Rocket Robin

York 9 FC is also squeezed from the other side with no home games at York Lions Stadium after Labour Day because of stadium renovations. (unless plans have changed).

I've been posting pics of my old CSL North York Rockets programs on my twitter account...maybe one every second day. You should be able to find them at @RocketRobin01 I'm doing 1991 when the programs were small (cost cutting) and working backwards. I didn't follow the team/league in 1987 (the first year of both).

My thoughts after receiving the L1O schedule for 2020. http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports20/20l1o010.htm I say there will still be problems with the playoffs finishing in September. They do however mostly avoid scheduling conflicts with CPL games.

They may have been waiting for the CPL to drop their schedule. CPL waited until MLS put their own out (well OK they were more likely waiting to finalize the team in Ottawa) and York 9 have chosen Friday nights to avoid Toronto FC dates. L1O now sees the CPL schedule and the GTA teams can avoid Friday nights that York 9 are in town (mostly effects North Mississauga) and the new Hamilton team can avoid playing same dates as Forge FC. Just guessing.

February 27, 2020 York 9 FC Fan Forum and Kit Reveal night. All the audio from the presentation and Q&A. MC Luke Wileman with Angus McNab, Jimmy Brennan and Paul Stalteri. Lots of pictures too! http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports20/20york020.htm Finally an answer to why York has no home games after Labour Day. Could be trouble if York makes the post season.

February 17, 2020 York 9 FC Fan Forum and Kit Reveal night. All the audio from the presentation and Q&A. MC Luke Wileman with Angus McNab, Jimmy Brennan and Paul Stalteri. Lots of pictures too! http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports20/20york020.htm Finally an answer to why York has no home games after Labour Day. Could be a problem is York makes the post season.

I counted up the L1O schedule from the 2019 season. Regular season (16 teams with a 15 game schedule which meant each team held either 7 or 8 home games). Friday night hosting of games: North Mississauga 7 times (including the night they won the Credit River Cup!) Windsor TFC, Durham, Darby 6 times FC London 4 times Aurora 1 time all other teams none (although they might have been the visiting team) ………………..………………………………………………………. Easy to say London and Windsor are out of the York 9 fan range anyway. Durham and Darby are in the Pickering/Whitby/Oshawa region (well east of Toronto so a tough drive to the 'west' side and arrive by 7pm). Looks like North Mississauga might have the toughest time...maybe 200 to 300 fans. Tough for them to move dates because they ground share with Sigma FC at the Paramount Centre however....they are scheduled to move to their own grounds (although could be delayed just like the Toronto LRT on Eglinton) even to the far side of Mississauga so fans will be further away from the York grounds/fan base. Maybe changing their location to their own grounds they could choose a different day/night of the weekend. Because of the CPL now owns L1O that may be strongly suggested to them! ………………..…………………………………………………………………………….. I will be squeezed because Toronto FC II plays all their home games (except the school day game) on Friday late afternoons. Now thankfully because they have no stadium lights on the turf field they play on (not allowed to chew up the 'real' grass field) their games start at 4:00pm. Mostly end by 6:00pm which then gives me an uphill sprint to the parking lot to get to York's stadium by 7:00pm. That happens four times this season. Also TFC II schedule times are listed are so far all 'TBD'. York weekend games for me meant free parking as the lot north of Steeles was free those days to attract transit riders to travel to downtown Toronto. The other leagues I don't know about.

February 21, 2020 My thoughts on the just released CPL 2020 schedule from the perspective of a York 9 FC fan. http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports20/20york015.htm

February 21, 2020 My thoughts on the just released CPL 2020 schedule from the perspective of a York 9 FC fan. http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports20/20york015.htm

I expect to go.

So Toronto FC are suddenly in the 'Leagues Cup'...a competition between MLS and Mexican teams. Round of 16 one leg games this summer. 8 MLS and 8 Mexican league teams. MLS host all the games when possible. OK so only conflict is the final of that tourney is September 16th which is the midweek of the Canadian Championship/Voyageurs Cup Final 1st leg. Could happen as MLS teams will play nothing but home games in this tourney and TFC also has been a finalist in the Canadian Championship every year since 2015.

At this afternoon's Canadian Auto Show Toronto (like 3 km from BMO Field) at the CPL Soccer/Volkswagen Canada booth were Forge FC players players Klaidi Cela and Jonathan Grant shown signing autographs. Kwame Awuah was here earlier and Kyle Bekker couldn't make it.

I'd say the rush for an eighth team was to cut down on the midweek games as expressed by fans on these message boards and the attendance size at midweek games all of last season. I could imagine the schedule this season will be "two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday" Next week repeat! With the time zones in Canada they could all be matinee games.

Yes but then the 'home' team fans would complain "Thursday night?! I can't make it". So to be fair the next eastern team travelling west does Pacific on Thursday and FV on Sunday and then it's the turn of fans in Victoria to say "Thursday night?! I can't make it".