The club has confirmed there will be busses from the Ship and Anchor to and from the game. Last year I believe the bus ride was free for season ticket holders, and the package of a ticket, the bus ride and a pint was $15. If that changes I'll update things here.
Also, signings are starting to be announced. In addition to Ledgerwood and Carducci, Elijah Adekugbe, Jay Wheeldon, Moses Danto and Carlos Patino have all signed. Patino is a former Sounders 2 midfielder and Danto was signed to Phoenix Rising but couldn't get a work via due to being born in Sudan.
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No surprise there. The Dawgs went from averaging about 500-600 fans per game at Foothills (which was still a tremendous amount for the WMBL) to 2000+ in Okotoks.
If Okotoks is a better market for pro soccer than Calgary, then we are in serious trouble before we even begin thinking of a CPL team.
It's lack of competition. Similar to the Dawgs, Calgary probably fancies itself "too big of a market" for low tier soccer, similar to the Argos in Toronto.
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If Okotoks is a better market for pro soccer than Calgary, then we are in serious trouble before we even begin thinking of a CPL team.
I agree with corporatejay here. I think it speaks more to Calgary as a sports city in general more than towards pro soccer (which Foothills is not). This city is diehard to the Flames, and that's about it. All other sports in this city have a niche market and not much more. Given the complete lack of history with professional soccer in this city it's definitely an uphill battle.
I think a CPL club has the potential to capitalize on the current disgruntled Flames fan base, but the window to do so is very quick, and they actually have to do it by promoting themselves as the anti-Flames (e.g. by not trying to gouge customers, providing a significantly better gameday atmosphere, and actually winning). If they can't, then they just need to look to FC Edmonton's time in NASL as a comparable of how well a CPL club will be supported.
And yes, there is history in an amateur club moving to Okotoks and thriving. Hopefully this is the case for the PDL club, because they will be an important component of a CPL club and could thrive if they work with the community in the same vein as the Dawgs.
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Last edited by shermanator; 04-17-2018 at 11:53 AM.
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It's lack of competition. Similar to the Dawgs, Calgary probably fancies itself "too big of a market" for low tier soccer, similar to the Argos in Toronto.
I don't think that's the case at all. And if it is, then would a CPL team really work here to begin with? If Calgarians already have "Argos" syndrome in pro soccer, then we've already lost.
I would wager to say that, given a new playing field with good capacity that everyone knows about, and a game-day experience built on a good reputation and bang-for-your-buck is what Calgarians want. The benchmark for a Calgary sports fan is basically a Calgary Flames game experience - which as shermanator puts it, shouldn't be hard to elevate from.
One major glaring thing with Calgary though, is that regional rivals are required for a team here to work. I think you see that with hockey, football, and lacrosse, but it's hard to pinpoint who Calgary's soccer rivals are, especially since Edmonton hasn't had a team in the same league. Maybe that's part of the reason why EFC closed shop too.
I am sure this had been debated into the ground already, but I think the visibility and importance of a pro soccer team - and Foothills FC is the most professional version of soccer we would currently be getting.
Well, 10k a game for the Roughnecks and 25-30k for the Stamps are rather large niches.
More importantly, satellite communities can take a team playing in a high school field far easier than big cities do. If Calgary had a decent, dedicated soccer pitch that was reasonably accessible, it would do better.
I have plenty of friends who are soccer fans but really have no interest in PDL, but I know they will be seeking season tickets and be avid fans for a CPL team
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Originally Posted by Back2Back
The Oilers are very close on becoming a powerhouse team.
This is the kind of stuff I was talking about; we need to see some provincial rivalries going to generate interest. I will try to attend this match and cheer on Foothills FC as best I can.
