CPL General

[Bison44]

5 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

You've heard otherwise? Think you were the guy posting hint hint quite a bit about USL entry being a certainty and if so you should probably reexamine the assumptions you tend to make where the Fury are concerned. My guess would be that they got some kind of deal that made CanPL entry relatively painless in terms of exit fees as part of getting the CSA to sanction it but at the same time they are unlikely to have got in for free.

Well I didnt hear they did pay millions to USL, someone more in touch with Ottawa might know so thats why I asked.  The way I remember it, NASL and USL were still battling over lower level supremecy and for the USL to take 2 franchises was a serious blow to the NASL continued existence.  I thought the USL gave them a sweet heart deal as they werent new start ups, but I dont remember any details coming out but I could be wrong. As far as the Fury not coming into the CPL, I wasnt the only one who was surprised at that and you even admit as much in your own posts above that Ottawa probably had every intention of switching (stocking the roster et al) until late in the process snags.  

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

True on that last bit. I did a complete 360 in the space of a few posts on another thread on going from assuming the Fury were wary because it was too high budget to the too low budget scenario after browsing through relevant reddit threads. I like the 500k thing and think it's exactly what they would need to be doing for the league to avoid some of the pitfalls other attempts at national Canadian pro leagues have run into, but suspect there's still something important we haven't been told yet along the same lines as how the info that poured out from Ottawa neglected to mention the offer from CanPL to initially enter as is.

[ted]

On 9/28/2018 at 6:56 PM, baulderdash77 said:

I worry a bit for Victoria.  I thought they would have done better with no other sports teams.  I thought they had a soccer hotbed market?  I was hoping they would be Halifax level or better even.

As I have said before, we are just getting started and this market is primed and ready.

Friday evening was the first of what are planned to be monthly pub nights. Rob and Josh attended and after hearing what they are planning and have been doing, I am more than satisfied. They have a plan that will work. They have been making the right connections.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just now, ted said:

As I have said before, we are just getting started and this market is primed and ready.

Friday evening was the first of what are planned to be monthly pub nights. Rob and Josh attended and after hearing what they are planning and have been doing, I am more than satisfied. They have a plan that will work. They have been making the right connections.

So what do you think will be a reasonable game-day prediction for Victoria, in the stands? Are we talking about 2000, 3000? 

And curious: will Lake Side Buoys morph into a new group for PacificFC, do you see more than one classic supporter group, anything you can tell us?

EDIT: SORRY, also see you posted on the PacificFC thread.

Edited September 30, 2018 by Unnamed Trialist

[shermanator]

2-2 draw at Spruce Meadows yesterday between Cavalry and FC Edmonton. Ian Allison mentioned they had sold around 1500 tickets, and I'd guess about 1200 were at the game. Given the many reasons people cited that they wouldn't go before the game (weather, stadium location, ticket prices, level of play), I think that was a decent crowd. I thought both supporters groups were fairly even in their boisterousness, although I'm sure FC Edmonton posters will claim they were louder.

On the pitch, I don't think anyone really stood out for me. Nico Pasquotti was man of the match, building on what was a strong season in PDL. Ajay Khabra's strike for Edmonton was a thing of beauty. Randy Edwini-Bonsu has pace, but I didn't see any real quality from him during the game. Dominick Zator was quite solid in his clearances. Dylon Powley also knows how to rile up the crowd as he kissed the FC Edmonton badge after the second goal in front of the supporters section.

As for the venue, I'd say the experience was quite positive. The shuttle bus from the Somerset-Bridlewood station was remarkably efficient. Once passing through the ticket gates we were led through a heated merchandise building, which I thought was quite smart. Can't say much on the stadium as it's very much unfinished, but the grounds outside of the stadium were tremendous. The view from the supporters section was great, and the sunken bowl helped block the wind, which made the temperature more pleasant. There was some indoor seating with bleachers inside of a building on the East end, but most people chose to sit on the hill instead. My biggest complaint would be the significant amount of time it took to get food and drink at half time, and the lack of washrooms near the south end of the stadium.

And for a few photos...

 

Edited September 30, 2018 by shermanator

[Alex D]

Meadows on the Green is definitely one of the prettiest little football grounds I've seen. Look forward to taking a trip out there. 

[Blackjack15]

3 hours ago, shermanator said:

Ian Allison mentioned they had sold around 1500 tickets, Given the many reasons people cited that they wouldn't go before the game (weather, stadium location, ticket prices, level of play), I think that was a decent crowd. 

 

Excellent game, gives you a taste of what to expect next year on game day, and since Spruce Meadows/Southern Family are new to soccer they’re experts on event management and crowd experience so I think it I’ll be a partnership that will blossom over time. 

Looked good on the stream! Considering this was an Exhibition Game as well as being announced 3 weeks ago consider it a success that 1,500 tickets were sold

Also Club Deposits And members at Spruce meadows mostly went, once the General public knows more about it it will be 3X More on Attendance 

Weather will be nicer in future ocassions 

Stadium renovations will be strategic in installing the stands (5,000 Seats)

Level Of play will be much better, expect to have guys on the field signed but more pros are needed to improve quality 

Ticket price ($25) was fine and will be around the same in 2019

Location, well there is nothing you can do about it, in SW. 

3/5 things can and will be different for when the next time these two teams meet in Al Clasico 

Edited September 30, 2018 by Thomas

[LAK]

6 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

...and the Fury's PA announcer then claimed on twitter that while this was true it neglected to mention that it was only for one season, which meant they would still have had to dismantle the team. Usually what both sides are claiming on something like this is true as far as it goes, but you need to look for weasel words and what has been omitted to find out what they are trying not to tell you.

The PA announcer?

Even if that was credible, I'm still not convinced that only giving the Fury one transition year is enough for them to bow out. How long are the contracts with the current roster? I also don't believe the $500K reports from Fanatic. I think it's a little higher than that and there are other reasons for them not joining this year. Time will tell I guess.

FYI I don't think the salary cap is super high, I think it's under $1mil, I just don't think it's as low as $500k. There just isn't enough evidence other than some fan speculation.

[BuzzAndSting]

3 hours ago, shermanator said:

2-2 draw at Spruce Meadows yesterday between Cavalry and FC Edmonton. Ian Allison mentioned they had sold around 1500 tickets, and I'd guess about 1200 were at the game. Given the many reasons people cited that they wouldn't go before the game (weather, stadium location, ticket prices, level of play), I think that was a decent crowd. I thought both supporters groups were fairly even in their boisterousness, although I'm sure FC Edmonton posters will claim they were louder.

On the pitch, I don't think anyone really stood out for me. Nico Pasquotti was man of the match, building on what was a strong season in PDL. Ajay Khabra's strike for Edmonton was a thing of beauty. Randy Edwini-Bonsu has pace, but I didn't see any real quality from him during the game. Dominick Zator was quite solid in his clearances. Dylon Powley also knows how to rile up the crowd as he kissed the FC Edmonton badge after the second goal in front of the supporters section.

As for the venue, I'd say the experience was quite positive. The shuttle bus from the Somerset-Bridlewood station was remarkably efficient. Once passing through the ticket gates we were led through a heated merchandise building, which I thought was quite smart. Can't say much on the stadium as it's very much unfinished, but the grounds outside of the stadium were tremendous. The view from the supporters section was great, and the sunken bowl helped block the wind, which made the temperature more pleasant. There was some indoor seating with bleachers inside of a building on the East end, but most people chose to sit on the hill instead. My biggest complaint would be the significant amount of time it took to get food and drink at half time, and the lack of washrooms near the south end of the stadium.

And for a few photos...

 

That hashtag! ??

[CDNFootballer]

32 minutes ago, LAK said:

The PA announcer?

Even if that was credible, I'm still not convinced that only giving the Fury one transition year is enough for them to bow out. How long are the contracts with the current roster? I also don't believe the $500K reports from Fanatic. I think it's a little higher than that and there are other reasons for them not joining this year. Time will tell I guess.

FYI I don't think the salary cap is super high, I think it's under $1mil, I just don't think it's as low as $500k. There just isn't enough evidence other than some fan speculation.

Vast majority of USL contracts are one year with an option.

Most USL teams are around 500K so CPL will likely be roughly at or a bit above them as far as salaries go (and Ottawa is around that mark as well despite what the fanatic, the Fury PA announcer, or the Fury's FO spin to drive their narrative).

[CDNFootballer]

First Team Podcast on Twitter Re USL wages :

 

 

[shermanator]

22 minutes ago, BuzzAndSting said:

That hashtag! ??

Yup. If there's one thing both supporters groups can agree on, it's that we're damn sure not letting Julian de Guzman destroy this league. 

[shermanator]

Here's a great video on the experience at Spruce Meadows...

 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

5 hours ago, CDNFootballer said:

Vast majority of USL contracts are one year with an option.

Most USL teams are around 500K so CPL will likely be roughly at or a bit above them as far as salaries go (and Ottawa is around that mark as well despite what the fanatic, the Fury PA announcer, or the Fury's FO spin to drive their narrative).

How do you know that last part? Who told you what Ottawa are paying on salaries this year and why should we find them more credible than the various conduits of info that appear to have been used by the Fury front office?

Also worth noting that if the 500k for CanPL thing was accurate it would be in Canadian dollars so would actually be somewhat lower than the 500k in US dollars that appears to be the norm for lower budget USL operations like MLS B teams and affiliates.

Edited October 1, 2018 by BringBackTheBlizzard

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

8 hours ago, LAK said:

The PA announcer?

Even if that was credible,...

If the Fury front office had a problem with the content of a tweet from a paid employee that was being discussed widely on social media in places that are highly visible to leading officials of Canadian soccer, it would have been very quickly deleted. Instead, three weeks on and it's still there:

 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

8 hours ago, shermanator said:

Yup. If there's one thing both supporters groups can agree on, it's that we're damn sure not letting Julian de Guzman destroy this league. 

Seriously doubt that JDG has changed his mind from two years ago and that he would actually want the CanPL launch to fail next summer. The thing to bear in mind here is that the Fury staying in USL is still compatible with Victor Monagliani's stated vision back in 2014 of a "Canadian Division 1A" given the USL subsequently replaced the NASL as the USSF's D2 league and the CSA actively sanctioned the Fury's move to it.

[RickC]

On 9/29/2018 at 4:00 PM, Ansem said:

A media from France wrote a very detailed article on CPL. 

 

I especially like the bit about the Voyageurs Cup being the equivalent to the Coupe de France or the English FA Cup! The uncertainty the author mentions about Forge (the Coach) should be alleviated today or tomorrow at the open trials.

[KW519]

 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Guess we should have seen that coming as there was a reported link up between the Sigma academy and the Hamilton CanPL group at one point. Good hire, don't think anyone can sensibly criticize this one in a format where recruiting relatively young domestic players on low salaries is probably going to be the norm. 

[zen]

Don't like this one bit, imo Sigma should be affiliated with a future Mississauga team..

Edited October 1, 2018 by zen

[Tigers]

4 hours ago, zen said:

Don't like this one bit, imo Sigma should be affiliated with a future Mississauga team..

Sure, have them get in touch with Sigma.

Oh, yes, there isn't a Miss team... I don't think we're at a stage where we can hold out for what might be. 

[CDNFootballer]

17 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

How do you know that last part? Who told you what Ottawa are paying on salaries this year and why should we find them more credible than the various conduits of info that appear to have been used by the Fury front office?

Also worth noting that if the 500k for CanPL thing was accurate it would be in Canadian dollars so would actually be somewhat lower than the 500k in US dollars that appears to be the norm for lower budget USL operations like MLS B teams and affiliates.

MLS B teams and affiliate teams make up the majority of the USL teams and include Ottawa as the Impact Affiliate.

Not sure why you think it appears to be the norm for them only either, the only USL teams spending more than the norm are very small handfull like Cincy, Louiville, and Tampa Bay apparently out of the 33 teams in the league.

According to Kartik Krishnaiyer in a podcast last August, some of the MLS B teams have actually previously wanted to pay higher salaries to some of their players but were beat down by the other owners in the league and pressured into paying the USL norm as they were worried that salaries would be driven up.

The 500K for USL is also not the low end of team salary budgets and there are teams paying even less.

[Cheeta]

Good!

Even with the exchange rate we'll be able to get our pick of the bunch then.  

[LAK]

16 hours ago, BringBackTheBlizzard said:

If the Fury front office had a problem with the content of a tweet from a paid employee that was being discussed widely on social media in places that are highly visible to leading officials of Canadian soccer, it would have been very quickly deleted. Instead, three weeks on and it's still there:

 

I can see giving a day to day operations employee that kind of attention, but PA announcers are not the same thing. Herbie Kuhn is the PA announcer for the Raptors and for much of his time doing it, he was a volunteer.

[Gopherbashi]

Between this talk of $500k player budgets and $8m expense budgets, I'm not longer sure whether OFFC are a bunch of low-paying cheapskates or a bunch of high-rolling messiahs.