CPL General

[Watchmen]

7 minutes ago, Ansem said:

@Watchmen Doubt he's doing the league any charities here. IF he's putting his money on the line, he has enough internal data to give him confidence that this is viable long terme

I did not watch his interview. Did he discuss putting in his own money or is this a David Beckham style "I'll be the face of the team while putting up a fraction of the cost" set up?

[gator]

The few times I chatted with him he seemed quite genuine, he loved what we did in Hamilton with The Battalion and last month he expressed to me his relief just to get the league through the season with no fans in 2020, that is an amazing accomplishment for a league in its second year of existence! It really bothers me all the tweets that came out when it was announced he was stepping down, many rubbing their hands in glee thinking the league was about to fold, I am not sure how any true Canadian soccer fan could have so much contempt for this league! Anyway screw the haters, this is a positive announcement for many reasons that will be discussed in the coming days!

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

10 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

The guy is from Tim Hortons so he knows all about the benefits of owning a franchise rather than working in head office and dealing with the franchisees 

Careful, it's a league with an independent club model.

[ted]

22 minutes ago, Ansem said:

@Watchmen Doubt he's doing the league any charities here. IF he's putting his money on the line, he has enough internal data to give him confidence that this is viable long terme

SO. MUCH. THIS.

He did his time and got the project rolling as Commish and it's time for someone to lead the next phase. Moving to start up an expansion side clearly demonstrates his confidence in the future of the League and frankly if he had done anything else the usual suspects would have claimed he was bailing on a doomed project. 🤣

[Ansem]

22 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

I did not watch his interview. Did he discuss putting in his own money or is this a David Beckham style "I'll be the face of the team while putting up a fraction of the cost" set up?

 

Don't faint... Canadians are capable of starting a league and succeed

Edited January 10, 2022 by Ansem

[Watchmen]

5 minutes ago, Ansem said:

 

Don't faint... Canadians are capable of starting a league and succeed

So in other words, he didn't discuss it and you don't know. Got it.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

59 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

I'm sort of thinking the same, that it's early stages. That he it would be a conflict of interest for him to do both, and once he decided to start working on Windsor he had to step down. But once he had to step down, they also had to announce why he was stepping down and hence the expansion announcement. 

Not sure what to make of this. Think the extent to which he is replaced in league office terms and whether any kind of concrete plan emerges soon in a similar manner to Saskatoon for a suitable stadium in Windsor will say more than anything that's in the press release and we'll have to wait and see what unfolds on that. Beyond that this song immediately comes to mind where his contribution to the league is concerned:

 

[m-g-williams]

42 minutes ago, Ansem said:

@Watchmen Doubt he's doing the league any charities here. IF he's putting his money on the line, he has enough internal data to give him confidence that this is viable long terme

That's my thinking on this as well. He'd probably know better than anyone what the financial situation looks like for the league/clubs, how sustainable this venture is going to be in the longterm, how confident a new owner can be in obtaining a return on a not-small-at-all investment for a club. If he's leaving the head office so he can actually do the one thing that's even more of a commitment to the CPL, then I'm feeling pretty good about where things go from here. 

Also . . . for God's sake, I want to see clubs in Quebec City and Moncton already. 

[Kent]

11 minutes ago, Ansem said:

 

Don't faint... Canadians are capable of starting a league and succeed

It's a legitimate question. Do you also assume Alex Bunbury is putting up his own money for a team in Montreal? Or Paul Bierne in Toronto? Both those potential teams were talked about a while back and have been quiet for over a year (2 years?) now. Maybe Clanachan is the money behind a Windsor team and maybe there is a team there in 2 or 3 years, or maybe he isn't the money behind it and he is still looking for that, and while looking into that doesn't feel he should be the league commissioner. Only time will tell if/when he is successful in getting a team to Windsor. I'm hopeful he can pull it off!

As for his role as commissioner, I thought he's done very well. Things aren't perfect, but I am very happy with how things have gone so far.

[CanadaFan123]

I see a lot of the PFA backers excited at this announcement, which is puzzling. Clanachan is now going to be a vote at the table, and we already know that the league (as it stands) was/is generally against player efforts to unionize. 

From a PFA perspective this can't be seen as good news. 

[K Edgar]

10 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

I see a lot of the PFA backers excited at this announcement, which is puzzling. Clanachan is now going to be a vote at the table, and we already know that the league (as it stands) was/is generally against player efforts to unionize. 

From a PFA perspective this can't be seen as good news. 

But, it represents jobs for about 23 more players.

[MM3/MM2/MM]

27 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Not sure what to make of this. Think the extent to which he is replaced in league office terms and whether any kind of concrete plan emerges soon in a similar manner to Saskatoon for a suitable stadium in Windsor will say more than anything that's in the press release and we'll have to wait and see what unfolds on that. Beyond that this song immediately comes to mind where his contribution to the league is concerned:

 

A great song for York United supporters to sing as the teams enter the field.

[gator]

37 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Not sure what to make of this. Think the extent to which he is replaced in league office terms and whether any kind of concrete plan emerges soon in a similar manner to Saskatoon for a suitable stadium in Windsor will say more than anything that's in the press release and we'll have to wait and see what unfolds on that. Beyond that this song immediately comes to mind where his contribution to the league is concerned:

 

I saw the Strawbs tour for that album, they opened for King Crimson at the old Hamilton Forum, it was quite a change in musical direction when I saw them the next time for the Heroes and Heriones album which they headlined at Hamilton Place! 

[SpursFlu]

20 minutes ago, K Edgar said:

But, it represents jobs for about 23 more players.

And about 30% you could argue would be playing in a men's league for free cleats and a track suite 

The biggest challenge right now to players making more money in the CPL is not a union but covid restrictions blocking revenue streams 

[nfitz]

6 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

The biggest challenge right now to players making more money in the CPL is not a union but covid restrictions blocking revenue streams 

What percentage of the team revenue comes from the gate, compared to TV revenue?

In the long-term though, the latter will take care of itself. Heck, I'd be surprised if there are many capacity restrictions outdoors by the time the season starts in about 3.5 months - though might take a year or so before everyone's comfortable again being in crowds.

[m-g-williams]

Another interview with Andi Petrillo on OS: 

 

[ted]

1 hour ago, CanadaFan123 said:

From a PFA perspective this can't be seen as good news. 

Um... no. Exactly the opposite in fact. Having negative feelings towards unions in general in one person on one of the teams ownership groups is far better than having the League Commissioner who will be leading the negotiations. I would think the PFACan leadership sees this as a positive step.

[CanadaFan123]

1 hour ago, ted said:

Um... no. Exactly the opposite in fact. Having negative feelings towards unions in general in one person on one of the teams ownership groups is far better than having the League Commissioner who will be leading the negotiations. I would think the PFACan leadership sees this as a positive step.

The League Commissioner is employed by and represents the owners. They are just the talking head for the owners. Now he has joined those same owners.

Even if we pretend he was acting on his own accord in being anti-PFA do you really think he would step into an owner's shoes if the water wasn't to his liking?

If you're thinking that some pro-PFA figurehead is going to step in his place and go rogue in favour of PFA I think you'll be very disappointed. Having said that, I do think PFA is inevitable just maybe not on the timeline and terms some want. 

 

Edited January 10, 2022 by CanadaFan123

[Ansem]

2 hours ago, Watchmen said:

So in other words, he didn't discuss it and you don't know. Got it.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article/clanachan-step-cpl-commissioner-looks-bring-expansion-team-windsor/

• The league announced Monday that Clanachan has been been awarded exclusive rights for a CPL expansion club in his hometown, contingent on delivering a soccer-specific stadium and ``other expansion criteria to league standards.''

Now people will be arguing that you get those for free...🙄

[Ansem]

2 hours ago, Kent said:

It's a legitimate question. Do you also assume Alex Bunbury is putting up his own money for a team in Montreal?

He never got exclusive rights - I`m not shocked he never made it to that point

2 hours ago, Kent said:

Maybe Clanachan is the money behind a Windsor team and maybe there is a team there in 2 or 3 years, or maybe he isn't the money behind it and he is still looking for that, and while looking into that doesn't feel he should be the league commissioner. Only time will tell if/when he is successful in getting a team to Windsor. I'm hopeful he can pull it off!

I think he's part of a group, I don't think he THE money of that group but due to his involvement in the league - that makes him a very valuable asset & partner to navigate this project on the business side of things.

[Watchmen]

18 minutes ago, Ansem said:

I think he's part of a group, I don't think he THE money of that group 

So, you're agreeing with me - You also think it's a David Beckham-style ownership where he's mostly the face of the team while not being the money man behind it. 

20 minutes ago, Ansem said:

that makes him a very valuable asset & partner to navigate this project on the business side of things.

Absolutely, 100% agree.  But that means that he's maybe bringing something a bit more intangible to the ownership and doesn't necessarily mean he's investing that much money.

[Ansem]

12 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

So, you're agreeing with me - You also think it's a David Beckham-style ownership where he's mostly the face of the team while not being the money man behind it. 

Why trying so hard to put your words in my mouth? We don't know how the ownership is structured but he's still putting some of his money down. That's all I was saying, why trying to "downplay that" for whatever reasons?

So what he's not fronting 60% of the funds? He's still risking some of his own money in this + plus his reputation/name in the business circles.

My point is :he has in-depth knowledge of the state of the league, he's willing to put money down + put his name/reputation for this = a good sign. You don't risk your money, even less you name/reputation in something you know has low probability of succeeding long term

 

12 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

Absolutely, 100% agree.  But that means that he's maybe bringing something a bit more intangible to the ownership and doesn't necessarily mean he's investing that much money.

You don't know that - yet you insist with the bold part.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Ansem

[ted]

1 hour ago, CanadaFan123 said:

The League Commissioner is employed by and represents the owners. They are just the talking head for the owners. Now he has joined those same owners.

Yes, he is one of many, and his influence is actually less as an individual. 

As for some pro-union new Commissioner, WTF are you on about?!? Of course it could be worse and perhaps the devil you know and all that, but I cannot see how the PFACan sees this as anything other than a hopefully positive step right now. 

[Watchmen]

39 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Why trying so hard to put your words in my mouth? We don't know how the ownership is structured but he's still putting some of his money down. That's all I was saying, why trying to "downplay that" for whatever reasons?

So what he's not fronting 60% of the funds? He's still risking some of his own money in this + plus his reputation/name in the business circles.

My point is :he has in-depth knowledge of the state of the league, he's willing to put money down + put his name/reputation for this = a good sign. You don't risk your money, even less you name/reputation in something you know has low probability of succeeding long term

 

You don't know that - yet you insist with the bold part.

I think we both think the gamble he's taking here is not that substantial, just for different reasons.

You have no idea how much he's invested either, but you're willing to admit he's not likely to be the money man in a group purchase. Friend and Simpson are owners in Pacific/Vancouver, but they're not the money men either. There's nothing wrong with that. And I don't think his name/reputation will be harmed if it fails. He took a gamble in a business, and sometimes those don't pane out.

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 hours ago, Watchmen said:

I did not watch his interview. Did he discuss putting in his own money or is this a David Beckham style "I'll be the face of the team while putting up a fraction of the cost" set up?

You of all people saying you didn't watch it?