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  #4721  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 5:41 PM
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EndoftheBeginning EndoftheBeginning is offline
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This will be a Tier 1 (D1) league based on their announcement. That should put it around and hopefully above NASL/USL quality.

I would think the goal is for this league to be seen as the CFL of soccer (i.e. Canada's domestic league and different than the big brother to the south). MSL is certainly not a Canadian league, it is a US league that has three international clubs, but they schedule/run the league to benefit US domestic players and the US national team through the domestic player rules (until last year, Canadians were imports, not domestics, but even with the switch, only three teams really have an inclination to maximize the Canadian content).

We need a Canadian domestic league to do the same for our players, or we can never hope to develop into a more competitive soccer nation.
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  #4722  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 6:16 PM
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Originally Posted by buzzg View Post
Yeah, I just don't see it ever being more of a draw than a Cyclones game. Now that there are 2 professional soccer leagues operating in Canada (NASL and MLS), I just don't see the point. I think the Bombers/Winnipeg would be better off making a push to join Edmonton in the NASL then this upstart league that honestly will likely fail. You will end up with the same thing that the CFL constantly battles with – many people just don't see an all-Canadian league as "legitimate" – and many of those people are young. CFL stands today based on history and family ties, but there are many (young) people who just don't care about it, as it's a "second tier" league.
For better or for worse, Canada has hitched its wagon to the US for premier division soccer... that means that we're stuck with what we've got, maybe with another one or two more teams in MLS at most. That's as good as it's going to get.

For Div. 1 though, honestly, is anyone going to turn up their nose at CPL because it's not NASL? I highly doubt it. If we can't have our own premier league, might as well have our own first division. Otherwise what hope is there of developing talent? I don't know that expecting MLS, the NCAA and overseas academies to do it all for us is a wise route to take.
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  #4723  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 6:58 PM
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As long as this new soccer league doesn't effectively sell out their scheduling rights to TSN like the CFL has done the Winnipeg soccer team could likely play every home game on a Friday night and never have an issue. Bonus points for being a smaller draw would avoid the rush hour traffic issues that have contributed to the Bombers never playing a Friday night home game again (with the odd exception like this year's home opener).
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  #4724  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 7:04 PM
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^ I thought the no Friday night thing was to satisfy the cottage crowd, which is way more of an issue with Bomber fans than it would ever be with soccer fans.

The only Bison game I went to at IGF was the very first one in 2013, but I have to admit it was pretty sweet to drive right up and park for free next to the stadium a few minutes before kickoff. And that was with 10,000 fans in the place. Small crowds aren't all bad!
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  #4725  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 7:38 PM
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I'm cautiously optimistic this could be successful. I don't know if anyone remembers (or was aware of) this, but about ten years ago Winnipeg had a semi-pro indoor soccer team. It was comprised of local players who tried out. My brother played on it a couple of years. I believe Troy Westwood played the second season (he was also on the Winnipeg Fury prior to joining the Bombers). Anyway they had an initial showcase game at the MTS centre that had 7500 people in attendance. So there is some appetite for soccer in the city.
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  #4726  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 9:55 PM
blueandgoldguy blueandgoldguy is offline
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Originally Posted by lilwayne View Post
igf isn't no massive 70 thousand seat football stadium I think its suits soccor events more than it does football..
don't understand your thinking on this one
The lower bowl seats 20,000. Having 5 -7,000 people in the lower bowl, which might be generous for Winnipeg, will result in little atmosphere and a lousy love experience. There will be such a large supply of available tickets there will be little urgency to purchase tickets well in advance meaning the club will need to rely on huge walk up sales.

It would be better if there was a few million pumped into the Waverley Soccer Complex - replace the wooden benches with 4,000 - 5,000 seats on the west side of the stadium, add some corporate tents on the south side, maybe a few hundred seats on the east side and a small stand of 1000 - 2000 on the north side as a supporters section. Easy to sell out a small stadium and a much better atmosphere. Use IGF for bigger matches against MLS clubs in the CONCACAAF qualifiers.

I hope True North is involved as an owner as any startup league loses money in the beginning. The Bomber organization simply cannot afford to underwrite million dollar losses each year. They had to dip into their surplus just to pay their annual stadium debt last month.
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  #4727  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 9:57 PM
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Originally Posted by trueviking View Post
Because this league will play in front of almost 30,000 empty seats in this stadium. That hurts the game experience. Go to a Bison football game to see what it's like to watch a sport in an empty stadium. An empty 34,000 seat stafium feels just as bad as an empty 70,0000 seat stadium.

To be successful this league needs to play in appropriately sized venues. Those are in the 4-6,000 range. NASL attendance, which is a better league than this averages just over 4,000 per game.

The University stadium next door is much more suitable. Has a grass field and seats 5,000 with extra seating available. Much more appropriate option.
That might be an appropriate location too provided they spend some money to renovate it. I'd imagine they would need to spend some money on locker rooms, therapy rooms, offices at the very least. Even lower level leagues need proper facilities to operate in a professional manner.
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  #4728  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 10:13 PM
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Originally Posted by buzzg View Post
Yeah, I just don't see it ever being more of a draw than a Cyclones game. Now that there are 2 professional soccer leagues operating in Canada (NASL and MLS), I just don't see the point. I think the Bombers/Winnipeg would be better off making a push to join Edmonton in the NASL then this upstart league that honestly will likely fail. You will end up with the same thing that the CFL constantly battles with – many people just don't see an all-Canadian league as "legitimate" – and many of those people are young. CFL stands today based on history and family ties, but there are many (young) people who just don't care about it, as it's a "second tier" league.
The NASL is dying. One of the points of this Canadian League is to grow the game in Canada and serve as a legitimate point of development of elite soccer talent in Canada. MLS does a poor job of that as their is no requirement for a Canadian ratio for the 3 teams in this country. It is after all primarily an American league.

This franchise might appeal to the casual sports fan looking for a cheap night of entertainment, much like the Goldeyes fan base. I'm not sure how much immigrants will flock to this league as the level of play is far below that of what they are used to watching back home. This is one of the problems with MLS Clubs gaining a traction within their communities and the US in general. The level of play is far below that of most European and other foreign leagues so the TV ratings frankly suck and have shown little growth. Soccer fans stick to watching early morning telecasts of the Premier League and others early in the morning.

Let's hope the Bombers have little skin in the game for this venture. It will lose money from its inception. Players will not be paid all that well (I think $1 - $2 million in salaries), but admin costs and travel costs will be substantial. As an aside, there were reports that the Ottawa Fury lost $2 million last year playing in the NASL even though they averaged a respectable 5500 per game. Travel costs no doubt played a huge role in that.
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  #4729  
Old Posted May 8, 2017, 10:37 PM
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^ Maybe a nationwide first division is too ambitious? Break into eastern/western to keep travel the costs down, and maybe if it takes off move to an interlocking schedule. It's not like seeing Quebec City as opposed to Kelowna is some huge selling point. Look at minor league baseball as a model in that regard.
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  #4730  
Old Posted May 9, 2017, 1:24 PM
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Originally Posted by esquire View Post
^ I thought the no Friday night thing was to satisfy the cottage crowd, which is way more of an issue with Bomber fans than it would ever be with soccer fans.
The lack of Bomber games on Friday nights comes down to TSN almost exclusively. The current TV deal between the CFL and TSN has TSN airing all regular and play off games. When there is not something else scheduled for broadcasting on Friday night TSN loves to run a CFL double header. This means the Winnipeg start time needs to be 6:30 pm or earlier or after 9:00 pm. The 6:30 pm or earlier start time is a non-starter for the team due to the traffic issues that will result. That means a Friday night game could only be the back half of a double header and would need to start at 9:00 pm or later. The one Friday night home game this season is on a night when there is no double header.
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  #4731  
Old Posted May 9, 2017, 1:42 PM
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^ Well, I think we learned last season what the maximum fan tolerance for a late start happens to be

But yes, good points re: the doubleheaders. I remember there were a few absurdly early starts back at the old stadium which were just terrible in terms of convenience and even atmosphere. I'd rather do a Thursday night game than a 6 pm Friday start.
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  #4732  
Old Posted May 9, 2017, 3:05 PM
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^^ And that is exactly why the Bombers play Thursday night games all the time.
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  #4733  
Old Posted May 9, 2017, 3:41 PM
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The Mosaic Stadium thread and the news about the soccer exhibition game involving NY Cosmos of the NASL got me thinking...

If the Cosmos can play their home games at the minor league baseball stadium in Brooklyn, I wonder if Shaw Park could accommodate Winnipeg's soccer team?

Yeah it looks kind of awkward, but at least the stadium would be appropriately scaled to ensure good fan atmosphere. The location is great too, and I guess the real grass would be a plus for soccer fans.


source:empireofsoccer.com

With a crowd of 5,000 people, I think I'd rather watch soccer at Shaw Park than hear the echoes of a near-empty IGF. Probably worth considering at the very least, although I guess the Goldeyes probably wouldn't be too thrilled about it.
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  #4734  
Old Posted May 9, 2017, 5:01 PM
The Unknown Poster The Unknown Poster is offline
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Wouldnt the point of the Bombers owning a soccer team be to fill dates at THEIR venue?

Also, isnt the stadium itself somewhat of a draw? For casual soccer fans, seeing the sport in a lower level setting might be enough to make them less likely to go. Going to IGF for the cost of a soccer ticket and all the amenities there...I think its a bit of a draw itself.
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  #4735  
Old Posted May 9, 2017, 5:11 PM
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Originally Posted by The Unknown Poster View Post
Wouldnt the point of the Bombers owning a soccer team be to fill dates at THEIR venue?

Also, isnt the stadium itself somewhat of a draw? For casual soccer fans, seeing the sport in a lower level setting might be enough to make them less likely to go. Going to IGF for the cost of a soccer ticket and all the amenities there...I think its a bit of a draw itself.
I don't know this for sure, but I kind of thought the rationale behind CFL involvement in the CPL was to head off an existential threat by getting in on a domestic soccer league at the early stage... I didn't think IGF usage was really a huge part of it. But you're right in that they'd probably rather have the team pay rent to BBB as opposed to Sam Katz.
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  #4736  
Old Posted May 9, 2017, 5:38 PM
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The outfield at Canwest Park is constrained and could limit the length needed to accommodate a soccer pitch. Also the Goldeyes have far more dates scheduled that IGF.
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  #4737  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2017, 3:49 PM
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Was at the game last night, and noticed some signs for "new viewing decks" at the top of the north endzone seating, near the rum hut. Anyone know anything about this? I'm assuming it's going to be a standing only area with a bar and tables...can anyone confirm?



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  #4738  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2017, 4:00 PM
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They yanked out the last few rows of seats in the north end zone to create a party deck-type area. By the looks of it, they're not quite finished yet.
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  #4739  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2017, 4:02 PM
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Ya they removed the loge seats that were at both ends, including some rows of seats (not sure how many). This was part of their rebuild of the concourses. When they ripped out all the concrete and seats, they decided to make a few changes. Hopefully that will get some people out of the walking areas.
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  #4740  
Old Posted Jun 16, 2017, 4:02 PM
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Makes sense. Give the rum hut regulars somewhere to stand that's not in the middle of the concourse
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