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Old 07-29-2019, 11:43 AM   #1801
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I would also say that FCE should be targeting community soccer teams, particularly kids. It really should be a sporting event that you'll find lots of community teams attending, for kids from 6-18 so they see professional soccer. I remember attending the Al Classico and there were a fair number of them. Give them a preferable group rate (or special rate for ESA, EMSA) and that might go a long way.

South of the river? I would probably say try and do something around Foote Field / 113th and Belgravia Road. Basically the U of A south sports campus and where the new Super Lab was supposed to be. There is generally good access from Whitemud, the downtown driving crowd doesn't have to go too far, and there is a train stop in an area that is safe and pleasant. Only problem would be the congestion getting in/out of the campus area but there are multiple entry/exit points. Converting some of that derelect land south of 76 Ave between Calgary Trail and Gateway Blvd would be incredible for access, although probably too costly of a venture.

Also, the Cardiff/Valladolid game had a great atmosphere for the number of people attending. There were lots of passionate football fans there, bringing out the local Welsh and Spanish communities. It was fine, and quite the opposite of dreadful.
The issue with going for the youth soccer programs and families is they won’t show up to games with less then ideal circumstances. They won’t be there for long weekend game or bad weather games. York 9 went strongly after that market and look at them. I’m saying that of course you don’t just want to ignore that demographic but It definitely wouldn’t be my first target.
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Old 07-29-2019, 11:47 AM   #1802
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I will counter with the following question....

...why is a Canadian city the size of Edmonton hosting a friendly between a Welsh team and a Spanish team? A city which has completely failed to support their local team in all but probably two games in the last 9 years?

And while not 60000, Regina drew 15000 for a friendly between the New York Cosmos and Valencia in 2017. So a smaller city drew 3 times as many people for a random Spanish team vs an American team.

https://leaderpost.com/sports/soccer...aws-15000-plus
Because they have the stadium to host major soccer events, as they have done in the past. Ronaldo also played at Commonwealth in 1994, and he owns Valladolid, so there is probably something to be said about running an exhibition in Edmonton with his input. Junior Hoilett also pressed Cardiff hard for a game in Canada as well. You have to think he also played the Alfonso Davies card, wanting to show Premier/La Liga level talent on home soil to get exposure for the 2026 World Cup. It was also Soccer Week in Edmonton.

If there was an issue about the Cardiff/Valladolid game in Edmonton regarding attendance, I didn't see it unless you consider not using the upper bowl and the lower side sections as a problem. The west side of Commonwealth was also far more full, as people bought tickets on that side to avoid having the sun in their eyes. When I was in line, every walk-up ticket was for the West side of the stadium.

I think marketing was an issue for this game (I only knew about it from the flags on Gateway Boulevard), so perhaps there is a lot of legwork to be done there.

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Old 07-29-2019, 12:10 PM   #1803
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Is an exhibition game between Real Valladolid and Cardiff FC really a "major soccer event"? Does either team have even a single player that the general sporting public in Canada would even be aware of?

I guess I'm just not sure why you are so invested in defending the atmosphere of a mostly empty stadium.
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Old 07-29-2019, 12:19 PM   #1804
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Is an exhibition game between Real Valladolid and Cardiff FC really a "major soccer event"? Does either team have even a single player that the general sporting public in Canada would even be aware of?

I guess I'm just not sure why you are so invested in defending the atmosphere of a mostly empty stadium.
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Old 07-29-2019, 12:29 PM   #1805
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Since I was the only guy in this conversation to actually attend the game, I will go on to say that the atmosphere was not dreadful, as one poster here suggested. It was quite the opposite. And since it's Edmonton, there is already a disadvantage to start with in trying to defend such a position on a pro-Cavalry thread. Dreadful it was not.

Lots of people had a great time, there were passionate fans on both sides, and it was fun watching La Liga World and some of the Real Valladolid staff and players interact with the fans and local media afterwards. Great match, and will definitely go to the Chile/Ecuador game this September.

I was there, it was a good time with thousands of people there, it should be considered a success for the marketing they did, and that's all I'm going to say further on this.
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Old 07-29-2019, 12:37 PM   #1806
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As the only poster here who has followed FC Edmonton's supporters scene from inception.....

FC Edmonton is no good!

And that's all I'm going to say further on this.
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Old 07-29-2019, 12:43 PM   #1807
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One thing to note about FCE attendance . . . They have more total attendance so far than Cavalry, and their average per game is a couple hundred less than Cavalry (3071 vs. 3490), plus i believe they've also had more bad weather game days.

Not trying to defend FCE here (I'm a Cavalry fan), but anyone who thinks FCE's attendance is low or dreadful shouldn't really think much higher of Cavalry.
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Old 07-29-2019, 12:57 PM   #1808
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Presale code is CANCHAMP. Via Howie_16 - thanks!

It works. Just bought a chunk in 106. 200's not available, but prices in much of the 100's are slightly less than usual.

108/102 = $40
103/107 = $47
104/106 = $57
105= $68

A bit more reasonable, especially for a novelty fixture that will sell well regardless.

Dooooo it.
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Old 07-29-2019, 01:06 PM   #1809
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PERFECT!! Thanks Jimmy!

I just bought 8 in section 108 hahaha
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Old 07-29-2019, 01:17 PM   #1810
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PERFECT!! Thanks Jimmy!

I just bought 8 in section 108 hahaha
I'm going to attend this one as well. CP get-together!
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Old 07-29-2019, 01:28 PM   #1811
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Just bought the only single ticket to the 200s left over, looks like i'll have to make friends while I am there.
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Old 07-29-2019, 01:31 PM   #1812
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Wonder how many busses from the Rose and Crown and Kildare's I should get. Last time we had 2 from the Rose and Crown and 1 from Kildare's that had to do two trips...conventional wisdom states 100 busses...
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Old 07-29-2019, 01:37 PM   #1813
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I really want to sit in the Supporters section... but getting seven seats in a row would have been next to impossible in there. Sherm - I may or may not just walk over there myself in the second half and join in
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Old 07-29-2019, 02:15 PM   #1814
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Got tix. Taking my daughter. My son and I have the flames and stamps. Cavs will be for me and myittle girl.

Up the Cavs!
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Old 07-29-2019, 02:22 PM   #1815
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One thing to note about FCE attendance . . . They have more total attendance so far than Cavalry, and their average per game is a couple hundred less than Cavalry (3071 vs. 3490), plus i believe they've also had more bad weather game days.

Not trying to defend FCE here (I'm a Cavalry fan), but anyone who thinks FCE's attendance is low or dreadful shouldn't really think much higher of Cavalry.
They may be close in ticket distributed, but they aren’t close to butts in seats. Also the big reason Edmonton’s attendance looks so dreadful is they have been building their brand for 8 years. They have a massive head start on most the other teams.
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Old 07-29-2019, 02:39 PM   #1816
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They may be close in ticket distributed, but they aren’t close to butts in seats. Also the big reason Edmonton’s attendance looks so dreadful is they have been building their brand for 8 years. They have a massive head start on most the other teams.
In 2017, FCE had an average of 3,408 on the lower end of the NASL, which averaged 4486 per match as a league. Right now they're averaging 3071 in a league that is averaging 4541. Edmonton has also had multiple bad weather game days so far this year, and no canopy to watch (part of the lower attendance).

For reference, Ottawa is an eight-year old franchise, averaging 4500 people per game in USL-C. But they play at TD Place Stadium, a far more advanced facility than Clarke field.

I think you are underestimating how ####ty Clarke Field is, even if it has the capacity for a CPL club. It's a great practice facility, but not good for hosting a professional team with modern expectations from fans.

To be honest, I think FCE surviving as long as they did in Clarke Field is a testimate to how successful that franchise has actually been. That, or the Fath Group is stubborn as hell.

Here is an article too that suggests the CPL is much better economically for FCE, which makes it a far more palatable existence: https://edmontonsun.com/sports/socce...dmonton-owners

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Old 07-29-2019, 04:25 PM   #1817
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Having followed FC Edmonton closely from inception, there are a number of issues that hamper the Edmonton market.

The first thing was the fact that the club launch was terrible. They had two friendlies in 2010 against Portsmouth and Colo-Colo, and actually marketed the team decently (eg they had train wraps advertising the club similar to Cavalry), but those who bought tickets were sent to Foote Field where they watched a game with bright yellow end zones and football liens while being far away from the touch line. After a year they realized Foote Field wouldn’t cut it, but after the move to Clarke Stadium it took 18 months to get any further seating in the stadium, and another year to get a pitch without football lines. It took them until 2014 to put out even a remotely professional product.

The second thing is Clarke stadium. It is probably the reason to not go to a game at the moment. It is an absolute dump. The stadium has all the drawbacks of a temporary stadium without any of the benefits, such as being a stadium that is solely built for soccer and fosters the atmosphere people are drawn to. Seating in the end zones are 20 yards back from the goal, there is barely any food and concessions, the turf is terrible and it’s in a sketchy location. If the Fath’s had any sense on how to run a soccer club they would have had the foresight to build a soccer specific temp stadium elsewhere in the city - something that Cavalry, Halifax and Pacific have done.

The third thing I think working against the Edmonton market is the fact that they have been terrible on the pitch since inception. While legitimizing the club somewhat, Colin Miller put out an incredibly boring product for 5 years. The squad Jeff Paulus has put together is not fairing any better. Results matter, and Edmonton has never gotten them.

The fourth thing I think works against the Edmonton market is that the supporters scene is in absolute shambles. The first few years the ESG were small but pretty decent. Then two of the main supporters left to form a splinter group (Loyal Company of the River Valley), while trashing the ESG the whole time. The ESG partnered with another group (River City Elite), but RCE spent most of the next few years trashing both the ESG and RCE. After the club folded in 2017, the old ESG and LCRV reunited in 2018 to form River Valley Vanguard but people are still at each other’s throats consistently, and RCE is still trashing the RVV. The people I got to know well in the supporters scene have left the main group altogether, although they still show up to games. The people left in the RVV are quite stubborn and difficult to work with. 9 years in I should be looking at a full supporters section every game, not 20 people in the rain.

Given the fact FC Edmonton has an 8 year start on everyone else, and they should be far beyond where the other clubs are, but they are not. Were York 9 not ####ting the bed in the stands so badly, and Cavalry’s ticket prices not so high, everyone would be talking about how bad Edmonton is doing.

Now as for the good things Edmonton has, I think 3 things stick out for me. The biggest is that they have an owner that is willing to continue to lose money to keep this project going. I would argue he's too stubborn and stupid to quit, but those are also qualities that keep a club around. The second biggest is that their academy setup is one of the better ones in the country, and has sold talent to bigger leagues. The third is that their dump of a stadium is on an LRT line. But for me, that’s about it.
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Old 07-29-2019, 04:31 PM   #1818
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So you're saying that there is something in the water.
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Old 07-29-2019, 04:49 PM   #1819
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Great points, Shermanator. I appreciate your insight and decorum in discussing the issue.

To me, the on-field product can suffer somewhat as long as the fan experience is fun, friendly, and accessible. While the Stadium station is quite convenient, the general location is a "get in, get out" location where you would not want to spend more than five extra minutes. There is no general food and retail presence around to attract fans before and after games. It's basically retreat back home, to downtown, or Uber/cab back to Whyte.

I'm not too concerned about the Supporters groups; at the end of the day their role is to make noise during a game so it looks better on TV and sounds more lively at the games. Hopefully one of these groups will take pole position. The team also should do more to enhance the Supporters section. Cavalry also as the leg up with their stadium design with having loud, reverberating seating. This comes across well on TV and likely plays into a robust supporters section and south-side attendance.

I am hoping the savings the Fath Group sees on the team via salaries and reduced travel (compared to the NASL) will enable to them to start planning for long-term future upgrades. If the CPL is going to be popular, it would be a shame to see Edmonton get left behind due to a crappy facility. I hope there is a longer-term plan. I am not sure Clarke was their number one location when deciding on a location before the season started (Telus field was considered, but that would have been odd).

Once Cavalry comes back down to earth, I think a healthy Cavalry/FCE rivalry is going to keep football support strong and growing in Alberta.
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Old 07-29-2019, 07:27 PM   #1820
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Having followed FC Edmonton closely from inception, there are a number of issues that hamper the Edmonton market.

The first thing was the fact that the club launch was terrible. They had two friendlies in 2010 against Portsmouth and Colo-Colo, and actually marketed the team decently (eg they had train wraps advertising the club similar to Cavalry), but those who bought tickets were sent to Foote Field where they watched a game with bright yellow end zones and football liens while being far away from the touch line. After a year they realized Foote Field wouldn’t cut it, but after the move to Clarke Stadium it took 18 months to get any further seating in the stadium, and another year to get a pitch without football lines. It took them until 2014 to put out even a remotely professional product.

The second thing is Clarke stadium. It is probably the reason to not go to a game at the moment. It is an absolute dump. The stadium has all the drawbacks of a temporary stadium without any of the benefits, such as being a stadium that is solely built for soccer and fosters the atmosphere people are drawn to. Seating in the end zones are 20 yards back from the goal, there is barely any food and concessions, the turf is terrible and it’s in a sketchy location. If the Fath’s had any sense on how to run a soccer club they would have had the foresight to build a soccer specific temp stadium elsewhere in the city - something that Cavalry, Halifax and Pacific have done.

The third thing I think working against the Edmonton market is the fact that they have been terrible on the pitch since inception. While legitimizing the club somewhat, Colin Miller put out an incredibly boring product for 5 years. The squad Jeff Paulus has put together is not fairing any better. Results matter, and Edmonton has never gotten them.

The fourth thing I think works against the Edmonton market is that the supporters scene is in absolute shambles. The first few years the ESG were small but pretty decent. Then two of the main supporters left to form a splinter group (Loyal Company of the River Valley), while trashing the ESG the whole time. The ESG partnered with another group (River City Elite), but RCE spent most of the next few years trashing both the ESG and RCE. After the club folded in 2017, the old ESG and LCRV reunited in 2018 to form River Valley Vanguard but people are still at each other’s throats consistently, and RCE is still trashing the RVV. The people I got to know well in the supporters scene have left the main group altogether, although they still show up to games. The people left in the RVV are quite stubborn and difficult to work with. 9 years in I should be looking at a full supporters section every game, not 20 people in the rain.

Given the fact FC Edmonton has an 8 year start on everyone else, and they should be far beyond where the other clubs are, but they are not. Were York 9 not ####ting the bed in the stands so badly, and Cavalry’s ticket prices not so high, everyone would be talking about how bad Edmonton is doing.

Now as for the good things Edmonton has, I think 3 things stick out for me. The biggest is that they have an owner that is willing to continue to lose money to keep this project going. I would argue he's too stubborn and stupid to quit, but those are also qualities that keep a club around. The second biggest is that their academy setup is one of the better ones in the country, and has sold talent to bigger leagues. The third is that their dump of a stadium is on an LRT line. But for me, that’s about it.
I was an Eddies season ticket holder from 2013-2015, when I lived in Edmonton.

I agree with sherm. The terrible launch turned a lot of people away. The lack of success of the team hasnt helped and Clarke field is woeful.

The most fun I used to have there was the pizza 73 promotion: If the Eddies scored 3 goals or scored in the 73rd minute every fan got a free pizza from Pizza 73. I screamed my head off at Eddies players to hurry The F up when they were trying to kill time with a 2-1 or 1-0 lead at the end of games. It was great to see how shook the players reaction was.

I cant believe the Faths joined the CPL. There is no way to financially turn the club around.
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