Saskatoon CanPL

[toontownman]

Nah it's not going to be CPL related. It's still definitely the goal though. Things seems to be rolling in the right place.

The 25th should be a good evening. Tough to unite the province on a weekday though. Dont see many people travelling like last game. Hopefully a bigger crowd than last time but will be tempered by the night.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Good to see the different factions within Canadian pro soccer working together.

 

Edited July 16, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Ivan]

The Macron sponsorship banner is interesting from a CPL perspective.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

https://northerntribune.ca/sk-summer-soccer-series-toronto-fc-2/

I think the biggest thing is that we’ve got two MLS clubs coming in, which is fantastic and we appreciate that. Ownership has done a great job in reaching out to the CPL teams and trying to get that match in a very short period of time. The biggest challenge for all ownership groups is fitting within existing schedules. The CPL franchises have been very open to the idea of helping us build what we want of build, toward a CPL group, but fitting into their busy existing schedule… and then you add on the Canadian Championship, it just wasn’t a doable piece, but they’re very excited and very open to be part of that next-step process. We hope and anticipate that next year we’ll be able to get to that CPL match in Saskatoon.

Bryce Chapman

...but the announcement had nothing to do with CanPL according to certain posters both here and elsewhere.

Edited July 17, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

Edited July 24, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[toontownman]

Looks like a very strong U23 side Vancouver have brought. Norman Jnr and Baldisimo back from injury. Hometown Hasal likely starting and Colyn there too. Looking forward to it. Hoping the weather sorts itself out though 😪

Edited July 25, 2019 by toontownman

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Not looking too good on the crowd, unfortunately.

https://thestarphoenix.com/sports/soccer/sk-summer-soccer-series-vancouver-whitecaps-fc-prevails-over-sk-selects-in-penalty-kicks

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Reign]

Why play a game on a Thursday ? Weird. 

[Ansem]

1 minute ago, Reign said:

Why play a game on a Thursday ? Weird. 

Part of the testing as they too, would play midweek

[Reign]

5 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Part of the testing as they too, would play midweek

I guess, but I don’t see many people interested in a pointless game mid week. League games at least hold value. 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Can't fault what Joe Belan is doing to test the market given past history on this sort of thing. The old joke that the way to make a small fortune is to start off with a large fortune and invest in pro soccer very much comes to mind and I get the impression that he isn't quite in the same wealth league as the lead investors behind the seven launching teams. Hopefully the TFC II game goes better, because this appears to have been a bit of a setback, unfortunately.

[Bison44]

No attendance numbers??  Thats a first.  Well, as my grampa told me, you'll learn more from hard times than from good.  Belan should have seen how midweek/thursday games go for the CPL, thats something they didnt need to replicate to figure out.  I know in interviews they tried to play up the "professional" angle, that they were taking on the whitecaps (with some first teamers) and we should be interested.  But maybe taking on the Foothills, or more importantly Calgary, got people more motivated.interested.  A more natural regional rival etc.  Either way, they had one well attended game, one not so much, welcome to sports eh??  

After listening to Clanachan a couple days ago does Saskatoon really meet the criteria he said they are looking for??  

Stadium: Belan has said that they will probably look at putting something at Prairieland park complex, SMF not being an serious option for a CPL team.  Maybe building onto the exibition grandstand, or maybe even going downtown somewhere.  It seems like a Prairieland is a good spot, easy to get too, lots of other stuff going on there. Something like Halifax modular system (6-8000 fans would be around 20 million?? ) 

Market: Belan is doing his best to drum up excitement, test out and prove there is a market for a team.  Seems like its going pretty well so far. And just like we all want a team in Quebec, I think the league needs a team in SK, like we needed a east coast team...go halifax!! 

Ownership: Who exactly would be in the group?? Who has the deep pockets for any fee for league entry??

Its too late for 2020, unless there is a lot going on behind the scenes we havnt heard about, but I sure hope they get all the boxes checked and this happens soon.  

[toontownman]

2 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Can't fault what Joe Belan is doing to test the market given past history on this sort of thing. The old joke that the way to make a small fortune is to start off with a large fortune and invest in pro soccer very much comes to mind and I get the impression that he isn't quite in the same wealth league as the lead investors behind the seven launching teams. Hopefully the TFC II game goes better, because this appears to have been a bit of a setback, unfortunately.

I don't think it was in anyway a setback, quite the opposite to be honest. 

I expect the Thursday night game was more about scheduling to get the Whitecaps to Saskatoon than purposely going midweek. Not that it couldn't have been a midweek market tester but I don't think it was. Unfortunately it was two days of thunderstorms previous and it rained all day yesterday with forecasts of thunderstorms and showers in the evening. In the end it stayed dry for the evening but definitely hit the walk in crowd. If the weather had been nice I think it would have easily eclipsed the previous attendance. The August 11th game will be a better indication (fingers crossed for the weather). If we are sat here

What it does show is that there is more than likely a good 2k that would be a basis for season tickets. They didn't announce the attendance but it looked in the 2700 range. Hard to tell as the far stand was much fuller than the last game but that took away from the main stand. 

The minute a CPL team was to get announced I would expect people to come running out of the woodwork, soccer fans that haven't invested in the SKSSS too. I don't think it's exclusive to Saskatchewan but not everyone wants to get in on the ground floor and help people want the finished product now or they aren't interested. 

Back to it maybe being a bit of setback, again it depends on the goals. It's not just about the crowd. Based on the Average CPL attendance the SKSSS is pretty much in the same region as the average attendance of 4 of the 7 teams, without it being a CPL game or even opponents quite on that level.

It's about the game day operations, the playing squad and young player pool they are cultivating. The potential club infrastructure and staff being tested or found, the match day experience and how the crowd respond. 

Whether it was the Whitecaps not being into it or otherwise the SK Selects were a different team to the first game, better organized and completely dominated the game. The should have won by 2 or 3 but couldn't finish. Considering the level of talent the Whitecaps brought they were disappointing at best and maybe thats being harsh of the Selects who also played well. 

Hard to tell what the internal opinion would be to the infrastructure but in my opinion the game day experience seemed more organized than the first, they added live music with a local group playing before, half time show and singing the anthem. Kaylyn Kyle was there doing a signing session and pictures. Good to see her on board, representing and giving back. She got worked hard! The crowd were more into doing some chanting than the first game but its hard to co-ordinate that without crowd herding and a culture pre-existing.

The press/tv and local coverage was bigger for this game so again its a step forward and the Mayor was into the game, did the coin toss, came into the supporters section and seemed to have a good time. 

It is definitely hard building a culture, which is what is happening in this province, certainly linking the youth and amateur playing into a potential pathway but not least getting the clubs, players and fans in the province to come together and get involved. Like everything else it takes time and commitment to the project. From the outside that is what it looks like the ownership are doing so as a fan I am happy. 

Bring on the 11th. 

 

[Kent]

6 hours ago, Reign said:

I guess, but I don’t see many people interested in a pointless game mid week. League games at least hold value. 

These test games hold more value than any league game, because without success in these games there might not ever be any league games. Showing your commitment to the potential investors is the value.

Do you think the handful of USL teams that are knocking it out of the park attendance-wise would be doing so if they knew they would never, ever, end up in MLS? I'm sure there are a lot of fans going to those games to try to coax MLS and the team's investors into letting them in the league. This is the same thing except it's friendlies rather than a lower tier league.

[CanSuffer]

3 hours ago, Bison44 said:

 Belan should have seen how midweek/thursday games go for the CPL, thats something they didnt need to replicate to figure out. 

Belan is smart. I like what he is doing. A thorough test of the market. He's gathering lots of info. For sure he's looking at the CPL attendance figures in different situations from around the league. Probably is in conversation with the other CPL owners too. But you can't beat real experiments in your own area. It will give him a lot to compare and contrast with and will build good relationships with the key people he will need. It makes so much sense. He seems like a very practical no-nonsense kind of guy. If he is convinced and decides to pull the trigger on a CPL team he will be a great owner to have in the stable.

[Bison44]

57 minutes ago, CanSuffer said:

Belan is smart. I like what he is doing. A thorough test of the market. He's gathering lots of info. For sure he's looking at the CPL attendance figures in different situations from around the league. Probably is in conversation with the other CPL owners too. But you can't beat real experiments in your own area. It will give him a lot to compare and contrast with and will build good relationships with the key people he will need. It makes so much sense. He seems like a very practical no-nonsense kind of guy. If he is convinced and decides to pull the trigger on a CPL team he will be a great owner to have in the stable.

Is there any word on who the others are in the ownership group??  

[toontownman]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

Is there any word on who the others are in the ownership group??  

https://northerntribune.ca/saskatchewan-cpl-bid-ownership-group/

Page 3. No boobies. 

[Macksam]

Why is everyone bundled up like that in July?😦

[toontownman]

31 minutes ago, Macksam said:

Why is everyone bundled up like that in July?😦

Fake news, no game took place, its all photoshopped. 

Was actually a reasonable wind and surprisingly cold, plus forecast of rain. (Forecast thunderstorms just before the match and we had hail the past two days). Was going to go in shorts but went in jeans that was the right decision #SaskSoft.

[Unnamed Trialist]

9 hours ago, toontownman said:

https://northerntribune.ca/saskatchewan-cpl-bid-ownership-group/

Page 3. No boobies. 

Thanks. Reading that, with a solid group that may be equivalent to a mid-level CPL endeavour, makes me think: if they jack up the fees for entering and these guys can't do the numbers, it would be shame. Apart from probably being a serious gesture of ill will. We have to set up favourable terms for projects such as this, so that the effort to get to a certain base investment in a year or two does not have to be wasted because a fledgling league got greedy and short-sighted.

[Macksam]

19 hours ago, CanSuffer said:

Belan is smart. I like what he is doing. A thorough test of the market. He's gathering lots of info. For sure he's looking at the CPL attendance figures in different situations from around the league. Probably is in conversation with the other CPL owners too. But you can't beat real experiments in your own area. It will give him a lot to compare and contrast with and will build good relationships with the key people he will need. It makes so much sense. He seems like a very practical no-nonsense kind of guy. If he is convinced and decides to pull the trigger on a CPL team he will be a great owner to have in the stable.

I would think the Cosmos vs Valencia game would have been more than enough evidence for someone to make a go of this....of course that was Regina.

Also, I could be wrong  but I have my doubts that a "House of Valencia" or any other significant fanbase of that club exists in said region. What it does tell me is that soccer savvy fanatics do live there since they know Valencia is a high quality club and they recognized the value in going out to see them play.

Edited July 27, 2019 by Macksam

[toontownman]

6 hours ago, Macksam said:

I would think the Cosmos vs Valencia game would have been more than enough evidence for someone to make a go of this....of course that was Regina.

Also, I could be wrong  but I have my doubts that a "House of Valencia" or any other significant fanbase of that club exists in said region. What it does tell me is that soccer savvy fanatics do live there since they know Valencia is a high quality club and they recognized the value in going out to see them play.

Exactly. People will come, there is a solid base of at least 2.5k without it being pro. The minute that's announced that number will increase, not least if CBC increase their game coverage in the future or tsn figure out they need some soccer back..cant expect them to do it to support a Canadian venture obviously. 

While the games are certainly still testing the market for fans It's surely more about the player pool, coaching staff, game day staff, game day experience, club infrastructure, building community partnerships, sponsorship and building a brand that can be sustainable.

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

On 7/26/2019 at 10:15 PM, Kent said:

These test games hold more value than any league game, because without success in these games there might not ever be any league games. Showing your commitment to the potential investors is the value...

They definitely see achieving a sellout of 5000 or so as an important benchmark: