Ottawa CPL Club

[narduch]

2 minutes ago, Ansem said:

If true...f them and good riddance

I thought Fresno was trying to relocate too. And that isn't going too well either.

Apparently USL charges a $1 million fee to relocate.

Maybe they can sell the franchise to a US city/investor? Its awful late now though.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Just now, narduch said:

...Maybe they can sell the franchise to a US city/investor? Its awful late now though.

By the sounds of things it would be for 2021.

[narduch]

Just now, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

By the sounds of things it would be for 2021.

Makes sense.

[BuzzAndSting]

21 minutes ago, BuzzAndSting said:

What about this... In a heel turn, Pugh and OSEG receive sanctioning from CONCACAF sometime next year and go back to the USL for 2021!!

 

Even worse!!

[Cheeta]

So USL is done in Canada?  Outstanding.

Pity for the footie fans in Ottawa.  

Couldn't care less what OSEG does with their USL franchise and very much doubt any of their previous supporters do either.  They won't be playing in Canada.

[dyslexic nam]

Despite a whole lot of past speculation, it appears that the clear signals we saw from CONCACAF were intended just as most of us interpreted them:

- last year’s ultimate decision to sanction was more clearly given for one year only

- they clearly do take into account the strength of the league when gauging the rationale for exceptional circumstances (which continue to apply for MLS clubs but are no longer applicable for Fury)

- the decision to go back on their initial refusal last year likely stemmed from the issue of short notice, and not from the lack of justification on the bigger issue of sanctioning/exceptional circumstances.  

I mention this because it is so frustrating that OSEG ignored what most of us could see so clearly.  No one wanted to see pro soccer leave Ottawa.  

[Stouffvillain]

6 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

This was back in an era when the expansion fee was only $10 million for TFC and the league had been willing to take a market as small as Salt Lake City a few years earlier. They always talk about competing bids but how many expansion fees have MLS ever turned down if all the pieces are in place?

You're smart enough to know that TFC changed things in MLS when it came to expansion.  What was acceptable previously was not going to be acceptable anymore.  Fees skyrocketed after TFC, Seattle paid triple that, Portland quadruple.  Ottawa was never going to get in. 

[Ansem]

How can he say that the Fury didn't know/understand the sanctioning procedure when they sit on the CSA board?

Ridiculous

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Just now, Stouffvillain said:

...Ottawa was never going to get in. 

I agree things changed after TFC and Beckham but it still took many more years to get to where things are now where the league can charge well into nine figures and one things for sure we'll never know for certain what might have been because of OSEG winning the support of the city council. That tempers the amount of sympathy I feel for John Pugh to a certain extent given he was on board with OSEG. Definitely not good to see a CMNT legend like JDG in that sort of emotional state at a press conference and I feel very sorry for all the other people who have lost their jobs.

As an aside it was interesting to hear John Pugh saying that CanPL is following the MLS business model or words to that effect.

[baulderdash77]

7 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

- the decision to go back on their initial refusal last year likely stemmed from the issue of short notice, and not from the lack of justification on the bigger issue of sanctioning/exceptional circumstances.  

A long notice period can diffuse a whole lot of legal liability.  After sufficient notice is given CONCACAF pretty much was off the hook.

The Fury not taking that notice seriously and arranging alternative plans was a very poor strategic move on their part.  This is the key point more than anything. 
 

It’s far easier to strongarm a company when you have a valid legal threat.  Without the threat and no leverage you can’t strongarm a company.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

If they went to the CAS and queried why MLS qualifies as an exceptional circumstance while they are not interesting things could have happened. It's not actually clear there was an initial refusal last year and it seemed to be a lack of an answer on when they were going to be sanctioned this year rather than any definitive word that they wouldn't be that led them to throw in the towel three days after OSEG suffered a major setback in terms of their future financial plans. Victor Montagliani was able to wear them down.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Zem]

Hahaha yeeep, pretty much the spin everyone was expecting.

Perhaps if they had someone who knew literally anything about soccer running the organization instead of an accountant, a lot of OSEG's problems could have been avoided.

[Kent]

Poor OSEG feels betrayed, and all they did was betray the CPL and a large contingent of the Fury fanbase that wanted the team to go to CPL.

[Big_M]

lol parrot scrambling all over replying to everything to keep his narrative going

[Cheeta]

Weren't run out of town.   Bloody well RAN out of town on your own two feet.

Bydie-bye.

Edited November 8, 2019 by Cheeta

[Kent]

From the Sun article. "CONCACAF wants to make a legacy of a true Canadian league. They are oblivious to all the past failures."

Yes, I am sure CONCACAF just assumes Canada has never, ever, tried to make a pro league in Canada before. Victor Montagliani has likely never heard of the CSL.

Lots of angering things in that Sun article.

[Stouffvillain]

Here are a few bullet notes from the press conference. 

CPL

Ottawa felt they should have the right to the terms of joining CPL. 😂

What would've been lost if they had joined CPL?  They want to join the CPL when they want to join.  Claim they received a ransom note to join.

Sanctioning

They admit they knew they were going to have to deal with sanctioning again.  MLS clubs advocated on their behalf on this issue.  USL gave Ottawa extension for sanctioning from June to November 1. 

Fury claim CSA never told them they don't want them playing in the USL.

Fury didn't want to deal with yearly sanctioning.  Fury say they should be owed the courtesy to play in the league they want.  

Fury has never had a conversation with CONCACAF in their existence. CONCACAF has put in processes with regards to FIFA Statute 73 to make things more clear.  CONCACAF require yearly sanctioning, FIFA does not.  

Fury were never told they would not receive sanctioning for next season.

Finger pointing to CONCACAF, feel as they are being singled out as women's teams and MLS clubs are not forced to change leagues.

Future

Fury is non-committal on what is beyond 2020.

General

This was the best year financially for the Fury (but didn't make money).

 

[Bison44]

Goudie saved the best for last on the live stream...they needed more respect from CPL??  something about a ransom???  Oh boy!!  Julian and Pugh did ok, that Goudie is an idiot.  

[dyslexic nam]

Some of the language seems to dispel the idea that this was purely a detached business decision.  There sure seems to be some lingering resentment- which suggests the personal issues could have been present throughout. 

[Kent]

Remember how a year ago they were saying they would have to cut their player salaries too much if they joined the CPL? And now we are getting sob stories about how they are losing too much money.

I feel bad for the fans, but I don't feel bad for these jokers that ran the team that can't make sense out of their own actions.

[SoccMan]

Never rejoice people when a pro soccer team folds even when it’s this controversial Fury team. It just gives ammunition to all the soccer haters to say there I told you so with their believe that pro soccer can’t really make it here in Canada and it will eventually all come crumbling down MLS and CPL included. Yes the Fury should have been in the CPL this year no reason why they should have held out. But I would rather there be a pro soccer team in Ottawa than nothing at all. Ottawa is folding because they are loosing a shit load of money never mind sanctioning and all that other crap. If they are not losing a ton of money they would be back even in the CPL in 2020. Moreover, where are all these new owners in Ottawa breaking down the doors to get into the CPL? This is a bad bad look for soccer in Canada expecially now with the World Cup coming and Canada’s men’s team starting to make some noise . 

[JamboAl]

46 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

It's not at all clear why the CSA signed off on that when CanPL was very much in the works.

Simple answer is that the CPL was not around when the call had to be made to leave NASL.  I was (and still am) very supportive of the decision to leave the NASL.  There was no alternative at the time other than doing an FC Edmonton and that was not at all appetizing to the locals.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

4 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

Weren't run out of town.   Bloody well RAN out of town on you own two feet....

...shortly after OSEG lost out on a source of extra income at Landsdowne Park and with talk of trying to cash in on their USL franchise rights elsewhere in 2021. Hopefully this whole sorry episode hasn't poisoned the well for pro soccer in Ottawa for many years to come

[dyslexic nam]

They also barely scraped by the last place HFX over two legs 5-4.  If their budget was so much higher as some claim, it seems like they weren’t investing it that well.    

[BrennanFan]

My notes from the Press Conference:

Goudie:  We saw ourselves being in cpl someday, we felt it should be on our terms, right to choose, our decision, when we signed franchise agreement, included out clause, so we envisioned it was a possibility, probability down road.

CSA was aware of clause, terms of clause, we needed to provide 1 year clean notice, so that means for 2020 we had to give notice before CPL was in existence, conversations were wait and see, if we felt it was in best interest of soccer in Ottawa, we would make that leap, but we haven't been given opportunity to get there.

We had help early on from MLSE, TFC, Bob Lenarduzzi, Whitecaps advocating on our behalf, they understand Fury's role in pyramid, that's why we got sanctioning so early.  Back in may, able to get to CSA board of directors, with influence of USL we thought we'd figure it out for 2020, deadline of June pushed to Nov 1 by USL, I thought we were in ok shape for 2020, earlier this week became apparent sanctioning was not gonna come.  If they didn't want us to play in USL, just say that instead of dragging their feet.

Thoughts on 2021?  Not really, take a step back and figure out, what the Fury's future is, I don't know. One thing i do know is JDG is going to continue to play a role in evolution of soccer in Canada.

Our efforts were to logically talk about our role , to ask people to be fair, asking for ability to play in league we wanted to play in, we were owed that as a courtesy based on our investment.  We needed multi year sanctioning, our request back in spring with CSA was multi year sanctioning, CSA said they didn't know how to do that, best was to give 1 year, they were sincere about understanding predicament it put us in, that doesn't mean we couldn't move to CPL down road

This year will financially be the best year in soccer.  Team did not make money this year.

We've never had a conversation with Concacaf, role of CSA is to be advocate, correspondence goes thru CSA, they deal with US Soccer and Concacaf, never had opportunity to get ultimatum from Concacaf, last year CSA was insistent it was their process to run, a couple weeks ago CSA told us we were on our own, told to enlist help of USL, that was indication of things to come.  In terms of formal threats, never received that.

Motives?

Pugh: Their motivation is to govern soccer for all of Concacaf, I give them a lot of credit for some things they've done in recent years to improve matters, Nations League. It is difficult with respect to our own situation, Concacaf put processes in place this year, this boils down to FIFA statute 73, playing in outside country, Cardiff City, you need authorization, sanctioning, to play outside, that's where Concacaf has put in additional processes to guide and make process transparent, there was contact in March to do just that.  No mention of annual sanctioning in FIFA, but there is in Concacaf, mentions of comparable leagues, have to deal with that, they gave some rigour to it.

Goudie: I think there was ulterior motives, beliefs all countries should play in their own domestic leagues, question about MLS teams.  We are not a sovereign soccer nation, we are not, we are being governed out of Concacaf.

What would have been lost if Fury joined CPL?

Goudie: Goes back to last year, position we were put in by governing bodies, going to tread lightly here, don't want to be injurious to CPL, respect their investment, I think CPL was part of dialogue early on with CSA and Concacaf, about not having another Div 2 playing, our ask was reasonable given our investment, to give us ability to decide. So on behalf of our owners, desire to join somebody that has issued you a ransom note is not high, we would have to get to a place where more trust and respect was earned and gained, before we made that leap.