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denime
05-16-2009, 07:21 AM
Montreal closer to landing MLS team: Saputo :rolleyes:

Canada's presence in Major League Soccer could triple by 2011.
Montreal Impact president Joey Saputo said Friday he is closer than ever to moving his team from the United Soccer Leagues to the MLS after a May 7 meeting with league commissioner Don Garber and president Mark Abbott in New York.

"Whatever happened in the past, it's time to turn the page on it and move forward," Saputo said.

"They see Montreal as a great market, we see Montreal as a great potential franchise in the MLS and it's time for us to look at that."


Read More (http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2009/05/15/sp-mls-montreal.html)

Roogsy
05-16-2009, 07:29 AM
MLS is struggling to pull in 10k in many of their markets.

My guess is this is a sort of capitulation to the stand Montreal took. MLS wants Montreal in the league. If Canadian sports teams have shown anything, it's an ability to support their teams in large markets.

Except the Grizzlies of course... :D

DOMIN8R
05-16-2009, 07:31 AM
and the Nordiques and the Jets and the Expos and ................

Roogsy
05-16-2009, 07:39 AM
^ Funny enough...those teams didn't leave because the fans weren't supporting them. Those teams left for financial reasons and disagreements with local governments over funding of stadiums, etc. I don't believe any of those teams suffered from low attendance at games, not even the Expos who never had stellar attendance but they were never close to the bottom of the league.

ensco
05-16-2009, 07:49 AM
^"Capitulation"? You must be joking.

Saputo has a huge problem with the Montreal soccer community.

Dropping out over price was one thing, perhaps even the right thing, but publicly attacking the MLS league office was insane and probably made certain that Saputo will never get an MLS team. Not that any journalist would write this - au contraire, several were falling over themselves to congratulate Saputo on his "stand" at the time, but that's another story...

Vancouver getting in to MLS was a huge slap in the face to Impact fans. Who are showing their feelings by staying home. So guess what? Saputo's in PR overdrive. But I fear the damage is done.

I mean, come on. The party that needs to say Saputo is back in the game is MLS, not Saputo.

DOMIN8R
05-16-2009, 08:21 AM
From Don Garber in The Commissioner Speaks

"Expansion continues to be of interest to most readers and there were many posts regarding the status of Montreal as a potential MLS market. We continue to be impressed by the Saputo family's commitment to the sport in Montreal. The Impact is a very popular team (they attracted 55,000 fans to their Champions League match vs. Santos) and play in a soccer-specific stadium in downtown Montreal. Joey Saputo is working with a variety of local government entities on a plan to expand the capacity of Stade Saputo. I believe Montreal is a very viable MLS market and I plan to keep in regular contact with the Saputos as we continue to develop our future expansion plans."

http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20090508&content_id=250381&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp

ensco
05-16-2009, 09:14 AM
OK that does mean something. But it's a reiteration of what Garber might have said two years ago. It would be more interesting if they were actually talking about the what happened in the last bid process.

But I take back what I said above. It's not just Saputo bloviating. It is a start.

T_Mizz
05-16-2009, 09:16 AM
They seem on friendly terms now an I'm hoping for the best because this will really help grow canadian soccer, the only downside is the possible inaccuracy of that "USL 4 EVER" licence plate banner

Roogsy
05-16-2009, 09:18 AM
^ LOL! For now...the banner is good! For all we know they will stay there for the foreseeable future.

boban
05-16-2009, 09:20 AM
OK that does mean something. But it's a reiteration of what Garber might have said two years ago. It would be more interesting if they were actually talking about the what happened in the last bid process.

But I take back what I said above. It's not just Saputo bloviating. It is a start.
Ensco, it was a statement Garber said merely (at most) 2 weeks ago.
Seeing 55,000 caused Garber to revisit this city as a new MLS addition.

Beach_Red
05-16-2009, 09:35 AM
^ Funny enough...those teams didn't leave because the fans weren't supporting them. Those teams left for financial reasons and disagreements with local governments over funding of stadiums, etc. I don't believe any of those teams suffered from low attendance at games, not even the Expos who never had stellar attendance but they were never close to the bottom of the league.

Unfortunately the Expos did suffer from low attendance, but the real reason for it was foreign ownership that kept threatening to move the team. Once that kind of talk starts, people stay away. The Expos always had good attendance when they were locally owned (even in Olympic Stadium, a terrible place to play basball).

The design for the Expos downtown stadium was fantatstic (and four blocks from my house when I lived there) but the owner was never serious about putting in any money and so the governments were right not to spend anything.

Saputo has spent some of his money, he is local and so the government will help him out. Fair enough, I hope it works out.

Montreal is a bit of a sign of the future - the city is far more interested in soccer than in baseball. When I was a kid in Montreal every town had a baseball team and soccer was hardly played and not taken very seriously. That has pretty much completely flipped now.

T_Mizz
05-16-2009, 10:11 AM
i agree that this city is urning for soccer i mean who sings "ole" at a hockey game FFS

TFC247
05-16-2009, 11:12 AM
Ensco, it was a statement Garber said merely (at most) 2 weeks ago.
Seeing 55,000 caused Garber to revisit this city as a new MLS addition.

Really? So you think one game of 55,000 will grant them the expansion? Vancouver never came anywhere close to that number, and they struggle to draw 5,000 in their games, how come they never had problem getting into MLS? I would even say Vancouver's bid was actually one of the most headache-free process (even with their stadium uncertainty) in MLS expansion history.

You know why? It all comes down to $$$.

I never understood why people were taking sides and argue over things that really had nothing to do with Impact's previous bid in the first place. All these he said she said between MLS and Impact really don't mean nothing in the end. Bottom line is, Impact didn't have the money, and now they do. It's a simple business, let's not make it harder than it really is.

Redcoe15
05-16-2009, 11:48 AM
With this bit of news, here's hoping Bill Archer's head does this:

oep4mRpmrkQ&feature=related

:D

TFC07
05-16-2009, 11:58 AM
i agree that this city is urning for soccer i mean who sings "ole" at a hockey game FFS

Agreed. Montreal is a great soccer market and their rivalry with TFC is going to be something this league never seen before.


With this bit of news, here's hoping Bill Archer's head does this:

oep4mRpmrkQ&feature=related



LMAO!

boban
05-16-2009, 12:14 PM
Really? So you think one game of 55,000 will grant them the expansion? Vancouver never came anywhere close to that number, and they struggle to draw 5,000 in their games, how come they never had problem getting into MLS? I would even say Vancouver's bid was actually one of the most headache-free process (even with their stadium uncertainty) in MLS expansion history.

You know why? It all comes down to $$$.

I never understood why people were taking sides and argue over things that really had nothing to do with Impact's previous bid in the first place. All these he said she said between MLS and Impact really don't mean nothing in the end. Bottom line is, Impact didn't have the money, and now they do. It's a simple business, let's not make it harder than it really is.
Yes of course it came to money. Garber wanted the full $40 mil pop which Saputo was not going to cough up. Guess what .. neither did Vancouver pony up the full amount. Teams were dropping and Garber took what he could with already having told Montreal to stick it. Enter a game in Montreal in the Big O and Garber has to look at the picture again. Eat some money off the front end (franshise fee) with the possiblity of having great crowds and a stable franshise.

ensco
05-16-2009, 01:37 PM
Bottom line is, Impact didn't have the money, and now they do. It's a simple business, let's not make it harder than it really is.

Based on what exactly are you saying this?

I'd like to meet someone, anyone, who has more dough in 2009 than they did in 2008.

DOMIN8R
05-16-2009, 01:45 PM
^^^ Good Point. :(

Perhaps, Saputo is simply willing to pay the full amount now. He didn't appear to be so willing last year. Alternativelly, the Don may be willing to give Montreal a marginal price break or better payment terms like the one that seems to have been given to Vancouver.

You can appreciate that Ensco. After all, you're in the financing business.;)

Roogsy
05-16-2009, 01:47 PM
Based on what exactly are you saying this?

I'd like to meet someone, anyone, who has more dough in 2009 than they did in 2008.

Me! LOL!

:seeya:

DOMIN8R
05-16-2009, 01:48 PM
:frown2: ^^^:toetap05:

Short selling scum:cool::nono:


.......how many other smilies can I use. Ensco & Roogsy go get wet.

at the game

ensco
05-16-2009, 01:58 PM
Yes that may be true domin8r. Off to find a TV set on the lake (I'm up north). I'll be getting wet bigtime (it's pouring).

TFC247
05-16-2009, 02:21 PM
Enter a game in Montreal in the Big O and Garber has to look at the picture again. Eat some money off the front end (franshise fee) with the possiblity of having great crowds and a stable franshise.

Yeah, but what does that 55,000 mean? Does it mean Impact will draw that same number in regular season once in MLS? Or are you just trying to use it as a case to build Montreal as a soccer market? If it's the latter, you're acting as if this is new. There never was a doubt Montreal was a bad market for soccer, even before that CCL game. Tell you the truth, Garber should toss out that number when trying to gauge a maket size, because it's the same 'bait and switch' tactic that he has historically used to draw up investors to MLS. Fact is, these single high spiked games rarely translate into the regular season attendance, we've seen plenty of it in MLS.

However, Impact do have a history of solid regular season attendance, around 10,000-13,000, especially for USL. So, if anything, that should be the number thrown around when trying to build their case. And the fact is, everyone knew this already. Even before Toronto was granted a franchise, if there ever was a canadian expansion, common sense was Montreal. And the reason why they weren't in is not because MLS for some reason overlooked them. Truth is, Saputo could've joined in for a fraction of what TFC paid. Do a search on google, there's history between Saputo and MLS and his condescending attitude towards the league. And he's now all of a sudden willing to pay upwards of $40 Million. What happened? Did that 55,000 game inflate the price tag? It just doesn't make sense does it? Whatever small discount on MLS's part, it's likely because of current economical time if anything else.

boban
05-16-2009, 02:30 PM
Yeah, but what does that 55,000 mean? Does it mean Impact will draw that same number in regular season once in MLS? Or are you just trying to use it as a case to build Montreal as a soccer market? If it's the latter, you're acting as if this is new. There never was a doubt Montreal was a bad market for soccer, even before that CCL game. Tell you the truth, Garber should toss out that number when trying to gauge a maket size, because it's the same 'bait and switch' tactic that he has historically used to draw up investors to MLS. Fact is, these single high spiked games rarely translate into the regular season attendance, we've seen plenty of it in MLS.

However, Impact do have a history of solid regular season attendance, around 10,000-13,000, especially for USL. So, if anything, that should be the number thrown around when trying to build their case. And the fact is, everyone knew this already. Even before Toronto was granted a franchise, if there ever was a canadian expansion, common sense was Montreal. And the reason why they weren't in is not because MLS for some reason overlooked them. Truth is, Saputo could've joined in for a fraction of what TFC paid. Do a search on google, there's history between Saputo and MLS and his condescending attitude towards the league. And he's now all of a sudden willing to pay upwards of $40 Million. What happened? Did that 55,000 game inflate the price tag? It just doesn't make sense does it? Whatever small discount on MLS's part, it's likely because of current economical time if anything else.
Who said they were overlooked. It was always about money. The 55,000 just gives him more power in the negotiation process. He won't be paying $40 mil. Van and Portland didn't.

TFC247
05-16-2009, 02:36 PM
Based on what exactly are you saying this?

I'd like♠ to meet someone, anyone, who has more dough in 2009 than they did in 2008.

I hope you're being sarcastic.

If you're not, you'll likely find that someone in a city hall near future waiting to receive a seriously huge government cheese.

TFC247
05-16-2009, 02:37 PM
Who said they were overlooked. It was always about money. The 55,000 just gives him more power in the negotiation process. He won't be paying $40 mil. Van and Portland didn't.

What power? How much is he paying?

boban
05-16-2009, 03:01 PM
What power? How much is he paying?
The fact that he is even on the table and Garber meeting is evidence of some of that power. The fee is not known - its being negotiated.

Cashcleaner
05-16-2009, 03:04 PM
I never understood why people were taking sides and argue over things that really had nothing to do with Impact's previous bid in the first place. All these he said she said between MLS and Impact really don't mean nothing in the end. Bottom line is, Impact didn't have the money, and now they do. It's a simple business, let's not make it harder than it really is.

Occam's Razor strikes again! You're probably right, of course. You could go one step further and reiterate the fact that not only does Montreal have the money, but also perhaps that MLS needs the money.


Based on what exactly are you saying this?

I'd like to meet someone, anyone, who has more dough in 2009 than they did in 2008.

If you read the article, it mentions that:

"Since then (Montreal's first offer to MLS), Saputo says the Quebec government is warm to the idea of investing the $25 million necessary for the stadium expansion, which would allow Saputo to put that money towards the $35 million fee that was paid by Portland and Vancouver when they were awarded franchises."

So yeah, technically this would mean Saputo does have more money in which to secure a franchise.

TFC247
05-16-2009, 03:55 PM
The fact that he is even on the table and Garber meeting is evidence of some of that power. The fee is not known - its being negotiated.

Was he ever off the table? Yes, there was some comments exchanged between the two, but what's new? As long as there's money, door will always be open.

SmokedPanda
05-16-2009, 05:12 PM
i agree that this city is urning for soccer i mean who sings "ole" at a hockey game FFS

people sing ole at habs games because "it's the cool thing to do!" A bunch of Italian Canadiens started that chant and it's caught on.
Montreal sports fans are all bandwagon hoppers, half of those people don't understand hockey and are brain dead when it comes to soccer.

Shway
05-16-2009, 06:08 PM
[quote=TFC07;522105]Agreed. Montreal is a great soccer market and their rivalry with TFC is going to be something this league never seen before.quote]

YOU better believe it, by time they come into the league

BMO MUST BE EXPANED BY THEN, and with that they would probally realease more tickets to Limpact supporters to create a better atmosphere.

It would just make TFC, and Montreal the teams that would increase the away support ALL AROUND the league.

that is IMO:rolleyes::scarf:

SmokedPanda
05-16-2009, 06:44 PM
you guys do realise that when they had 55,000 packed into the big old toilet bowl, most of those fans we're not impact supporters but Santos laguna supporters.

plus another factor to the strong attendance was due to the very very dirt cheap ticket prices and they also gave away a lot of tickets to local teams and schools

boban
05-16-2009, 06:45 PM
you guys do realise that when they had 55,000 packed into the big old toilet bowl, most of those fans we're not impact supporters but Santos laguna supporters.

plus another factor to the strong attendance was due to the very very dirt cheap ticket prices and they also gave away a lot of tickets to local teams and schools
Your points were discussed before the game was played and were proven to be false.
Lots of Montreal fans paying $30 a pice, some more than that.

SmokedPanda
05-16-2009, 06:56 PM
so the impact will give away lots of tickets to local youth clubs or at a really super fantastic group rate..... hey maybe that will pay off in the long run when those kids have money to pay full price for tickets when they turn into adults 10 years from now and get addicted to soccer and forget about hockey and never go on habs road trips to boston or ottawa

Dirk Diggler
05-17-2009, 12:35 AM
you guys do realise that when they had 55,000 packed into the big old toilet bowl, most of those fans we're not impact supporters but Santos laguna supporters.

plus another factor to the strong attendance was due to the very very dirt cheap ticket prices and they also gave away a lot of tickets to local teams and schools

Stop making things up. It was quite obvious to anyone who watched the game on TV that the majority, by far, were Impact supporters.

RealG-TFC
05-17-2009, 09:01 AM
you guys do realise that when they had 55,000 packed into the big old toilet bowl, most of those fans we're not impact supporters but Santos laguna supporters.


Santos Laguna is a relatively small team. The Mexican population in Montreal is reather small too, and I doubt that Mexicans from New York came all the up for this game.

Toronto Ruffrider
05-17-2009, 10:15 AM
Anyone who watched the Impact/Santos tilt would know that home fans overwhelmingly outnumbered the visitors. There isn't anything to debate with regard to this topic. If Olympic Stadium was packed with Santos Laguna supporters, then they forgot not to where blue shirts that day.

jwfm1985
05-17-2009, 10:34 AM
you guys do realise that when they had 55,000 packed into the big old toilet bowl, most of those fans we're not impact supporters but Santos laguna supporters.

plus another factor to the strong attendance was due to the very very dirt cheap ticket prices and they also gave away a lot of tickets to local teams and schools

wrong. i was there. very little Santos support. Give credit where credit is due

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 10:37 AM
you guys do realise that when they had 55,000 packed into the big old toilet bowl, most of those fans we're not impact supporters but Santos laguna supporters.

Who told you that??? Let's stick to facts please.

BuSaPuNk
05-17-2009, 10:56 AM
You also have to wonder now that Montreal seems to be the talking point with Garber now...how much the French leauge cup being played in Montreal has to do with this?? Mabey the Impact are going to be "farm team" for a french leauge team, ala Chivas??

boban
05-17-2009, 11:03 AM
You also have to wonder now that Montreal seems to be the talking point with Garber now...how much the French leauge cup being played in Montreal has to do with this?? Mabey the Impact are going to be "farm team" for a french leauge team, ala Chivas??
I think you are stretching things with the French League connection.

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 11:55 AM
^ Funny enough...those teams didn't leave because the fans weren't supporting them. Those teams left for financial reasons and disagreements with local governments over funding of stadiums, etc. I don't believe any of those teams suffered from low attendance at games, not even the Expos who never had stellar attendance but they were never close to the bottom of the league.


the Expos attendance was dismal..crowds of 5,000 to 6,000 were common in the later years....Can Montreal support MLS...yes....will they....
should they get in right away..no let Saputo still for a while yet..he
had his chance,

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 12:31 PM
Montreal Expos attendance for the 10 years prior to leaving for Washington

2003 12,662
2002 10,031
2001 7,935
2000 11,435
1999 9,540
1998 11,295
1997 18,489
1996 19,959
1995 18,189
1994 22,390

And the 10 previous years before that, they comfortably averaged well over 20,000

What this shows isn't that Montreal could not support a franchise, it's that interest waned. And can you blame them? The debacle of the cancelled World Series where I am sure Montreal had a good chance at winning, coupled with the mismanagement of the team, made them a lost cause.

According to Wikipedia:


During the 1994–1995 offseason, Claude Brochu instructed general manager Kevin Malone to release the team's major stars. Larry Walker left as a free agent, and as the Expos had not offered him salary arbitration, they did not receive any compensation for Walker's departure. John Wetteland was traded to the New York Yankees, Ken Hill to the St. Louis Cardinals, and Marquis Grissom to the Atlanta Braves.[15] Many of the leading players said, in retrospect, that they would have been willing to take pay cuts in order to return in 1995 and compete once again for the World Series.[citation needed] On ESPN, Larry Walker asked rhetorically, "I was willing to take a cut to keep the team together, but I was never offered a contract. Where did the money go? We may never know."[citation needed]
The major overhaul after the 1994 season damaged the franchise and disheartened its fan base. Kevin Malone resigned as general manager in October, 1995, saying "I'm in the building business, not in the dismantling business."[25] Moisés Alou and Mel Rojas left as free agents after the 1996 season,[26] and Pedro Martínez was traded after the 1997 season, shortly after winning the Cy Young Award.[27] The team's attendance flatlined as a result of the fire sale, and never really recovered.
The Expos had losing seasons until 2002, except for 1996, when the team finished second with a .543 winning percentage. In 2002 and 2003, the team finished with identical .512 records. After losing superstar Vladimir Guerrero to free agency, the Expos finished 2004, the team's final year in Montreal, with a 67–95 record.

The Montreal franchise had a vibrant and loyal fanbase. And had they stayed in Montreal and gotten decent management (instead of releasing all their stars) they would be in a better position than the Washington Nationals, that's for sure. Instead, ownership did everything to alienate the fanbase. You can't blame Montreal for that.

Beach_Red
05-17-2009, 12:48 PM
The Montreal franchise had a vibrant and loyal fanbase. And had they stayed in Montreal and gotten decent management (instead of releasing all their stars) they would be in a better position than the Washington Nationals, that's for sure. Instead, ownership did everything to alienate the fanbase. You can't blame Montreal for that.

I was one of those fans. The cancelled World Series was a big deal, as was the strike shortened season which was one of the best Expos teams ever.

But what really sunk the Expos was when they couldn't find local ownership and Loria came in. From the very start there were rumours of moving the team and that's when attendance really started to drop off.

As long as Saputo owns the Impact he's completely tied into Quebec and not going anywhere, the fans will be there.

The Als are the model. Everyone said football was dead in Quebec but that wasn't true. Now it's soccer coming on string and it'll work.

SmokedPanda
05-17-2009, 02:26 PM
okay i'm sorry i over exaggerated with the whole Laguna supporters thing but in my opinion MLS won't survive in Montreal because they only support winners. If they don't win they turn their backs and attendance will drop fast. They have a lot of ssh right now because it's cheap and affordable but i highly doubt they will ever pay the fees that tfc ssh are paying to comepete at the same level from the get go.

a few years ago they had a good attendance record at claude robilliard because they we're selling family group tickets for four at 40$ where it was really general admission tickets. you would take your family to a soccer game and sit on the grass slopes and you got to bring in your own food and drinks. a lot of those people are not at saputo stadium anymore, it's too expensive for their budget and that was also when they last won the usl championship

the Saputos would have to build a strong contender from the get go and hopeully sell out 20,000+ like at BMO with strong and promising corporate sponcers without dishing out free tickets like they did for their game at the big o

Redcoe15
05-17-2009, 03:00 PM
the Expos attendance was dismal..crowds of 5,000 to 6,000 were common in the later years....Can Montreal support MLS...yes....will they....
should they get in right away..no let Saputo still for a while yet..he
had his chance,
You've already exposed yourself as being stupid. Stop embarassing yourself any further.

SmokedPanda
05-17-2009, 03:15 PM
maybe saputo is interested in MLS again because he realized he can't afford to buy the habs. It was on the news here several weeks ago that he looked into buying the habs from gillete and i guess the price tag was to steep so he rather join mls

boban
05-17-2009, 03:18 PM
okay i'm sorry i over exaggerated with the whole Laguna supporters thing but in my opinion MLS won't survive in Montreal because they only support winners. If they don't win they turn their backs and attendance will drop fast. They have a lot of ssh right now because it's cheap and affordable but i highly doubt they will ever pay the fees that tfc ssh are paying to comepete at the same level from the get go.
How is that any different than other cities?

jwfm1985
05-17-2009, 03:20 PM
maybe saputo is interested in MLS again because he realized he can't afford to buy the habs. It was on the news here several weeks ago that he looked into buying the habs from gillete and i guess the price tag was to steep so he rather join mls

I'm sure he can afford it... whether he wants to get into a bidding war and pay their inflated price tag is another thing

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 03:20 PM
You've already exposed yourself as being stupid. Stop embarassing yourself any further.

bite me idiot...those figures were accurate and you know it....even when the expos were on ty the announcer gave the attendances of 5,000 and change and 6,000 and change...the expos couldnt draw flies...which is why they are gone....the smae thing will happen if the Impact get into MLS..it will work for a couple of years thenn....stumble.

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 03:20 PM
But what really sunk the Expos was when they couldn't find local ownership and Loria came in. From the very start there were rumours of moving the team and that's when attendance really started to drop off.


Always a team killer.

That's why the Phoenix Coyotes are done. Finished. Stick a fork in them.

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 03:22 PM
Montreal Expos attendance for the 10 years prior to leaving for Washington

2003 12,662
2002 10,031
2001 7,935
2000 11,435
1999 9,540
1998 11,295
1997 18,489
1996 19,959
1995 18,189
1994 22,390

And the 10 previous years before that, they comfortably averaged well over 20,000

What this shows isn't that Montreal could not support a franchise, it's that interest waned. And can you blame them? The debacle of the cancelled World Series where I am sure Montreal had a good chance at winning, coupled with the mismanagement of the team, made them a lost cause.

According to Wikipedia:



The Montreal franchise had a vibrant and loyal fanbase. And had they stayed in Montreal and gotten decent management (instead of releasing all their stars) they would be in a better position than the Washington Nationals, that's for sure. Instead, ownership did everything to alienate the fanbase. You can't blame Montreal for that.
\

the strike did help kill the franchise and the ownership was sub par
will the impact be more stable? time will tell

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 03:25 PM
Always a team killer.

That's why the Phoenix Coyotes are done. Finished. Stick a fork in them.

In Pheonix there are done...but where do they go to..Bettman does not want Hamilton..Winnipeg?? Talking to Fire fans yesterday and they are concerned the owner might be trying to off load the club? and their attendance has been dismall for a good club

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 03:26 PM
Montreal can sustain an MLS team, of that I am sure. They have shown to be willing to support a USL team where there is hardly any glory at all and the Expos prove that there is enough of a population to support a team that is marketed and managed properly, both of which the Saputos have seemed able to do.

They can be successful. There is no reason whatsoever to believe Montreal cannot support an MLS team. They surely would do so better than Columbus or KC, and even bigger cities like Dallas and New York.

Beach_Red
05-17-2009, 03:44 PM
They can be successful. There is no reason whatsoever to believe Montreal cannot support an MLS team. They surely would do so better than Columbus or KC, and even bigger cities like Dallas and New York.


This is true. I know people here don't usually like the CFL, but it is successful in Montreal after a lot of people said it wouldn't be. It will be the same for Montreal in MLS, they could easily get 20,000 a game once they're in MLS.

I hope they do and I hope they lose every game they play to TFC.

SmokedPanda
05-17-2009, 04:21 PM
the alouettes are successful because they have a stadium downtown, montrealer's don't like to go to the east end of montreal...... a majority of impact supporters are Italians who live in st-leonard, rdp, st-michel, anjou and montreal north which are all neighbourhoods in the east end of the city surrounding saputo stadium

i only see the impact doing well in MLS if they have a stadium in the downtown core because people here like to go downtown on ste-caths and crescent st. before a habs or als game as a ritual...... saputo stadium has nothing around it for the cool crowd to indulge in or for the die hards to get liquored up and build up the atmosphere

montreal just doesn't have enough die hard soccer fans for the long term

S_D
05-17-2009, 04:39 PM
a few years ago they had a good attendance record at claude robilliard because they we're selling family group tickets for four at 40$ where it was really general admission tickets. you would take your family to a soccer game and sit on the grass slopes and you got to bring in your own food and drinks.

Heck you could probably make that 40.00 offering on a limited basis (no food or drink though) and they would be making just as much or more than KC and Dallas. If the gov't covers the stadium building costs, all the better. It would create some ticket scarcity too.

Beach_Red
05-17-2009, 04:41 PM
the alouettes are successful because they have a stadium downtown, montrealer's don't like to go to the east end of montreal......


We had this exact discussion on here a few months ago and I said that about the east end and downtown stadium. It may be true. When the Expos first moved into Olympic Stadium it didn't hurt attendance being out in the east end, but the Als (or the Concordes) couldn't get anyone out there.

Saputo's got his work cut out for him, no doubt, and a lot of it depends on how successful the rest of the MLS is. If the league keeps growing and getting more popular, Montreal will grow with it.

Dirk Diggler
05-17-2009, 04:56 PM
Fact of the matter is that they are already drawing quite well in a stadium located on the east end ... so I don't know why the stadium location would be a concern all over again once they get into MLS. I know the ticket prices are going to go up but I imagine that will be easily off set by the fact that they'll be drawing the attention of more people in the first place.

Blizzard
05-17-2009, 04:59 PM
Anyone who watched the Impact/Santos tilt would know that home fans overwhelmingly outnumbered the visitors. There isn't anything to debate with regard to this topic. If Olympic Stadium was packed with Santos Laguna supporters, then they forgot not to where blue shirts that day.

Agreed. For anybody to imply otherwise is a self-admission of mental instability.

B

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 05:15 PM
the alouettes are successful because they have a stadium downtown, montrealer's don't like to go to the east end of montreal...... a majority of impact supporters are Italians who live in st-leonard, rdp, st-michel, anjou and montreal north which are all neighbourhoods in the east end of the city surrounding saputo stadium

i only see the impact doing well in MLS if they have a stadium in the downtown core because people here like to go downtown on ste-caths and crescent st. before a habs or als game as a ritual...... saputo stadium has nothing around it for the cool crowd to indulge in or for the die hards to get liquored up and build up the atmosphere

montreal just doesn't have enough die hard soccer fans for the long term

This is a lot of unsubstantiated speculation...that sounds a whole lot like what people were saying about TFC.

Montreal and Toronto are more similar than people want to admit. They could support a franchise just as much as Toronto.

AL-MO
05-17-2009, 05:21 PM
Roogs, the guy lives in MTL!

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 05:28 PM
:eek:

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 05:30 PM
Meh...doesn't mean he's right. Mighty lives in the GTA...and most of us don't think his opinions are...er..."correct". LOL!

SmokedPanda
05-17-2009, 05:34 PM
you may think i am being bias since i am a proud Torontonian that emigrated to Montreal but it's hard to find enthusiastic soccer fans in this city. Or maybe it's just my age group in montreal that does not really care. I asked 11 of my friends who we're born and raised here and some who we're also on my old high school soccer team if they wanted to go watch the tfc impact game in june and none of them wanted to go. No interest in soccer, no civil pride, they just didn't give a rats ass

Dirk Diggler
05-17-2009, 05:35 PM
Roogs, the guy lives in MTL!

That doesn't mean much to be honest. I've seen people on football message boards (other than this) constantly talking shit about Toronto while being from the city itself. Unfortunately some people harbour unsubstantiated hatred towards their own cities ... something that makes them even less rational.

SmokedPanda
05-17-2009, 05:38 PM
i also forgot to mention i hate everything montreal minus poutine!:scarf:

AL-MO
05-17-2009, 05:54 PM
That doesn't mean much to be honest. I've seen people on football message boards (other than this) constantly talking shit about Toronto while being from the city itself. Unfortunately some people harbour unsubstantiated hatred towards their own cities ... something that makes them even less rational.

It means he lives there and knows the different areas of the City and what their tendencies are.

I'd put alot more credence in that, than someone who doesn't live their but is making statements.

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 06:04 PM
^ Maybe to a degree, but always with a grain of salt.

SmokedPanda
05-17-2009, 06:09 PM
okay on a brighter note '09 impacts suck wooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:scarf:

Mojo
05-17-2009, 07:11 PM
i also forgot to mention i hate everything montreal minus poutine!:scarf:

Montreal smoked meat?! Come on, I know they're french but they're good for a few more things than just poutine.



Just a few.

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 07:12 PM
And the women in Montreal. I love them... :hump:

billyfly
05-17-2009, 07:51 PM
Montreal smoked meat?! Come on, I know they're french but they're good for a few more things than just poutine.



Just a few.


I had my meat smoked in MTL once...good times.

Redcoe15
05-17-2009, 08:02 PM
bite me idiot...those figures were accurate and you know it....even when the expos were on ty the announcer gave the attendances of 5,000 and change and 6,000 and change...the expos couldnt draw flies...which is why they are gone....the smae thing will happen if the Impact get into MLS..it will work for a couple of years thenn....stumble.
Don't you fucking use the Expos as an example of why MLS is doomed to fail in Montreal, retard! Different sport, way different circumstances. You would have used that same "logic" to describe why the Alouettes would have failed their second time.

Besides, all you've done, when it comes to Montreal, is piss and shit all over the city. Saying that they don't deserve a team, that Don Garber should not give them one under any circumstance, and that suspectable markets, like Ottawa, are far more deserving of a team without giving any fucking reason whatsoever. All of your twisted, dillusional rantings flies in the face of many seasoned, intelligent soccer observers, and many MLS fans, who see nothing but upside with a team in Montreal.

Whatever one thinks of Joey Saputo, no one can ever take away his comittment to soccer. He made some dumb decisions, true, but he seems to have learned from them. And Don Garber, to his credit, never turned his back on Saputo, Montreal, and what they can bring to MLS. All signs now point to Montreal entering the league soon.

It's obvious you have a pathological hatred towards Montreal. Don't know why, and quite frankly, I don't give a fucking shit. After all, anyone who doesn't want DeRo on their team should not be taken seriously at all! Now why don't you and Bill Archer go to some back alley and jerk each other off.

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 08:07 PM
Cut out the insults guys.

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 08:08 PM
Don't you fucking use the Expos as an example of why MLS is doomed to fail in Montreal, retard! Different sport, way different circumstances. You would have used that same "logic" to describe why the Alouettes would have failed their second time.

Besides, all you've done, when it comes to Montreal, is piss and shit all over the city. Saying that they don't deserve a team, that Don Garber should not give them one under any circumstance, and that suspectable markets, like Ottawa, are far more deserving of a team without giving any fucking reason whatsoever. All of your twisted, dillusional rantings flies in the face of many seasoned, intelligent soccer observers, and many MLS fans, who see nothing but upside with a team in Montreal.

Whatever one thinks of Joey Saputo, no one can ever take away his comittment to soccer. He made some dumb decisions, true, but he seems to have learned from them. And Don Garber, to his credit, never turned his back on Saputo, Montreal, and what they can bring to MLS. All signs now point to Montreal entering the league soon.

It's obvious you have a pathological hatred towards Montreal. Don't know why, and quite frankly, I don't give a fucking shit. After all, anyone who doesn't want DeRo on their team should not be taken seriously at all! Now why don't you and Bill Archer go to some back alley and jerk each other off.


DeRo good responce,,,someone who whines about the turf in Bmo he would fit in good in Mointreal...has he ever helped Canada to the world
cup...NO...has he heled canada to the Hex...no has he done anygood
for Canada soccer at all...No////your point being? you lost that one for why he should be here.. I hate Montreal with a passion and read this very slowly so you can understand it simpleton..I hope Montreal is NEver allowed in MLS EVER.

SmokedPanda
05-17-2009, 08:29 PM
"USL 4 EVR" hahaha

wait until the quebecoise supporters start complaining about how the captain of the impact does not speak perfect french like they did with koivu.... wait until the french media does some disgraceful antic to sell newspapers..... wait until the property tax, school tax, water tax and other lame municipal tax they will slap onto the impact like they do with the canadiens

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 08:35 PM
DeRo good responce,,,someone who whines about the turf in Bmo he would fit in good in Mointreal...has he ever helped Canada to the world
cup...NO...has he heled canada to the Hex...no has he done anygood
for Canada soccer at all...No////your point being? you lost that one for why he should be here.. I hate Montreal with a passion and read this very slowly so you can understand it simpleton..I hope Montreal is NEver allowed in MLS EVER.


You are whining about someone who has FOUR MLS cups under his belt? Listen Mighty...you've totally lost the plot on the De Ro issue. You are all alone in not appreciating what he brings to this team. You make absolutely no sense.

MrHawk
05-17-2009, 08:38 PM
You just realize this now???????????

I've been trying to build the mighty translation website............it just doesn't work.

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 08:49 PM
You are whining about someone who has FOUR MLS cups under his belt? Listen Mighty...you've totally lost the plot on the De Ro issue. You are all alone in not appreciating what he brings to this team. You make absolutely no sense.


yes but the teams he was on were good teams, TFC is still expansion team +3 maybe your right maybe im being hard on him a bit, and i still hold a grudge when he wanted all Canadas wcq games in Montreal or Vancouver, but he opened that can of worms not me..lets say we miss the playoffs this year with a record the same as last year, we you still say you appreaciate what he brings to the team? DeRo might still be
our teams leading scorer by seasons end..i hope we can get 2-3 in double
digits but that does not really look promising at this point. fans all over the world have players on thier clubs they like/ do not like..just consider DeRo in the latter for me.

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 08:52 PM
All I read are rationalizations. You say he was on good teams and yet fail to acknoweldge that what made them good was having them on the team. You fail to acknowledge his MVP awards. His game winning goals. Or the fact that Houston is a shadow of the team they were without him.

In other words, you only use evidence that supports your own point of view and ignore facts that disprove it. In the process, you do a good job of killing your own point.

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 08:54 PM
"USL 4 EVR" hahaha

wait until the quebecoise supporters start complaining about how the captain of the impact does not speak perfect french like they did with koivu.... wait until the french media does some disgraceful antic to sell newspapers..... wait until the property tax, school tax, water tax and other lame municipal tax they will slap onto the impact like they do with the canadiens


dont really care for the political angle with Montreal sports teams,
just the Saputo jerk the league around and should pay for it with
a few more (5) seasons in USL...look how tought the NHL will be with Baisillie in his attempts to get a franchise...they wont let him have it and MLD
should treat Saputo no differently. Now if Gilette wanted to purchase the Impact and buy out Saputo i would say Let the Impact in ASAP..Not
a big fan Of Gilettes either i support Liverpool, but he would be a better
soccer owner in MLS.

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 08:58 PM
All I read are rationalizations. You say he was on good teams and yet fail to acknoweldge that what made them good was having them on the team. You fail to acknowledge his MVP awards. His game winning goals. Or the fact that Houston is a shadow of the team they were without him.

In other words, you only use evidence that supports your own point of view and ignore facts that disprove it. In the process, you do a good job of killing your own point.


heys its good getting MVP awards, all credit to the guy, and Yes Houston may not be the same team without him, but that said we are not much better with him...remember we were 2-0-0 with him off hurt? You defending him we mean more if we get into the playoffs and or win the
canada cup...but if we dont do either...i get the game point.

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 09:10 PM
And if we win the Canada Cup we will never hear your irrational hatred of De Ro? Unlikely. You will just backpedal with something like "we would have own it without him".

It will never be good enough for you.

He's won 4 MLS Cups and a ton of MVP awards. Still not good enough.
He will help us win the Canada Cup. Still not good enough.
If we make it into the playoffs....De Ro will have had nothing to do with it.

I gather even if we win the MLS Cup ourselves, you will still hate De Ro , so don't give me this "I get game point" nonsense. You fail to provide any sort of real, weighty rational thought to the points you bring up and then grasp at any insignificant hint that supports your view. It's a farce. All you do is ignore the evidence that isn't in your favour.

ExiledRed
05-17-2009, 09:25 PM
OOH look at all the attention you're getting!

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w180/ExiledRed/adamofeternia2xy.gif

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-17-2009, 09:34 PM
And if we win the Canada Cup we will never hear your irrational hatred of De Ro? Unlikely. You will just backpedal with something like "we would have own it without him".

It will never be good enough for you.

He's won 4 MLS Cups and a ton of MVP awards. Still not good enough.
He will help us win the Canada Cup. Still not good enough.
If we make it into the playoffs....De Ro will have had nothing to do with it.

I gather even if we win the MLS Cup ourselves, you will still hate De Ro , so don't give me this "I get game point" nonsense. You fail to provide any sort of real, weighty rational thought to the points you bring up and then grasp at any insignificant hint that supports your view. It's a farce. All you do is ignore the evidence that isn't in your favour.

oh come on we not good enough to win the MLS Cup lets get a bit realistic.. the team will win or lose based on team play, not any single players stats. DeRo will never be a fav player,but im always willing to give
players credit for playing well. last season i critisized Brennan a lot, this year not so much as he has played better. Like i said he could be our leading scorer this season, or at least in the top 3..but im no more unfair to him the TFC fans were to Cunny, the made it impossible for him to play here, but we will see by seasons end..the team is what we got..NO DP will come to Toronto for numerous factors, weather, turf, its not CHI, NY, LA,
Boston, so if DeRo is the bigest name we bring in this year so be it..lets just start playing better and getting points (at Home)!!

Dirk Diggler
05-17-2009, 10:32 PM
Can we all put mighty on our ignore lists? I would do it but it would be no good since I'll still be able to see others quoting his posts. If everyone puts him on the ignore list that problem would be gone as well.

AL-MO
05-17-2009, 10:35 PM
Our LB could be our leading scorer? :rolleyes: A team has serious issues if that was the case.

Roogsy
05-17-2009, 10:52 PM
Now that De Ro is here, his hatred of Brennan has been converted into hatred for De Ro.

De Ro must have refused to sign an autograph for him or something...

rocker
05-17-2009, 11:52 PM
funny how Saputo dissed MLS... seemed disinterested... now he's all hot for MLS.
guess that negotiation ploy failed.. hahah.

i don't think he'd get in for 2011 tho, as he seems to want. imagine an expansion draft for 3 new teams? shit.

CretanBull
05-18-2009, 05:12 AM
oh come on we not good enough to win the MLS Cup lets get a bit realistic.. the team will win or lose based on team play, not any single players stats. DeRo will never be a fav player,but im always willing to give
players credit for playing well. last season i critisized Brennan a lot, this year not so much as he has played better. Like i said he could be our leading scorer this season, or at least in the top 3..but im no more unfair to him the TFC fans were to Cunny, the made it impossible for him to play here, but we will see by seasons end..the team is what we got..NO DP will come to Toronto for numerous factors, weather, turf, its not CHI, NY, LA,
Boston, so if DeRo is the bigest name we bring in this year so be it..lets just start playing better and getting points (at Home)!!

Brennan had a good year last year, not great but definitely solid. So far this season he's under proformed and been a disapointment - he hasn't had a single stand out game.

I think I now understand you...we just have to reverse everything that you say.

boban
05-18-2009, 09:07 AM
Our LB could be our leading scorer? :rolleyes: A team has serious issues if that was the case.
I think you confused DeRo with Brennan in his post.
You have to be very alert when decoding mighty speak. ;)

Redcoe15
05-18-2009, 09:35 AM
DeRo good responce,,,someone who whines about the turf in Bmo he would fit in good in Mointreal...has he ever helped Canada to the world
cup...NO...has he heled canada to the Hex...no has he done anygood
for Canada soccer at all...No////your point being? you lost that one for why he should be here.. I hate Montreal with a passion and read this very slowly so you can understand it simpleton..I hope Montreal is NEver allowed in MLS EVER.
You call me a simpleton, yet you write like THIS!^ :nono:

Epic fail on your part. Now get on board your small bus and go home to Loserville.

Toronto Ruffrider
05-18-2009, 09:46 AM
funny how Saputo dissed MLS... seemed disinterested... now he's all hot for MLS.
guess that negotiation ploy failed.. hahah.

i don't think he'd get in for 2011 tho, as he seems to want. imagine an expansion draft for 3 new teams? shit.

I wonder how much Saputo's rush to get into MLS was influenced by Vancouver being awarded a franchise for 2011. I'd bet that Saputo doesn't want to be the only Canadian team still in USL in a couple of years.

SmokedPanda
05-18-2009, 10:41 AM
they can be Canada's team in the USL, that's if they are still part of Canada haha

Lucky Strike
05-18-2009, 05:46 PM
Pure speculation on my part based on this link: http://www.mls-rumors.net/2009/05/report-revs-robert-krafts-sneaky.html

1. Saputo buys New England.
2. He moves them to Montreal.
3. He promotes the players he wants from the Impact to the Montreal MLS team.
4. He releases the leftover players from Montreal and the purchased ex-New England team.
5. He dissolves the Montreal Impact.
6. Saputo renames his new MLS team Montreal Impact FC.
7. Presto! (well, it's not really a step but you know...)

AL-MO
05-18-2009, 07:10 PM
I think you confused DeRo with Brennan in his post.
You have to be very alert when decoding mighty speak. ;)

:lol:

I'll take a couple breaths and try to read his posts slowly....:p

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-18-2009, 07:22 PM
You call me a simpleton, yet you write like THIS!^ :nono:

Epic fail on your part. Now get on board your small bus and go home to Loserville.

I was not wrong was i?? dont forgot you started the name calling ace..!!
i did get on the bus from Toronto aka Loserville.

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-18-2009, 07:23 PM
they can be Canada's team in the USL, that's if they are still part of Canada haha


Lets no worry about Montreal period...MLS do Not need them so let them
stay in the USL 4 Ever...no loss from MLS

H Bomb
05-18-2009, 07:27 PM
I was not wrong was i?? dont forgot you started the name calling ace..!!
i did get on the bus from Toronto aka Loserville.


firstly yes you were wrong,

secondly Toronto = Loserville eh? And you're a member of Toronto FC's supporter group...what a great system we have

mighty_torontofc_2008
05-18-2009, 07:37 PM
firstly yes you were wrong,

secondly Toronto = Loserville eh? And you're a member of Toronto FC's supporter group...what a great system we have


DeRo did get us to the world cup? must have missed that one:rolleyes:

Torontos sporting record on win and loses speak for themselves,
Leafs, RaptorsRock,Jays, TFC, hardly bringing home titles or playoff action
for that matter, with luck TFC will do that...Being a supporter of TFC does not mean you have to be a supporters of Torontos other teams. PS TFC and the Rock i do support...i have other outside interests in the other sports.....Hockey...Boston and Ottawa....Basketball..Boston...Baseball
..Yankess

H Bomb
05-18-2009, 07:40 PM
to say Dero has done nothing for Canadian Soccer just proves your ignorance, the rest of your post above just goes to prove why you should be ignored.

kodiakTFC
05-18-2009, 08:25 PM
.i have other outside interests in the other sports......Baseball
..Yankess

You lost me on this one, I hate Yankee/Sox fans in Toronto. I don't get why people cheer on foreign teams in leagues which their hometown belongs to.

Hockey -> Leafs
Baseball -> Jays
Soccer -> TFC

Don't care for basketball but I do check up on the Raps here and there.

billyfly
05-18-2009, 08:39 PM
Ha ha, this little scrap is still going on...

Kodiak I found your post hilarious!!! Obviously you don't know Mighty.....

MastaK
05-18-2009, 09:25 PM
The guy who said most people (well, mostly Anglos from the West Island, the ones that got the money...) from Montreal don't like the East end is kind of right...but if we get an MLS team, I think it would help to develop the neighborhood and make it more attractive. Open a few bars & restaurants and it could become a cool place to spend a night in Montreal.

The location is pretty good 10-20 min. from downtown, near a metro station and there's a lot of parking slots. It's only the surroundings that need to get better.

billyfly
05-18-2009, 09:28 PM
Outremont rulez!

SmokedPanda
05-18-2009, 10:09 PM
the area around saputo stadium is very sad and gloomy, it's been neglected by the ville de montreal for a very long time..... east end montreal is known as the ghetto....... if they had a stadium in the heart of the downtown core like the alouettes and habs it would do really well...... when the Leafs play in montreal i love it! i love wearing my leafs jeresey downtown and seeing other leaf fans in the downtown core mixed in with habs fan you feel the energy and rivalry..... tfc and impact can easily be the best rivalry in mls but i'm not so sure the impact fo can market this team and hype it up or the fan base start up something like the rpb to create interest with the atmosphere and passion for the game

Beach_Red
05-18-2009, 10:18 PM
Pure speculation on my part based on this link: http://www.mls-rumors.net/2009/05/report-revs-robert-krafts-sneaky.html

1. Saputo buys New England.
2. He moves them to Montreal.
3. He promotes the players he wants from the Impact to the Montreal MLS team.
4. He releases the leftover players from Montreal and the purchased ex-New England team.
5. He dissolves the Montreal Impact.
6. Saputo renames his new MLS team Montreal Impact FC.
7. Presto! (well, it's not really a step but you know...)


Maybe Kraft was asking Saputo how to get government money for a stadium ;).

SmokedPanda
05-18-2009, 10:24 PM
i think they were sharing cheese making techniques and recipes

Cashcleaner
05-18-2009, 11:09 PM
the area around saputo stadium is very sad and gloomy, it's been neglected by the ville de montreal for a very long time..... east end montreal is known as the ghetto....... if they had a stadium in the heart of the downtown core like the alouettes and habs it would do really well...... when the Leafs play in montreal i love it! i love wearing my leafs jeresey downtown and seeing other leaf fans in the downtown core mixed in with habs fan you feel the energy and rivalry..... tfc and impact can easily be the best rivalry in mls but i'm not so sure the impact fo can market this team and hype it up or the fan base start up something like the rpb to create interest with the atmosphere and passion for the game

Sad and gloomy around Stade Saputo? I know I wasn't there for long, but it didn't seem at all sad or gloomy to me. While I do agree that having a stadium someplace central like McGill or Bell Centre would be ideal, I don't see people having a huge problem with taking the car or subway out to the Impact's current home.

Personally, I think Montreal could very well become one of the most supported clubs in MLS. Let's understand the fact that in 2005/2006 the Impact was bringing in a larger average attendance than the New York Red Bulls and Kansas City for that season. I'm not sure, but I would imagine that their overall crowds have only gotten bigger since then.

Redcoe15
05-18-2009, 11:43 PM
I was not wrong was i?? dont forgot you started the name calling ace..!!
i did get on the bus from Toronto aka Loserville.
I brought up DeRo as a reference point to prove how wrong you are, and you respond to my post by completely trashing DeRo. Then, briefly, you admit your pathological hatred for Montreal is the driving force for you not wanting them in MLS. You are wrong. You lose. Back on the small bus you go.

Beach_Red
05-19-2009, 09:12 AM
Sad and gloomy around Stade Saputo? I know I wasn't there for long, but it didn't seem at all sad or gloomy to me. While I do agree that having a stadium someplace central like McGill or Bell Centre would be ideal, I don't see people having a huge problem with taking the car or subway out to the Impact's current home.

Personally, I think Montreal could very well become one of the most supported clubs in MLS. Let's understand the fact that in 2005/2006 the Impact was bringing in a larger average attendance than the New York Red Bulls and Kansas City for that season. I'm not sure, but I would imagine that their overall crowds have only gotten bigger since then.

I spent a lot of time at Olympic stadium from the time the Expos moved in the 70's until I moved to Toronto in 1990 - it may not be a sad and gloomy neighbourhood but it's nowhere near like downtown Montreal. It's a working-class neighbourhood with little nightlife beyond taverns (some very good ones) and brasseries.

What the Als (and to some extent the Expos) proved is that a team in that neighbourhood has a tough time drawing from the West Island of Montreal, what is traditionally the middle-class English suburb. Though the Expos did draw well for many years.

What the Impact may prove is that they don't need to draw from the West Island to be a success. They may not need the old English communit at all if they draw well from French and allophone Montreal. They are the most "Quebecois" team in Montreal with the fleur de lys on their uniform and being tied in so closely with the Quebec government. They're like the Nordiques were in some ways.

They will be a great rival and I will enjoy crushing them every time we play them.

Oldtimer
05-19-2009, 09:17 AM
Montreal Impact are perhaps the only popular soccer team outside of Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps so it should be fitting to see them compete in Major League soccer sometime in the near future.
Montreal would provide a welcome boost for Major League Soccer in Canada with the addition of Vancouver and Toronto in the ranks.
Canadian soccer would reap benefits of having three top professional soccer teams, each based in the three biggest cities. It would also give future Canadian soccer players something to look forward to.
It would also give Canadian soccer fans a chance to enjoy an authentic Canadian-style soccer experience—one that hasn't been in play for quite a long time.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/178171-why-major-league-soccer-needs-a-montreal-franchise