Dug this up lurking twitter accounts... A Canadian Domestic Soccer League from Youth to Pro – The Canadian Way! https://t.co/cm1WSd94d6 pic.twitter.com/MKzvs1ioMx— WSAWinnipeg (@WSAWinnipeg) March 2, 2016 Looks like WSA has the CPL at ten teams with three PDL teams making the jump... Kinda want to be skeptical of that, what do you guys think?
So according to the graphic in the tweet both FC Edmonton and Ottawa Fury will move over to the CPL with 3 PDL clubs stepping up to be fully professional. Interesting
I realized after I could edit, that this graphic is not from WSA. The PDL, and Edmonton joining should have tipped me off, as well as the inclusion of Moncton and Halifax. I guess I was tired and got over excited when I found that tweet. Its from an opinion piece that WSA retweeted, so along the lines of dreams and wishful thinking from a WSA fan moreso than someone actually working with the CPL. The regional development stage in the graphic in regards to what a D3 league (if it were describing a regional D3 u-23 set up) in the prairies would look like seems plausible though.
It looks like the guy's heart is in the right place, but it's simply not feasible to have a youth league stretching from Saskatoon to Thunder Bay. It was hard enough having U14 OPDL kids travel 4 hrs from Ottawa to Toronto for games. Manitoba needs an 8-team provincial youth league ranging from U13-U18 focused in the Brandon-Winnipeg corridor - say Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Stienbach, Morden, Selkirk, and 3 Winnipeg teams. Saskatchewan could do a similar 10-team league with 2 teams each in Saskatoon and Regina, and the remaining teams between North Battleford, Prince Albert, Yorkton, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, and Weyburn. Thunder Bay can run it's own development program to feed into the Chill.
Do you think a regional D3 could fit the model proposed in the graphic? Or would TB just not be worth it?
The Foothills FO have previously stated that the USL is their goal, maybe something even loftier than that afterwards. They also have invested in some infrastructure to develop players such as a full-size indoor facility and an outdoor field with some stands. In reality though it likely would not be the Foothills moving over to the CPL. More likely would be CESC who owns every professional sports team in Calgary, however they are having some difficulties with their CalgaryNext stadium deal at present. So while more likely it would be CESC, at this point in time the FootHills are the only ones actually playing soccer at that level in Calgary. The CSA will not let them go to the USL even if they were financially capable, so there is that too.
A D3 spanning from Winnipeg to Edmonton would just be too far. It makes more sense for Saskatchewan to join a D3 league with Alberta teams than Manitoba. The problem is the population distribution. It still makes more sense for both Thunder Bay and Winnipeg to stay in their PDL division, since travelling to Des Moines is shorter than going to Edmonton.
I understand the travel issues, but at the same time I would prefer as little PDL as possible. I was kind of envisioning something similar to this albeit without the Prince George team & US division and an additional team in Winnipeg as well. I agree that TB is too far out there and maybe you're right; WPG could stay in the PDL with them at first, but I think if the CPL does happen then we should expect the CSA to really push for regional D3's modelled after major junior hockey (as per the Easton Report). Even the Prairie Football Conference in the CJFL stretches from Edmonton to Winnipeg, so I don't think it would be out of the question to work for soccer.
That might be an idea, but it's still over 15 hours from Grande Prairie, Alberta to Brandon, Manitoba. That's equivalent of travelling from Philadelphia to Orlando. They would probably have to break it down into divisions that play an MLS-style unbalanced schedule. Maybe four 4-team divisions could play a 20-game season?
Given the population distribution, if the prairies could actually get their act together it might make sense for the most northern NW US cities to join the Canadian Semi-pro league. I'm thinking Grand forks and up. Mainly since there are expansions of amateur and elite youth leagues in smaller cities and towns all over the place, those should be considered part of the same cluster as Manitoba ans Sask cities.
An interview with VM, Dino Rossi and others: http://www.nextsportstar.com/index.php/show/red-card-april-28-2016/ Coles Notes: The CPL is in the process of making its business proposal to the BOG of the CSA this fall. L1O is looking at expanding for next year already. Then some lament about not having D3 leagues in BC or Alberta yet, and putting the onus on the soccer leadership of those provinces. This model is far superior in comparison to the PDL according to these guys. An interesting stat: since last season 25 mens players from League1 have gone on to sign professional contracts in Europe, MLS and USL. 4 from the women's off to Europe.
This is an excellent idea! Given the MLS's abysmal quality of play and that the league hasn't improved since 1996 and doesn't care about improving, a Canadian domestic league could make Canada much better. I'll bet that after it launches this league will surpass MLS in 5 years. Good luck.
Whoa there, gimme a break. I like your enthusiasm, but cut the hyperbole. MLS has improved leaps and bounds in the last 2 decades. Leaving aside the fact that most of their progress has benefited Americans, it's been some serious work. They spend more money right now of youth development than they did on their entire budget in early years. The 3 Canadian teams have invested over $50 million on youth development in the past few years. the CPL won't come close for quite a while, probably ever. That's pure economics, since the 3 MLS teams are in the biggest markets, with a ton of infrastructure and the ability to expand at will. I'm on board 100% with the new league, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Chat with James Hutton, member of the new supporters group in Hamilton. No team, no league, no problem! http://www.rednationonline.ca/Podcasts2015/FromtheBlackHoleEpisode78JamesHutton.aspx
I just realized, since TSN is broadcasting the Amway Canadian Championships, I bet they're looking very closely at the viewership numbers for these games to extrapolate how much they would be able to charge for advertising for games in the CPL. I wonder if this is all part of laying the groundwork for a viable league. We still haven't heard anything from the CSA AGM about further details, have we?
Too soon to say, but I echo those sentiments. Hopefully it gets off the ground very soon. Will be very exciting.
According to Carlos Verde on Twitter, Canadian Premier League wants "Victoria, Edmonton, Calgary, Hamilton, (GTA), Ottawa, Quebec, (Maritimes)" as founding eight.
What's with this reoccurring obsession with the Maritimes? I mean, I have family from there, and I vacation there, yet I see no viability in putting a team there to launch the CPL. Whenever I see rumours touting Halifax or Moncton, I tend to be more skeptical of those making them. When I see it persist it makes me wonder "why the fascination with the Maritimes?" what makes people think that soccer can succeed there where other sports cannot? If the CFL is involved you'd expect most -if not all- of the 9 CFL cities in. Previously 3 were out from that scenario; Edmonton, Vancouver and Toronto. Montreal was floated as possibly being located in Quebec and some relation to Sigma or the GTA (both seen in this rumour) yet the Sigma relationship was rather vague & unclear. Carlos Verde does not seem to be an insider, so I'd chalk this up in the same category of what mlsrwriters tweets: rumours from reddit/forums. Serious question to forum posters here: Do you guys think Victoria & somewhere in the Maritimes could be a viable starting option for the CPL?
I'm far from an expert on Canada, but I'm just looking at metro populations, and it seems like the next logical choices after the big MLS cities and the big CPL cities are, in fact, Halifax and Victoria. Kitchener feels too close to both Toronto and Hamilton. You could maybe do London or Windsor, but at that point, you're getting down to the same population levels as Halifax and Victoria. Then, to me, it makes sense for the league to get full national coverage rather than have an outsized foothold in Southern Ontario. And, with population growth in that area as it is, it would likely become a good option for expansion in the future, particularly if the idea is to create regional rivalries. If they put a team in Moncton, St. John's, or Saint John though, that doesn't make any sense.
There's also the self-containedness of the cities. Victoria is the dominant city on Vancouver Island. Halifax is the dominant city for the entire Maritimes. Both have the mentality of being the regional city and would fit a CPL team. London and Windsor are just mid-size Ontario cities. Their mentality is more toward supporting a Toronto or Detroit pro team.