CPL General

[Big_M]

it means belan saying bye bye..did his part now moving aside for simpson

[dyslexic nam]

48 minutes ago, baulderdash77 said:

I very much think this was the point to be honest.  I think this was announced to secure the exclusive MOU for the property so it wouldn’t be available for a D2 league.

Remember the D2 league is a potential competitor, especially in stadium rights.

They also have very different aspirations- the D2 league will have no problem with MLS farm clubs.  Quite the opposite in fact- they will be actively courting farm clubs.

I will openly admit that I didn’t follow every twitch and burp of this evolution but to me this sounds like the most plausible.  People with a D1 product in the wings aren’t going to sit quietly by while a competitor dilutes your potential fan base by scooping you with a competing product.  The recent announcement of a semi-pro league that is complete independent of CPL probably poked the bear and sped up the timelines for the announcement.  Get it out there and re-focus people’s attention on CPL.  

[toontownman]

Given the infrastructure that was being built I hope there is at least some cross over and this isn't starting from scratch. 

[Dominic94]

The horse racing people are going to try to fight this but unless it’s city land or a government thing or something that owns the group that owns the land I’m not sure what can be done ?

this guy seems like he would put shovels down today and start next year if he could. I do think this gets done quick.

 

CPL needs to nab QC now.

[Unnamed Trialist]

I don't know the political mood in Saskatoon, to compare with other places where things are moving.

IMO the real reason nothing is moving in the Fraser Valley is lack of political will to commit by local politicians. As seen in the cases where things have moved forward, it really helps to have the mayor and city hall behind a project and with the vision to execute. Perhaps the one case where it has mattered less is with York Utd.

In the Fraser Valley one problem is that it may be hard to get a team branded with the name of your city, a Surrey or Langley. Not that this matters to the CPL, as we've seen, but it could to a mayor wanting a team to be legacy.

Did we have any indication whether this would be a Saskatoon or Saskatchewan team? 

Edited March 12, 2021 by Unnamed Trialist

[Kent]

Has there been any info on if this new team is depending on government money for the stadium? That is likely the biggest decider on timelines or if this has the potential to be scrapped.

I really hope this team comes to fruition. It looks like it's too early to be certain that it will, but positive stuff! I wasn't expecting to see this today (I missed the tease and leaks yesterday). If this team does come to pass, that would bring us up to 6 provinces represented in the league with Quebec being the only glaring omission (sorry Newfoundland, New Brunswick, PEI, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut).

[johnyb]

17 hours ago, toontownman said:

99% certain it's not Saskatoon but sure happy to be wrong. PEI a definite possibility given the success of the Island games and income it brought. Maybe it got people thinking. 

If its two I go Quebec and Fraser Valley.

Congratulations! How's your heart?

[toontownman]

2 hours ago, johnyb said:

Congratulations! How's your heart?

Ha! I feel like a bit of a prick tbh because I celebrated early but have finished the day quite sceptical which is embarrassing, I want to enjoy it not be a debbie downer. I should be celebrating. There are just a ton of unknowns and questions that need answering. 

But for now..

[MtlMario]

For me it's bitter sweet. I'm sad it's not a Mtl area (Laval) team but I'm happy for Sask. people and hope they support the team like they do for the Riders. Congrats.

[toontownman]

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Did we have any indication whether this would be a Saskatoon or Saskatchewan team? 

Saskatchewan team (at least for now) based in Saskatoon. 

Regarding the political situation the mayor was at and supported the sksss. The land is prairielands so it largely falls to them. They were getting rid of the racecourse anyway

2 hours ago, Kent said:

Has there been any info on if this new team is depending on government money for the stadium?

Ownership says they are paying for the pre stadium plans and sizable portion of the overall plan. There will have to be a commitment from the city or province I imagine. Could be a sticking point that will see community opposition.

https://lsse.ca/about-lsse/

 

[Dominic94]

15 minutes ago, toontownman said:

Saskatchewan team (at least for now) based in Saskatoon. 

Regarding the political situation the mayor was at and supported the sksss. The land is prairielands so it largely falls to them. They were getting rid of the racecourse anyway

Ownership says they are paying for the pre stadium plans and sizable portion of the overall plan. There will have to be a commitment from the city or province I imagine. Could be a sticking point that will see community opposition.

https://lsse.ca/about-lsse/

 

I thought the non profit had the other half ?

given that he’s taking on 2/3rds of the cost it wouldn’t surprise me to see him take the extra 3rd to seal the date and send the horse riders out.

[Unnamed Trialist]

8 hours ago, Dominic94 said:

I thought the non profit had the other half ?

given that he’s taking on 2/3rds of the cost it wouldn’t surprise me to see him take the extra 3rd to seal the date and send the horse riders out.

Thanks. Are you in Saskatchewan btw?

Usually you need city support, and maybe provincial, for permits, traffic flows, game-day policing. In general you don't want to be going behind their backs or have a bad relationship.

I hope the SASK fans are now motivated to organise, raise their profile, and also be a bit of a lobby so politicians don't forget that those excited by this far outnumber those who think they have reasons to go against pro soccer in Saskatoon.

It happens to be one of the few Canadian cities of certain importance I have never visited, ever, the other being Saint John. 

[yothat2]

Can Regina support a cpl team ? Or a div 2 team ? 

[SoccMan]

Where do the Lacrosse and Basketball  teams play Regina or Saskatoon? In the interview on One Soccer Simpson mentions that both the Lacrosse and Basketball teams get decent attendance. I think the soccer team will draw just as well I think it will be a great place for a CPL team and will probably be one of best in terms of attendance. Hopefully a stadium deal gets done and this team happens. Putting CPL teams in smaller cities like this will be the backbone of this league , yes you need representation in the big cities too, but  as we have seen in Halifax there is something about playing in these smaller cities where it seems to be a lot easier to get the whole city behind the team, where sometimes in the bigger cities it’s harder to do because of the sheer size . 

[An Observer]

1 hour ago, SoccMan said:

Where do the Lacrosse and Basketball  teams play Regina or Saskatoon? In the interview on One Soccer Simpson mentions that both the Lacrosse and Basketball teams get decent attendance. I think the soccer team will draw just as well I think it will be a great place for a CPL team and will probably be one of best in terms of attendance. Hopefully a stadium deal gets done and this team happens. Putting CPL teams in smaller cities like this will be the backbone of this league , yes you need representation in the big cities too, but  as we have seen in Halifax there is something about playing in these smaller cities where it seems to be a lot easier to get the whole city behind the team, where sometimes in the bigger cities it’s harder to do because of the sheer size . 

It’s worked in Halifax very well but not in Victoria as well which maybe a combo of the stadium being far out of town and it being a government town. I suspect Saskatoon will be similar to Halifax though. 

[yothat2]

1 hour ago, An Observer said:

It’s worked in Halifax very well but not in Victoria as well which maybe a combo of the stadium being far out of town and it being a government town. I suspect Saskatoon will be similar to Halifax though. 

agreed.

[Mikmacdo]

2 minutes ago, yothat2 said:

agreed.

halifax and sask are both sports crazy cities, i would actually say saskatoon might even be more sports crazy than halifax. 

one other smaller city that would do well is london ontario. 

[MtlMario]

15 minutes ago, Mikmacdo said:

halifax and sask are both sports crazy cities, i would actually say saskatoon might even be more sports crazy than halifax. 

one other smaller city that would do well is london ontario. 

...or Laval (Qc)😀

[Watchmen]

https://aftn.ca/episode-434-the-aftn-soccer-show/

Interview with Al Simpson at 83:39

Interview with David Clanachan at 125:20

Additionally, Michael and Zach are pretty tied in to the local soccer community, and it sure sounds like there's really not much to the "Bundesliga ownership" for an FVRL team, or that any team in the valley is imminent.   The Saskatchewan team caught everyone off guard though, so make of that what you will.

[toontownman]

On 3/14/2021 at 6:05 AM, SoccMan said:

Where do the Lacrosse and Basketball  teams play Regina or Saskatoon? 

They both play in Saskatoon at the Sasktel center to the north of the city. The Rush (lacrosse) did an incredible job being visible in the city from the minute it was announced they were here. They had logos/promo everywhere, attended parades, public events etc. They got between 12-13k but also offered a different club like atmosphere at games. No one liked lacrosse coming into them being here. 

The Basketball didn't pull nearly as many people (average of around 2k in the first season I think?) but had a successful team that won the league. The CEBL maybe doesnt have an optimal season to pull fans inside when they could be outside. The lower numbers are also due to a lack of visible promo. I have never seen anything around the city in terms of promo. Infact there was a huge event downtown for the league final the club set up but next to no one turned up. I only heard about it after it happened. 

In both cases it is about two things, visibilty and creating match day experiences that are obviously enjoyable but also both familiar and different enough to keep neutrals coming. Where soccer can hopefully be different is in the fan culture that can help spread the word. The SKSSS pulled between 2-3k (with a no name team playing essentially teams the general public wouldn't know) but I would put the visibility in the Rattlers bracket. Nearly 2 year on I still speak to soccer fans that didnt know about the sksss. That simply can't happen if this club is to happen.

The potential is here but only if it is marketed correctly and investment is put into it being visible. IMO.

[Blackjack15]

 

[narduch]

Also this

 

[Ansem]

More on the Bundesliga-CPL clubs/partnership 

 

[gigi riva]

Some of these Bundesliga rumours Ive heard. I need people's thoughts

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, gigi riva said:

Some of these Bundesliga rumours Ive heard. I need people's thoughts

I've gone through this in my head from a Spain perspective. 

I personally believe that the best way for a major club or league to get involved with the CPL would be to avoid buying and running a club. 

We have seen with NY City, and I believe we will see with Atlético Ottawa when rivalries start to heat up, that the brand ends up being a rival, and often you want that rival to fail. You may even come to dislike it, when at first you were indifferent. Or, you are a fan already of a rival team (United fans in the US) and are not going to support that one owned by City. Then, you have a problem with a possible shirt deal in your home league, and then the new league having a deal with another company.

As I see it, the best option for CPL from a major European club or league is to put in a few million a year and sponsor the league. The Bundesliga CPL, the FCBarcelona CPL. That means you are appreciated across the board and your brand is present in every match, positively but neutrally.

The other sponsorship or support deal waiting to be made is with youth academies. This is where I feel a major club like Barça or Bayern or United could come in: you put up a relatively low quantity and set up the academy structure, providing a model, resources, training local coaches, and then putting your name on that. The Bayern Munich CPL Academies. That is also a way to support the league from a highly positive and neutral position. Leave aside how you work possible first option on young players, as that is less clear. You would still be forever appreciated by fans across the country.