They announced that they will be going PDL in 2008, USL-1 in 2009. The stadium is of no big concern, it's just USL-1. Just look at what the Whitecaps have been playing out of since 1987.
Technically speaking, there wasn't any question there. I was thinking about how Calgary did really well as a PDL team but then a) sucked at the D1 level and b) had a huge drop in attendance. I could be remembering incorrectly, but I thought there were some serious stadium issues in Calgary that contributed to the demise of that team. That and an owner who apparently wasn't prepared for the step up. So here we have an owner who is interested because of big crowds at an international match (i.e. not necessarily indicative of what to expect in the USL) in a stadium that may or may not be D1-worthy.
Yeah, what happened in Calgary was that they did have some of the best crowds in the PDL and were a top team. Once they moved up to USL-1 or A-League (whatever it was then) they sucked. But that wasn't the reason for poor crowds. Their problem was that the soccer team got last dibs on their tiny stadium (basically a soccer pitch with a few bleachers surrounding it) behind high school athletics and whatever else went on there. Kids track and field even pushed them out of dates or even made them switch kickoff times at the last minute. It was somewhat sad reading their fan boards on game days with their supporters frantically trying to find out what time kickoff had been moved to. In their next incarnation they moved to McMahon stadium. Unfortunately it was when it was still astroturf and of course covered in football lines. The stadium was too big for the USL-1 and with the astroturf and football lines not suitable for soccer. Edmonton had a similar problem. They were playing out of commonwealth, their owners thought they could get 15,000 a game in that huge stadium. At the last minute the CFL Eskimos who had first choice on when they could play at the stadium took all of the Aviators weekend matches away. Stupid ownership also tried to run a womens team at the same time with all matches doubleheaders. To be politically correct they alternated which game kicked off first, so with all of their games pushed to midweek the mens team sometimes had kickoffs at 5pm. Not suprisingly nobody made it out to the games.
Well put Krammerhead. Calgary has always been a two sport town, the Stamps and Flames. The Hitmen have a following but after that it pretty much is a graveyard of minor sports. Edmonton will always come out to support sports, admittedly usually in a tournament/festival type setting. Churchill Cup, U20 WC, Commonwealth games but most teams simply get better support than Calgary's. If I had to bet I would have said the Aviators would be successful and the Mustangs a disaster. I just hope Victoria works. I asked my folks about this and they figure it won't happen. Maybe thats wishful thinking as they return back to the USA via the Coho and also the Anacortes ferry about 2-3 times a year. They said the guy who's proposing it is a board member of the Victoria Clipper (hydorfoil to Seattle) and the word is he basically wants the competition shown the door. The lilttle old lady who owns the Coho wrote a letter to the Victoria Times Colonist (who sports Landon Donovans sister as a reporter) saying the Coho brought 4000 people to town, the centre of town in one week this summer. Hopefully it won't happen. I don't know if the NIMBY's are that vocal about this. The seaplanes usually land out by the Coast Guard station and taxi in, the Coho ferry could be heard from Gordon Head in the morning, I heard it many a time at Lambrick Park HS which is easily 8 miles away.
That would absolutely suck if they killed the Coho. It's the best ride across the Strait. The Express is like taking a high-speed chuckwagon. I hate that damn boat.