Women's League [Archive]

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Sport Billy

27 Feb 2007, 03:13 PM

Not that I am particularly interested or care about a women's league, but St. Louis is going to be a charter member of the "Women's Soccer Initiative." This league has ties to Major League Soccer.

Here is the article (http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fblusachnwomen&prov=afp&type=lgns).

If this in anyway helps us get a team - I'm all for it.

pemurill

27 Feb 2007, 03:31 PM

I think a women's league team would go hand in hand with MLS and also soccer in Saint Louis. As I have stated in other threads, if a men's and women's team can be developed and get all the boys and girls youth clubs under one umbrella in the Saint Louis area, then I believe both a potential MLS and Women's team would be successful

Doubleheaders, men's and women's national team games and if the US ever hosts a men's or women's World Cup again, Saint Louis might become a potential venue (granted a lot would have to happen)

Potential is there, now I guess it is in the politicians and Millionaire's hands!

Angus Podgorney

27 Feb 2007, 04:43 PM

Perhaps this is what Jeff Cooper meant when he vowed that there would be professional soccer in St. Louis next year.

400lb Gorilla

27 Feb 2007, 05:58 PM

If it brings an MLS team to St. Louis, Welcome Ladies!, if not, eh.

pericles

27 Feb 2007, 11:42 PM

Another story with a little more detail and it names the principals (Jeff Cooper). http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=411235&root=us&cc=5901

NJNJ

28 Feb 2007, 07:31 AM

Extremely positive sign for MLS coming to St.Louis. It reinforces Cooper's commitment to the local soccer community plus he gets another reason to hang with Uncle Phil.

boomersooner027

28 Feb 2007, 07:50 AM

Just proves more that except for SJ, STL will be the next city to have an MLS franchise.

Angus Podgorney

28 Feb 2007, 09:54 AM

From the front page of the P-D this morning:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/othersports/story/13CA82CB96A1D80B862572900019BDC0?OpenDocument

"The St. Louis team doesn't have a name yet, and Cooper is talking with officials at the A-B Soccer Park in Fenton, which can seat 6,200 in its main stadium, as being the temporary home for the team. If Cooper is successful in landing an MLS club, the teams would share a facility that hasn't yet been built, most likely in Collinsville. But that facility isn't likely to be built unless an MLS franchise is promised to the area."

Sport Billy

28 Feb 2007, 10:27 AM

But that facility isn't likely to be built unless an MLS franchise is promised to the area."

There's a Catch-22 for you- Can't approve a stadium without a promise of a team; Can't award a team without the promise of a stadium - great. :rolleyes:

sirfallsalot_2000

28 Feb 2007, 02:41 PM

Mizzou117

01 Mar 2007, 03:52 PM

I wonder if it would be possible, i.e. if a MLS team came here, to have both teams help fund a soccer stadium where they both share it for games... would cut down on costs I guess and maybe keep support for both teams

carldub

01 Mar 2007, 10:28 PM

AndyMead

01 Mar 2007, 10:37 PM

I'm wondering what, if anything, has changed since the last women's soccer league folded in 2003? Is anyone aware of any concrete issues that would indicate that attendence would be great enough to ensure success? It seems that there is a lot of hoping going on.

Depends on your budget, doesn't it?

I mean minor league baseball and hockey teams have long survived on low thousands in attendance.

It's all about living within your means. The Carolina Courage and Boston Breakers were both within half a million dollars a year of break-even on roughly 5k/game.

Yeah, 15k would rock, but if the league doesn't spend like MLS, it doesn't need the attendance of MLS.

ChiCleveSoccer

02 Mar 2007, 10:03 AM

I think this bodes extremely well for an STL MLS bid. 1) I don't think Jeff Cooper only wanted a women's team and 2) I don't think the WUSA plans on the STL team playing in a 6,000 seat stadium forever. I think this is leverage on an SSS bid, and it looks really good to have your name in the league when no other non-MLS team does. Philly should be shaking in their cleats.

I agree with concerns about the stadium capacity.

Instead of a 6,000 seat stadium, maybe they could play in a 600 or even a 60 seat stadium...that way the place won't look so empty. :eek:

AndyMead

02 Mar 2007, 10:58 AM

I agree with concerns about the stadium capacity.

Instead of a 6,000 seat stadium, maybe they could play in a 600 or even a 60 seat stadium...that way the place won't look so empty. :eek:

The three years of the WUSA averaged 7,256 fans for each of the 252 regular season games. The New York Power with 5,194 were the worst attended team.

Columbus Crew Stadium
http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2003wwc/0928_prk_usa_ajm/web_ajm_9756.jpg
Home Depot Center
http://www.ibiblio.org/footy/2003wwc/1012_ger_swe_ajm/web_ajm_5256.jpg

ChiCleveSoccer

02 Mar 2007, 12:08 PM

[QUOTE=AndyMead;10852391]The three years of the WUSA averaged 7,256 fans for each of the 252 regular season games. The New York Power with 5,194 were the worst attended team.

Great data...how is the WUSA doing, by the way?

Knowing how attendance numbers are inflated, where hot dog vendors and parking lot attendants get counted twice, I'm sure a 6,000 seat stadium will suffice. :eek:

Thomas Flannigan

02 Mar 2007, 12:18 PM

Andy, WUSA was playing the “tickets distributed” game long before MLS so the 7,000 plus average attendance figure is a bit misleading. There were a couple of good crowds, as your photos show, but more typical was an announced attendance of 6000 with maybe 1000 people in the stadium. You can look at USWNT attendance since 2003 and it has been awful too, although historically higher than all but a few WUSA games...

I don’t see the WUSA II getting off the ground but if it did, it could provide the catalyst for a new stadium or two.

AndyMead

02 Mar 2007, 12:39 PM

I don’t see the WUSA II getting off the ground

Dude, you're still convinced the Chicago Fire on the edge of bankruptcy and forfeiture.

Sport Billy

02 Mar 2007, 01:00 PM

Knowing how attendance numbers are inflated, where hot dog vendors and parking lot attendants get counted twice, I'm sure a 6,000 seat stadium will suffice.

Andy, WUSA was playing the “tickets distributed” game long before MLS so the 7,000 plus average attendance figure is a bit misleading. There were a couple of good crowds, as your photos show, but more typical was an announced attendance of 6000 with maybe 1000 people in the stadium.

Don't ALL sports do this?? How many "sellouts" have you been to, be it NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, where there are hundreds of empty seats.

A 10,000 attendance at a WUSA match is the same as 10,000 at a football, baseball or hockey game. In all four cases (including WUSA) a 10,000 attendance = a crowd of about 7500.

It does not change anything. Your comparing inflated WUSA attendance with inflated MLS attendance.

I do not think the new league will be successful, but not for this reason. It's completely irrelevent.

Your making a distinction without a difference.

ChiCleveSoccer

02 Mar 2007, 01:08 PM

Don't ALL sports do this?? How many "sellouts" have you been to, be it NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS, where there are hundreds of empty seats.

A 10,000 attendance at a WUSA match is the same as 10,000 at a football, baseball or hockey game. In all four cases (including WUSA) a 10,000 attendance = a crowd of about 7500.

It does not change anything. Your comparing inflated WUSA attendance with inflated MLS attendance.

I do not think the new league will be successful, but not for this reason. It's completely irrelevent.

Your making a distinction without a difference.

My point is: If WUSA had an average of 7,000 or so fans per game, and this was the inflated number, than a 6,000 seat park should do the trick.

Also, if you don't think attendance - or lack thereof - will be the reason the new league fails, then what will the reason be?