NASL Targets Chicago, Detroit, Orange County, and San Diego for Expansion Good article on Fiftyfive.one about potential expansion. EDIT: I hadn't read some of the other forums in the expansion area. This article has been posted in a few others too.
Yeah and it's not just one group targeting San Diego. Reportedly there are two. So NASL will have their choice of groups in SD (though they'll have a USL team to compete with reportedly and potentially MLS in a few years).
https://atl2018.com/en/home The potential Atlanta team launched their website with a countdown to a major announcement.
Good grief. They think their stadium is going to be on par with Stamford Bridge? They will fit right in with all the other delusional folk in the Nasl. I doubt the main stadium ever gets built anyway
There have been several reports about a group wanting to set up shop in Dekalb county, and they have had confirmed meetings with the former NASL commissioner. They actually have a decent business plan for D2 soccer based around building a soccer complex for youth soccer and aiming for a niche market, the only issue being they are in Atlanta (which is a pretty big issue). I do hope they look to be a bit more modest than a 15k stadium since they are in an MLS market. 8k would be more reasonable as I don't see them getting more than 5k attendance anytime soon.
Why Atlanta? I mean I get it, it's a big city and they want big cities but why start a new team in a city that just started a new team? Chicago, Boston; yes take advantage of older MLS cities whos fan could be disenfranchised by the absentee owners. Why not try for Augusta or Savannah? Both are largish cities with name recognition.
Yea, I get that but be smart about your investment. That's business 101. Don't start a new team in a saturated sports market, that is notoriously fickle with their support, a year after the real pro team comes online with unprecedented hype and support for an expansion team. Own your market, in the ATL they are probably going to get zero coverage.
I'm in the camp of hoping that all teams are successful. It's better for the game overall. Teams failing doesn't help the game. Leagues failing doesn't help the game. I get the disdain for some of the outlandish ideas, pie in the sky dreams and whatnot. And there are certainly some wack jobs trying to make to convince people that their little turd is actually Tootsie roll. But the more teams for oeoe to support, the more opportunities for talent to develop, the better the game becomes domestically.
Silverbacks Park is in DeKalb County at the intersection of I-85 North and I-285. This new complex is about 25 miles away from Silverbacks Park to the southeast on I-20. It is about 20 miles from downtown Atlanta almost to Conyers, GA.
Yeah, that is an ambitious plan. I doubt the 15K seat stadium gets built...and for a league where the highest attended game was just over 10K last season? At least the "5K seat indoor stadium" that will supposedly be ready for the 2018 season will have football gridiron lines according to the rendering. And why on earth would they need a 15K seat main outdoor stadium and a 5k seat indoor stadium down the road? Exactly how do they plan on paying for all this infrastructure including the youth/training fields? Side note, how do they get to the stat that "Atlanta has the 18th largest economy in the world"? All of Georgia would be around #32...
I get that,but being positive didn't help Rayo OKC, FTL Strikers and the original Silverbacks. So I don't think it matters what way you look at it as long as the concerns being brought up are valid ones (and they certainly do seem that) then I have no problem with people poo pooing this idea.
I always tell/told my son.....always hope for the best in situations/look for the best in people, but always be prepared for the worst. That means understanding all possible outcomes, especially when you badly want something to happen. He has thanked me for that piece of advice on several occasions, and done very well for himself over the years. Ignoring reality/facts/situation turns one into a victim/fool or even worse...a very cynical angry immature person. Peterson and the Cosmos were mocked and called out by many here because history and reality beckoned. I want a strong viable NASL, but I am not a victim or fool either. It was obvious. This is reaching for the stars, but hopefully there are plans B and C.
Okay, two noteworthy in the last two days. 1 - ATL NASL team finally launched website, announcement for two new teams coming in 39 days. This group is sinking a TON of money into the facilities. The teams will have a 15,000 seat stadium. If they put real money and effort into marketing, they might pull this off and be successful. 2 - Peter Wilt and the eventual GM of OC NASL, Michael Collins, did an interview with Midfield Press. They have a stadium almost lined up, player recruitment plan, Wynalda is more than likely the coach, and both their group and SD are targeting Spring 2018. If all this comes together, along with Chicago NASL, league will have 12 teams by next year. And I'm interviewing a guy currently in Fort Lauderdale, talking some Strikers, and there might be more going on down with a new ownership group than any of us suspected.
Also, link for Wilt/Collins NASL interview: http://midfieldpress.com/2017/02/23/exclusive-orange-county-group-closes-in-on-nasl-expansion/
Waldo as coach would be worth the price of admission for me. Yeah, he clearly has some mental issues ( I don't say that lightly....many do and it looks like he is evening out/taking care of it), and has burned a ton of bridges, been unprofessional in the past...but the few times he has actually coached he looked the part. I wish him well. Atlanta.....believe it when the cash is spent and the infrastructure is being built. For all uber the top NASL fans....I have said that about every MLS stadium/training facility also.
Something tells me that NASL Chicago is not going to happen any time soon, Wilt IMO would not be as involved in the west coast if things in Chicago were going well.
Last I heard, everything was lined up but a stadium. Rumors said they wanted Wrigley, but because of the World Series run conversations stopped in October, and couldn't be picked up again until this spring. At the same time, Club 9 Sports is the one doing a lot of this work, Peter Wilt is just their public face. They have been quiet for awhile, though.
Yeah, when I read that he was going to be the GM of the OC team that just means that Chicago is not happening anytime soon. He's from Chicago and if that was anywhere near done then he'd most certainly be there if he could.