CPL new teams speculation

[ted]

5 hours ago, davey_twelve said:

Small sample size I know but the STH behind me come down from Nanaimo and they mentioned they wouldn't come if games were in Victoria proper.

I know my friend Jacob finds it much more convenient than having to go all the way into Victoria. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

7 hours ago, Rintaran said:

This is what I expected. So long as the Harbourcats continue at Royal Athletic, there's a close to 0% chance of Pacific moving there. The Harbourcats are well attended, and have games almost every day through the summer.

Hi @Rintaran just want to say. I did an analysis of this last summer, and I think it shows  you are mistaken: RAP can be shared. Instead of looking at the big picture and not breaking it down, you just have to analyze the details. And they show that most certainly RAP could be shared with the Harbourcats. 

Here is what I wrote in May 2018, on the Victoria CPL thread. But just to articulate part of the idea as stated, taking the present season schedule, 6 of the 14 home games would be played after the Harbourcats season has ended, so zero interference. Four were played before the baseball team's season started. Meaning with current schedule, 10 of 14 home matches would not involve any changeover at all. So four (five with Voyageurs Cup) changes in a season, is that not feasible?

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Let me just make the argument for Royal Athletic a bit better. 

First, as mentioned, it is close to the downtown, fairly central, and easy access. 

Second, it has more tradition as a sports venue, and had PDL soccer a few years ago. 

Next, it has over 3000 seats as is. The configuration is not 100% baseball, as there is a long stand centered on the soccer pitch, basically 1st base line. Covered. Then some extension to what would be first base line to the outfield, not covered. Then the baseball stand behind home plate, covered in the middle, not on the sides. So it already has a basic convertible baseball-soccer set up in terms of stands. 

The entire opposite side could be adapted with temporary or more permanent stands for soccer. The wiki says it could go up to 10,000.

Fourth, the pitch is quite nice, grass.

Fifth, the HarbourCats baseball season is last week of May to early August. So basically, if you started mid April, you could have the set up a month, then after the second week of August, it is all yours too. I just looked at the Harbourcats schedule, of that 10 week season, just half they are playing away on weekends. So potentially you are not even in direct conflict, but would have to convert those times.

Conclusion: my impression is that the City of Langford has moved more aggressively, with greater vision, in seeing their stadium investment plays out. Though I have no idea if Victoria stalled, rejected, or was simply slow on the uptake.

Edited July 5, 2019 by Unnamed Trialist

[Stryker911]

Rather than worry about promotion/relegation, D1/D2/D3, or population, demographics, distance to downtown, etc... does anyone have any idea if we should be expecting any announcements about actual new teams for next season??

[narduch]

Its not looking good for new teams. Figure they would want to announce it by now to get ready.

[Mikmacdo]

42 minutes ago, narduch said:

Its not looking good for new teams. Figure they would want to announce it by now to get ready.

I would be ok if they just get to 8, hopefully the Fury are forced to join. 

[narduch]

I'm predicting Ottawa remains in USL indefinitely.

 

[Gopherbashi]

OFFC won't be in CPL next season if they're intent on staying in USL.  Legal fights take time to resolve, as does actually joining a new league - and it's not as if OFFC won't be dragging their feet if they don't want to go.

[Gopherbashi]

Also for perspective, the last team (Pacific) was announced on July 20th last year.  There's still time for more announcements for next year.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Technically true but Port City FC had been admitted into the CSA in early May and was known to be playing in Langford pending the outcome of the hydro pole saga given Surrey clearly wasn't happening. Can understand why people see Westhills Stadium as less than ideal, but it's possible the league would not have launched yet, if it hadn't become available.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Probably nothing CanPL related, but there have been occasional rumours:

https://northerntribune.ca/oakville-blue-devils-announcement/

Edited July 8, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Reign]

Sorry I don’t follow L10 that closely. What do the 5 stars represent in oakvilles logo ? 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

No idea on the five stars, but likes so far from Joe Belan and the Forge's account manager

[Gopherbashi]

I'm pretty sure the stars represent championships from L1O and whatever they were previously.

Also I'm going to be really annoyed if all that comes out of this is "Oakville TFC"

[Reign]

Im guessing stadium change or affiliation.

[Ansem]

 

[Gopherbashi]

1 hour ago, Ansem said:

 

Just before people start getting their hopes up or developing unrealistic expectations, "potentially" is not the same as "probably" or "likely".

Not that the tweet means anything bad for the league if we're waiting until 2021 - just that nothing is being promised for 2020 with this tweet.  We just get to consider ourselves lucky if they beat expectations and announce something for next year.

Edited July 8, 2019 by Gopherbashi

[Gopherbashi]

(Also: start your entry-into-the-2020-Fall-season prediction engines)

[Kent]

I'm just hoping whatever it is, they'll still be playing in a Canadian league. I hope it isn't announcing a move to USL or PDL or whatever the names of their leagues are now

[Blackdude]

40 minutes ago, Kent said:

I'm just hoping whatever it is, they'll still be playing in a Canadian league. I hope it isn't announcing a move to USL or PDL or whatever the names of their leagues are now

It won't be. I don't see  CSA allowing it. (Unless it's a NWSL team)

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

11 hours ago, Gopherbashi said:

Just before people start getting their hopes up or developing unrealistic expectations, "potentially" is not the same as "probably" or "likely"...

The most obvious possibilities right now are:

Saskatoon, which is already well documented on here and neatly fits the this month and potentially 2020 angle in Kurt Larson's tweet. Prairieland is known to be the preferred location and are sponsoring the SkSSS:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Prairieland+Park/@52.0914244,-106.662913,10702m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x5304f0c1757830db:0x634600bcb1873bc9!8m2!3d52.0984501!4d-106.6776397?hl=en

Ottawa, if OSEG like what they see so far.

Oakville given the tweet from Kurt Larson came the same day as the one from the Blue Devils about Wednesday's announcement. Sheridan College appears to be the obvious possibility for a pop-up if that were the case:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/49°08'45.0"N+122°39'58.0"W/@43.4675254,-79.7016709,573m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d49.145833!4d-122.666111?hl=en

Somewhere in Quebec with Quebec City appearing more likely of late given the article that followed the NDA involving Alex Bunbury that focused on that city and the big university stadium as the possible initial location, but Laval having also been mentioned in dispatches a lot previously. According to a poster elsewhere who told us all about Spruce Meadows long before it was announced it could be both and the hiring of a French language writer for the CanPL website is a sign of things to come:

and as a dark horse, Langley, BC, from a redditor who claims inside knowledge and comes across as being credible (he's quite negative about Saskatoon's prospects of happening quickly):

That's a lot deeper into the Fraser Valley than Surrey was:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/49°08'45.0"N+122°39'58.0"W/@49.1650641,-122.7113965,30865m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d49.145833!4d-122.666111?hl=en

and there definitely appear to be possibilities there for a pop-up:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/49°08'45.0"N+122°39'58.0"W/@49.1481965,-122.6704627,504a,35y,146.25h,44.82t/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d49.145833!4d-122.666111?hl=en

 

Edited July 9, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Cheeta]

Having seen what the league will accept for temp stadia in York I've straight up stopped worrying lack of facilities handicapping this region or that.  So long as there is something resembling a reasonable plan in place going forward I'm pretty sure the CPL would green light bleachers, portable toilets and light towers turning a mall car park into a temp stadium while the "future home of x" gets sorted out.

Asphalt playing surface may would be a bit fast but at least it would be regulation size.     

Edited July 9, 2019 by Cheeta

[Rintaran]

Last night, the Premier Podcast released its latest episode.

Michael Miller & Jeff Salisbury start off by provide updates/thoughts on Saskatoon & Quebec expansion (and then discuss other CPL topics). Jeff's insights are definitely worth tuning in for: https://www.northernstartingeleven.com/premier-podcast-s01e14-riding-high/

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Edited highlights:

The would be ownership group in Saskatoon would be Joe Belan, Al Simpson (Regina) and Grant McLaughlin (?) (originally of Regina now based in Toronto)

2021 expected timeline

will be branded Saskatchewan

Michael Miller talks up AS Blainville in a big way at one point.

[Kent]

On 7/8/2019 at 11:05 PM, Blackdude said:

It won't be. I don't see  CSA allowing it. (Unless it's a NWSL team)

I don't imagine it will be either, but I didn't think TFC would be allowed to leave the Ontario system for USSDA either. I think the reasoning is that it's different because that club is basically already under the USSF umbrella since they play in MLS, but it just makes me go from thinking a move for Oakville to something like PDL is "unlikely" rather than "off the table"

[Initial B]

Looking at the Oakville site, it looks almost ideal. Jason de Vos has ties to the club and the current President is Steven Caldwell. They could create a P3 with Sheridan College to expand the Stadium site to hold more events for the student body (over 20K) and the town itself (~200K). The location is 3.5km from the regional GO Rail Station and Oakville Place Mall and is served by several Oakville Transit bus routes. If they can get an additional investor with deep pockets, I think they could could be a successful franchise.

My one concern is the deepening concentration of franchises in the Golden Horseshoe. I could see half the League's teams being within a 2 hour drive of each other. London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, Oakville, Brampton, Mississauga, York, Oshawa - that would give them an operational/financial advantage over the other franchises that have to travel to the GTA repeatedly by plane instead of by bus. Otoh, with 7.7 million potential fans that is over 20% of the Canadian population. If they get 8 viable clubs in such a small area, those core clubs would provide a stable base even if other clubs elsewhere in the country join, struggle/thrive and/or fold. 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Initial B