Saputo questions Impact viability in Montreal

[jloome]

From Soccer By Ives today:
SAPUTO, IMPACT WORKING TO BOOST FAN INTEREST

Over the club’s three years in MLS, the Montreal Impact have quickly slid down the league’s attendance list. Entering 2015, team owner and president Joey Saputo worries they could slip even further.
Attendance in Montreal was down about 15 percent last year alone as the Impact struggled through a season that saw them finish at the bottom of the standings.

“If people are saying ‘Let’s see what kind of team we have before buying season tickets,’ I can say we did our part,” Saputo told the CBC. “We changed the team.
“We saw what wasn’t working last year. We brought in 11 new players. The 12th player, our fans, is tougher to sign.”
With only about 5,000 season tickets sold, the Impact project that the club could place as low as 13th in MLS attendance this season. That’s a big departure 2012, when they broke into MLS and posted the third-highest attendance in the league.
“The disappointment is thinking we’d be more relevant in the city after three years,” Saputo said. “Either we missed the boat (in marketing) or we missed the boat totally in thinking this was a soccer market.”

Now, given that the team has been propped up for years -- well back into its A-league days -- by provincial support and mass ticket giveaways (I was told in the first few seasons as many as 6,000 per game), should he really be surprised?

It's Montreal. I lived in the eastern townships for several years and Montreal was our hangout; but the history of the Habs has meant that they demand winners and professionalism, and they won't go out of downtown to get it. Ask the Expos, the Concorde, the Manic, the Allouettes (the move changed their fortunes completely).

If he gets the same level of investment involved as Toronto and puts an SSS downtown, he'll sell the place out.

As long as they win games.

[Milanista]

He can't spend like TFC....very few teams can, maybe 3-4 tops

From Soccer By Ives today:
SAPUTO, IMPACT WORKING TO BOOST FAN INTEREST

Over the club’s three years in MLS, the Montreal Impact have quickly slid down the league’s attendance list. Entering 2015, team owner and president Joey Saputo worries they could slip even further.
Attendance in Montreal was down about 15 percent last year alone as the Impact struggled through a season that saw them finish at the bottom of the standings.

“If people are saying ‘Let’s see what kind of team we have before buying season tickets,’ I can say we did our part,” Saputo told the CBC. “We changed the team.
“We saw what wasn’t working last year. We brought in 11 new players. The 12th player, our fans, is tougher to sign.”
With only about 5,000 season tickets sold, the Impact project that the club could place as low as 13th in MLS attendance this season. That’s a big departure 2012, when they broke into MLS and posted the third-highest attendance in the league.
“The disappointment is thinking we’d be more relevant in the city after three years,” Saputo said. “Either we missed the boat (in marketing) or we missed the boat totally in thinking this was a soccer market.”

Now, given that the team has been propped up for years -- well back into its A-league days -- by provincial support and mass ticket giveaways (I was told in the first few seasons as many as 6,000 per game), should he really be surprised?

It's Montreal. I lived in the eastern townships for several years and Montreal was our hangout; but the history of the Habs has meant that they demand winners and professionalism, and they won't go out of downtown to get it. Ask the Expos, the Concorde, the Manic, the Allouettes (the move changed their fortunes completely).

If he gets the same level of investment involved as Toronto and puts an SSS downtown, he'll sell the place out.

As long as they win games.

[OgtheDim]

He can.

He's chosen to spend it in Bologna.

[jloome]

He can't spend like TFC....very few teams can, maybe 3-4 tops

Not on his own, no. But he can team up with a larger corporate partner. He's a co-owner at Bologna right now, which affords him good contacts elsewhere. Surely he could find another investor.

[RealG-TFC]

They should be fine. I think he's just trying to scare people into buying into them more and he's bitter about losing out on Giovinco (and Gilardino) I think they are fine with the location of Saputo Stadium, it is rather easy to get to being on the subway line.

[ag futbol]

Different culture in Quebec when it comes to sports and how fans purchase tickets.

One thing people aren't talking about that is absolutely pounding Canadian teams right now is the fx rate. Hedging will only take you so far, if they are doing it at all.

[Beach_Red]

They should be fine. I think he's just trying to scare people into buying into them more and he's bitter about losing out on Giovinco (and Gilardino) I think they are fine with the location of Saputo Stadium, it is rather easy to get to being on the subway line.

This is what the Expos thought, too. But the whole west island is poorly served by the metro. No one but a government would have put that stadium where it is.

[TFC07]

Saputo making excuses already? First with blaming TFC for lack of DP signings now this? What's next?

I hope Saputo get his shit together or just sell club to someone else who would invest into making Impact summer team to support in Montreal and Quebec.

Hate them or love them, but we need a good Impact team for sake of real rivalry and growing the game in this country.

[jloome]

This is what the Expos thought, too. But the whole west island is poorly served by the metro. No one but a government would have put that stadium where it is.

LOL, Pie Neuf. What were they thinking? (It's Quebec, of course, so construction graft and the price of property on Nun's Island probably had more to do with it than anything).

[ManUtd4ever]

No surprise. Montreal is well known for their fickle fan base for all professional sports. During their lean years, even the Habs saw a significant decline in attendance.

[Fort York Redcoat]

No surprise. Montreal is well known for their fickle fan base for all professional sports. During their lean years, even the Habs saw a significant decline in attendance.

[Strikers]

This all has to do with Saputo being with Bologna FC. Did they not tell him there is no salary cap in Seria A Seria B and the whole of European Leagues.

All his money will go to Bologna FC and the Impact will be in limbo.

[Beach_Red]

Saputo making excuses already? First with blaming TFC for lack of DP signings now this? What's next?

I hope Saputo get his shit together or just sell club to someone else who would invest into making Impact summer team to support in Montreal and Quebec.

Hate them or love them, but we need a good Impact team for sake of real rivalry and growing the game in this country.

If anyone else ever steps up. Canadians just don't seem to be very interested in owning sports teams. Even the Habs were owned by an American for a while. Maybe an American will buy the Impact, too, if Saputo wants out.

[PAOK17]

Now that I live in Montreal I can tell you that I no longer buy the stadium location argument for low attendance. It's on the Metro line, and it literally is at most a 20 minute ride from downtown. The city of Montreal is so small, that anything on the subway line should be enough to discredit the stadium location argument.

You can walk across downtown in less than an hour. The city is tiny. If someone wanted to, they could walk to Saputo Stadium from downtown in less time that it takes most fans in Toronto to get to BMO with transit or car.

It's the Montreal culture. The Habs are king.

[Jack]

Boo-fucking-hoo.

[Beach_Red]

Now that I live in Montreal I can tell you that I no longer buy the stadium location argument for low attendance. It's on the Metro line, and it literally is at most a 20 minute ride from downtown. The city of Montreal is so small, that anything on the subway line should be enough to discredit the stadium location argument.

You can walk across downtown in less than an hour. The city is tiny. If someone wanted to, they could walk to Saputo Stadium from downtown in less time that it takes most fans in Toronto to get to BMO with transit or car.

It's the Montreal culture. The Habs are king.

So you don't think they need any fans from the west island?

[jimiv]

Not on his own, no. But he can team up with a larger corporate partner. He's a co-owner at Bologna right now, which affords him good contacts elsewhere. Surely he could find another investor.

He could ask his dad for a hand out, Lino Saputo's worth $5 Billion.

[PAOK17]

So you don't think they need any fans from the west island?

I never said that. But if someone from the West Island is willing to watch them downtown, then the 20 extra minutes shouldn't be deal killer.

In Toronto I lived in North York. BMO Field isn't exactly in the heart of downtown either. It's a good 20 minute streetcar or bus ride from the nearest subways station. In other words, potentially 20 minutes longer to get to from where the ACC or Rogers Centre. How is that any different than the relative location of Saputo Stadium from the Bell Centre?

Maybe it's because I'm from Toronto and am just used to travelling farther distances.

[RealG-TFC]

So you don't think they need any fans from the west island?

I will admit i'm never in West Island when I'm in mtl but is there not a highway that runs from dorval up to Anjou?

[jloome]

I never said that. But if someone from the West Island is willing to watch them downtown, then the 20 extra minutes shouldn't be deal killer.

In Toronto I lived in North York. BMO Field isn't exactly in the heart of downtown either. It's a good 20 minute streetcar or bus ride from the nearest subways station. In other words, potentially 20 minutes longer to get to from where the ACC or Rogers Centre. How is that any different than the relative location of Saputo Stadium from the Bell Centre?

Maybe it's because I'm from Toronto and am just used to travelling farther distances.

That's basically it. Montrealers consider downtown the city; anything past Decarie is practically the burbs. In fact, many of the montrealers I knew wouldn't even go to the old town; that was considered too far.

[Cashcleaner]

I have a hard time buying the argument that Stade Saputo is too remote for most Montrealers to get to. Sure, it's not centrally-located, but it's still relatively easy to access and is serviced by two nearby subway stations (Viau and Pie-IX). In many ways, I would wager that Stade Saputo is easier for more Impact fans to get to than BMO Field is for a lot of TFC supporters. I know getting from my house in Oshawa to Exhibition stadium on match day requires about an hour and a half of time both going there and coming back.

I don't know what the deal is with Saputo and the Impact. Even with the Canadiens being the King of Sport in that city, the MLS team has relatively little local competition for fan dollars given the nature of the MLS season. Sure, hockey playoffs can go into June and that can put a dent into the Impact's early season attendance numbers, but the Allouettes don't have amazing attendance - they're actually below the CFL's league average and I just don't see that team drawing a lot of fans away from the Impact.

Personally, think this recent bad news is primarily on the shoulders of the Impact marketing team and the various players and coaches who have yet to move the club past the knockout round for the MLS Cup playoffs. Most Montrealers simply aren't like most Torontonians. They will not accept a mediocre product on the pitch. If Joey Saputo wants more people watching the Impact play live, he's going to have to invest in quality coaches, managers, scouts, trainers, and players - and make sure they play to their full potential. Because Montrealers have demonstrated plenty of times in the past that they will not pay good money to watch a bad team play.

[Defoe]

To add fuel to the fire Oyongo not reporting

[Richard]

Isn't Montreal a dying city financially?

[Beach_Red]

That's basically it. Montrealers consider downtown the city; anything past Decarie is practically the burbs. In fact, many of the montrealers I knew wouldn't even go to the old town; that was considered too far.

Drapeau used to brag he'd never been west of the Decarie. It's not the miles, it's the attitude. Maybe you have to live it to get it, but it's there. It has to be something special to get many west islanders to that stadium and right now it looks like MLS isn't doing it. Likely Saputo didn't care about the Anglo demographic at all.

[TFC07]

Isn't Montreal a dying city financially?

Quebec in general is dying and aging (I believe they're one of oldest provinces in Canada now). This is why they're so bitter at GTA and Western Canada since all money and power (you don't need Quebec to win majority government anymore) is there now.

[tfcleeds]

Eh, as far as growth of the sport in Canada is concerned, that's where I hope the Impact are somewhat successful. Otherwise, they and Joey can all suck an egg. Montreal always has been, and always will be, a Habs town. Any other sports franchise is really going to have their work cut out to be successful at the gate long-term.

[QBall]

Isn't Montreal a dying city financially?

From what it appears Montreal traded for a player that NYRB wasn't allowed to trade since he was on loan. Only in MLS can teams pull fast ones on each other.

[greatwhitenorf]

The location of Stade Saputo certainly isn't an issue at present. The location is a peach to get to on the Metro and parking is decent all around there. Montreal on the whole certainly comes across as being only interested in supporting winning teams, but I thought the soccer crowd was different. I remember what good fun it was to go to Impact games when they were at the very unsophisticated Claude Robillard stadium. The crowd there certainly weren't seeing top flight sport but there was a lot of sporting bon homie towards the game itself.

But if baseball ever makes a return to Montreal, the Impact will have heavy sledding ahead of them.

[Yohan]

To add fuel to the fire Oyongo not reporting

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/impac...broise-oyongo/
lulz

[pdogg]

Would the trade not be voided then and players returned to their respective teams? If they traded an asset that could not be traded, they did not fulfill their side of the agreement?