First leg of the inter-provincial cup: http://www.league1ontario.ca/article/oakville-blue-devils-3---cs-mont-royal-outremont-griffons-1
http://www.league1ontario.com/article/cs-mont-royal-outremont-griffons-2---oakville-blue-devils-2 L10 produces another championship. New Market looking to get in next season as well. Wishful thinking: L10 @ 20 teams/ PLSQ expanding into three rivers, Sherbrooke and QC/ New BC div3 league announcement.....
You have one of your wishes. Dynamo de Québec will join PLSQ next season (though they were meant to join in 2015, but felt the level of competition wasnt high enough!) after being rejected to play in PDL. Some links (all in french I think): http://www.arsq.qc.ca/nouvelles/le-dynamo-de-quebec-en-2014/ http://www.la90eminute.com/quebec-en-plsq-en-2016-ou-plus-tard/ http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sp...remiere-ligue-de-soccer-du-quebec-en-2015.php http://www.infosoccer.ca/2015/01/18/le-dynamo-masculin-attendra/
Is there any talk of D3 expansion to the Maritimes? I realize the population isn't at the same level as the rest of the country but wouldn't there be enough population centers to have at least a small league or a least a division affiliated with the PLSQ?
That's how its done in junior hockey. I'm pretty sure that Halifax and Moncton could both support D3, and perhaps St. John as well. St. John's in itself is also large enough, but too remote for that level I think. It's a question if the powers that be in Quebec are open to sharing their league.
Some of that double-speak by ARS Dynamo is amusing. Sounds like he wants to eventually go pro, and thinks joining PLSQ could hinder that aspiration. I do get the push for a spot in the V-cup but you're not going to get that unless your willing to go full pro and spend even more money. That being said, just because you suggest it doesn't mean it will happen, only a bigger d3 pool could convince the CSA that the V-cup could be opened up. If the interprovincial cup gets bigger (and it will) then maybe another spot could be considered for the cup. Otherwise you have to bet on CSA making a league of their own, or letting you join NASL (because usl spots don't compete in the V-cup). Sorry ASR but both of those cost more than PLSQ. W/e my aspirations are just for a fuller PLSQ and stronger d3 across the nation as a whole. Maritimes would be cool too, if the C-league thing is real, I could see them expanding out their a dual purpose expansion. Just hopeful thinking though.
Especially if the additional L1O teams aren't all stuffed into the GTA. Right now it's Windsor, Kingston, and a whole pile of teams in the Toronto area.
It's a shame that L1O will struggle to enter the London and KWC markets since those two cities already have clubs playing at a similar level. Other than Kingston, there isn't much east of the GTA, other than Ottawa, where the Fury academy team is playing in the PLSQ.
Word is New market will enter next season. I know thats GTA but its still progress. Semi-pro needs population centers to work. I'd love to see the criminal soccer league collapse and those areas form teams in L10. Drawing PDL teams to L10 will be much harder, although the lynx just did it and it seemed to work out for them. I'd love to see a revival of Galt FC in Cambridge and the PDL teams of K-W and London join L10, but thats not going to happen just yet. First requirement for L10 to expand outside of the GTA is for the CSL to fade away. Then maybe the PDL teams (other than Thunder Bay) can be convinced over. I do think the concentration currently is disproportionate to the province right now (same in PLSQ) but that will change and hence why I want to see 20 L10 teams and 12+ in PLSQ. It doesn't seem to be too far fetched to me at all.
I'd like to see two things from L1O at this point: First, expansion outside the GTA through a combination of drawing in existing teams and creating new ones. I think we could see Ottawa, Peterborough, Barrie, Guelph, KW, London, Hamilton, and St. Catharines at this level. Second, an overt mechanism to deliver players to the pro teams. Right now the path is obvious if you play for TFC's Academy team or (via the PLSQ) for the Fury academy team. Most players aren't on those teams, however, and don't want to see that talent wasted in fiefdom bickering. (I remember back in the day when the Toronto Lynx theoretically had an arrangement with the CSL. It lasted until the first time the Lynx actually tried to "call up" a player, at which point his CSL team refused to release him because, obviously, he was one of their best players.)
Fury have their academy squad in PLSQ, and that probably makes the most sense, it makes a huge difference in travel for them. The farthest east I can see L1O going is Kingston, there isn't much else east of there except for Cornwall which even if they do have a tier 3 team would also more likely join PLSQ. Barrie is a definite, I think that even Sudbury is a distinct possibility. If we really want to be optimisitc, North Bay even? Other 519 possibilities: Chatham, Sarnia and Brantford.
Love the optimism. As Poly mentioned Ottawa is already in PLSQ and cornwall would def go east first if given the option. Bellville could probably support a team though, if we want to look east. As far as north goes, I'd like to see it, but I think barrie would probably be the max and not optimal for expansion at this point. Remember its semi-pro/amateur presently, and with no consistent source of revenue other than registration fees from local development academies, travel costs are big... Kingston to Windsor for a game must be brutal costs for a team. I think it makes sense too fill out the 401 as much as possible; KW, London, Guelph etc. Then look to the areas south along the QE; hammer, branftford, Catherines, Niagra.... Basically the current CSL and PDL team areas.
And now we see this reporting the end of the PDL in Ontario: http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/i...ontario-gives-notice-on-pdl-in-province-r5507 It seems a bit forceful (pushing rather than pulling) but, in the long run, it is probably the best result if L1O is going to become the D3 league in the province. At least it makes things clear. The one big concern I have is Thunder Bay. It's all well and good for London and KW but what are the Chill realistically supposed to do? It would be a shame to lose the team over this. It would be nice if they could force the CSL teams to move, too, but the CSL is already a rebel league so I don't know what other options are available to them.
I should have added, the other question this raises in my mind is that of franchise costs. Presumably the PDL teams paid to become members of the league. At one time the United Soccer Leagues actually had a "click here" link for people interested in starting new teams that included a franchise cost. I seem to recall the PDL was around $75k. I can't imagine the existing PDL teams will be very happy to have someone say "We're negating that investment you made plus all the time you've spend familiarizing your customers with the PDL brand. Have a nice day." So I wonder if there is any financial compensation involved?
I would assume that the OSA discussed this with the clubs and got their buy in before moving ahead with it. Would be pretty stupid to blindside them with this. Of course, the Canadian bureaucracy is no stranger to stupidity. The upside for these clubs would be that operating solely in Canada should have benefit for their costs, especially with the high US dollar.
And you leave behind the PDL's 2.5 months schedule, whose sole purpose is to fit within the American college offseason.
Just did a quick look, all four of the Ontario teams, even Thunder Bay would see a massive reduction in travel in L1O. They all play in the same division, which extends as far as Winnipeg and the central USA. Seeing as a move to L1O would have little impact on their attendance (and in fact with a longer schedule would see and increase in ticket revenue), I honestly can't see what the downside is for them in making such a move.
And the sooner CSA allowed D3 champions into the Canadian Championship, the more attractive it will be!
Thunder Bay plays in the Heartland Division. This includes Winnipeg, St. Louis, Chicago, and teams in Iowa and Missouri. The others play in the Great Lakes Division. This is three Ontario teams plus teams in Michigan, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Travel would definitely be lower for the Great Lakes teams. For Thunder Bay, St. Louis is the same distance as Toronto. The other Missouri team is 100 km farther than Toronto. All the other cities are several hundred kilometres closer. Overall, then, it is a win for the southern Ontario teams but a significant loss for Thunder Bay in terms of travel.
I thought that because those two divisions were in the same conference they played one another but it seems that I was mistaken. Perhaps the league will subsidize TBC's travel costs. Not sure how they travel now, plane or coach, but in L1O they'll most certainly have to fly.
@Polygong They're always going to be flying unless its to Winnipeg or Wisconson [sic]. TB, as great a place it is, is too far to feasibly be in any league but PDL L10 doesn't require the same financial backing as PDL and IMO TB as well as WSA are better suited in the format provided vs a d3 start-up. If the can be successful in that environment all the power too them eh.
Well, looks like FC London have already made the switch to League1 Ontario for 2016. http://www.league1ontario.com/article/league1-ontario-announces-eight-new-teams-for-upcoming-season
Nice, though the three other men's teams are all still GTA, so lots of work still to do expanding through the rest of the province.
A bit disappointing: I was hoping some expansion in Quebec. Only seven teams (the same ones from last season) will compete in the PLSQ 2016 season. For their fifth anniversary their goals are to strengthen the PLSQ reserve teams and 'strengthen' the league as a whole before expansion. Official announcement may be found here: http://www.plsq.ca/fr/publication/n...16_en_premiere_ligue_de_soccer_du_quebec.html Still nothing out west going on to my knowledge. Hopefully they can get something going on.