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Old 12-31-2021, 03:00 PM   #1321
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I simply don’t see anyone coming in and buying that club and keeping it in Edmonton. It would be the worst business decision of all time.
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Old 12-31-2021, 03:04 PM   #1322
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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.
It's good news for sure, but like most cities in Canada, they don't have a great tradition of supporting local clubs. Edmonton shows up for the national teams, but they have never supported professional soccer. The new owners are going to have to build up their base from scratch, and it's going to be harder this time given the mistakes of the last 11 years.
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Old 12-31-2021, 03:04 PM   #1323
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I simply don’t see anyone coming in and buying that club and keeping it in Edmonton. It would be the worst business decision of all time.
Why?

Maybe I'm an optimistic, but a metro area with a population of 1.3M and a tradition of youth soccer and national team support seems like a good market with the right strategy.

I don't think Edmonton fans are that vindictive that they'll throw away a professional team. I've lived here for years now and I don't get that vibe.
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Old 12-31-2021, 06:57 PM   #1324
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Why?

Maybe I'm an optimistic, but a metro area with a population of 1.3M and a tradition of youth soccer and national team support seems like a good market with the right strategy.

I don't think Edmonton fans are that vindictive that they'll throw away a professional team. I've lived here for years now and I don't get that vibe.
I was a season ticket holder when I lived there from 2013-2015.

The indifference to the team there blew my mind, and the level of indifference has gone through the roof since.

A better stadium situation is mandatory. Where to put it and who wants to pay the check for it? Beats me. There was also lots of infighting and alienation within the local soccer community over the team.

When it comes to minor league sports, there’s only one chance to make a great first impression, build hype and attract supporters by making the club “an event” like in Halifax (whose stadium location is masterful). I don’t see how anyone does that now after the last 10 years.

Did the Faths do everyone wrong? Absolutely, but can someone come in and pull soccer out of the absolute crater it is in now there without at least the benefit of a blank slate? That’s the bigger problem. I just don’t see it.

Let’s not pretend attendance is going well at the other CPL clubs these days..

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Old 12-31-2021, 07:18 PM   #1325
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Nah I just don't get the vibe with the men's division here. You haven't been here for six years, and the CPL concept has cache among players I know. It's FCE and it's delivery that is amateur, and still has the NASL stink.

Change the brand, the gameday experience, get a few wins, build a rivalry for the Al Classico, and hail Mary for a new stadium. Ride that Alphonso Davies energy.
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Old 12-31-2021, 07:22 PM   #1326
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Nah I just don't get the vibe with the men's division here. You haven't been here for six years, and the CPL concept has cache among players I know. It's FCE and it's delivery that is amateur, and still has the NASL stink.

Change the brand, the gameday experience, get a few wins, build a rivalry for the Al Classico, and hail Mary for a new stadium. Ride that Alphonso Davies energy.
How has the “ride the Alphonso Davies energy” filtered down to Canadian soccer club attendance this year?

I’ve read a lot of talk on Twitter from people like Steven Sandor that CPL is really struggling beyond the hardcore supporter echo chamber and it’s true. Covid 19 sucks and has obviously hurt every sporting league to an extent, but man, the CPL really needs to show some forward progress next year.

I go to Valour games in Winnipeg. I’m familiar with the CPL, not 6 years removed from soccer. Blind optimism is great, but there needs to be some acknowledgement of realism.

Im looking forward to the Alphonso Davies energy increasing York United’s attendance above 1k next year.

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Old 12-31-2021, 08:25 PM   #1327
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Let’s not pretend attendance is going well at the other CPL clubs these days..
Let's also not forget that 2 of the first 3 seasons came amongst the backdrop of a global pandemic. It's hard to build a fan base when you have no idea when you will be playing.

Attendance is far from rosy but it's far from dire in most markets either.

Halifax is the gold standard and continued to sell out to whatever capacity they were allowed to. Cavalry was drawing close to 2019 attendance early on but had to play 60% of their games on dates after they normally would have them. Pacific were close as well and have seen a big increase in season ticket sales after winning the title. Ottawa drew decently given they have yet to have a proper season.

Edmonton doesn't get the same leeway given that they had 8 years more than anyone else to build their club. They and York are the biggest problems for sure. Valour and Forge losing a lot of their support is concerning too, but we don't know if that's a permanent loss or just a casualty of the pandemic.
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Old 12-31-2021, 08:42 PM   #1328
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Let's also not forget that 2 of the first 3 seasons came amongst the backdrop of a global pandemic. It's hard to build a fan base when you have no idea when you will be playing.

Attendance is far from rosy but it's far from dire in most markets either.

Halifax is the gold standard and continued to sell out to whatever capacity they were allowed to. Cavalry was drawing close to 2019 attendance early on but had to play 60% of their games on dates after they normally would have them. Pacific were close as well and have seen a big increase in season ticket sales after winning the title. Ottawa drew decently given they have yet to have a proper season.

Edmonton doesn't get the same leeway given that they had 8 years more than anyone else to build their club. They and York are the biggest problems for sure. Valour and Forge losing a lot of their support is concerning too, but we don't know if that's a permanent loss or just a casualty of the pandemic.
FtF.
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Old 12-31-2021, 08:54 PM   #1329
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Let's also not forget that 2 of the first 3 seasons came amongst the backdrop of a global pandemic. It's hard to build a fan base when you have no idea when you will be playing.

Attendance is far from rosy but it's far from dire in most markets either.

Halifax is the gold standard and continued to sell out to whatever capacity they were allowed to. Cavalry was drawing close to 2019 attendance early on but had to play 60% of their games on dates after they normally would have them. Pacific were close as well and have seen a big increase in season ticket sales after winning the title. Ottawa drew decently given they have yet to have a proper season.

Edmonton doesn't get the same leeway given that they had 8 years more than anyone else to build their club. They and York are the biggest problems for sure. Valour and Forge losing a lot of their support is concerning too, but we don't know if that's a permanent loss or just a casualty of the pandemic.
Valour really blew it in season one with their putrid play despite getting phenomenal support. I attend Valour games and think they can boost their attendance up with more wins.

I find the Forge attendance siuation more confusing. We’ll see next year.
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Old 01-01-2022, 08:56 AM   #1330
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I wonder if part of the issue for Forge and Valour is the stadium size? They look cavernous and the game day experience just can’t be as good as the smaller and more intimate settings like Pacific/Cavalry/Halifax?
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Old 01-01-2022, 10:32 AM   #1331
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I wonder if part of the issue for Forge and Valour is the stadium size? They look cavernous and the game day experience just can’t be as good as the smaller and more intimate settings like Pacific/Cavalry/Halifax?
Smaller venues would be preferable. However, I like the atmosphere at IGF in Winnipeg. I don't think it hurts attendance very much. It's a nice stadium in a good location.

I can't speak to THF in Hamilton, that stadium looks a lot crappier on tv.
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Old 01-01-2022, 12:17 PM   #1332
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For Forge and Valour, I don't know if the drop in attendance was due largely to the pandemic or due to other factors.

Forge got decent crowds for the big games but also some poor crowds for some of the league games later in the year. Valour's attendance was dropping pretty steadily towards the end of 2019.
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Old 01-01-2022, 01:06 PM   #1333
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A better stadium situation is mandatory. Where to put it and who wants to pay the check for it? Beats me.
A pitch down in the river valley might be a nice spot. Maybe something can be done at the Remax Field site that is currently unused.

Their summer baseball team is building a pretty neat stadium in Spruce Grove with housing and a Brewery in field.
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Old 01-01-2022, 01:34 PM   #1334
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A pitch down in the river valley might be a nice spot. Maybe something can be done at the Remax Field site that is currently unused.

Their summer baseball team is building a pretty neat stadium in Spruce Grove with housing and a Brewery in field.
I believe a new baseball team (Edmonton Riverhawks - https://riverhawksbaseball.com/) is moving into Remax Field, while the former tenant Edmonton Prospects are the ones moving to Spruce Grove.
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Old 01-03-2022, 11:51 AM   #1335
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the success of the CANMNT is going to be very important to growth in the market share of the CPL. Making the world cup will be great for the league.
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Old 01-03-2022, 07:45 PM   #1336
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the success of the CANMNT is going to be very important to growth in the market share of the CPL. Making the world cup will be great for the league.
Only if the league and clubs take advantage of the enhanced exposure that making the World Cup brings. FC Edmonton didn't do a thing at the qualifiers in November and it was a huge missed opportunity to market the club. But I guess we now know why...
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