Quote:
Originally Posted by Addick
The PDL has worked here while the NASL/A-League has failed every single time. It seems like every time the sport gets some momentum in this city it is rushed to the next level where it falls flat on its face.
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PDL works here because a team really only needs about 1000 per game on average, and doesn't have much in the way of player costs. There's about 3 decent (but each with significant flaws) potential venues in Calgary (Hellard, Foothills, Rugby Union) that can accommodate 1-2k people properly. There's easily a few thousand diehards here that appreciate watching the 17-23 year olds develop before moving up. Playing the best the MLS is developing in that age group is a benefit in this respect.
NASL/USL/A-League requires attendance around 4-6k to survive. Calgary has (and has not had since Mewata) any potential venue that accomplishes this. The teams that we've had were forced into the fatal mistake of going to McMahon, where even 5k people looks like an empty stadium, and soon found themselves with attendance around 1000 because of the poor experience of playing in an empty stadium.
NASL will only work in Calgary if new stadium/additional new venue can be reduced/expanded to 10k. Venue is key otherwise the experience will sour people. MLS has enough natural cache to get to 15-20k right off the bat here.
Even so, like corporatejay said, say we don't get MLS and get NASL... unless NASL is marketed as MLS try-outs to prove the vitality of the market (and bear in mind NASL and MLS are not on great terms, so NASL wont like this much), this city will not embrace NASL beyond the die hard soccer fans, the majority dismissing it as yet another minor league team.
Calgary Foothills is on record saying the way to MLS is through USL-Pro (and have refrained from even mentioning NASL), which will be even tougher... its one thing to get a thousand die hards out to watch PDL U-23s, but I don't think the average Calgarian will fill a 10-20k stadium, or even a 5k one to watch Calgary's "pro" team play Vancouver, Seattle or Portland's reserves.