Quote:
Originally Posted by Scary Eloranta
BMO brings up another point: if (and I know its a BIG if) Flames wanted to apply for an MLS team some time in the future, wouldn't we need some kind of roof? No way you can play soccer here in spring or late fall with our unpredictable weather. Just a thought...
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MLS to Calgary? Well, that's never going to happen. For 3 reasons:
1. MLS has no interest in further expanding into Canada. Their commissioner has said so on numerous occasions.
2. MLS has based it's expansion on either large US media markets (Miami, LA, Atlanta, NYC FC, Philadelphia), or markets that have shown they can support lower division soccer well (Orlando, Minnesota, Montreal, Portland, Vancouver). There are 12 cities applying for MLS' latest round of expansion, and all 12 fit into one of these categories. Calgary fits into neither of them.
3. Calgary has never shown that it can support any level of professional soccer in it's history. The Boomers drew over 10k in 1981, but any club in this city since has not drawn anywhere near that. The Storm/Mustangs drew 2000 in their best year. Foothills draws 600 or so a game. No idea what the Kickers drew but given that they folded in 3 years it can't have been that high.
Now, there have been rumours that the CSA are going to announce a Canadian Premier League to begin play in 2018, and that Calgary will have a club in that league, and that the CSEC will own the club. But nothing has been made official.