There really isn't a current venue suitable for USL Pro in Providence and I highly doubt someone would have one built to host one. I guess the only chance would be for someone to build one that doubles as a concert venue, getting a piece of that action. But if that were the case, why not try for NASL? I'd venture to guess most Rhode Islanders rank the Revs somewhere near the Paw Sox, so we probably aren't going to go gaga about their farm team two levels below the parent team. But getting back to the Revs having their own USL Pro team. It wouldn't be about having a viable third tier soccer club. It would be about the team expanding the amount of players they control under contract. You know, like they are a bigtime soccer club. There could be money in that in the future.
I'm very interested in them having a mechanism in place to get players game time who are not high on the depth chart or are coming back from injury.
The Pioneers seem like they could be a good fit for this kind of relationship. Let the Revs supply (most) players from their youth, developmental and reserve squads, plus guys coming back from injury who need to regain fitness. They are only a 2 hour or so drive away, so moving players would be easier than Rochester. Not being part of the "Boston" market means more Rev tentacles spreading into other areas of New England, which means more of a connection to the Revs. This would make more sense than going to a place much closer--and more connected--to the Boston area like Providence, Lowell or Wista.
The Pioneers would have to move up quite a few divisions for it to be worth the Revs' while. PDL isn't a suitable place for Revs players to play to keep/regain fitness and/or come back from injury. PDL ≠ USL Pro. (The Revs already have a relationship with Real Boston Rams at the PDL level, which they use to keep tabs on Academy players.)
For some reason I thought the Pioneers were a little higher up the food chain. Still, for them to be associated with the top team in the region can only be a good thing for them. They would also get better players on loan, and therefore be more successful. Do you think the Lowell Spinners would rather be associated with the Red Sox or the Detroit Tigers, for example?
Well, when the Revs purchase the franchise, the current owners get a ton of money from the Krafts, then when the Revs would upgrade the stadium to at least a late 20th century level and move the team up to a higher league, the fans would also reap the benefits, seeing a higher level of play in a more comfortable setting. Everybody wins!!!
I didn't think we were talking about a purchase. But, whatever, I think the Pioneers have found a pretty successful little niche out there in Ludlow - I'm not sure they'd want to risk that with a lot of changes, coming with an association with the Revs. To enter a partnership means giving up some control.
The Pioneers were in USL Pro (I think) a few years ago, but the club that owns them voted to downgrade to PDL. I wasn't happy with that decision, and I wasn't happy with the one to put in artificial turf over the nice grass field they had. Money talks, though, and they were losing gobs paying the players (and travel expenses), and maintaining the field.
Well, when I initially asked the question of what would be the best place for a Revs second team, I was just thinking more like what location would be best for such a team to exist, both in a dream sense (like saying 'I'd love to have the Revs home stadium be on Boston Common next to Park St station, or next to North Station'), as well as what would realistically be the best location (the Common may not likely, but Somerville would be great). When someone asked what's in it for the Pioneers, well I don't think the Krafts/FO are even thinking about having their own team, I'm sure Rochester is just fine with them (especially if we can assign Bengston there to get some minutes, as mentioned in the other thread), so we're talking fantasies, so I went with one where the Krafts purchase an existing team and put down money to make their stadium better for that team.
Building the Soccer Pyramid: Cash is king for aspiring USL PRO squads April 4, 2014 Nate Sulat MLSsoccer.com Ouch.
Yes, the Pioneers were in the USLPro equivalent since their inception in the mid-90's. They dropped down one level to PDL about 2 or 3 years ago for obvious financial reasons. They have their niche and they realized that dropping down a division really would not hurt them at the gate or with sponsors, but would help them save a ton of money. They still draw larger crowds than a large number of USLpro teams though and could easily move up given a partnership with the Revs. They could move back up a division and be able to market a direct pipeline to MLS to it's Jr. Pioneers program which is the bread and butter of the organization. They would receive at least 4 free players to keep costs down and also get to host far more home games. It could be beneficial to both the organization and the fans. The main reason I am in favor of this is because they have such a great little venue, it's a shame we can't have more home games each year. They only have like 7 and I always seem to have a conflict and can only make 1 or 2. In the same way the Rhinos relationship benefits the Revs, but now they would have a club less than 90 minutes from Foxboro which would make it easier to have players move around and train part time with the Revs.
My point is... PDL is absolutely not up to the standard for Revs' reserves to play in. For Revs' Academy players, they already have a club in the PDL less than 30 minutes away: Real Boston Rams.
Yes but the idea was that the Pioneers would move back up to USLPro and replace the Rochester arrangement.
When Orlando City moves to MLS next year, their USL-Pro franchise rights will transfer to Louisville, who we keep the same color scheme, and be Orlando's affiliate for the next 5 years. Orlando City USL franchise set to transfer to Louisville By Paul Tenorio Orlando Sentinel 12:31 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2014
For all of the reasons posted above I'm glad my wife talked me out of buying a local soccer team franchise a few years ago.
Ah yes, the mighty Summerside Tater-Diggers, a.k.a The Real Madrid of the greater Richmond Bay area! Owning a minor league team could either be a lot of fun, or a monumental headache of epic proportions, but I can't decide which. Either way, you'd get a better return on your investment if you went to the bank and got sinlge dollar bills and burned them in your fireplace to keep warm in the winter.
The trick is to change those $20s into ones, since they will last longer. But I guess they won't go as far in Canada, since the smallest note is $5.