It would seem that NASL commissioner Bill Peterson gives Puerto Rico Islanders until the end of July to fix their problem with the league ... if not, the club may be expelled from the NASL. This comes directly from this article on the internet. Are the Islanders are seriously committed to the NASL? http://www.indyweek.com/triangleoff...ls-us-open-cup-and-other-soccer-league-issues
I really wouldn't expect to see the Islanders playing in any league at this point. The silence from them during this hiatus is deafening indeed.
Unfortunately, I think the Islanders are a part of the NASL's past and not its future. I don't think any of us realized how much of their budget was fronted by the PR state government. With the change of governor and composition of the legislature, these monies (tourism and sports development) have been greatly reduced. Without the govt.'s support during their last season, I don't think the Islanders would have lasted through the first couple of months of their temporary stay at Bayamon Soccer Complex. I feel sorry for the City of Bayamon. The upgraded JRL Stadium is very nice, truly a football home to be proud of. The city is out a lot of money and not much in the way of usage to show for it. It did house two great CONCACAF Champions' League games. IMHO the Islanders will not rise from the ashes. They may perhaps compete locally, but that would be under new ownership. They have no coach, few players, and as far as I can tell, no front office. I think Andy is willing to let PRI be remembered for who they were and not compete as a only a hollow shadow of who they used to be.
I'm curious to know if NASL officials have been speaking with Puerto Rican government officials of the tourism and sports development department on the future of the Islanders? Anyone here knows the answer to this question.
Don't know it, but I would imagine they know, better than anyone, what the temperature of the island is. If they believe there's a chance of salvaging it, they've probably been in contact. But let's be honest here: a government-subsidized franchise....is that really what we want? Is that really healthy for the game?
You're right, government-subsidized franchise is not a good idea. Any club in the league should be treated as any business that operates in the private sector. This club is better off dead, and NASL commissioner Bill Peterson knows it. The whole business model of the NASL has changed drastically ever since the Cosmos have come on board, and this is now being scene with the new types of investors who are now joining the league. This is now a full scale competition where the strong clubs, with deep pockets, will triumph over the weak ones. Sad to say, Puerto Rico Islanders do not envision this image. This is why the NASL are better off seeing them go.
Yeah... It would be nice to see the Islanders back on the pitch but unless they get legitmate private investment I can't see it happening... Nor should it happen.
"Drastically?" They haven't played a game yet. They haven't created a Superclub yet. They signed a guy who RETIRED FOUR YEARS AGO and a former star who will be 37 next month. How has the "whole business model" of the entire league changed? You still sell tickets. You still get sponsors. You still play games. You still hope to get paid for media deals. The only thing I can really see that has changed is the depth of the owners' pockets. And USSF MANDATED THAT. Rich Middle Easterners in New York, rich guy in Minneasota. Pretty rich guy in Indianapolis. I have no idea what Ottawa and Virginia have. Are they substantially different from Tom Fath? Because the Yankees and Red Sox win every year. Strong clubs often triumph. That is one way we know they are strong. But they do not ALWAYS triumph, and not all clubs with deep pockets are strong. And in any given league, only half the clubs can do well at the expense of the other half. Well-run or not.
So is the basic assumption that the Islanders will just never play again? Is there a domestic PR league?
Unfortunately, I think that is indicative of where they are. There is no news of future events. I think the NASL's deadline will come and go and the Islanders will quietly become a part of the league's past. It is ashamed.
The deadline is soon approaching for the Puerto Rico Islanders. In fact in 2 weeks the NASL is expected to render a decision on the future of this club. Is there any latest inside rumors/news as to what's going-on behind the scenes? I've already forward an email to the league office over a week ago, and I still haven't gotten a response. The NASL is keeping everything tight lip.
Found an article from february last year The new construction was proposed by the mayor of Bayamón, Ramón Luis Rivera, Jr., who has committed to a rehab of the stadium that will cost nearly $7 million. Rivera has been quoted as saying he would like to see MLS in Puerto Rico someday and hopes to help draw the Pan American Games to the Island in 2019. “The idea is to take it to another level,” said Rivera. “To take it to that point where we could rise to be part of MLS.” - See more at: http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/...-ramon-loubriel-stadium/#sthash.qKBGIDfL.dpuf
A lot of the work on JRL has been completed. While the work was being done, the Islanders played their home games at the Bayamon Soccer Complex. Admission was free because it did not provide, what I would call, "a professional atmosphere" for the fans. Unfortunately, the fans felt the same way and attendance fell to below 1,000 per game. When PRI returned to JRL, the stadium was much improved. They played the LA Galaxy in their new and improved home. It was quite a night. The locker rooms, rest rooms, and field improvements are complete. The expanded seating has not been done. Of course, you need a team to finish the work. Again, alas, I don't think PRI will be that team.
They have a league. Surely they wouldn't just have used it for the Spain friendly and then that's that.
The PR v Spain game was the first game at the new and improved JRL. The Islanders played a couple of home games there prior to the end of the NASL season. They had two CONCACAF games there (a tie with the LA Galaxy and a victory over Metapan). And, they had a home game in their brief play-off run. The stadium was supposed to become the home for the Puerto Rican national team. But since they are out of WWC qualifying, they haven't had any "competitive" matches in a while. BTW I think it is too big a stadium for the local league. It would cost too much to open and operate it for a small (read 500) crowd.
Was this updated? I don't recall this saying April 2014, thought at the time the target was Fall 2013. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=3719 Edit: Nevermind, apparently the release about the Islanders prior to this one had them sitting out the Spring.