News: Expansion Bid News - catch all thread

Hey now, I think he's been pretty pleased with both Athletica and his youth teams.

I was thinking about that, too. I bet USL will probably jump on getting the Lions into the top level now that about half of USL could be gone. And even if USL-1 and the TOAL hate each other like WPSL and W-Leauge do, I would not accept not seeing a Lions-Athletic(?) game at least once a season.

 

Can anyone give us a summary of where the TOA stands right now, specifically in relation to a St. Louis team? I'd rather not wade through all the USL threads if I don't have to.

 

The gist of it seems to be that the TOA is still talking to USL, but is also going through the hoops needed to be sanctioned by USSF in case it is necessary. I expect St Louis would get a team if the TOA forms its own league, and if not then some agreement would need to be reached with the Lions for Cooper to get a USL team. I doubt anyone is willing to say whether the Lions would join USL-1 if Cooper started a StL team in a break-away TOA league.

Basically, nothing is off the table.

 

http://goal.com/en-us/news/66/unite...s-split-from-usl-1-to-form-new-league-in-2010

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/blog.php?b=7051

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/fr...r-mens-pro-soccer-team/all-comments/#comments

'Tis official now.

Would be very interesting to see USL also award the Lions with a pro team now as well. And it should be fun to see the Whitecaps, Impact, and the like playing here. I'm hoping for doubleheaders men's team/Athletica ^.^

 

More from Tom:
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/free-kicks/free-kicks/2009/11/new-st-louis-soccer-team-news/

Getting European and South American teams to start farm teams in the NUSL, huh? I guess it's a good idea. More teams is definitely better, I think.

Sounds like the team will be heavily feature STL-grown players, which will be cool, but I hope we can still produce players like we have in the past.

And while he answered my question about doubleheaders, the comment about which team (men's or Athletica) will get first dibs on dates has me a bit worried....

 

I am pumped! Ready to support this team. I am on board all the way. Can't wait for this to start.

Also, I think that this team will be able to pluck a large portion of talent from the great youth and high school teams we have in STL. There is some serious talent on those teams that may not get noticed by those outside the area. I think we are gonna be a very competitive and strong team.

 

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1233346

This says that Checketts is selling 49% of his share in RSL, and him selling his share is unrelated to him trying to buy the Rams. Earlier Miklasz said that the mysterious big investor in Cooper's group was trying to buy the Rams. Is Dave Checketts the mysterious investor? The fact that he already owned a different MLS team might explain why he wanted his identity kept secret. And maybe MLS didn't want him to own 2 teams so they didn't accept him as part of the ownership group, and declared that Cooper was still missing his big-money investor. Is Checketts trying to sell RSL so that he can own an expansion St. Louis team? This is obviously pure speculation, but what do you all think?

 

So Checketts would still own 51% of RSL? If he was to later sell another 2% would he then be able to invest in a St. Louis team?

 

wait so can you explain how this checketts thing pertains to st Louis getting a team? thanks, i see the correlation but am fuzzy on all the legalities

 

Ah okay, thanks SB.

....What the hell are they going to sue each other over? Have the breakaway teams broken contracts of sort? I thought they payed per year....

 

I don't get it either. If the USL goes lawsuit crazy it seems to me like an invitation to antitrust action. But, maybe there's a contract provision I'm not aware of.

 

Interesting note from Cooper regarding the cost of the expansion bid:

"Does this mean you're no longer pursuing an MLS team for St. Louis?

We're going to continue to look at that. Right now the MLS is charging $40 million for each new expansion team. We just can't justify that cost at this point. We remain in close contact with the MLS and they are supportive of this league. Bringing an MLS team here is something we'd love to do for the city. But this is a good alternative and makes economic sense."

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/da...ans_for_professional_soccer_team_st_louis.php

 

...wonder about what? That sounds pretty straightforward to me.

 

It actually makes me stop wondering. Now I know why we don't have an MLS team!

 

I noticed today that http://www.stlouissoccerunited.com/Site/Home.html , is now being reworked. Should be interesting! It's not MLS, but I'll take it. (just hope it lasts, or grows into a MLS team!)

 

stumbled upon this again today. current situation makes all the reasons even greater in support of skipping out on mls for right now

http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/03/25/an-open-letter-to-st-louis-soccer-united/

 

Interesting that Ashley Pistorius is prominently featured on the home page.

 

It is. I wonder if this means that they will use the website to promote both teams.

 

Of course they will. The Athletica better not be relegated to ugly stepchildren or something!

Remember it's the Athletica that has the GOLD medal winners on it and there is no chance in hell that the men's team would even sniff a gold medal winner!

I'd still like to hear from Cooper about what effect, if any, the men's team will have on the Athletica. Sport Billy says a men's team would INCREASE Athletica attendance but I'm not so sure. Except for doubleheader days HOW would it help the Athletica's attendance?