Fan base? All of a couple hundred die hards....if that. I don't see a change coming in the FO at all. You have 3-4 guys that are already established. A new FO staff would mean they'll have no built in contacts. I think it's almost getting too late to do anything for the 2011 season.
They're running out of time. Even if there is a sale, the NASL must be putting the final touches on the schedule soon. I just don't se 2011 happening.
Atlanta has already announced their opponent for the opener. I'm guessing the schedule is probably already set. Doesn't look good for AC. I would love to be able to go to AB Park to see the Silverbacks play AC.
If AC gets things together (and it looks like they won't), NASL will reorganize the schedule. They want every team they can get.
Yes if AC pulls through they'll work out the schedule. I doubt the schedule is 100% set in stone at this point. Tampa is still considering different venues for next year, so they'll have to be flexible with them. When Miami FC nearly folded just before the 2009 season, we became aware that USL had several backup schedules ready to go in case one or two of the shakier teams went under. NASL may even already have a schedule made up that includes AC STL, ready for if they do indeed play.
That's a good point. There probably are a few contingency plans. I'm just becoming less and less optimistic that something will be worked out.
Miami FC CEO Aaron Davidson commented on the future of AC St. Louis today on the Feuerstein Fire podcast on MLS Talk. More on the NASL Fanatic.... http://acstlfanatic.wordpress.com/
good interview Gerry. Wish the future looked better. I don't hold out much hope for a re-launch in 2012 either- unless one of the fans wins powerball.
It might just be that they are just not in the 2011 plans like Baltimore. hopefully both clubs can regroup by sometime before the 2012 season start.
They also removed Atlanta's logo from their website earlier this year, then put it back when it was announced they would return. If things somehow get worked out AC will play in 2011. Right now things don't look good for AC, but I think every other decent soccer fan in the US and Canada has their fingers crossed for them to return, if not in 2011 then in 2012. St. Louis is a quality soccer market that had great potential, and not unlike Austin, it'll be a damn shame to see them go away.
We've pretty much resigned ourselves to having lost them. We're moving on to the St. Louis Lions and Illinois Piasa.
Still, Baltimore FC has stepped up and said that they can't do it this season and intend to come back in 2012. I have to respect that. Its about time that AC STL levels with us and says the same. We've all heard rumors that the Woods deal is off and that was really the only lifeline in the water. The supposed "drop dead date" was Dec 1st. So what now? The club has essentially said nothing since the end of the season, save for a denial of another blog's story or two. The longer they say nothing the worse it looks. Do they think we won't notice or will forget about our team? Do they plan on just fading into the shadows? I imagine we'll just get a press release one of these days that just says "we're done".
I don't imagine you'll get anything until someone from the press or the blogosphere calls them out again.
which has been a problem all along with this club. They are reactionary instead of proactive. They could spin all of these things in a much more positive light but they never plan ahead. They wait until someone else points out something and then they trip over themselves to respond. If they made a strong statement (whether its true or not) that they were taking a season off to regroup and plan on coming back stronger in 2012 that could be done positively. If they remain silent and let stories leak out like they released their players it looks terrible. Then their press release denials of the blog ring hollow- especially when players tell us what happened in the meeting.
They're not going to make a strong statement. This organization has yet to do so, even at the beginning. They chose never to market this team and do it on the cheap.
Interesting interview: with NASL fanatic Episode 37 46:20 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feuersteinsfire
Mike Ambersley signs with FC Tampa Bay. Looks like those rumors of players being released from their contracts with AC were true. It's a shame Traffic did not prop up AC like it's doing with Atlanta, Carolina & Minnesota. Is anyone still employed by AC at this point?
technically there are still some employees of the club. all players were allowed to negotiate with any other teams. No official word from the club, but some individuals that work for the club have stated that they are hopeful for a return in 2012. I am doubtful.
Great. In the course of a year, we go from three teams in a summer to one amateur one. For being this "great soccer town", STL is a really crappy soccer town, at least in 2011.