The Canadian Premier League thread

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

McMahon and Winsport are venues. Spruce Meadows is essentially a farmers field in the middle of nowhere. The comparison is not accurate at all.

It sounds like you've never been the Spruce Meadows at all or you think the other 2 are on par with the Staples Centre

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Slava

Hahaha, McMahon Stadium? I have no idea how often you go, but to consider that some kind of destination has to be just plain trolling. I have to be there this weekend and I already know it’s going to be terrible.

McMahon is a dump (I have Stamps seasons tickets), but it’s 5 minutes from Downtown and on the transit line. Putting a niche sport 30-40 outside of the core is pretty ridiculous if their true goal is to grow the game and not keep it a niche sport or an event for people who live in the deep south or Okotoks. It’s very unfortunate, because it seems like they are doing everything else right. That said, I’m not into the soccer scene so maybe there wasn’t any other options available.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by craigwd

It sounds like you'very never been the Spruce Meadows at all or you think the other 2 are on part with the Staples Centre

I go to Spruce Meadows twice a year when my wife drags me there to see horses and the Christmas lights. It takes almost an hour to get there from anywhere north of 16th ave. It’s a ridiculous location to try and grow a sport.

[Muta]

I wonder if the new fieldhouse (proposed as a facility at Foothills Athletic Park before absorbed into the CalgaryNEXT concept) is going to be a long-term solution for this team, should they get to that point. The need for that facility is still very much alive, as is the vision for it.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Slava

Hahaha, McMahon Stadium? I have no idea how often you go, but to consider that some kind of destination has to be just plain trolling. I have to be there this weekend and I already know it’s going to be terrible.

And further, its way, way too big.

I occasionally mention a soccer tournament I played at McMahon in the Finals when I was like 16 and it was grim.

There couldnt have been more than a 100 people in the stands and it was just oppressively silent.

I think the smaller venue of Spruce Meadows will be good, but I second that getting to Spruce Meadows is an unmitigated nightmare.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by TheAlpineOracle

I go to Spruce Meadows twice a year when my wife drags me there to see horses and the Christmas lights. It takes almost an hour to get there from anywhere north of 16th ave. It’s a ridiculous location to try and grow a sport.

But drive time doesn't jive with your comment that it's "not a venue".
As I said before - it also takes an hour to get to the other arenas/stadiums from other parts of the city.

It's what you do when you're in a big city. This isn't Regina, not everyone is 15 minutes away from everything else.

[agulati]

Originally Posted by craigwd

It's what you do when you're in a big city. This isn't Regina, not everyone is 15 minutes away from everything else.

Unless you live in Airdrie

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by craigwd

It's what you do when you're in a big city. This isn't Regina, not everyone is 15 minutes away from everything else.

Big city or not, putting something on the outer fringe impacts the ability for people to attend. Draw a circle of any sizable radius around Spruce Meadows and half of it, or more, will be farmland and non-urban.

Being a big city doesn't somehow make this location convenient for most of the population. Being a big city actually makes it worse and less convenient for a larger number of people.

That being said, we've beaten this horse to death (pun fully intended). I don't know what the other options are (McMahon would be a great location, but a terrible venue), we've got private owners who are keen to do this, so I'm willing to do what I can to get there as much as possible, but I'd get there more if it was somewhere even semi-central.

[CroFlames]

The best realistic option would be right beside McMahon I think.



Doing it at SM is beneficial for me personally, but for this thing to succeed this new venue needs to be downtown or close to it.

[CorbeauNoir]

Does the old Burns Stadium site get any kind of practical use anymore? Why not demo the baseball grandstand and set up a field there? Or do a Portland Timbers type of job on it.

[shermanator]

Renovating or tearing down Foothills stadium would be the dream scenario for me. Unfortunately, that's where the city wants to put the new fieldhouse, so a dedicated soccer stadium is a long shot.

But if Spruce Meadows is packed every game, then Cavalry FC will have a little bit of leverage. If Spruce Meadows has empty seats, they have no leverage.

[rubecube]

Yes!!!

http://www.timescolonist.com/sports/...ear-1.23321490

Sucks that it's in Langford, though.

[shermanator]

Can't wait to do an away day there, Victoria is awesome.

[Ozy_Flame]

Great to see another West team! That makes the league officially coast-to-coast!

[Matty81]

Happy for victoria ppls but disappointed in the Rob Friend news, I'd like to see him be involved in his own local scene instead, there are just as many people in the Valley within an hour of Kelowna as there are in Vic with the recent population boom. Anyway hope the team does great there, good news for the bigger Canadian soccer community.

[rubecube]

Yeah, like I said, my only issue is with it being at Westhills stadium in Langford. Westhills is a turf stadium that currently only seats about 1800 people.

I'm guessing the reasoning behind having it out at Westhills is that Westhills has corporate boxes and Langford is a growing community with a lot of young families. I still think it's a poor idea because most people who live in Victoria absolutely loathe going out to Langford. It's a pain in the ass to get to and there's not much to do once you're out there, unless chain restaurants and big box stores are your jam. It also doesn't really help that there's really nothing in the way of amenities (pubs, restaurants, etc.) within walking distance of the stadium.

We have Royal Athletic Park, which is in Fernwood, but is basically in downtown Victoria, and a block away from a popular pub and a street with multiple food options. It already seats 3800 and can expand up to 10000. It's older, not super pretty to look at, and could use some concession upgrades, but it's also a grass field. The Harbour Cats (WCL baseball) pull in around 2300 people per game there and baseball isn't nearly as popular in Victoria as soccer, IMO.

[Reneeee]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Yeah, like I said, my only issue is with it being at Westhills stadium in Langford. Westhills is a turf stadium that currently only seats about 1800 people.

I'm guessing the reasoning behind having it out at Westhills is that Westhills has corporate boxes and Langford is a growing community with a lot of young families. I still think it's a poor idea because most people who live in Victoria absolutely loathe going out to Langford. It's a pain in the ass to get to and there's not much to do once you're out there, unless chain restaurants and big box stores are your jam. It also doesn't really help that there's really nothing in the way of amenities (pubs, restaurants, etc.) within walking distance of the stadium.

We have Royal Athletic Park, which is in Fernwood, but is basically in downtown Victoria, and a block away from a popular pub and a street with multiple food options. It already seats 3800 and can expand up to 10000. It's older, not super pretty to look at, and could use some concession upgrades, but it's also a grass field. The Harbour Cats (WCL baseball) pull in around 2300 people per game there and baseball isn't nearly as popular in Victoria as soccer, IMO.

Sounds like Victoria has already made the same mistake the Cavalry made. Time will tell I suppose. I'm still shocked people attend horse jumping so what do I know.

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[browna]

Let’s take this back from the skateboarders. Pic is from 1970 but facility itself looking the same in 1987 at Kickers games, save for a fence behind the North goal.

[Muta]

Mewata Stadium was in an awesome location.

[RM14]

Originally Posted by browna

Let’s take this back from the skateboarders. Pic is from 1970 but facility itself looking the same in 1987 at Kickers games, save for a fence behind the North goal.

Can't they fit both?

If not I think that the Skateboarders win this one. That facility "Milz" is used very well.

How many soccer players in Calgary? Last week I read something like 35K skaters.