Hey for 5 bucks that goes to charity you really can't beat it in SD. Not like there's any other teams playing in the city in March. And if it helps bring D2 back to SD I'd watch the Flash play a girl's field hockey team during the run up.
Women's National Team plays Mexico at Qualcomm the same day. Not sure about who the Flash are playing, but their website tells me nothing, really. Seems like the same old Flash from the first incarnation.
They were clearer on their facebook page. They're playing those "celebrities" from the list bolstered by some other actual players. Think of it as a pro-am. As for the USWNT, didn't know they were playing that day. (They are playing at Torero Stadium not Qualcomm). Shows how well advertised that game is right now. But I wouldn't be going anyway. But even if you are this isn't the Flash's only game this year. They're playing several more times in April-July so far with several of the dates up on their site.
I actually knew about the USWNT game before this game. Looking at the footage, I think the women's team could really give these guys a run for their money, if not beat them outright. Besides, I knew of the old Flash. Not fond of them, and not so much of the new Flash. From what I understand from others in the know, they have some of the same people running it. At this point of being a professional organization and fielding a team, I thought that there would be more information on their website. Not sure of their business model either. It sounds great that they will donate the money to charities, but how does that help their business as a professional soccer team? I apologize for being ingnorant on this, but how will they make money to operate as a professional team, does anyone know? Just my $0.02. But things could change, I guess. If they could pull it off, fantastic. Time will tell.
Didn't know the old Flash, but this new group does seem to be somewhat put together with some good backing from guys like Barton. They do have some ties to the old Flash, but no more so than the SD Boca FC (the other upstart in SD). And the fact they're bringing soccer to a city that is otherwise devoid of it gets them a free pass at first in my book. Their financial situation is a concern in that we don't know much about it, but they wouldn't have gone this far if they didn't have some money behind them. And it looks like they're trying to get more with this "team stock" idea.
How far have they gone? They just have a website (not a very good one, imo, and maybe had some tryouts, which I heard they charged for tryouts (not sure how it worked, so I apologize).
They did have tryouts (which they charged a small fee for like all pro teams do), and a combine. They've now got a fully formed team and coaching staff. Honestly if there's a weak link in their group it's their web designer. They have much more information about themselves flowing from their facebook page than they do the website. Do they still have a long way to go before they play a league game, sure. But they're also SD's best shot at getting a D3 or D2 team right now. The only other group even claiming such a thing is SD Boca. And they're only in NPSL this season.
Don't wast your money, know what they've done in the past to others in San Diego (not so much Barton), it still seems shady.
Wow didn't realize there was so much hostility toward the Flash name even though this group has partially new ownership and the better parts of the old Flash ownership. Might have behooved them to change names after all.
I would imagine that as a business owner, they would want to keep their content up to date. I also don't believe that they are a best shot of getting a team in San Diego (i.e., what if David Beckham has interest in San Diego getting an MLS team, one can dream). But I'll eventually bite one day, watching this team, if they are still around. Isn't SD Boca owned by a former owner of the old Flash?
I didn't know anything about the previous Flash and I still have the same attitude of the previous poster. When I first contacted the Flash, the first thing they did was try and get funds out of me. Not really a good way to run a business.
I don't see it as hostile, if they can be a responsible organization and the team progresses and doesn't fold, fantastic. I have my reservations about some of the same ownership, as well as the lack of info on the website. It seems like a cool thing with the benefit going towards charities, though.
Yes Boca is owned by part of the old SD Flash ownership. The new Flash are primarily owned by Clent Alexander who was also part of the old Flash group in a smaller role. So either team is at least in a part tied to the old Flash. Boca started later but has already made a decent splash in that they've played several exhibition games vs Veracruz and Chivas USA. The new Flash comparatively are starting much more humbly with the charity games. It will be interesting to see which model pans out better. Boca are making grandiose claims about getting a SSS built and moving up eventually to a higher division before they've even played one NPSL league game. The Flash would like a SSS but so far they've been pretty mum on that front, however they've also said they intend to start where the old Flash left off in D2. But for now both teams are playing in High School Stadiums.
Guess part of it comes down to personal experience with them directly then. So far when I've contacted them and asked questions I've gotten straight answers with no requests for $ attached.
A friend of mine told me that they are also looking to peddle something on a multi-level marketing platform. Be wary, my friend. Athletics, I must say that you are to be commended on your desire to have soccer in San Diego. I do feel the same, however a team will need to be transparent in its dealings (using a term from a poster earlier in this very long thread). I have serious doubts about this team, even with Warren Barton on board.
Agreed more transparency would be nice. To be totally honest at first I doubted they even existed, until I visited one of the tryouts and confirmed they weren't just vaporware. I guess time will tell (we'll know by this time next year). Part of me is just happy someone is trying to bring D2 back and seems to be going the grassroots route. SD Boca for all their bluster is still just an NPSL team, and a city like SD deserves more higher level soccer than the one NPSL team that actually plays in La Mesa that we have now.
Looks like the other group in SD, Boca FC, have posted their schedule for the 2010 season. 4/3 v Real San Jose 5/1 v Oregon Fuego 6/5 v SF Bay Area Ambassadors 6/26 v Sonoma Co Sol 7/3 v Sacramento Gold All the games are listed as being at Helix HS' Jim Arnaz Field at 7pm.
Check out today's Press Releases going out of San Diego Boca FC and San Diego Sockers.. Train is just leaving the station! http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...ce-community-soccer-partnership-87262662.html
From the most recent posts, I was confused about who was really responsible for the previous SD Flash - A $6 Million Dollar Deficit? I looked up their past, on the Goverments Securities and Exchange web site; www.sec.gov Search: http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1054311/000117431103000001/0001174311-03-000001-index.htm I found: "Annual Report under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for fiscal year ending December 31, 2000" San Diego Soccer Development Corp - DBA San Diego Flash http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1054311/000117431103000001/sdsd_1200.htm Here are quotes from this document that you can see for yourself. Page 1 - Part I - Paragraph 2 "SDSDC was founded in 1997 to develop, own, and run a professional soccer team in San Diego, California" Page 6 - Liquidity and Capital Resources "As of December 31, 2000, the Company had cash on hand of $41,000, negative working capital of $1,906,000, and an accumulated deficit of approximately $6,647,000." Page 8 - Part III - Background Information "Yan K. Skwara, has been President and a Director of the Company since its inception; he was elected CEO of the Company in September 1998." Page 13 - Signatures - Document signed by: "SAN DIEGO SOCCER DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION By: /s/ Yan Skwara Yan K. Skwara, Chief Executive Officer Date: December 30, 2002" Page F-19 (second to last page) Note 9 "As reported in the financial statements, the Company has an accumulated deficit of approximately $6,650,000 at December 31, 2000 and has incurred a significant loss from operations for the year then ended. In addition, the Company was in default on certain its promissory notes on December 31, 2000. The Company's stockholders' deficit was approximately $1,882,000 and its current liabilities exceeded its current assets by approximately $1,906,000." Apparently Yan Skwara owes a lot of people (at least some answers). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also, looks like him and his current Partner "SOUHEIL JAWAD" are involved in this Company too. U.S. Farms, Inc. - Stock Symbol: USFM.PK http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1054311/000126246310000002/usfm13gjawad.htm 5 yr. stock performance - See chart at Yahoo Finance: http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=...=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=on;source=undefined Financial statement filings: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/sec?s=USFM.PK Web site information: http://www.usfarmsinc.com/index.htm What to make of this?
Great find. Definitely not supporting SD Boca, and this was before the above information. I'd put the Flash in the same boat, same general people running it, even if they do have Warren Barton as a "partner". If they really wanted to distance themselves, I don't think they should have chosen the Flash name and logo, no real history there. As far as the partnership with the Sockers...well, I feel sorry for the ownership group of the Sockers. Historical name now tied to a very shady businessman, or so it seems.
I think it means Yan drove the old Flash into the ground. And now he's trying again with Boca. Whether that says anything about Boca or not I can't say, but it should calm some of the fears about the new San Diego Flash. The new Flash are not run by Yan or any of the main partners in the old Flash that screwed over SD last time, and apparently left a trail of debt in their wake.
Actually from what I understand is the current runners of the Flash have some relationship to the team that burned all of those bridges last time.
They do, but they were minority owner in the old team only, and the new Flash's primary owner Clent Alexander was actually gravely ill during those final years from what I've been able to gather. Yan ran the show for the old Flash when they were being run into the ground as I understand it.