gotta think that the end in near: Turmoil for Fort Lauderdale Strikers’ Players and Staff: Checks Bounce, Players Leave - See more at: http://fiftyfive.one/2016/07/turmoi...ks-bounce-players-leave/#sthash.MUcyOu8v.dpuf
Really hope everythung gets sorted out, with the FO and the money situation Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk
The title sounds more alarming than the actual article sounds: We spoke with Luis Cuccatti, the managing director of the Strikers. He confirmed that the team has been late on their payroll three separate times during the 2016 season. He clarified that the first two delays lasted 24 hours, with the third instance being a four-day delay. “I’m not downgrading this situation — I understand how serious it is… When you transfer funds from Brazil to the United States, it goes through a process to ensure it isn’t being used for any illegal purposes. Lack of planning? Not really. This will be the last time that this happens.” Time will tell.
It's interesting to note that FtL traveled with 18 players to EDM. It's not unusual for NASL teams to hit the road with 15, usually one extra GK, def, mid, & forward. For them to spend the extra money for a full 18 makes me think this situation, which is self inflicted and just bad publicity, is solvable. Time will tell. The bigger story now is the stadium change. I can't remember when a mid-season stadium change that didn't involve new construction worked to the benefit of a club. I wish them luck. Yeah, I know, can it get worse than 1300 a game for attendance!
Have heard a pretty strong rumor from a reliable person that the Strikers will play their 1st game at the Cricket Stadium at Central Broward Regional Park on August 20 vs Ottowa. There will be an announcement of this change before the game is played, but I have no word when that announcement will be made public. As ever, believe it when you see it...
so Antique do you see this solely as a cost-cutting move or is it an effort to grow average attendance beyond 1000+???
Cost cutting? Maybe. Or a message to the Owners that the Strikers have options and could leave permanently (they want Lockhart, but it needs repair now). I've heard nothing about this being an attendance booster. IMO, they will address that issue when the stadium situation is clarified. FTR, there is no indication that they will suspend operations or abandon the team.
FTR, the Strikers FO has finally addressed the ongoing drama. Please go to Facebook and look up The Tailgate Show page. They have a 2 hour interview with Strikers Managing Director (the BOSS) Luis Cuccatti. He addresses all concerns and questions. As for the idea that the team is folding his answer is no. They are well into planning for the 2017 season at the Cricket Stadium and are already have designed and will soon be ordering the uniforms for 2017. An interesting and informative 2 hours.
Let's stop broadcasting the home games...don't give the product away for free...this sure as hell isn't helping to bring people out to the stadium. How 'bout some advertising too? Work a deal w/ Swap Shop next door...thousands--THOUSANDS!!!--of people right next to the stadium on Saturdays. Ticket discounts, SOMETHING!!!!!!!! And keep the black shorts with the classic bumblebee tops. Let's go, F/O.
Hey, it's the 1930s again, when the lords of baseball thought exactly the same thing! (Except they were wrong, and so are you.)
Why then are teams in all sports bending over backwards to offer in-stadium amenities and experiences (i.e. Dolphins) in a desperation move to get people off their couches and back to the stadiums? Most people I know would rather just stay at home and watch sporting events--cleaner bathrooms, cheaper food, DVR, a/c, traffic hassles. Sure, purists might prefer going in person, but if you want to turn a casual fan into a season ticket holder, you don't give the product away for free on TV indefinitely.
No, don't do that. I was able to watch the last match on WatchESPN because of the home broadcast. I didn't even know there was a home broadcast before I found it. I'll look for more in the future. And yes, black shorts are the best. They just look sort of off with the red.
I took a while for this transfer to be completed; I was beginning to think it was just a rumor. So here are some questions I'm wondering about: Is FtL having a fire sale? More players to go? With the poor season on the field coupled with incompetence in the FO is ownership giving up or digging in for next year? Also, I have to believe FtL contacted more than one team about PC's availability, does anyone know what the transfer price was? Were the Cosmos and Miami [the most obvious choices] in on the negotiations? Tampa additions this summer say a lot about Edwards' competitiveness.
We'd heard rumors weeks ago that it was a done deal. Luis Cuccatti tried to stifle the rumors when he went on The Tailgate Show a couple of weeks ago saying that nothing had been finalized or signed. That indicated to us that PC was gone. It was just a matter of time. According to Luis Cuccatti there were 4 or 5 players at seasons start that had a price tag on them. If someone met that price the player's contract would be sold. I'm certain that still holds true. Hard to say. Cuccatti has indicated that the uniform designs for next year have been completed & the order will soon be placed. There also seem to be some plans for what will be done at the Cricket Stadium next year. We will have a much better indication at seasons end. Transfer prices are never revealed. Cuccatti says he's spent some time with the Rowdies ownership and management about stadium conversions and other things related to survival in the NASL. This leads me to believe that no-one else was involved with PC leaving the Strikers. It is quite possible that his price tag was met in discussions held by the 2 teams.
Exciting @FTLStrikers news with the signing of Amauri! pic.twitter.com/1mzL0jlGvn— Kartik Krishnaiyer 🇺🇦🌻⚽️ (@kkfla737) August 9, 2016
Okay, I just took a look at the attendance figures and if I was down there I would be very worried about this club. While overall attendance in the NASL is down from last year, the Strikers are showing a rather marked decrease to the tune of 3K less per match. Hell they are about 1500 under the lowest attendance in the leagues last year (Edmonton). Seriously, the Strikers are pulling in only a little bit more than our little NPSL club in Nashville. The move to Lauderhill doesn't seem to have made much of a difference putting butts in seats as far as I can tell from a distance. Unless the FO has some kind of brilliant idea they are waiting to unveil, I am not all that positive about the survival of the legacy of the club of my youth.
The FO is doing what it can with the $$$ it has. The problem seems to be an ownership group the thought the team would be profitable now and can not stomach the losses involved with running a NASL franchise. There are attempts to find new owners going on now. Two players have been sold so far. I fear more may follow. Many are said to want to leave. This is turning into a monumental trainwreck....
I saw him in Milan last February on a talk show and he seemed pretty enthusiastic about his Strikers ownership as well as the fan base. That was only 6 months ago.
The NASL should compose a primer based on FtL ownership of "what not to do" for perspective ownerships groups. Item #1: Where do you put your advertising budget? Item #2: Do you have an advertising budget? Item #3: Did we mention an advertising budget yet? Not that it solves all their problems; but without one, well, look at FtL in 2017; money doesn't just walk up to the ticket windows by itself does it?
I was under the impression NASL commissioner Bill Peterson required strong , wealthy and committed ownership backgrounds before letting in anyone. Was or is that just a bunch of smoke?
Clearly they are not familiar with soccer in America. It is almost never profitable. The Strikers brand has existed for forty years. People should be familiar with it. The product on the field for this incarnation (at least in terms of wins and losses) has not been bad, mostly mid-table finishes, and they've played in two NASL finals in a five-year span. Maybe it is a distaste for lower division soccer, but certain clubs in other second and third division leagues seem to draw well (or artificially boost their attendance numbers). Maybe it was run-down Lockhart, but that's not a factor anymore. Maybe it's the new club in Miami, but I always assumed the Strikers drew mostly from Broward anyway. Maybe it's the lack of marketing. Or it is a combination of all of these things. It is a sad thing for fervent supporters to see a club die. The Nashville Metros existed for more than twenty years but the last several seasons were just moribund and depressing. I would hate to also see the heir to the club of my youth go tits up. Not that it hasn't several times before, but still.