CSL press conf May 13/ 09 pt 2 (new teams listed)

[Rocket Robin]

More from the CSL press conference held Tuesday May 12, 2007.

(At last…I don’t have PowerPoint on my desktop computer but I do on my new laptop but it can’t connection to the Internet so I had to go to a place with wireless connection and ‘save’ the presentation to a Word document so I could come home and type it onto my desktop.) Actually it was much more difficult than that including having to verify that I had the license for Office etc.

CSL press conference Part 2

The slides from the presentation used by the CSL to win a provisional membership to the CSA:

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Who We Are:

Commissioner
-President of a sports marketing company (clients have included CFL, CHL, NLL, Ryerson University, Costco, Buffalo Bills, etc.
-MBA, Former president of Hamilton Bulldogs; AHL marketing executive of the year.

Business/Soccer Management Team
-Our executive director (Stan Adamson), director of officials (Former FIFA referee Tony Comacho and director of discipline (Clifford Dell) combined for over 120 years of soccer capacity and experience). With Janet Leonard and Brock Robinson—4 full time employees

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Who is the CSL?
1. Only league with National ambition
2. Significant office/business infrastructure
3. 80 year history of sustainability
4. Affiliation with TFC and Impact
5. Healthy league financial model.
6. Viable plan (regional divisions)
7. Interest from Western Canada
8. Only pro league in Canada
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Common Concerns:
-Minimum standards
-International Division
-Ontario/Quebec (current)
-Capacity
-History
-Status Quo
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Why the CSA is vital:

1 The impact/importance of pro soccer
2 Viable National Model (level II)
3 Allows for effective expansion
4 The CSA has “pro soccer” in their mandate
5 Development of a true Canadian umbrella
6 A potential true success story for Canadian soccer.

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Change since 2006

2006-2007
-Change name to Canadian Soccer League
-Establish International Division
-Establish a significant franchise fee
-Remove unstable franchises
-Re-Write new rules and constitution. From 30 pages to 200.
-Attendance up from 100 average-400 average/game (consistent since)

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2007-2008
-add MLSE (Toronto FC) as a partner and TFC Academy as a member in the CSL
-Trois-Rivieres becomes official reserve club of Montreal Impact
-Establish Friday Night TV on Rogers (Saturday afternoon’s throughout 2009 season)
-Hired former FIFA Referee Tony Camacho, continue to develop Ontario, Quebec and National officials.
-Move schedule to weekends.
-Establish a Reserve Division of the CSL

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for 2009 Season:
-adopt a 1 game per week schedule (to maximize level of play)
-require all teams present and future (with 2 exceptions) to be professional –ie over 50% pro players
-limitations placed on number of affiliate players per club
-focus to add a Western Division (Man/Sask/Alb) for 2010 or 2011 (as well as seeking aggressive Ontario/Quebec expansion)

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Long term goals:
-National Presence (30 teams)
-Join CONCACAF Canadian Championship
-East (Quebec East); Central (Ontario); International (Toronto); West (Manitoba West)
-Tier II Soccer in Canada
-Coaches with standard high level licensing
-Franchises valued at $500,000
-Best soccer in Canada (aside from top flight)

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Tier 2 Objective

Picture of the three teams in the Canada Cup right now and three emblems of the CSL

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Divisions:

West................International................. .East
Calgary............Serbian White Eagles......TFC Academy
Edmonton.........Toronto Croatia.............Trois-Rivieres Attak
Regina..............Italia Shooters...............Brampton Lions
Saskatoon.........Portugal FC...................London City
Winnipeg...........Korea FC......................St Catharines Wolves
Red Deer...........Africa...........................No rth York Astros
........................Greece.................... ......Hamilton
.................................................. ..........Niagara Falls
.................................................. ..........Kitchener

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Rocket Robin’s comments:
1. No extra teams in Quebec. Maybe the argument that Joey Saputo has the territorial rights to the entire province is true.
2. No teams in British Columbia. Maybe with that province already having two leagues and not a very warm reception, the CSL has kept out of that province.
3. Looks like Windsor Border Stars who were dropped from the league this year are not coming back.
Kaplan said there would be no Edmonton vs. Toronto regular season games because of travel costs. Have to wait until the Finals.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

[Rocket Robin]

Also Kaplan said that he has received 'serious' interest from each of these listed cities/groups.

[FutureStarCSL]

quote:Originally posted by Rocket Robin

Also Kaplan said that he has received 'serious' interest from each of these listed cities/groups.

so there could be a kitchener team in 2010 or 2011?

[Alex D]

So what would "Quebec East" be if there is only 1 team allowed in Quebec. And who gave Saputo exclusive territory over the whole province. Would a CSL team in Quebec City really hurt his club?

That Niagara Falls Expansion looks interesting, I'm just trying to guess who the investors would be from around here.

[Bxl Boy]

Quebec is preparing its own semi-pro championship and, with the agreement of the Impact, doesn't allow any new team from the province in the CSL
Without new team from Quebec and any from BC, I'm not very encouraged about the national ambitions of the CSL, as 2 of the 3 main provinces aren't collaborative

[MM2]

^ Any idea how those plans are progressing? There was an article in a local paper about a Gatineau investor for the league, haven't heard anything in a long time.

[ray]

quote:Originally posted by Bxl Boy

Quebec is preparing its own semi-pro championship and, with the agreement of the Impact, doesn't allow any new team from the province in the CSL
Without new team from Quebec and any from BC, I'm not very encouraged about the national ambitions of the CSL, as 2 of the 3 main provinces aren't collaborative

Thanks for that information.

I'm glad to hear the plans for a Quebec semi-pro league league are progressing. Do you know if they still plan to kick off next year?
If a team has a chance to be part of that league, I don't see why they would want to join the CSL anyway. Why pay over $100K for a franchise? What would you really get for that money? However, you are right about collaboration being important if these leagues (CSL, PCSL, Quebec) ever want to be part of the Voyageurs Cup.

[Impact supporter]

quote:Originally posted by Bxl Boy

Quebec is preparing its own semi-pro championship and, with the agreement of the Impact, doesn't allow any new team from the province in the CSL
Without new team from Quebec and any from BC, I'm not very encouraged about the national ambitions of the CSL, as 2 of the 3 main provinces aren't collaborative

Bxl Boy,

this is not just the CSL. Another Canadian league has folded Read here :

http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/spor...a-super-league

The only way to make any CSL work and allow pro teams like the Impact to support it (ie allow more teams in Quebec) could be to merge with the CIS(university) and CCAA(collegiate) and build a junior league(instead of a semipro league) similar to the CHL see here www.chl.ca (The CSL has said it wants to be a strong plyer development league anyway)

Just a thought.

FWIW I talked to someone who plays for Longueuil and who coaches a youth team in St-Bruno(name withheld by request) and he said if there was a South Shore team there would be more value if it was a junior team than a semi pro team.