Montreal or the Quebec Province

[petkedude]

would montreal make a good spot for expansion? i know there's the old olympic stadium that is huge but that would be fine. Since noone in Montreal has really ever cared for the Expos it would be a good summer attraction. If not Montreal, bring sports back to Quebec City, build a stadium up there and I think Quebec City would make a great place for a team.

[DoyleG]

People cared about the Expos, but only as long as ownership doesn't give ya the screws.

Olympic Stadium (aka "The Big Owe") is fine as long as you like the following:

- A long ways away from the city core in a bad part of town.
- The stadium roof coming down.
- Parts of the stadium comming off.
- That annoying astroturf.

Quebec City doesn't even have a stadium that would be suitable to MLS standards. That doesn't even count public apathy.

[RaginInferno]

no offence to Canadiens. MLS shouldnt ever go to Canada. Canadaiens are counted as foreign players. But US is foriegn to them. the rules would have to be totally bent around the Canadaien team.

[furie]

IS Montreal a big soccer town? If it couldn't hold a hockey team i can't see it supporting a MLS team.

[Joe Stoker]

Excellent comments that have got me thinkin'...

The Montreal Manic (especially) and Toronto Blizzard were drawing exceptionally well before the NASL fizzled on them. So, given the right circumstances, the nation has potentially good pro soccer towns... along with Vancouver.

Ragin' and others have mentioned that perhaps it's best that Canada have its own Div 1 pro league. Maybe they could even play an interlocking schedule with MLS someday, but the finances and charters remain separate.

As Furie and Doyle touched upon, we'd first better find some serious, soccer-caring owners in major markets, then come up with a few modern-day Varsity Stadiums.

The Division-One Dominion Dream League:

East: Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City (just for Petkedude), Windsor (for the soccer-starved Detroit crowd).
West: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg.

[ax319]

Originally posted by Joe Stoker
Excellent comments that have got me thinkin'...

The Montreal Manic (especially) and Toronto Blizzard were drawing exceptionally well before the NASL fizzled on them. So, given the right circumstances, the nation has potentially good pro soccer towns... along with Vancouver.

Ragin' and others have mentioned that perhaps it's best that Canada have its own Div 1 pro league. Maybe they could even play an interlocking schedule with MLS someday, but the finances and charters remain separate.

As Furie and Doyle touched upon, we'd first better find some serious, soccer-caring owners in major markets, then come up with a few modern-day Varsity Stadiums.

The Division-One Dominion Dream League:

East: Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City (just for Petkedude), Windsor (for the soccer-starved Detroit crowd).
West: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg.

cant leave out Ottawa.

[Revolt]

Originally posted by ax319
cant leave out Ottawa.

Hell's bells - let's add Saskatoon, Regina, Hamilton and Halifax.

[kb]

Originally posted by furie
IS Montreal a big soccer town? If it couldn't hold a hockey team i can't see it supporting a MLS team.

?The NHL Canadiens have folded or left Montreal?

[thurd]

Originally posted by DoyleG
People cared about the Expos, but only as long as ownership doesn't give ya the screws.

Olympic Stadium (aka "The Big Owe") is fine as long as you like the following:

- A long ways away from the city core in a bad part of town.
- The stadium roof coming down.
- Parts of the stadium comming off.
- That annoying astroturf.

Quebec City doesn't even have a stadium that would be suitable to MLS standards. That doesn't even count public apathy.

check this out
http://espn.go.com/mlb/s/2003/0422/1542317.html

[petkedude]

well, if the expos stay in Montreal, hopefully they'd get a new stadium which could also be used for soccer.

[DOMBAS]

A couple of links that talk about the billlionaire Saputo Family one of Canada's richest who have been involved with the ALEAGUE since the early 90's.

http://www.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=139962&Title=Garber+comments+on+Toronto+expansion+issues


http://www.planetfootball.com/article.asp?id=141026&Title=Saputo+not+interested+in+MLS+Toronto

[furie]

Originally posted by kb
?The NHL Canadiens have folded or left Montreal?

I was refering to the Quebec Nordics

[Matt in the Hat]

Originally posted by furie
I was refering to the Quebec Nordics

That would be Nordiques you runny dreck

Quebec City is only in the same province as Montreal. That's like saying that NYC cant keep their hockey teams out of bankrupcy when you are talking about the Sabres.

No wonder the rest of the world says Americans are ignorant

[Daniel from Montréal]

Ok, I can't believe that no one has mentionned this before...

1. The team made a profit in 2002 and I doubt they'd want to jump ship to MLS to lose money.

2. Saputo is the heart and soul of the organisation and he has repeatedly said he has no interest in MLS.

3. With the Expos leaving town (eventually) and the Impact getting bigger crowds, and greater media coverage (this year), I think that Montréal could qualify as a "Canadian-soccer city" and will continue to grow over the next 4 years (5 year plan).

4. The Impact is partially owned by the government and one of its mandates is to breed and give a chance to the best local talent (over half our roster is from the Montréal area). In MLS, this could not happen. And Montréalers love watching their own (bar Brisebois ;)).

5. IF, and that's a huge IF, the MLS were to SOMEHOW come to Montréal in the next few years, they would most likely play at Molson Stadium, home of the CFL Alouettes. With Fieldturf being installed this year, there is a dispute between the Als who want permanent lines and the university and city, who want a blank field for soccer.

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/canada/quebec/montreal_molson.shtml

Slideshow:
http://members.tripod.com/cfldimension/m-1.html

Capacity will be at 20,400 this year and 24,000 in 2005.

[Joe Stoker]

Looks like the makings of a sad sports summer up north with SARS in Toronto & the Big Owe (or Ouch!!!) still deemed safe for habitation in Montreal.

ax319: Ottawa will be in the first expansion wave. I promise (and I'm not Doug Logan).

Revolt: Hell's bells is right! If Moosejaw came thru with an investor, a stadium, and 8000 season ticket pledges, they'd be right there, too!

All seriousness aside...

Have the Impact owners ever made any noise about a Canadian Div 1 league?

[Daniel from Montréal]

Originally posted by Joe Stoker
Have the Impact owners ever made any noise about a Canadian Div 1 league?

To all intents and purposes, before 2002, the Impact owner was Joey Saputo and he's still the de-facto president.

Around fall 2000, plans started to emerge about a Canadian United Soccer League (CUSL), loosely based on the MLS SEM. Unfortunately, the plans never got off the ground (for many reasons) and as the "coalition" started disintegrating, Saputo and other owners pulled out of the idea.

However, with appaling numbers in the early part of the A-League (attendance-wise) for many teams and if the Canadian expansion materialises, then I wouldn't be surprised if a Canadian league was started up, even on a bigger scale than the A-League (in collaboration with the CFL/CFL Stadiums).

Sometimes you need to start big.

[WVKeeper]

Originally posted by furie
IS Montreal a big soccer town? If it couldn't hold a hockey team i can't see it supporting a MLS team.

Are f&%king nuts? what do you mean montreal couldn't support hockey? Montreal is the winningest professional sports franchise in the North American Continent?

[furie]

Originally posted by Matt in the Hat
That would be Nordiques you runny dreck

Quebec City is only in the same province as Montreal. That's like saying that NYC cant keep their hockey teams out of bankrupcy when you are talking about the Sabres.

No wonder the rest of the world says Americans are ignorant

The name of the thread is Montreal OR the Quebec Province.

[yellowbismark]

Originally posted by Daniel from Montréal

5. IF, and that's a huge IF, the MLS were to SOMEHOW come to Montréal in the next few years, they would most likely play at Molson Stadium, home of the CFL Alouettes. With Fieldturf being installed this year, there is a dispute between the Als who want permanent lines and the university and city, who want a blank field for soccer.

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/canada/quebec/montreal_molson.shtml

Slideshow:
http://members.tripod.com/cfldimension/m-1.html

Capacity will be at 20,400 this year and 24,000 in 2005.


Wow. That is one of the sweetest stadiums I've ever seen. I hope you guys get blank fieldturf so some soccer games could be played there.

[Matt in the Hat]

Originally posted by WVKeeper
Are f&%king nuts? what do you mean montreal couldn't support hockey? Montreal is the winningest professional sports franchise in the North American Continent?

Montreal Canadiens - 24 Stanley Cups
New York Yankees - 26 World Series Championships

Is 24 bigger than 26?