There are a number of interested ownership groups. One will probably step up to buy the franchise before too long. Even if they end up folding, there's enough interest that some group or another will come in to replace them. Where they play will still be the driving question. The Baseball Grounds costs $70k a game to convert and there are no other great options in town.
So it'll be Hodges Stadium for the Armada in 2017... http://www.nasl.com/news/2017/02/06/jacksonville-armada-fc-has-new-home-at-hodges-stadium- Nice to get out of the money pit that was the Baseball Grounds. Hopefully a long term home can come along with a potential new ownership group.
I've heard/read people complain that the baseball grounds wasnt conducive to hosting soccer. We always had a good time there. Too bad it was so expensive to convert. Considering the costs, I'm surprised they agreed to that in the first place. Hodges stadium is an obvious alternative. I've seen a few of the rugby matches played there and the sight lines will definitely be better than the baseball stadium. And it holds what, 10k? Should be able to fill that up nicely I hope. Anyone know the rental contract in terms of how much they are paying?
That sounds like a much better stadium for soccer than any baseball stadium could be, what is the catch? Really poor location? Or was the owner really just stupid, and made a horrible decision on stadium?
Well the baseball grounds is a much nicer and more professional looking facility. Hodges Stadium is essentially a really nice high school football stadium. And it only has stands on one sideline. Nothing in either endzone and nothing on the other side of the field.... not unless they've put up bleachers since I used to workout over there. Hodges is a nice temporary alternative but if the Armada has a longterm future in the city, they'll need an upgrade in facilities. In the dream scenario, as mentioned in prior posts, Shad Khan decides to buy the team, invests money in it, grows it to an MLS quality and either plays the games at Everbank or he builds a nice 20-30k stadium somewhere over by the sports complex. I still dont know that I believe the city of Jax would support a soccer team at that level but I have high hopes!
Wasn't the original plan to stay at the Baseball Grounds 3 years and then have a permanent place to play? What would be an ideal location? Assuming that one of the groups interested in buying the team is NOT Shad Khan, a lower cost permanent solution will be needed for the long term.
I don't know what the original plans were to be honest with you. I suppose I just assumed they would always stay at the baseball grounds as long as they stayed in the NASL or a similar lower level league. Not until the team/city showed that this could be an MLS caliber franchise that they would move to Everbank or build their own stadium. But that is all just my assumptions.
Props to the Armada front office for getting a TV deal with WJXT, far and away the most watched station in town. http://www.armadafc.com/news/2017/03/22/armada-announces-2017-broadcast-partnership-with-wjxt
1/2 true....their partnership is with their digital sub-channel THIS TV (4.2), which is probably a downgrade from being on CW 17 like they were last year. But WJXT's parent now owns CW17 too so its probably the only deal they could get and stay on broadcast tv.
1/2 true....their partnership is with their digital sub-channel THIS TV (4.2), which is probably a downgrade from being on CW 17 like they were last year. But WJXT's parent now owns CW17 too so its probably the only deal they could get and stay on broadcast tv.
Good way to start off the season with a win! They should have a lot more success this year as the caliber of opposition isn't very good in this updated league. Not a fantastic crowd... only 3500.
2017 LH USOC: May 17 Miami United FC (NPSL) vs. Jacksonville Armada (NASL) 7 p.m. ET Ted Hendricks Stadium; Hialeah, Fla. -or- May 17 Jacksonville Armada (NASL) vs. Boca Raton Football Club (Fla.) 7 p.m. ET Southern Oak Stadium (Jacksonville Univ.); Jacksonville, Fla.
new owner announced: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/mb/sp...new-owner-of-jacksonville-armada-fc/457578127
http://jacksonville.com/armada-fc/s...roduces-owner-palmer-lowry-unf-deals-extended Palmer said the team may be interested in someday building its own stadium if the club and UNF don’t continue their agreement past 2018. He said that he has looked into building a stadium of 6,000 to 8,000 seats. He’s looking for land to begin a long-term project, one he hopes will start to take shape as early as 2018 with new practice fields. Ultimately, Palmer envisions ambitious plans: a building that will house the offices of both the Armada and RP Funding, along with an apartment complex that includes player housing, a gym and a “world-class kitchen with a chef to cook for these guys.” “I’m in the industry. We have the capital to put the deal together,” Palmer said. “I’m not just up here saying this and hoping the city or someone’s going to come fund it for me. We’ll pay our own way. we’ve just got to find the right place and the right opportunity.”
Good news on the new owner. Apparently, the USL was attempting a Jax franchise (playing at UNF) in anticipation of the Armada folding if they didn't find an owner.
https://www.socceramerica.com/article/74666/new-nasl-owner-boosts-tv-viewers-adds-port-a-pott.html New NASL owner boosts TV viewers, adds port-a-potties August 25th, 2017
I like how he's being pro-active when it comes to these things. He took on the attendance issue right away BEFORE it became an albatross hanging around the club's neck, explaining why the number had gone down so quickly. If he hadn't there would be the usual rumors about gloom and doom.
One newsworthy item from RP over the last week that could have a big impact on the Armada in particular and pro soccer in general... He's planning to invest north of $10 million in creating and investing in 8 teams in the level below NPSL and PDL (which he mistakenly calls D4), to be spread out in states where he wants to do business. There is a possibility that some - or all - of these teams could be spun off as they potentially move up. He's also donating all of the money from online ticket sales to Hurricane Harvey relief.
Jax Armada FCVerified account @JaxArmadaFC 13h13 hours ago Join Jacksonville Armada owner Robert Palmer Monday, Jan. 8 at 2:30 p.m. on Facebook Live for a press conference regarding the future of the team. http://Facebook.com/JaxArmadaFC
Mark Fishkin @MarkFishkin 13m13 minutes ago As per team owner Robert Palmer, the NASL's @JaxArmadaFC is talking to other leagues (some below D2), in case the NASL doesn't win the lawsuit. Plans to move forward with a soccer-specific stadium.
Jacksonville is a great soccer city. My fear is that the new owner doesn't have the money to move it to the USL and he will either drop to PDL, NISA, or liquidate. I am betting he bought the team on the cheap as a marketing tool and will drive it into the ground as NASL won't allow him to slide into the USL which he couldn't do due to the cost of expansion fee.