2021 Cavalry FC and CPL season thread

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

I think we need more rolls of quarters, errant ball boys, bags of piss, toilet paper rolls, road flares, and smoke bombs.

More umbrellas with sharpened points for days when the boys and Spruce Meadows need extra motivation

[Muta]

Anyone else going to the Cavs Supporters night tonight at the Rose and Crown? I'm stoked, good reason to get out on a Tuesday night!

[shermanator]

I'll be there.

[shermanator]

Awards were given out today. No awards for Cavalry but I don't think anyone deserved one really (U-21 for Yao maybe). No awards for Forge either.

Outstanding Player - Morelli
Coach of the Year - Kah
Goalkeeper of the Year - Sirois
U-21 Player of the Year - Hojabrpour
Golden Boot - Morelli

[shermanator]

Good turnout for the pub night last night. IIRC they mentioned there would be 16 or 17 returning players. They also announced that Loturi had signed a 2 year extension which is awesome.

Chatted with Tommy later on in the night and he mentioned they had about 70% season ticket renewals which was better than the renewal rate at this time in 2019.

[Redliner]

Originally Posted by shermanator

Good turnout for the pub night last night. IIRC they mentioned there would be 16 or 17 returning players. They also announced that Loturi had signed a 2 year extension which is awesome.

Chatted with Tommy later on in the night and he mentioned they had about 70% season ticket renewals which was better than the renewal rate at this time in 2019.

Looks like a great time! I wanted to come out but unfortunately couldn't make it.

Looking forward to seeing what the team looks like next year, and hopefully to growing the crowd of Cavs faithful at ATCO Field!

[Muta]

That was a great time! Got to talk to Tommy for a quite a while about the soccer atmosphere at ATCO Field as well as how he recruits players, Ian Allison about future stadium plans, Nik Ledgerwood about what it's like to be in FIFA video games and what the CMNT experience was like, their marketing team about ideas for new jackets.... had so much fun.

Cavs / ATCO also bought everyone a beer there as well! Doubt the Flames would ever do something like that at a fan event.

[TheIronMaiden]

Cavalry FC are a class organization. I can't wait for some nice summer games, especially on a chilly day like today.

[Ozy_Flame]

This is how you build confidence and rapport with the community - by being accessible. It really gives the opportunity to see these folks as more than just pro athletes and instead as fans of the sport trying to do the best they can to give a great experience. Love it.

[shermanator]

Word on the street is Martin Nash will be named York United manager tomorrow. Bummer for us but good for him.

[shermanator]

And it's official now.

https://twitter.com/CPLCavalryFC/sta...75218580144132

[Ozy_Flame]

Cavalry roster heading to York in the offseason, as is tradition.

[Trojan97]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

This is how you build confidence and rapport with the community - by being accessible. It really gives the opportunity to see these folks as more than just pro athletes and instead as fans of the sport trying to do the best they can to give a great experience. Love it.

Just gotta say - I'm a casual fan at best when it comes to the sport of soccer but my interest has grown over the last handful of years as we start seeing Canadians having tremendous success playing all over the world, Canadian franchises being more competitive in MLS, the Women's program success, etc.. I've never been a "soccer is boring" person but the more I watch, the more I "get it" and my interest is steadily growing.

I went to a couple games this season for the first time after moving to South Calgary and really enjoyed the overall experience (minus the cost of beer which I found to be absurd). Seeing the organization hold grassroots events like this in the community with their hardcore fans really speaks to me as someone who is likely within the prime demographic they are trying to reach for prospective season ticket holders. I don't know if anyone from the Cavalry reads this thread but if so, my message would be to keep it up because if these sorts of events are making an impression on someone like myself, I can guarantee you there are many others out there who you will reach and convert into fans moving forward.

Just wanted to echo what you said above Ozy. I hope a good time was had by all and I look forward to seeing how the organization continues to build relationships within the local community. Go Cavs.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

A great opportunity for Martin Nash and he’ll be missed here. I’m curious to see the differences and similarities to how his York side line up and play compared to Cavalry

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by Trojan97

Just gotta say - I'm a casual fan at best when it comes to the sport of soccer but my interest has grown over the last handful of years as we start seeing Canadians having tremendous success playing all over the world, Canadian franchises being more competitive in MLS, the Women's program success, etc.. I've never been a "soccer is boring" person but the more I watch, the more I "get it" and my interest is steadily growing.

I went to a couple games this season for the first time after moving to South Calgary and really enjoyed the overall experience (minus the cost of beer which I found to be absurd). Seeing the organization hold grassroots events like this in the community with their hardcore fans really speaks to me as someone who is likely within the prime demographic they are trying to reach for prospective season ticket holders. I don't know if anyone from the Cavalry reads this thread but if so, my message would be to keep it up because if these sorts of events are making an impression on someone like myself, I can guarantee you there are many others out there who you will reach and convert into fans moving forward.

Just wanted to echo what you said above Ozy. I hope a good time was had by all and I look forward to seeing how the organization continues to build relationships within the local community. Go Cavs.

I'll make sure this feedback gets passed on to the folks at Cavalry's front office.

[Muta]

At last Tuesday's supporters evening, I told Tommy directly that one of the easiest things they can do to elevate the fan experience in the off-season is to have multiple nights similar to the one they hosted. Doesn't always have to be at a pub, but the point would be to get their players and staff directly engaging with the fans, especially the non-hardcore ones; answering questions, laughing, being available - things that NHL players do not do with their fans on an one-on-one level. I don't think Calgary is used to that kind of direct engagement with their sports teams, and this can really work in the Cavalry's favour. Tommy agreed.

[TheIronMaiden]

If you're passing messages from the fans to the club can you pass onto them that I say " #### the froge".

thanks.

[Trojan97]

Originally Posted by Muta

At last Tuesday's supporters evening, I told Tommy directly that one of the easiest things they can do to elevate the fan experience in the off-season is to have multiple nights similar to the one they hosted. Doesn't always have to be at a pub, but the point would be to get their players and staff directly engaging with the fans, especially the non-hardcore ones; answering questions, laughing, being available - things that NHL players do not do with their fans on an one-on-one level. I don't think Calgary is used to that kind of direct engagement with their sports teams, and this can really work in the Cavalry's favour. Tommy agreed.

A buddy of mine played in the Flames poker tournament years ago and met David Moss who was hurt at the time and out of the lineup. My buddy is a goalie, a pretty lively character, and had a few drinks and told Moss that his beer league team was playing at the Corral the following week the same night as a Flames home game and that he should stop by if he wanted to see some top tier beer league goaltending (jokingly). Fast forward to a week later and the guys are all in the room getting dressed to play and the door swings open and Moss crutches his way into the room, sits down, cracks a few jokes and chats with the guys for 10-15 minutes before they take the ice. I can tell you that the impression it made on those guys will last a lifetime. I don't think more then 6 months have gone by since where I haven't heard this story retold while out having beers with guys on that team talking about what a good guy Moss is and how awesome it was that he took the time to crutch his way across the lot in the middle of winter to visit with the guys when he could have easily just gone home after the Flames game ended.

People seriously underestimate how much of an impact the simplest of gestures can have and I agree with you Muta that Calgary is a community ripe for the picking when it comes to having a team show they give a ####. We have very little to be excited about when it comes to pro sports in this city right now as displayed by this whole arena debacle. The Stamps used to feel that way for me while growing up but they have done an absolutely pitiful job of adapting over the years and the whole fan/community experience feels antiquated, stale and boring now which has left myself and many others feeling very little connection to the franchise anymore.

Soccer feels fresh and different and is about to explode with popularity amongst casuals like myself in Canada, I already see the shift happening within my own local friend groups who love sports but aren't necessarily soccer fans (yet). Give them a reason to care about the team and people will respond. I think many are hungry for it.

(sorry for hijacking the thread with my thoughts, I'm just so sick of the local pro sports landscape in this city and how little anyone seems to care that I cannot wait for a team out there to show a little creativity and a little heart within the community to invigorate this sports fan. Whoever shows up and does it will have my money and my loyalty for the long haul I can assure you that.)

[shermanator]

League announced they are taking over ownership of FC Edmonton. Apparently there is interest from foreign owners.

This is the best thing that could happen for FC Edmonton and the few supporters who are left. Good for Fath for investing in the game. He was too stubborn to quit but he also had no idea what he was doing and it showed.

It's fun to beat up on your rivals but it's also kind of pathetic how poor Edmonton have been on and off the pitch. Not just in the 3 CPL years but in the 7 NASL years before.

https://twitter.com/plattoli/status/1477026183934099462

https://canpl.ca/article/cpl-fc-edmo...e-on-ownership

[Ozy_Flame]

I think this is good news. As much as E=NG, the city has a strong football tradition and interest in the sport, and deserves better.

Here's hoping for a re-branding, fresh team management, and arena improvements to help improve the product. If there is foreign investment interest, I don't see an issue with attaching the team to an existing football club a la Atletico Ottawa.