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HFX Wanderers launch/2019 offseason thread


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25 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

You can't take political laziness, amateur values and lack of serious investment and turn it into a positive , that is just spin. It is BSing, as I see it. There is no fan base anywhere in the world that suffers because their stadium is built in concrete. Anything else is lame excuses that help the politicians justify not spending on things of public benefit.

Halifax deserves a permanent facility for soccer and other outdoor sports, where fans can be comfortable, where you can get concessions revenue, a structure with quality architecture that could even be an asset in terms of public image, a place where teams can feel they are being properly partnered by their communities. 

Either you aspire to a professional soccer league or you don't. Sitting fans on scaffolding with seats screwed into them is pathetic.

A few things on this line of discussion

1)  There is no appetite in Halifax at the current time for public funding of a stadium for an unproven team in a start up league. Even for a CFL stadium which is a 100 year old established Canadian institution there is considerable opposition to using public dollars both among the public and politicians. SEA presented what I feel was the best pitch that had a reasonable chance of gaining approval by the city. 

2) Really none of the CPL teams are going to have ideal places to play when the league starts. Hamilton and Winnipeg will be in massive grid iron CFL stadiums. York9 will be playing in a university track & field/football stadium which looks to have poor configuration for soccer. Calgary looks like they do have a shot at having a really cool ground to play and us in Halifax.... well we will have a pop up stadium - we get this and accept it. So we may have to use a portable potty to rid ourselves of beer or buy our hot dogs and popcorn from a food truck. It is still not going to stop us from cheering on our team, enjoying some sunshine and supporting professional soccer. 

Its not ideal for any of the clubs really but it is better then having no league at all. If the fans turn out and the league is viable - all the clubs will be able to upgrade and improve.

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While some of you wait for the soccer fairy to drop stadiums to your specifications, in the locations you deem the best as the only possible way that the league will work, I’ll live in the real world and work to support what each team can achieve and decides is best for them because I’m pretty sure they’ve done more research on the subject than any one here criticizing the choices made. 

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4 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

You can't take political laziness, amateur values and lack of serious investment and turn it into a positive , that is just spin. It is BSing, as I see it. 

But it's not BS. I've only been to BMO for soccer once, but it's a heck of a lot of fun  drumming on those while a conversion is kicked, a scrum is stolen,  or while on defence the noise drowns out the QB. 

I also don't think the 20k plus people at the TFC game I went had any less fun than me because it was metal stands under foot. I can't actually remember for sure what they were made of where we were sitting that time. 

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10 hours ago, Rheo said:

While some of you wait for the soccer fairy to drop stadiums to your specifications, in the locations you deem the best as the only possible way that the league will work, I’ll live in the real world and work to support what each team can achieve and decides is best for them because I’m pretty sure they’ve done more research on the subject than any one here criticizing the choices made. 

There is no question this is the state of things. Start the league, get the teams committed and playing and get people out to see them. Then try to step it up once you see it consolidated. 

The only problem is that the main risk is the same for all new businesses: undercapitalization and lack of key investment where it counts. That is the real world too Rheo, and quality stadiums are part of that. Some may argue the key investment is the team, the players, the travel costs. I guess I would agree. But that does not change the fact that we have very mediocre facilities in Canada for soccer, the level is terribly low and the public investment is miserly at best. Or then we go out and pay half a billion to upgrade BC Place, so the Lions and Caps can struggle to fill the bottom tier only.

For me it's a frustration, sorry to say, but I am not unrealistic. And no, I don't think that the provisional Empire Stadium where the Caps were at first, with those metallic stands, was a cool solution. Stomping your feet on a tin can is not supporter culture, it is high school level stuff. There is not a single supporter group in the world that suffers from standing on cement and having to chant and drum to make themselves heard. 

Edited by Unnamed Trialist
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In the early days of BMO the amateur level stands were actually a talking point because anytime tfc had possession moving up field people would stomp so hard that the stands would quite literally come loose. It contributed to the early stories of how crazy tfc fans were.. maybe the same could happen in Halifax.

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No offense meant @Unnamed Trialist, you're entitled to your opinion.  Just tired of the general negativity towards anything and everything that whatever random aspect of the league that individuals disagree with or don't like and going on about how it will be the downfall of the league.  Agree to disagree. 

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SEA has started a podcast for the team.  Can't find a direct link but it's on the right hand side of their website.  You can also sign up there for official news

https://www.seatlantic.ca/

First one is ten minutes with Derek Martin talking about the launch.  Only real bit of news is the order of membership numbers is the order you get to pick your season ticket.  Also said soccer announcements were coming soon (coach/GM) and would be events in the summer to keep the momentum going.

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Loyal Company of the River Valley #145 with James Covey http://loyalcompanyrv.libsyn.com/lcrv-episode-145  Couple of  things I don't remember hearing about HFX Wanderers

-Talked about the work the supporters group did to help with the stadium issue

-Don’t remember hearing this but said the membership goal for the club was 2000 by fall

-Expecting soccer friendlies for Halifax but not public yet, post World Cup

-Talked some stadium, last mockup he saw was 2500 seats on each side, supporters section at one end and open air bar at the other.  Doesn’t think full stadium set up this summer, part of the testing for next year.  Interesting bit was last he heard, VIP boxes would be at pitch level, in the supporters end, with seats built above it.  Their research indicated that the VIP wanted to be near the ruckus and the supporters.  Hosts mentioned the FC Edmonton had similar set up with VIP besides the supporters and Jay Ball said they only had 1 complaint in two years of games.

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The most important thing for me is the location of this stadium. Yeah it would be great if it wasn't a pop up and blah blah blah but as shamrock says it will be at halifax commons, close to downtown, giving a lot of people easy access. To risk coming off as a broken record about my displeasure with Calgary's stadium location: it would be like Halifax building a stadium at Wier field in upper sackville. Basically on the edge of the Halifax CMA.

As an aside, I was initally critical of the logo, but it is growing on me. I do agree with whoever said earlier it was a little busy looking, but I have almost come around to the point now where I would say it is decent.

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20 hours ago, ted said:

Representative of the difference between a community with MLS and those without?

It amazes how many people shill and give money to MLSE. This is an organization that was hated even before the Bell/Rogers take over. Now, with Bell and Rogers at the helm.....? :huh:

I face palm in disbelief.

On ‎5‎/‎29‎/‎2018 at 6:32 PM, grasshopper1917 said:

2)  Hamilton and Winnipeg will be in massive grid iron CFL stadiums.

I wouldn't consider Hamilton's a "massive grid iron" stadium.

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Not long at all, if it is temporary seating similar to what they put in for the Grey Cup most years. One side of the "stadium" has to be dismantled at the end of every season to satisfy some of the conditions that were tacked on by the city council and the initial deal for the whole thing is only  supposed to be three years, so it has to be easily dismantled.

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What they're putting up for this years events won't be the same as the soccer stadium configuration for the next 3 years after. The stadium configuration along Sackville Street is strictly VIP booths this year, whereas they're adding more stadium seating for the soccer configuration. I imagine it won't take long to put up what's needed for this year - I remember hearing 2-3 weeks max for set-up and only a few days for complete tear-down.

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8 hours ago, SuperCanuck said:

How long does it take to get this thing put together?  The rugby game's in three weeks.   

Derek Martin said 7-10 days I believe in one of his podcast hits recently.

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2 hours ago, Rheo said:

"The Wanderers are already set to hit 600 members on Monday, Martin said, just over a week since the team launched their brand which is much higher than they were hoping for."

Glad to see the momentum is still going strong!

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1 hour ago, FC_Hali said:

Heard a rumour at the launch that Bruce Grobbelaar is a leading candidate to coach the team. Currently living in Newfoundland. 

He doesn't live in Newfoundland anymore, he recently moved to California.

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