CPL General

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

3 hours ago, ChrisinOrleans said:

....Bierne talked about how soccer is making Canada more attractive and open to the world. We take in 1% of our total population a year in immigration, and they all want pro soccer.... God willing, Ottawa/Montréal/Québec has something in there at launch.

I before e except when it's an Irish Gaelic surname. It doesn't seem to go down well with some when I mention immigration patterns on here, but good to know people at the heart of things realize that the appeal of the sport still skews heavily in that direction. Hopefully the highly multicultural world's game angle to soccer will start to get talked up a bit more in their marketing. Rightly or wrongly, the Canadian angle on things doesn't equate with good soccer for many people and doesn't tend to work out as well as it does for hockey or the CFL when it gets highlighted in a soccer context, and attitudes on that sort of thing are like an oiltanker changing direction. On the second point quoted, I think there would be more weasel words still being used about the 2019 launch (usually completely absent now unlike what was happening at the start of this year), if they weren't at a minimum very confident about Ottawa's participation.

Edited May 8, 2018 by BringBackTheBlizzard

[mpg_29]

31 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

I before e except when it's an Irish Gaelic surname. It doesn't seem to go down well with some when I mention immigration patterns on here, but good to know people at the heart of things realize that the appeal of the sport still skews heavily in that direction. Hopefully the highly multicultural world's game angle to soccer will start to get talked up a bit more in their marketing. Rightly or wrongly, the Canadian angle on things doesn't equate with good soccer for many people and doesn't tend to work out as well as it does for hockey or the CFL when it gets highlighted in a soccer context, and attitudes on that sort of thing are like an oiltanker changing direction. On the second point quoted, I think there would be more weasel words still being used about the 2019 launch (usually completely absent now unlike what was happening at the start of this year), if they weren't at a minimum very confident about Ottawa's participation.

Beirne's right in that there is a sizable untapped market out there in terms of immigrants and soccer. The challenge is going to be getting them buying into Canadian domestic soccer instead of supporting their grandfathers country/leagues.

[Rheo]

2 minutes ago, mpg_29 said:

Beirne's right in that there is a sizable untapped market out there in terms of immigrants and soccer. The challenge is going to be getting them buying into Canadian domestic soccer instead of supporting their grandfathers country/leagues.

As he pointed out in one of the interviews, the local footy culture caught on quickly in the MLS markets.  You can support your grandfather's country/leagues while also supporting the option down the street (or at least that's what they're counting on) especially when it's done right.  The live experience is a hell of a lot more attractive then waking up at 6am to watch on your tv by yourself lol

[Jason]

4 hours ago, Rheo said:

Well the head of the Foothills is involved so there so one less thing to worry about lol

It sounds like it won't be Foothills branding (at least for the pro club) which is good.  They need a new and inclusive name that the whole soccer community can rally around.  This has always been an issue with the Foothills PDL club.

[Rheo]

2 minutes ago, Jason said:

It sounds like it won't be Foothills branding (at least for the pro club) which is good.  They need a new and inclusive name that the whole soccer community can rally around.  This has always been an issue with the Foothills PDL club.

Foothills is a not for profit and will continue to run separately from what I can see online.  That being said Tommy Wheldon Jr is the technical director for Foothills and he was at the CSA meeting and is a part of the leadership group for the CPL team.

[Rheo]

 

[Symp_Res]

1 hour ago, mpg_29 said:

Beirne's right in that there is a sizable untapped market out there in terms of immigrants and soccer. The challenge is going to be getting them buying into Canadian domestic soccer instead of supporting their grandfathers country/leagues.

I would like to point out that their "grandfather's country" has a long and proud tradition of supporting the local club as well as one or two larger clubs.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

12 minutes ago, Jason said:

It sounds like it won't be Foothills branding (at least for the pro club) which is good.  They need a new and inclusive name that the whole soccer community can rally around.  This has always been an issue with the Foothills PDL club.

Calgary Cavalry has been trademarked.

[Jason]

6 minutes ago, Rheo said:

Foothills is a not for profit and will continue to run separately from what I can see online.  That being said Tommy Wheldon Jr is the technical director for Foothills and he was at the CSA meeting and is a part of the leadership group for the CPL team.

Yep, I expect Wheeldon will be moving over the pro club but ties with Foothills will remain.  Martin Nash is apparently involved as well.  Should be interesting to see who has what role but I kind of suspect Wheeldon will be in charge of soccer ops and Nash could be head coach.

[Rheo]

Just now, Jason said:

Yep, I expect Wheeldon will be moving over the pro club but ties with Foothills will remain.  Martin Nash is apparently involved as well.  Should be interesting to see who has what role but I kind of suspect Wheeldon will be in charge of soccer ops and Nash could be head coach.

Good news is that we'll know for sure in the month or so  

[Kent]

13 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

Calgary Cavalry has been trademarked.

Has it? I thought it was Cavalry FC or something like that, not with both Calgary and Cavalry in the same name, unless this has been trademarked more recently?

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

You are right it was Cavalry FC.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

1 hour ago, mpg_29 said:

...The challenge is going to be getting them buying into Canadian domestic soccer instead of supporting their grandfathers country/leagues.

In the Toronto area most people were either born overseas or at least one of their parents were, so you don't need to bring grandparents into it. The numbers on that in cities like Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa are not as high as in the three MLS markets but still forms a very significant portion of the population. Good soccer is what attracted that demographic back in the original NASL era and in Toronto in 2007. The Canadian content angle is important to foster and build over time, but they are going a bit overboard with it.

[johnyb]

5 hours ago, ChrisinOrleans said:

I think one or two lines that Bierne touched on here are more than important. Maybe I'm wandering into rose-coloured-glasses territory here, so if this is a tangent, let me know. 

Bierne talked about how soccer is making Canada more attractive and open to the world. We take in 1% of our total population a year in immigration, and they all want pro soccer. This is just making us a better place to live and have a family. Which I thought was the coolest way to brand this thing to non-sports fans.

I mean, the launch video shows not only men and women playing the game, but people of all ethnicities (I am assuming they used the same video in English too), and regions. Given the controversy around USL-PDL barring Labbé, it cannot hurt the CanPL to be branding itself as the ultra-modern, progressive alternative; regardless of actual on-field presence. Perception is reality, after all.

I'm really excited to see this league launch. God willing, Ottawa/Montréal/Québec has something in there at launch.  

 

Agree with this! One of the things I noticed after we lost the Jets in Winnipeg was how long the Winters became. The Jets make this city a better place to live whether you're a fan or not. CPL will do the same to a lesser extent, especially with new immigrants from Soccer nations.

[LAK]

32 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

You are right it was Cavalry FC.

Which, considering the ownership and history of the ownership group, I don't mind that name. It kind of has meaning now.

[Alex D]

35 minutes ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

 Good soccer is what attracted that demographic back in the original NASL era and in Toronto in 2007

What soccer league were you watching in 2007 because MLS was atrocious!

[Complete Homer]

4 minutes ago, Alex D said:

What soccer league were you watching in 2007 because MLS was atrocious!

Almost like a polished, professional atmosphere means more for attendance than on field quality... 

[mpg_29]

17 minutes ago, Complete Homer said:

Almost like a polished, professional atmosphere means more for attendance than on field quality... 

Also with video/audio production qualty of the games for people watching at home. For the average person this will drive perception of the league more than on field quality imo. 

[Gopherbashi]

Oh my god guys, we're less than 60-90 hours until an actual announcement!

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

Cavalry makes a little more sense knowing that the stadium will be at spruce meadows...

Edited May 9, 2018 by BenFisk'sBiggestFan

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 hours ago, Complete Homer said:

Almost like a polished, professional atmosphere means more for attendance than on field quality... 

The overall image on television is something many leagues in the world are working on, in a more conscious way. EPL has led this, mostly, but I see the results in Spain.

First, all the pitches are much better quality than ever, the fields are marvellous across the league, consistently. Very important, bright green, no patches. 

After that, camera angles are worked on to enhance the right image of the pitch. This basic error is seen clearly at Yankee stadium, when NYCFC play, where everyone says the pitch is narrow. No, actually the problem is that the camera is placed too low and you see the sidelines, the effect is of narrowness because the pitch is seen on from a low perspective. A simple camera placement change, taking it up higher, is all they really need.

Then, every team is required to create banners and paint or cover details of the stands with a consistent colour scheme. This even includes making the key tone of the team's shirt dominant, even if advertisers would use another colour. Effectively the main colour is the "black" in two-tone advertising, like here below, in Sevilla. All are important factors when thinking about marketing the league to tv, if you don't have a league working with tv producers to help clubs adjust their stadiums appropriately, you won't go anywhere.

Sevilla, home white with red trim, stadium ads and all walls, in same crimson red.

[Macksam]

6 hours ago, Alex D said:

What soccer league were you watching in 2007 because MLS was atrocious!

 

6 hours ago, Complete Homer said:

Almost like a polished, professional atmosphere means more for attendance than on field quality... 

I was about to call BBTB out on his bull shit but  I saw you two already did. I keep mentioning to him and everyone else it was a professional looking product that brought people in, not the quality of play but for some reason he doesn't get this.

[Complete Homer]

28 minutes ago, Macksam said:

I was about to call BBTB out on his bull shit but  I saw you two already did. I keep mentioning to him and everyone else it was a professional looking product that brought people in, not the quality of play but for some reason he doesn't get this.

He's blocked the majority of the posters anyway, doubt any of it is making it through the cone of silence 

It doesn't really matter anymore. There was a point that I was worried that his pessimistic narrative would prevent people who would otherwise get involved from doing so (I think we have a cultural tendency to equate skepticism with realism) but that simply hasn't been the case. 

If anything, I wonder if he accidentally had a positive effect by making the Voyageurs board such an undesirable place to discuss CPL that conversation was forced to move to more mainstream platforms that drew in a wider group of participants. 

Edited May 9, 2018 by Complete Homer
grammar

[Alex D]

6 hours ago, Macksam said:

 

I was about to call BBTB out on his bull shit but  I saw you two already did. I keep mentioning to him and everyone else it was a professional looking product that brought people in, not the quality of play but for some reason he doesn't get this.

"No one is going to pay to go see Andrea Lombardo type players running around, you know the quality of football is what attracted people to TFC"

It makes my head hurt

[Rheo]

The Loyal Company of the River Valley new podcast does a recap of the Al-Classico games and all the CPL news up to and including York yesterday.  Really enjoyed the first hand Al-Classico talk.  Really good local analysis on the situation in Edmonton (they don't see it as a sure thing but as 85% in for 2019) including the shift in tone in the FC Edmonton marketing message to a more positive take.

http://loyalcompanyrv.libsyn.com/lcrv-episode-142

Edited May 9, 2018 by Rheo