Working on something related to potential @naslofficial team in GTA. Have solid lead on who main backer is. Interest is legit. $ is there.
New NASL team in GTA?
Working on something related to potential @naslofficial team in GTA. Have solid lead on who main backer is. Interest is legit. $ is there.
Definition of GTA? Cause the Ti-Cats have been looking into NASL for awhile.
He said in a later tweet that it is a different group to Hamilton.
sweet! with Raul coming into that league, this could be interesting
Unless I am confusing the NASL with something else, isn't it MLSE he is referring to? Bez told us that at a supporters meeting a few months ago and I think he said it at one of the year end pressers.
You're thinking of the USL Pro team.Originally Posted by Yagbod
That sucks!
GTA is big enough to support NASL, MLS and USL-Pro.
By all accounts Hamilton is still in play for NASL. So it would be Toronto and Hamilton in NASL.
Where will this Toronto NASL team play? Share BMO field with TFC (similar to Chivas-LAG?)? If so, then it wouldn't workout. Toronto NASL either have to play in uptown Toronto (York University) or somewhere 905 region.
Too early to say.
I can't see an NASL team playing anywhere else except Hamilton. I'd consider London or Kitchener-Waterloo, but I don't think they're considered GTA. The only other place I could think of would be Vaughan (they always seem to have a soccer chip on their shoulder). Still, if there is a GTA and Hamilton team in play, that could be very interesting from a rivalry view. However, I wonder if there is enough interest to support both.
I don't see it.
NASL in Hamilton, sure.
USL in the GTA, sure.
FORMER FULL TIME KOOL-AID DRINKER
Why not?
Hamilton is small town and if it was part of GTA, they will be 4th biggest city. I can see Toronto NASL working out if they play somewhere in 905 region (Mississauga probably logical place) or York University area.
im all for it. It would force TFC to compete in the league and to compete for an audience. Ill support TFC til the day i die but i love the idea of them being under pressure.
Its been long suggested that the Hamilton team would play inthe Ti-Cats stadium
I've heard lots this year about NASL to Hamilton, Calgary and other CFL cities, but this is the very first time we're hearing something semi-official about Toronto, I'm pretty surprised.
I'd personally rather see NASL to Hamilton and Calgary, and see the TFC USL Pro affiliate worked out instead asap. I think we could use a full proper U-23 USL Pro affiliate to really properly develop our L1O academy graduates, instead of sending just 4 players over to Wilmington.
Why? GTA is big enough to support all 3 teams.
You already a got club in downtown Toronto and TFC's Under 23 team in Vaughan where it will be free to go watch their games.
So why reject higher quality team than USL-Pro coming to Toronto especially if they're playing somewhere in 905 region?
The only city that currently has both a MLS and a NASL club is NYC, and the Cosmos are struggling to get a proper stadium while playing in Long Island right now at Hofstra University. Their attendance has been declining badly this year compared to 2013, and their stadium proposal plans seem to be struggling (I'm following the Cosmos stadium issue casually as an Ottawa supporter). NYCFC isn't going to help.
The Atlanta Silverbacks decided this month that they will not try to compete with the incoming Atlanta MLS side and are looking for a relocation. All these are just observations to keep in mind, I understand there are many differences between the clubs and the cities of NYC, Toronto and Atlanta
Well Toronto is completely different market compare to those two markets.The only city that currently has both a MLS and a NASL club is NYC, and the Cosmos are struggling to get a proper stadium while playing in Long Island right now at Hofstra University. Their attendance has been declining badly this year compared to 2013, and their stadium proposal plans seem to be struggling (I'm following the Cosmos stadium issue casually as an Ottawa supporter). NYCFC isn't going to help.
The Atlanta Silverbacks decided this month that they will not try to compete with the incoming Atlanta MLS side and are looking for a relocation. All these are just observations to keep in mind, I understand there are many differences between the clubs and the cities of NYC, Toronto and Atlanta
Toronto already has numbers and interest for soccer from grassroot to make it work out. Given there's a lot of anti-TFC soccer folks in city, Toronto NASL could attract those folks to support their club to make it anti-TFC/anti-MLSE team.
I'm not rejecting anything, but I think the GTA needs a TFC-affiliated USL Pro side more than it needs a NASL side, because the TFC U-20 players in L1O need further development, and a TFC U-23 team in USL Pro would provide just that.
A NASL club in GTA would be competition to the TFC, and sure, it might be cool, but I think it would be better in the grand scheme of things to see the CFL group in Hamilton get the NASL club instead. The CFL ownership groups are trying to grow footy and NASL in Canada in cities like Calgary and Victoria, and in the bigger scheme of things, I think that would do more for footy in Canada than a NASL side in GTA competing against TFC would.
I disagree. NASL is much higher quality than USL-Pro everyone from soccer community (players to fans) should support and want best possible league in their city. Having TFC USL-Pro playing in soccer centre isn't going to have that big of impact on soccer landscape in GTA compare to NASL team where it will be run by different group that can rival TFC from first team (for domestic players) to academy. It will give more options for local players to play and develop at higher level than USL-Pro.
Given Argos looking for new home, maybe they will build a stadium with Toronto NASL team instead of joining BMO field. If so, it makes even more sense to this rumour.A NASL club in GTA would be competition to the TFC, and sure, it might be cool, but I think it would be better in the grand scheme of things to see the CFL group in Hamilton get the NASL club instead. The CFL ownership groups are trying to grow footy and NASL in Canada in cities like Calgary and Victoria, and in the bigger scheme of things, I think that would do more for footy in Canada than a NASL side in GTA competing against TFC would.
Hamilton will have their own team regardless if Toronto/GTA gets one or not. This NASL Canadian thing is started by Hamilton owner with help of CSA who want to create all Canadian league in the long term. There's no way you have a Canadian league without Toronto team.
Maybe they will build a 20K stadium and share it with the Argos.....
What about Varsity?
That does not bode well for NASL, if that is the case. It's only a matter of time before MLS poaches Minnesota, San Antonio, and Indianapolis to cut NASL's profitablility to zero. Just look at how the Silverbacks collapsed at the end of the season. They must know their days are numbered.The Atlanta Silverbacks decided this month that they will not try to compete with the incoming Atlanta MLS side and are looking for a relocation. All these are just observations to keep in mind, I understand there are many differences between the clubs and the cities of NYC, Toronto and Atlanta
If NASL tries to build a team in the Toronto Area, you can bet that MLS will do all it can kill it.
It might be a play by prospective Argos owners to obtain a NASL franchise as leverage for the construction of a new stadium somewhere in 905 or elsewhere outside of downtown. I think Woodbine racecourse lands would be a prime location for redevelopment including stadium, hotel, retail, residential + the existing racecourse. It could be done loosely following the Ottawa model of CFL/NASL ownership. That said, maybe Woodbine Entertainment is interested? The racing industry is tanking in Canada. They might be looking to diversify their holdings.
There's this connection too: http://cfl.ca/article/jim-lawson-app...d-of-governors
Last edited by tovan; 11-03-2014 at 02:16 PM.
We are getting into finer and finer details, and I think we could go on this thread all day, but I gotta get back to work. You got good points for sure, but I said above that supporting both MLS and NASL in one CMA (or two MLS sides in one CMA) is a really tough ask. Hey, if it happens, I'll be there to support, I'm not rejecting anything.
I think that the GTA needs a USL Pro side that's fully stocked with TFC L1O graduates more than a competing NASL side. I think it's important that the kids in the GTA have a good straight path towards MLS, and right now, I think there's a bit of a gap between L1O and MLS that is missing. I'm assuming that TFC will get a USL Pro side soon. If the GTA has MLS, USL Pro and USL PDL, could it really support NASL on top of that? I know you will say yes, but I would say no, for now.
And the CFL-NASL-CSA thing, it was supposed to be for a Canadian division within NASL, and it was going to exclude Tor/Mtl/Van anyways. I think it'd be risky for the NASL to put a club in both Hamilton and in Toronto/Ssauga. My last reply for the day, cheers.
What you're saying only benefits TFC and MLS not Canadian soccer community in general. Putting all your eggs in one basket (TFC) for youth development in Toronto is more risky than having two pro teams fighting for best players in region. Having two professional academies where kids can graduate to play for first team is better than one.
TFC USL-Pro team isn't in for profit (tickets are free for their games), but just strictly for developing some of their players (not just some academy players but also their draft picks who are mostly American players). How's that better than having another pro team where their main purpose is to develop players for Canadian national team (that's what on-field goal is according to Hamilton Ti-cats owner)?
If Mississauga were to be home to an NASL team...I'd be all over that. But it would have to be called Mississauga and not Toronto.
The neighbourhood would have a bird.
Haha, alright, if we footy fans can get a TFC USL Pro side, and a GTA NASL side, and a Hamilton NASL side, and NASL sides in other mid-sized Cdn cities, and if they can all survive (and not forgetting about L1O), then sure, why the hell not? It's a big ask, but if it can be done, sure! I'll do my part, and I know you will as well. My really big point is that we need that USL Pro side more than the NASL side, that's it.
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