself. 

The CSA is doing a hell of a job if they got 12 really rich groups with sport and entertainment backgrounds to say "yep, we are totally interested in your Canadian soccer league"

[nolbertos]

10 minutes ago, Alex D said:

This is a bullshit arguement. 

How are you certain that we would have an NASL division already "if the CSA wasn't so incompetent". We would have Ottawa and Edmonton with maybe Hamilton but Bob Young was the one pushing for this league from the start. There is no evidence that any of the other ownership groups involved had any interest in joining an American second division. 

This is a very complex start-up. It's being handled by some very smart people, smarter than you or I. I'll apologize on their behalf that it doesn't fit your timeline but at the same point, get over yourself. 

Thats 3 teams that would've been in NASL compared to (6) hypothetical CPL teams, doing their feasibility studies. For sure Edmonton and Ottawa would've stayed. Calgary seeing Edmonton in it, might've pursuaded and Hamilton, 50-50.  So thats 4 teams that would've been stable NASL feanchises in the last 6-7 years.  If NASL didn't want to budge on Canadian team, rhey could do what the Caps and Impact did and breakout and at least 4 foundation franchises would've at least given those owners more experience on how to run a league.  We're still at the drawing board stage and barely moving forward.  Also we would've had 4 fully operating academies on top of rhe 3 MLS ones and various private ones. That's a bigger pipeline of getting more future Nats players playing time.

[grasshopper1917]

19 minutes ago, matty said:

I think everyone is overestimating how much time you need to launch the league. If they announce it in conjunction with even this year's Grey Cup that's almost 6 months to promote the league. Given that's shit but it could still be done successfully if the resources are there which they will be if CFL and NHL teams are involved.

For the record, the US rugby league was announced in November 2015 and started play in April 2016. Now it only drew like 1700 a game and has folded but it also lacked the ownership we already know the CPL has (Bob Young and his near billion dollars) and support of the governing body (which the CPL has).

Honestly the formal launch doesn't have to happen by the beginning of summer to meet a 2018 launch. It would be preferred but it isn't needed.

Also remember the Halifax group are talking about launching in 2018 so it's fairly safe to say 2018 is not at all off the table.

Just to build on your point Matty our local ownership group told us they are aiming for 2018 but even with a 2018 launch the league will not be announced til April or May.

Secondly the local ownership suggested it is not going to be a sort of 'We are going to have a league stay tuned' announcement. When the league is announced they seemed to indicate that everything is going to be ready to go. League websites, team websites, locations ect. In other words when the announcement does come down they are going to be hitting the ground running.

Everything is proceeding in Halifax as a 2018 launch - tenders have been bid on to build the field. The tender includes big fines if the work is not completed on time. They want to make sure there is lots of time to put stands up so we are ready at 2018 launch.

People are panicking I think just because the stakeholders are doing a good job keeping their plans quiet. People are not used to this in the internet age  lol

[Alex D]

3 minutes ago, nolbertos said:

Thats 3 teams that would've been in NASL compared to (6) hypotheticL team.  For sure Edmonton and Ottawa would've stayed. Calgary seeing Edmonton in it, might've pursuaded and Hamilton, 50-50.  So thats 4 teams that would've been stable NASL feanchises in the last 6-7 years.  If NASL didn't want to budge on Canadian team, rhey could do what the Caps and Impact did and breakout and at least 4 foundation franchises would've at least given those owners more experience on how to run a league.  We're still at the drawing board stage and barely moving forward.  Also we would've had 4 fully operating academies on top of rhe 3 MLS ones and various private ones. That's a bigger pipeline of getting more future Nats players playing time.

Edmonton has had an academy this entire time so nothing wasted there. Ottawa ditched theirs and became a reserve team. Calgary is wishful thinking and Hamilton wasn't interested apparently. 

Can we end the revisionist history and useless negativity? Let's step into reality and realize that we are as close as a year away from the first match being played in the Canadian Fucking Premiere League! This is an awesome time to be a soccer fan in this country. 

If the league by some chance has to start in 2019, big deal. This is not about qualify for Qatar, it's about becoming a true football nation for decades to come. 

Being a voyageur is tough, it can give a mental shit kicking to your sporting psyche. This should be a joyous time, let's try to embrace it. 

[Rheo]

The delusions of some on here that the league is being formed by bumbling idiots wasting time and playing mean games with the hundred or so people on here who care a lot about the formation of the league by stretching this out forever is laughable.

These things take time if they are to be done right.  Everyone just needs to relax and not worry so much about it...

[Rheo]

8 minutes ago, Alex D said:

Edmonton has had an academy this entire time so nothing wasted there. Ottawa ditched theirs and became a reserve team. Calgary is wishful thinking and Hamilton wasn't interested apparently. 

Can we end the revisionist history and useless negativity? Let's step into reality and realize that we are as close as a year away from the first match being played in the Canadian Fucking Premiere League! This is an awesome time to be a soccer fan in this country. 

If the league by some chance has to start in 2019, big deal. This is not about qualify for Qatar, it's about becoming a true football nation for decades to come. 

Being a voyageur is tough, it can give a mental shit kicking to your sporting psyche. This should be a joyous time, let's try to embrace it. 

Agreed.  There is just the keyboard warrior mentality sometimes on here sometime about how they know more about running a league/club/federation then the people who do.  The need for instant gratification overwhelms some to the point of insanity.  In one of the other threads there was a call for the new coach to be fired if we don't get out of the group stage.  I get being frustrated, we're all there, but you have to be reasonable about it

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

3 minutes ago, Rheo said:

The delusions of some on here that the league is being formed by bumbling idiots wasting time and playing mean games...

Always love how people who have been following this stuff for what basically amounts to five minutes feel no inhibitions whatsoever about coming on here and lecturing people who have been following Canadian pro soccer closely for decades about how wonderful the CSA is simply because Victor Montagliani is telling them something that they want to hear. Meanwhile, the Hamilton newspaper story mentions Halifax as an afterthought based on what we are told by a Hamilton fan group guy will be inside info the journalist has received off the record, while the Halifax fan group guy claims the league is all set to announce its 2018 launch next month or in May with Halifax presumably very much on board, and nobody seems to stop to ponder why even the two ownership groups that have publicly surfaced wouldn't be singing from the same choir sheet when briefing people about what's about to happen.

[grasshopper1917]

10 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Always love how people who have been following this stuff for what basically amounts to five minutes feel no inhibitions whatsoever about coming on here and lecturing people who have been following Canadian pro soccer closely for decades about how wonderful the CSA is simply because Victor Montagliani is telling them something that they want to hear. Meanwhile, the Hamilton newspaper story mentions Halifax as an afterthought based on what we are told by a Hamilton fan group guy will be inside info the journalist has received off the record, while the Halifax fan group guy claims the league is all set to announce its 2018 launch next month or in May with Halifax presumably very much on board, and nobody seems to stop to ponder why even the two ownership groups that have publicly surfaced wouldn't be singing from the same choir sheet when briefing people about what's about to happen.

That is not exactly what I said. What I was saying they are **aiming** for an announcement in April or May to announce a 2018 start. I didnt say they are 'set' to do that. That is what they are shooting for BUT we were also told there is tonns of work happening behind the scenes. 

I was simply saying there is no need to panic yet with regard to a 2018 start - they are working on it and by all accounts good progress is being made.

As for the reporter not really mentioning Halifax, that's no biggie. The reporter doesn't likely know anything about what teams will be part of the league then any of us.

 

[Macksam]

1 hour ago, nolbertos said:

I've been against the CSA meddling into the CPL from the beginning.  I want a CPL to happen but not waiting a decade or longer for the stars to align.  I've been a proponent of rhe USL/NASL partnership from the beginning and when the time is right maybr take a stab at separating it.  Feel sorry for you guys still waiting.  Been waiting 30 years for a new CSL to happen.  We need it bad or else, our national team will continue to suffer.  There has to be a moratorium or else, we'll always continue to wait and then re-look at other options like NASL/USL partnerships.  Its obvious we don't have many deep pocketed owners in major cities or else alot of rhem would've come out of the woodwork eons ago.

 The CFL ownerships are not entirely stable either.  David Braley is still struggling to sell the BC Lions for a break even price. Nobody in BC wants a CFL franchise for his asking price, they want it like a minor league team asking price.  

The teams might not be stable but the owners are.

As for the Lions specifically, nobody wants to buy a franchise that shows all the signs of taking an Argos like trajectory to obscurity.

[Rheo]

47 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Always love how people who have been following this stuff for what basically amounts to five minutes feel no inhibitions whatsoever about coming on here and lecturing people who have been following Canadian pro soccer closely for decades about how wonderful the CSA is simply because Victor Montagliani is telling them something that they want to hear. Meanwhile, the Hamilton newspaper story mentions Halifax as an afterthought based on what we are told by a Hamilton fan group guy will be inside info the journalist has received off the record, while the Halifax fan group guy claims the league is all set to announce its 2018 launch next month or in May with Halifax presumably very much on board, and nobody seems to stop to ponder why even the two ownership groups that have publicly surfaced wouldn't be singing from the same choir sheet when briefing people about what's about to happen.

And I love how you use your years of bitterness to come up with wild theories and conspiracies about how this is doomed to failure and lecture and dismiss anyone who has a different opinion because they aren't the veteran war horse that you are. To each their own I guess

[Dub Narcotic]

BBtB has been right far more often than the big crowd arguing against him on here and every 'insider leak' from the Hamilton folks has been way off base so far. He's not the one who has to show humility on this thread. In addition, you can cheer for the CPL to exist while acknowledging that its current state of limbo has been a negative for Canadian soccer in the last few years. Hamilton at the very least and almost surely a couple of other cities would have been in the NASL/USL by now if it wasn't for the CPL process. 

[Alex D]

What exactly has he been right about? Are we getting a semi pro league with MLS reserves and PDL clubs? Because that was what he was telling everyone we we're getting just a few months ago. 

[Rheo]

I've given him credit when he's been right and I've defended him when I thought others have crossed the line. But I can call BS when he throws his wild theories, conspiracies and assumptions based on no evidence other than his years and years of his opinion of the CSA. I can also call out his BS when he talks down to me and others because we have a different opinion than his.