MLS in Montreal?

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MLS in Montreal?; Impact Want To Move To MLS
Topic Started: Wednesday Mar 26 2008, 02:02 PM (693 Views)
Cougar	Wednesday Mar 26 2008, 02:02 PM Post #1
Posts: 8,707 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions NBA Team Toronto Raptors NHL Team Montreal Canadiens	Montreal is pretty multi-cultural and like Toronto, probably has a good soccer following. http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/news_story/?ID=232884&hubname= Quote: Gillett, Impact seek MLS team in Montreal The Canadian Press 3/26/2008 1:12:19 PM MONTREAL - Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett has teamed up with the Montreal Impact in a bid for a Major League Soccer franchise, Impact president Joey Saputo said Wednesday. "I can confirm that we are in discussions with Gillett Entertainment Group as well as with Major League Soccer to bring an MLS franchise to Montreal," Saputo said in a statement. "However, I am currently in no position to share any more details, since doing so would jeopardize the process." Montreal La Presse reported that they hope to call the team Montreal FC and begin play in the 2009 season. The two would split the $30-million franchise fee as well as a $12-million expansion of Saputo Stadium from 13,000 to 20,000 seats. The privately financed facility near Olympic Stadium in the city's east end is set to open this season. The report said Gillett's company and Saputo informed MLS of their interest in a letter on March 12. Gillett became majority owner of the Canadiens in 2001. In 2007, he teamed with Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks to purchase soccer giant Liverpool and a few months later became majority owner of the Gillett-Evernham NASCAR team.



WeatherManNX01	Wednesday Mar 26 2008, 03:08 PM Post #2
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Posts: 14,131 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots NBA Team Boston Celtics NHL Team Boston Bruins NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	It's an interesting idea...but I think MLS really wants to focus on St. Louis (they have a stadium plan, they just need ownership) and the south (Atlanta and Miami are strong contenders). Plus, MLS is strongly considering a team in downtown New York City (I've heard the site of Shea Stadium as a candidate). I suppose if they can get a good, deep-pocketed ownership group and a stadium deal in place, then MLS will strongly consider them. After all I didn't really see Seattle coming at all. So I know that Montreal was on Garber's list of possible expansion cities, and that St. Louis and the south are the next priorities. So we'll have to wait and see.



Cougar	Wednesday Mar 26 2008, 03:31 PM Post #3
Posts: 8,707 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions NBA Team Toronto Raptors NHL Team Montreal Canadiens	I don't know how much soccer oriented St. Louis is, but I just find Montreal a better fit for an MLS team than St. Louis. But of course, St. Louis has a stadium and can probably have successful attendance. Seattle I didn't see coming either. I would rather see Vancouver. It's pretty close in size, more diverse, probably more soccer oriented (not that you need a city that cares for soccer but you gotta go where there's interest) and plus you get the market of Seattle and the surrounding area. But perhaps by going to Seattle, you also get the market of Vancouver so maybe it really doesn't matter. Also, New York is a big city. Two teams makes sense.



WeatherManNX01	Wednesday Mar 26 2008, 05:21 PM Post #4
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Posts: 14,131 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots NBA Team Boston Celtics NHL Team Boston Bruins NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	St. Louis is a very viable soccer market. Women's Professional Soccer will have a club in St. Louis next year when the league kicks off. The only reason Philadelphia got the expansion team over St. Louis is that Philly got the ownership and stadium deal in place before St. Louis did. St. Louis has the stadium plan (not an actual stadium) but not the ownership group. With this news from Montreal, my expected expansion list (through the 20th team) looks like this: 17. St. Louis 18. Montreal 19. Miami 20. New York City Once St. Louis gets an ownership group, they're as good as gold for expansion. Montreal has ownership, a stadium plan, and an established fanbase, so they're clearly next on the list. Miami is considering putting an MLS stadium on the Orange Bowl site (which would give them a better demographic than the Miami Fusion had), and the league would like a team in the south to attract fans from that region to the league. Finally, New York is the largest city in the United States, and every one of the Big Four leagues has two New York teams. Now, I know sre141 doesn't like the idea of having two MLS teams in the same city (even the Galaxy and Chivas USA), but the league would like to concentrate NY2 on the city crowd rather than the New Jersey Meadowlands crowd. Yeah, they'll both have the New York name, but the Red Bulls are as good as a New Jersey team. Of course, now USL-1 is going to have to give serious consideration to their own expansion, since they'll lose the Sounders to the MLS team, then Miami FC, Atlanta Silverbacks, and Montreal Impact would also end up folding should their respective cities get MLS teams.



WeatherManNX01	Thursday Apr 17 2008, 06:27 PM Post #5
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Posts: 14,131 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots NBA Team Boston Celtics NHL Team Boston Bruins NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	From the Globe and Mail: Quote: The two Canadian members of USL-1, the continent-spanning league one level below Major League Soccer,, kicked off with Vancouver edging the visiting Impact 1-0 on Saturday at the old, outmoded, but admittedly picturesque Swangard Stadium. While reclusive billionaire owner Greg Kerfoot continues to struggle with the city over a site for the soccer stadium he'd be only too happy to build on the Vancouver waterfront, Montreal is excitedly preparing for the gala opening of Stade Saputo � the sweet, simple new 13,500-seat ground on a low rise just behind the crumbling visual domination of the old Stade Olympique. This has long been a league where bare-bones survival has seemed the most apparent goal. But Montreal and Vancouver have taken a very different approach. Both teams are backed by significant private money. Kerfoot in Vancouver, Joey Saputo's wealthy family empire in Montreal � these are ambitious owners, building new soccer stadiums (or trying to) and looking up to possible MLS expansion. Full article.



WeatherManNX01	Thursday May 22 2008, 05:08 PM Post #6
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Posts: 14,131 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots NBA Team Boston Celtics NHL Team Boston Bruins NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	If you check the Major League Soccer website, it lists fourteen current teams and two future expansion teams (Seattle and Philadelphia are the latter). One of those teams is in Canada - Toronto FC. So why was league commissioner Don Garber in Montreal last night? Garber was in the city to attend the opening of the new Saputo Stadium, the home to the Montreal Impact of the United Soccer Leagues First Division. Garber has only gone as far as announcing a near-future vision of 18 teams, and St. Louis is considered to be a front-runner for one of those two expansion teams (the other city is likely to be in the south to bring the game to an area the league does not currently serve). But it seems that Montreal is still on MLS' radar. Toronto FC sells out its season tickets in short order, and the fan support for the Reds, despite an atrocious opening season, is among the best in the league. So can Montreal produce similar results? Well, the stadium is a 13,000 seater, which is more than many in USL-1, and the game was a sellout (though attendance was less than full due to a rainy evening). The stadium would have to be upgraded to MLS standards, but the ownership already has plans in place for that should the MLS opportunity arise. Montreal Gazette article.



Cougar	Thursday May 22 2008, 05:53 PM Post #7
Posts: 8,707 Group: Deputy Commissioner Member #9 Joined: February 4, 2006 NFL Team Detroit Lions NBA Team Toronto Raptors NHL Team Montreal Canadiens	Yep...it definitely seems likely that we will see a Montreal team in the MLS. Will it be within 5 years? Not sure, but eventually, I think it'll happen. Hopefully within 5 years.



WeatherManNX01	Thursday May 22 2008, 06:29 PM Post #8
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Posts: 14,131 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots NBA Team Boston Celtics NHL Team Boston Bruins NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	If MLS expands into Canada again, I think it will be after teams 17, 18, and 19. St. Louis is very close to getting a team. The league wants to expand into the south with Miami or Atlanta (both have USL-1 teams, though I've only ever heard of the Atlanta Silverbacks being mentioned for MLS), and a team in downtown New York City seems to be a sure thing (there is currently no stadium plan or ownership group, but MLS seems to be intent on capitalizing on the city itself rather than the residents of the Meadowlands area). After that, it is anyone's guess.



WeatherManNX01	Friday Nov 21 2008, 10:44 PM Post #9
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Posts: 14,131 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots NBA Team Boston Celtics NHL Team Boston Bruins NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	Commissioner Garber announced today that the Montreal expansion group has removed itself from 2011 expansion consideration. Montreal was the most highly-favored expansion city. I'll post a link when it comes up.



WeatherManNX01	Friday May 22 2009, 05:40 PM Post #10
WE ARE...PENN STATE! Posts: 14,131 Group: Commissioner Member #4 Joined: December 9, 2005 NFL Team New England Patriots NBA Team Boston Celtics NHL Team Boston Bruins NCAA Team Penn State Nittany Lions	From Canada.com: Quote: The Montreal Impact settled for a goalless draw Friday night instead of their first win of the season, a season that might be one of the club's last in the United Soccer Leagues First Division. The Charleston Battery played the Impact to a stalemate before 12,180 at Saputo Stadium, as Montreal remained winless this season, despite the debut of Marc Dos Santos as interim head coach after the dismissal of John Limniatis on Thursday. Overshadowing a strong performance worthy a better result for the club, however, was news delivered by Impact president Joey Saputo before the game that a bid to join Major League Soccer was alive and headed in the right direction. If everything falls into place, and expectations are high they will, Montreal could be awarded an MLS franchise by the end of the month, joining the league for the in 2011 season, after meetings of MLS's expansion committee. Full article. I think being a third 2011 expansion team is much too optimistic, but I have always been a firm believer that Montreal should have a team in MLS, and I'm glad to see that they're not done trying.



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