2021 Canadian Premier League Attendance

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

12 hours ago, SoccMan said:

Well let’s hope these owners stick with it this time and give the league a chance to grow and not throw in the towel like in years past with pro soccer teams and leagues in Canada.

Two of the three Canadian MLS franchises can trace their origins back to the 1987-92 CSL, so the end of CanPL as currently configured wouldn't necessarily have to be the end of the clubs that are doing relatively well.

The league is where they could reasonably expect to be at this point on attendance but the concern would be that some of the ownership groups thought Paul Beirne was a marketing genuis who would replicate what happened with TFC for them. He was basically just in the right place at the right time to pick up where the NASL era Blizzard had left off in a North American league that was signing Beckham this time around rather than the likes of Pele, Cruyff, Best or Bettega.

It should have been no huge shock that a York branded team like York 9 would struggle to attract a crowd only marginally less badly than the North York Rockets did in a relatively low budget domestic Canadian league but they seemed to be serious about building the 12,000 seat SSS out in the boonies.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Aird25]

4 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Two of the three Canadian MLS franchises can trace their origins back to the 1987-92 CSL, so the end of CanPL as currently configured wouldn't necessarily have to be the end of the clubs that are doing relatively well.

The league is where they could reasonably expect to be at this point on attendance but the concern would be that some of the ownership groups thought Paul Beirne was a marketing genuis who would replicate what happened with TFC for them. He was basically just in the right place at the right time to pick up where the NASL era Blizzard had left off in a North American league that was signing Beckham this time around rather than the likes of Pele, Cruyff, Best or Bettega.

It should have been no huge shock that a York branded team like York 9 would struggle to attract a crowd only marginally less badly than the North York Rockets did in a relatively low budget domestic Canadian league but they seemed to be serious about building the 12,000 seat SSS out in the boonies.

Does TFC make money?

[youllneverwalkalone]

Unlikely.  Footballers are the only one who make money in Football. Fans put it in, and owners swirl it around.

[ted]

On 9/9/2021 at 9:35 PM, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Pacific vs Cavalry announced as 2350:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/bjjw4au1rwq1m2lx8u20otkpg/highlights

Interesting to see how they have reconfigured the bleachers at one end to fence in the SG and expand the beer garden standing area. Sensible adjustments to reflect preferences of the regular spectators.

Actually they have had to move the beer garden, the VIP area, and the food trucks because BC Hydro changed the rules. There are no longer any spectators on that side at all is what we where told.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

 

[narduch]

I can't wait to see Ozzie's attendance analysis of tonight's TFC match, which I am expecting to be awful.

Oh wait, it will make MLS look bad so he won't mention it.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Pathetic the way a few posters continually project their own MLS vs CanPL obsessions like this. As stated ad nauseam I would like to see both leagues succeed and to work together closely to secure that outcome for the greater good of Canadian soccer. The appropriate subforum for discussing MLS attendance is here:

https://www.canadiansoccernews.com/forums/forum/22-major-league-soccer/

and nothing is preventing anyone from starting such a thread.

[longlugan]

42 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Pathetic the way a few posters continually project their own MLS vs CanPL obsessions like this. As stated ad nauseam I would like to see both leagues succeed and to work together closely to secure that outcome for the greater good of Canadian soccer. The appropriate subforum for discussing MLS attendance is here:

https://www.canadiansoccernews.com/forums/forum/22-major-league-soccer/

and nothing is preventing anyone from starting such a thread.

Pathetic the way the most pathetic guy on here is calling others pathetic.

[Aird25]

On 9/12/2021 at 12:47 AM, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Having said that something that dawned on me yesterday is a scenario where the CMNT qualifies for Qatar but the owners see no significant attendance bump or major financial windfall through CSB and start to question what 2026 would actually do for them given MLS stadia in Toronto and Vancouver and MLS and overseas players would probably primarily be involved with little tangible CanPL involvement. Hopefully they would see a significant attendance bump and financial windfall obviously but either way that Qatar qualification scenario would potentially shift forward the timeline on which even patient investors start to make some strategic decisions.

Oliver Gage recently said that the league has a goal for 50% of the CMNT squad for the 2026 World Cup roster to have some CPL experience. That seems ambitious to me, but the league doesn't seem to share your concern or timelines

[red card]

What's the difference in ticket prices? 

Edited September 14, 2021 by red card

[SpursFlu]

Guys this is a ridiculous comparison. Students are back on campus. The entire area all around the UVic campus is filled with student housing etc. Its like a homecoming thing and the stadium is stumbling distance between beer pong and keg stands. Let's get real 

I feel like the whole world nowadays just stares at a coloring book and never thinks to pick up a pack of colored pens to fill it in

Edited September 14, 2021 by SpursFlu

[ted]

45 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Guys this is a ridiculous comparison. Students are back on campus. The entire area all around the UVic campus is filled with student housing etc. Its like a homecoming thing and the stadium is stumbling distance between beer pong and keg stands. Let's get real 

And the games are free for students and none of them go to the next game(s). I have been to Vikes games and they get friends and family and nothing more. 

[Watchmen]

5 hours ago, Aird25 said:

Oliver Gage recently said that the league has a goal for 50% of the CMNT squad for the 2026 World Cup roster to have some CPL experience. That seems ambitious to me, but the league doesn't seem to share your concern or timelines

Wow. I realize it's 4 years out, but given the current make up of the CMNT team and the players in the CPL, I'd say it's closer to "none have CPL experience" than 50%. Now, to be clear I do think a few players will make the CMNT having gotten some CPL experience. But 50% seems utterly ridiculous to me.

[grasshopper1917]

11 hours ago, narduch said:

I can't wait to see Ozzie's attendance analysis of tonight's TFC match, which I am expecting to be awful.

Oh wait, it will make MLS look bad so he won't mention it.

No need I counted - 214 people.   lol

No seriously I never seen a crowd that small there. Even for the Argos.

[DrFitzpatrick]

Edmonton - Pacific Game looks almost empty on tv

[Aird25]

4 hours ago, Watchmen said:

Wow. I realize it's 4 years out, but given the current make up of the CMNT team and the players in the CPL, I'd say it's closer to "none have CPL experience" than 50%. Now, to be clear I do think a few players will make the CMNT having gotten some CPL experience. But 50% seems utterly ridiculous to me.

Agreed. We could certainly see a few but the time frame is way to quick for that. Is there likely to even be 50% turnover in the squad by then? Good to have goals though 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

670 announced for Edmonton vs Pacific:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/bmo3jgl9gwkwttai08z8lzh1w/highlights

1021 announced for York vs Ottawa:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/bjxgz67bw4sebavg3x3p0obv8/highlights

Edited September 15, 2021 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Watchmen]

9 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

670 announced for Edmonton vs Pacific:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/bmo3jgl9gwkwttai08z8lzh1w/highlights

1021 announced for York vs Ottawa:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/bjxgz67bw4sebavg3x3p0obv8/highlights

Not great, but makes sense. Mid-week, kids back in school, teams have settled in to their positions in the table a bit (ie poor teams are poor), weather is changing. So, suspect we'll be seeing more games like this. That's fine, it is what it is this year.

[Aird25]

It drives me crazy that this is always the most active CPL thread. It seems there's more interest here in attendance than there is in the football itself

[ted]

11 minutes ago, Aird25 said:

It drives me crazy that this is always the most active CPL thread. It seems there's more interest here in attendance than there is in the football itself

Right?!? This is a topic that really should be addressed at the beginning, middle and the end of the season at most. Harping on it game-by-game is just being obsessive. 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

36 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

Not great, but makes sense. Mid-week, kids back in school, teams have settled in to their positions in the table a bit (ie poor teams are poor), weather is changing. So, suspect we'll be seeing more games like this. That's fine, it is what it is this year.

The Edmonton crowd actually looked a bit better than usual on the big blue side so have to wonder if fans have been shifted over from the main grandstand side to improve the optics. Having playoffs should help a bit on crowds by making more games meaningful compared to what happened in the 2019 fall season. Even Edmonton aren't completely out of it yet so losing the late goal mattered a lot more to the home team than it would have two years ago.

[shermanator]

1 hour ago, Aird25 said:

It drives me crazy that this is always the most active CPL thread. It seems there's more interest here in attendance than there is in the football itself

It's almost like many on this board don't give a crap about supporting a domestic professional league, and instead choose to rely on those of us in the local SGs to make it feasible.

[RJB]

I don't think attendance really gives much insight given that we remain in a pandemic. I think the goal should be to keep teams operational, and when it hopefully ends then start to judge the attendance numbers. Right now, they don't mean much. 

[Bison44]

Well a slumping TFC got about 30% of their usual gate, that ought to give us a little perspective when looking at CPL numbers.  

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

No number so far for the Forge vs Valour cup game:

https://canpl.ca/matchcentre/bw9rxjyoo4w2hl8ejjnio9s0k/highlights