EA Sports VP and GM of Soccer, Matt Bilbey makes mention of the fact that fans will be able to play in BC Place before the players do at 8:28. Traditionally the FIFA series has been released in the last week of September or first week of October. [PAGE][/PAGE]Initially we've all been told repeatedly that everything is on schedule with the stadium.
Over the summer we'd been told that the 'Caps would be playing at Empire Field for the first half of the season and BC Place for the second half. Apparently we're not likely to see BC Place open until at least the end of September. Now I realize that the MLS season does not end in September but there have been rumblings among the fans that they might rather play the whole season out at Empire rather then have to move 3/4's of the way through the season.
The club has us all picking our seats out for BC Place, and it seems less likely everyday that we'll be sitting in them during the first season.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
I found it very interesting what Mr. Bilbey says at the 8:00 mark, where I believe he may be alluding to National Development and Training Centre that the Whitecaps have so desperately been trying to secure.
Initially the club was trying to build at a location in Delta (a suburb an hour south of the city) but plans seemed to fall through earlier this year. After the collapse of the Delta deal the 'Caps let it be known that they were in search of a new location for their facilities. The mayor of Surrey has been pushing for the 'Caps to take over the Cloverdale Fairgrounds and the Fraser Downs Horse Racing Track, but again it is a location very much out of the way.
The Whitecaps have had a fantastic relationship with the City of Burnaby and its residents for nearly 28 years. Having played at Swangard, and playing their PDL games at Simon Fraser University. For much of this offseason the Whitecaps have been setting up camp at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, to hold their training sessions. Rumours abound that in the near future this will be the permanent training facilities for the club. It's location is a little more centralized (within a 30 minute drive of all major media outlets), yet still far enough out of the way for a little privacy.
Like Mr. Bilbey said in the clip he'll keep you posted on developments in the near futre.