The City, FC Edmonton, and the CFL team are still talking together about it. I think it will get done, just not sure about with or without football lines. FCE will have to pay extra for the temp line turf I think, but they really have to have it, and it will complete Clarke into a nice small stadium they can use a few more years until a SSS.
Cool hopefully they don't go cheap and make sure he lines aren't permanent. At the very least a better turf is an absolute must for next year.
Hi Penske. Currently, FC Edmonton and has invested in updating Clarke Stadium. They are in the process of replacing the turf with one that allows for invisible lines to serve different sports. It is being pursued for this coming year.
ok great, there was talk back in August when Peterson was in town of this happened and then nothing so wasn't sure. That's great news for you guys. I wouldn't mind making the trip up there next year if the date of the match is favorable, always wanted to visit Alberta.
City Of Edmonton report proposes : Proposed Medium Size Stadium Strategy Phase 1 - Addresses current needs Clarke Stadium serves as the Medium Size Stadium 5,000 seat stadium (current seating capacity) Shared-use schedule meets needs of sports field users Replace artificial turf with a field that has permanent soccer lines (Yellow) and other game lines (e.g. White football lines) to be painted on to accommodate all sports http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/projects_redevelopment/medium-sized-stadium-strategy.aspx
I guess your expecting confirmation of the new turf later this month right. Can we expect it for the Spring when we make the trip up there.
Yes, confirmation should be this month. New turf would most likely be put in during the mid season break because of the winter weather in Edmonton - it could be a chilly day on April 19th when your Cosmos come to town!
Will the new turf have permanent football lines? or will they be able to remove them for Soccer and add them for the two Junior Football teams Huskies and Wildcats. I t appears that FC Edmonton is doing its best to add seating to make it seat properly for an NASL franchise but still needing to share the stadium with both Junior Football teams
That would be huge for FC Edmonton they have been renoing the seating of the stadium as well as adding new sections to building new sections to turn it into a much better soccer pitch.. Especially with the likes of Ottawa and Indy coming in with mcuh better vneues for soccer for fan expereince and seating. It also appears that Tanps has added proper fiend seating behind the benches bringing it closer to transoroming Al land more to SSS and away from a minor league basebalbaseball stadium. Has All land eliminated the baseball diamond better for a much better pitch to play on. It seems that the NASL franchises, original or expansion are making a very concious efort to build new or reno venues into mor SSS pitches. Even the Cosmas temp home out of Hostra is now a Soccer or lacrosee specific. What doe Jacksonville have in store for their pitch
Possible decision this coming monday : Edmonton City Council to mull recommendation that would see the end to football lines at FCE matches http://the11.ca/2014/02/27/edmonton...see-the-end-to-football-lines-at-fce-matches/
Great news should it happen and I think if the city of Edmonton is inerested in having another High profile sports franchise from the D2 NASL to go with the NHL, WHL, and CFL they should make it happen. Hopefully a network like SHAWTV will be a network that would provide at least regional Coverage of FCE. As for canadian Championship Mid week games the use of Commonwealth may have to come into play. The priority now is on the NASL. FCE has certainly proved it is serieous by paying for the improvements and capcity to turn Clarke into a proper soccer pitch.
Vote should happen next week, new turf for Clarke Stadium looking like it will happen for the Fall Season : http://the11.ca/2014/03/03/fc-edmonton-and-clarke-stadium-le-turf-est-mort-vive-le-turf/ But, after a morning of debate, the committee has recommended that the city pay $1.25 million to replace Clarke’s worn-out surface with new artificial turf. Council will vote on the measure next week. The change would come when the NASL is in its World Cup break, and would be ready for the league’s fall season. The new turf would also come with a shock pad acting as underpinning, to act as an impact-absorbing cushion. The turf will have permanent soccer lines, but no permanent football lines.
Reading the Article it looks like it will e very doable. I would guess that the City of Edmonton would like to keep their pro soccer team so evalution of a pitch with no football lines would be needed especially since Sportsnet dropped their TV deal becasue of it. Again I would guess the the City would like to have their pro soccer games on a Sprtnet network. Making the most sense in this deal is that the city will make upgrades to two other football sights for HS and Junior football. With the NASL beginning to grow a bit more with clubs closer to EDM and games back on Sportsnet that FCE could possibily look for a pitch sponsor for games to help with the cost of the change over. JMO
I met a guy who develops turf facilities. I learned a few things I didn't know, like the turf with the rubber pebbles is not the best way to go, it makes for a stronger bounce plus the pebbles are toxic, there is a new generation turf that acts more like grass without the pebbles. Hope Edmonton invests on some of the good stuff, not too sure about pricing but it would be nice to see a NASL team with top of the line turf.
That is interesting. FIFA does have a mandated type artificial turf that they allow for internatioal competitions, although natural turf is much preferred. Whatever that level was is what all of the CFL fields have now in order to make the fields used for the WWC legal by FIFA standards. Now it won't be changed for the 2015 WWC but could affect the future od FIFA soccer events in Canada. This hybrid grass/articfical sufrace that is at Wembley stadium has suddently become all of the rage. The mixture still has real grass in it so who knows how that will be rated. You would think by now that an artificial surface can be made that is safer for the players to play on then even grass. Any way good for FCE and good for the city of Edmonton to take the steps to make this happen. Sportnet pulling its TV Broadcast do to the football lines stinks. I hope they can find another network that will Broacast their games. Anyone have any news on this. I know that the western Canada over air Network Shaw TV does have a nice line up of sports for Westrn Canada clubs or will 360 add the Eddies back to the air in the fall season?
So to start the 2014 Fall season both Canadian sides will be entering a better playing situation. Will Sportsnet 360 once again broadcast FCE games or has FCE moved on with another Network Provider.
A logic based decision on stadium construction, this type of shit would never fly down here in America. I guess Canadians have never seen the movie field of dreams. "If you build it [and use tax payers money to do it] they will come [or not but then is to late to take it back]"
For FCE I dont think it is such a bad thing to take the Clarke stadium and upgrade it to a NASL standard stadium. If the NASL begins to catch on more in Canada and 360 or other networks carry games as well as a 8-10K crowd begin to show using the Vancouver Whitecaps model of finding a sponsor to pay for the pitch naming rights on game day are not out of the question and would be surely much cheaper than what Vacouver pays for the use of BC place so it is possible. The sight being next to commonwealth and within the new training complexes building a new soccer stadium elsewhere would not make sense. IMHO
Clarke Stadium turf removal has begun. Most of the old turf is gone. The new turf should be installed by the July 13th Fall Season game, but as a contingency the team will play that game next door at 60K seat Commonwealth Stadium if for any reason its not ready yet.