CPL Stadium Thread

[SkuseisLoose]

Didn’t realize it was one of those bears stadium. I wonder if there’s plan for a concourse (I think that’s the right word) under the stand(s) in the future.

[Rintaran]

Some of those photos still look a little rough. Hopefully they get everything in place before kick-off.

I like the sound of a lot of facilities going up nearby (boxing gym, climbing gym, etc). Should be a great way to really grow the area, and all these different facilities should dovetail together quite well.

Definitely need to get back out there to see it in person sometime.

[Aird25]

The stadium is at the heart of a much, much bigger plan for the area. I don't think I've ever seen such rapid development of both public, and private infrastructure at the same time.

[Macksam]

8 hours ago, SkuseisLoose said:

Didn’t realize it was one of those bears stadium. I wonder if there’s plan for a concourse (I think that’s the right word) under the stand(s) in the future.

They looked rather ugly in the York 9 rendering but in reality, they look distinct, clean, unique, kind of like a log cabin. It would be cool if all clubs (without permanent venues already) went this route, which I imagine they might.

[shamrock]

That is actually a great looking little stadium, and for that money it's just a steal.

Looks ten times better than Clarke's stadium for instance, I wish they'd done the same instead of putting up that desolate Big Blue. 

[Chad_Impact]

PFC's stadium is the direction I hope most new franchises go.

[grasshopper1917]

Wasn't sure where to put this but Winnipeg is a CPL stadium. Is anyone else watching the train wreck Raiders game. They couldnt figure out the field so the end zone is on the 10 yard line. People paid 300$ to see this!!!!  

[red card]

2 strikes for IG stadium ops this week. First they do a partial job taking off the lines for the CPL match. Not sure what they were thinking there. Lines gone for the second CPL match.

Then NFL approves field on Wednesday but then on Thursday, they find where the CFL posts were removed from has made the end zone unplayable.

 

[HfxCeltic]

I love Pacific's stadium. Think it's the best facility the league has and if grass is put in, will be #1 by a mile until Halifax puts in something more permanent.

I really hope Halifax City Council see's the benefits of the Wanderers and allows them to build something similar. I absolutely love the Wanderers Grounds, but those bare steel bleachers are cold on my tush in April and May.

If we can get something similar for around 10 million, I can't imagine the city not wanting to fund a portion of it. It's been such a positive for the city as a whole that I don't think there would be much public outcry, especially after folks have seen the public costs associated with a CFL team.

[king1010]

41 minutes ago, Lofty said:

What a fiasco.

I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this. People will be demanding refunds and I suspect that Winnipeg Football Club (i.e. The Bombers), who on the face of it have not fulfulled what one could reasonably assume to be a contractural obligation to provide a suitable venue, might be on the hook.

Blue bombers have absolutely nothing to do with the event(and rightfully so, cfl teams shouldnt be paying appearance fees to nfl teams to play in canada). Its the promotor “on ice entertainment” on the hook for everything. They were the ones signatory to the contract with the nfl, the bombers dont even own the stadium. 

Edited August 23, 2019 by king1010

[SkuseisLoose]

17 minutes ago, Lofty said:

The Bombers (WFC actually) are in the process of trying to pay down their crushing stadium debt!

The promoters of this event certainly don't own the stadium! They paid the Bombers a rental fee. Presumably the Bombers' contractural obligation was to provide a suitable facility in exchange for that rental fee.

Triple B Stadium Inc own the stadium, whoever they are.

[Cheeta]

^^^ Pffff.  The Bombers don't' own/operate IG Field in about as much the same was as MLSE doesn't own/operate BMO Field. 

Don't know the details of the NFL event.  Expect Winnipeg Football Club was expecting some serious ancillary revenue from the event to top up the stadium rental (parking, concession kick-backs, that sort of thing) which clearly didn't materialize but that's they way she goes.  It's all speculation whether it's a one-off event, a Bomber game or a Valour match. 

Anyway, a bit surprised about the field condiditons.  CFL field, less end zones, is 110 yards long, so say 114  yards from goal post base to goal post base (I'd guess).  NFL field is 120 yards maximum length, yes?  So if the "seems" remaining from removing the CFL goalposts where a bit too much they'd still be nearish the back of each NFL end zone.   Was it really that bad?   Assuming the pitch was originaly built to allow for installing NFL goalposts and I've never noticed anything.  And those NFL locations would be fairly close to the base of the CFL goal posts.  Just seems strange. 

Since we're talking IGF here's a question that's been in my head for a while now.  Why have the soccer pitch half way line at the gridiron half way line?  It looks like there is enough sideline room that for soccer they could shift the half line either north or south 15 yards, just to bring the one end goal line right up to back of the CLF endzone, and on that one end at least bring the end stands right up to the soccer goal line.  Seat angles maybe not being ideal?  I dont' know, but for Valour matches it would be awesome having say the north goal stands almost right on top of the goal line. 

 

       

 

  

[Bison44]

Triple B  are the city, the province, bombers and U of M.  

[Cheeta]

23 minutes ago, SkuseisLoose said:

Triple B Stadium Inc own the stadium, whoever they are.

Province of Manitoba, City of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba & Winnipeg Football Club.  And it's all really, really, complicated.  And not just the financing parts. 

Winnipeg Football Club (aka The Blue Bombers) are repaying the governments which fronted the money to build the joint.  Plus interest because it was borrowed money.  Recently, Manitoba, which borrowed most of the money to finance the venture guarenteed the loans (so as to get a much more favourable rate) to provide the Bombers some repayment relief.  However, because provincial auditors assessed those loan guarentees as being too risky the province actually had to write the dollar value of those loan guarentees off.  Take the hit even though the Bomber's are currently making the loan repayments on IGF.   Lots of rate payers upset, if completely unsurprised. 

I think I have that mostly right.  And that's the very broadest strokes.  Someone else would have to give the details of the City of Winnipeg and U of M's involvement in the scheme and the on-going lawsuits with the design & construction firms which built the stadium.    

[Bison44]

I would only add that the city is looking to get out of the stadium owning business.  I am assuming they are wanting the Bombers to hurry up, pay down their share and buy them out??  

[king1010]

Dbl post

Edited August 23, 2019 by king1010

[king1010]

8 hours ago, Lofty said:

They are primarily the Bombers.

^^ Thanks J, I couldn't be bothered to explain all that.

Essentially the various levels of Government own IFG in the same way that the Bank owns your house until you have paid off your mortgage.

The Bombers (WFC) are in the process of paying off their IGF mortgage. If they can pay it down faster by renting it out, of course they will do that. Just like you could rent out a room in your house to pay down your mortgage faster.

If there are financial repercussions from this NFL fiasco, I can't see how they don't fall on the Bombers.

 

 

The bluebombers werent signatory to the contract with the nfl, the promoters were. This wont fall on the bluebombers. The promotor knew full well modifications needed to be made to get a cfl field to nfl field. It was their responsibility to do so safley and they failed. It wasn't the blue bombers responsibility to provide a safe nfl field. 

 

EDIT: i stand corrected, my apologies lofty. Looks like bluebombers may be open to some repercussions.   Bombers CEO quoted below. 

"Our operations staff have done an amazing job in turning our field from football to soccer, now to an NFL field," Miller said. "Our team’s working really hard here to make sure our city shows well and it will, and IG Field will, too."

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sportsnet.ca/football/nfl/blue-bombers-boss-expects-around-20000-fans-first-nfl-game-winnipeg/sn-amp/

 

 

Edited August 23, 2019 by king1010

[grasshopper1917]

6 minutes ago, king1010 said:

 

 

The bluebombers werent signatory to the contract with the nfl, the promoters were. This wont fall on the bluebombers. The promotor knew full well modifications needed to be made to get a cfl field to nfl field. It was their responsibility to do so safley and they failed. It wasn't the blue bombers responsibility to provide a safe nfl field. 

I'm absolutely shocked the NFL allowed this to happen. Im sure they will be more diligent in the future. 

[jonovision]

I mean, they've allowed the Raiders to play on a sand baseball diamond for years. The league isn't exactly known for taking decisions in the interest of player safety.

I'm just glad this NFL thing is over so we can all forget about it. And the fact that it was such a debacle, attendance-wise, in my opinion is a credit to the people of Winnipeg.

[RS]

On 8/23/2019 at 12:36 AM, Cheeta said:

Since we're talking IGF here's a question that's been in my head for a while now.  Why have the soccer pitch half way line at the gridiron half way line?  It looks like there is enough sideline room that for soccer they could shift the half line either north or south 15 yards, just to bring the one end goal line right up to back of the CLF endzone, and on that one end at least bring the end stands right up to the soccer goal line.  Seat angles maybe not being ideal?  I dont' know, but for Valour matches it would be awesome having say the north goal stands almost right on top of the goal line. 

Probably television, because the camera bays are designed for the middle of the field to be in the middle of the stadium. Any shifting would alter angles, presumably for the worse.

Also, most modern venues have been set up so the posh seats (and all that come with it, including fancy club boxes, etc.) are in the middle so shifting the field wouldn't allow Valour to charge a premium for those seats as their vantage points would become "worse" as well.

In short, the answer is always $$$.

[Ansem]

Barca B new stadium

 

[shamrock]

So that is the second stadium named after the Legend. 

Looks great BTW!

[Stryker911]

Stumbled onto this on YouTube. Sorry if it has been posted before.

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

On 8/27/2019 at 10:38 PM, Ansem said:

Barca B new stadium

I was there this evening, for a Barça b draw vs. Tarragona. 

It is pleasant, but has some important flaws in terms of fan experience. It is the typical stadium that looks right as a drawn design but is weak when it comes to being an effective place for fans to support a team.

[Blackjack15]

Bold prediction;

• Hamilton & Winnipeg will stay at THF and IG field respectively forever (CFL ownership) 

• Pacific seem to have made a long term deal with the city of Langford, also the stadium is set to be expanded to 8,000 next year. Can’t see them leaving, as well As their brand new 5M dollar field house is also in the works.

• HFX seem very comfortable with Wanderers grounds, the location is beyond perfect. although I do hope that a small SSS is built there but only time will tell. Definitely looking at around 10-15M, if their fans demand it I don’t see why not - plus the cfl guys who are trying to put a team there - might not work out for them, could easily see a business opportunity here. Seeing it fill up every other weekend

• York 9 has publicly said they would build a 12-to-15,000 soccer specific stadium in the region after the clubs first 3 seasons 

• Has to be said - Cavalry has to move to the downtown / I hope with the success and interest in the city someone takes a vision to make that happen.

• Clarke stadium is not eternal - fc Edmonton need to revive the option of a new venue, it’s clear that centrally is the key - not too far to where they are right now