while it would be unfortunate for Canadian soccer and MLS in Canada for them to fail....on the other hand...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
We would have to do everything possible to fill their stadium on our final match there should it actually come to this.
while it would be unfortunate for Canadian soccer and MLS in Canada for them to fail....on the other hand...
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
We would have to do everything possible to fill their stadium on our final match there should it actually come to this.
Nah, they'll get secondary compensation, i.e. allocation and picks. I think.Originally Posted by pdogg
Before I moved across the world, I was running events for PlayStation and one such gig saw me attend the final home game of the season in Montreal last season. I was happy to see Stade Saputo after the renovations for the first time but I couldn't help but notice how few people were there. For the record, it was chilly and pissing rain but it was still a poor turnout. Montreal's real issue seems to be midweek games, they really see a dip. However, one thing they have going for them this year is there are far more stars in the league to bring in people this year. That's a big draw in Montreal.
Well one bad season and Montreal gets that! They self destructed and embarrassed themselves at the end of season two. If they had a team as bad as TFC has been for seven seasons... They would be long gone. I don't buy the stadium accessibility issue at all it is fine - even for West Islanders. For me it's that outdoor sports in Montreal outwith June - September is barely viable - the place is freezing. I've watched the Expos in May in the Big O and it's intolerable for more than an hour. I've sat through some pretty miserable condition at BMO - but Montreal is an order of magnitude colder.
Last edited by Hamilton_Red; 02-07-2015 at 09:06 AM. Reason: Grammar.
Having lived in the city for four years for school and having had visited many times since I think your right. There are certainly days here and there where you have your nice days but generally speaking its not ideal. Also, the stadium is not in a wonderful location but compared to many other teams in the league, its fantastic. Obviously, it would be much better if the team was downtown, perhaps around Mont Royal/Plateau would be best, but this area is suitable.
I think they've missed the boat with a French connection also .......we've beat them at that as well........but you're right Montreal had always demanded winners, byproduct of the Canadians.... I'm surprised also they're is a strong African and Latin contingent in Montreal that is ignored. Think Morrocan and Algierian especially. You'd think there would be some reasonably priced undiscovered talent there.
Accessibility is great, stadium is great, but maybe you're right with the extreme ends of the season and conditions......we'll find out in Oct......Be that as it may, I've withstood freezing rain a few times at BMO and you simply have to be a true fan, we are ! I Surprisingly , TO may simply have more in quantity and quality football supporters........Not sure if Montrealers are crazy with Mr. saputo as an owner also . He's definitely doesn't push his 'Quebec' connection . Good or bad that may be a necessity in LA belle province .
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^ It's funny you mention the "Quebec" connection. My friend the Impact fan absolutely thinks most of the Quebec-born players are garbage and would love for the team to get rid of them in exchange for some better talent coming from outside of the province. To be fair, there's only a handful of recognizable Quebecois players in the entire league, so I can't say I disagree with him.
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I agree, I didn't actually mean players from Quebec, simply accessing the people , culture in some way . As for players, I was thinking at least some French speaking players . Mr. Saputo for me , is not a recognized Québécoise . And most in the province have a strong attachment for their province .
I think that's the direction they are now going in more or less. Reporters are going gaga over the fact that Soumare, Ciman, Camara, and (in theory) Oyongo constitute an all french-speaking back-line.
I think this is why Joey is doubly jealous of us. Not only did we get Giovinco, but we also got Cheyrou and Perquis.
Yeah, we certainly had the impact by the balls this off season. Makes me laugh that we beat Joey in his own backyards.
Side bar: Does anyone have any idea how well the impact try to access the anglophone market there? Is it an even balance or more francophone centric? Do take the same type of pro francophone stance as the rest of Quebec.
I'd like to know that too since we have people saying they ignore the anglophones and some saying they ignore the francophones. If I had to guess I think they would appeal more to anglophone market. To my knowledge Lino Saputo lives as far West as you can get on West Island in a large estate and Joey lives in Westmount, an affluent anglophone neighbouhood just west of downtown (which itself is already west of the St. Laurent boundary). That and just listening to the likes of Adam Braz, Nick de Santis, and Joey himself in French you really get the impression that they feel much more comfortable communicating in English.
Yeah, but you have to figure that part of impacts struggles at the turnstiles are a distinct lack of a solid marketing approach to one of either of those two markets. I mean, if you live in a province dominated by francophones you'd think they try and tap the French leagues more, non?
You'd also think they try and avoid having too many 'mericans on the squad. Because the gross of people I know from Quebec tend to hate 'mericans more than the average Canadian in my experience.
Montreal is a tough market, for many things. Because it's part of North America there's always going to be a lot of English involved, as there is in the Impact from office. But that doesn't hurt the Als. It does affect the Canadiens, though, who will never have an Anglo coach or GM. That may be because football is seen as a North American sport and the people who like it accept that but hockey is such an intergral part of Quebec it needs to be Québécois.
So, where does soccer fit in? Right now it seems that Saputo is having trouble working that out.
Easy, it's immigrants and minorities in Montreal that will support soccer. That should be market Impact should be marketing towards not Quebecers who don't give a shit about other sports besides Hockey and other niche sports like diving.
Well, that would mean more North African connections, I guess, but is that really a big enough market to,support a team in a league with teams like LA? Immigration to Montreal has been quite different than immigration to Toronto or Vancouver since 1991 when Quebec took control of its own. Maybe there's a big enough of a market for a soccer team, but MLS? I guess we'll find out.
Montreal is small market! Sooner they accept that role, the better they will be. There is only couple of markets that can compete with L.A. (Toronto being one of them). If you look at Vancouver (smaller market than Montreal), they seem to do well both on-field and off-field.
Well, this is the heart of the issue. Montreal is a small market if it's just the city - in that case the stadium is fine. But if you include the west island and the rest of the suburbs then only five MLS cities are bigger. But then the stadium is in a bad location.
It does seem that Saputo hoped the small city market would be enough and now he's complaining it isn't. So, it's not so much that Montreal is a small market, just a tough market. Probably too tough for Saputo and likely too tough for anyone else to buy the team from him.
This is is also why baseball isn't coming back to Montreal any time soon (unless Tampa relocate, but it won't last).
I will extend that to not just immigrants and minorities but just traditional soccer fans in general (which tend to already be immigrants). TFC had success doing just that. They went after knowledgeable and sophisticated fans who grew up watching the big leagues in Europe and CL. Sure some were too snobbish to consider MLS but others (like myself) got hooked.
The problem with Montreal is that no one talks about any other sport but hockey here. I have yet to meet a fan of the NBA. People at work aren't even aware that the Impact exist. People are borderline disgusted that I don't support the Habs. You don't get that in Toronto.
If I were Saputo, I'd find the soccer fans in Montreal and market from there.
Remember the days when folks around here were envying how the built there team and thinking we should emulate it?
needs to go to the burbs; dollar, outremont, get the greeks, italians and arabs on board. Passionate hard-working burbs in montreal. Give them a cheap subway+game+beer tickets for the pub after package and they'll go en masse, if the right players are signed.
Its interesting that they haven't tried to sign more top French players as of yet. They don't need to go the Italian route just because the owners are, I think getting French nationals would be much easier and more cost effective for them, probably a lot more marketable too.
Lolololol wish I could favorite this. So true
Yup! lol
Saputo has been known to be a shrewd business man. But he is also, at times, accused of being an elitist and condescending to his fan base.
I find it interesting that he would communicate that this franchise is in trouble because of a lack of ticket sales. On one hand, it puts Montreal on notice that if they don't make more of an effort to support this team bad things may happen to the franchise. Because he doesn't intend on breaking the bank. He also seems to imply that the market has an obligation to support the Impact, because of the Saputo investments to date. On the other hand, he's telegraphing to the market that there is some risk associated with this team. Perhaps guilt will trump the this-team-is-a-looser-both-on-the-field-and-in-boardroom-so-why-should-we-support-them crowd. We shall see.
Interesting to watch tough.
"Failure simply isn't an option at this stage. TFC pushed its chips to the middle of the table when it splurged on Bradley and Defoe and reinforced its bet by making savvy acquisitions elsewhere. This collection of players is capable of delivering on the promises made during the close season. There are no more excuses available for TFC. Only success will continue the process of atoning for the past and establishing a higher standard for the future." FOX Sports
Saputo is making a big mistake suggesting the franchise is at risk. Montreal has suffered through the Expos and Allouettes/Concordes fiascos - putting that seed into the team is a losing proposition. They should be looking at Vancouver's model & emulating it - that is how a good competitive franchise is built. Toronto is using the sugar daddy approach to being competitive - who knows maybe this year we will get lucky finally.
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“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
Bon chance avec ca Montreal
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